My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected

"...But, Komachi really thanks you, big brother."

She wrapped her arms around my waist and pressed her face against my back, hugging me tightly.

"You're doing this to score points for yourself too, right?"

"Tsk, you saw through me?"

Still, her hands didn't let go. The early morning breeze carried a slight chill, slowly stealing the body heat from both of us. Amidst this comfortable sensation, my sleepiness grew stronger. It seemed I was going to be late again today. Judging by this feeling, I'd definitely fall asleep the moment I got home. Oh well, being late together with my sister once in a while isn't so bad.

"But~ I'm so glad we could meet."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Hearing Komachi say that from the back seat, I wore a puzzled expression. Komachi didn't look at my face and continued, "The one who brought the sweets, you know. If you met her, you should have told Komachi. Oh well~ it's a good thing big brother broke his bones, so he could meet such a cute Yui-neechan. It's great~"

"Mm... Yeah..."

I mechanically lifted my foot and pressed the pedal. Since this action required almost no thought, it naturally came without any emotion. Therefore, the moment emotion crept in, my movements completely fell apart.

My body lurched violently, and a sharp pain shot through my calf.

"Ah!"

"W-w-what's wrong all of a sudden? This is the first time Komachi has seen someone miss the pedal!"

Komachi let out a string of complaints, but now wasn't the time for that.

What did she just say? Yuihama was the one who brought the sweets?

The "one who brought the sweets" here didn't refer to the person who appears every Obon festival, nor could it possibly be Mr. Purple Rose (Note 42: From the manga Glass Mask, Masumi Hayami anonymously sent purple roses to encourage and help the protagonist Maya Kitajima.), but rather someone I had a past connection with.

On my first day of high school, I was in a traffic accident.

A girl was walking her dog, but the dog suddenly broke free and ran out, just as a luxury car was approaching. I was hit by the car while trying to save the dog, breaking my bones and landing me in the hospital for three weeks. This incident also sealed my fate of having no friends from the start of school.

The "one who brought the sweets" that Komachi mentioned was the owner of that dog.

"Big brother, what's wrong?"

Komachi looked at me with a worried expression. I could only force out a vague smile... I had inadvertently recalled so many things, I couldn't help but laugh at myself.

"It's nothing. Let's go buy some bread before heading home."

I stepped on the pedal again, but incredibly, the pedal spun freely for a full rotation, hitting my calf once more.

FROM Shizuka Hiratsuka 21:09

TITLE Hikigaya-kun, exam preparation

How is it going?

Modern Japanese isn't just tested on regular exams; looking ahead to the

university entrance exams, it's also a good way to improve your comprehension skills.

Please do your best.

FROM Hachiman 21:12

TITLE Re

...Excuse me, may I ask

who you are?

FROM Shizuka Hiratsuka 21:15

TITLE Sorry, I am Shizuka Hiratsuka.

For you, it might be clearer to say "teacher."

FROM Hachiman 21:20

TITLE Re

(／-＼).oO(When writing emails, your personality is completely different...)

Volume 2 ⑤ Hachiman Hikigaya Once Again Returns to His Original Path

The week-long regular exams all ended. After a weekend break, it was Monday again. All the exam results would be announced today, and the entire class was spent handing out and reviewing test papers.

After each class, Yuihama would excitedly run over to report her results to me.

"Shut-in! My Japanese history has improved! The study group we held before was effective!"

Her tone was very excited, while I remained relatively calm.

"That's great."

"Yeah! It's all thanks to Yukino... and you, shut-in."

Although she said that, in reality, I hadn't done anything at all.

If studying a little bit immediately yielded results, that would be too much. Club activities for studying basically held no meaning, so her score was entirely the result of her own hard work.

My own grades were the same as always. Japanese Language managed to hold onto third place in the entire grade, while Math only got nine points. What even is a recursive sequence? That name sounds so chuunibyou.

Besides handing back the periodic exam papers, today also had a long-planned event: a workplace internship.

Once lunch break arrived, students headed to their chosen workplaces.

We headed to Mihama Ward Station. This area is a hub for office buildings, with many unexpected corporate headquarters located here. Furthermore, from what happened a few days ago, we learned that this is also a commercial district.

The name "Makuhari New City" certainly wasn't just for show; you could even say Chiba was the capital without any problem.

The members in my group included Totsuka and Hayama.

That was the case in name, at least...

In reality, as soon as I arrived today, I saw Hayama surrounded by a large crowd. Are you all his vassals?

It doesn't matter, since I never intended to stick with him from the start. I searched for Totsuka, wanting to take my time strolling around with him with a date-like mindset, but unfortunately, he wasn't easy to approach either, with several girls clinging to him. Seeing his timid appearance, someone unaware might think he was being bullied.

The three guys who were originally in a different group, along with Miura, appeared beside Hayama. I even saw Yuihama among them.

If I counted casually, about five groups came here for the visit.

I don't like crowding with others. Even when I occasionally go out during holidays, I often get the urge to go home because there are too many people outside.

Therefore, I naturally fell to the very end of the group. It's remarkable. If I were a Sengoku-era general, volunteering to be the rear guard would surely earn me a great reward.

The place we chose—or rather, the place Hayama chose—was an electronic machinery manufacturing company whose name I had heard before. It wasn't just an office building or a research facility; it also had an exhibition hall open to the public. That exhibition hall even had a 360-degree theater, making it quite entertaining.

If Hayama didn't put much thought into choosing the location, then he was just incredibly good at picking places, possessing sharp instincts. Conversely, if he chose this place anticipating a large crowd, then he was equally commendable for his thoughtfulness.

Most importantly, even visiting a mechanical exhibition alone is enjoyable.

Like a boy in a commercial who desperately wanted a small trumpet, I pressed myself against the glass, admiring the machines' "buzzing" operation. Just watching them excited me.

The phrase "We are not machines" is a protest against being controlled and enslaved. That statement is absolutely correct. We are not machines, so there will always be useless gears like me, whose purpose is unrelated to any structure. If you find such a thing in a Mini 4WD, please contact Tamiya Models directly.

To be honest, machines also have these superfluous parts, so-called "reserved spaces," like extra chain links or redundant gears. Because of these reserved spaces, the machines don't run too tightly when operating, and their lifespan is extended. The researchers here told us that both machines and humans need some reserved space.

However, no one invited me to play...

I maintained a suitable distance from that group and looked around on my own.

The men and women in front happily chatted and laughed, while behind me, there wasn't a soul, and the silence made my ears start to ache.

However, this silence was immediately broken by the sound of loud footsteps.

"Hachiman, you're here too?"

Hiratsuka-sensei had rarely taken off her white coat. It was probably because wearing white here could easily lead to her being mistaken for a company employee.

"Sensei, are you inspecting various places?"

"Mm, you could say that."

However, she wasn't looking at the group of students but was intently observing the machines before her.

"Hmm, Japanese technology is truly first-class... In my lifetime, I should be able to see Gundams appear."

Her inner self was indeed still that of a young boy. The way she examined the steel chassis was as if she had fallen in love. Wait a minute, Sensei, please go have a normal romance, okay? I'm serious.

Let her stay there and look... I thought as I stepped forward, but Hiratsuka-sensei seemed to hear my footsteps and walked alongside me at the same pace.

"By the way, Hachiman, about your competition..."

Sensei was referring to the competition between me and Yukino: whoever could help more people through the Service Club's activities would win, and the winner could order the loser to do anything.

Sensei started the topic, but the rest of her words got stuck in her throat, so I urged her to continue with my eyes.

At this, Sensei seemed to make up her mind and spoke again.

"Due to too many uncertain factors involved, the current rules are no longer sufficient. Therefore, I plan to adjust some of the content."

That sounds just like something a game company would say. In short, it means Sensei's brain capacity has exceeded its limit and can't process any further.

"I have no objections."

After all, Hiratsuka-sensei herself is the rule. No matter what I say, what's going to be changed will be changed. Besides, who wins or loses is decided by Sensei's absolute authority and prejudice; trying to resist would be a waste of effort.

"Have the detailed contents been decided yet?"

"Not yet... There's one person I haven't figured out how to handle."

Hiratsuka-sensei scratched her head.

Haven't figured out how to handle? Hearing that, I immediately thought of Yuihama. The Service Club originally only had Yukino and me, but this girl joined midway.

She could be considered an existence outside the rules. If we're talking about uncertain factors, she's definitely it. She wasn't part of Sensei's original plan, yet now she's at the center of our club.

So, does that mean the participants will be me, Yukino, and Yuihama?

"Well, it seems the path of machinery ends here."

What do you mean, "path of machinery"!

"I'll notify you once I've decided on the new competition format. Don't worry, I won't harm you."

Hiratsuka-sensei said this with a smile. But Sensei, that's always the line villains say...

Next, the teacher turned and walked back down the mechanical path.

After watching the teacher leave, I moved towards the exit.

It seemed I had talked with the teacher for quite a while; Hayama and the others were nowhere to be seen. Only the silent bamboo forest rustled in the early summer breeze.

The western sky was painted with color. I stood at the empty entrance, looking around.

Just then, I spotted a familiar round bun hairstyle. Oh, I've been spotted.

The girl was sitting by the sidewalk, hugging her knees and looking at her phone. For a moment, I wasn't sure if I should call out to her. As I hesitated, she noticed me first.

"Ah, shut-in, you're so slow! Everyone's already left!"

"Yeah, sorry, my inner robot soul got too excited... By the way, where did they all go?"

"Saizeriya."

High school students in Chiba Prefecture really love Saizeriya. Even though it's a family restaurant chain that started in Chiba Prefecture, they're way too attached to it. But considering its good value, that's understandable.

"...Aren't you going?"

"Huh? Ah... um, how should I put it~ I was kind of waiting for you. Yeah... it seems a bit pitiful to just leave you here..."

For some reason, Yuihama fiddled with her fingers on her chest and then glanced at me.

I couldn't help but smile at her.

"You're really kind."

"Huh! Ah, wha... I-I'm not!"

Yuihama waved her hands frantically, her cheeks flushing a deep red in the setting sun.

I had no idea why she was denying it, but I still thought she was really kind and gentle. That's why I wanted to tell her so directly.

"Actually, you don't need to worry about me at all. I helped your dog purely by chance. Besides, even if I hadn't had that accident, I probably would have been a loner in high school anyway, so you don't need to feel guilty. Hmm... it sounds a bit strange coming from me."

It really did sound strange coming from me. But because it was about myself, I was perfectly clear on the matter. Even if I had enrolled in school safely that day, it was highly likely—no, absolutely certain—that I would have ended up friendless all the same.