My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As Expected / My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, As I Expected

"Even so..."

"But I knew that no matter how badly you were hurt, you wouldn't give in. I knew you'd overcome it with your own strength. I knew you'd move forward again."

That was why I gritted my teeth so hard, thinking, As long as it's for that purpose...

"As long as it's to protect something important, or someone important."

"...What's wrong with that?"

"I didn't say it was wrong. I just don't like it."

Right. He'd gotten angry at me for something similar before, too.

I remembered him rebuking me back then, saying, "Why do you only ever use that method?"

"Because that's something no one else... no, at least something I could never do."

I'd thought he was simply criticizing my clumsy way of doing things...

"...Um, from where I'm standing, that just sounds like jealousy?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"You actually admitted it... Are you really Hayama Hayato?"

"Because you wouldn't be jealous of me, would you? You've never envied me even once, have you?"

But even if it was because of the alcohol, even if old memories had been amplified in the wrong direction...

"When I saw you being out of place in class, yet able to accept that, it made me feel terrible. It was like being forced to watch the possibility of becoming someone I wanted to be, but could never possibly become. It made me sick."

If there wasn't even a shred of truth in what he was saying or feeling right now, I didn't think I'd ever be able to believe in people again for the rest of my life.

"Hey... Give me one too."

"I thought you didn't smoke?"

"There's no way alcohol alone can smooth over a stupid conversation like this."

Unfazed by the way I was practically glaring at him,