My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

I couldn't help but give a wry smile. That phrase has been used to death.

Just as I was getting a little annoyed and was about to argue back, Ms. Hiratsuka stared into my eyes, shrugged, and said:

"You probably want to say something else, but that one thing makes me really think you have a high school sophomore syndrome."

"……Yeah?"

"I hope you don't misunderstand, I'm genuinely praising you. I like people who don't give up thinking, even though your personality is really awkward in some ways."

The other person directly expressed their feelings, leaving me speechless for a moment. I'm rarely spoken to like that, so I didn't know how to respond.

"From your perspective, given your eccentric personality, what do you think of Yukino Yukinoshita?"

"That annoying guy."

This time, I answered without even thinking. I genuinely felt she was an annoying person, to the point of being ridiculed for saying, "Let's not change it to a cement road" (from the anime film "Valley of the Heart," where the male protagonist, Amasawa, mocks the female protagonist, Tsukishima, for changing "Country Road" to "cement road," leading Tsukishima to think Amasawa is an irritating person).

"That's it."

Hiratsuka-sensei gave a wry smile.

"She's a very good student... but everyone has their own troubles. Anyway, she's a very gentle girl."

Where's the gentleness? I clicked my tongue inwardly in disbelief.

"She must have some kind of illness. She was always so gentle and understanding, but this world is neither gentle nor reasonable. She must have had a very hard time."

"Regardless of whether she is gentle or reasonable, at least we share a similar view of the world."

After I finished speaking, the teacher looked at me with an expression that said, "Isn't that right?"

"You're all really awkward. I was worried you wouldn't be able to adapt to this society, which is why I wanted to bring you all together."

"That's not an isolation ward, is it...?"

"Perhaps. But you students are quite interesting, I like you. Maybe I just want to keep you around."

The teacher smiled happily, still holding my arm tightly. This mixed martial arts-like technique was probably learned from comics. My elbow kept making annoying cracking sounds while rubbing against the teacher's ample breasts.

...Phew, my arm is completely under my control, and I can hardly break free. Although I'm unwilling, I can only enjoy this sensation a little longer now, how hateful!

Then I remembered that breasts come in pairs, so the breasts mentioned earlier should be in the plural form.

× × ×

Once we arrived at the special building, the teacher, probably no longer worried I'd run away, finally let go of my hand. But as she left, she kept giving me meaningful glances. It wasn't out of reluctance to part, but rather a menacing hint: "You know what happens if you run away, don't you?"

I walked down the corridor with a wry smile.

One corner of the special building was quite quiet, and even the air was cold.

There must be other clubs having activities, but there's no noise at all here. I don't know if it's because of the location or the unique atmosphere emanating from that person—Yukino Yukinoshita.

To be honest, I felt heavy-hearted when I opened the door, but it wouldn't feel right to just run away like this.

Just ignore what she says. Don't think of us as two separate people. We are independent and have nothing to do with each other. That way, there won't be any awkwardness or unpleasantness.

Starting today, I'm going to implement the "What's there to be afraid of when you're alone" plan. First point: Treat everyone else as a stranger. Incidentally, there is no second point to this plan.

Simply put, the reason I felt awkward was because of my compulsive thinking that I "had to talk to her" and "had to get along well with her."

When you're on a tram, you don't feel awkward just because someone is sitting next to you. It's the same principle.

Therefore, I don't need to think too much; I can just quietly read the book.

I opened the door to the clubhouse and saw Yukino reading a book, in the same posture as yesterday.

"..."

Even after opening the door, I didn't know what to say. In short, I greeted her silently in my mind first, and then walked over.

Yukinoshita's gaze lingered on me for a moment, then returned to the paperback.

"The place is already so small, yet they still ignore me..."

Yukinoshita completely ignored me, making me wonder if I had turned into air. Isn't this just like when I'm in the classroom?

"Your way of greeting people is strange. What ethnicity are you from?"

"……Hello."

Unable to bear the sarcasm from Xuexia, I switched to greeting her using the method I learned in kindergarten, and this time she laughed.

This was probably the first time she smiled at me, and I also noticed that she had dimples when she smiled, and that she would also show her canine teeth and other small details.

Good afternoon. I thought you would never come again.

To be honest, her smile was practically a foul, a foul on par with Maradona's "Hand of God." I have to admit that.

"I... I only came here because running away would result in an immediate loss, so please don't get the wrong idea!"

This dialogue is somewhat like something out of a romantic comedy, but the male and female characters have opposite perspectives, right?

It just didn't work.

Yukinoshita wasn't upset by my reaction; in fact, she seemed completely uninterested and continued speaking:

"After what I said to you so rudely, you shouldn't want to come back here... Or are you a masochist?"

"No, that's not it..."

"Is that a stalker?"

"No, not really. Hey, why are you assuming I have feelings for you?"

"Isn't it?"

This woman actually tilted her head and looked puzzled! Although she looked kind of cute, I didn't feel like I'd gotten a good deal at all.

"No! You're far too confident; even I can't stand it."

"Oh, I thought you really liked me."

When Yukinoshita said this, her expression was as cold as usual, and there was no sign of surprise.

Yukinoshita is indeed very cute. Even I, who have no connection with her and no friends at school, know who she is. She is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful girls in the school.

That being said, her confidence was unusually high.

"What kind of upbringing did you go through to be so optimistic? Is it your birthday every day or is your boyfriend Santa Claus?"

Otherwise, how could she have such a high opinion of herself?

If we let her continue like that, things will inevitably go wrong sooner or later. It's best to guide her back to the right path while there's still room for maneuver.

The kindness hidden within me began to stir, and I carefully chose my words to speak:

"Yukinoshita, you're not normal. That's a huge misunderstanding. Go get a lobotomy as soon as possible."

"For your own sake, you'd better tidi up your words."

Yukinoshita chuckled "Hehehe~" as she looked at me, but what was terrifying was that her eyes weren't smiling.

However, the fact that she didn't call me "trash" or "scum" is commendable. Honestly, if she weren't cute, I would have punched her already.

"Well, to Hachiman, who's at the bottom of the social ladder, I might seem a bit abnormal, but for me, this way of thinking is perfectly normal. It's just based on rules of thumb."

Yukinoshita puffed out her chest triumphantly. Even such a gesture, when done by her, would look quite professional; it was truly unbelievable.

"Rules of thumb..."

The fact that she can say something like that suggests she has experience in relationships, right? Judging from her appearance, it's understandable.

"Your campus life must be very enjoyable."

Upon hearing my whispered words mixed with a sigh, Yukinoshita's body trembled.

"Yes, yes. To be honest, my campus life was quite stable and peaceful."

She said that, but her eyes somehow drifted elsewhere. Thanks to that, I discovered how beautiful the smooth curve of her jawline and neck was, thus learning an utterly useless piece of knowledge.

Seeing Yukino's shifty gaze, it took me a few moments to realize my blind spot. No, if I had calmed down, I should have noticed immediately. After all, how could a girl who is aloof and looks down on others possibly build normal interpersonal relationships, let alone have a smooth-sailing school life?

Let's ask her anyway.

Do you have any friends?

Upon hearing my question, Yukinoshita immediately looked away.

"Well... could you please define what constitutes friendship first?"

"Ah, no need. People who say things like that have no friends."

This comes from my personal experience.

To be honest, I'm not sure what constitutes a friend, or what the difference is between a friend and an acquaintance. Can someone help me clarify this?

Does meeting once make you friends, and seeing each other every day make you brothers? Mi Do Fa Do Re Si So Ra o? Why isn't the last note a scale? Can't you be a little more consistent? (Lyrics from the opening theme of the NHK children's program "Do Re Mi Fa Dona Island")

Moreover, the difference between acquaintances and friends is subtle, especially among girls. In a class, there are different levels like classmates, friends, and best friends. Where does this difference come from?

Back to the topic.

Anyway, I can more or less imagine that you don't have any friends.

Did I say I have no friends? And even if I really didn't, it wouldn't cause me any loss.

"Oh, that's true~~ Yes, that's right."

I casually brushed off the gaze that fell upon me from beneath the snow.

"But you're clearly very popular, so why don't you have any friends?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Yukinoshita looked away unhappily.

"...You would never understand."

Her cheeks seemed to puff out slightly.

Indeed, I am completely different from Yukinoshita, and I would never know what she is thinking. Even if she told me, I probably wouldn't understand. No matter where you go, people can never truly understand each other.

However, I can understand the loneliness beneath the snow.

"It's not that I don't understand what you mean. After all, you can be happy on your own. It's the idea of ​​insisting on being with someone else that's bad."

"..."

After glancing at me, Yukinoshita immediately turned back to face me and closed her eyes, seemingly deep in thought.

"It's really annoying when someone pities you even though you like being alone. I understand, I understand."

"Why would someone like you consider me one of your own... It's infuriating."

Yukinoshita tossed her hair as if trying to hide her dissatisfaction.

"Although our skill levels are quite different, we do have something in common: we both enjoy being alone."

After saying this, Yukino added, "It makes me a little resentful," and then laughed self-deprecatingly. The smile was somewhat gloomy, but quite calm.

"What do you mean by 'far below par'... I have unique insights into loneliness; calling me a 'Master of Loneliness' wouldn't be an exaggeration. For someone of your level to talk about loneliness is laughable."

"What's with this kind of self-confidence tinged with pathos...?"

Yukino's face was filled with astonishment and silence. A sense of accomplishment welled up within me for making her show that expression, and so I said in a triumphant tone:

"You're clearly popular, yet you're still talking about being lonely. That's really despicable."

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita revealed a disdainful smile.

"You're thinking too simply. Do you expect to live by spinal reflexes alone? Do you even understand what being popular means? Oh dear, you don't have that kind of experience. I was wrong to overlook that. I'm so sorry."

"If you're going to think about it, please think it through carefully..."

Isn't her personality a case of being two-faced? She really is an annoying person.

"So, what exactly does it mean to be popular?"

Yukinoshita closed her eyes, thought about my question for a moment, and then cleared her throat before speaking.

"This might sound a bit harsh to someone like you who has never been popular before."

"It's already quite harsh, don't worry."

So, I took a deep breath under the snow.

Anyway, my mood isn't going to get any worse. The previous conversation made me feel like I'd eaten a giant bowl of ramen, and my stomach was absolutely stuffed.

"I've been cute since I was little, and all the boys around me have a crush on me."