My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Upon opening the door to the office, a towering stack of boxes, books, and packages came into view. These items, like walls and screens, formed a towering maze.

If I had to describe it in the closest possible way, it would probably be a scene where a bibliophile's study is mixed with a toy store from a small town.

"Huh? Isn't this the amusement park?"

Yuihama gaped in surprise as she examined the boxes piled beside her. The boxes were decorated with roses and skulls, and had a rather somber style. They were all written in English, so they were probably from abroad.

"It doesn't really feel like a game..."

Yuihama's thinking isn't entirely unreasonable. Generally, when people mention games, they mostly mean video games.

"Really? I think it's easy to make that connection. Yuihama-san is referring to something that makes a beeping or popping sound, right?"

"Are you an old lady? Still using 'beep beep pop' to describe it? Even my mom would say 'Famicom'..."

"It did make a beeping sound, that's for sure..."

The snow is protesting. But as far as I know, modern electric vehicles don't make that sound anymore.

"However, Yukino doesn't seem to know how to play games."

"Does Yuigahama-san know how to have fun?"

"Hmm~~ Dad loves playing these games, and I always watch him play. I sometimes play Mario Kart and Puff Puzzle, while my son plays Animal Crossing or Harvest Moon."

"Small platform" probably refers to a handheld game console.

"I didn't know you played quite a lot."

Yuihama turned around and nodded at me.

"Ah, yes, yes... I saw everyone around me playing, so I just followed suit..."

Recent games have begun to strengthen their social features, resulting in a number of players like Yui Hama.

"There are also new space warriors, the visuals are amazing and they're so cool! And the story is just as touching as the movie, and the chocobos are super cute—"

"Pooh!"

As soon as she said that, Zaimuza immediately pretended to spit. After all, they were indoors, so he was just putting on an act... just pretending, right?

Yuihama was puzzled when a usually quiet person suddenly became angry, and she didn't know whether to be confused or simply to see him as a suspicious person.

"W-What's wrong? This is so scary..."

Yuihama timidly hid behind me, while Zaimokuza continued his offensive.

"...What do you know!"

"What? I don't understand what you're saying, but it sounds really unpleasant..."

"Don't bother with her, Timber. I understand how you feel, but you should think the other way around and enjoy the sense of superiority that 'only I understand this stuff, and all the other junk can't compare.'"

"Oh, Hachiman, that's great positive thinking."

"That kind of person is really awful..."

Yukinoshita said with an expression of utter disbelief, then added:

"I have absolutely no way of understanding games."

"That's not true. Johnny's games are still around now."

"What? Johnny? Why are you suddenly mentioning Johnny?"

Yuihama asked in a daze.

Didn't she know that Yukinoshita liked Johnny the panda? No, it wasn't just liking, it was to the point that she had to be called a "fanatic" or "enthusiast".

"because--"

"Hachiman, I don't understand what you're saying."

Just as I was about to explain, Yukinoshita abruptly interrupted me.

"Huh? You're not—"

"What Hachiman is saying is really hard to understand... Please explain it to me in more detail later."

Her eyes were very serious.

"Okay..."

It seems that Yukinoshita doesn't want her liking for Johnny the panda to be exposed.

Why? Are you embarrassed? If you like him that much, shouldn't you be proud? But then again, you want me to tell her later. You're so shy, not wanting anyone to know you like Johnny, yet you really want to know anything about him.

No, I don't understand her standards for being shy at all.

Anyway, it's not some huge news. Besides, I'd feel uncomfortable if people talked about everything I liked. Why do elementary school students immediately tell everyone they have a crush on someone?

Yuihama, however, remained incredulous, muttering, "Johnny?" as if she didn't quite understand.

"Speaking of which, where exactly are their members?"

"Ah, right, I definitely heard a sound just now..."

Yuihama asked this question, shifting her focus to finding club members. Yuihama's move was truly brilliant.

The size of the club office is the same as the size of the office space, so it can't really be called big. It's just that it's filled with boxes and the bookshelves are placed randomly, which makes it impossible for us to see clearly.

"Hmph, the longer you stay in a place, the higher the pile of games and books will naturally become. So, just go to the highest point, and you'll find them."

"Oh, that's really clever! But since you've said something useful, you should share it with others."

It's so sad that he only talks to me.

In short, we followed the advice of the timber scout and headed towards the tallest tower.

There was a stack of books and boxes piled up there as a barrier, so we couldn't see the other side, but we could definitely hear sounds.

We went around and saw two men.

"Excuse me for bothering you, we have something we'd like to discuss."

After I spoke, the two people who appeared to be members of the gaming club exchanged glances and then nodded in agreement. They kept staring at me, but I was sure it was their first time meeting. If a complete stranger suddenly appeared, it's understandable that people would look at them a few more times.

So I stared back at them in return, and that's when I noticed their indoor shoes were yellow, which meant they were first-year students.

"Hmm, are you first-year students?"

The moment the person in question realized the other person was younger, they became arrogant. I don't dislike this kind of fickle attitude. Although I hate it when people use their seniority or connections to bully me, it doesn't apply if I'm the one benefiting from it.

So, I'll join in the arrogance with the woodworker. This is to gain a psychological advantage during negotiations, not because my personality is so bad.

"Hey, did you guys say something that looked down on Brother Zaimokuza? Good job! Say more!"

"Huh? Hachiman A-Meng, what are you talking about!"

The woodworker looked at me with pleading eyes, but it wasn't cute at all. Even if you're older than them, you still can't stand on your own terms.

"...What are you guys still playing around with? Please get to the point."

Yukinoshita glared at her coldly.

When the two first-graders saw her, they immediately started whispering to each other.

"Isn't she Yukinoshita-senpai, the second-year student...?"

"Hmm, it seems so..."

Hey, really? Yukinoshita is that famous? Well, she does seem quite attractive at first glance, and she's shrouded in mystery. It's not surprising that she's popular with students from different grades. When I was in junior high, I knew a few cute older students, but only by their names.

"Um...you need to see this man for something, right?"

I didn't even need to call out to the timber stand; it just stood up on its own.

"Hahahaha! I've been waiting for this! You made those boastful claims yesterday, and now it's too late to regret it! As your senior in life and at school, let me teach you a lesson!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "senior" and "senior" to boost his own morale. However, the two from the game club didn't react.

"Hey, is that the person you were just talking about? Oh my god, he's so ugly!"

"Right? Isn't it terrible? Hehehe..."

Hearing the two men's mocking conversation, Zai Muzuo couldn't help but waver.

"Huh? Hachiman, did I do something strange just now?"

"Don't worry, you're not the only one acting strange now."

Seeing that he was gradually returning to his true nature, I patted him on the shoulder and pushed him backward.

"We're members of the Service Society, basically a trouble-solving center. We heard that Zaimokuza has some issues with you guys, so we're here to help resolve them. So... who's the one having these issues with?"

I asked casually, and one of the members timidly raised his hand.

"Oh, it's me. I'm Qin Ye, a first-year student. And this is...?"

"Sagamami, a first-year student."

The student named Qin Ye was thin and slightly hunched over. He wore frameless glasses with slightly acute trapezoidal lenses, giving him an overall sharp look. It seemed his focus was also on SHARP (Note 36: from Sharp's corporate slogan).

Another person named Sagami had fair skin and a slender build, giving him the appearance of a middle school student. His glasses had curved lenses, exuding an "Inspire the Next" style that evoked innovation for the next era (Note 37 is from Hitachi's brand strategy).

Anyway, I don't plan to remember their names, so I'll just use my glasses to distinguish them.

"I heard you're going to challenge him to a game, but you guys are really good at fighting games, right? That way, the outcome will be obvious even without a match. How about we try something else?"

I myself think this request is very difficult for the other party, like telling a soccer player, "Forget about this, let's play baseball." From their perspective, they certainly don't want to lose their advantage.

Needless to say, they looked troubled, and their lack of a nod was a polite way of refusing.

"Or, how about we switch to another game? There are plenty of other games here anyway."

I pointed to the nearby pile of games.

"In this case……"

"It doesn't matter..."

They spoke conservatively, but their attitude was full of confidence. I could sense that they were certain they wouldn't lose to anyone when it came to games; after all, their "game club" title wasn't just for show.

"However, since we're going to modify it compared to other games, shouldn't you also...?"

Qin Ye hinted at this.

That makes sense. Since the other party is willing to make concessions, it's only natural to request corresponding terms to maintain fairness. I nodded and offered this suggestion:

"Then, how about Zaimokuza kneels down and apologizes to you? If we lose, I will take responsibility and make him apologize to you for going too far."

Things are getting more and more complicated, so let's just do it this way. Zaimokuza innocently asked, "Huh? Am I the one apologizing?", but he had no right to refuse.

"Yes, that's fine..."

The two members of the game club gave a tactful answer, but they still agreed.

"Then, it's up to you to decide which game you want to play. Don't choose one that's too difficult; games with high barriers to entry aren't friendly to new players, and they're no different from playing fighting games."

In fact, the reason why fighting games are no longer as popular as they used to be is precisely because they are difficult for new players to pick up. Even if you find a game machine you want to play at an amusement park, it's mostly occupied by GG players (Note 38, the English abbreviation for the fighting game "Guilty Gear") or older fighting game players, making it impossible to join; if you do manage to get on a machine, you'll only get electrocuted, greatly reducing your enjoyment of the game. Therefore, I suggest that amusement parks should create a separate beginner's area.

"Well... I'll make some changes to a game that everyone plays."

"Hmm, tell me, what is it?"

"Cai Mu Zuo asked, and the two members of the game club simultaneously pushed up their glasses."

"Let's have a two-person version of The Monopoly."

Their tone was normal, but their glasses gleamed with an unusual light.

× × ×

The playing cards made a "swish, swish" sound as they were shuffled.

"Big Rich Man" is also called "Big Poor Man," and it is a card game (Note 39: the rules are similar to "Big Two").

"Excuse me, does everyone know how to play Monopoly?"

Qin Ye asked the question tactfully, and we almost all nodded, except for Yukinoshita who tilted her head in confusion.

"I know how to play poker, but I've never played this kind of game before."

"Then let me explain the rules."

Sagami briefly explained the rules of the game.

"First, distribute all the cards equally among all players."