My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

I breathed a slight sigh of relief and smiled at the timber shed and the service company, saying:

"It's too early to give up or deny your dreams now."

"Hachiman, please put your clothes on quickly."

× × ×

As I walked out of the game club's office, a slightly warm breeze blew through the open corridor. My shoulders were still incredibly sore from being tense for so long.

I put my hands on my shoulders, twisted my neck, and heard a crisp sound. Yuihama beside me stretched lazily, and Yukinoshita tried hard to suppress a small yawn.

"Um... I'm so sorry."

"We even laughed at you..."

Qin Ye and Sagami lowered their heads in remorse. Their ability to apologize frankly was proof of their honesty.

That's why they couldn't help but say so much when they heard about the woodworker's delusions.

In a sense, only they truly listened to the dreams of the timber maker. Otherwise, they would never have denied them.

—But I'm different. I reject him from the bottom of my heart; I'm convinced he's a piece of trash.

"Huh? Hahahaha! Good to know! Just wait a few more years, I, Yoshiteru Zaimokuza, will definitely release a high-quality game!"

The arrogant woodcutter was truly disgusting, but the two from the game club just laughed it off.

"Okay, we're really looking forward to Mr. Swordsman's game."

"That's true, but the copyright belongs to the company, so the game doesn't simply belong to Mr. Swordsman."

Upon hearing this, Cai Muzuo immediately stopped laughing.

"Hmm? Um? What do you mean?"

Qin Ye and Sagami exchanged a glance, and then Qin Ye carefully explained everything to him.

Basically, anything made by the company is considered company property.

"This is called co-copyright, and the rights belong to the company."

"Although the specifics may vary depending on the contract, for game scripts, the majority are bought out by the company."

"If the company buys out the rights, no matter how well the game sells afterward, the author will only receive the initial payment."

"Really?!"

Cai Muzuo was so shocked that he dropped his schoolbag on the ground.

"Then... never mind... um, I give up."

This guy... he immediately showed his true colors... I really want to beat him up...

I desperately resisted the urge to punch him in the temple. The two from the gaming club didn't know what to say either, and even gave a bitter smile that was half sympathetic.

"Hmph, no matter how well the game sells, it's meaningless if I only get a little money. Being a light novel writer is definitely the best! Ah, since I've made up my mind, I can't waste time here, I need to start brainstorming the plot..."

Cai Muzuo quickly picked up his schoolbag, crossed his arms, and strode away.

"Goodbye then, Hachiman!"

I didn't say much, I just waved one hand to tell him to get lost, and he waved back with a happy expression.

...I always felt that this was the first time I had done free work since joining the service society.

"How should I put it... he's really a strange person."

Qin Ye murmured to himself.

"Isn't that right? Nothing good ever happens when you're with him."

"However, you guys are a bunch of weirdos too..."

Sagami replied somewhat coldly.

"Huh? Hey, what are you saying to a perfectly normal person—"

"In which cultural circle would you be considered normal? It must be exhausting to be around someone as weird as you."

"But Yukino is weird too... Ahahaha..."

Yuihama Miyuki calmly said those words, then laughed awkwardly.

But Yukino didn't get angry; a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

"That makes sense. Both Hikigaya and I are a bit abnormal in some ways... Therefore, having someone as normal as Yui-hama to accompany me would be a great help..."

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Yukinoshita's cheeks flushed slightly. Yui watched this scene, her face gradually lighting up with joy. Her eyes welled up with tears as she tightly embraced Yukinoshita's right hand.

"……good!"

"It's so hot and humid..."

Despite her complaints, Yukinoshita maintained that posture and showed no intention of pulling her arms away.

"Anyway, let's go back to the community office first."

I spoke to them and took the first step. After a few steps, they followed.

In any case, it's a good thing that Yukinoshita and Yuigahama have returned to their previous relationship.

Volume 3 about Totsuka Saika

Hmm... Even though he's my own brother, it just won't work...

Hikigaya Komachi

Which girl does your brother talk to most often?

Hikigaya Hachiman

Hiratsuka-sensei, right...?

However, that person was already older than the girl.

Hikigaya Komachi

If you say something like that to her, you'll get punched...

So, what about people other than teachers?

Hikigaya Hachiman

Totsuka, right? It must be Totsuka, definitely Totsuka, only Totsuka. Today I even argued with him about how to eat chocolate spiral bread. Totsuka likes to tear it apart and eat it bite by bite because his mouth can't open very wide. If you look closely, you'll find that Totsuka's mouth is small and cute, so I made him take a bite right there. When he licked the chocolate sauce off his lips, his tongue moved like this… Anyway! The most classic moment was when he realized I was watching him lick the chocolate sauce and shyly looked away!

Hikigaya Komachi

Ugh……

Hey brother, how about we have pork hot pot for dinner?

Hikigaya Hachiman

Hey, wait a minute, I haven't finished yet. And then—

Hikigaya Komachi

Komachi, go out and buy some first!♪

Hikigaya Hachiman

Ah! Didn't I tell you to wait a moment? Let me finish!

Then Totsuka also mentioned pineapple buns—

Volume 3, Chapter 6: His and Her Beginning Is Finally Coming to an End

Back in the office, I glanced out the window. The setting sun was slowly sinking into Tokyo Bay, and night was gradually falling over the eastern sky, as if blue paint had been poured out.

"Oh no, what am I going to do now? I've already baked the cake..."

He sighed as he looked out the window at the snow-covered sky. School was about to end, and in the short time before the bell rang, there was probably only enough time for us to cut the cake.

Upon hearing Yukinoshita's words, Yuigahama tilted her head in confusion and asked, "Cake? Why is there cake?"

"You're still asking why... Oh, right, we haven't said yet. We invited you here today to celebrate your birthday."

"what?"

"Yuihama-san hasn't been to the club lately... so I wanted to tell you not to slack off... also, this can be considered as a way of thanking you..."

Yukinoshita coughed lightly to cover her shyness, but before she could finish speaking, Hama pounced on her.

"Yukino, you remember my birthday."

It's not so much that I remember, but rather that I inferred it from her email address.

Anyway, the process in between isn't the point; what's important is that Yuihama was immersed in joy.

"Unfortunately, it's too late today."

Yukinoshita couldn't stand the sweltering heat any longer and wanted to distance herself from Yui. Yui resisted for a moment, then suddenly clapped her hands as if she had just remembered something, and Yukinoshita took the opportunity to break free.

"How about we celebrate off-campus?"

"But there's not much anywhere outside of school..."

Yukino hesitated at the sudden suggestion, but Yui told her not to worry, blinking her eyes to indicate, "Leave it to me."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of making the reservation with the restaurant. I'm already very happy that you prepared a cake for me."

"Actually, it's not just cake..."

"Oh! Is there another gift?" Yuihama looked at Yukinoshita, her eyes sparkling. Yukinoshita had just escaped from her embrace not long ago, and now she was leaning in again.

While answering her questions, Yukinoshita remained cautious, wary of the other woman pouncing on her again.

"Yes, that's right... but I'm not the only one who prepared a gift."

She glanced at me as she said this.

"Hmm... Could it be...?"

Yuihama sensed the implication in her words and gave a slightly bewildered, ambiguous smile.

"Ah, haha, I didn't expect an autistic guy to prepare a gift~~ Because a while ago... I felt... the atmosphere was a bit awkward."

As soon as I made eye contact with Yuihama, the two of them immediately looked away.

When Yukinoshita was also present, I could pretend not to feel awkward, but now that she's proactively passing the buck to me, it means she knows exactly what's going on between us and wants us to resolve it quickly.

This guy is usually anything but gentle, yet he's meddling in other people's business in this weird place...

I took a small package out of my bag and handed it to Yuihama casually.

"...This wasn't given to you just for your birthday."

"what?"

Although it was really hard to say what was coming next, I forced myself to squeeze out a sentence.

"Let me think about it for a moment. How should I put it... how about we wipe the slate clean? The thing about me saving your dog, and the thing you've always held onto, let's pretend it never happened."

I tried my best not to look at Yuihama's reaction and continued talking without leaving any gaps.

"No matter what, you have no reason to feel guilty. Although I was seriously injured at the time, the other party's insurance company provided compensation, and the lawyer and driver came to apologize after hearing about it. Therefore, you have no need to feel sympathy or guilt in the first place."

Every word I uttered felt like a clenching fist in my heart, but I couldn't put an end to this matter if I didn't speak it out.

"Besides, I didn't help you because of you."

Yui looked at me, a flash of sadness in her eyes, and then immediately lowered her head.

"I'm not doing this favor for any particular person, so you don't need to feel obligated to repay it. However, since I've caused you so much trouble, I should reciprocate. That's why I'm giving you this as a gesture to show that we're even now. From now on, you don't need to worry about me anymore; it's all over."

After I finished speaking, I let out a breath, feeling as if I had expelled all the unhappiness from my chest.

Now I can finally be free, and all the misunderstandings and misguided defensive actions can be put to rest. However, thinking this way might itself be a misunderstanding and a misguided defensive action.

I couldn't read Yuihama's expression, but I knew she was pursing her lips tightly.

"...Why would you think that? I've never pitied you, nor have I ever felt guilty towards you. It's just..."

Her voice trembled and was quite weak. Yukinoshita and I were completely unable to answer and could only listen in silence.

A corner of the office was slightly shrouded in darkness. In a little while, the setting sun would completely disappear.

"I feel like things are getting more and more complicated, and I'm starting to lose track of them... I thought it would be simple..."