My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

For a long time afterward, my brain completely stopped functioning, and my legs moved mechanically.

Club activities... Oh right, Totsuka must have friends in the club. And it's summer vacation now, so it's not strange to participate in club activities, and it's only natural to stop by somewhere on the way home... Yes, showing a smile to friends is a very normal thing.

I don't know when it started, but I started to think that "only I am close to Totsuka". Whether in elementary school or junior high school, the people who talked to me usually got along well with everyone and had many friends... Even if I thought someone was a friend, they might not think so; even if I considered someone my most important friend, they might not think I was their most important friend.

These things are so common... Damn it, how can I be swayed by something like this? Is my heart as fragile as tofu? It should taste pretty good with soy sauce on it.

I finally managed to step onto the escalator and leaned my whole body against the handrail. Now I could relax for a moment and let the escalator carry me upstairs.

During the ride, a familiar face appeared on the escalator going downstairs.

Of all the people I know, only that idiot would wear a coat in this sweltering heat. Does he even count as someone I know? I often wish I could pretend I don't know that guy.

There were two other people next to the woodworker, chatting amicably; they seemed to be video game buddies. Here is an excerpt of their conversation:

"Is the Holy Spirit there?" (Translation: Should we go to the amusement park again to ride the "Heart of the Holy Spirit" ride?)

"Ran." (Translation: Okay.)

"Add." (Translation: I want to go too.)

"ACE?" (Translation: How about going to ACE amusement park?)

"Sacrifice." (Translation: ACE is too far away, there's nothing we can do.)

"The Marshal wants to sleep." (Translation: I want to sleep, and it's such a hassle.)

"Trash." (Translation: You guys have no drive.)

"A complete sacrifice." (Translation: This is a complete sacrifice.)

"Sacrifice?" (←I don't understand this sentence.)

I overheard a few sentences and realized the conversation was almost entirely composed of a language only the three of them could understand. Can't you please stop using only single words? You've been brainwashed by the ambiguity of Japanese!

Seeing that they were chatting happily, I felt embarrassed to interrupt; moreover, it would be embarrassing for me if others mistook me for one of them, so I pretended not to see Zaimokuza. However, as we passed each other, Zaimokuza still keenly noticed my presence and turned to meet my gaze.

"oh?"

"Hoo-hoo~~"

The moment he opened his mouth, I quickly turned my head away and pretended to yawn, subtly telling him, "I'm yawning right now and I haven't even noticed you." I'm best at using this method to get away with things.

The escalators on both sides weren't going to stop; instead, they accelerated, widening the distance between me and the timber seat. And so, we both disappeared from each other's world.

After the escalator reached the third floor, I followed the crowd into the bookstore.

I had long ago memorized the location of each bookshelf, so I didn't need to look around at all.

To the right of the entrance is the manga section, and further in is the light novel section; across the aisle is the general fiction section, and behind it is the paperback section. Ah, perfect… wait, where are the science books?

I don't usually read that type of book, so I couldn't find it. Oh well, humans only care about what interests them, right?

I couldn't possibly ask the shop assistant; I had to look around myself. No, it's not that I lacked the courage to ask the shop assistant, it's just that I was considerate of them and didn't want to bother them with such a small matter.

Anyway, this bookstore isn't very big, so it won't take too much time to walk through the whole store.

“…………”

As I wandered among the bookshelves, I noticed a certain gaze. Could it be a plainclothes security guard? You've got it wrong! This slightly erotic book is... for my summer research! I think being lewd is wrong (Note 10: This is a line from Mahoro, the female protagonist of "Mahorodomie"). — I prepared my explanation as I turned around, only to meet the gaze of an unexpected person.

She wore a sun-protective vest over her shoulders and leggings under her skirt, making her look more energetic than in her usual uniform; her watch and handbag added an elegant touch, ensuring she remained dignified.

She is Yukino Yukinoshita, the president of the "Service Club" I belong to. If I remember correctly, she lives in this area, and she must be here to browse the bookstore today.

“…………”

“…………”

We remained silent, staring at each other for about two seconds. That was more than enough time for us to recognize each other.

Yukino put the book back on the shelf and walked out of the bookstore.

Completely ignoring me!

Her every move was completely unpretentious; to be honest, it wasn't just ignoring, it reached the level of "I can't be bothered with you," much like the Japanese government's disregard for the Potsdam Declaration. This incident is definitely significant enough to be included in history textbooks.

The two of them made eye contact and were less than a meter apart, yet she still ignored them completely. At that moment, I suddenly realized that the neglect I usually experienced in class was nothing at all, since my classmates ignored me because they didn't recognize me... But it was still so sad.

However, that's exactly Yukino's style.

I couldn't help but smile wryly, glancing at the bookshelf where Yukinoshita had stood a moment before. It seemed to be the photobook section. Did Yukinoshita have a favorite actor or idol who looked at their photobooks? I never imagined she had such a girlish side. As I thought this, my gaze swept across the bookshelf, noticing it was full of animal photobooks, with one particularly prominent one featuring cats. You should really get a cat!

× × ×

I picked out a few books at the bookstore that might be helpful for independent research, and also bought some of my own things.

The bag in my hand was heavy.

...Even though it's summer vacation, it seems like I still bought too much.

Before summer vacation, students always make a lot of plans in their minds (about four months' worth), such as reading all of Ryotaro Shiba's works, finishing a game they've only played halfway through, getting a part-time job, traveling alone, and so on.

However, once summer vacation officially began, the situation was: "Don't worry, there's still a whole month left," "It's okay, two weeks will be more than enough," "A week should be enough," "Huh? Only three days left," time mercilessly and swiftly passed by.

I left the shopping mall and was once again exposed to the sun.

The sun was gradually setting, but the temperature remained high, and a damp, sticky sea breeze swept over me. It was the height of summer, but because this was newly reclaimed land with towering buildings everywhere, I could hardly hear any cicadas. On my way back to the bus stop, my palms were constantly sweating, so I picked up my bag again.

Now that I've bought so many books, I can at least enjoy a pleasant reading period. One advantage of summer vacation is that I have time to read a long novel in one go. I personally recommend *The Legend of Delphinia* (Note 11: a long fantasy adventure novel by Sako Kayata), *The Twelve Kingdoms*, and Nahoko Uehashi's *Guardians* series.

Summer vacation is not just about a group of people having a blast.

Why is it that when people talk about summer vacation, they only think of the ocean, swimming pools, barbecues, festivals, and fireworks?

Reading alone in a cool room, eating ice cream naked after a shower and shouting "Whoosh!", discovering the melancholy triangle alone at night and lighting mosquito coils, or falling asleep to the sound of wind chimes—these are all wonderful summer memories.

It's better to be alone in the summer; one person is enough, especially since the weather is unbearably hot.

The world continues to function normally today, completely unaffected by me.

Even if I'm not physically on this earth, it will continue to function. I clearly sense this, and it brings me a sense of peace.

Don't you think it's terrifying to have "irreplaceable things"? Once lost, they can have irreparable consequences. Those things must not be allowed to slip up, and once lost, they can never be regained.

Therefore, I am quite satisfied with the interpersonal relationships I have built myself, which can hardly be called interpersonal relationships. If anything happens, I can easily sever them at any time without hurting anyone.

I approached her with the principle of non-interference and non-involvement—

"Huh, an autistic guy?"

Amidst the bustling crowd, someone's voice rang out clearly. It was so soft, almost like a soliloquy, but I definitely heard it. Could it be because I was thinking about her?

Two girls walked towards me, and I was about to automatically walk around them when I noticed that one of them was Yui Yuigahama. She still had a bun on her head, and she was wearing a black tank top, a white openwork jacket, hot pants, and Roman sandals—a summer outfit from head to toe.

"Hi……"

"Yeah, long time no see."

I gave a brief response, and Yuihama immediately smiled happily.

Yumiko Miura peeked out from behind her; the two had probably gone out together. Miura not only held a top position in Class 2-F, but also in Soubu High School. All the boys feared her; she could be called the "Queen of Hellfire."

Miura wore a gorgeous mini dress, showing off her back, and with each step she took, her high-heeled sandals clicked unhappily.

When she glared at me, I noticed her eyes were a deep, dark black. I couldn't tell if she was wearing mascara, eyeshadow, or eyeliner, but she looked a lot like Oreste Disdolan (Note 12: Oreste Disdolan, a Cuban professional baseball player who played for the Saitama Seibu Lions). Strange, was there a game during the day?

"Oh, it's an autistic person."

What's that new title...?

Miura's way of addressing me made it seem like he was treating me like a complete idiot, but that wasn't the case at all. Those men and women at the top of the school hierarchy usually didn't harbor any ill will towards those below them—no, more than ill will, they were simply completely uninterested. This is the reason why humans tend to be indifferent to things they're not interested in.

"Yui, I'm going to call Ebina."

Without waiting for Yui's reply, she walked a few steps away into the shadows. She had no interest in me whatsoever, naturally...

They don't want to have anything to do with me.

Those in the upper classes can save themselves the trouble of interacting with people from other classes. This is because implementing such a class system helps to avoid conflict.

Most conflicts stem from class struggles; the more people from different worlds are grouped into the same category, the more likely disputes are to arise. If thorough segregation is implemented from the outset, no trouble will occur at all.

After Miura leaned against the wall and started talking on the phone, Yuihama confirmed to me:

"I'm out with Yumiko and the others today. What about you, you introverted guy?"

"Hmm... shopping?"

I slightly lifted the bag in my hand to show her. Because I hadn't spoken to anyone outside my family for a long time, I couldn't utter a sentence longer than a single syllable (Note 13: the smallest unit that makes up a sentence in text).

"Oh, I see. Didn't you make plans to hang out with anyone else?"

"no."

"Why? It's summer vacation now."

When this problem arises, it's natural to think that "going out to play during holidays" is truly awful. Do you have this condition where you feel uneasy if you don't fill up your notebook with your schedule?

Although a bunch of sentences kept popping into my head, my mouth couldn't keep up at all.

"Of course I should rest during my vacation."

Okay, I've finally managed to squeeze out a sentence of more than two syllables, and my conversational ability is gradually recovering. But if I rush to say a sentence of more than three syllables now, it might turn into a gurgling laugh, so I have to be careful.

"Are you in a bad mood?"

Yuihama asked anxiously, probably worried because I wasn't saying much. But unfortunately, if she were truly worried, she shouldn't have asked me that question at all.

"No, I'm perfectly fine."

That was my answer, but her questioning look didn't disappear.

...Okay, maybe my attitude is indeed a little different from usual.

I'm now wary of Yui. It might be because our relationship has been restarted, and I'm suddenly unsure how to keep my distance from her.

I tried to speak in a relaxed tone, recalling how I usually interacted with her.

"...When it gets hot, I become like this, probably because I get lazy. Think about it, don't train tracks deform when it gets hot? Even dogs get exhausted (Note 14: the original word is "伸びる," which means both "exhausted" and "stretched"). Have you ever heard of thermal expansion?"

"What does this have to do with dogs? But my dog ​​is indeed quite long."

"That makes sense... By the way, what's your dog's name again? The one who always gets to base... Saburo?"

"It's a shortbread!"

Oh, so it's Sablé (Note 15: Sablé is "サブレ" in Japanese and "サブロー" in French. Saburo Ōmura's registered name is "サブロー". He once played for the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants before returning to his original team, the Chiba Lotte Marines, in 2012.). Saburo is a professional baseball player. He returned to the Chiba Lotte Marines this year, and I'm really looking forward to his performance.

That said, dogs can really stretch their bodies and tongues very far, but since the dog that is the mascot of Chiba Prefecture has its tongue sticking out all year round, it should probably pull it back quickly, or it might get killed.

"You autistic guy, you were born in the summer, why are you so afraid of the heat?"

When I heard what Yuihama said, I couldn't help but cover my mouth with my hand and pretend to distance myself from her.

"...How did you know I was born in the summer? Are you a stalker?"

"What's that? Is it imitating Yukino? It does look a bit like her!"

Yuihama burst out laughing. "If Yukinoshita had been there, we would both be dead."

Is the imitation really that good? It wasn't for nothing that I practiced in front of the mirror every day while showering. But what am I even doing?

"Okay, so how did you know my birthday? That's scary."

"You told us that yourself when we went to karaoke last time."

"Idiots! That's not what I meant to tell you! I didn't mean to tell Totsuka unintentionally at all!"

"So your target is Xiao Cai?"

Yuihama was shocked. Who else did she think I wanted to tell?

Getting back to the point, children born in summer are pampered and raised in air-conditioned environments to prevent heatstroke, which is why they are so sensitive to heat now.

"Oh, I see."

She responded with "hmm, hmm" to indicate that she understood. I made up a random reason, and she actually believed it easily, which left me unsure of how to react.

"Ah, since your birthday is coming up soon, let's throw a birthday party!"

"No, no need, I don't need it."

"You refused without even thinking about it? And you emphasized it three times!"

"No... it's fine for girls, but it's really embarrassing for high school boys to hold birthday parties. I can't do it."

Moreover, I don't know what expression I should wear when facing everyone, should I smile?