My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

"Isn't that something we eat after we reach our destination?"

It's almost certain that Yuihama and Yukinoshita will sit together.

Thus……

Oh? So I'm stuck between Totsuka and Komachi? The sword of victory is clearly in place; victory is assured!

I was happily about to squeeze into the last row of seats when suddenly someone grabbed my collar.

"Hachiman, you may sit in the front seat."

"Huh? What... why is this happening?"

I was dragged to the front seat by Professor Hiratsuka, and I loudly expressed my dissatisfaction along the way. The professor's face turned bright red, and she answered while covering herself with her free hand:

"No, don't get me wrong! I... I don't want to sit with you at all!"

Wow, she has a tsundere vibe. If you ignore the age issue, she's actually quite cute.

"It's simply because the mortality rate is highest for those sitting in the front seat!"

"The teacher is terrible!"

I struggled desperately to break free from Mr. Pinghao's control. Then, the teacher chuckled again.

"...Just kidding. It's best not to let the driver get bored on a long drive. Talking to you is quite interesting."

"So that's it..."

Seeing the teacher's calm and gentle smile, I felt too embarrassed to say no again, so I obediently sat in the front seat. The teacher nodded in satisfaction.

Everyone got in the car. After I and the teacher fastened our seatbelts, the teacher started the engine and stepped on the gas.

The van carried us away from this familiar station. Connecting to National Route 14 from here is the fastest route to Chiba.

However, for some reason, Professor Hiratsuka drove towards the interchange. The direction indicated by the car's navigation system was undoubtedly leading us onto the highway.

"Excuse me, aren't we going to Chiba...?"

When the teacher heard my question, a smile appeared on her lips.

"Let me ask you first, when did you start to have the illusion that we were going to Chiba Station?"

"This isn't a misconception. When people say they're going to 'Chiba,' they usually mean Chiba Station..."

"You thought it was Chiba Station? Wrong, what a pity! The correct answer is Chiba Village!"

"Teacher, what are you so excited about...?"

People who aren't good at interacting with people often experience this. They become unusually excited when they finally have a chance to communicate. This is due to the long period of silence, but when they reflect on it the next day, they fall into a low mood of self-loathing. Hopefully, Hiratsuka-sensei won't be too depressed tomorrow.

Speaking of which, Chiba Village, Chiba Village... I feel like I've heard that name before, but where exactly is it...?

Volume 4 Car Interior Dialogue

Driver's seat

Shizuka Hiratsuka

How was your summer vacation?

前座

Hikigaya Hachiman

Hmm... It's normal. I stay at home reading, watching cartoons, playing video games, and studying.

Driver's seat

Shizuka Hiratsuka

Is that considered normal...?

前座

Hikigaya Hachiman

I have no reason to go out anyway. Besides, the outside world is full of dangers; I could get heatstroke, drown, or encounter an accident in a busy area. So staying at home is the best option!

Driver's seat

Shizuka Hiratsuka

Is this what they mean by "truly deserving of its name"? ...That's so fitting.

前座

Hikigaya Hachiman

And what about the teachers?

Driver's seat

Shizuka Hiratsuka

……Work.

前座

Hikigaya Hachiman

what?

Wait a minute, isn't school on summer vacation...?

Driver's seat

Shizuka Hiratsuka

That's right, we have to work except for the Obon holiday. That's just how working people are.

前座

Hikigaya Hachiman

I really don't want to work.

Volume 4, Chapter 3: Hayama Hayato is meticulous with everyone.

The mountain ridges came into view.

"Wow, it's a mountain, so beautiful."

"Indeed, it is a mountain."

"Oh, mountains."

I praised it softly to myself, and Yukinoshita and Hiratsuka-sensei nodded and repeated it.

The people of Chiba live on the vast Kanto Plain every day, so mountains are a rare sight for them.

Although Mount Fuji can be seen from the coastline on a very clear day, there are no other mountains to be seen, let alone such a lush mountain range. Because of this, even just catching a glimpse of a corner of the mountain range can excite me for a long time, and even Yukinoshita, whose emotions are usually quite calm, can't help but sigh in amazement.

Then, silence returned to the car.

Yukino and I were both admiring the view outside the window.

Yuigahama rested her head on Yukinoshita's shoulder, fast asleep with soft "huffs and puffs." I craned my neck to look at the back row and saw that Komachi and Totsuka were also asleep. They had been happily playing cards and UNO when we set off, but they'd probably lost interest now. Back then, the teacher had insisted I be her conversation partner… Why did we have to introduce each other to our ten favorite anime?

However, this scene was quite nostalgic, like sitting on the bus on the way back after a graduation trip or field trip. My classmates were exhausted from playing, and the whole bus fell into silence, but I, having not exerted much energy, was able to enjoy the scenery outside the window with a clear mind.

Towering mountains press against the high guardrails along the highway, while the dark tunnels, with their gaping mouths, are filled with bright orange lights.

As I looked at the ever-flowing scenery outside the window, I suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

...I remember now.

"Oh right... The science field trip I participated in during junior high school was held in Chiba Village..."

"Chiba City in Gunma Prefecture does indeed have a leisure resort."

"It's snowing in the back seat," added Yuki.

"You've been to Chiba Village too?"

"Since I was one of the three people from our country who came back here, I didn't participate in any junior high school teaching activities. I only learned about these activities later from my graduation yearbook."

"Back here? Where did you go? What are you doing back here?"

"That was a really rude way to ask... Oh well, never mind."

I turned around and saw Yukinoshita gazing out the window. The wind was blowing in through a crack in the open window, ruffling her black hair, so I couldn't see her expression.

"Didn't I mention that I studied abroad? Is your brain only the size of a floppy disk?"

"Too small... Don't bring magnets near me, or my memories will be erased."

"People your age usually haven't even heard of floppy disks..."

Hiratsuka looked surprised, but in fact, until recently, personal computers were still equipped with floppy disk drives.

"No, it was still there when I was born."

"You remember very clearly, your brain capacity is about MO (Note 23 Magneto-optical disc, available in sizes from 128MB to 2.3GB)."

The teacher, going along with our conversation, said something she thought was quite witty, and even gave a smug "hmm" laugh. However, when she used "MO" as a synonym for mass storage devices, it meant she was already...

"Wait a minute, most people don't know about MO, right?"

"I've heard of MD..."

Yukinoshita was also puzzled.

"Hmm! I've never heard of MO before... Is this what they call 'youth'...?"

Hiratsuka-sensei's loud wailing was somewhat heartbreaking, so I began to think of ways to comfort her and cheer her up. I was so kind.

"It's alright. After all, MO is more common in companies and businesses, but not in ordinary households, so it doesn't mean that the teacher is old."

"So you knew!"

The teacher raised his hand, ready to punch the boy.

"Wow! A steering wheel! A steering wheel!"

"You'd better remember this after you get off the bus..."

"Please don't expect a brain volume the size of MO."

Although the capacity of MO disks is much larger than that of floppy disks.

The car continued towards Chiba Village.

Today is a weekday, but the traffic is quite heavy, with occasional traffic jams of up to a kilometer on the road.

"I didn't expect so many people to come here today."

"Because there are many campsites and hot springs in this area, any junior high school student from Chiba City must have been to the Sarukyo Onsen area."

"No, I don't quite remember the place name..."

"Oh right, this place is a sad place for Hikigaya, isn't it... No wonder you forgot."

"Please don't treat other people's memories as embarrassing history. Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm quite an expert when it comes to activities like graduation trips."

"Like the boys at the festival? Every time there's an event like that, some students suddenly become very outgoing."

"No... I mean I'm very good at clearing my mind during that time."

Every time I flip through my graduation yearbook, I'm horrified by my own deathly expression. Perhaps my classmates would be even more shocked, since they had no idea I existed in their class.

"This is a three-day, two-night field trip, just like the science field trip. Is that alright?"

"Three days and two nights? So I have to stay here? But I haven't prepared anything!"

"Don't worry, Komachi should be all ready."

Hearing Yukinoshita say that reminded me of the two backpacks I brought with me. I suppose one of them is mine and the other is Komachi's.

"Your sister is more outstanding than I imagined."

Hiratsuka-sensei also felt admiration.

"That's right, isn't it? She's my proudest little sister, possessing beauty, looks, and charm all at once."

"Aren't those three all the same...?"

Yukinoshita said with an expression that said, "I give up."