My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 214

He took out his slippers and put them on, then turned back and smiled at the Ministry of Revenue. The stiffness and coldness on his face were no longer visible.

"You never organize your shoe cabinet, it's probably been dumped like trash by someone, right? You should bring your slippers home to wash them once in a while."

"What?! Hayato! That's so mean—"

"Just kidding. If this continues, we can figure out a solution then. Anyway, let's take the things back to the office first."

Hubu looked up and slapped his forehead, while Yeshan patted his shoulder and urged him to go to the office.

"This is really a blow to me—saying there's no bullying at this school, the Ministry of Education is such a liar—that's why I hate politicians—"

The Minister of Revenue walked around making a scene.

As expected of the Ministry of Revenue. There are probably very few people in the world who can still make a ruckus after suffering a blow. Moreover, he seized the moment when the incident occurred, successfully attracting the attention of everyone present and allowing the information to spread.

Actually, I don't dislike Hubu. Rather than liking or disliking him, I feel it doesn't matter what he does. The reason I stuffed the trash into his shoe cabinet wasn't out of resentment, but simply an act of self-defense.

By leveraging the prominent presence of the Ministry of Revenue, the problem was brought to the forefront, preventing those operating in the shadows from launching a direct attack. There was no need for the other side to witness the scene firsthand. The Ministry of Revenue would naturally spread the word, eventually reaching the ears of those involved.

Frankly, whether the Minister of Revenue will cause a scene is a gamble, but I believe he will. Although he seems like that kind of person, he is actually quite vulnerable inside. While the Minister of Revenue may genuinely be hurt, in any case, he would likely resort to making a scene as a form of self-defense.

He didn't see it as "bullying," but rather as a "joke" or an "interesting topic," and then elevated it into a joke to deal with the awkward situation.

I have two reasons for this judgment.

The first is the Ministry of Revenue's foolish character. I suspect he might actually have taken it as a funny joke.

The second factor is the Ministry of Revenue's position within the school. Because he occupies a high position in the school hierarchy, this matter is unlikely to cause him any harm. Even if something were to happen, others would back him up, so he has the ability to treat it as a joke. Furthermore, perhaps he harbors a deep-seated pride, not wanting others to see his dejected state.

Regardless, this might be the first time I've thanked the Ministry of Revenue. Because the news has spread, the other side should find it difficult to take further action. There's no need to specifically investigate the culprit; doing so would be pointless.

If the attack stops there, all the better. If the attack continues, then only another sacrifice needs to be offered.

Hahaha! What a pity! Perhaps your despicable methods have always been effective so far, but my despicable methods are three times more despicable than yours! My inferiority complex is also... phew.

I never imagined I'd be disliked to the point of doing something like this. That surprised me somewhat. Since I don't interact much with others, this is probably the only way they could resort to such an attack. I think the situation shouldn't escalate any further…

As I walked toward the classroom, I pondered what would happen next.

As I climbed the stairs, turned the corner, and stepped into the corridor leading to the 2nd floor, I began to feel that the surroundings were unusually quiet. The corridor was usually incredibly noisy, but now there was only a soft murmur, like gentle waves.

I glanced down the corridor and noticed that everyone was watching something from a distance, chuckling quietly or whispering to each other.

I also looked towards the center of the vortex.

Standing there is Minami Sagami.

Also, remote and knotted.

Several classmates surrounded the three of them. Some stood to the side of Haruka and Yui, some stood in the center, and some stood next to Sagami. Yui could also be seen among them.

Without even looking closely, it's clear they were arguing.

As I watched, wondering what they were up to, Yui noticed me and ran over.

"How is this going?"

As soon as I asked, Yui-hama brought her mouth close to my ear. "I told you, it's too close..."

"It seems like Sagami greeted someone, but the other person acted as if they didn't see him, and it ended up looking like an argument..."

Yui sighed wearily. Her breath tickled my ear, sending shivers down my spine, but this wasn't the time to talk about that.

Haruka, Yui, and Sagami are currently staring at each other. Judging from their positions, Sagami was probably about to enter or leave the classroom when he happened to run into Haruka and Yui, who then ignored him.

The back door of the classroom was blocked because of them, so the students in Class F had to use the front door to enter and exit.

Things have gotten complicated again... Maybe I should step in and stop them, or try to get them to break up. I looked at Yuihama, feeling conflicted, and she looked just as lost.

The methods used to persuade both sides here will affect the subsequent operation of the organizing committee. It seems that there is no benefit in siding with either Sagami or Haruka and Yui.

If that's the case, perhaps the best course of action would be to keep the stalemate going until time runs out...

Just as I was about to give up, someone appeared who could change the situation.

"Hey. I need to get through, could you please move aside?"

Yumiko Miura parted the crowd of onlookers at a distance, swaggering towards the Sagami group, and then spoke. She stared at them with obvious displeasure, her slightly curly blonde hair swaying back and forth.

Sagami, Haruka, and Yui glanced at each other with slight trepidation, then turned and left the scene, thus disbanding their group.

The Queen's advance easily crushed the ragtag army.

It wasn't mediation or reconciliation; it was simply telling both sides to shut up.

Miura is just too amazing...

Thanks to her, this bizarre farce came to an end this morning.

But the sparks that have already been ignited will not simply be extinguished.

It will burn continuously like a glowing ember. The moment the wind changes direction, this fire will surely blaze fiercely towards us.

Volume 6.5⑥ Nevertheless, the city patrol was still willing to observe.

At the start of the first class, I turned my neck and looked around to stretch my stiff shoulders.

I spotted Sagami and stole a glance at him. Sagami was crouching down, head bowed, his gaze unwavering.

I want to know what kind of impact the argument that happened in the hallway this morning will have on Minami Sagami.

The conflicts that have occurred so far have been confined to the operations committee, but now they are beginning to infiltrate daily life. If anything, they are gradually eroding the reality that Sagami perceives. She used to be able to forget everything as soon as the sports meet ended, or pretend to forget and put on an expression that nothing had happened, and continue her student life. But now, she has indeed been left with scars.

This fact has gradually begun to affect Sagami. She, who always deliberately exuded an annoying "I'm so pitiful" aura, has now toned it down, and anyone can see her depression.

However, I don't feel sorry for her at all, nor do I find her laughable.

In the end, I never really had any opinion about Sagami. Although she always annoyed me, that was all.

I didn't have much of a connection with her to begin with, and I probably won't have any further contact with her in the future.

However, if I were to observe someone, I could still express very straightforward, or rather, simple, feelings.

In short, she was just an ordinary person.

Or perhaps, she is the most human-like person I know.

If innocence is considered a characteristic of adorable animals, then Sagami's cunning is precisely her symbol as a human being. Deception, trickery, boasting, and bluffing are all behaviors unique to humans.

However, Sagami's methods of recruiting allies and participating in communities are very similar to those of wild beasts, perhaps suggesting that she could be considered a highly evolved animal.

If I had to give an example, she'd be like a chimpanzee or a bannob ape. Bound by status and class, yet able to overcome difficulties with her own wisdom, and when intimidating, she'd squeak fiercely.

Minami Sagami is someone who is bound by class within the community, or rather, someone who lives with class in mind.

On the other hand, some people recruit partners in a completely different way than those in Sagami Minami.

Yumiko Miura is a case in point.

If we were to use a metaphor to describe her method of winning over partners, it would be a tiger.

Their purpose in forming groups is to protect their territory and to safeguard and raise their next generation.

This might give the impression of a loving mother or a saint, but to other animals, her claws and teeth are simply objects of fear. It's truly terrifying…

Therefore, although both sides will invite friends and companions, the ways in which they form communities are completely different.

There's no question of who's right or wrong.

Yes, both sides are right. Just as there are a hundred kinds of justice for a hundred kinds of people in the world, the definition of justice changes from time to time depending on one's position. If we have to say something, "loneliness equals sin" might be the only consensus they share.

The atmosphere in Class 2-F was so tense it could be described as murderous, which was enough to make me feel that way.

Perhaps the description of Class 2-F right now could be "the bushland of the African savanna." A wild, spiritual world suddenly appearing within a highly developed civilization—even herbivorous men would remain silent if they were in it. It's incredibly wild. So wild that it feels like watching National Geographic, so dangerous, even a wildlife park wouldn't be this wild. I can almost smell the blood.

The incident this morning created a strange sense of tension in the class.

Miura and Sagami, the parties involved, were still unhappy about the situation; however, the outcome clearly demonstrated the power dynamic between them.

The noise that used to be heard during class has stopped, and only the occasional sound of Miura's fingernails tapping on the table can be heard.

Such an unpleasant time, when even the urge to cough makes one hesitate, causes one's stomach to churn continuously.

Everyone shifted their gaze away from Miura and Sagami, the target of Miura's anger. While they might simply want to avoid entanglement with each other, I believe this was a gentle way of giving each other space.

Especially Hayama, Yuihama, Ebina and Miura's friends, they seemed to know very well how to deal with this situation, so they avoided taking the initiative to talk to the other party.

That's true. If someone yells at you while you're angry, "What are you so angry about?" it just adds fuel to the fire. Even if you know that the other person's words come from kindness or concern.

As everyone knows, a wise person avoids dangerous situations, and the smarter a person is, the less likely they are to approach others. This is because human interaction and contact can sow the seeds of conflict. Therefore, the lone wolf is the wise one, remaining in wise mode year-round.

Even so, once get out of class ended, perhaps because some time had passed since the morning's incident, the classroom returned to its usual noisy state. Presumably, everyone was simply deliberately behaving the same as usual, convincing themselves that everything was as normal by displaying an unchanged lifestyle.

This kind of self-deception, as a lubricant, is actually a very important necessity. However, I never need it, so it only makes me feel anxious and unhappy.

Perhaps this varies depending on the definition of friendship, but true friends don't need to worry about each other.

It's precisely because the other person isn't friendly that one deliberately tries to be considerate of them. A lone wolf never hesitates to talk to someone, or even get close. A lone wolf is half gentle—no, practically all gentle.

Just as the sun always rises, the classroom gradually returned to its usual lively atmosphere as time passed. Miura had returned to his usual self, exuding a lazy feeling, chatting with Ebina and Yuigahama.

After confirming this, I turned and looked around the entire classroom.

On the other hand, Sagami quietly slipped out the door. Although it was recess time, she didn't seem to be with her usual gossipy friends today.

For Sagami, who is extremely vain, being ignored by Haruka and Yui in the morning, and even being seen by others, seems to have caused her great trauma.

People sometimes deliberately seek out solitude. It's incredibly selfish to normally dislike, despise, and avoid loneliness, yet then ask for "just some peace and quiet" when you actually need it...

However, if one truly seeks solitude, one must at least adhere to certain rules. At the very least, it shouldn't be an act done to gain sympathy or concern from others. That only devalues ​​oneself, merely proclaims oneself as weak, unable to define one's existence without the approval of others.

A friend of Sagami took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Sagami, who had never been so quiet before.

However, Sagami only returned a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, I..."

Sagami hastily left a message and departed from his seat.

Her behavior pattern is completely different from before.

He distances himself from others, deliberately keeping his distance. This is clearly different from Sagami, who until now could not find a place to belong without the approval and consideration of others.

I was surprised by her change and followed her gaze.

Please forgive me for repeating this, but a person doesn't change so easily. This has always been my stance.

If someone can easily change themselves for any reason, it means they have no sense of self.

A person with self-awareness will inevitably have times when they refuse to change themselves. Maintaining self-identity is an attitude that human beings should possess.

Even so, if she still wants to change herself, there is only one reason.

Because of failure, one falls and is bruised all over, experiencing pain for the first time, and instinctively tries to escape. This behavior is merely to make oneself appear to have grown.

However, if a behavior becomes a habit, it will one day become its own definition.

People are judged by others only because of their own actions.

So-called objective evaluation is the evaluation made on a person's actions.

Therefore, even if it stems from an instinct to avoid crisis, it could be a sign of objective change, even if it doesn't actually represent a real change.

This is something Mother Teresa said, isn't it?

Thoughts become words, and words become actions. Then, actions become habits, habits become character, and character ultimately becomes one's destiny—or something like that.

As expected of Mother, she's quite amazing. Mother is great. Mother Ranch (Note 44: a ranch located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan) is also very impressive. Their soft serve ice cream is delicious.

People are judged by others based on their outward appearances: their words, actions, and habits. These are perceived by those around them as part of their character and personality, leading to evaluations.

Could changes in Sagami's behavior be a harbinger of something?

× × ×

The meeting room was much noisier than usual after school.

Perhaps it's because Professor Hiratsuka, who is an advisor, is absent today due to some reason. That being said, not a single member of the decision-making team has said a word; only the guys on-site are chatting non-stop.

If this is what it looks like before the meeting starts, then it's not surprising at all. When people meet, they always exchange a few words.

Unfortunately, this was happening halfway through the meeting.

The meeting had long since lost its semblance of a meeting. Of course, even if everyone was reluctant to work, they were still high school students, and at least they would obediently stay in their seats. However, the whispering, like the sound of waves, never ceased.

At the heart of this commotion were Yao and Jie. As usual, they exuded a strong sense of indifference, making it difficult to distinguish one from the other. In fact, the presence of several classmates beside them only amplified this indistinguishability. They were utterly just passersby.

Compared to the decision-making group, which was arranged in a U-shape and closely packed together in front, the on-site group, though seemingly scattered, was actually a solidly united large group. The two groups formed a structure where different races checked and balanced each other.