The feeling I felt was unlike any I had ever previously experienced. It was warm, so warm that it threatened to rival that of a flame born from the magic capacity of one who could be recognized as no less than a god. A pure, glowing ember of a lavender hue, burning ever so brightly even within a void of nothingness.
To think such a feeling, such emotion, could rival such a temperature. Why, the very idea was unfathomable, especially for one such as I, who had been named a god among gods by gods.
This very feeling dwelled inside my chest, swelling and spreading throughout all the veins in my humanoid body. One could even go as far as to say it stretched and enveloped around the very core of my existence– my very soul.
~What is this feeling?
I questioned myself silently as I gazed into the eyes of a person I only previously saw in a dream a single time.
~Am I still dreaming? Did I fall asleep again? Did I faint? What trickery is this, ol' mind of mine.
Such queries spiraled around in my head as I pondered the sight before me.
It was the first time I was meeting this person, yet it felt like part of me wanted to shout in joy the moment I set eyes upon her.
Why was that? —That's what I wondered.
Soon I found my thoughts wandering, running off-track into the endless bounds of the unknown.
"Hey."
The girl spoke softly and abruptly.
"You're staring too much. Stop."
This, she said with a straight face. However, despite the tone of voice, her face held no malice nor disgust. Rather, only a hint of annoyance and a faint implication of embarrassment.
"Ah."
I immediately averted my gaze and so soon was I to be jumped on by the president of the club, Mashiro Kiwusawa. She slung her around my shoulders and nearly knocked me down as her full weight clung onto me, catching me off guard. Though, I stood my ground and looked at her with my same old expressionless face.
"I see you met all our members, mister transfer! Ah, I guess I should call you Yuruichi now… Ah, but that's a bit of a long name. How about I just call you Yuru, eh?"
The girl exclaimed enthusiastically. Pushing down on me, her chest pressing against my shoulder blades, she jabbed her finger into the air towards the boy chilling against the shelves.
The boy stood straight up, stepping forward as he waved his hand.
"Alright, Yuru!" Almost shouting, she continued to speak excitedly, drunken with joy as she continuously giggled and grinned without end. "That there is our pal Yan! Yan Kuroshin! He's part Chinese, don't get that wrong or he'll be pissed. We learned the hard way. Huehuehue."
The boy of black hair and of black name frowned at this comment. With a sigh, he spoke in a tone just as gentle as the smile he presented himself with when I first set eyes upon him.
"I would greatly appreciate it if you refrain from introducing me in such a way, president Mashiro. That aside, it's a pleasure to meet you. As I said before, I'd like to welcome you to the club."
I returned his words with a simple nod of my head. A straightforward gesture that always seemed to work with my fellow primordials.
However, the smile he gave me after that appeared strained. Though, I only saw it for a moment as Kiwusawa was already using her body to turn me towards the member.
With a little skip and her grin only growing ever wider, she rushed to the girl's side and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"This is my best friend and our local senpai! Huehuehue. I'd like to introduce you to Eliba Cerubi!"
The girl tilted back her head, looking at me with cold eyes and a straight expression. She said no words. The atmosphere around here was stiff as a board, much unlike her rather… large breasts.
~Though the size is notable. That is not what's important, however.
It was the way she looked at me– or rather the feeling I felt from it. It was tense and suggested a deeper meaning, as if she had gathered something about me from a single glance. Eyes that could see through all lies, to have such eyes is a skill not learned but a talent to be inherited. It was clear that I should be careful around her, for the shiver down my spine was much like that when I encountered the angel in my dreams. In no way was it a welcoming familiarity.
All the while, Kiwusawa stared at both of us with a clear lack of understandment. Glancing back and forth, her eyes shone with worry.
"Hey!" She shouted with cheer and a forced smile. "Let's get these club activities started, shall we? Huehuehue. We can start off by having mister Yuru here tell us what his favorite books are."
"Eh?"
The three of them– Kuroshin, Kiwusawa, and Cerubi, looked at me with patient gazes. With it, an uncomfortable feeling came over me that could only be described as anxiety. I frantically wracked my mind to think of what to say, searching through the plethora of texts that resided in my memories due to my strange dreams.
"Societal Studies Volume Three: Peer Pressure."
I blurted it out, only realizing too late. Quickly, I turned my head away and scratched the back of my neck.
Among those many texts, there was a large amount of intel regarding studies on Earth's population. A majority of it was based on an immense number of different surveys conducted by humans who called them psychologists— people who studied the human mind and emotions.
The term 'peer pressure' referred to a phenomenon where your peers, or friends, would pressure one to do a certain action. It was basic manipulation. No matter how harmless it may be, that is what it boggled down to.
~This is peer pressure, huh? Feels like all those times the other primordials wanted me to decide stuff for them.
"Huehuehue. Somebody's nervous. I didn't expect that of the great and legendary transfer student."
I threw Kiwusawa a side glare, causing her to back up and hide behind Cerubi.
"Scary, scary. Huehuehue. Did I anger you, Yuru?"
I gave no response, only sighing my grievance aloud.
"Ah. So you decided to join us, Rea?"
My attention was immediately recaptured, my curiosity piqued. I turned my head to face the group once more.
There, climbing through the window like a girl from a fairy tale, the delicate pastel complexion of a maiden revealed herself to the group. Kiwusawa took her by the arm, helping her maintain a graceful balance as she stumbled into the room. With a single look, she returned my gaze with cold, empty eyes. Though, despite this, her face remained innocent and devoid of any ill feeling. It was neutrality at its purest.
"You staring pretty hard, mister transfer? You fell in love with the book club doll already? Huehuehue."
I furrowed my brow, giving her a slight frown to show my disapproval of her outrageous suggestion.
Love— It was well known across many worlds and even amongst the many primordials of the Void that the concept of love was one of the greatest mysteries of mankind. Even to most primordials and god-faring existences alike still failed to comprehend what it meant to love someone.
In the end, I had concluded love to be a complicated matter that was not worth time or desire. One could only understand love from experience, as it, like many human concepts, was subjective to one's personal perspective and preferences.
As a primordial, it was within my very nature to have no preferences whatsoever.
Therefore, it was highly unlikely that I would like anyone in particular. Practically impossible.
Yet—
I stared at the girl with growing intensity. She threw me another glance.
Recalling her previous words, I quickly looked away.
~Best I ignore her for now.
"Mister Yuru."
Kuroshin grabbed me by the shoulder. Instinctively, I grabbed his wrist and poised myself to flip him over my shoulder. Upon realizing who it was, I quickly let go and recollected myself.
"Gee. Remind me never to approach you from behind without notification."
The boy chuckled softly, smiling as he raised his hand off of me.
"So what do you think of the club so far?"
"Not sure. We haven't really done anything yet."
"That's true enough, I suppose."
"Are you a third-year, too? Or a second-year?"
"Ah, no. I'm a second-year student like Kiwusawa. Though, we're from different classes."
"I see…"
"Hey, mister transfer! Look over here, Yuru! Let me introduce you properly!"
I returned my gaze to Kiwusawa in response to her jovial shouts. With a foreground image of Cerubi drinking what I assumed to be tea, the two girls swayed from side to side as Kiwusawa hugged the other close. She seemed rather… uncomfortable, though.
"Not so close." She muttered under her breath. Her voice was soft and quiet. Too soft, it appeared, as Kiwusawa completely ignored her as if she did not hear a single word.
"Yuru. This is Irena Dolari. Like you, she's a first-year but unlike you, she's not a transfer. I hope you two get along!"
Neither of us spoke a single word. All we could do was stare at the other for a few minutes before doing our own separate tasks.
Irena simply sat down, diagonally across from Cerubi and began to read a book. This I could tell from the corner of my eye as I walked to the shelves to find material to read.
My first day at school was eventful, to say the least. Though my first club meeting was rather anticlimactic. Granted, I guess I should not expect a book club to be as action-packed as a war-torn battlefield. Still, it was a considerable step-up from that black abyssal dream world.
~What's next, I wonder?