*[Mocha's POV]**
"For a special service club, there's really not much servicing to do..." I murmured in boredom, lazily resting my body on the cool surface of the table as I waited for something exciting to happen.
The whole room felt stagnant, as if time had slowed down since there was nothing much for us to do in the clubroom. I sat across from Aria-san, who wore an expression of barely concealed annoyance. Since Nishimura-san, our first client, made her request, the stream of tasks that followed had been painfully monotonous—carrying some books, moving equipment, trivial manual labor that hardly justified our club's existence.
Also. As if on cue,
"Yukiya-kun. Can you help me carry some papers to the faculty room?"
"Yukiya-kun. Mind lending me a hand pinning some posters around campus?"
"Yukiya-kun, may I request your assistance in changing the student council room's light bulb?"
"Yukiya-kun..."
These trivial requests came from Shiori-senpai, our student council president, who had developed a knack for appearing at our club's door with her simple tasks she could easily handle on her own if she chose to.
While I personally didn't mind her presence, to Aria-san, each plea felt like an echo in this quiet room, gradually wearing on her patience.
It wasn't long before Aria-san, her emerald eyes blazing with fierce determination, decided she'd had enough. Rising from her seat, she stood toe-to-toe with Shiori-senpai, their contrasting heights emphasizing the fiery spirit of her confrontation.
"Can you stop using our human resources for these trivial requests?" she demanded, the authority in her voice slicing through the sleepy atmosphere that had smothered us.
Turning her sharp gaze toward Yukiya-kun, Aria-san added, her finger pointed accusingly, "And you! Can you stop being such a pushover?!"
"Eh?" Master Yukiya-kun looked momentarily taken aback, caught off guard by Aria-san's sudden outburst. To him, Shiori-senpai's small tasks seemed trivial, hardly worth an argument.
Shiori-senpai, however, seemed unfazed. She flashed a playful grin, her eyes sparkling as she held Aria-san's gaze. The disparity in their heights became more apparent, her confident posture contrasting sharply with Aria-san's indignant stance.
"Oh-ho. Isn't that part of this club's function? To handle non-curricular problems?" she quipped, her tone teasing yet layered with a gravity that suggested she knew she had the upper hand in this argument. She helped a hand in creating our club, she knew our policies as if it were the back of her hand.
Aria-san's frown deepened, frustration creeping into her features as she struggled to find a counterargument. She couldn't outright accuse Shiori-senpai of abusing her power—our club had the right to refuse any request we found unreasonable. And if Master Yukiya-kun didn't find her tasks burdensome, then there was little we could do.
At that moment, Aria-san glared and confirmed her suspicion. *She's definitely a rival,* she must have realized.
The atmosphere grew more intense by the second. Master Yukiya-kun didn't seem to understand what was happening in front of him, or maybe he's just pretending not to?
*Sigh, this is exactly what's wrong with harem protagonists. They make girls fall in love with them and act oblivious to what's going on around them.* I want to interfere but I'm too nervous to stop them.
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted the silence.
"Someone's on the door." Master Yukiya-kun uttered, our attention drawn towards the knock on the door.
The two girls turned their faces away from each other, "Hmph," mutually deciding to resolve this conflict another time. A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I saw them split from their confrontational stance.
Clearing her throat, Shiori-senpai said, "I guess I took up too much of your time." She took a step toward the door. Turning her gaze back at Master Yukiya-kun, she offered a warm smile, "If you guys need anything from the student council, you know where to find me," she waved goodbye before exiting the clubroom.
"You can come in now," Master Yukiya-kun signaled, gesturing the room is clear for the person to enter.
With Master's permission, the door slid open and the potential client entered the clubroom. They noticed that the person who walked out just now was our school's council president, but he pretended not to notice, as if he were more concerned about his own purpose of coming to our clubroom.
Having a look of who could our client be, I was surprised to recognize who it was seeking our aid.
*Isn't he Seishiro Tanaka-kun, from class 1-C?*
I didn't know him personally, but I, a transfer student, knows he was a popular guy in class 1-C. Good grades, good at sports, always surrounded by friends. A typical personality everyone gravitates to.
*But what is he doing here? Doesn't he have other friends to console his worries to?* Just when I was lost in thought,
"Welcome. What can we do for you today?" Master Yukiya-kun flashed a welcoming smile, snapping me back to my senses.
"I... heard this club handle requests" Tanaka-kun asked, his voice was softer than I expected.
Master Yukiya-kun put his hands together "Depends on the request." he replied, a phrase he always state as our reasonable request policy.
I invited Tanaka-kun to take a seat, leading him to the warm sofa.
Tanaka-kun sat, but instead of resting his back against the sofa, he leaned forward, elbows on knees, as if even sitting normally demanded energy he didn't have.
"I want..." He took a breath, letting the air settle. "I want... to be less popular."
"Huh?" Master Yukiya-kun looked momentarily taken aback, another strange request came knocking at our doors.
[Tanaka-kun, our new client, wanted to be less popular.]