"Kringggggggg…"
The sound of the break bell echoed throughout the room. Students who had been half-asleep because of Physics immediately moved all at once: some closed their books, some quickly tidied up their notes, others immediately let out a long yawn.
Kyoko-sensei placed her chalk on the desk and looked at the whole class.
"Alright, Physics ends here. After the break, we'll continue with Mathematics. Use this time to rest."
Several students let out long sighs, some even gave small cheers for being free from formulas for a moment. Kyoko-sensei gave a faint smile before leaving the classroom, letting the students enjoy their brief freedom.
Raku, who had been lost in thought, finally snapped out of his daydream. The noisy sound of the class felt so different compared to the silence in his heart. He let out a slow breath, trying to return to the normal atmosphere.
Not long after, Shu approached him while carrying a chair and sat right in front of his desk. His smile was as casual as always.
"Yo, Raku. So how does it feel, your first day back at school after… well, that incident?"
Raku looked at Shu for a moment, then gave a faint smile.
"Hmm… a bit surprising, to be honest. At home it is lively, but still not as lively as this. It feels different… there are so many people here, and this school building is so spacious. It makes me a little confused."
Shu chuckled. "Hahaha, yeah, Sobu is like that. If you're not used to it, you could end up on the wrong floor. Good thing you didn't wander into the Student Council room or the equipment storage."
Raku also gave a small smile, though he still seemed a little awkward.
Suddenly a cheerful voice cut into their conversation.
"Hmm… so you really have amnesia, huh?"
Raku turned. A girl with light brown hair, her face sweet but her expression full of curiosity, leaned her body toward his desk.
"I'm Iroha Isshiki. It feels like something out of a drama or manga story, you know. Amnesia… that's like something you only find in books or anime, but turns out it's real too, huh?"
Raku blinked once, looking straight at her. He then answered with a soft but honest voice.
"When I woke up in the hospital… I really couldn't remember anything. It even felt empty, like… everything before had just vanished."
He lowered his head briefly, then looked at Iroha again.
"Nice to meet you, Isshiki-san."
Iroha froze for a split second, then gave a small smile while raising her hand.
"Nice to meet you too. But just call me Iroha, okay? Formalities are too boring."
Shu patted Raku's shoulder with a mock-serious style.
"Careful, Raku. If you act too serious with this girl, she'll get even more nosy about you. Hahaha."
Iroha immediately pouted and glared at Shu.
"Hey, I'm just curious, okay? People with amnesia are rare! It's like meeting a celebrity on the street."
Raku didn't respond with a joke, he only looked at the two of them with a gentle yet hollow expression. His smile remained, but in his heart, he murmured:
'Amnesia… I don't even know if it really is just that. Or… if there's something bigger behind all this.'
But for now, he chose to keep that question in his heart.
The corridor felt quiet after the break bell earlier. Hiratsuka-sensei walked with relaxed steps, her feet tapping against the corridor floor, followed by Raku walking behind her.
"Ichijou Raku, let me take you to that club," said Hiratsuka while slightly adjusting her reading glasses.
Raku glanced briefly at Shu and Iroha, who were still sitting in their seats.
"Alright, just a moment." he replied, picking up the notebook still open on his desk and tidying up his bag.
Shu leaned forward curiously. "What club?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Raku let out a light sigh. "Service Club, I don't know… I don't know why Hiratsuka-sensei wants me to join that club."
"Seriously, that club?" Shu's eyes widened. He knew the reputation of that club was not of an ordinary one.
Iroha, who also came closer, leaned on Raku's desk, her gaze full of curiosity. "Seems like that club is going to get busy later. If someone with Amnesia joins, it feels like a drama story."
Raku only responded with a faint smile. "I really don't know, but I'll go."
With that, he walked out following Hiratsuka-sensei.
Along the hallway, Hiratsuka glanced at Raku who walked calmly.
"You don't want to ask what kind of club you're going to join? Usually new students are at least curious."
Raku lowered his head briefly, then lifted his gaze toward the window that reflected the daylight. "I don't know… I've been thinking about something else. Because somehow, sometimes vague memories just appear on their own."
Hiratsuka-sensei fell silent. That answer wasn't a random one. Raku's tone sounded honest, as if there was a burden he couldn't clearly express. Hiratsuka didn't press further, only let out a soft sigh.
Until finally they stopped in front of a simple wooden door with a nameplate reading "Service Club" hanging beside it. Hiratsuka-sensei looked at the door for a moment, then without hesitation turned the knob and pushed it open.
"They will help you. Since you have Amnesia, maybe you need something called socialization." she said, half convincing, half insisting.
The room behind the door felt warm and simple: a long table in the middle, bookshelves full on the right side, and a faint aroma of tea hanging in the air.
"I've brought a new member," said Hiratsuka-sensei as she stepped inside.
A long-haired black-haired girl sitting gracefully in the corner chair turned, her expression flat yet sharp. Yukino Yukinoshita. She narrowed her eyes and coldly commented:
"Sensei, at least knock first. And… who is it you've brought this time?"
Hiratsuka-sensei chuckled, unfazed by the cold attitude. "Ichijou Raku. Last winter he slipped, suffered total Amnesia. I thought it would be good to have him in this club."
That sentence made the room fall silent for a moment.
Yui Yuigahama, sitting not far from Yukino, widened her eyes, her voice reflexively rising. "Eh?! Amnesia? For real?!"
Raku gave a short nod with a polite smile. "Yes, that's right. I… don't remember anything before waking up in the hospital."
Yukino looked at him longer, her gaze as if trying to pierce through the surface of that polite smile. "Amnesia…" she muttered softly, as if assessing whether it was the truth or just an excuse from a student wanting to look special.
Meanwhile, in another corner, Hikigaya Hachiman who leaned with his hands in his pockets watched the situation lazily. He let out a long sigh and muttered in his mind.
'Huff… Amnesia. Just like the cheap plot of a manga or romcom novel. A new student, an ordinary face but full of mystery, then shoved into an eccentric club. What's next? A beautiful girl claiming to be his fiancée? This world works too hard to copy clichés…'
His half-lidded eyes reflected cynicism, but behind them was a slight curiosity he would never admit.
The room fell silent again, only the sound of Yukino flipping papers, Yui's curious gaze still fixed on Raku, and Hiratsuka-sensei's satisfied face for successfully bringing them together.