Raku stepped forward slowly, standing in the middle of the room. His eyes swept over the entire club. There were three people there besides Hiratsuka-sensei. A long-haired black-haired girl with a cold expression still staring at him, a bright orange-haired girl sitting rather awkwardly with a friendly smile, and a young man with messy hair and a lazy gaze that seemed indifferent to the world.
Raku bowed his head politely.
"My name is Ichijou Raku. I… had an accident last winter, slipped in the snow. After that I experienced total Amnesia. I don't remember anything about my life before. From today on, I can only move forward. I ask for your help."
The room fell silent for a few moments after those words came out.
Yuigahama Yui was the first to react. She immediately leaned forward with sparkling eyes.
"Waaah, so you really have Amnesia? That's like something out of a drama! Seriously you don't remember anything? Not even your friends or family?"
Raku shook his head slightly. "Nothing remains. When I woke up in the hospital, it felt… empty. No memories were left behind."
Yui's gaze turned sympathetic, as if she shared that loneliness. "That sounds really tough…"
Meanwhile, Yukino was still staring at Raku with a cold face. Her hands crossed the book she was holding, and finally she spoke.
"Amnesia, huh. Maybe I should empathize, but do you know? Many people use that as an excuse to avoid personal problems or responsibilities. How can we be sure what you're saying is true?"
Her voice was flat, piercing, and instantly made the atmosphere tense.
Raku kept looking at her without hesitation. "I can't force you to believe me. But everything I said is not a lie. Even if someone thinks I'm pretending, I can only continue living like this, with the memories I have left."
Yukino was silent for a moment, then slowly closed the book in her hands. Her gaze softened a little, though it still held doubt.
On the other hand, Hikigaya Hachiman rolled his eyes while letting out a long sigh.
'Haaah… so this is how it is. One more strange character thrown into this club. First Yukinoshita with her ice goddess syndrome, then Yuigahama with her bright but naïve cheerfulness, and now an Amnesia protagonist. Honestly, I can already guess the ending. This will be a long cliché drama with a little spice of romance and suffering.'
He didn't say it out loud, only in his heart. But the corner of his lips moved slightly, somewhere between cynical and resigned.
Hiratsuka-sensei folded her arms, satisfied with the interaction. "Anyway, from today Ichijou Raku will be a member of the Service Club. Consider it a means for you to adapt, also an opportunity for you to learn to face things outside the usual. No objections, right?"
Yui immediately nodded. "Not at all, Sensei! I'm actually happy there's a new member."
Yukino only closed her eyes briefly before giving a slight nod. "If that's Sensei's decision, I won't refuse."
Hikigaya shrugged lazily. "Whatever. As long as he doesn't cause trouble, I don't care."
Raku breathed a sigh of relief, smiling slightly. He then sat down in the empty chair at the side of the long table, opposite Yukino. His heart was still pounding, not because of the sharp words earlier, but because he realized: everyone in this room was a new figure in his empty life.
Raku sat upright in the chair, while the atmosphere in the room felt a little awkward. The long table was only filled with Yukino's books, a glass of tea, and a stack of papers. Yukino stared at Raku intently, as if analyzing his every movement.
"I want to know something," said Yukino calmly, with a tone of voice that immediately made Yui turn curiously.
"If you've lost all your memories, how do you judge yourself? Do you know what you can do, or do you just live by going with the flow?"
The question sounded simple, but the intonation made it feel like an oral exam.
Raku was silent for a moment, then slowly lifted his head. "Honestly… I don't know. I can't judge myself from the past. All I have is myself right now. So I just try to do what's in front of my eyes. If I can't, I'll learn. If I can, I'll continue."
Yukino narrowed her eyes. "So you only react to circumstances? Doesn't that mean you have no direction?"
Raku took a breath, frowning slightly. "Maybe so. But if there are no memories to serve as a guide, is there any other choice but to walk forward one step at a time?"
The room fell silent for a moment. Yui bit her lip, then hurriedly spoke up so it wouldn't be too tense.
"I think… that makes sense too. If I were in Raku-kun's position, I'd be really confused. I might even cry every day, not knowing what to do. But he can stay calm like this, isn't that amazing?"
Yukino shifted her gaze to Yui, then back to Raku. Her expression softened slightly, but her voice remained cold.
"Alright, then another question. Suppose someone comes to you with a simple problem: they want to be confident in speaking in public. What would you do to help them?"
Raku blinked. That question made him think hard. He bowed his head briefly, trying to form words.
"Maybe… I would listen to them first. If they're scared, I can't just force them. I also don't know the best way, but maybe if I could accompany them, make them feel they're not alone, they might become braver. I myself don't have memories, so I don't know how to be confident in front of people. But… at the very least I can be there for that person."
Yui looked at Raku with shining eyes, smiling faintly. "That… sounds sincere. I think that's a really good way."
Yukino remained silent, appearing to weigh that answer.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya only rested his chin with a half-lazy gaze. In his heart he muttered cynically.
'Of course. A template answer from a drama protagonist. 'I'll be with you, you're not alone.' So cliché. But somehow, words like that always sound sincere from these kinds of people. The difference is, if I said it I'd definitely be labeled creepy or insincere.'
He sighed softly, then closed his eyes as if not wanting to get involved, though his ears were still listening.
Yukino finally let out a small sigh. "You're still vague. But… I can see at least you're not just speaking empty words. Alright, for now I'll accept your answer."
Raku bowed his head, relieved. "Thank you."
The room felt a little warmer again. Yui looked happy, Yukino reopened her book, while Hikigaya was still busy with his cynical monologue.