At the end of the Tea Ceremony Club's long line, the three of them waited patiently.
Shouko stood on tiptoe, watching a kimono-clad senpai whisk tea with elegant motions. Beside her, Atsuya Ayumi fixed her gaze on the fruit being handed to freshmen and unconsciously swallowed.
Akira looked around to kill time, when suddenly his sleeve was tugged.
"Akira, why don't you check out some other clubs first?" Shouko suggested softly.
She'd noticed most of the line was made up of girls, and Akira looked distinctly bored. Besides, she knew he didn't care about the little fruit reward—he'd probably end up giving it to her anyway.
"Hm…" Akira hesitated, his reflection flickering in her eyes. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. I'll wander a bit. Let's meet at the Art Club later, okay?"
With Ayumi keeping Shouko company, nothing could go wrong. It wasn't like lining up for wagashi would somehow spiral into some over-the-top, novel-style drama.
"Mm-hm." Shouko released his sleeve and nodded.
"Miyamura, don't worry. I'll keep watch over Shouko," Ayumi declared, patting her flat chest as if swearing an oath.
Akira gave her a nod, then raised his hand and gave Shouko's cheek a quick pinch before heading off.
"Nagisa, look! That first-year just left."
At the front of the line, a girl distributing fruit nudged the light-brown-haired girl beside her.
The one called Nagisa glanced briefly at Akira's retreating back, then quickly averted her eyes.
"Se-senpai… how much longer do we have to hand these out? I need to get back to the Drama Club…"
"What a shame. He probably already has a girlfriend." The other girl sighed, still staring after him, ignoring Nagisa's question.
"Eh? Did you say something, Nagisa?"
Nagisa ducked her head, her expression unreadable. She shook it quickly, and her partner turned away without pressing further.
Meanwhile, Akira passed by the Wind Ensemble Club.
Under the wilting cherry blossom trees, a saxophone and flute duet floated through the air, uncannily similar to Gakuen Tengoku. He stopped, listening.
"Hey, junior! Interested in joining the Wind Ensemble?"
An average-looking senpai in glasses handed him a flyer. Its textured paper showed instruments neatly printed across the front.
"Is there an entrance exam to join?" Akira asked, scanning the flyer.
The senpai chuckled and shook his head. "Not in university. As long as you're interested, you can apply. And if you join now, you'll even get one-on-one lessons from third-years."
"Thank you."
Clap clap clap!
The duet ended, and applause erupted around them. Akira glanced once more at the performers, then returned the flyer with a small, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, senpai. I've already joined another club."
"No worries." The upperclassman smiled, collected the flyer, and moved on to recruit elsewhere.
Akira slipped back into the crowd, letting his feet carry him through stall after stall. He must have passed eighty percent of the clubs before his wandering gradually steered him toward the Art Club.
The Art Club's booth was tucked into the airy corridor of Teaching Building One.
Golden light streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, softening the space. Far from the noisy field, the only sounds were the scratch of pencils and the faint ocarina notes drifting from the neighboring Handicrafts Club. The air smelled faintly of turpentine and fresh sketch paper.
Two desks had been pushed together, flyers piled loosely on top, beside a standing board reading: Art Club Recruitment. Chibi doodles decorated the border.
Akira tapped the table lightly. "Senpai? These flyers are okay to take, right?"
Behind it, a girl dozed in a chair, her beret tipped over her face, blue waves of hair spilling out. She didn't stir.
After a moment, Akira simply picked one up himself.
The kraft-paper flyer was sealed with wax, bold brushstroke title across the front: 描こう! (Let's Draw the World in the Art Club!). The back was dotted with more chibi portraits of members. Slightly chuunibyou—but charming, fitting for high school life.
"Akira, sorry to keep you waiting."
He turned to see Shouko and Ayumi arriving.
"Only a few minutes earlier than you," he replied naturally, handing the flyer to Shouko. She, in turn, popped a fruit into his hand—the one she'd gotten from the Tea Club line. No teachers were patrolling nearby, so the gesture was safe.
Ayumi, pointedly ignoring the exchange, grabbed a flyer for herself.
"Is this the only senpai here?" Shouko asked, glancing at the still-sleeping girl.
"Looks like it." Akira tilted his head toward the tightly shut classroom door. "Maybe the others are inside."
"Should we wake her?"
"Is that really okay…?" Shouko hesitated.
"Senpai, time to wake up!" Ayumi announced, giving the girl a firm shake.
The beret tumbled to the floor, and for the first time, the three of them saw her face.
A fair complexion, marked only by two distinctive moles—one beneath her left eye, another at the corner of her mouth. Ordinary, yet instantly memorable.
Akira's gaze lingered briefly before he looked away. He didn't notice Shouko watching him in turn, her eyes flickering before returning to the girl.
"Alright, alright, I'm up. Any more shaking and my brain will fall out."
The girl yawned, batting away Ayumi's hands lazily.
Ayumi crouched, picked up the beret, and dusted it off before handing it back.
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