Arthur walked down the hallways looking for the literature club. Before entering, a girl asked to talk to him. It was Aiko—or at least that was the name Arthur remembered.
"I'm Aiko. I'm with you in the literature club. I wanted to ask you for a favor."
Aiko pulled out a notebook that looked rather big for her size. Arthur, afraid it might fall, grabbed it.
"Sorry, I didn't think it would be that heavy."
Aiko looked at him with curious eyes. "It's rare to see someone blond without it being dyed."
Arthur just laughed awkwardly. "And what did you want?"
"Well, in this notebook, all new members of the club have to put in a script, story, or novel. Since you're new, it's your duty to create some work."
Arthur flipped through the notebook and noticed stories and movie scripts. What caught his attention the most was a novel. The author was Mika, and the story told was:
The Princess and the Frog
It's about a princess who loses her favorite toy, a golden ball, in a well. At that moment, a frog appears and tells her he can retrieve it, but only if she agrees to be his companion: eat together, drink from the same glass, and let him sleep in her bed. Desperate to get the ball back, she promises everything… but once she has it, she forgets about the frog.
The problem is that the frog keeps his part of the deal and goes to the castle to claim what's his. The king, upon hearing the story, forces his daughter to keep her word. Disgusted, she lets the frog in. He dines with her and even demands to sleep on her pillow. She gets so angry that she throws him against the wall… and in that instant, the frog turns into a prince, freed from a spell.
In the end, the princess learns that keeping promises and looking beyond appearances can change everything. And of course, like in every fairy tale, they end up getting married.
At the end of the story, there were some words that seemed to be written by Mika:
"Beyond the typical ending, what I like is the lesson: it's not about fairytale love, but that sometimes what seems insignificant or annoying can be exactly what changes your life."
Arthur didn't fully understand, but he took the notebook into the literature club. Greeting everyone, he sat down to write a pleasant story:
"Matilda is a very small girl, but with an enormous intelligence. Her parents don't understand or value her; they always treat her badly and believe reading is useless. However, she finds refuge in books, which become her true companions. At school she also suffers, because the principal is a cruel, violent woman who punishes children in terrible ways.
Despite that, Matilda has a kind heart and a special gift: she discovers she can move things with her mind. She uses that power to defend herself and to help her teacher, Miss Honey, who is the only person who understands her and shows her affection.
In the end, Matilda finds a new family with Miss Honey and manages to escape the contempt of her parents."
After finishing, he left the notebook. Aiko came closer and began to read.
"An interesting story, Arthur. How did you come up with it?"
"Well, I've been thinking a lot. It's a story about how intelligence, kindness, and courage can overcome injustice and abuse."
Aiko just looked at Arthur strangely. Before she could say anything, Takashi came in, greeting everyone, and walked toward Arthur.
"Maybe you're wondering what happened at lunch."
Takashi noticed Aiko and asked, "What's going on?"
Aiko just shook her head. "It's nothing."
Arthur had already placed his story in the new members' notebook. Aiko left the notebook on a table, grabbed a book, and sat down to read.
Takashi and Arthur looked at each other. "Well, Arthur, I suppose I'll read your story later. Something that surprises me, though, is Mika's story. Was she in the literature club?"
Takashi just nodded. "Well, Arthur, yes she was, but for some reason she left for the kendo club. Who knows, maybe she liked that one better."
Looking out the window, the sunset and the warmth of the sun made the atmosphere more relaxing.
"But that's not important now. You know why I don't talk much with Mika—she's always belittling me, and I don't understand why she acts that way."
Arthur just watched the sunset. "Maybe you remind her of something."
With a laugh, Takashi looked at Arthur. "I really doubt that, Arthur."