Kobayashi Shiki once said a handsome guy like Aoyama Osamu must have a massive, unspeakable flaw.
So, Miu Ai, with her Appearance: A, must have a fatal flaw too.
She was absurdly willful.
"What's your club called?" Aoyama Osamu asked.
"Not the place to talk," Miu Ai said, turning to leave.
Aoyama Osamu followed her to a courtyard corner.
Stone tables and chairs dotted the area, some students studying, others chatting.
They sat.
"Last night, I thought it over," Miu Ai said. "Your idea's pretty good."
Aoyama Osamu blinked, puzzled. "Did I suggest something?"
"Grading everything in this school with ABCDEF."
"My first suggestion: there's no F."
"Too complicated, true. ABCDE is enough," she said, as if he'd proposed F.
No point sweating the small stuff.
Aoyama Osamu just wanted to gather material and write his first book.
"Grading everything—what exactly?" he asked.
"Clubs, teachers, environment, and so on," Miu Ai said.
"…You'll get us killed."
"My family donated a fortune to this school. As long as I don't grade the principal, they'll always back me."
Aoyama Osamu wanted to ask: The school backs you, but what about me?
Like mounts in Journey to the West—they escape, but the little demons die.
The maze girl continued, "By your standards, if money's graded, I'm an A—at least in this school."
"By my standards, more money means longer jail time. A small hospital gets you three years—how many for you?"
"Even with a waiter's polite tone, you can't hide your jealousy."
"It's hatred," Aoyama Osamu corrected.
"Whatever," Miu Ai said. "We won't judge innate traits like wealth or looks. I'd always top the beauty list—people would cry foul."
"You're overthinking it."
"You're too naive, Aoyama-kun. My beauty's undeniable, but jealousy blinds many."
"…If that's how you take my words, I'm speechless."
"We won't judge subjective things like character either," Miu Ai said.
"Just hard skills?"
"Exactly."
[Campus Mystery, Main Ability: Appearance: 90.5%]
[High School Romance Novel: 55%]
"I've got no objections," Aoyama Osamu said. "Time's money—let's move!"
—Hurry up and get me material, girl!
Miu Ai was his sub-system now.
"As a rich person, I'll tell you time's worth more than money. Say 'cherry blossoms last seven days' next time."
—Then stop yapping.
"Right, right," Aoyama Osamu said.
Past 3:00 p.m., sunlight poured from a clear sky, the world bright and warm.
A few girls in sportswear, holding tennis rackets, passed by laughing.
The boy and girl faced each other across the stone table. Nearby, a garden stone read "Discipline, Creativity, Respect."
"Where do we start? Which club to grade first?" Aoyama Osamu asked.
"You're too eager."
"Am I?"
"Before that, we need to legitimize the club with the student council and get a room," Miu Ai said. "I don't want to meet you like this daily—it'll make people question my taste."
The maze girl's chest was subtle, but her words were not!
Beyond losing on aesthetics, Aoyama Osamu cared more about something else in her spiel.
"You mean our club… what's it called again? It's not official? Not student council-approved?"
Miu Ai propped her chin, musing. "What name do you think?"
"Critique Club, how's that?"
"Sounds like some vague service cult. No."
Her "no" had a lovely lilt.
[Campus Mystery, Main Ability: Appearance: 90.6%]
[High School Romance Novel: 56%]
The system agreed.
"Whatever you want," Aoyama Osamu said, pulling out a mystery novel. "You're so rich, any name, school-spirited or not, will pass the council."
"You think the world's too simple."
"Oh?"
"The student council president's just as rich," Miu Ai said. "You frequent the nurse's office—you've met the nurse. She's the president's relative, here to become principal someday."
She paused, then declared, "This school's her property."
Aoyama Osamu tucked the novel away.
"At Kaimei High, you three can do as you please."
The family responsible for the accident that orphaned Aoyama Osamu and the Ono sisters had said that, right?
A distant crack of a bat hitting a baseball echoed, faint but clear.
"Your face says you know her," Miu Ai said. "For our club to pass, it must be flawless."
"Serious as the Literature Club?"
"Literature Club's probably E."
"No way! That was my top pick!" Aoyama Osamu groaned.
"Reading books, publishing a pamphlet at the culture festival—pure time-wasting."
Just reading wouldn't boost material progress.
But E?
Aoyama Osamu had a hunch: if this unnamed club formed, Miu Ai would get flak.
He needed to prep for damage control.
This was his first real chat with a girl his age.
The conversation felt sun-soaked, warm, and cozy.
"Discipline Club," Miu Ai said suddenly.
"What?"
"The club name."
"The student council has a guidance department, and we've got lifestyle advisors."
"Then just Guidance Club," she said.
"Guiding by badmouthing?" Aoyama Osamu asked.
"You're sharp, but your thinking's off. Socrates called himself Athens' gadfly, stinging it to progress through questions. Call it… Gadfly Club!"
She looked proud of her idea, though faintly.
"No way!" Aoyama Osamu refused to be a gadfly.
"No good," Miu Ai muttered. "The council won't approve."
She ignored his input.
"How about Athens Philosophy Research Club?" he tried.
"You're sneaky."
"Huh?"
"Good thing I'm president, guiding your life from going astray," Miu Ai said, relieved.
Scratch that—the talk wasn't sun-soaked; it was wrapped in spring chill.
Aoyama Osamu couldn't take it.
"Who's the one badmouthing?" he said, feigning confusion to vent.
"We're researching Athenian philosophy. Don't slip up at the council, Aoyama-kun."
Bad woman!
[Campus Mystery, Main Ability: Appearance: 90.8%]
[High School Romance Novel: 58%]