Kasumigaoka Touji, who had been quietly sympathizing with Gotou Hitori, remained oblivious to the fact that his brief glance had nearly sent her spiraling into despair.
"..."
Why is he looking at me? Did I do something weird? Eh?! Could it be about the club?! Is he going to ask for the membership fee now?!
With her mind spinning in panic, Gotou Hitori's whole body froze up.
Even though she'd never joined a club before, she'd heard the tales—after joining, there'd be fees. Uniforms, props, club funds… all of it sounded like a nightmare to her introverted soul.
But she didn't want to pay anything! If she could help it, she wouldn't even join a club to begin with!
Alas, fate was not so kind—her club application form had already been submitted. The Nap Club now had four members, and with just one more, it would be officially recognized.
And if everything went smoothly, that fifth member would join this very afternoon.
Her first-ever club experience in high school… Gotou Hitori had always imagined it would be filled with joy and a sense of belonging.
But reality was cruel. So cruel that she could almost cry…
...
"Kokonoka-chan..."
After school, as the golden sun began its descent, Kasumigaoka Touji tapped Mayonaka Kokonoka's shoulder gently while packing up his bag.
She turned to him with a curious tilt of her head and a pure, innocent smile.
"I'll bring you the remaining club application form tomorrow. I forgot to have Utaha fill it out during lunch."
He hoisted his bag over his shoulder and slid his chair neatly back under the desk.
"Okay~!"
Mayonaka Kokonoka nodded with her usual soft-spoken cheer, pulling out a blank club application form and a pen with practiced ease.
Touji watched her for a moment, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Come to think of it, you can nap in class whenever you want, right? Why go through the trouble of starting a Nap Club?"
"Hmm~ Because I want to join a club," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Not joining any club would make my high school life feel kind of… incomplete."
Her answer was simple, honest—and unexpectedly earnest.
She had already missed out on so much in life. She didn't want to miss anything else.
Touji gave a soft nod. "I see..."
"Then, I'm heading out to recruit more members, okay?"
Mayonaka Kokonoka announced her plan with sparkling determination. She had decided to mimic the upperclassmen from the previous day and position herself by the school building entrance to catch potential members.
"Go for it!" Touji encouraged with a grin. Then, after thinking it over for a second, he added, "If you're aiming for efficiency, you might want to stake out the school gate instead. Most of the people heading that way are in the Home-going Club. They're your best shot."
"Ohh~ That's a great idea!"
Kokonoka's eyes lit up as if he'd just given her the secret to life. She gave him a big thumbs-up and beamed brightly.
"Kasumigaoka-kun is super smart!"
"N-not really…" Touji chuckled, scratching his cheek modestly. The two of them exited the classroom together, though Kokonoka, as usual, dashed ahead like an excited puppy.
Touji made his way to the staircase, where he rendezvoused with Kasumigaoka Utaha. Together, they descended the stairs at a more relaxed pace.
Outside, club recruitment efforts were still ongoing, but noticeably sparser than the day before. Only a few enthusiastic stragglers remained, trying to reel in last-minute members.
Past this small crowd, just a short distance from the school gate, stood Mayonaka Kokonoka—brimming with energy.
Touji spotted her and decided there was no need to wait until tomorrow. He rummaged through his bag, pulled out an extra application form, and handed it to Utaha.
"Here, fill this out now. Join the Nap Club."
Utaha raised an eyebrow but accepted the paper.
After Kasumigaoka Utaha finished filling out the club application form, she turned her gaze toward Mayonaka Kokonoka, releasing an aura that could send a chill down the spines of ordinary students. The air around her seemed to shimmer with quiet intimidation, her eyes sharp like a queen surveying her court.
Yet, against all expectations, Mayonaka Kokonoka remained utterly unfazed. With her trademark air-headed charm, she welcomed Utaha-san with an enthusiastic smile, clapping her hands like she'd just spotted a cute stray cat.
"Welcome to the club, Kasumigaoka-san!"
Faced with such genuine innocence, even the ever-composed Utaha was momentarily disarmed. She could only rein in her pride and return the gesture with surprising warmth. Sometimes, natural airheadedness really did conquer all...
"..."
"A very cute girl, and her personality's not bad either…" Utaha murmured to herself once they had left the campus.
Kasumigaoka Touji glanced over, his steps casual and confident. Without warning, he reached out, took her hand, lifted it into the air, and shouted with complete conviction:
"ALL HAIL THE QUEEN OF BOUNCE—BODY PILLOW EDITION!!"
"EEEHHHH—?!"
The explosion was immediate.
A shockwave of gasps and squeals rippled through the courtyard like a nuke of secondhand embarrassment. Students froze mid-step. Drinks were dropped. A squirrel fell out of a tree.
Those familiar with the Kasumigaoka siblings began whispering like a Greek chorus on Red Bull.
"He DIDN'T—""He absolutely DID—""That's a death flag if I've ever seen one."
At ground zero, Utaha stood frozen. Her entire system had blue-screened. Eyes wide. Smile twitching. A single vein popped on her temple like a warning siren.
Her little brother—Touji, gremlin incarnate—was still standing proud, hand raised like he'd just summoned a kaiju.
"..."
Nearby, Gotou Hitori's jaw disconnected like a Looney Tune. Her knees buckled as she clutched her chest, brain buffering at max capacity.
"D-Did he just full-send that in public?! What if I'm next?! No no no—I'd spontaneously combust!!"Her internal monologue dissolved into incoherent static, her anime art style glitching between realism and chibi horror.
Meanwhile, back in the blast zone…
Utaha slowly turned to her brother with the grace of a Final Boss preparing her ultimate attack.
"Touji... What in the actual isekai did you just call me?"Her voice dripped with honey—and potential homicide.
Touji, grinning like a raccoon who just stole a vending machine, hooked his thumb under his bag strap."It's a compliment! Like… you're built different. Literally. Like the main love interest in a beach episode. Legendary jiggle physics."
Utaha blinked.
Twice.
"You called me 'Queen of Bounce.'"
"And I stand by it. Your power level is unreasonably high. You're basically a walking fanservice event. In the most respectful way possible."
He even threw in finger guns. Finger. Guns.
Technically? He wasn't lying. The phrase had no official meaning, but the vibe was strong: Maximum Thiccness. Waifu stats off the charts. A phrase that belonged on a neon banner at an anime convention.
Utaha sighed, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Her eyes still burned with restrained violence.
"This is the dumbest thing I've ever been praised for," she muttered.
"If you don't like it, I can change it!" Touji offered helpfully, already raising his fist again.
"Kasumi Utako is the best in the world!" he shouted, then added, "Kasumigaoka Utaha is the best in the world!!"
More stares. More gasps. The background characters couldn't take any more sugar—they were being force-fed romance!
As if realizing they were being dragged into someone else's love comedy, everyone around quickly dispersed. Some hurried home, others rushed off to part-time jobs or club activities. Nobody wanted to third-wheel this chaotic duo.
"Alright, alright! Geez, Touji, stop embarrassing me already!"
Utaha raised her hand to her forehead in exasperation, glaring at him half-heartedly before storming ahead.
But even as she walked away, she couldn't stop the faint curl of her lips.
Kasumigaoka Touji saw it—he saw the tiny smile she tried to hide—and knew she wasn't mad. With a grin, he sped up to catch up to her.
Mission 'Brighten Nee-san's Mood'… accomplished.
…