"So, I want to establish a Service Club."
In the office, Shizuka Hiratsuka held an unlit cigarette between her fingers, fiddling with it absentmindedly, her gaze oddly fixed.
Before her stood a strikingly beautiful, poised young girl making her request. Her school uniform was immaculate, every fold and crease neat, radiating a meticulous purity. The plaid skirt clung lightly to her thighs, a whisper of youth spilling from the edges. Her knee-high socks framed her long, straight legs, disappearing neatly into her polished shoes.
Her glossy black hair fell obediently past her shoulders, lending her an intellectual air, while twin red ribbon bows tied near her temples added a touch of charm. Her dark, bright eyes held a serious intensity as she looked straight at the teacher seated before her—unyielding, unflinching, neither sidestepping the question nor offering evasive replies.
"In short…"
Shizuka, cigarette in hand, brought her thumb to rub at her temple, confirming once more: "You want to form a club focused on helping others, Yukinoshita-san?"
"Yes, teacher. Do you have any questions?"
"Well… technically, there's a bit of an issue."
"The rules at Sōbu High don't restrict first-year students from founding clubs, as long as a teacher approves and sponsors it… Are you implying there's something about me that's insufficient?"
"No, no, no. I think very highly of you. And as the top student on the entrance exam, your club application will face no obstacles from the school."
Shizuka coughed lightly. "The issue is… a school can't have two soccer clubs, you see…"
"So you mean there's already a club with a similar goal of helping others?" The girl frowned slightly, her hand propping up her chin. "Money exchanges between students… that wouldn't be appropriate, right?"
Shizuka waved her hand frantically. "If there's any money involved, I certainly wouldn't sponsor it."
"No material rewards, then? What's the reason for applying to establish the club?"
Shizuka: "To make the world a more interesting place… Don't give me that look. That's the application reason, plain and simple."
The girl: "Creating a strange club for a strange reason—shouldn't a student's main job be studying? Suspicious."
"Ahaha…" Shizuka laughed awkwardly, a couple of small, tense chuckles. "He's a good student too, second place on the entrance exam."
"Really? What's the club called?"
Shizuka: "Hmm… Assistance Club."
The girl's eyes narrowed with suspicion, a faint urge to call the authorities flickering in her gaze.
"Hey! Don't look at me like that! I haven't done anything weird! And your Service Club's name is hardly less… unusual. Cough… let's go take a look at the Assistance Club's activity room. If you approve, you can join directly—it's all the same idea anyway."
Shizuka laughed heartily. "Shared ideals are always a good thing."
The girl's tone remained calm. "I'm not joining a suspicious club, and I don't need a tour. Since the reasons for founding our clubs are different, that makes them two separate clubs. There's no conflict in representing the school in competitions, no disputes over resources or equipment, so it's all by the rules."
"Huh? Or are you just afraid that someone with the same ideas might do it better than you, so you'd rather not meet them?"
Shizuka smiled, exposing her teeth, a self-contained sigh escaping her lips. "I get it, I get it. Sometimes, doing the same thing yet getting completely different results makes the gap between us painfully obvious."
"What a boring challenge tactic…"
The girl inhaled sharply. "But I accept it."
…
The Assistance Club's sign gleamed boldly on the door. Shiro—half-willing, half-reluctant—approached the activity room. She tore her gaze away from the strangely ominous sign.
Everything about this club screamed suspicious—from its founding rationale to its name.
"Shiro-san! I brought someone along! And it's an ultra-cute girl too!"
Shizuka barged in loudly.
"Teacher, knocking is polite, not this… Also, your words make this place seem even more suspicious…"
Shiro followed in, her tone tinged with helpless scolding, halting briefly as she observed the scene.
The back of the classroom had been cleared of desks and stacked with chairs, leaving the front portion spotless. A few tables and chairs were neatly lined against the wall. The only person inside leaned sideways by the window, gazing out at the campus.
Black hair, slightly tousled, framed a face with subtle layers. His pristine uniform was slightly loosened at the collar, a sleeve rolled up, his posture leaning lazily against the window. In the late afternoon light, he radiated an elegant, gentle fatigue, his dark eyes reflecting the sunset outside. Neatly trimmed nails rested lightly against his cheek, adding a touch of mysterious melancholy.
Sunlight shattered through the window, spilling across the classroom and illuminating him like a masterful painter applying bold yet delicate strokes.
Noticing the newcomers, the boy turned, and his expression brightened. The melancholy faded naturally, replaced with a polite, gentle smile. His clear, calm voice carried warmly, giving the impression of welcoming old friends.
"First customer of the day gets a 30% discount."
"…"
Shiro stepped back, wary.
"Wait—!" Shizuka caught Shiro turning away. "Yukinoshita-san, didn't you say you were just here to tour?"
"Rest assured. Any teacher promoting money exchanges at school will be reported—I won't let you struggle pathetically."
"Misunderstanding! It's a misunderstanding!"
Shizuka groaned and looked at the boy. "Shiro-san! Explain yourself! You didn't… actually take money, did you?!"
"It's a habit from part-time work. I spaced out and thought a customer had walked in," Shiro said calmly. "No need to panic or be surprised. Though the club's name is strange, and the sponsoring teacher questionable, I myself find nothing unusual—just a small oversight."
Shizuka blinked. "I… seem suspicious?"
"The first-day freshmen, filled with curiosity for their new life, wandering the school corners, and discovering a beautiful figure by the wall… smoking, exhaling clouds of smoke, trying in vain to fill emptiness, lashing out at an innocent tree to vent… The victim bent under the violence, a sigh, a wail, anger, helplessness…"
"…Probably dead," Shiro continued in a measured, almost literary tone, describing the scene, while also moving three chairs and a table from the wall and sitting behind it.
Shiro's presence left Shizuka muttering, "I should probably update my impression of you, teacher…"
Shizuka quietly averted her gaze, pale and feeble. "Th-That was an accident… I paid for it… match-making and all… These things should be considered dialectically…"
Then came a string of incomprehensible midlife single-woman anxieties about marriage, exaggeration, and the absurdity of being single, quickly filling the room with tension.
"Please, sit. I'm Shiro, head of the Assistance Club, transfer student from abroad. Do you have any difficulties? I will assist you with all my ability."
He smiled gently, gesturing to the chair.
Shiro observed the clean chairs and the way Shiro naturally sat upright, hands folded neatly on her lap. "I'm not here for help…"
"Of course, we can just chat," he said, following her lead. "Talk about studying, teachers, family… anything at all."
"Yukinoshita-san is here to join your club," Shizuka offered hesitantly. "She wants to establish a similar club. I suggested she check yours first…"
"My name is Yukinoshita Shiro. Class 1-J. I'm here to inspect this suspicious club, not join it," she corrected.
Inspect? Aiming to start a similar club? In other words… a competitor.
Shiro's gaze lingered on her hands for a moment before he straightened, his warm smile fading into a more serious, commanding tone: "Not here for help, nor to join… here to challenge."
"Fine by me," she said, glancing at Shizuka.
Shizuka revived slightly, pulling out a cigarette. "He used to perform in plays… quite skilled at odd tones and voices."
"I see."
Shiro asked, "How many requests has the Assistance Club completed so far?"
"I assumed you'd offer some lofty advice, but it's rather superficial. It's been just over a month since the start of school. Students are still curious about their new environment and haven't faced many difficulties requiring assistance. If the Assistance Club remains inactive, it simply means few students are in need—a good thing!"
Shiro paused, then pressed on. "I applied to establish the Assistance Club at the beginning of the term. Now, over a month later, Yukinoshita-san only now approaches the teacher to form her Service Club. Indecisive or impulsive—such an attitude, yet she wishes to compete with me?!"
Yukinoshita calmly replied, "To help others, one must first understand oneself. If you haven't clarified your own purpose, how can you solve others' problems? I carefully considered and decided to form the Service Club. In contrast, your immediate declaration upon entering school seems… suspicious."
Shiro's righteous gaze met hers. "I've volunteered since elementary school, mediated class disputes as class president—my resolve has been constant for over ten years. Your suspicion is reasonable, yet… laughable."
The discussion reached a natural stalemate, shifting into their next phase of rivalry.
Shizuka cracked the window, exhaling smoke, and smiled. The tension was perfect. Arguments and reconciliation—such are the privileges of youth.