Kei has already gone to the cafeteria. Shirogane Miyuki watched his sister's retreating back and couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Uchiha, compared to my sister, I'm pretty pathetic, aren't I?"
"In what way? Although your sister seems very likable, has a mature personality, and knows how to care for her family..."
Noticing the other person's head sinking lower and lower, Uchiha Ryo patted Shirogane Miyuki's shoulder.
"Don't worry, you can completely change yourself and gradually become your sister's role model."
Shirogane Miyuki's head shot up. "What should I do!"
"Well, since your sister is worried about you not making friends and eating bread alone in a corner, why not join a club?"
A club...
Although it was his first day, Shirogane Miyuki had a basic understanding of Shuchiin's general environment.
There wasn't just one pyramid of the bourgeoisie here; there was also a pyramid called the club activity hierarchy! As long as you participated in a sports-related club, regardless of your skill, you would be somewhat popular.
Literary clubs were more ordinary, and at the very bottom were otaku departments like the manga research club.
Shirogane Miyuki's expression changed. "I'm a little... bad at sports."
Uchiha Ryo looked skeptical. "A little?"
"Ah, just a little, a tiny bit, hahaha!"
Uchiha Ryo stood up. "Alright then, let's go check out the cultural clubs this afternoon."
.....
With different goals in mind, the two left the sports field and returned to their classroom.
Shirogane Miyuki wanted to become outstanding, at least so his sister wouldn't have to worry.
Uchiha Ryo wanted to get closer to his capture targets, so a club was a good choice. And hadn't Amakusa-senpai already told him about her club?
After the last class of the afternoon, Uchiha Ryo got two club application forms from the homeroom teacher and then brought a slightly nervous Shirogane Miyuki to the club building.
The number of students in Shuchiin Academy's high school division wasn't large, but the campus was truly vast. Not to mention the adjacent middle and elementary school divisions, the high school division alone already surpassed Uchiha Ryo's concept of an ordinary school.
"The Classic Literature Club... Uchiha, you're actually interested in classical literature?"
"Maybe I'm just looking for a place to relax. Let's go in."
Opening the door, they found the classroom was quiet. One side had a lot of space taken up by cabinets for lab equipment, and the walls were adorned with somewhat old and tattered posters. On the other side, bookshelves were piled high with unread books.
This is a clubroom? Uchiha felt it was more like a warehouse for old books.
The only aesthetically pleasing part of the classroom was the girl sitting right in front.
The window in front was half-open, and the girl was quietly reading in the sunlight and gentle breeze. The scene before them was like an exquisite painting. Noticing someone had entered, the girl slowly raised her head.
Uchiha Ryo stared, slightly mesmerized. Although Amakusa Shino wasn't particularly well-endowed in the right places, even smaller than the middle schooler Shirogane Kei, her aura had a unique beauty that could rival even the Ice Princess Kaguya.
"Don't stare at me like that. I'll get... excited."
Amakusa Shino's words shattered the beautiful painting. Uchiha Ryo sighed and pulled Shirogane Miyuki, who was behind him, into the room.
"We want to join the Classic Literature Club. By the way, are you the only one here?"
Amakusa Shino took the application forms and, without a word, stamped them first.
"That's right. Currently, I'm the only member of the Classic Literature Club, and we're facing the crisis of being disbanded, ehehe~"
Shirogane Miyuki glanced at Amakusa Shino and this nearly defunct club. He felt like he had been tricked by Uchiha Ryo. How is this joining a club to improve myself? Isn't this just to make up the numbers!
Amakusa Shino cleared her throat. "Relax, relax. I've already spoken with the student council president. As long as we have four members, we can keep the club alive!"
Uchiha Ryo scanned the other two. "So, do we have a fourth person?"
Amakusa Shino avoided Uchiha Ryo's gaze. "We... we will!"
The door was pushed open again. Amakusa Shino instantly perked up, even giving Uchiha Ryo an "I told you so" look.
"Excuse me, is this the Classic Literature Club? Oh, it's Uchiha-kun and Shirogane-kun. Are you members here too?"
Uchiha Ryo turned his head. The girl in front of him wore Shuchiin's traditional black dress, with long black hair draped over her shoulders. However, unlike Amakusa Shino's waterfall-straight hair, this girl's hair was slightly fluffy.
She was rather petite, seemingly not even 1.6 meters tall, but what Uchiha Ryo noticed first were her purple eyes.
It was undeniable that these large eyes were very beautiful. Staring at them for too long gave one the feeling of being sucked in.
[System has detected a capturable target]
[Capturable Target's Name: Chitanda Eru]
[Current Chitanda Eru Affinity: 16]
Shirogane Miyuki spoke first. "Excuse me, are you..."
"You don't remember me, Shirogane-kun? We've been in class together for a whole day."
On the first day of school, who would remember everyone in the class, especially external students like them.
"You are, Chitanda-san?"
Uchiha Ryo remembered. It seems this anime world is completely different from what I remember. Even Chitanda has appeared at Shuchiin.
Chitanda nodded emphatically.
"Yes, I'm Chitanda Eru. Hello, I'm here to join the Classic Literature Club!"
Amakusa Shino stood up, walked around Uchiha and Shirogane, and came to stand in front of Chitanda.
"You can have your friendly classmate chat during the day. This is Chitanda-san, and you want to join the Classic Literature Club, right?"
"That's right!"
"Good, everyone, please take a seat." Amakusa Shino returned to the main seat and pointed to the one beside her.
"Uchiha Ryo, you'll be my vice president. Work hard to become my right-hand man. Do your best."
"Eh?"
After collecting the three application forms, Amakusa Shino stretched and looked boredly at her three new club members.
"So, what should we do now? Vice president, hurry up and suggest something!"
Uchiha Ryo looked speechlessly at Amakusa Shino. "First of all, I just joined today. Secondly, you're the president. You should be the one to decide what to do."
Amakusa Shino pouted. "Tch, so boring... Let's just chat then. What clubs have you all joined before, and why did you come to the Classic Literature Club?"
Chitanda Eru raised her hand. She seemed to be a very lively girl.
"I didn't join any clubs in middle school. As for high school, it's because my uncle was a student at Shuchiin and he was also in the Classic Literature Club!"
Amakusa Shino nodded. "I see, so you came because an elder in your family was once here. What about you, vice president?"
Uchiha Ryo rolled his eyes, but since all three club members were capturable targets, he decided to chat with them.
"In middle school, I played both soccer and basketball. I was the kind of person clubs fought over."
Amakusa Shino rested her chin on her hand. "Oh—"
Chitanda looked at Amakusa in confusion. "Is there a problem?"
Amakusa Shino shook her head. "Well, he's a boy, so it's normal for Uchiha-kun to like playing with balls."
"Why do boys like playing with balls?" Chitanda Eru's eyes widened, and her purple pupils seemed to sparkle.
Uchiha Ryo raised his hand. "Let's stop this topic here. It's Shirogane's turn to speak!"
Chitanda shook her head and looked seriously at Amakusa Shino. "Why do boys like playing with balls? I'm very curious!"