Chapter 13: Club Recruitment
Advanced Nurturing High School – a so-called super school that boasts a 100% rate for both university admissions and job placements.
Hikigaya originally thought that this school might have some sort of unique teaching methods, but after a morning of classes, he realized that the format and content of the lessons were not much different from those in other schools.
If anything, the only noticeable difference was that the teachers no longer maintained classroom discipline — they just lectured on their own.
He remembered how, during junior high, the first thing he did after sitting down in class was to zone out.
Pretending to take notes while staring at his own hand, thoughts like "My nails seem to have grown longer recently," or "Huh? Has my life line gotten shorter?" would constantly pop into his head, so he never felt bored.
When it came to wasting time, Hikigaya was quite confident.
What a useless skill...
But now, since student behavior in class affects how the school evaluates the class as a whole — and in turn, impacts their living expenses — Hikigaya had no choice but to force himself to pay attention.
During break time, sleep-deprived as he was, he would immediately put on his headphones, lay his head down, and rest. After recuperating all morning, Hikigaya was finally no longer struggling to stay awake.
Morning classes ended quickly. In the classroom, some students pulled out their lunchboxes while others grouped up to go eat.
Hikigaya was just about to head to the cafeteria when a slender hand appeared in front of him and lightly waved.
He looked up and found Sakayanagi and Yukinoshita had somehow appeared next to his desk, drawing curious glances from their classmates.
Aren't you two supposed to have made plans to eat lunch together during the break? Stop crowding around here and go eat.
Sakayanagi probably had difficulty moving around and couldn't get her meal easily, which was likely why she invited Yukinoshita.
The latter clearly understood that but didn't choose to decline.
Still, Hikigaya had a vague feeling that Sakayanagi seemed to be quite mindful of Yukinoshita. He remembered overhearing a conversation between Sakayanagi and her father before coming to school where they mentioned meeting with the Yukinoshita family.
Were their families acquaintances from the past?
Sakayanagi looked down at Hikigaya and interrupted his thoughts. "Even though you looked sleepy, Hikigaya-kun, you still paid proper attention in class. As a reward for your contribution to the class, how about we go eat together? I heard the cafeteria food is quite good today."
"No, I think I'll just..."
Hikigaya had no intention of joining the happy-go-lucky normies for a cheerful group meal.
Spending every moment around someone, never being alone — that's actually unnatural. It makes a person uncomfortable. There are things you can only learn or feel when you're by yourself.
If there are things you can learn only with friends, then there must also be things you can only understand without them. Like two sides of the same coin — equally valuable.
That being said, his main reason was to avoid drawing excessive attention by eating with girls.
Before Hikigaya could finish declining, Sakayanagi cut him off.
"My treat. Hikigaya-kun, this is the first time I've ever invited a boy to lunch. Don't make a girl feel embarrassed, okay?"
She smiled sweetly at him, as if certain he would accept.
"W-Well, if you insist… I guess I have no choice. Let's go."
This sounded exactly like a line from a youthful romantic comedy — only with the roles reversed.
"This guy's way of speaking is even more irritating than I imagined…" Yukinoshita frowned at his tsundere-like response.
Sh-Shut up. I'm only going because Sakayanagi-san has difficulty getting food, not because I get a free meal or anything.
The three of them arrived at the cafeteria, which was already packed with students.
In addition to the regular food stalls, a few windows had signs indicating free meals — likely meant for students with no points.
Several students were lined up there.
The meals didn't seem too bad. While mostly made up of wild vegetables, some nearing-expiry ingredients were also included to ensure nutritional balance.
Because of Sakayanagi's limited mobility, they arrived late and the place was swamped. Looking at the dense crowd at the food counter, Yukinoshita instinctively stepped back, an expression of discomfort on her face.
Noticing Yukinoshita's hesitation, Sakayanagi offered an apologetic smile. "Looks like we came a bit late, and it's really crowded now. Yukinoshita-san, how about we eat somewhere else? I'm in the mood for Italian. What about you?"
"I'm fine with anything. What about you?" Yukinoshita suddenly turned to Hikigaya, who had been quietly trailing behind them.
"Oh, now that you mention it, I haven't given my opinion at all. I'm so used to group activities where no one asks me that I forgot I could even speak…"
"That's a really sad habit… At least today, you should express your wishes."
"Ah, if Sakayanagi-san wants Italian, how about Saiza?"
Hikigaya recalled seeing a Saiza sign on the way to the convenience store.
For some reason, Sakayanagi and Yukinoshita tilted their heads in unison, both with confused expressions.
"Saiza? What star rating is that restaurant? I don't think I've heard of it."
"Sorry, I just got back from studying abroad, so I don't know much about Japanese restaurants."
Their confused expressions were admittedly kind of cute, but… one of them cared about star ratings, and the other studied abroad? Are you guys aristocrats or something?
"Saiza is a family-style restaurant known for its variety, delicious taste, and affordable prices. When I was a kid, every year on my birthday, my parents would just give me a little money and I'd go eat there alone.
But if it was Komachi's birthday, our super-doting dad would take her to a fancy restaurant, treat her to a big feast, a giant cake, and give her a birthday envelope…"
If my family hierarchy were arranged like a pyramid, it would go: Mom first, Komachi second, our cat Kamakura third, Dad fourth, and me at the very bottom.
Hikigaya started out introducing the restaurant, but naturally drifted the topic to his little sister.
"Well, since you recommended it, let's all go together."
.
.
.
After lunch, the three of them returned to class.
The afternoon classes mostly consisted of humanities subjects, which were Hikigaya's specialty. The teachers were also quite competent, weaving interesting trivia into the lessons to help students understand and memorize the content.
Before he knew it, the bell signaling the end of the day rang. Suddenly, a soft, sweet female voice came from the school broadcast speakers:
"At 5 p.m. today, a club information session will be held in the first gymnasium. Any students interested in joining a club, please gather at the first gymnasium. I'll repeat…"
Upon hearing the announcement, both Sakayanagi and Yukinoshita seemed intrigued.
"Clubs, huh? Sounds interesting. Hikigaya-kun, Yukinoshita-san, shall we go check it out?"
"Yes, I'm also curious about how clubs at this school differ from others."
"I'll just… Okay, fine, I get it — don't give me that 'you ate my food' look. I'll go."
As a proud member of the "Go-Home Club," Hikigaya had zero interest in club activities.
But since Sakayanagi had treated him to lunch, turning her down now felt a bit rude.
He reluctantly trailed behind the two girls like a docile Yamato Nadeshiko, three steps behind.
By the time they arrived, the gymnasium was already crowded. The students were immersed in a lively atmosphere.
A cute girl with purple hair tied in two buns appeared on stage and took the mic.
"First-year students, thank you for waiting. Welcome to the club information session. I'm Tachibana Akane, student council secretary and your host today. Clubs from all over the school will now present. We hope you find one you like and meet kindred spirits."
After her announcement, various senpai took the stage, each introducing their club.
From muscular seniors in judo uniforms to elegant girls dancing in traditional kimono, the stage was a colorful parade of performances.
After brief demonstrations, each club talked about their achievements and the benefits of joining. Then they returned to their booths to accept membership applications.
Some students already had clear goals and headed straight to their desired clubs. Others wandered aimlessly, visiting different booths. Neither the teachers supervising nor the club reps showed any signs of irritation; they patiently explained the club details over and over.
Well, they were clearly doing their best to recruit members.
Something worth noting: joining a club came with perks — like free nutritious meals and a monthly 5,000-point stipend.
Originally, this stipend was created for sports club members who burned lots of calories and couldn't survive on free meals alone.
But eventually, for the sake of fairness, all school-recognized clubs were allowed to receive it. Clubs that won competitions could earn even more points.
Hikigaya, who disliked exercise, and Yukinoshita, who was poor at sports, both looked uninterested. But Sakayanagi watched intently, like she was enjoying a variety show.
Hikigaya was surprised. He didn't expect Sakayanagi to be interested in clubs.
"Hikigaya-kun, since clubs give out so many points, maybe we could find a way to gamble with the club members and win all their points!"
I take it back. I'm the idiot for thinking she genuinely wanted to join a club.
Soon, after all the presentations, the last person took the stage. Under Tachibana Akane's admiring gaze, a male student in uniform stepped up.
He was around 170 cm tall, not particularly tall, with neat black short hair and intelligent eyes behind sharp glasses.
He stood calmly before the mic, silently scanning the first-years.
"What's he doing? Did he blank out from nerves?"
"Did he forget his cue cards?!"
"C'mon, do your best! …Pfft, hahaha."
Hikigaya looked in disbelief at the first-years making lowbrow jokes.
Don't they realize this guy is the student council president who appeared at the entrance ceremony? Even if they don't, can't they see the serious expressions of the senpai?
The man didn't flinch, as if the laughter and jeers never reached him.
As the noise peaked and then died down, awkward silence filled the gym. The first-years finally noticed the tension in the room.
A heavy, oppressive silence settled over everything. No one dared to speak.
After about 30 seconds, the student council president finally spoke.
"I am Horikita Manabu, the student council president. With the graduation of the senpais, we are now recruiting candidates from the first-year class.
There are no strict conditions to apply, but if you are considering it, do not join any other clubs. Candidates who attempt to join both the student council and a club will not be accepted."
His voice was calm, but the pressure was suffocating. Alone, he silenced a gym of over a hundred students.
This power did not come from his position, but from the man himself — Horikita Manabu. The atmosphere in the gym was completely under his control.
"Next — our student council does not welcome naive applicants.
Such people are not only unfit to be elected but would disgrace the school. The student council is entrusted by the administration with the authority and duty to revise school rules. Only those who understand that responsibility are welcome."
With that, he stepped down and left the gym, not once looking back. The first-years silently watched him go, too stunned to speak. The air was filled with nervous dread — a feeling that acting carelessly could have serious consequences.
"Thank you all for your time. The session is now over. You may now submit club applications. Applications will be accepted until the end of April, so those interested may submit them later."
Thanks to host Tachibana Akane, the tense atmosphere finally eased. The senpais resumed taking in applications.
Yukinoshita stared pensively in the direction the student council president had left. Sakayanagi smiled slightly.
"Yukinoshita-san, are you thinking about joining the student council? Horikita Manabu is an impressive person.
I've heard he consistently ranks first in his year, excels in athletics, and has kept his Class A without losing a single student. He's also the only student council president to serve consecutive terms at this school."
"…My sister was… never mind." Yukinoshita cut herself off and looked away.
Meanwhile, Hikigaya's reaction was much more honest — Seriously? Is this guy Superman?
Top grades, athletic, talented, good-looking, popular, and admired by the cute secretary.
Man, I don't even know what to say.
Honestly, can he just drop dead already?
I've only got decent looks, I'm good at humanities, I hate team sports, but I've got an insanely cute little sister.
Perfect! Even match! I kind of want to experience total defeat for once.
Wait… if that guy has a little sister too, I'm totally screwed…