Chapter 7: So you're the least normal one
After bidding farewell to Takasu Ryuji and Kitamura Yusaku, who were heading in opposite directions at the school gate, Kaede rode his bicycle home.
It was actually still a bit early, but because there hadn't been any new games released these past few days, Kaede had no intention of going to the game store and simply went straight home.
"I'm home!"
After changing into slippers and coming in, his mother happened to walk out of the kitchen.
"You're back? How was school today?"
Nodding, Kaede said, "It was pretty good, the classmates are all nice."
Asakura Reiko was also somewhat relieved, and then continued to ask, "So, did you meet any suitable girls?"
"..."
Kaede, who was about to go upstairs, paused. Looking at his mother's expectant gaze, he said helplessly, "Mother, I'm only 16 years old. I just started high school. Is there really a need to be so anxious?"
"How can you say I'm anxious?"
With her hands on her hips, Asakura Reiko said discontentedly, "Kaede, as Kiichi's and my son, you've been excellent since you were little. Many girls liked you starting in elementary school, and in junior high, you'd receive love letters every other day, but why haven't you shown any interest? Now is not like when your father and I were young. It's natural to find a girlfriend a bit earlier. At this age, girls are full of youthful romance, so you must seize the opportunity!"
Listening to this string of explanations, Kaede rolled his eyes and walked upstairs: "I haven't met anyone. Mom, please don't ask for now. Just let it be."
"How can you just let it be!"
Watching her son go upstairs, Asakura Reiko could only sigh softly and walk towards the kitchen.
"Kaede's like this, could it be that he doesn't like girls? Hmm... it shouldn't be, it shouldn't be. He probably just hasn't met anyone he likes."
Although she said that, Asakura Reiko was still quite concerned about this issue.
In the evening, after Asakura Kiichi returned, he also asked the same question as his wife, which directly made Kaede retreat to his room in self-imposed isolation, not bothering to deal with the two of them.
"But, romance..."
While typing, Kaede shook his head. "Something like that isn't something you can succeed at just by wanting it. It's even less likely than writing a light novel."
Forget it, I'll just type for now... On the second day of school, the atmosphere in the class was even better than yesterday, and Takasu Ryuji's mood was also much more relaxed compared to yesterday.
However, today, it was Kaede's turn to have an issue.
Sitting on a chair in the cafeteria, Kaede stroked his chin and pondered, "What exactly is going on..."
He had felt it since he entered school in the morning—an inexplicable sense of being watched from somewhere. But when he turned to look, he couldn't find anything.
And after learning of Kaede's confusion, Kitamura Yusaku chuckled and said, "Do you think it could be a girl who has a crush on you?"
"Crush? You're overthinking it," Kaede said, shaking his head. "Who even has a secret crush like that nowadays? I feel like stalker is closer to the truth. Mom was right, after all. When you go out these days, even boys need to protect themselves."
Takasu Ryuji listened, his expression slightly strange as he replied, "I instinctively want to complain, but it also sounds quite reasonable."
"Alright, stop worrying about that. Since Asakura said he only feels it at school, it shouldn't be a big deal," Kitamura Yusaku said. "Let's hurry up and eat so we can check out the club recruitment drive. I plan on signing up directly for the school's Softball Club."
Kaede agreed, thinking nothing serious could happen: "Then let's eat first. I'll think about whether to join the Art Club or the Literature Club later."
"Art Club, Literature Club..." Kitamura Yusaku couldn't help but retort, "Are you really just going for the beautiful girls?"
"Mainly, these two clubs are relatively relaxed." Shrugging, Kaede said, "But I personally lean more towards the Art Club, because I've always wanted to study art a bit more."
Previously, when working on the character designs and illustrations for konosuba, he had to go through three different artists before finding one he was satisfied with, which took considerable effort.
Kaede had originally thought about doing the illustrations himself, but unfortunately, his drawing skills were only average—at best, he could handle sketches—and he needed more practice compared to professional illustrators.
Joining the Art Club would perfectly align with his current goals.
"However... if there are beautiful girls, that would be even better." Kaede took a sip of his drink and said with a smile, "After I got home yesterday, both my dad and mom asked me if I had met any girls I liked. Tell me, do I really need to seriously start looking? Otherwise, I estimate they'll be setting me up on blind dates before I even graduate high school."
"..."
Takasu Ryuji said in disbelief, "Surely it's not that bad?"
"But that really is the case." After finishing his meal, Kaede pulled out a tissue, wiped his mouth, and said, "My dad is fine, but my mom, honestly, is overly concerned about these issues. I'm only 16, yet she talks as if I'll never find a girlfriend after high school."
Kitamura Yusaku, after hearing this, stroked his chin and said, "Hmm... that actually seems quite reasonable."
"???"
Under the confused gaze of Kaede and Takasu Ryuji, Kitamura Yusaku explained, "Around the New Year, I visited a relative's house with my family, and I saw a magazine at my cousin's place. It had a survey on the ratio of students who date in high school versus college. The proportion of people dating increased significantly after high school. After reading that, I also felt that if you want to experience a pure, unadulterated romance, high school might be the most suitable time."
"No, high school isn't the most suitable time."
"Then where is it?"
Taking a deep breath, Kaede said with a serious expression, "Kin-der-gar-ten!"
Takasu Ryuji was silent for a few seconds before saying, "So, out of the three of us, you're the most abnormal one."
"I won't deny that."
Kaede smiled, accepting Takasu Ryuji's assessment. He said, "Sometimes I feel like my thought process is a bit too eccentric. Alright, if everyone is done eating, let's go accompany Kitamura to sign up for the Softball Club, and then we can check out the Art Club. Takasu, do you want to join the Art Club too? I can personally teach you."
"Uh... I think I'll pass on drawing. I've never had any talent for it since I was little."
After leaving the cafeteria, the three of them went directly to the Softball Club's room, where quite a few people were signing up.
Looking at the lively scene, Kaede couldn't help but say, "As expected of the school's sports clubs, they certainly attract a lot of participants."
"They do."
Takasu Ryuji also nodded, but at the same time, he felt a little nervous about whether his appearance would cause any trouble.
Fortunately, since he wasn't acting alone like a lone wolf, having Kaede and Kitamura Yusaku with him greatly reduced the intimidating aura he usually projected.
Although some people still instinctively kept their distance, it was much better than usual.