The morning sun pierced through the gaps in my bedroom curtains, chasing away the lingering chill from last night's storm. I stretched my body, straightened the collar of my high school uniform in front of the mirror, and adjusted the bandage on my forehead, which was still throbbing slightly. Taking a long breath, I stepped downstairs.
The aroma of toasted bread and warm tea greeted me in the dining room. Shiro was already seated there, wearing her middle school uniform, looking perfectly neat without a single stray thread. Opposite her sat Aizawa Reina, back in her St. Luminas Academy uniform. It was completely dry and—somehow—looked professionally pressed, likely the work of Shiro in the early hours of the morning.
"Morning, Nii-chan," Shiro greeted flatly, not looking up from her English vocabulary book.
"G-Good morning, Shinomiya-kun," Reina said. She stood up briefly and bowed deeply. "Once again, thank you so much for the shelter last night. My phone is back on, and I've already messaged my family's driver."
"Glad to hear it," I smiled, pulling out a chair and grabbing a slice of toast. "Your family didn't panic, did they?"
Reina gave a strained smile. "I-I told them I stayed over at a female friend's house I met on the road because of the storm. If I told them I was helped by a boy and stayed at his house... I think my father would have mobilized a helicopter here."
I choked on my bread crumbs. Elite girls really do live in a different dimension, I thought.
After that brief breakfast, the three of us walked to the genkan to put on our shoes. Reina clutched her bag tightly, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
"Um, Shinomiya-kun... I'm sorry to keep bothering you. But... could you walk me to the nearest station? My driver will be waiting in front. I'm afraid if I walk alone, I'll... turn into the wrong alley again." Her face flushed with shame at admitting her fatal lack of direction.
Before I could answer, a small hand with a grip as strong as a steel vice clamped onto my sleeve.
"I'm coming too," Shiro cut in quickly. Her sharp eyes darted between Reina and me. "The way to the station is in the same direction as my school. I have to make sure Nii-chan doesn't take Aizawa-san anywhere... strange."
"Hey, I'm your brother, not a fugitive!" I protested. I gently patted the top of Shiro's head, though she immediately swatted it away with a murderous glare. "Don't you have morning classroom cleaning duty today? If you take a detour to the station, you'll definitely be late. Go on ahead, Shiro."
Shiro bit her lower lip, a rare expression that only surfaced when she truly disliked my decision. She stared at Reina with a cold, investigative gaze for three full seconds, making the elite girl shrink slightly behind me.
"Tch," Shiro turned away. "Fine. Whatever. If I hear rumors about Nii-chan being arrested for harassing students from other schools, I'm not visiting you in prison."
With heavy, stomping steps, Shiro swung the front door open and marched away without looking back. Her small back radiated a palpable "I am very annoyed" aura.
I could only offer a wry smile and a sigh. "Well, don't take my sister's words to heart, Aizawa-san. She's a bit... stiff, but she's actually a good girl."
"N-No, it's fine! Shiro-san was very kind to me last night," Reina replied quickly.
"Let's head out. The station is about a ten-minute walk from here," I said, holding the door for her.
The morning air after the rain felt incredibly fresh. We walked side by side along the sidewalk, which still held small puddles. Occasionally, Reina asked about the area, and I answered casually. Her presence beside me in that St. Luminas uniform certainly drew attention from passersby, but thankfully our journey was safe from any thugs.
Finally, the arched roof of our district station came into view.
"There it is," I pointed toward the building teeming with commuters. "Is your driver waiting out front?"
Reina checked her phone and nodded, a relieved smile gracing her beautiful face. "Yes, the car is already in the front lobby. Thank you so much, Shinomiya-kun. I... I truly owe you one."
In the same direction, near the station...
"Ugh... why do I have to bother taking such a long detour?"
Nika grumbled softly, kicking a pebble on the sidewalk. Her right hand gripped her school bag strap nervously. She glanced at her watch. There was still plenty of time before the bell.
In reality, Nika's house and the school were in a completely different direction from this station. However, last night, Nika's mind had been plagued by her conversation with Itsuka that Satou-sensei had interrupted. She felt a bit guilty for snapping at him.
'I'm just passing through here! Yeah, a coincidence! If I run into him, I'll say I wanted to walk together because... because I felt sorry for him always walking alone!' Nika kept reciting the cliché excuse in her head to keep her face from turning red.
Her steps froze when her eyes caught a familiar silhouette—a boy with slightly messy hair—across the street near the station entrance.
"Ah! It's Itsuka!" Nika murmured, her face involuntarily brightening. She was about to wave and call his name, but the voice died in her throat.
Nika froze. Her eyes widened at the scene before her.
Itsuka wasn't alone. Beside him stood a strikingly beautiful girl with long, flowing hair and an elite uniform from St. Luminas Academy. They were standing very close. The girl was looking at Itsuka with a tender smile and slightly flushed cheeks, while Itsuka looked back with a sincere grin, as if the world around them belonged only to the two of them.
Thump.
Nika's chest felt like it had been hit by an invisible hammer. Her breath hitched.
"W-Who is that girl...?" she whispered with a trembling voice. Her hands gripped her skirt tightly. "Since when... did that idiot Itsuka know a girl from an elite school like that?"
The view across the street suddenly felt both blinding and painful. Nika saw the elite girl bow slightly to Itsuka, giving a friendly farewell, while Itsuka waved back with his signature wide grin. The grin Nika usually saw every morning.
A sudden heat surged at the corners of Nika's eyes. Something bitter flooded her chest—an emotion she despised but couldn't hold back. Jealousy.
"D-Darn it... stupid Itsuka. Liar..." Nika grumbled with a raspy voice, stifling a sob.
She turned around sharply. Her original intention to apologize and walk together shattered into pieces. Without caring that Itsuka was completely unaware of her presence across the street, Nika ran as fast as she could toward school, letting the morning wind wipe away a single tear that escaped her eye.
'Who cares about you anyway, stupid Itsuka!' Nika's heart cried out in the middle of her flight.
I stood there waving until the luxury sedan picking up Reina disappeared around the corner. There was a strange sense of relief, as if a great weight of mystery had been lifted from my shoulders.
"Hah... hope she actually makes it home this time," I muttered, turning around.
However, as I prepared to head to school, the corner of my eye caught a familiar silhouette. In the distance, across the station intersection, I saw a girl with long hair in the same uniform as mine.
"Eh? Is that... Nika?"
She appeared to be sprinting toward school. Her hair fluttered in the wind, and even though the distance was great, I could tell something was off about the way she was running—like someone fleeing from something painful.
"Why is she running so fast? Even though..." I glanced at my watch. "CRAP! SEVEN MINUTES UNTIL THE BELL!"
My thoughts about Nika were immediately evicted by my survival instinct regarding the teacher on gate duty. Without wasting time, I adjusted my bag and started sprinting. "Bad, bad! If I'm late again, Shiro will have an extra reason to call me 'Useless Nii-chan' for a week!"
I managed to slip through the school gates just as the bell rang loudly. Nearly breathless, I slid into the classroom and dropped my bag at my desk.
"Yo, Itsuka! Rare to see you arrive right on the bell," greeted Tanaka, my deskmate who always knew the latest gossip.
"Hah... hah... had a bit of 'business' at the station," I answered, wiping sweat from my forehead. My gaze immediately shifted to the seat in front of me. Nika was already sitting there. She didn't turn around; her back looked stiff, and she seemed very busy scribbling something in her notebook—even though the teacher hadn't arrived yet.
"Morning, Nika!" I greeted cheerfully as usual, trying to break the ice. "I saw you running near the station earlier. Why the rush? I almost couldn't catch up."
Silence.
Nika didn't answer. She only let out a loud snort—the kind that usually signaled a category-five storm was imminent.
"Nika?" I tried again.
"Don't talk to me, Idiot-Itsuka," she hissed without turning. "Go talk to your 'Great Lady' from the station earlier. Who knows, maybe she needs you to walk her all the way into her classroom."
I blinked in confusion. "Eh? Great Lady? Station? Wait, you saw me?"
"W-Who would even be looking at you! Get over yourself!" Nika finally turned, but her face was incredibly red and her eyes looked a bit puffy. She glared at me before snapping her head away. "Just don't talk to me! I'm busy!"
History class began as Satou-sensei entered. I was still trying to process what went wrong. Was she mad I didn't ask her to walk together? But she was the one who said 'just walk home alone' yesterday.
Thwack.
A small crumpled ball of paper hit my cheek and landed on the desk. I looked at Nika, but she was pretending to be intensely focused on Satou-sensei's lecture about the Olympics in Japan.
I opened the paper. It contained only one word, written with such pressure that the pen nearly tore the page: "LIAR!"
I sighed and tried to focus. But two minutes later...
Thwack.
A second paper ball landed on my notebook. "FAKE PLAYBOY!"
Thwack. "STOP LOOKING AT ME!"
I stared at the pile of paper trash on my desk with resignation. I was just helping a lost person! Why couldn't my mystery instincts predict that saving a girl in an alley would end with a litter-paper assault from my childhood friend?
In front of me, Nika crumpled another piece of paper with such force it was as if she were strangling my neck. It seemed today's history lesson was going to feel much longer than usual.
The bell finally rang, saving me from the rain of paper waste. Satou-sensei packed his books and left the room.
As soon as the teacher disappeared behind the sliding door, Nika stood up abruptly and began stuffing her stationery into her bag with lightning speed. Her movements were frantic, like a thief caught in the act.
"Nika, wait," I called out, rising from my seat and stepping beside her desk. "Let's go to the cafeteria. I need to—"
"I-I'm busy! Going to the restroom! Er, I mean the library!" she dodged quickly. Her gaze intentionally avoided mine. She turned around, ready to bolt out of the classroom just like she did at the station.
Before Nika could take a second step, I reached out and grabbed her wrist. Her movement stopped dead. In the middle of the classroom that was beginning to buzz with students, my action successfully turned the immediate area silent. Several classmates looked over, eyes wide with curiosity.
"I-Itsuka! W-what are you doing! Let go!" Nika hissed in a panic. Her face instantly flushed crimson all the way to her ears. She tried to pull away, but I tightened my grip—not enough to hurt, but enough to ensure she stayed put.
"Not until you explain," I said with a tone much firmer than usual, looking directly into her eyes, which were now radiating pure panic. "What is it, Nika? Why have you been avoiding me and acting angry for no reason?"
Nika bit her lip. Her eyes darted around nervously.
"Because..." she murmured softly.
"Because what?" I pressed.
"B-Because you're annoying!" she cried out under her breath, not daring to scream but full of emotion. Her face was as red as a boiled crab. "Smiling and flirting with that beautiful elite girl first thing in the morning! You were so close! You... you're a liar, Itsuka! You always said you didn't have any close female friends besides... besides me and Shiro!"
Nika lowered her head, hiding her watery eyes behind her bangs.
I stood silent for two full seconds. The puzzle pieces of the morning sprint, the "fake playboy" note, and this baseless anger finally clicked perfectly in my head.
Suddenly, a small laugh escaped my lips. I let out a long breath, feeling relieved and amused. "Hah? You mean the girl in the St. Luminas uniform at the station?"
"S-See! You admit it!" Nika turned her face away, pouting.
"Good grief, Nika... that was a complete misunderstanding!" I said, loosening my grip on her hand, though she no longer tried to run. "Her name is Aizawa-san. She was lost during the storm last night and almost got mugged near the minimarket. I helped her, and because the situation was impossible, she had to stay at my house."
Nika's eyes widened. She looked at me with horror. "S-Stayed over?! Together?!"
"Of course Shiro was there, idiot!" I flicked her forehead lightly, making her wince. "Shiro was the one who lent her clothes and watched over her all night. This morning, I just walked her to the station because her sense of direction is fatal. Shiro knew; she even scolded us before we left."
Nika's expression shifted in seconds. From shock, to relief, to finally realizing her dramatic morning was based on nothing.
"Right? That's all. Nothing else," I said teasingly with a smirk. "So, don't tell me you were mad because you're jeal—"
"W-WHO IS JEALOUS?!"
Nika yanked her hand away. Her face, which was red from pride, now looked like it would explode from embarrassment. She stepped back, pointing a trembling finger at my face.
"D-Don't get ahead of yourself, Idiot-Itsuka! I was mad because... because... because you didn't tell me there was a lost person in our neighborhood! Yeah, that! A-As a community-conscious childhood friend, I wanted to help patrol too! You dummy! Blockhead! Utility pole!"
Without waiting for a response, Nika turned and sprinted out of the class. She bumped into Tanaka, who was still smirking at the door, and disappeared down the hall—likely toward the restroom to cool her face down.
I stood in the middle of the class, scratching the back of my head. My classmates, who had been watching the drama, exchanged looks and went back to their business, long since desensitized to our morning theater.
However, before I could sit down to rest my heart from the morning's drama, the speaker in the corner of the board crackled. A heavy, familiar voice feared by the entire school echoed through the room.
"A summons for the student named Shinomiya Itsuka and the student named Yumina Nika from Class 2-B. Please report to the Principal's Office immediately. Repeating..."
The class went silent again. All eyes were now on me with pity, as if I had been summoned to the gallows. Tanaka patted my shoulder dramatically.
"Hope you make it back alive, pal. If you don't return, I'll take good care of your mystery novel collection," he said with mock sadness.
"Shut up, don't curse me!" I grumbled, swatting his hand away.
With heavy steps and a sinking feeling in my gut, I walked out. At the end of the hall, near the stairs, I saw Nika standing still. Her face, which had been red with embarrassment, was now pale. She was nervously clutching the edge of her skirt.
"You heard the announcement?" I asked as I reached her.
Nika nodded stiffly. "I-Itsuka... are we in big trouble? Or... did the Principal find out I've been smuggling stray cats into the backyard?!"
"How should I know! And why drag me into it if it's about your cats?" I replied, slightly panicked.
We walked side by side toward the administration building. The air was tense. My heart was thumping, wondering what sin we had committed to be summoned by the school's highest authority.
"Hey, Itsuka..." she called out softly.
"Hm? What?" My eyes were focused on the principal's office door at the end of the hall.
"Actually... tomorrow I..." Nika's voice grew smaller, drowned by my own panicked heartbeat. "...am moving house... to near..."
"Hah? What did you say?" I turned to her, confused. "You're too quiet, Nika. Like a mosquito with the flu. Moving what?"
Nika stopped. She looked up at me, her pale face returning to that familiar red—a mix of shame and annoyance.
"N-Nothing! You deaf idiot! Dummy-Itsuka!" she cursed as she picked up her pace, leaving me confused behind her.
We stopped in front of a sturdy wooden door radiating high-level intimidation. Above it was a gold plate: Principal - Shiratori Yuriko.
I swallowed hard and knocked three times.
"Enter," a sharp, elegant, yet ice-cold woman's voice answered from within.
I opened the door slowly. Behind a large mahogany desk sat Principal Shiratori. She was a beautiful woman in her early forties, with black hair tied in a perfect bun and red-rimmed glasses that made her look like a judge ready to pass a death sentence.
As we stepped in, her gaze pierced us both. Nika stood straight as a soldier ready for execution.
"Shinomiya Itsuka. Yumina Nika," Principal Shiratori said, folding her hands on the desk. "I assume you know why you've been summoned here this morning."
I glanced at Nika. Nika looked back in a panic, her lips moving silently to form the word 'cats... cats!'
"Ehem," I cleared my throat, looking for a safe opening. "Is this... because Nika often smuggles stray cats to the backyard of the gym, Ma'am?"
Thud! Nika's shoe connected squarely with my shin. I winced in pain while Nika gave a very stiff smile to the Principal. "N-No cats, Ma'am! Itsuka is just delusional!"
Principal Shiratori massaged the bridge of her nose, letting out a long, weary sigh.
"I don't care about stray cats, Yumina-san. This is about a school obligation you both have ignored," she said coldly. She pulled a pink folder from her drawer and dropped it on the table.
Thwack.
"Our school requires all students to join at least one extracurricular club. It is a mandatory requirement for discipline and social grades." Shiratori-sensei's gaze shifted to me. "Shinomiya. Your academic grades are good. But why haven't you taken the time to find a club?"
"I-I have to cook for my sister at home, Ma'am..." I answered, giving the lamest excuse I could think of.
"Your sister is in middle school, Shinomiya. She won't starve just because you're home an hour or two late," she cut me off, rendering me speechless. My survival instinct told me not to argue further.
"And you, Yumina."
Nika jumped. "Y-Yes, Ma'am?!"
Principal Shiratori looked at Nika with a look that was hard to read—a mix of anger, wonder, and disbelief. "This is what gives me the biggest headache. You are one of the core committee members handling club registration this year."
"T-That's right, Ma'am," Nika answered proudly but hesitantly.
"You were busy recording students, running around distributing forms, forcing lazy students to join sports and art clubs... YET YOU YOURSELF DIDN'T REGISTER FOR ANY CLUB?!" Shiratori-sensei's voice rose an octave, echoing in the room. "What kind of ironic comedy is this, Yumina-san?!"
Nika's face turned scarlet, matching the Principal's glasses. Her eyes darted wildly.
"I-It's... well, Ma'am... I was so busy managing everyone else's forms that I... forgot to fill out a form for myself..." Nika squeaked, bowing her head deeply.
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from exploding with laughter. The girl beside me was truly clumsy at the most unexpected times.
"Excuse not accepted," Shiratori-sensei sighed. She pulled out two blank forms and pushed them toward us. "Unfortunately, registration for all the major clubs and sports clubs is closed tight."
"Then what should we do, Ma'am?" I asked resignedly.
"There is only one club left. This club is on its last legs due to a lack of members. If they don't get new members today, their room will be repurposed into a storage closet for mops."
Shiratori-sensei tapped the form with her finger. At the top of the form was the club's name.
"Literature... Club?" I murmured, reading the text.
"Exactly. Both of you are joining the Literature Club," Shiratori-sensei decided, leaving no room for negotiation. "The room is in the corner of the third floor of the Old Building. After school today, take these forms there and meet the President. If you dare to run away, I will make both of your extracurricular grades a minus."
"M-Minus?!" Nika shrieked in horror.
"Dismissed."
Once the door closed behind us, Nika slumped in the hallway, clutching her head. Her aura was incredibly gloomy.
"Ugh... Literature Club? Reading books and writing poetry in that haunted old building? You've got to be kidding me..." Nika lamented. She then looked up and glared at me. "This is all your fault, Itsuka! If you had a club from the start, I wouldn't have been dragged in there!"
"Where is the logic in that?!" I protested. "You're the one who forgot to register despite being on the committee! You clumsy blockhead!"
"I-I was busy!"
"Your excuse was already rejected by Shiratori-sensei, Miss Yumina!" I shot back, sticking my tongue out.
Nika snorted, stood up, and stomped away. "Whatever! Just make sure you accompany me to the Old Building this afternoon! Don't you dare go home early!"
I could only sigh while looking at the Literature Club form in my hand. The school's old building was famous for being deserted and holding strange rumors. Plus, I had no idea who this "President" was.
However, in the corner of my heart that loved mystery novels, curiosity began to tickle. Literature Club, huh? It seemed my peaceful days and my routine of heading home early were truly coming to an end.
The final bell finally rang. Nika was already standing by my desk before I even finished putting my pencil case in my bag. Her face was set in a "don't mess with me" expression.
"Let's go," she commanded. "The sooner we hand in these stupid forms, the sooner we can go home."
I followed her as we left the main building, crossed the glass-roofed connecting bridge, and stepped into the Old Building area.
The difference in atmosphere was immediate. The air here was colder, smelling of old wood and dust. The hallway was silent, the floorboards creaking under our every step. The afternoon sun through the dusty windows created long, slightly eerie shadows.
I could feel Nika walking closer to me. Her hand secretly gripped the end of my sleeve.
"D-Don't get the wrong idea!" Nika whispered as I looked at her. "These floorboards are slippery! If I fall, it's your responsibility!"
"Right, right," I teased, which was immediately met with a sharp pinch to my side. "Ow! Mercy!"
We arrived at the end of the third floor. In front of a sliding wooden door with peeling paint was a small wooden sign: LITERATURE CLUB. The writing was beautiful calligraphy, a sharp contrast to the door's condition.
I took a deep breath and slid the door open. Sreeeek.
Contrary to my expectation of a dark, haunted room, the space was bathed in warm afternoon sunlight. The scent of tea and the sweet aroma of butter hit my senses. The room had been transformed into a cozy space, with bookshelves lining two walls, a red velvet sofa in the center, and a round wooden table.
However, what froze Nika and me at the doorway wasn't the decor, but the four people inside.
"Ah! The stage curtains have finally opened! Our sacrificial lambs have arrived!"
A tall boy with slightly long hair tied back loosely stood up from the sofa. He spread his arms in an exaggerated theatrical gesture. His uniform was messy, his tie loose, but his face radiated a strange charisma.
"Don't scare them, President. You look like a loan shark collecting a debt," a soft but sharp voice scolded.
A beautiful student sat gracefully on the sofa, crossing her legs while sipping from a porcelain tea cup. Her black hair was straight and long, radiating an aura of elegant maturity. Judging by the red tie pin on her collar, she was a third-year senior.
"The cookies are fresh out of the oven! You must be hungry after being scolded by the Principal, right?"
Someone appeared from behind a small partition in the corner carrying a tray of cookies. I blinked. The girl with short brown hair smiled sweetly, wearing a flower-patterned apron over her uniform. She was incredibly cute, with long lashes and a soft voice. Wait, is this the Literature Club or a Maid Café? I wondered.
"Don't be fooled," said a fourth, very flat voice.
In the corner, behind a fortress of thick books, a student with thick glasses stared at us. Her hair was tied in two neat braids. She was in our year, based on her blue tie pin. She pushed up her glasses. "He is a boy. And this club doesn't actually read books at all."
"E-Eh?! A boy?!" Nika yelped, staring at the figure in the floral apron.
"Ehehe, nice to meet you!" the feminine boy laughed without offense, setting the tray on the table. "A lot of people misunderstand."
I cleared my throat, trying to take control of the situation. I stepped in and bowed. "Excuse us, we're here to submit our registration forms by order of Principal Shiratori. I'm Shinomiya Itsuka, and this is Yumina—"
"Stop!"
Suddenly, the Club President leaped and landed right in front of me, making me step back. He stared at me intensely.
"Shinomiya? Yumina? Boring formalities! In this room, social titles, castes, and family names are destroyed! From this moment on, family names no longer exist!" He pointed to his own chest. "I am Kamishiro Ryuusei. Just call me the Handsome Ryuusei. The Great Club President. Second Year!"
The senior girl drinking tea smiled. "Ara, ara. Forgive our over-excited President. Just call me Saionji Serika. I'm also a third year. Nice to meet you, Itsuka-kun, Nika-chan."
"I'm Tachibana Mizuki! First year!" the feminine one greeted with a cheerful wave. "I'm the one in charge of snacks here!"
The girl with glasses in the corner sighed loudly, closing her thick book with a thud. "Stupid club rules. But what can you do. Call me Hoshino Chiaki. First year, same as you."
Chiaki stared sharply at Nika and me. "Now, your turn. Say your first names without any honorifics, or Ryuusei-senpai will lecture you about 'spiritual freedom' for two hours."
"R-Really?!" Nika turned pale. She quickly bowed. "N-Nika! My name is Nika! Please take care of me!"
I smiled awkwardly while handing the two crumpled forms to Ryuusei. "Alright... call me Itsuka. Looking forward to it, Ryuusei-senpai, Serika-senpai, Chiaki, and Mizuki."
Ryuusei snatched the forms, tore them in half, and tossed the scraps into the air like confetti. Nika nearly screamed seeing the important documents destroyed.
"You're officially accepted!" Ryuusei cried with a booming laugh. He then patted my shoulder...
--END OF CHAPTER 3--