Paper plane

I love my quiet life.

I love not having to worry about the things that keep most kids my age up at night.

Being popular? Worrying about girls? Winning some sports club tournament? That's not for me. I just admire the tall skyscrapers and the flying cars that pass between them.

In the end, I'll probably end up with a quiet life like the rest of my family. I don't remember a single day where my parents had to do anything, and I bet they don't remember my grandparents doing the same when they were my age.

And now all that calm is being affected by Hideoyama, my history teacher. He called me to his office to give me some terrifying news:

“… Hadokawa, I know you're not trying, you're not fooling anyone, tadpole. I wouldn't say anything if I didn't know you were actually holding back. That stupid idea of not attracting attention is holding you back, kid.”

Well, Hideoyama isn't lying. He knew that having someone know me outside of school would end up working against me. Thanks, Mom and Dad. But Hideoyama's scolding had barely begun:

“That's why I'm forcing you to join a club.”

“A club? Come on, that's just going to bring unnecessary problems into my life.”

Hideoyama was furious when he heard my answer, which started to simmer like a vegetable on the grill.

“You have no choice, spoiled brat. You better find one by today or I won't let you go to your senior year.”

“Come on, you can't do that to me. It's not mandatory to join a club, and you know very well that no club accepts members in the middle of the school year.”

“You know very well why I'm demanding these things from you, tadpole.”

Hideoyama kept going and going, coming up with terms to describe my apathetic life, but I didn't pay any attention at all. This annoyed him more, and it was reason enough for him to keep scolding me.

And suddenly, the intense vibe was enveloped in calm and seriousness when Ryuko Tachibana, the most reliable and respected girl in school, entered the office. It's impossible not to hear about Tachibana. Whether you're popular or an outcast like me, you know very well who Ryuko Tachibana is.

“Good afternoon, Professor. I'm here to give you the results of the simulations for Group 1A.”

“Haha, thank you very much. I'll upload them to the cloud in a moment.”

Hideoyama was now so sweet when he spoke to her, but then full of rage as soon as he turned his gaze back to me.

“Listen carefully, Hadokawa. You have until today to get a club, okay? And you'll bring me a log of your club activities every week.”

“It's impossible for me to find a club, and you know it, broccoli.”

“How dare you, tadpole?!”

He kept yelling at me and then apologizing to Tachibana sweetly, only to yell at me again and repeat the cycle. I looked away so I wouldn't see his silly face, and my gaze met Tachibana's, who was staring at me intently. 

"I'm sure she's  judging me, but I know she wouldn't badmouth others. After all, someone so exemplary always pretends to be good and doesn't gossip, so my unnoticed existence is not in danger. But I was surprised that she looked at me.

I took my things and left the office while Broccoli kept yelling at me. Now I have to find a club.

I've searched everywhere and nothing. I tried clubs that didn't require physical activity or that connected me to the virtual world, which is difficult. I tried the simulation club and nothing, I tried the virtual ecosystem development club and nothing. I even tried the neural experience club and nothing. It's time to give up and leave this school. It was fun to go unnoticed, but it won't do any good if I don't graduate, so I'll just stop coming and they'll put me in another school soon.

“It's impossible to find a club, right?”

I listened as I walked down the hallway thinking about my plan to leave this school, when I noticed Hideoyama at the end of the hallway as if he was waiting for someone.

“It's impossible to join a club at this point in the school year, Broccoli. All the clubs no longer have a role to fill, so I have nothing else to do here if I don't pass the year.”

“It's not about the time or the lack of roles, Hadokawa, it's simply because why would you accept someone who doesn't have an interest in what you're doing?”

“Eh?”

“Well, Hadokawa, the problem is that you would just be a burden on them. People today don't have time with everything we do in class, and clubs are the only place where you can have an interest and work on it. So I understand the clubs' rejection of someone who doesn't care about any of that.”

“Well, Broccoli, if you're done making fun of my situation, then I'm leaving.”

“Actually, I know a club that needs one more member.”I turned to look at him and he said

“Follow me.”

I walked behind him in silence for a few minutes, until he broke the silence.

“Before, going to school was very different from what it is now. Putting on your visors where you received information or participated with everyone was something that didn't happen. You saw your classmates and you knew at least a little bit about that person from how they interacted with the class, but today everyone does their own thing. That's why clubs are important, and it's also because I think this club is the best option for you.”

“Excuse me, Broccoli, but you haven't told me what club you're taking me to.”

Arriving at a classroom, Hideoyama opened the door and I entered behind him when an object passed in front of my eyes like an flying car but smaller and white, and then I saw Tachibana who was in front of the window where the sunset was coming in, which almost blinded me when I saw her. 

It was just her and a girl with blue hair down to her shoulders sitting at another table near Tachibana with another object just like the mini flying cars but these ones looked like birds. 

They both looked at me with curiosity in their eyes.

“Tachibana, I've brought you your new club member.”

Tachibana got up and came over to me to shake my hand and say:

“It's a pleasure to meet you, welcome to the paper club.”

We shook hands, but… that's when I stopped just thinking it and said it out loud.

“The club of what?”