This Really is Just the Beginning

“The game? What’re you talking about?”

Akimoto’s normie side was showing here, our senpai was completely in the right.

“Even so, if a new girl joins the club shouldn’t it be because of an event or temporarily for a festival?”

“What’re you talking about? This isn’t some light novel Fujioka-senpai. She can join the club if she wants.”

“No-no-no, hold on.” I interrupted. “I one-hundred percent agree with Fujioka on this one.”

“Uhm… excuse me.” The girl rudely interjected in our club-meeting. “Can I get a club-application?”

“Yes! Of course.” Fujioka was the one to take the lead. “On one condition though.”

“Condition…? Are you allowed to do that? Isn’t anyone able to join any club?”

“Not this one.”

“Oh…”

“The condition is you have to be my model for illustrations. If you can’t accept that you have no place in the club.”

“M-model? No-no I could never do something like that. I’m not cute at all.”

“Then I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do for you.”

Despite how much I wish I could just reject her joining, I can’t. I don’t like a lot of people in my space and I especially don’t like strangers.

“Haa—” I stood up. “Don’t listen to Fujioka. Anyone is welcome in the writing club.”

I moved in front of Fujioka.

“I’m Kiyotaka Makoto, this is Yoshika… Yoshika. That’s Akimoto Ka—”

“Oh, you don’t need to introduce them.” She cut me off. “I already know you, Akimoto-san and Fujioka-senpai.”

“What? H-how?”

“It’s honestly impressive you managed to get two of the most talked about girls in school to join your club. I know I could never do something like that.”

I gave the two girls in question sideways looks—they glanced at each other then back at me.

I mean I suppose that makes sense… “But how do you know me?”

“You’re the one who managed to bring together night and day. Students say you’re like Confucius, uniting yin and yang.”

Her gaze drifted from the black hair on the left to the blonde on the right.

“I’m going to stop you right there. Fujioka again moved in front of me. “Makoto-kun does nothing but sit in this room and write gross light novels all day. I think it’s far too much credit to compare him to Confucius. And second, that analogy makes zero sense.”

“Do people actually say that about me?” I asked.
“Do you talk to other people at school?” Akimoto asked me back.

“No…”

“Anyway. Am I able to join the club even if I don’t want to model?”

I received two disapproving stares from my clubmates and one blank stare from my junior.

“Of course. You don’t need to bother with an application, so uh, welcome.”

“Ah, I’m glad. I was worried for a moment I wouldn’t be allowed to.”

“Y-yeah. They can be a bit intense sometimes… Oh! Let me find you a seat, I wasn’t expecting anyone else to join.”

“Oh, it’s alright. I can’t stay today, I have plans. I’ll come by tomorrow if that’s alright.”

Before I could respond by saying it’s fine she gave us all an Irish goodbye.

“What a nice girl,” Yoshika was the first to say.

“Not at all! She’s terrible!” Fujioka slammed her hands on the table. “She waltzed into somewhere uninvited and asked to join our club? Who does she think she is!?”

“Uhm… Fujioka, this is the writing club… it’s one of the main ones run by the school. We don’t have any jurisdiction on who joins.”

“Are you kidding me!?” Akimoto joined the conversation. “When I first wanted to join you made me do some shitty application and screening process!”

“...”

“Don’t go quiet!”

“It’s a miracle you passed the screening, I’m impressed,” Fujioka commented.

***

Akimoto, Fujioka, for some reason Yoshika, and now a girl I didn’t even get the name of have all made themselves more than at home in my quiet place. It’s really something I could never have predicted, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t annoyed by it.

Yet, I’m not upset either.

Spending all that time alone writing might’ve been productive, but a lively clubroom isn’t… the worst thing either, right?

Walking in the clubroom everyday and seeing so many people is definitely… something.

We still have about a month until the first deadline for the contest—even further out is Summer Comiket.

That’s a pipe-dream right there.

When I spent time with Akimoto and looked at her, I believed we could make it past the first round of judging and go even further. Now though, with Fujioka, I hate myself for it but my mind keeps wandering towards Comiket.

Imagine a manga, side stories, character arts! A miracle run sellout on the first day!

It’s easy to look around this clubroom and imagine that. Akimoto is working on editing a section, I’m cooking up the rough draft, and Fujioka is hard at work with a cluttered table, illustrating.

There’s a long road ahead for either of those goals, but I know this time I won’t fail. I finished assembling my team, and now it’s time to get serious

“Mako, whatcha’ doing? Writing in your journal?”

Sayuri poked my side and I quickly snapped my jour— book shut.

“N-no! I was jotting down some ideas for my novel.”

“A miracle run sellout on the first day! That’s a line in your novel?”

“How long were you standing there for!?”

“Mmm… Long enough?”