Chapter 4

It's practically mandatory to join a club?! Izumi watched as everyone else cleared out. "Shiori!" She grabbed her shirt sleeve to stop her. "Want to look around together? Maybe join the same club."

Shiori pointed to the paper with a list of clubs on it. "Since there's an occult club, I'm going with that. All I need to do is sign up, but I don't suggest the same one unless you have an interest in it."

"I could. I have nothing against the occult. It sounds interesting, at least." Lots of stories and lore.

"Choose something you think you can stand doing for the next three years."

Izumi looked at the list that was included with the handouts. A dozen sports clubs and another dozen or so culture clubs. "I have no idea where to start." I could go for the literature club, but then I'd automatically gush about shoujo manga, and the last time I did that, they made fun of me. She shook off her thoughts and glanced up at Shiori. "Can you join me to look around at least?"

Shiori let out a long, resounding sigh. "Fine, but if you linger too long in one spot, I'm out of here."

"Thank you!" Izumi jumped to her feet and hugged Shiori, who froze. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and took Shiori's hand, pulling her along.

The hallways were filled with first-year students checking out the club posters lining the walls, and third-years were going around handing out flyers, attempting to recruit new members for their clubs.

"Why don't you join the drama club?" An older girl held a flyer out to Izumi.

Drama? She stared at the paper.

"Nope, not that one." Shiori dragged her away.

"Hey, wait, how about we tell you what plays we're planning?!"

"What's wrong with drama?" Izumi asked. Could end up living in a live shoujo manga! Might be better than reading it.

"Just no. I'm not getting dragged to those plays, and I'm not running lines with you, and you get lost in your own head too much for that."

You'd think she's known me for years. Izumi sighed. "Okay, no drama club. Oh, what about archery?" She pointed at the poster of a teenager aiming with complete concentration. She looks cool. Archery is always awesome in anime.

"Do you have any experience with it?"

"No, but I can learn."

"It's super competitive, and more time-consuming than you'd think."

"Does that mean you practice archery?"

"I have in the past." Shiori pulled her along.

I'm not particularly good at any sport, just running and jumping, so maybe I should avoid those. Besides, I need to keep time for reading and games at home. What's a low maintenance club? Is there a going home club?

"I thought you were joining the baseball team with Yanagi; why would you need me to be an advisor for a new club?" Izumi overheard a tall teacher with short black hair and glasses ask Kuruma.

Is he making a club?

"Did you give up looking for a club?" Shiori asked when Izumi stopped walking.

"No, look." She shuffled off to the side to listen to Kuruma and the teacher, hiding by the entrance to the next room over.

"Kuruma again? You just met today, and you're obsessed?"

"No, of course not!" Well... maybe a bit. New crushes are super alluring. I've never had a crush on a boy that wasn't in a video game or manga. "I heard the words 'new club' being said."

"Yes, Yana will probably... definitely force me to join the baseball team, but I want to start a game development club. Think of it as steps towards my future after high school," Kuruma said.

Game development? Cool! Never thought about making one of my own. Where would you start?

"Look, I know you like playing video games, but it's a bit early to decide—"

"Isn't that what other people do? What's so different about my choice? Because it's something I'm interested in?" Kuruma huffed.

"No, no, of course not, Kuru. I didn't mean it that way, but it's the first day of school, and most first-years just join existing clubs."

Kuru? They know each other? Well, they do look alike...

"Then how do new clubs start if everyone is sucked in right away? Someone has to start them."

"I suppose, but new clubs need members, an advisor, a room to use, and to be signed off by people above me, because it needs to fit into the budget."

"Are you saying you wouldn't be the advisor? 'Cause I hear that's the main problem for starting clubs, and I'm not sure Mom would like you brushing me off like that."

"Think they're brothers?" Shiori asked, suddenly interested in the drama.

"He doesn't look old enough to be his father, so probably," Izumi whispered back.

"Arg." The teacher rubbed the back of his head and took a deep breath. "That's only one part of the equation. Fine, I can be your advisor, but we need to find a suitable room—"

"Any computer labs available?" Kuruma asked. "Kinda hard to make video games without them."

"I'll have to check on that. They might be used by the media club or something."

"The school has more than one."

"Next problem is having enough members for a club. It can't just be you."

"And Yanagi."

"Who's going to be busy with baseball."

Are we only allowed one club? How many can we take on? I guess it shouldn't be too many...

Kuruma shrugged. "I'll end up in both and have to make it work, too. Besides, we can just have it twice a week, and it should be fine."

"Maybe for you, but we both know he wants to be a star player, which will likely eat a few hours of his time every day, even on Saturdays, once it really starts up."

"Brutal," Kuruma grumbled, his jaw muscles tensing. "Fine, he doesn't have to join me, but I'm sure I can find a couple of people. Isn't it only four to start a club?"

Four? Izumi glanced at Shiori.

"Yes, but can you make a video game in a school year with only three other people?" the teacher asked.

"Depends on the game and what software we're allowed to use. There are things to help streamline certain parts, like premade objects for backgrounds and whatnot."

"Wait..." the teacher paused. "You've put more thought into this than just 'a place to slack off for a few hours a week'?"

"Tch. Of course! Haven't you been listening at all? I'm serious about this. I can't say for certain yet, but game development might be my future. Wouldn't it be good to get an early start now?"

"One moment." The teacher walked back into his classroom and pulled out a paper. "I'll look into lab usage, but you need to fill this out and find a few members before they'll look at it. If you keep it low cost, but with a goal, you're more likely to get it approved. Keep in mind the baseball club won't like you being in another club. They like to have full commitment to them." He reluctantly held the paper out.

I guess clubs are super serious... How can they expect us to choose so easily?

"I'm a first-year, so I don't think I'll play many official baseball games, if any, and they can make me a benchwarmer if they don't like it."

"How are you going to convince Yanagi? Heck, where is he? I'm surprised he's not here with you."

"He already got roped in with the baseball club. Thanks, Takumi." Kuruma snatched the paper from him.

"Hey, we're at school; it's Mr. Hiroto!" Takumi crossed his arms, tapping his foot.

"But I have the same last name, so it's too weird. Besides, it's not like you're my teacher." Kuruma rolled his eyes.

"No, but you're still supposed to address teachers properly, even if you're related."

"Yeah, not going to happen unless you teach my class. I'm going to recruit some people for this. It can't be that hard, right?"

Takumi sighed, shaking his head. "Good luck with that. Regardless of whether this ends up happening, make sure you tell Mom I tried to help."

"Sure thing." Kuruma waved as he headed off.

"He's starting a club!" Izumi pumped her fists.

"So I heard." Shiori slowly inched away from her, afraid of what was to come.

"We should totally join!"

"Nope, not happening. I'm joining the occult club."

"Please! You heard him; it'll only be two days a week. You can do both; we can do both."

Shiori rolled her eyes. "I'm not joining just because of your crush, and you don't need to join mine. Why don't you just join the baseball team as their manager? I'm sure they'd love that."

Because I love video games...

"Let's just keep looking."

But this is the one I want. Her face dropped and her shoulders slouched.

"Better yet, let's leave and figure this out another day, or just avoid clubs. They're such a pain." Despite her protests, Shiori stuck by her as they continued looking at the rest of the clubs.