Chapter 10

Yanagi rested his arms on Izumi's and Shiori's shoulders as they left school. "We should go celebrate forming our new club, on me."

"Pass," Shiori said right away.

Yanagi leaned onto them more so she wouldn't push him off right away. "But it'll be our first club get together!"

"Didn't you hear the advisor? We're not an officially recognized club yet."

"Psh. We're a real club. Our names are on the list, and we started making plans. It's as good as done, right, Izu?"

"Hmm?" She had been distracted, staring at Kuruma in front of them. "Um, sure."

"See! What do you guys want to eat? Pizza? Okonomiyaki? Name it, and it's yours."

Izumi salivated at the thought of it. "It's been a long time since I've had okonomiyaki."

"Fried chicken," Kuruma said. "I've got a craving for it all of a sudden."

"Shi?" Yanagi dipped his head down to look at her.

"Quit calling me that," she grumbled, wondering why she had agreed to join.

"It's free food," he said in a singsong voice.

"I'll eat whatever." She shrugged, figuring they wouldn't let her go home without eating.

"I know a special okonomiyaki shop nearby we can go to. It's small and family-owned, and they also have fried chicken, so it's perfect. Let's go!"

A sudden feeling of dread hit Izumi. She shivered and looked around. A group of girls back at the school entrance were sneering at them.

Geez, is this what Shiori warned me about? It's because Yanagi has his arm around our shoulders, right? But it would feel rude to push him off, and I don't want to hurt his feelings.

Izumi swallowed hard, averting her gaze.

You'd think they could tell he's hanging onto us in a friendly manner, not us clinging to him wanting more. Ugh.

"Something wrong?" Yanagi asked as she stared at the ground. He glanced behind them and gave the other girls a quick wave.

They waved back widely, their expressions shifting to one of complete glee.

"Nope, nothing's wrong." Izumi forced a smile. "Just excited to check out this restaurant. Lead the way."

"Right on." He released them and pointed ahead as he caught up with Kuruma, and they started towards the restaurant a few streets over.

"Finally," Shiori sighed, her shoulders relaxing. "I don't know how he hangs all over people like that."

"Definitely a way to start misunderstandings."

"You're telling me." She shook her head.

"That's not the first time he's done that to you, is it?"

"Let's just say it's far from it."

Maybe they're closer than I thought. Half-expected her to punch him, so she could run away. Then again, he was doing the same to me. I'm so confused.

"Is something else wrong?" Izumi asked, noticing Shiori's furrowed brows.

"No, just realizing the cards were right again. I thought it was about the poster after I worked on it, but I ended up joining, anyway. Such a twist of fate..."

"Oh, it came true?" Izumi's eyes sparkled. "I wonder about the reading you did for me... How accurate was it?"

"You asked about your high school life, not one day, so it's hard to say."

She nodded. Makes sense.

"And here it is." Yanagi stopped in front of a little restaurant called Crispy Teppan. He held the door open for them.

Inside, there were tables with built-in griddles, counter seating by the kitchen, colourful menus with cute characters posted on the walls, and a few groups of teens already there.

Guess the place is popular.

"Welcome!" The attendant in a navy blue uniform with a white apron on bowed to them. "Four in your group? This way, please." He showed them to a free table near the window.

"Anything you guys don't eat? Otherwise, I'll make the order." Yanagi's gaze swept across them.

"Nope, I'm good with whatever." Izumi smiled and sat across from Kuruma. Sometimes, I'm not the best with bitter, but it's not that bad... most of the time.

"I like salty, savoury, and sweet," Shiori said as she sat next to Izumi.

"Got it." Yanagi gave them a thumbs-up and went to make their order.

"I didn't even give helpful information, and he's still like that. So exhausting." Shiori rolled her eyes.

"He's always like that," Kuruma said as he pulled out a notebook.

Izumi fiddled with her thumbs as she stretched her neck, trying to look at what he was writing.

"If you're that curious, just ask," Shiori whispered.

"I don't want to disturb him."

"What are you up to, Kuruma?"

Izumi's eyes widened. She really doesn't hold back. It's not only this either; she openly shows her hobbies and doesn't seem to care that some of the others are afraid of her because of it. Does that mean... No, I know what happens when everyone knows. She gritted her teeth, clenching her skirt under the table.

"I'm starting to plan our game already."

"You have an idea for it? Do tell." Shiori sat up straight, ready to listen.

"Something along the lines of Yanagi as a baseball player as the main character. Some sort of evil cloud or portal shows up and releases a bunch of demons, and you have to go around as Yanagi with his baseball bat destroying demons and saving the school. It's rough, I know, but that's my current idea."

Wow! He's already formulating a plan. Wonder how a baseball bat would be enough to take out demons? Must be something special about it. Maybe when the demons showed up, a beam of light landed on him and endowed the baseball bat.

"Wouldn't that be a bit hard for us to make? Shouldn't we start simple? Like a stick figure wandering around a maze shooting things?" Shiori suggested.

Kuruma's expression dropped. "No way. With programs these days, we have no reason to cheap out like that. Let's make something people will want to play during the cultural festival."

"Ugh, that sounds like a lot of work."

"I'll put in work at home, since I'm planning to save everything on the online server, so we'll make it work even if I don't get any sleep."

"No! You have to get sleep..." Izumi trailed off, covering her mouth as she realized how loud her outburst was.

Kuruma raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, I didn't mean literally no sleep. And I usually don't sleep much anyway; I'll just stay awake late making our game rather than playing games. We should do our best and one-up it every year... assuming the club is still around then." He glanced at the girls, wondering if they'd even end up staying the year.

I probably would've picked Kuruma for the lead, but apparently others would disagree. Definitely need some sort of special power for the baseball bat to fight demons. I wonder what the endgame would be. Likely wouldn't be a long game if we want people, or at least someone, to beat it during the cultural festival. Oh, what if it was a few hours, but one person just picks up where the previous one leaves off?

Shiori nudged her with her elbow. "What are you thinking about?" she whispered. "I can see the gears turning, but you've been staring at Kuruma for a bit now, and you're lucky he's too distracted to notice."

"Oh! Was I staring? Sorry, I didn't mean to. I was thinking about..." Do I tell her it's about the game? She'll definitely know I didn't join only for Kuruma then.

"About?"

Yanagi came back with a waiter, helping them deliver the ingredients for okonomiyaki along with fried chicken and French fries on the side. "Time to wow you with my skills." He winked at the girls. "A seafood, savoury one for Shi." The griddle sizzled.

"I'll make my own." Kuruma took the extra tools to make one with chicken and cheese.

Yanagi glanced at him with a sharp glint in his eyes. "Okonomiyaki battle?"

"You're on."

Shiori rolled her eyes. "Why does stuff like this always happen around them?"

Go Kuruma! Wonder if I'll get to eat his food.

They both went to flip their okonomiyaki, Yanagi's splat a bit but kept the heart-shaped form he went for, while Kuruma's split.

"Dammit," Kuruma cursed under his breath.

"I totally won that flip." Once it finished, he plated it with a drizzle and bonito flakes specially for Shi.

"Thanks..." She stared at the heart-shaped okonomiyaki and glanced at the next one he was making in the same shape.

"Mochi and cheese for Izumi."

Kuruma attempted the same one as before.

They both landed intact.

"This round looks to be a tie," Yanagi said as he plated it for Izumi the same way he did for Shiori. "Last ones for me." He dumped a mix of proteins into it along with a boost of spice. "Hey, what's that one? You didn't add the cabbage?"

Kuruma cringed. "Why would you put that in a sweet one? Figured we'd have one to split for dessert."

Yanagi nodded and wondered where the chocolate chips came from.

"The table over there." Kuruma answered his unspoken question, gesturing to the table with teen girls watching their battle.

I didn't even notice them!

"Hey, doesn't that girl look vaguely familiar?" a hushed voice caught her ear.

Izumi combed her bangs forward a bit, shoulders curling in as she worried they were staring at her. No one knows me here... right? They're probably talking about someone else.

"What are you waiting for? Eat up while it's hot," Shiori said, digging into her okonomiyaki.

Yanagi and Kuruma both flipped their last okonomiyaki.

"We... tied?" Yanagi's eyes widened. "You've improved your kitchen skills, Kuru."

"Couldn't let you keep winning." He plated it with fruit, a chocolate drizzle, and whipped cream.

Oh, that looks good! She watched Kuruma and blindly ate from her plate. So is this! I need to learn to cook more to compete with these two.

People at the other tables clapped, so they bowed before sitting.

"Well, I guess I've caught up to you now."

"Not so; you lost the first round, so I won." Yanagi winked and dug in.

"Tch, you're right. I concede. Next time you won't be so lucky."

"I look forward to it."

By the time the boys started eating, Shiori had finished hers and was staring at the dessert one. The group of girls at the next table caught her eye as they stared over. Shiori glared at them with a little snarl, and they all gasped, turning away.

"Tch, pathetic little..." She gritted her teeth and leaned back, closing her eyes, waiting for the others.