The Literature Club's New Member

“Airin Seira?”

After finding a comic similar to a manga in the literature club, Seira ended up in a tug-of-war for it with another student. It took a few moments for her to realize it was a classmate—and also, a male lead.

‘Ah, the cool-and-quiet type.’

It was Aoyama Minato, the blue-haired boy who had a crush on Yume and was also Kaien's friend.

This was the first time they were speaking by themselves. They never talked to each other without others around.

“What are you doing here?” Seira asked without much thought. ‘Before, it felt strange to see the male leads doing their thing without the heroine, but I got used to it because of Kinryuji Kaien and Shirakawa Nao. They're people with lives, after all.’

Minato didn't answer. Instead, he tried to pull the comic out of her grasp. Of course, she resisted and held it tighter.

“Excuse you, but I got this first.”

His eyes widened slightly. “...You were going to read it?”

“Yes. Why else would I take it?”

“I thought you mistook it for the budget report. The secretary and the club president were talking about it over there.”

“Who'd mistake such a thing for that? This is a comic! Do I look dumb to you?”

“...Will you confiscate it, then?”

She blinked rapidly, incredulous. “Where do you keep getting these ideas?”

“You're acting as the student council’s assistant. Maybe there's some new policy banning comics, like with adult magazines.”

“What? No, there's nothing like that.”

“Ah, did the president ask you to get it? I heard he did martial arts in middle school. This comic has action as one of its themes.”

Seira wondered why Minato didn't think she’s just going to read it like any normal person.

His conclusions so far were a bit of a stretch. She felt misunderstood on a whole new level.

‘Pretty talkative today, isn't he? He didn't answer my question earlier, so I thought he planned to ignore me.’

“Anyway, let me read it first. I'm about to leave,” Minato insisted.

Seira argued, “I am too! Besides, I'm just going to take a peek.”

“...You really are gonna read it?”

“I already said I am! I’m literate!”

“You read, Miss Airin?” Jin came up to her together with the club president, who went pale after hearing the student council secretary’s innocent-sounding question.

‘So, that's it. They think I don't read. Right, of course, I am Airin Seira—and a blond.’ Seira frowned at her now not-so-adorable underclassman. “Might as well ask if I can read, huh, Jin?”

“Eh?! N-No, that's not…!” The secretary flailed his hands around, flustered. “W-Which book is it? The literature club does have a more unique variety compared to the library. It seems something here has caught your eye. Would you like to borrow it?”

“I can?!” Seira eagerly looked at the club president, immediately forgetting the slight on her. “May I?! I promise I'll return it!”

“U-Umm, well…”

The student turned to Minato, silently asking for help, much to Seira’s chagrin. She must have come on too strongly. She was already causing others discomfort by existing.

Minato heaved a sigh and crossed his arms. “Only club members are allowed to borrow stuff here. This isn't the library.”

“What did you say?!”

“That’s the rule.”

Seira protested, which scared the others, as if they're having PTSD. “Oh, sorry. I’m not saying that’s wrong. It’s just…”

“You can't have it.”

“Ngh… What about you?”

“I’m a club member.”

“You are…? Then, I'll be, too!”

All three of them were flabbergasted. 

It was out of the blue, she admitted. But if she could get what she wanted, so be it.

“C-Club recruitment is long over, and students can only have up to two clubs,” the president explained.

“But I don't have any clubs. I'm not an official member of the student council either, so that shouldn't be a problem. Isn't that right, Jin?”

The secretary nodded. “Miss Airin is joining a club for the first time. That's good character development. President Shirakawa will approve of it, I'm sure.”

“Except this has nothing to do with her character,” Minato interjected, lifting the comic in his hand. “She's just doing it for this. She doesn't really want to join.”

“Hm? Isn't that…‘Empyrean Eclipse’? The comic adaptation of that one movie?”

Seira perked up. “You know it, Jin?! What's it about?!”

“It's an action drama about two nemeses with past lives, and they're reincarnated in the modern world.”

“Wow, you sure know your thing, Secretary. That came out some time ago.”

“I’ll say the same for you, Club President. You've got the entire collection here.”

“Does it have romance?” Seira asked, to which both answered, “Yes.”

“I'll have it!”

“As mentioned, members only,” Minato reminded, holding the comic up before she could touch it. “And you can't join just because you're interested in reading this.”

Seira went still, now at her limit.

Everyone looked at her in confusion that quickly changed into trepidation. She was eerily quiet, a dark shadow cast over her face. Her eyes were hooded, and the air around her slowly shifted.

“Why…?”

“M-Miss Airin?”

“Why must you be so cruel? Doesn’t this school organization exist primarily for people who wish to read? What other purpose could a club of bookworms possibly serve? Tell me, Aoyama Minato.”

Seira was crying.

Silence enveloped the room. They’re all stunned speechless, eyes bulging and mouths agape. It's as though they're witnessing the end of the world. 

“A-Ah! Miss Seira! It's okay!”

“You can join! No, please join!”

Seira wiped away her tears with her jacket sleeves. She looked back at Jin and the club president, who were panicking.

It was no act. She did feel incredibly frustrated.

Minato turned his head away before their eyes met. He said nothing at first, but as Seira kept staring, he let out another sigh.

“Do whatever you want.”

At that, she smiled her brightest smile.

---

Seira submitted her application paper the next day.

The club president loosened up a bit around her, even giving her a warm welcome. As for the other club members, however, they seemed not too receptive to her. 

Minato, for one, still wouldn't share the comic with her.

If it weren't for him, as well as her student council work, she would've completed the whole collection in no time. But even after half a week had passed, she was still occupied with her duties as an assistant and hadn't read a single volume.

“President, when will you give back my freedom? I've been a good girl,” Seira complained to Nao, feeling more and more like a prisoner than an assistant in each passing day.

“You have indeed, and you're now even taking extracurricular activities seriously. It's working well—so well, in fact, that I'm inclined to extend your period of service.”

She shuddered. “Please, don't! I have a club now, and I wanna read!”

“See? It’s working very, very well. How can I not let it continue?” he chuckled.

“Nooo!!!”

This was the worst.

Since revealing his hidden nature, he'd tease her whenever he pleased. He truly had such an unpleasant personality. Apart from being his slave, she'd also become some sort of plaything.

“Excuse me, President Shirakawa.” Someone opened the door to the student council room. “Sorry for the interruption, but the literature club will be holding a meeting. The President asked me to get Airin, if she is available.”

Seira was surprised that Minato had gone for her.

He always gave the impression that he didn't want her around. That's fine with her, but what's not was that he's keeping the comic to himself. Honestly, it was petty. Even though he knew she wanted to read it, he still wouldn't put it back.

After the club meeting, she swore she would take it from him.

“You may go, Miss Airin. There's no more work for today,” Nao told her, then added right before she left the student council room, “You know, you’ve always had the choice.”

“Eh?”

“It’s nothing.”

‘... What was that?’

“I don't know what that’s about, but…” Minato spoke from ahead of her while he led the way to the clubroom. “I'll say it, too. You do have a choice, whether to come with me or not.”

She was bewildered now. “Why are you telling me that? It's just a club meeting. Do you want me to be there?”

He did not respond, so she continued, “And you also have a choice, whether to come for me or not.”

Minato stopped walking right then, making Seira do the same.

His gaze became icy—scary. She felt chills crawl under her skin. She expected no less from the cool male lead.

“I said it because you definitely wouldn't choose to go before—not to the student council, not to any club,” Minato said, voice low yet vehement. “You... Airin Seira would never do all these.”