Chapter 12:

Year 2-1: The new first years

Is it ok?


Riku was walking through the stall of all the schools clubs trying to catch the attention of the new students. He was glad his job was just walking around handing out flyers, like Satsuki had done last year. He hoped they could get a few new members his year.
After handing out all the flyers he´d been given Riku made his way to the book clubs stall. Satsuki and Nozomi were chatting with some first year girl.
“Hey Hinata!” Kishimoto put his arm around Rikus shoulder; the two were in the same class again. “You also out catching first years?”
Riku laughed. “Catching? It´s probably way easier for the baseball club though.”
“That´s true, but get this I´m the only remaining catcher. I hope some of the first years want to be catches too.”
“Is it really so hard to get catchers?” Riku didn´t know a lot about baseball, most of his knowledge came from Kishimoto.
“Kinda, most guys want to be pitcher; you know everyone is watching you being cool on the mound.”
Satsuki waved Riku towards her. “Seems like I am needed.”
“Yeah right leave me for your girlfriend! Not like I´m hurt by that.” Kishimoto was laughing.
Satsuki showed Riku some filled out forms. “We got three so far. I doubt it´s going to be much more.”
Riku read through the forms. “Better than nothing right?”

Riku was quite astonished to find out that Satsukis admirers, upon learning that she was now taken, were respectful enough to stop bothering her, though not without complaining at first. Now they had moved on to someone new. She just happened to also want to join the book club.
The club room was surrounded by the admirers, Yuki was trying to shoo them away, with little success.
“Do you need help?” Riku asked.
He nodded helplessly. “I thought they had calmed down.”
“Same. But teenage boy hornyness knows no bounds.” Riku said.
Yuki looked confused. “Never understood that.”

It took a while to get all the admirers to leave but the two boys had won the battle of the club room.
The others were already gathered, including the new first years; two boys and the girl the admirers were fawning over.
She was pretty; tall with a nice figure, big chocolate brown eyes and hair just slightly lighter than her eyes, in it she wore a wine red headband with heart brooch. She wore make-up, but only enough to enhance her beauty. Riku shook his head, while he thought she was pretty, Satsuki was way prettier.
Satsuki introduced everyone and explained the new rule with secrets. “We all have secrets, we ask that you don´t tell anyone outside the club about them. You of course can feel free to tell us your secrets too.” She was smiling her cutest non-threatening smile. “So who wants to begin introductions?”
The girl looked to the floor. “My name is Toujou Kiyoko; unfortunately I have no secret to tell you yet. But I hope we get along well anyway.” She bowed. Kiyoko seemed very polite and based on how she acted and looked Riku guessed she was a rich kid.
One of the boys, black haired with ikemen face jumped forward next. “I´m Watabe Yuusuke! My secret: I like girls and boys, though it´s not really a secret.”
“Oh you´re from the restaurant!” Yuri exclaimed.
Yuusukes face lit up. “You went to our restaurant? Did you try our Soba? We make it ourselves.” He was very excited.
Everyone nodded. “It was really good.” Nozomi said dreamingly.
“Awesome! Please feel free to come over whenever you want I´ll give you a discount.”
“Really? I´ll take you up on that offer.” The other boy said. He had a brown undercut, piercings in his ears, on his nose and on his right eye brow. He wore a green hoodie under his blazer. Riku immediately thought that he looked a bit like a delinquent, but you shouldn´t judge a book by its cover Riku thought.
“Sato Takumi, my secret is none of your business.” His voice sounded older than he was.
Why was someone like him in a book club anyway? He didn´t seem interested in books.
Satsuki appeared to be taken aback by Takumis attitude. “I´ll show you where our books are. Riku would you come with me?” She sounded like she was asking for help.

Riku could make out which genre the three seemed to like quickly. After having showed them around Satsuki offered them to pick something to read. Surprisingly Takumi was the first to come back with one, No longer human by Dazai Osamu. Classics? Riku thought, you really shouldn´t judge a book by its cover.
Yuusuke came back with a fantasy novel and Kiyoko with a horror novel. They have good taste, Riku thought.
He didn´t read. Together with Nozomi he was going over his manuscript. Nozomi had read it multiple times and she had some good ideas to make it even better.
Yuusuke looked over their shoulders interested. “You write?” He asked.
Riku told him his secret, how he had written erotic novels under the alias Tamia Riko.
“I red some of them!” Yuusuke exclaimed. “And now you´re writing fantasy?”
“I´ve been planning it for a while.” Riku told him.
“Well if you need help, I´ve read like every popular fantasy novel ever released.” He sounded very proud of that fact.
Nozomi looked at Riku, seemingly asking if she could give Yuusuke the manuscript she had received on her birthday. Riku nodded. He didn´t want to let that chance pass so easily either.

On their way home Satsuki didn´t look at Riku. “Did I do something?” He asked.
“If you don´t know that´s ok.” She said upset.
“Is it about the manuscript?”
She finally looked at him. “The new first year gets to read it before your girlfriend. I don´t know how Makoto would like that.”
Riku was a bit scarred of Satsukis older brother, he had meet him once and was told if he ever hurt Satsuki he´d be hurt even more. Makoto didn´t appear to be joking back then.
“I want you to read it when it´s perfect.”
“I´ll get the first print, singed by you of course.” She didn´t sound as upset anymore.
“Of course. That´s not even up for debate.”
Now she was smiling. “We have some nice new first years, right?” She changed the subject. Riku didn’t mind, he had wanted to talk about them anyway.

Makech
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