The Reporter’s Club

Kazuyuki had previously stated that he could do anything better when listening to music, and he would prove it by doing experiments.

Throughout the school day, Fuyumi gave him multiple challenges to complete. The list of experiments was diverse. From completing a short test paper to running the one hundred metre track, Fuyumi would first time how long he could do something without music, then she would time how long it would take him to complete that task while listening to music. Then they would compare the results, and it was clear that Kazuyuki was telling the truth. Overall, they had a lot of fun completing these experiments.

There were only four more weeks before the beginning of the holidays, but everyone was already making plans.

“Kazuyuki, let’s hang out during the holidays!”

“Sano-kun, do you want to meet up during the holidays?”

“Kazuyuki-kun, did you know our parents set up a trip to Hakone during the holidays?”

He was unaware of this, but when he got home and asked his mother, she confirmed it.

Everyone was making plans with him, except for one person. “Does she like meeting up with friends? Does she even go outside? I haven’t seen her anywhere else besides school. I don’t even have her number.”

He had wanted to ask her for her number for a while now, but he didn’t have the courage at the time. Unlike him, Daisuke had the audacity to approach her and ask for her number, but she said something that surprised Kazuyuki.

“I don’t give my number to anyone.”

“Not even your friends?”

“No.”

Kazuyuki couldn’t help but wonder what Fuyumi thought of him. If she doesn’t give her number to anyone, not even her friends, then does she not trust him? Was he even her friend to begin with? If he wasn’t her friend, then what was he to her?

He couldn’t ponder on it in the meantime due to the fact that Sanderson-sensei had prepared a small assessment for them. Kazuyuki and his class were surprised to hear that he would be allowing them to bring in a small plan to use. Was this a British thing? With a sense of relief and renewed confidence, the students took the opportunity given to them; this permission to bring in their own mini-plans felt like a lifeline. But Kazuyuki took the word ‘small’ to heart.

Everyone sat down with the plans ready. Kazuyuki looked around and noticed the number of words on their pieces of paper. Fuyumi sat down in her seat and took out her plan, which was similar to the rest of the class. He slowly took out his plan, which was as long as his index finger. He was somewhat embarrassed by how small his plan was, but it was as detailed as the rest of them. He was hoping no one would notice it, but it was too late as Fuyumi’s eyes fell upon his small plan. At that point, she couldn’t contain the bubbling laughter that welled up within her.

“Sensei did say we should bring in a small plan.” He joked, trying to justify his action.

The sight before her was a delightful combination of earnest effort and simplicity. The fact that there was so much detail on such a small piece of paper further amused her. With the test about to start, she had to hide her gleeful face. Hearing the muffled laughter from the girl in front of him, he felt somewhat embarrassed but also glad that someone found it amusing.

“Silence, everyone! The test is about to start.”

Once the test ended, the class had to pass their papers to the front. Kazuyuki noticed how Fuyumi’s head was down on the table. He approached her with concern, only to discover her chuckling to herself.

“Satō-san?”

This was the most he had seen her laugh about anything, it almost made him worry about her well-being. For the rest of the week, all she could think about was the small plan he had made. She would struggle to maintain her usual calm composure, but Kazuyuki enjoyed seeing this side of her.

Deciding to play along, he noted, “Maybe next time, I’ll make an even smaller plan.”

“No! Please! I wouldn’t be able to focus! I would be trying my best not to burst into laughter if I saw you bring a smaller one in.” She said hysterically.

“It must be done!” He proclaimed.

“No! Please don’t!” At this point, she couldn’t hold in her laughter anymore.

“Sano-kun.”

Kazuyuki turned around to see Ami standing there. “Ichikawa-senpai?”

“Can I talk to you?” She noticed Fuyumi also sitting there. “Oh, nice to meet you. I’m Ichikawa Ami.”

Fuyumi stayed silent.

“This is Satō Fuyumi, a classmate and a friend of mine.”

“So you are Satō Fuyumi. Kazuyuki has talked a lot about you.”

“No, I haven’t!”

“Has he?” She almost sounded happy about that.

“Yeah, he has. He’s told me that you’re a very good person.”

She blushed at the comment.

“What did you want to talk about, Ichikawa-senpai?”

“Have you heard of the Reporter’s Club?”

“Yes, I have. You’re the president of the club, right?”

“Correct. The upperclassmen will be graduating soon, but we have a problem. Our club does not have any members from the lower years, so we’ve been looking for new recruits.”

“Are you asking me to join the Reporter’s Club?”

“Sanderson-sensei recommended you.”

“He did?”

“Yes. And Satō-san, you are free to join the club as well.”

“But I’m not really good at writing articles.”

“Don’t worry. The crew and I will give you a rundown of how to write an article. You’ll also get free snacks, and you can use the club room whenever you want. Come by the club room later.”

The two were left with a tough decision to make. It had come to his attention that neither he nor Fuyumi had ever been in a club during their time in high school. What interested him was that Sanderson-sensei recommended him to Ami.

“So do you want to check out the club room later?” He asked Fuyumi

“I’m not too sure I would be good at writing news articles.”

“I feel the same, but we could at least check it out before we make our final decision.”

Acknowledging her introverted behaviour and how she would rather not be noticed by others, he felt that he was pressuring her to do something she wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. But to his surprise, Fuyumi agreed to come with him to the Reporter’s Club after school.

“Kazuyuki! Let’s walk home together!”

“Sorry. I’ve got to go somewhere.”

“Where?”

Fuyumi walked up to them. “Shall we go, Sano-san?”

“Wait. Are you two going on a date?”

“No! We’re going to the Reporter’s Club. Ichikawa-senpai asked us to come visit.”

“I see. Well, I guess I’ll head home first. See you later.”

The front door of the Reporter’s Club was covered with stickers, with the name of the club made from newspaper clippings. The two entered the room.

“Excuse me?” Kazuyuki called out

“You came!” cheered Ami. “Welcome to the Reporter’s Club.”

After being welcomed in by the members of the club, the two were given a tour of the place and an insight into what they do. Fascinated by the process of making a news article, Kazuyuki was tempted to instantly apply. However, Ami later revealed that they would have to submit a short article before they could fully become members. This would allow the current members to see their abilities, like how well they could write. One of the members taught them how to research for an article, whilst another member introduced them to the format of an article. The next hour was spent writing a short article. Kazuyuki wrote about how to tell other people’s stories, but Fuyumi kept hers confidential. After the members read their articles, they were pleased to welcome two new members to the club.

“Thank you so much for coming. I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. We look forward to working with you.”

The two excused themselves from the club. They began to talk about their experience, highlighting how it was fun to write a report about something they thought was important. Kazuyuki thought about how they might need to help one another with their articles, so with each deep breath, he steadily built up the courage to ask her for her phone number, his heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nervous anticipation for her response. He was surprised that she easily agreed to it.

As he walked home, he couldn’t help but jump with glee that he had obtained Fuyumi’s contact details. The fact that she gave him her number proved that she considered him a close friend.

His phone began to ring, and thinking it was Fuyumi calling him for the first time, he answered without hesitation.

“Hello?”

“Kazuyuki-kun, where are you right now?” It was Kaede’s voice, which had a sense of desperation and sadness in it. “I need to talk to you.”