Chapter Text
"Ah- heyyy, wait for meeee! I'm right heeeeere!"
A melodic voice rings out in the distance; one you could recognise anywhere. You turn around and see the familiar figure running towards you—primrose pink curls bouncing in the air, red bow barely holding onto their hair as they make their way towards you. Their running comes to a halt, and they exhale, trying to compose themselves through laboured breaths. In the past, your bond was unbreakable, but during junior high, circumstances led to a separation. Now, after all this time, you have the chance to reignite your friendship.
You merely sigh and wait for them to catch up to you on the sidewalk, before you begin to address them as you resume your walking.
"Mizuki, be careful,” You halfheartedly warn, tone as flat as always. “your ponytail is coming loose. It'd be a shame knowing how much effort you put into your hair."
"Haaah… Yeah, I guess I ought to be more careful; I don’t wanna be all sweaty for school, anyway. I’m okay, I’m okay ♪"
As Mizuki makes a show of adjusting their perfectly styled ponytail, you couldn't help but fall in thought—just how far have both of you come? For as long as you’ve known Mizuki, they’ve always been an easygoing character. Well, that's just the kind of person that Mizuki is; you can always count on them to keep a group's harmony going, with the mirthful charm they always seem to exude no matter the situation.
And you?
…
Once again, their signature cheerful smile quickly adjourns their lips, their footsteps aligned with yours so they don't get left behind again.
"So, have you decided what club you want to join? I get that the NEET lifestyle is comfortable—trust me, I do. You know how I am, haha, but everyone is joining clubs this time of year. It would be a good change of pace."
Ah.
You muster a quick lie on the spot. "Well, no. It's kind of a hard decision for me. Most of the clubs haven't really caught my attention…"
They frown.
"Come ooon, I'm sure you'll find something that'll interest you. No one wants to spend the rest of their high school days being a shut-in!”
Point blank stare. The message is sent across.
"Okay, perhaps you do,” they shake their head. “It's not healthy, though. What about when we graduate? Don't you want to make memories?"
How ironic; the once truant Akiyama Mizuki, now encouraging you to socialise with your peers at—you got it— school . You vaguely recall your promise to Mizuki that you'd shuffle through new clubs this year, how they themselves have chosen a club to attend (describing the reaction you had that day as a surprise would be an understatement).
For the sake of your childhood friend, you attempt to reassure them.
"Okay, fine,” Your voice carries a hint of defeat. “We'll continue this talk at school. I won't give up the search, don't worry."
"See? That's what I want to hear from you!~"
Relief washes over you now that the conversation has come to an end, so you continue your brief walk to school in silence. Seeing Mizuki worry so much about you makes you want to ease their mind, at least for a little bit. Even if they didn't want to admit it, they were such a worrywart…
The school day comes to an end with nothing of note happening—time passes quickly and smoothly. You get up from your seat and gather your belongings, secretly hoping for a miracle to occur right there and then before your eyes. Needless to say, no genie materialised in front of you; this isn't a work of fiction, after all. How disappointing.
Enough moping , you say to yourself, and you decide to direct your attention to something more of relevance instead. . . Mizuki, clubs. Mizuki, clubs. Mizuki, clubs.
You’re snapped out of your trance upon hearing someone call out your name, and soon enough, Mizuki approaches your desk—speaking of the devil. It's a recurrent trend in your friendship, isn’t it? Always like them to keep you on your toes.
"Rise and shine, sunshine! Heh, heh, heh. You haven't forgotten about our meeting, have you?"
The enthusiastic aura that oozes off of them almost irks you. The grin falls from their face, and they nervously touch their fingertips together as a gesture of apology upon noticing your stare of disapproval. "Eeeh… I need to stop doing that, huh?"
You only nod and shrug it off, acting as if nothing happened. "Don't worry, there’s nothing to apologise for," You pause, trying to find a topic of discussion. "You mentioned you were in a club. Why don't you tell me more about it?"
"Ah, right! I’m glad to see you take an interest in it” they smile, a saccharine-sweet one as it always seems to be. “As I mentioned before, I'm the vice-president of the Literature Club ♪ It was founded recently, so as of now, there’s only four of us.”
… Well, five , since I kind of told them that I'd be bringing along a new member."
"Wait, what?"
Immediately, you blink at them, befuddled; they quickly adopt a more humble and unassuming demeanour.
"Hey, hey, I know nothing's set in stone yet, but you have to play along with this, okay? So… Yeah, I’m sorry for informing them that you will be joining our club without first hearing your decision, but no take backsies !"
"Mizuki, wait ―"
"Ah, right! The members are waiting for you, come on! I'm sure Mafuyu will explain more about the club when we get there,”
Not giving you a chance to voice any objections, the bundle of sunshine grabs your hand and starts guiding you in the direction of the clubroom, or so you assume. You are led through the corridors until you reach the designated room. However, now that you look back to your brief conversation, what was it they said?
Mafuyu?
Mizuki’s voice cuts through the air once again, intrerrupting your line of thought.
"The club meetings usually take place at 5 p.m., so we operate at night; that's the latest the school allows us to. However, today, we made an exception and agreed to meet after everyone's classes to make it easier for your arrival! And . . .”
Their words slowly fade into something you can't quite comprehend as you no longer pay much attention to what they are rambling about anymore. It's pretty difficult to focus in the first place when you are incessantly being pulled along like this. You only nonchalantly nod to their little chatter, silently wishing they wouldn’t sense your lack of attention. With the grip they held on your sleeve, you almost grew a bit worried that they might tear the fabric.
Opting to focus on something else before your syllogism becomes a full-blown internal monologue, you scan the surroundings around you.
In fact, you were now confident that you haven’t been to this part of school before. The hallway was long and had many offshoots leading to classrooms or offices. It was almost silent, save for the occasional muffled footsteps from the two of you that your mind has yet to register. And then, your gaze fell on Mizuki.
The sunlight spilled into the hallway through the windows with a certain deliberate grace, each ray a tender brushstroke of gold that kissed Mizuki's skin with a gentle, almost bashful touch. It was as if the sun itself were enamoured, eager to trace the delicate curve of Mizuki's cheek, to linger upon the smooth, soft flesh that glowed with a life of its own.
You timidly slip your hand into theirs, interlacing your fingers together.
A soft, content expression graces their features once they feel you do so. Mizuki turns to momentarily peer at you.
You return their stare, looking at them neutrally.
They peel their eyes off you.
The both of you arrive at your intended destination: the club room. Mizuki, in typical Mizuki fashion, flings open the door and ushers you inside. You notice it is merely a typical classroom, quite unlike the other school clubs, each of which boasts its own uniquely adorned space for activities. A lack of members, you muse, might account for this plainness. It only stands to reason.
"Ah, it seems we have a visitor," comes a voice, as if on cue. A student with a mane of violet hair steps forward with a swift grace, prompting Mizuki to release your hand and greet her. She shares Mizuki's penchant for ponytails, though hers spills down her back in an untamed, natural cascade of curls. The smile on her lips seems not so much an expression as an engraving, etched directly onto her face.
Your eyes sweep over the room, noticing a cluster of girls forming swiftly beside Mizuki, each possessing a distinct characteristic that sets her apart from the others. A soft, almost apathetic voice is the next to address you; it belongs to a petite girl whose expression is as muted as her tone.
"Welcome to the Literature Club… It’s a pleasure to meet you," she murmurs, her head lolling languidly to one side. You make an effort to not let your eyes linger on her complexion for too long—pale to the point of translucence.
"Eh?" A rustling from the corner catches your attention—a girl with brown hair who appears less enthused and more confused than the others comes to witness the commotion for herself. Her fingers absentmindedly trace the outline of her cheek as she attempts to make sense of the situation. "Um, hello. I don’t think we were expecting anyone…?" She shoots a glare in Mizuki's direction before her eyes flick back to you, a mix of curiosity and suspicion dancing within them.
"Ahh, that's right— you missed the club meeting that one time. Sorry, Ena~ I'll make it up to you next time. Now, let’s get to introductions,"
Mizuki turns on their heel to face you, happily presenting each member in a sing-song tone.
"This is Asahina Mafuyu, the club's president. I guess you could say that she represents the quintessence of club leading,"
(You already knew who Mafuyu is, how could you not?)
"Now, next is… Yoisaki Kanade! Don't get fooled by her apathetic face; she's a sweetheart in reality. And Shinonome Ena… she's the tsun-tsun of the club ♪" ("Ugh, really, Mizuki?")
Oh my God. You couldn't believe it…
This club… is full of incredibly cute girls!!!
You feel a sense of relief knowing there were no intimidating students in the club, although the realization that you may be even less socially skilled than the four of them combined starts to sink in; your nerves are calmed only by the presence of a familiar face that you were already acquainted with. In the presence of new people, you were never quite sure how to leave a good impression.
Mizuki, Ena, Kanade, Mafuyu...
Will you really be happy spending every evening after school in a literature club?