Chapter Text
Chihaya Takezo was standing at the crossing, the morning quiet. Since he had to walk Miyuki to school—the petite, jumpy sister of his standing by his side—Takezo had gotten up just past sunrise to get the both of them ready.
Takezo and Miyuki's mother was already at work, so he was the adult. If only she were around a little more, he thought. Then the brat could annoy her instead of me.
"Onii-chan." Miyuki poked her brother.
"What?"
"Sayori nee-chan said she wanted to talk to you, ya know. She left so many messages—you need to buy a phone."
Takezo nodded, sighing, and dryly replied: "I will, I will. I know."
Miyuki skipped off when Takezo dropped her off at school.
He kept walking, alone now, his amber eyes glimmering in the sky as it faded from pink and gold into a gentle blue. His shaggy dark hair was getting long. It looked like he had a mullet. I need a haircut, Takezo thought as he brushed it out of his eyes and continued on. He dug through his bag as he rounded a corner and looked at the nearly-empty bottle labelled Haloperidol, with the names of himself and the doctor underneath. Shit, I guess I need more.
Waiting on the street corner further up ahead was a short girl, maybe a head shorter than Takezo, with a coral pink bob all in a mess and bright blue eyes. He knew her anywhere, especially because a blue-eyed girl in rural Japan is a real sight. Sayori’s mother had met her father vacationing in Colombia.
"Takezo!" Sayori called out, approaching happily. Her bob bounced on her head as she walked and her side ponytail fluttered in the wind, a basically-useless tuft of hair she only had to stick her big red bow to something. "I missed you, you know." She bounded over and gave Takezo a hug around his waist.
"You're... up early," Takezo said, hesitantly returning her hug. It was the closest look he'd gotten at her in a long time, but he remembered her freckles and big eyelashes and button nose, and the roundness of her face. The difference was she was taller, if slightly, and now actually looked her age.
Sayori seemed to be taking Takezo in in return. Tall, slightly tanned with pretty, almost feminine eyes and a mole on his right cheek. "I woke up extra early today to get a hot chocolate at the cafeteria." She didn't tell him that she woke up to walk to school together like old times. Still, she requested they do exactly that.
"Take-chan," Sayori said happily as they walked hand in hand, "there's another reason I woke up early. I was helping my friends set up for the Cultural Festival on the weekend."
Takezo feigned offence. "Friends besides me?"
Sayori giggled. "I joined a club. And to get right to the point, I want you to join, Take-chan. It feels like we haven't spent any time together since middle school. I call and call, but you don't have a phone so they all go to your mother."
"I get it. I'll buy a phone."
"That's not the point I was trying to make."
"...and I'll join your club. What was it again?"
"The Literature Club. We’re 16 and I don't want you becoming a friendless NEET in a couple years because you did the bare minimum in school..."
The school was a brief train ride away in the city. Takezo and Sayori lived in a village called Ebisugaoka, but the high school was mostly made up of kids from nearby Yokota, a small city.
"...ke up, Takezo."
Suzuki Shiori was staring at Takezo in class again. She had an eeriness about her. The girl kicked his leg and he jolted out of his half-asleep state, so he shifted a couple seats when Akiyama-sensei wasn't looking to hear her better. She had long, wavy hair that took way more effort than she's ever admit, and that look in her eye like she was preying on whoever she spoke to.
"What now, Shiori?"
"I heard from a little birdie that you came to school with Aimoto Sayori."
"So what? Sayo-chan is my friend."
"So, that was quick. Are you two..."
"What do you care?"
"I don't. Just... a class representative should know what's going on."
Takezo didn't like people like Shiori, because they were gossips and freaks and inconsiderate pricks who fed on class drama like vampires. Lately, more and more people had been like that, it was the culture at school, so no wonder Takezo had become so lonely. Still better than trying to be friends with Shiori.
"Chihaya, Suzuki, quit flirting in my class."
Shiori blushed and straightened up in her seat. Takezo grimaced. He knew that Shiori would go to Hell.
At the end of the day, Sayori found Takezo outside his classroom and clutched his hand. "Thank you for agreeing, Take-chan."
"I didn't agree to—"
"—to join, just to check it out, I know." Sayori rolled her eyes, childishly pouting. "You'll change your tune when you meet the club. I promise!"
Takezo opened the door. "Ladies first."
"Don't worry. Guests come before ladies." Sayori ushered Takezo inside. The afternoon sun was pouring through the windows of a large classroom, the back wall entirely lined with stacked bookshelves. Mostly thick and boring-looking, but a small corner of manga was carved out, seemingly all by one person. It was mostly cutesy shoujo crap. Takezo thought that his mother would like all these books, and his sister the manga. A green couch was sat next to the shelves with a small low table next to it on which sat a teaset. All the desks were pushed together into a table covered with a book-patterned tablecloth surrounded by five chairs. The rest were in stacks on the wall opposite the bookshelves. Behind the desk was a girl with green eyes, light brown hair, delicate and slim features like a porcelain doll and a perfect, serene smile.
Monika.
Monika was a German exchange student. She was the top of the class and on the tennis team, and was a member of the student council as well as apparently the leader of the Literature Club. Monika had sat next to Takezo in math last year, although the two hadn't spoken. He wasn't even at her 16th birthday party in September of that year, or her 17th a few weeks ago. Despite being a city girl if there ever was one, she was actually really nice.
All in all, way out of his league.
Despite this, she seemed to remember him. She even smiled at him—Takezo's heart fluttered. "Who knew?" Monika said joyously. "Sayori's friend is Chihaya Takezo. It's good to see you again, Takezo—welcome to the Literature Club." Monika didn't bother introducing herself, because of course Takezo remembered her. Everyone remembered Monika. Every guy and every girl in class wanted her bad.
Monika extended her hand to shake. "Take a seat."
Takezo hesitantly shook it and sat down. "Thanks, Monika..."
The short girl growled. She was wearing red ribbons in her hair to put it in short twintails and it was dyed bright pink, though he could see the black roots. She had decorated her shirt, her skirt and her bag with bows and bright ribbons. She was as cute as cute could be. One guess as to who brought the manga. "Sayo-chan, you brought a boy?"
Sayori nodded. "My favourite boy!"
Actually, looking at the pink girl, she might have been that short girl who helped out in Fujimoto’s fields some weekends to earn some extra money. She definitely didn’t look like a Yokota city girl.
Monika sighed. "Well, anyway..."
Sayori awkwardly cleared her throat. "Sorry, Take-chan. She's prickly."
"That's okay... hehe, she seems like fun."
The pair sat down together at one side of the table and Sayori leaned against Takezo.
"What's the pink one's name?" Takezo asked.
The pink one stomped over before Sayori could answer.
"It ain't the pink one, I'll tell you that much. I'm Gushiken Natsuki. You're Takezo, right?"
Takezo nodded at Natsuki. "Chihaya Takezo. You're..." he wanted to compliment her cutesy, bright fashion. "...cute."
Natsuki visibly bristled. "I'm not cute."
Monika sighed. "So, Natsuki," she said loudly as if to create a segue, "didn't you have a gift for our prospective member?"
Grumbling, Natsuki nodded and grabbed a tupperware container from the couch with a single cupcake. "The rest of us already ate ours. Eat up, beanpole."
"Thanks," Takezo sighed, unsure if he should be grateful at all for this treatment. Wasn't he a guest? She seemed pretty rude, and only offered him a cupcake when Monika made her.
The girl across the table was oddly quiet. She seemed detached from everyone else's... well, as Takezo saw it, mania. "I'm Takezo," he said quietly, reaching across the table.
She seemed to shy away. The girl looked taller than the rest of them and maybe Takezo's height. Despite her shyness, every movement had a ladylike air to it. Like Natsuki, this other girl had dyed her hair, only this time a deep royal shade of purple. It slightly reminded Takezo of his mother's high school photos, only she was more confident, her hair was wavy and dyed a lighter shade.
"Yuri," the elegant girl introduced herself. She managed to reach out and politely shake his hand. Hers was almost inhumanly soft. "Kuroyanagi Yuri." Takezo guessed she was from Yokota.
Takezo nodded and smiled at Yuri. He noticed the open book on the table in front of her. "Yuri, what're you reading?"
"It's..." she looked at the cover as if she'd forgotten herself. "...Salem's Lot."
Takezo smiled and nodded along even though he was unfamiliar. "Sounds good!"
Natsuki sat down next to Yuri, still occasionally looking at Takezo with contempt. Yuri seemed to still be nervous around him.
Not including Sayori, who was practically cuddling him—this was common between them—the only one who seemed totally comfortable with him just yet was Monika, who walked back behind her desk at the front of the room.
Monika cleared her throat. "Okay, everyone!"
"Ooh! Ooh!" Sayori raised her hand.
Monika paused, sighed and turned to her. "Yes, Sayo-chan?"
"Takezo didn't write one. I forgot to tell him."
"...oh." Monika nodded and paused for a minute, seemingly in thought. "That's okay. I know you can be forgetful at times—but that throws a wrench into sharing poems. Then what do we do instead?"
"I can give him an introductory tour," Sayori offered proudly, "and then he can write a poem tonight and we'll share tomorrow!"
"What about the rest of us?" Natsuki asked bitterly.
Yuri nodded. "If that's the case, I'll make everyone tea. At least getting up and walking around will ease my pain."
"Of course your back hurts again."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
“They’re huge!”
“Excuse me?!”
While the two fought, Sayori helped Takezo to his feet and led him around the edge of the room, showing off the view from the window, the decorations, and the prize bookshelf that Monika prided herself on.
Miyuki, who didn't know Takezo was at a club, had gotten sick of waiting for him to pick her up and walked up to the high school to wait for him. Fumiko, Miyuki's best friend, was waiting next to her and scrolling on her phone.
"Miyu-chan, if I might suggest... just go home."
"Mum will ask where my brother is."
"School."
"He never does extracurriculars."
"Maybe he went home without you."
"He never does that either. I'd see him, anyway."
"Maybe he went a different route."
"He's too stupid."
Fumiko sighed and leaned against the gate in thought. "Call your mother and tell her you're staying over with me."
"Huh?" Miyuki blushed and looked over with a bashful smile. "You serious?"
"Let's watch Madoka Magica and eat cookies."
"Let's,” she replied, and they walked off.
Miyuki wanted to spontaneously combust. She was getting tired, angry and bored—laying on her best friend’s bed, alone because Fumiko was showering, fiddling with the remote to a TV that turned off every twelve seconds. Her mother was still at work, her older brother forgot she existed.
And the worst part was, perhaps, she wanted to cuddle Fumiko right now.
When the TV finally got working, Miyuki started looking through shows on Netflix. She put on Madoka Magica’s first episode by the time Fumiko came back, drying off her hair.
“Miyu-chan, do you want some cookies?”
“Cookies!” Miyuki leapt up in the bed and snatched a cookie from Fumiko’s hands, stuffing it in her mouth. “You know, I hope we get into the same high school.”
“Me too. I hope we’ll be together forever.”
“Forever.”
"And that's the tour!" Sayori said proudly, with her hands on her hips. "Whaddya think, Take-chan?"
Takezo smiled and leaned against Sayori. "I like it. You wanted me to join, right?"
Sayori lit up and practically started bouncing up and down. "You'll join? You will?"
"Sure."
Yuri carefully poured a cup of tea for Natsuki. "Here. It's hot, so be careful. Do you want some chocolate with your tea, Natsuki?"
"Of course I want some chocolate." Natsuki realised she sounded sharper than she thought and nervously cleared her throat. "Please."
Yuri broke a piece off of a chocolate bar and handed it to Natsuki. "Natsuki, don't talk about my body like that again."
"I can't promise I won't in the heat of rage but I’ll try not to otherwise," she conceded as she put the chocolate in her mouth and started drinking Yuri's tea.
Yuri gently smiled. "That's the best I can hope for. Well, anyway... another topic I've been meaning to ask about. Your manga shelf."
Natsuki crossed her arms. "What about it?"
"Does it belong at the Literature Club?"
"Course it does. Manga is totally literature."
"Any book with pictures is... low-brow to me."
"Elitist."
Sayori led Takezo past the table and stopped when she overheard Yuri and Natsuki. "Hey! Girls! Stop fighting, please... you're leaving a bad first impression on Takezo, anyhow."
"Takezo, Takezo, Takezo," Natsuki replied. "Bechdel Test."
Monika blinked. “You know what that is?”
Sayori led Takezo up to Monika’s desk, announcing, “He’ll join.”
Takezo took a look over Monika’s desk. There were a few loose stacks of paper around and on one side was a row of awards. There was a sticker of a flag on her expensive-looking laptop with three pink, yellow and blue stripes and an actual pot of ink, which he found a little pompous.
“That’s great,” Monika replied, clapping before she held out her hand to Takezo. He hesitantly shook it. “We’ll all be so happy to have you, Takezo. New club members are always appreciated.”
“Anywhere I need to sign or anything?” Takezo blushed.
“Not at all. You say you’re a member and I’ll just put your name in the next report to the Student Council."
“Thanks, Monika,” Takezo said. “How long has it been?”
“45 minutes, so we should get packing up soon.”
Takezo and Sayori hadn’t brought much, so they didn’t need to pack up like the other girls. Takezo walked to the door and held it open for Sayori. “Ladies first.”
“Thank you,” she said with a big smile, doing a little curtsy as she walked out. Takezo followed her and they walked through the empty hallways, the golden light spilling through the windows and across the floor. The only noise beside their footsteps was the gentle, rhythmic ticking of the clocks in each classroom. The other after-school clubs were packing up already. Outside, the track team was practicing. A few guys were staring at Shiori. She noticed him through the window, her big proud smile turning into a glare, and swiftly kept running. She was second only to that transfer student with the prosthetic legs. Emi, or something.
Takezo found himself watching the team run, trained on Shiori's determined look compared to the bright smile Emi wore, with a strange melancholy feeling in his chest, until Sayori pulled him away.
Sayori and Takezo walked downstairs and out the front of the building. The clubroom was on a low floor, because the classroom it was situated in was designated for third-years. Takezo and Sayori were second-years who rarely set foot in there besides to use the stairs.
“Take-chan…” Sayori looked up at him with big, glossy eyes. She was uncharacteristically shy about it.
“Yeah, Sayo-chan?”
“Thank you for joining. The truth is, I thought we weren’t friends anymore. We hardly talk. But… best friends forever, right?”
“Forever.”
Takezo stopped at Sayori’s house, his was just down the street. “Goodnight, Sayo-chan.”
“Goodnight, Take… come back to the club tomorrow.”
As Sayori disappeared into her house and her parents’ arms, Takezo wondered if forever was too ambitious.