Yukinoshita sank into thought, long and deep.
It was a full minute before she finally spoke, and her voice had lost the sharpness it carried earlier—the kind of edge that could cut through steel.
Now, she sounded more hesitant.
"Although… wouldn't that just create a dynamic where the weak depend on the strong?"
"It could eventually turn into a situation where people start thinking, 'You're more capable than me, so it's your duty to help me.'"
As she said this, she noticed a flicker of unease on Hiratsuka-sensei's face.
But Yukinoshita didn't let it bother her.
Her will, forged over the years, was not something that could be easily shaken by someone else's reaction.
The scales of justice in her heart would weigh everything accordingly.
"Still, I can't deny that it's a workable approach. It's worth a try. However, the word 'duty' feels… inappropriate."
"When the wealthy give to the poor out of compassion, that's what we call charity, or public welfare.
"Like donations during natural disasters—they can ease social tensions. Developed countries provide aid to developing ones."
"Actually, even developing countries can do the same, if they choose to. Even if the practical effect is limited, it helps improve international reputation..."
She lowered her head, clearly deep in thought.
This idea didn't contradict her principles—in fact, it might even complement them.
'Charity.'
Hiratsuka winced.
'Yikes… how arrogant can you be?'
Though, to be fair, the girl in front of her probably had earned the right to be arrogant.
Still, if anyone else had said something like that out loud, they'd probably get punched—not because they were too brilliant, but because they were too blunt.
In just these past few minutes, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt like she'd inhaled all the cold air she was supposed to breathe over the next thirty years.
The last time she'd been this shocked was… well, when she learned that Hojou Kyousuke was still only a middle schooler, and yet constantly surrounded by girls.
Right—just thinking about that guy was enough to annoy her again.
A woman whose "days single" equaled her "days alive" suddenly had a bright idea.
Yukinoshita eyes gleamed.
"I see where you're coming from. So, when you said you wanted to revise your club's focus, what you really meant was to turn it into a club that helps others?"
"Exactly! Offering a helping hand to those in need. That way, you can practice your people-reading skills, and I'll have a much easier time convincing the Club Oversight Committee. Everyone wins." Hiratsuka summed it up with satisfaction.
"Alright, I accept your proposal. But there's no need to change the club's name, right?" Yukinoshita had no intention of giving up the name she'd come up with.
From the very start, she'd made her intentions clear—honest and upright.
That was her brand of justice.
'No, no, no—that name would never get approved in a million years,' Hiratsuka thought with an inward groan.
"How about… the Service Club?"
Service, or houshi in Japanese, refers to offering help or support without expecting anything in return.
From Yukinoshita's perspective, it aligned perfectly with the charitable concept she had just described.
She would definitely be satisfied with that.
Sure enough, Yukinoshita immediately understood the nuance.
Like a walking dictionary, she softly recited the various definitions under her breath.
Even from a kanji interpretation, the meaning was palatable to anyone submitting a request to the club.
It was a perfect compromise.
'As expected of you, Hiratsuka Shizuka. Eight years in a row as the students' favorite teacher. A master of the art.'
"Well then, I'll be counting on you, Hiratsuka-sensei," Yukinoshita gave a slight bow.
Even though both the club name and its purpose had been altered beyond recognition, she could sense her teacher's good intentions.
"Mhm. As your advisor, I'll also keep an eye out for students who need help. If I find someone suitable, I'll send them your way."
As she said this, Hiratsuka already had someone in mind—the first victim, so to speak.
Yukinoshita borrowed a black pen and neatly filled out the revised application form.
With that done, she exited the office.
[My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected – Yukinoshita Yukino (Protagonist)]
Just as she stepped out the door, Hojou Kyousuke moved slightly to the side, making way for the girl with a glowing "cursor" over her head.
Yukinoshita, mid-step, paused.
Her eyes turned toward someone who—despite lacking a glowing cursor—was still dazzling in his own right.
Their eyes met.
One of them wondered how a girl like this could possibly have a "problematic youth romantic comedy," and whether her family's way of raising children was somehow flawed.
The other recalled what Hiratsuka-sensei had said in the office just now.
Just as people are grateful to authors for the books that inspired them, Yukinoshita, who had gained insight from Hojou Kyousuke's actions, stepped aside and gave him a slight bow of gratitude.
"I'm Yukinoshita Yukino. Pleased to meet you, Hojou-san."
Hojou Kyousuke had to admit—this felt backwards.
Wasn't he the one who should be saying that?
He had no idea why such a graceful, striking girl would suddenly greet him, but he returned the gesture without missing a beat.
"I'm Hojou Kyousuke. Pleased to meet you too, Yukinoshita-san."
"Well then, I'll be going now."
Leaving those words behind, Yukinoshita turned and walked away as Hojou Kyousuke stepped into the office.
"Yukinoshita, you're back again?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka, who was busy peeling the paper off a cigarette, and saw that the owner of the desk next to her came back.
She looked up and asked in confusion
"Huh? Hojou? What brings you here?"
Dropping the cigarette wrapper, Hiratsuka's expression lit up with joy.
Just moments ago, she was worrying about how to get the Service Club approved—but if she could put his name on it, there'd be no issue at all.
"I have something to do," he said curtly, unwilling to elaborate.
Hiratsuka didn't mind.
She casually pulled out Yukinoshita's application form from the drawer and slid it across the table.
"I've got a pretty interesting club right here. Want to join?"
"No." He didn't even glance at the form before replying.
Yukari and Kyousuke go to her desk, and she dragged over an empty chair beside Hiratsuka and, without any awkwardness, Kyousuke sat down on it.
At Sobu High, the school's Sports Festival alternates between spring and fall each year.
So if it's held in spring this year, the next will be in fall.
Since club activities play a big role in organizing these festivals, the club recruitment period shifts accordingly.
This year, with the festival happening in spring, the recruitment week had arrived early.
Clubs were already scrambling to attract first-years.
As for Hojou Kyousuke's reason for being here—well, that went without saying.
He was here to submit an application to form a new club.
"You're starting a club too?" Hiratsuka raised an eyebrow as she watched what on Yukari take out the now-familiar application form from her desk.
A strange feeling came over her.
'Wait, aren't I supposed to be his guidance counselor?'
"Yeah." Kyousuke didn't even lift his head as he quickly filled out the form.
His club was legitimate—not just some empty shell.
It had real members and a full lineup of activities.
Club Name: Department of Creating a Happy Life
Applicants:
· Hojou Kyousuke / Year 1, Class F
· Yamauchi Sakura / Year 1, Class F
· Nishimiya Shouko / Year 1, Class F
...and a bunch of "ghost members" who would never actually show up—purely there to meet the member quota.
Club Philosophy: The meaning of life is happiness.
Club Activities: Eating lunch on the rooftop, under cherry blossoms, by the riverside, or at Ruyi Dorm… Napping on the beach under the sun, in hammocks in the woods, or anywhere at Ruyi Dorm…
Supervising Teacher: ….
Hiratsuka Shizuka hadn't given up on dragging Hojou Kyousuke into the Service Club.
From the moment she came up with the idea, she'd made up her mind—he was either going to join as a member or become their first "client."
"Ooh, this looks promising!" Hiratsuka Shizuka's eyes sparkled as she came over to take a peek.
Every word seemed to speak directly to her heart.
Seriously, as long as you're happy, who needs marriage? Those caught up in love will never understand the joy of being single.
So shallow, all of them!
If only every club activity ended with the words "with drinks"—now that would be ideal.
She'd even fund it herself (not that she'd let the students actually drink, of course).
"What's Ruyi Dormitory? Some high-end tea house in Ginza?"
The name "Ruyi Dormitory" had been popping up more and more often, and her curiosity finally got the better of her.
"Well, in a way, it's kind of our club's private activity space," Kyousuke replied, not bothering to hide anything.
"Our school has a place like that?" Hiratsuka blinked and turned to Yukino Yukari.
Yukari gave a soft smile but said nothing.
She wasn't about to call Kyousuke out.
"If you agree to also join the club I'll mentioned, I'll become your supervising teacher. How's that?"
Hiratsuka, momentarily forgetting what or where the "Ruyi Dorm" was, offered her condition instead.
Usually, supervising teachers for school clubs were pulled from the relevant departments—PE teachers for sports clubs, art teachers for creative ones.
A few elite clubs got hefty school funding and hired outside pros.
Kyousuke himself had once taken on such a position during his first year of middle school, back when he could barely afford to eat.
If you had a teacher you got along with, you could ask them directly.
Otherwise, the school would assign someone—usually just in name, contributing nothing beyond checking the boxes.
Kyousuke glanced back at the club name: Service Club.
Ugh. What the hell is that supposed to mean?
'Am I supposed to serve people? No thanks.'
He didn't even bother reading further.
"Not joining."
Another flat-out rejection.
If they needed the teacher to help rope people in, the club was probably on the brink anyway.
High schoolers were all dreamers—everyone wanted to shine in their club and kick off a rose-colored school life.
"This is an order. From your teacher," Hiratsuka said, puffing up her usual forceful aura.
"Teachers don't have that kind of authority."
"Fine. Then it's a request. From your teacher."
"Sorry. Still no."
Watching from the side, Yukari couldn't help but smile.
It was rare to see this side of Kyousuke.
He must really not like Shizuka.
"Sensei, you should stay away from that woman," Kyousuke had once warned her in a casual chat, "or she'll rub off on you."
He'd even told her outright about the time he pretended to be a high schooler.
Honestly, Yukari kind of envied Okudera Miki.
If only, three years ago, when she'd first met Kyousuke, he'd tricked her into thinking he was a student… they would've met much sooner.
Ah, I kinda wish he had lied to me.
Yukari leaned on the table, watching the two bicker back and forth with a soft, amused smile.
"You leave me no choice!"
Shizuka slammed her hands on the table, humiliated at being brushed off in front of a friend.
Time for her Plan B—intimidation by force.
Her martial arts, honed through years of college clubs, were no joke.
She'd mastered a blend of brutal, kill-oriented combat styles.
Even throwing a punch into empty air was enough to make spectators feel like they were witnessing death itself.
Most students, no matter how defiant, turned into obedient lambs when they saw those fists fly.
Seeing her stance, Kyousuke's eyes lit up.
'Finally, a justified reason for self-defense?'
"Wait, Shizuka—" Yukino tried to stop her.
Shizuka shot her friend a look: 'Relax, I won't actually hurt him.'
Back straight, knees bent, fists loosely at her hips—she launched a clean, lightning-fast punch.
Kyousuke instantly recognized it—a textbook karate move.
To the average person, the speed would be impossible to track. But to him, it was like watching slow motion.
Within a second, he'd come up with over five counterattacks, including catching her wrist and twisting downward.
That delicate wrist would buckle under pressure, forcing her to her knees.
Old-school koryū kenjutsu didn't just teach swordplay. Naginata, jujutsu—they were all part of the training.
In regular kendo matches, you'd just see two people trading bamboo strikes, but in something like the Tokyo Police Kendo Tournament, things often escalated into grappling matches—yōjutsu, or "soft-sword" fighting.
Of course, refs would split them up quickly.
For real jujutsu-style brawls, you had to go to a traditional dojo.
Once they clashed swords and locked up, it was often a silent agreement—toss the shinai and start grappling.
Kyousuke had imagined a dozen ways to lightly teach her a lesson—but to his dismay, her fist stopped a full three centimeters from his gut.
The gust of air it generated pushed back his shirt.
When Shizuka proudly lifted her face, she saw Kyousuke already sitting back down, completely unbothered.
"Hey! Next time, I won't be pulling my punches!"
Just as she geared up to launch another fake attack—
"Yukari, what are you doing?!"
Shizuka froze in shock.
"Hehe~" Yukari giggled sheepishly and wrote her name down in the "Club Supervisor" field.
"We're counting on you," Kyousuke said.
Watching Yukari's sweet and playful demeanor, he had the urge to pat her head… but held back.
At school, he didn't even call her by name out loud—he was careful about those things.
"Mm~" Yukari nodded and neatly put the application away.
"See you at home." That was the unspoken last line between them.
Out of courtesy, Kyousuke gave a polite nod to the fuming Shizuka.
"Ugh! Yukari, how could you agree to be his supervisor? Playing house with him like it's some silly game."
Shizuka ranted, grabbing the empty cigarette box from earlier and beginning to cut it up again.
But her hand shook in frustration and the cut went crooked.
That only made her even more annoyed.
———————————————————————
Yukari glanced at the cigarette box in her friend's hands, then at the neat stack of carefully trimmed cigarette labels under the glass tabletop.
She stayed quiet.
Shizuka always cut out the side of the pack with the six stars printed on it, saving it like a child might collect candy wrappers.
It gave off a sort of magical feeling—like if she gathered enough, maybe she could summon a dragon.
It was a cheap, simple happiness. But happiness all the same.
Of course, if she messed up something like trimming her cigarette shell—as she just did—she'd be so frustrated she couldn't even drink at dinner.
'So who's the kid here, huh?!'
And besides, Kyousuke-kun, this isn't some kind of make-believe game.
That's just how real life works.
"Yukari, you'd better give me a proper explanation!"
"..."
While Yukari was being held up inside, Kyousuke wasn't doing much better after stepping out of the office—he was ambushed as well.
The hallway, usually wide enough to feel spacious, was now packed with students.
Even Yukinoshita Yukino, who should've already walked off, had stopped to watch from outside the crowd, arms crossed, quietly observing the scene.
"Hojou's out!" someone shouted the moment he showed his face.
'Whoooosh—'
"Please join the Kendo Club, Hojou!"
A dozen or so students at the front dropped to their knees in perfect unison, like toppling golden pillars.
Their movements were so synchronized it was obvious they'd rehearsed this.
Yes, they were performing the traditional dogeza—a deep bow of prostration. And no, dogeza isn't just for apologies—it can also show desperate sincerity.
"Kisaki—!"
Kyousuke's vision went dark for a moment as he locked eyes with the usual suspect in the crowd.
"What the hell are you kneeling for?! You're not bank employees, damn it! What is this, career training day?!" This time, he didn't just mutter to himself—he yelled it outright.
"Please join the Literature Club, Hojou~"
This voice was softer and more pleasant—coming from the co-ed literature club standing behind the Kendo team, with a nearly even ratio of boys to girls.
"Join the Art Club instead~!"
This one was even sweeter and more delicate, probably because the girl-to-boy ratio was closer to four to one.
As more clubs chimed in—the soccer club, the baseball club—the hallway descended into chaos.
It was after school, at least.
'Not that it helped anything.'
The crowd only grew as more curious onlookers showed up.
Several teachers appeared behind Kyousuke, and even upperclassmen from other floors started coming down.
"Sakura, are you sure this was a good idea?"
Shouko asked nervously, now pushed back to the stairwell with Sakura because of the swelling crowd.
"Relax, relax. It's fine. Kyousuke lives for this kind of thing!"
Sakura replied with a devil-may-care grin.
It was obvious now—she had tipped off Kisaki and the others that Kyousuke had no intention of joining any clubs in high school.
She even gave the nervous Goro Hatake and company this brilliant idea.
No way they'd have dared pull this stunt on their own.
"But... but..."
Shouko fidgeted with her fingers behind her back, murmuring in a small voice:
"If Kyousuke-kun joins a club... won't we get to spend less time with him?"
The moment those words left her lips, Shouko's face turned bright red—redder than the cherry blossoms outside.
"Hehehe, don't worry, don't worry~ Even if he joins Kendo, it won't take up that much of his time. It was the same back in middle school, wasn't it?"
"Besides, you two already spend so much time together every day. Isn't that enough for you? I didn't know you could be so honest, Shou-chan~" Sakura teased without a care in the world.
What's high school without club activities?
If things went the way Kyousuke wanted, it'd feel like he was missing the whole experience.
No, it had to be a real club.
Something where everyone could have fun together.
Kyousuke couldn't just spend all his time surrounded by girls.
The sun belongs in the sky, admired by all.
Seeing the one you care about being so wanted—it made your heart swell with pride.
"Well, yeah," Shouko mumbled, voice small but determined.
"Wouldn't you feel the same? Don't you ever feel like… the time we have with Kyousuke-kun just isn't enough?"
Sakura blinked. Then slowly, her eyes shifted from Shouko's face to Kyousuke's.
Yeah. Of course it wasn't enough. Even if the day had 48 hours, it still wouldn't be.
As a cherry blossom petal drifted in from the window and landed on Shouko's head, Sakura gently plucked it off, her usual bright smile never wavering.
"Hey, Shouko—do you want to join a club too?"
"Eh? Well, I usually have to go to training school after class... I'd feel bad always missing club meetings."
She looked troubled—there were so many clubs she liked, from crafts to illustration to gardening.
"Well then, when the official club recruitment starts tomorrow, let's go look around together~"
"With Kyousuke-kun too?"
"Hmm... we'll see when the time comes."
The whole spectacle finally ended when the strict head teacher showed up.
Even someone as iron-willed as Kyousuke couldn't bring himself to reject the heartfelt plea of classmates whose dream was to work at a bank.
Especially not when two of them were his own classmates—Yoshiteru Zaimokuza and Hachiman Hikigaya.
Refusing would've made classroom life unbearably awkward.
As for those other clubs with all the pretty girls?
Not a chance.
He had a will of steel.
Joining them would get him killed.
If he actually did, Eriri would definitely tear him to shreds.
She'd pack her bags and storm back to her parents' house—crying and yelling the whole way. He'd be the one dogeza-ing next.
"What a freaking disaster…"
Kyousuke sighed deeply as he walked the path toward the school gates, flanked by Shouko and Sakura.
They were heading to Toyogasaki, where they had plans to meet Kato Megumi at a different café.
Naturally, Sakura had completely forgotten about it.
When the reminder popped up on her phone, she stared at it like someone had broken into her calendar app.
'Katou-san... you really are amazing.'