Vol 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)
2 - The Rebirth of the Traditional Classics Club
It's often said that life in high school is rose-coloured As the year 2000 comes to an end, the arrival of the day that matches that description as defined by a japanese dictionary isn't too far off
However, that doesn't h school students would wish for such a rose-coloured life Whether it's studying, sports or rorey-coloured life rather than all that; I know quite a feithinStill, it's quite a lonely way to live one's life
Here I was striking up a conversation of such a topic with my old friend fukube Satoshi+ in the classrooht of the sunset As always, Satoshi+ would carry a sht as well By the way, I never knew you were so masochistic”
How unfortunately wrong he was So I protested, ”Are you saying rey-coloured?”
”Did I say that? But Houtarou, whether it's studying, sports, or as the other one? Ro in any of those”
”I' either”
”Well, true,”
Satoshi+'s smile broadened
”You're just 'saving energy' after all”
I gaveas you understand that I don't exactly hate gettingbothersoy for the betterment of the planet In other words, ”If I don't have to do it, I won't If I have to do it, make it quick”
As I utterhis shoulders as usual
”Whether it's energy saving or cynicis, isn't it? Have you ever heard of instrumentalism[1]?”
”Nope”
”In short, it means that for a person like you who has no particular interest, just by observing the fact that you have not joined any club here in Kah school club activities, rey-coloured person”
”What? Are you saying death froence?”
Satoshi+ answered without hesitation, ”Froh it's a differentto convince a dead person that his death is due to your negligence in order to exorcise his soul”
””
Cheeky bastard I once again looked at the person before me fukube Satoshi+, my old friend, worthy opponent and deadly rival, is rather short for a guy Even as a high school student, he could be , but he's totally different on the inside It's quite difficult to explain just what that difference is ー anyway, he just feels different Besides carrying a s, as well as his trademark cheekiness He's also a member of the Handicraft Club, don't ask me why
Arguing with hinify the end of this conversation
”Yeah, whatever Just go home already”
”Yeah, you're right I haven't got any club activities today o home”
As Satoshi+ stretched his waist, he suddenly realized so and looked at me
”'Go ho that from you”
”What is?”
”If it's going ho that sentence? Just what business would you have after school when you aren't affiliated with any clubs?”
”Ah”
I raised ht pocket ofit to Satoshi+, his eyes widened in a It's not like he's really surprised, though it's true that his eyes have widened Satoshi+ is well-known for such exaggerated reactions after all
”What?! How can this be?!”
”Satoshi+, behave yourself”
”Isn't this a club application form? I'm surprised Just what on earth has happened? For Houtarou to actually join a club”
It was indeed a club application for the club name that ritten in, Satoshi+ raised his eyebrow
”The Classics Club?”
”You heard of it?”
”Of course, but, why the Classics Club? Have you suddenly found an interest in classic literature?”
No should I explain this? I scratched my head and took out another piece of paper from my inner left pocket It was a letter with scribbled handwriting, which I handed over to Satoshi+
”Read it”
Satoshi+ proh it, and as expected, began to laugh
”Haha, Houtarou, now that sure is troublesome A request from your sister, huh? No way you could refuse that”
Why was he looking so gleeful? On the other hand, I was very aware that I was showing a bitter expression This air to make adjustments toletters to derail my life
'Houtarou, safeguard the Classics Club, the youth of your big sis'
When I had opened the envelope and read through that brief letter this , I becaation to safeguard my sister's memories, but
”What was it that your sis is specialized in? Jujutsu?”
”Aikido and Taiho-jutsu[2] It can be pretty painful if one has the intent to hurt”
Yup, my sister, a university student proficient in both acade japan alone, and had decided to go out and challenge the world as well It would not be wise to incur her fury
Then again, while I could attempt to resist hat little pride I had, it was also true that I had little reason to oppose her Indeedout that I don't have anything better to do anyway I decided I ht as well be an invisible club member rather than an unaffiliated student, and so without hesitation, ”I sub”
”You knohat this means, Houtarou?”
Satoshi+ said while glancing at hed and said, ”Yeah, there doesn't seem to be any benefit from this”
” No, that's not what I meant”
Lifting his gaze froely cheerful tone He tapped the letter with the back of his palm and said, ”There are currently no ht? This et to keep the club rooreat? A private base within school for your own use”
A private base?
” That's an interesting way to look at this”
”Don't you like that?”
Such strange reasoning Satoshi+ was basically saying I could have my own secret base in school I could never come up with such an idea A private space, huh? It's not like I really desire such a thing and would strive to work hard for it But it's not so bad if it comes as a perk I took back the letter froht go have a look”
”Good Opportunities are there for you to try out”
Opportunities there to try out, huh? Well, it's not like it doesn't suit my personality at all, so I s
I was still faithful to my own motto
From the opened s, the shouts of the Athletics Team could be heard
” Fight! Fight! Fight!”
I wouldn't want to get y consu energy is the superior option, so I' those active people as fools at all I headed towards the Classics Club roo them continue with their chants
I walked along the tiled corridor and up towards the third floor Upon e ladder, I asked him where the Classics Club rooy Lecture Room on the fourth floor of the Special Purposes Block
This school, Kah School, was neither copious in its nue in its campus area
The total number of students was somewhere around a thousand While the school provides curricula for university entrance exah schools, it wasn't particularly noted for its acadeh school On the other hand, the school had an extraordinarily large number of clubs (such as the Water Paint Club or the A Capella Club, as well as the Classics Club), hence it was quite well known for having a lively annual Cultural Festival
Within the cas The General Block which houses the regular classrooms, the Special Purposes Block with its special purposes classrooms, and the Gymnasium That's quite normal really There's also the Martial Arts Dojo and the Sports Equipe Room The fourth floor of the Special Purposes Block, where the Classics Club room is located, is relatively remote
While cursing at such a waste of energy, I walked across the connecting corridor and up the stairs towards the fourth floor, where I quickly found the Geology Room Without hesitation I proceeded to slide the door open, but found that it was locked This was to be expected, as most special purposes rooms are normally locked I took out the key which I borrowed beforehand in order to save energy and unlocked the door
After turning the lock open, I slid the door open Inside the ey Roo
Did I say empty? Nope, turns out it was not what I expected
Within the sunset drenched Geology Room, which is the Classics Club room, there was already someone inside
A student was standing beside thelooking towards irl
While ”graceful” and ”neat” weren't exactly the first words that ca her, there were no other words that I could think of to describe her properly Her long black hair flowed past her shoulders, and her sailor uniforirl, probably taller than Satoshi+ While it was clear she was a high school girl, her thin lips and forlorn figure reinforced this old-fashi+oned iirl would look like within raceful, they looked energetic
It was a girl I didn't recognize
Yet upon seeing me, she smiled and said, ”hello You ht?”
” Who're you?”
I asked candidly Though I was never good at interacting with people, I didn't intend to treat someone I just met for the first time coldly While I didn't knoho she was, for some reason, she seemed to knoho I am
”Don't you remember me? My name is Chitanda, Chitanda Eru”
Chitanda Eru Even though she's given her naot a clue By the way, Chitanda is quite a rare surname, and so is her first naet such a name
I looked once again at the girl called Chitanda Aftersure that I don't know her, I replied, ”I'm sorry, I don't think I remember who you are”
Whileher smile, she tilted her head, apparently confused
”You're Oreki-san, right? Oreki Houtarou of Class 1-B?”
I nodded
”I'm from Class 1-A”
So do you re at Was my memory really that bad?
Hang on I'm from Class B and she's fro met before?
Even within the sarade, it was not possible for students from different classes to interact with each other at all The only chance they get to do so was via club activities or friends I had no such links with both Then it must have involved the entire student body, but the only event I could think of was the school's opening ceremony at the start of the semester Besides, I don't think I was ever introduced to anyone from outside my class then
No, wait I remember That's it, there were chances for us to interact with other classes during lessons If it involves the use of special equipment, then it's more feasible to teachPE or arts-related subjects During middle school, there would also be vocational classes, but as this high school is a mainly acadeender separated, so that leaves
”Could it be that we had ether?”
”Yes, that's it!”
Chitanda nodded her head greatly
Despite figuring that outpride, I must confess that I have only attended any of those optional arts lessons once ever since enrolling here So it was of course impossible for me to remember any faces or names!
But on the other hand, this girl called Chitandaproof that it was not exactly impossible Letlevel of observation and memory
Still, it could also be that it's all coincidental Different people could interpret differentthe saained s you here to the Geology Room?”
She quickly replied, ”I've joined the Classics Club, so I thought I should coreet you”
Joined the Classics Club, in other words, a member
At thatIf she's joining the club, it wouldto fulfill ation to hed withinthat, I asked, ”Why are you in the Classics Club as well?”
I didn't want to join this club! I tried to convey this ie within et it
”Well, I have personal reasons for joining”
She even evaded my question Unexpectedly, this Chitanda Eru is quite suspicious
”What about you, Oreki-san?”
”Me?”
Now that's tricky How should I answer her? I don't think she'd understand that I caan to think about it, I realized she didn't really need to know my reason
Suddenly the door slid open and a loud voice boo here?”
It was a teacher Probably patrolling the campus after school time With a firh he wasn't carrying a baine him with one While he's way past his prime, he still has that air of authority around him
Chitanda shi+rked back for a bit upon getting yelled at so suddenly, but soon reverted to her calreet the teacher
”Good afternoon, Morishi+ta-sensei”
She made a perfect salutation by the way she bowed her head with the right speed and angle Seeing how she ardless of where she was, I couldn't help but feel envious of her The teacher called Morishi+ta was briefly stunned into silence by her courtesy, but soon went back to talking loudly again
”I saw the door unlocked so I ca the classroom without permission? What's your name and class?”
Hmph, without permission, huh?
”I'm Oreki Houtarou of Class 1-B By the way, Sensei, this is the Classics Club room, and I'm afraid you've interrupted our club activities,”
”The Classics Club?”
Without hiding his suspicions, he continued, ”I thought that had been abolished”
”Well, that was before today It's been reactivated thisteacher, umm”
”Ooide-sensei,”
”Yes, you can confirm with Ooide-sensei”
A suitable explanation at a suitable moment Morishi+ta quickly lowered his volume
”Oh I see Well, continue hat you're doing”
”But you've only just seen us”
”And remember to return the key when you're done”
”Yes, sir”
Morishi+ta once again turned to gaze at us before shutting the door roughly Chitanda once again cowered her body at the loud sound, but then gently whispered, ”He's”
”Hmm?”
”He's quite loud for a teacher”
I smiled
Anyway
Guess I have no more business here
”Alright Now that we're done with the introductions, shall we go home?”
”Huh? We're not having any activities today?”
”Well, I' home”
I picked up , which doesn't have much stuff in it, and turned my back towards Chitanda
”I'll count on you to lock the door You don't want to get yelled at like that again, do you?”
”Eh?”
I then proceeded to leave the Geology Room
Or rather, I was about to leave, when I was stopped by Chitanda's discerning voice
”Please wait!”
I turned around to look at Chitanda, who looked as though she had been told so quite unthinkable, and who said blankly, ”I, I can't lock the door”
”Why's that?”
”Because I don't have the key”
Oh, yeah The key's with me There weren't that many spare keys available to be borrowed, it seems So I took the key from my pocket and held it towards her
”Here, you take care of Sorry, I mean, please take care of this, Chitanda-san”
But Chitanda didn't respond She si she tilted her head and asked, ”Oreki-san, why are you carrying that?”
Is shea few screws in her head?
”Well, I couldn't have come in without a key Wait a minute, how the hell sorry, how did you come in to this room, Chitanda-san?”
”The door wasn't locked when I caht someone else had entered before me, so I didn't need a key to enter”
I see Since unless she received a letter from a former member like I have, she wouldn't have known that there were no other members in the Classics Club
”Is that so? When I came the door was locked”
Turns out it was a mistake for me to utter that so nonchalantly, as the expression in Chitanda's eyes changed instantly and her gaze becaer? Indifferent to my startled expression, she slowly asked me, ”When you said the door was locked, do you h?”
While feeling confused at such a change in expression for such a graceful girl, I nodded Whether consciously or unconsciously, Chitanda took one step towards me
”So this ht?”
The clear batting sounds made by the Baseball Team could be heard from the outside While I have no more business with this roohed and relented, and placeddown on a table nearby
Locked inside, hat Chitanda had said Is that so? I thought for a bit The key ith me, while Chitanda was inside the roo the door Then the ansas simple
”Wasn't it you who locked the door from the inside?”
Yet Chitanda shook her head and denied that unequivocally
”I never did that”
”Well, the key's with me Who else could have locked the door besides you?”
””
”Well, there are tiet whether they've locked the door or not,”
Yet Chitanda doesn't see attention to ht behind me
”By the way, is that your friend over there?”
I turned around, and found the silhouette of a black uniforaze quicklythose brown eyes that look as though they're s, so I raised my voice and called out, ”Satoshi+! That's so on other people's conversations!”
The door was opened, and as expected, the person that entered was fukube Satoshi+ Totally feeling unasha to eavesdrop”
”Youso anyway”
”That e in when I saw the usually inactive Houtarou spending quality ti sunset I don't want to end up getting kicked out”
What's he talking about?
”I thought you went home already”
”Yeah, I was about to, but then I saw you with this girl inside this room fro tom”
I ignored Satoshi+'s co us fro Yet for people who're not used to such light-hearted jokes, theyhim seriously
Seems like Chitanda too has been fooled
”Eh, eh, I”
Her cal replaced by a flustered look She seems to be the type that wears her expressions on her face, as she appears to be saying ”Look, I'ht noith a nervous look While it was fun to see her like that, I wasn't going to let it go on any longer
Fortunately, in order to expose Satoshi+'s joke, all you needed to do was ask him, ”Are you serious?”