"Is it really okay to just leave Nishimiya-san with Takanashi?"
Outside the club building, Kirigaya Kazuto asked with a strange expression.
Sato smiled lightly at first, then sighed and shook his head.
"It's fine. Actually, leaving Nishimiya-san with the chuuni is probably the better choice."
"After all, with fewer people around, she's less likely to get bullied."
"Otherwise, would you rather let her join a different club?"
Kirigaya and Saiki nodded thoughtfully. They understood what Sato meant.
In (Anime) Japan, school bullying was notoriously rampant. Even in a strict, academically driven private high school like this one, there was no guarantee that delinquents wouldn't slip in.
After parting ways inside the club building, Sato headed up to the top floor alone.
Saiki Kusuo was in the cooking club, which met in the kitchen classroom, while Kirigaya Kazuto's kendo club was located on the first floor.
The kendo club was one of the top clubs in the school having won several national-level tournaments, it occupied the entire first floor of the building. That was no small feat.
Sato's club, on the other hand, seemed much less prestigious. The light music club's room was tucked away at the very top of the building, an inconvenient spot by any measure.
Standing in front of the light music club's door, Sato took a quiet breath and knocked.
Knock knock!
The knock echoed firmly through the door. Footsteps hurriedly approached from inside.
Whoosh!
The door swung open like a gust of wind had blown through.
A short-haired girl with chestnut-brown hair stood in front of him. She looked lively and energetic, her eyes bright, and a yellow hairband pushed her bangs back to reveal a smooth forehead.
Her hairline... wait, no, her forehead was impressively broad.
"Oh!"
Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Sato, and she let out a surprised little yelp.
"Are you here to join the Light Music Club?"
"Yes. I'm Nohara Sato. Nice to meet you."
Sato smiled as he gave a brief self-introduction.
At his words, the sparkle in the girl's eyes practically exploded. A moment later, her whole face lit up with joy.
"Everyone! We've got a new member! We don't have to worry about the club being shut down anymore!"
She waved excitedly toward the classroom behind her, then turned back to Sato.
"Hi! I'm Tainaka Ritsu, president of the Light Music Club!"
"Nice to meet you," Sato said, slightly confused by the girl's energy and expression.
Shut down?
Did he just hear something… concerning?
No wonder the club was relegated to the top floor. Were they really struggling that badly?
"Huh? We finally have a new member?"
"Looks like we won't be disbanded after all."
Voices floated out from inside the clubroom specifically feminine ones, clearly. It seemed there weren't many members, and they were all girls.
Soon, two girls stepped into view... just as expected.
"Wait, you're…"
Suddenly, Sato's eyes widened in surprise. One of the girls looked familiar.
She too stared at Sato, slightly open-mouthed.
"Huh? Nohara-san, do you know Mio?"
Tainaka Ritsu's eyes widened in suspicion as she turned to her friend.
Tch… Since when did Mio know such a good-looking guy? Even I didn't know about this! Unfair!
"It was just a brief encounter, that's all," Sato said.
"Really just a brief encounter?"
Ritsu's face was full of doubt, her gaze bouncing between Akiyama Mio and Sato.
"I'm telling you, it was only once!"
Mio, cheeks flushed, shouted back at her friend.
"Hehe, just kidding! You're with me every day, Mio. If you had a boyfriend, I'd know for sure."
Ritsu hugged Mio with a mischievous grin, brushing it off like it was just a joke.
"B-boyfriend?!"
Mio's pupils unfocused, and she repeated the word in a daze.
Almost instantly, a deep blush spread across her entire face. Cheeks, ears, everything. She squatted down, clutching her head like she was under attack.
"Hahaha, well, Mio's just a little shy."
Ritsu scratched her head and laughed awkwardly.
Sato forced a chuckle as well, glancing at the girl with long black hair who was blushing all the way to her ears.
"A little shy"? She just out-blushed 99.99% of the global population!
He composed himself and introduced himself formally.
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Nohara Sato from Class 1-A."
"Hello, I'm Kotobuki Tsumugi."
Besides Mio and Ritsu, there was one more girl in the club. Long, wavy, light brown hair reaching her waist and deep blue eyes.
After Sato's introduction, she spoke in a calm and elegant manner, radiating the grace of a true refined lady.
Her voice was gentle and soft, like a cloud of cotton candy. Her eyes sparkled with open curiosity as she looked at Sato, the kind of gaze you'd give a rare, exotic animal.
And under her breath, she murmured like in a dream:
"He's a boy…"
Sato blinked in confusion, a chill running down his spine.
That look… was she treating him like a lab rat or something?
"Did I do something wrong?" he asked cautiously.
"Haha, Mugi's only ever gone to all-girls schools before. She's just a little curious about boys, that's all."
Ritsu, clearly used to this, stepped in with an explanation.
Then she shot a glance at Mio and grinned wickedly.
"And I'm sure you've already met our club's flower…"
"Wh-what club flower?! Ritsu, stop saying weird things!"
Mio shot up with a snap, glaring at her with lips tightly pressed together, eyes reddening slightly.
Ritsu flinched a little. Uh-oh, looks like Mio was really getting upset.
"Cough cough, Mio, tone it down a bit. We've got company."
She whispered to her friend, knowing that if Mio accidentally burst into tears, the trauma might last a lifetime.
Mio understood what Ritsu meant, and after shooting her a fierce glare, she noticed Sato looking at her with amused interest.
Fighting down her embarrassment, she forced herself to stay calm and said in a low voice:
"I'm Akiyama Mio. Please take care of me from now on."