[It's just some instruments, that's all.]
Saiki walked straight up and got hands-on.
First the guitar. As soon as Saiki picked it up, he performed the classic, proper rock music of "Demon Wind Chaos Dance."
TAKAYUKI: "Whoa, that's amazing. He actually knows how to play."
Then he switched to bass and produced some earth-shaking sounds.
"So awesome. I was just trying to bluff him and trick him into staying anyway."
After that, Saiki started on the drums. Even though it looked like random flailing to him, in everyone else's eyes it was the work of an incredibly skilled drummer.
[Yare yare daze, I guess I still couldn't hold back after all. Whatever, it's done now.]
Saiki set the instruments down and walked off.
TAKERU greeted him with a big smile, reaching out like a senior welcoming a junior: "You're in."
(And you're out)
[You're the one who's not qualified, kid. Shiraishi, let's go.]
Saiki opened the door and left quickly. Shiraishi followed right after.
TAKERU: "Ah, what a shame. Someone that good would've been perfect if he stayed."
TAKAYUKI: "Honestly, maybe the fact that he's that good is exactly why he didn't want to stay..."
Ijichi Nijika: "Wow, that was incredible. Kusuo-kun, you..."
By the time Ijichi Nijika snapped out of it, Saiki and the others were already gone.
"Where did Kusuo-kun go?"
TAKERU: "They left."
"What..."
...
"Even this club isn't right, huh. Man, this is really troublesome. If it were you joining a club, Saiki-kun, I originally..."
Saiki glanced sideways at a certain club out of the corner of his eye and stopped. [I haven't checked this one out yet. But Shiraishi probably wouldn't want to come here.]
It was the basketball club.
Shiraishi looked at the basketball club and fell into thought.
Saiki figured Shiraishi wouldn't suit it. [Forget it, Shiraishi...]
Shiraishi: "Then let's go take a look."
[What? You actually want to go?]
Saiki was a little surprised. Shiraishi was actually interested in basketball.
"Yeah. Don't let my appearance fool you, but back in elementary school I actually really liked basketball. I just gave up on it later."
"And if you hadn't come to help me look today, I was originally planning to check out the basketball club anyway."
[Mm, alright then. Let's go in and see.]
"Yeah."
...30 minutes later
Saiki and Shiraishi walked back out.
Saiki looked at Shiraishi. [Shiraishi, you're actually serious about this?]
Saiki hadn't expected Shiraishi to really join the basketball club.
"Yeah, I think this is good."
[We just went in and watched their training. It looks really exhausting.]
"That's exactly why they're so good."
[You were planning to come to the basketball club from the beginning, weren't you.]
Shiraishi thought for a moment before speaking: "Yeah. Actually, a long time ago I had a friend who kept telling me that if I played basketball, I'd become popular."
(That's obviously a lie.)
"Truth is, I knew from the start that what he said was definitely nonsense. But playing basketball with him was really fun. We even made plans to keep playing. He stopped later, but thinking back on that feeling still feels pretty nice."
Saiki looked at Shiraishi. [Looks like you've got quite the colorful past too. But since you want to play, I can only support you.]
"Thanks, Saiki-kun. But you're still not planning to join any club?"
Saiki shook his head and kept walking. [Not yet.]
"Oh..."
...After school
Saiki left his seat and walked out of the classroom ahead of everyone. Since Shiraishi had joined a club too, that meant he could finally enjoy the pleasure of walking home alone again.
[Time to get back to the joy of going home by myself.]
"Saiki-shishou~"
A blonde girl stepped out, grabbed Saiki's arm, and said quietly: "Let's walk home together. Today you're coming to my house."
[Is something up, Doma-san?]
"I already told you to just call me Umaru. Saiki-shishou."
Saiki looked at Doma Umaru in front of him. [Then don't call me Saiki-shishou at school, okay?]
Doma Umaru: "Mm, I'll try my best, Saiki-shishou."
Saiki: ...
[So what do you want from me?]
"What else could it be? Going to my house. Didn't we already agree we'd play together? Don't tell me you forgot."
[This...]
[How about next time...]
"Do you have something else? ᵟຶᴖ ᵟຶ"
[My second great-uncle's husband's younger brother's dad's uncle is getting a physical scalp-separation surgery today, so I...]
Doma Umaru: "What does someone else getting a haircut have to do with you? You're not backing out now. You were the one who agreed to this."
(She's actually seeing through it?)
This trick usually fooled plenty of people with his moving acting skills, but she saw right through it in one glance.
[Fine, let's go.]
It was just playing anyway, nothing serious. They'd already agreed on it. As long as it didn't...
[Then let's meet up outside the school gate.]
Doma Umaru: "Mm, okay."
Around a corner near the gate, Saiki and Doma Umaru walked together with a third person.
"Mm~"
(There's someone else too, huh.)
"U-Um, Umaru... this must be Saiki-kun, right?"
The very well-endowed beautiful girl next to them asked Umaru.
Umaru smiled and introduced: "Yeah, Ebina, you know him too. Saiki-shishou, let me introduce you. This is Ebina Nana, my classmate."
[Hello.]
After a polite reply, Saiki didn't keep staring at her impressive chest (though he hadn't really been looking much to begin with).
"Hello. But wow, Umaru, I'm surprised. You're actually bringing a boy home to hang out. And Saiki-kun, why are you her 'shishou'?"
Umaru looked puzzled: "Huh? Did I say that?"
(You did.)
Umaru saw Saiki staring at her and explained to Ebina Nana: "Mm, it's exactly what it sounds like. What kind of shishou, you ask? Is it life guidance? Ah, no, it's health... no, that's not it either, it's..."
[I'm her study tutor.]
Saiki saw Umaru struggling to explain and cut in first.
Ebina Nana: "Oh, I see. And Saiki-kun is the top in our grade too. No wonder Umaru is so good. She has such an amazing study shishou."
Umaru snapped her fingers: "Yeah, exactly! That's what I was about to say. Ha... haha."
(Geez.)
(At least the explanation worked. But it would've been better if no one else was tagging along.)
Ebina Nana: "Still, you and Saiki-kun are both really impressive. It's normal you'd know each other. You two got first again on the last exam. I got so many wrong last time, and the time before that too, and next time probably..."
(The next exam hasn't even started yet.)
Umaru comforted her: "That's not true at all. I mess up all the time too. Last time I even lost my student ID. I think Ebina is just not good at tests, that's all. It'll be fine."
Ebina seemed to cheer up a little: "Thanks, Umaru."
Umaru: "Mm, no problem." [Though I don't really get why I make mistakes either. I just look at it in class and I get it. At home I only play games. Why is that?]
(Yeah. Why does heaven give her such insane study talent? Life is so unfair. Unlike me, who can do everything.)