Reina blinked.
She sat down on her chair and blinked again.
"...The Astronomy Club?" she repeated subconsciously, her voice so thin it was almost inaudible.
"Mhm."
Rin nodded, the tips of her white hair lightly brushing the back of her hand.
"No physical stamina required. No special skills needed. No need to interact with many people."
She stated each point one by one in a flat tone, as if reading a club brochure.
"The clubroom is on the third floor of the old school building, by the window. It's very quiet; almost no one goes there normally."
She paused.
"If you don't want to talk to people, you can stay silent the whole time. Just being there is fine too."
In the direction of the hallway, the four figures frozen in place finally regained their senses one after another.
Misaki was the first to react, her cheeks puffing out even rounder like a bristling golden lion cub: "W-Wait a minute—! Yukishiro-san, what do you mean by this—!"
Sakurano didn't say a word, only slowly tightening her arms around her books.
Shiori lowered her eyes, her bangs hiding most of her expression. Her fingertips unconsciously twisted a corner of her skirt, crumpling the fabric before smoothing it out, then crumpling it again.
And then there was Yui.
She just stood there, calmly watching the two figures sitting together in the classroom.
No expression, no movement.
Like a volcano burning in silence.
[Dear audience, the situation is undergoing a subtle change.]
[Yui, she has fallen silent.]
[She's silent! Haha, 'The Indestructible Alliance'.]
[Astronomy Club, huh? Third floor of the old building, huh? Almost no one there, huh? Rin, you're not recruiting for a club, you're hiding a beauty in a golden house!]
[And she didn't even ask if Reina was willing from start to finish; she just stated it as a possibility.]
['If you don't want to talk, you can stay silent'... What person with social anxiety could resist that?]
[Shiori is still crumpling her skirt; that skirt might be ruined after school today.]
[Sakurano's gaze could kill; that look is definitely lethal.]
[Everyone above, don't be in such a hurry. Let the bullets fly for a while.]
Reina looked at the azure eyes quietly waiting for her response, and at the loose defensive line formed simply by an arm that gently blocked out all other voices, gazes, and expectations.
She opened her mouth.
This time, she heard her own voice clearly.
"...In the Astronomy Club, can I bring my bento to eat in the clubroom?"
Reina didn't know what she was asking either. From any angle, it seemed like she had made a meaningless request.
Rin's eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Then, the corner of her eye visible beyond her arm seemed to curve slightly into a faint arc, as if smiling.
"You can."
She said.
So flat... It was as if she had already defaulted to being a member of the club.
So... is that it?
Outside the window, the morning light was just right.
The commotion in the classroom continued. The gazes of the four girls—whether annoyed, wary, or scrutinizing—remained interwoven in this small space.
But at least at this moment, Reina felt that the voices surrounding her had quieted down just a little bit.
Let it be so.
[[Ding—Your hidden character [Rin] has successfully triggered the side quest: The Secret of the Astronomy Club]
[[Current Affection Level: ♡♡XXX (To be unlocked)]]
[No way, who's sending system prompts in the bullet chat? You're killing me, haha!]