Chapter 38: CH 38

First Day at Reading Club

I got through afternoon classes and reached homeroom.

Being next to Takane-san, I was able to tighten my focus and concentrate on the class. When she was assigned to read from a classics textbook, her voice was so elegant that I couldn’t help but be immersed in it – Wait! Don’t immerse yourself!

“Thanks again for your hard work today, guys. In tomorrow’s homeroom, we will assign the orienteering groups for next week. Every year we try to make it random, so please be prepared for whoever you end up getting paired with.”

The class atmosphere was loose but not bad, perhaps because the teacher tightened up where necessary, but basically left the students to their own devices.

“Well then, Yamaguchi-san, please.”

“Yes. Stand!” (T/N: Some kind of greeting in JP classes? idk)

Yamaguchi-san, who apparently thought that Takane-san was going to be a class committee member and was feeling a bit of a letdown about her candidacy, had a brighter expression on her face after she was able to talk with Takane-san.

Although everyone recognized and paid attention to Takane-san, she herself was very reserved and did not want to be too forward. However, she had a strong sense of responsibility and will step forward when asked to do so.

I can only think of the most glorifying thoughts. Because of this, I can’t even casually talk to Takane-san next to me – even though she gave me letters and such.

But once we stood up, bowed, and dispersed, it was finally after school hours. I was trying my best to decide when I should ask her to go home together with me, but my mind was still racing.

(–Hmm?)

Tsuntsun. I felt something touch my left elbow – and then I felt an electric current in my body.

It was Takane-san. Takane-san was trying to tell me something.

In the din of a class that had just been dismissed, I might be able to speak so that only Takane-san can hear.

“Takane-san, today–”

“Today is club day, so if you’re in a club, attend as much as you can!”

At the very moment I was about to say, “Can we go home together?”, I was intercepted by the teacher.

“Nagisen, Nozomi-chan. Can we go to the club together?”

As a matter of course, this happened. I felt like looking up to the heavens, but I didn’t want to be so presumptuous – I looked at Takane-san, and we both responded, feeling a small happiness for a situation where doing this was not such a problem.

“Of course.”

“Yes, let’s go together.”

When I went to the library, the second and third year seniors had already arrived and were sitting at two large tables each.

“Ah, the new kids in the club? Thank you for choosing our club, I am Karasuzawa, the club president.”

“…I’m the vice president…Sagami. The reading club is…a club that reads books of our choice in the library… We also have a conference room available for feedback sessions…”

Judging from their uniforms, Karasuzawa-san was a third-year student and Sagami-san seemed to be a second-year student. Karasawa-san had the air of a savvy older sister, while Sagami-san wore glasses with thick lenses and had a very quiet voice.

“We also watch movies together in the audiovisual room. We also have a movie club, but in the case of the book club, we watch movies that have been adapted from books. It’s very thoughtful, isn’t it?”

“…Karasuzawa-senpai recommends…horror mostly…but it’s fun to watch it with everyone… We also watch movies about romance, though…”

(T/N: Damn this new character.)

“Well, reading is more important than movies. Well, let’s introduce ourselves by grade. First graders, please sit at the table over there.”

I decided on a seat, Takane-san sat next to me and Nakano-san sat across from me – and then,

Seeing the student sitting diagonally across from us, both Takane and I could only be amazed.

Sakai-san – She never said which club she was going to join, and when Takane told her she was going to join the reading club, she didn’t even show any pretense of joining.

She looked at me as if to say “I joined the club, so what?” and looked at Takane-san with a smile. Nakano-san saw this and was confused – I guess she was wondering whether Sakai-san and I knew each other, but I would have to explain this to her later.

“I am Nagito Senda, a first year student in Class A. I read all kinds of books, but I especially like mystery novels.”

“I am Nozomi Takane, a first year student in Class A. I like classic mystery novels, foreign literature and picture books.”

“I am Yui Nakano, a first year student in Class A. I’ve read a lot of books that have been talked about, like the ones that have been made into movies.”

There were six new first-year members, making a total of 20 members in the club. Listening to everyone’s self-introductions, many of them were omnivores who read a variety of things.

“I am Hina Sakai, a first year student in Class C. I don’t usually read many books, but I’d like to find one I like.”

Sakai-san, after all, seemed to have suddenly decided to join the reading club – She honestly said she didn’t usually read books.

After everyone had been introduced, the head of the club, Karasuzawa-san, stood up from her seat. She then wrote “free activity” on the white board with a marker.

“I told the kids who showed up beforehand to choose a book to read during club time, but for some of them, today is their first time. Normally we don’t allow them to be too noisy, but we have permission, so we can chat, read books from the library, and we’ll start the real activities next time. You can come tomorrow if you want, but basically we meet every Wednesday on the day of club activities.”

“…If you have business to attend to, you may leave early, but…please tell me or the president.”

I have brought a book that I bought beforehand, but should we talk about something? It didn’t have to be something more specific like book preferences or anything, but just some chit chat would be good.

But more than anything else – what I was still curious about was the real motive behind Sakai-san’s joining the reading club.

“Hina-chan is such a cute name. What club were you in when you were in middle school?”

“Me? I was in the kendo club.”

The attitude towards Nakano-san was totally different from the attitude toward Takane-san – or perhaps Sakai-san’s true self was the way she was now.

“Hey, can I talk with you a bit? Nakano-san is in Class A too, right?”

“Yeah, I’m with Senda-kun and Takane-san.”

“Hmm… I see. Are all three of you close?”

“Senda-kun and I were in the same club, and I usually call him ‘Nagisen’ because he is Nagito-kun. Takane-san and I have only just gotten to know each other, but I was wondering if I could call her Nozomi-chan.”

“…I-I see… Nozomi-chan…”

“No, um… I’m embarrassed to be called that, so I’d prefer to be called by my last name.”

When Takane said this, the other nervous first-year girls agreed to call her by her last name. The girls who nodded their heads while listening to her were very serious.

Sakai-san seemed to be shocked somehow, but this was probably due to the fact that Nakano-san’s closeness to Takane-san was amazing.

I was here to listen to the girls talk to each other. I was slightly embarrassed that Takane-san looked at me every time she spoke – Still, I must keep my expression relaxed.

After a short talk, it was time to look at the books in the library and if there was one that interested me, I could read it.

I looked at some of the books in the library when I was cleaning, so I will be looking at different shelves today. The book that became a movie was a bestseller – a romance novel as I recall, but I wasn’t able to find it.

“–Is this the book you’re interested in, Nagito-san?”

“…Ta-Takane-san.”

We were separated at first, so I didn’t realize that Takane-san was coming close to me.

Since we were members of the same club, we can talk normally now.

But when it came down to it, my heart was too overwhelmed to speak – maybe because I’ve felt like I’ve been left hanging so many times.

“This was made into a movie about a year ago.”

“I, too, am a little curious. It’s a romance novel, but with elements of mystery.”

“I know, right? My sister said she only saw the movie and cried a lot… Speaking of which, she wanted Takane-san to eat her lunch today.”

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“I’m sorry I couldn’t join you… I wish I could have explained it better to Yamaguchi-san.”

“Well, I guess we’ll have lunch together sometimes. If it was every day, that would be the best for me, though…”

“…Nagito-san…”

I feel like it should be every day, or else Takane-san was so popular that the number of days we can be together during lunch would be limited.

–But doesn’t that mean that I’m restricting her? Was I out of line when I said ‘every day,’ or should I correct myself?–When I thought this,

“…Me too. As much as possible with Nagito-san… I always think so too.”

“……”

It was very troubling to hear you say that. This was not something to think about in a place like this.

I wanted to hold hands. Even if not, I wanted to touch her. I realized that when you fall in love with someone, such thoughts come naturally to you – but how was I thinking about them in the library, in the middle of club activities?

I was really worthless.

“Would you like to read it with me?”

“…Eh?”

Don’t think about anything more. Just as I was thinking this, Takane-san said that and my thoughts stopped.

“…We’re in  a book club, and if there’s just one copy of the book you wanted to read, I think it would be a good idea to read it together.”

“Ah… I-I see…”

Usually when it came to hardcovers, two people wouldn’t be reading it together.

Besides, this work also had romantic elements at its core. If a man and a woman were to read it together, some would even take it as such – or was that too much to think about?

“Takane-san.”

I had a feeling that it would come soon. When it did, I almost chuckled.

Sakai-san had come looking for Takane-san. When she came this way, she looked only at Takane-san and said that, as if my presence was not even here.

“I’d like to know what books you would recommend, Takane-san. …Ah, that’s the book that became a movie last year. ‘The Goat and the Watermelon.’ “

“Yes. I’ve had my eye on it for a while, but never had a chance to pick it up.”

“I found a book I’d like to recommend too. Would you like to talk about it over there with me? There’s a table available.”

She was completely different from when she was talking to Nakano-san – By the way, Nakano-san was making an apologetic ‘X’ with her hands from behind a bookshelf a short distance away. Perhaps she was trying to stall Sakai-san, but failed?

“…Is that a no?”

Going this far, I thought Sakai-san just liked Takane-san. I could sense that such a person who was looking at becoming a student council officer was always nervous in front of Takane-san and seemed to need courage just to say a few words.

To someone like that, I… I can’t be so evil to the point of saying, “I’m with Takane-san, so I don’t want you to get in my way.” Her feelings towards Takane-san were all about “respect.”

Takane-san looked at me. Takane-san talked to me at the right moment – but,

–Takane-san tightly grabbed the hem of her uniform. Then, she tells the surprised Sakai-san,

“Can Senda-kun come too? I’m his ‘current-girlfriend.’ “

“–!?”

Should I tell her here? – No, when was the right time to tell her?

“…!…!”

Sakai-san looked at me. Her face was as red as it could be, and she looked like she wanted to say something. Her mouth was moving but there was no voice.

“…Is that a no?”

“…No.”

I thought she might get mad or something, but Sakai-san took a long, shaky breath and then looked at me again. Her face was still red, but her expression was calm.

“I’m glad you mentioned it. If that’s the case, it makes sense that you two were walking around looking so friendly… Ah! I’m being a nuisance…”

“…Sakai-san, will you continue with the reading club?”

Considering what she joined the club for, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sakai-san stopped coming to the club.

But after Sakai-san looked at Nakano-san and the other first-year students a short distance away, she turned to Takane-san and said,

“…Kendo is a personal pursuit, but I was planning to join a cultural club at school.”

“Then… We’ll be in the reading club. We’ll be together from now on, yes?”

“…Y-Yes. I won’t quit just because Takane-san and Senda-kun are dating.”

“I’m sorry about this, but I don’t want this to spread too much…”

“Yes, I know. When I go out with someone, I too… No, that hasn’t happened yet at all, but I’m a person who thinks it’s better to keep it a secret at school. So, I understand.”

“Thank you, Sakai-san.”

When Takane-san thanked her, Sakai-san looked incredibly happy – No, she’s probably trying not to show it on her face, but I can tell because of the sparkle in her eyes.

“Um… I apologize for what I’ve been saying to you, Senda-kun. I feel like Takane-san’s way of thinking has suddenly changed since junior high school… Even though I’m not in a position to worry about that kind of thing.”

“No, don’t apologize. I somehow figured out that Sakai-san likes Takane-san.”

“!… L-Like is… Um…”

“Is it finally the right atmosphere to come out…? Did Nozomi-chan, Nagisen and Sakai-san get along? Can I join in?”

“…You, who are you to Takane-san? Are you a friend?”

“I have a crush on Nozomi-chan and even confessed my feelings to her. So what?”

“!… I-I was in the student council all through junior high school with her. I’m way ahead of you, Nakano-san.”

“So you were in the student council, Sakai-san. That’s amazing. Also, Hina-chan is such a cute name.”

“Names have nothing to do with it. How can you say that about someone else?”

“Hina-chan is cuter than me. Which hair salon do you go to? Your hair cuts are so beautiful, I got curious.”

“T-This is…not really, but in front of the station…”

How do I say this, Nakano-san and Sakai-san were igniting sparks – When it came down to it, it looked like cats of different types were playing with each other.

Takane-san looked at me. Not that she was confused by Nakano-san and Sakai-san’s joking around – she pulled the hem of my dress and smiled at me.

–Now was the time.

Yes, I knew that Takane-san was trying to tell me. I followed Takane-san with the book.

“Ah… Wait, Nakano-san. Takane-san is…”

“Oh well, tell me your book recommendation and I’ll tell you mine, Hinacchi.”

“Hi-Hinacchi… Ah, w-wait. What are you pulling…!”

Sorry to Sakai-san who was caught by Nakano-san – but Takane-san, who was pulling me along, seemed to be enjoying herself somewhat.

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