Chapter 4: 4.1

 Kamiyama-san observes club activities

 

 After school at dusk. After observing the club activities, Arai, Kamiyama-san, and I returned to our first-year classroom. Our eyes were dead as I muttered.

 

“Yeah, I want to die.”

 

 And no one wants to open their mouths.

 

 What happened to those of us who went to observe the club activities in high spirits? I must tell you that from now on.

 

 

 At Arai’s request, the three of us decided to visit the club activities.

 

 Our first stop was the brass band club.

 

 The first thing that came to mind when I thought of a club where both men and women could be active together was the brass band.

 

 When Arai and I entered the music room where the brass band was playing, we were greeted by a petite, pretty female third-year student with a smile.

 

 The woman, who appeared to be the head of the brass band, beamed when she saw us.

 

“Welcome, are you new students who want to visit our club? I am the head of this club. You can introduce yourselves later. We’ve been having a hard time this year because not many new members have come to observe. We’re practicing right now if you’d like to join us. If there’s any instrument you want to try, you’re welcome to try it. Are you two here to observe?”

 

 The mood was unexpectedly welcoming, which made me a little happy.

 

About twenty members were practicing with their instruments in their hands in the music room. Arai answered the beaming head of the brass band briskly.

 

“Yes, thank you very much for your kindness. Oh, there’s one more person here to observe with us. Come on in, Kamiyama-san!

 

 Arai calls out to the outside of the music room.

 

 When the director heard Arai’s words, her face lit up with happiness again.

 

“Oh, there’s one more, isn’t there? It would be great if all three of you could join us at once. Why don’t you guys just join the club, and stop observing and play some instruments?

 

 The manager smiles at us. But this smile is soon broken.

 

 The one who appeared in front of the happy-looking director was Kamiyama-san, over 180 centimeters tall, with a paper bag over his head and wearing a soaked wet uniform.

 

 The paper bag on her head might be probably over two meters tall.

 

  Kamiyama-san walked through the door of the classroom, and as soon as she entered, sweat dripping from the hem of her skirt, she shouted in a funny voice with an intonation that turned inside out and back to the front.

 

“Ho-ho-ho, good day to you, baboon!”

 

 Shouted Kamiyama-san.

 

 The director freezes as she says.

 

 Arai smiles.

 

 The members stop practicing and look at us, their faces scrunched up.

 

 Yeah, those are the eyes of a monster. I’ve seen that in zombie movies.

 

 

 And so the brass band tour began.

 

At first, we were sitting in a corner of the music room, but after a short break from practice, the band leader approached us with a tight smile on his face.

 

“Uh… um… would you like to play some instruments? …I’m not forcing you to… but if you’d like.

 

 I was a little shocked at the respectful tone of the manager, but I was allowed to touch a triangle that looked easy.

 

 On the other hand, Arai picked up a trumpet and suddenly made a sound. Arai picked up a trumpet and suddenly made a sound.

 

Not only that, she tried a few times and then played the scale of Do-Re-Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do with beautiful vibrato, surprising the club members.

 

 I thought she was a dexterous girl even though she said she had never touched a musical instrument before, and then I noticed a paper bag stuck in the corner of my eye.

 

 It was Kamiyama-san.

 

 In her hand was a wooden stick with a ball the size of a ping-pong ball on the end. In front of his body was a xylophone. Kamiyama-san chose the xylophone.

 

  Kamiyama-san is holding the xylophone stick, shaking her body trembling slightly, and is frozen.

 

 The xylophone player who had come to stand next to Kamiyama-san said, “Well, I’m not sure if I want to play the xylophone or not.

 

“Well… and … don’t be so nervous… first of all, try to strum it as you like… please…”

 

“… Susu susu like … or … like …?”

 

“Yes, just strum it as you like. Here’s the Do note and here’s the–“

 

 Before the members could finish, Kamiyama-san swung the bachi in her hand as hard as she.

 

 A sound like a thunderous roar echoed through the music room the next moment, just as if a sound like a crack of… was heard.

 

 A xylophone splits in two from the middle with a violent sound.

 

“Aaahhh …! Excuse me!”

 

Kamiyama-san’s exclamation echoed through the music room.

 

 A member with a tight smile talks to Kamiyama-san. She is standing somewhat further away from her than before.

 

“Haha … was the xylophone a bit difficult … was there anything else easy…”

 

“The… then, how about that one …?”

 

  Kamiyama-san pointed to the timpani, a large Western-style drum.

 

 Why do you choose a percussion instrument again?

 

  Kamiyama-san froze holding the timpani’s bachi.

 

 A club member urging her on.

 

  Kamiyama-san swings down.

 

 A thunderous roar.

 

 The timpani cracks.

 

 The members freeze.

 

 I hit the triangle, and the director snapped out of it, comes up to me, and bends 90 degrees at the waist.

 

“I’m sorry… could you please leave…?”

 

“Yes… I’m so sorry for the mess…”

 

 As we left the music room, I heard the girls crying and screaming from inside. I thought the boys were going to kill me! It must be my imagination, it must be. I hope so!

 

 We had no choice but to look for another club.

 

 Kamiyama-san visits more club activities.

 

“I’m sorry to hear that, Kamiyama-san. Let’s go visit other clubs, shall we? See?”

 

 

Arai gently talks to the despondent Kamiyama-san.

 

“Well, where should we go next?”

 

 Arai tries to act cheerful, and I reply in a joyful voice, trying not to sound as gloomy as possible.

 

“Well… since the purpose of today is to observe various club activities, let’s see what else there is to see. Oh, but I don’t like to be tired, you know. If possible, I’d like to join a cultural club next time.

 

 Kamiyama-san responds to my words.

 

“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I’m not good at sports either …”

 

 Hearing this, Arai gives us a beaming smile.

 

“Okay, then, let’s look around, focusing on the culture club.”

 

 So we decided to look around mainly in the culture club. We did, but

 

 

 That was just the beginning of the legend of Kamiyama-san.

 

She tore canvases in the art club, broke tea bowls in the tea ceremony club, and broke vases in the flower arrangement club.

 

 I don’t want to talk about what happened in the drama club:

 

 In the choir club, she almost died with a paper bag stuck to her face.

 

 Arai tells a depressed Kamiyama-san.

 

“…Kamiyama-san… I’m sorry. It was a pity, other club activities too to see…”

 

 Arai, who always has a cheerful, smiling face, is depressed. She is forcing a smile on her face, but her eyes are half dead. She seems to be on the verge of losing her mind because of Kamiyama-san’s out-of-the-box, power-is-power behavior.

 

 

 

I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Arai and Kamiyama-san. I felt sorry for them and decided to give them a helping hand.

 

“…We can’t help it, let’s check out the sports club too. There must be some sports we could play with all that determination, maybe.”

 

 Arai, who had heard what I said, regained her composure and said, “Well, yes, that’s right.

 

“Yes, that’s right. If you have the power that Kamiyama-san’s destructive power didn’t have, you might have an advantage in sports! Mm-hmm.”

 

 Arai manages to regain some of her cheerfulness, and she looks healthy. Very healthy.

 

 But the result was the same.

 

 In the judo club, the captain knocked into the tatami mats on the softball club, the ball she hit exploded, and in the kendo club, her shinai broke through the protective gear.

 

 What happened in the basketball club is also something I don’t want to talk about it.

 

 I almost died in the pool in the swimming club with a paper bag over my head.

 

 

 

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 The three of us trudged down the empty hallway at dusk toward the classroom. Kamiyama-san’s footprints are still damp.

 

 Arai blurts out with a Noh-like expression on her face.

 

“Kami…Yama… San…You left me in the lurch! …I’m sure there must be something… I wonder if there must be… something… there is… something there is… no I’m sure there’s… no…”

 

 No, Arai’s heart is broken.

 

 By the time we come back to our classroom, watching Arai’s back repeating mechanically, “Is there any… no…?

 

 

 

Arai’s heart broke.

 

 

“Is there any… or not …?”

 

 I call out to Arai who keeps mumbling with his unfocused eyes.

 

“…Arai.”

 

 But Arai’s ears don’t seem to hear me, and he continues to mumble mechanically.

 

“Is there any… can… can…?”

 

 I called out to Arai, who had gone to the other side of the world, with a powerful tone.

 

“Arai!”

 

“Ha…! I’m … sorry, Kominato-kun. What’s… wrong?”

 

 Arai freaked out for a moment and turned to me. I scratched my head with one hand and said.

 

“Arai did her best. Yeah, I don’t know, but she did her best anyway.”

 

“I’m sorry, Kominato-kun. I was wondering if it was there or not, and then suddenly I heard a snapping sound, and I don’t remember anything from there, I think it was the sound of a broken heart.

 

 How is that possible?

 

 Arai spoke apologetically to Kamiyama-san.

 

“And I’m sorry, Kamiyama-san. I couldn’t help you…”

 

 How could such words come out of her mouth when she was just there to observe a club activity?

 

  Kamiyama-san’s shoulders are still sinking, and a puddle of water is forming under her chair.

 

“…I’m sorry. I’m afraid I won’t be able to participate in club activities again.”

 

“No, I’m the one who’s… sorry about that.

 

 The two girls apologized to each other.

 

Arai has been with us long enough, and Kamiyama-san is not doing it on purpose. I know it’s no one’s fault.

 

 But didn’t Kamiyama-san say something funny just now?

 

 I was curious about what she said earlier and asked him about it.

 

“Kamiyama-san, what did you mean when you just said it was going to be impossible again?”

 

 When she heard my question, she stiffened up and started to speak, her long arms waving strangely in front of her body.

 

“Oh, uh… I visited club activities like this when I was in junior high school. I looked around by myself then…”

 

 Arai, whose eyes had regained some life, asked.

 

“Really? Were you involved in any club activities in junior high school? If so, you should join the same club in high school.

 

  Kamiyama-san shakes the paper bag sideways. Sweat splatters on my face. I took a handkerchief out of my pocket with a blank expression on my face, and I wiped my face and said, “I’m sure it’ll be just like this.

 

“You mean you got the same result as this time…?”

 

  Kamiyama-san looked at me through the hole in the paper bag and nodded his head. I saw tears welling up in his big eyes.

 

“Yeah. I was a nuisance to many clubs in junior high school. I wanted to do something with everyone but I couldn’t get into any of them. But I had to join some club…”

 

 After saying these words, Kamiyama-san falls silent and her shoulders slump.

 

 

 The chime rings in the classroom at dusk, signaling it is time to leave school.

 

 I looked into Kamiyama-san’s eyes through the hole in the paper bag. Tears fell from both of her eyes, which were slightly visible through the hole in the paper bag.

 

 We were speechless for a while in front of Kamiyama-san, but then Arai stood up and said, perhaps out of frustration.

 

“So… it’s time to go home… isn’t it? I’m sure you’ll be able to find some club activities that you can join tomorrow as well, right? RIGHT?”

 

 Kamiyama-san neither confirmed nor denied, but instead squeezed the hem of my school uniform skirt. Of course, both her hands and skirt were drenched with sweat, and the skirt that Kamiyama-san squeezed so tightly was dripping with sweat on the classroom floor as if she was wringing out a wet rag.

 

  Kamiyama-san opened her mouth while holding the hem of her skirt.

 

“Don’t worry …, I’ll make sure to put your name in one of the clubs. …I’ve done that even in junior high school.”

 

 I see I think.

 

 No matter which club you try to join, you will get in trouble. However, you can’t choose to break the school rules and not join any club activities. As a result. I guess

Kamiyama-san, a junior high school student, was only allowed to be a member of some club as a ghost member.

 

 Hearing this, I wondered if there was anything I could do to help.

 

  Kamiyama-san is out of this world in terms of size and strength. If I used any tools on her, she would break them, and I could not remove the paper bag on her head. She sweats like crazy, her clothes get soaked easily, and she is not good at talking to people.

 

 But I saw

Kamiyama-san’s tears just now.

 

 She just wants to be a part of the club with everyone. But is there any club activity that she can do? We couldn’t find any after visiting all the club activities together today. I wanted to do something about it, but I don’t know-how.

 

 I was so frustrated with myself that I half-heartedly said to her.

 

“Hey …, then why don’t you just start a club? Something even Kamiyama-san could do. Well… it’s not realistic to make a new club activity…”

 

 Arai suddenly pulled out a student handbook from her breast pocket and began to flip through it. Then she stopped at a certain page and read it closely with her eyes, and said to us with sparkling eyes.

 

“Look here! It says how to apply for new club activity in the club activities section! I think we can make a new club activity…!”

 

 

I suddenly looked at

Kamiyama-san and saw her hopeful eyes peeking through the hole in the paper bag.

 

 Arai reads the student handbook seriously, and Kamiyama-san watches over her.

 

 I wanted to do something. I certainly did. But, yeah. It seems to be unexpectedly troublesome.

 

 People used to say, “A mouth is a curse.”

 

 Next to me, Arai is reading the student handbook while Kamiyama-san is hopeful about the new club.

 

 I thought to myself as I looked out the classroom window at the dusk sky.

 

 Well, this kind of thing is not so bad, maybe.

 

 

Namito Kominato is thinking about new club activities.

 

 

 A chime rings in the classroom to announce the end of the fourth period, and it is time for the lunch break. I raise my arms and stretch out to loosen my stiff body.

 

 Everyone in the class had formed their own groups, moved their desks, and spread out their lunch boxes.

 

“Kominato-kun, have you thought of a new club activity? Let’s talk about it over lunch.”

 

 It was Arai who approached me.

 

 Yesterday after school. We had decided to form a new club, and we were doing our homework on what kind of club we should create.

 

“Well… well, I thought about it.”

 

 Arai’s question was answered tartly. I had thought of several ideas, but no good one came to my mind at last.

 

 Arai, whether she knew how I was feeling or not, put her lunch box on my seat with her usual smiling face and called out to  Kamiyama-san who was sitting in front of me.

 

Oh, why don’t you eat with us, Kamiyama-san?”

 

 As if a rusty spring was turning, Kamiyama-san awkwardly turned her upper body and turned her back. I thought I could hear a creaking sound.

 

 No, I’m afraid to turn that way.

 

 I teach her gently.

 

“Kamiyama-san… why don’t you turn not only your body but also your chair backward?”

 

“Ah! I’ll do that. I’ll do that.”

 

 Kamiyama-san, still in her funny voice, rushed to her feet and turned her chair around.

 

 After the three of us had our lunches lined up on my desk, Arai began to speak with her usual smile.

 

“So, about the new club activities. First of all, I don’t think that athletic activities are a good idea.

 

“That’s right. I think you should not join any sports clubs, seriously.”

 

“Yeah… seriously…”

 

 If you practice with

Kamiyama-san, you’ll be dead before you know it.

 

 Arai and I both looked at each other, but Arai, who had regained his composure, continued.

 

“So… so, that would mean cultural club activities… is there anything you’d like to do, Kamiyama-san?”

 

 Arai smiled kindly at Kamiyama-san.

 

 Suddenly, she looked at her, and she dropped his gaze, and then dropped a bead of sweat from the hem of her school uniform, and then curled her large back as small as it could go.

 

“All I want is to be able to do something together with everyone. ……”

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