Rising Rays of the New Century: Tale of the Japanese Empire

Cultural Festival Season is Here!

The Astronomy Club room is currently filled with whiteboards and equipment for display at the festival. One of the club members, Koba, is alone checking the video of a meteor shower. At that moment, without knocking, the door of the club room opening was heard.

"...!?"

Koba quickly turned around to the door. There was Saura, the vice-captain of the baseball team. Koba thought he was trying to look cool as he leaned against the wall with his arms folded, and frowned.

"...Well, well, well, if it isn't Saura-senpai. The Astronomy Club isn't in session today."

"I know! Seriously... why the long face? Don't we know each other since middle school!"

Oh Koba knew him all right. Saura, like Koba, was also an internal student from junior high school. Saura answered his words in a very casual manner.

"Go home, bastard."

"Oy... I'm your senior, you know."

Saura's philandering had been infamous since junior high school. Koba hated him for it, and it showed in his words. Even a person like Koba has standards, and being in this guy's presence made his skin crawl.

"...Meh, it's not like I came for you anyway... Is there a girl named Teru here?"

"...What do you want with Teru-chan...?"

The moment Saura mentioned Teru's name, Koba's expression darkened even more. A small whirlwind is manifesting on his right arm as he glared at Saura with a wary and hostile look on his face.

"...I just wanted to give you the materials for the club meeting. If she's not here, then I have no business here. Sorry to disturb you."

"........."

As Saura left the clubroom, Koba remained silent, glaring at the empty doorway.

Not long after that, Club President Yadoya returned. Koba told him about the uninvited guest.

"Saura-senpai is looking for Kadoma-san...?"

"Yeah, he wants to give some materials for the club activities meeting... Didn't you hear?"

A club activities meeting is a gathering of the heads of each club to discuss the allocation of club funds and exchange other opinions. The chairmanship rotates, and this month it was to be Yadoya, of all people.

"No, the club meeting is indeed in four days, but... I'm the one who prepared the materials for that meeting, remember?"

The preparation of the materials to be presented at the meeting was also the chairman's job, and the materials were in Yadoya's possession. So Saura's words of wanting to hand 'them' over to Teru were raising too many alarm bells.

"...I've never heard anything good about him... Could it be..."

"!!"

Koba and Yadoya rushed out of the clubroom. They searched all over the school to find Teru and Saura.

Second Gymnasium backside, Yokohama Hisui Gakuen High School

Saura had used a first-year club member to call Teru. Although she feels slightly uncomfortable with the location, she showed up at the deserted back of the gymnasium as she had been told. There she found Saura waiting for her with a calm smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting... I've come to pick up the materials for the club meeting...?"

Teru was about to say so when Saura caught her by surprise and cornered her against the wall. He slammed his left hand, blocking one of Teru's ways out. Teru, although surprised, was not upset, looking up into Saura's face with icy eyes.