Ai POV
Today marked the day of the club fair at my new school, and I must admit, I was taken aback by the timing. I had anticipated the fair to take place at the beginning of the school year, like in many other institutions. However, to my surprise, it was scheduled quite late into the year. Apparently, there were some unforeseen delays that caused the event to be pushed back. It was almost as if an author of a fan-fiction completly forgot that this event was in the story and quickly went to add it in while making an arbitrary reason on why it never happened when it should have.
As I looked around, I noticed a considerable number of students heading towards the large auditorium where the club fair was being held. It was no surprise that many students were eager to explore the various clubs available at ANHS, especially considering the school's reputation for having one of, if not the best club systems in Japan. The clubs here were well-funded, well staffed, and provided enough space for their specific activities to function.
Unlike some students who might have come with a specific club in mind, I ventured into the auditorium without any particular preference. My intention was to explore and see if any club caught my interest. Looking through the crowd I saw a familiar brown haired boy, with a stone cold expression.
As I navigated through the bustling crowd, my eyes remained fixed on the familiar figure I was attempting to approach without being noticed. Sneaking up behind him, I moved with utmost care to remain hidden and unheard amidst the excitement of the club fair. Wading through the sea of students, I used my surroundings to my advantage, taking advantage of any available cover to conceal my presence.
Ai: "Ayanokoji-kun." I poke his shoulder to get his attention when I finally got behind him.
Kiyotaka: "Oh Ai, I didn't expect to see you here." Hmph, his face didn't even change when I suprised him.
Ai: "Are you also going to the club fair?"
Kiyotaka: "Yeah, I am."
Ai: "Are you interested in any clubs?"
Kiyotaka: "I don't really know any specific clubs. I just wanted to see if there was anything I would be interested in joining. What about you?"
Ai: "I'm in a similar situation too. I don't think I'm really interested in anything specific." He nodded at my words and turned to continue his way towards the fair.
As I watched him walk away, a sudden impulse took over me. I didn't want to go to the club fair alone, and maybe going with Kiyotaka wouldn't be a bad idea.
I reached out and grabbed his arm, surprising both him and myself with my abrupt action. He turned to face me, his expression stoic as ever, but I could sense a hint of surprise beneath the surface.
Kiyotaka: "What is it, Hoshino?" he inquired, his tone steady despite the unexpected gesture.
Ai: "Ah, well, I was wondering if you would be willing to go with me to the club fair. We both are going there after all, and I didn't really feel like going alone, so..." I trailed off, feeling a bit embarrassed about my impulsive act. Why did I do that? It was so silly and awkward. He probably thinks I'm weird now.
Kiyotaka regarded me for a moment, and though his expression remained composed, I sensed a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
Kiyotaka: "Sure, I don't mind going together," he replied calmly.
My cheeks flushed with relief, and I offered him a small smile.
Ai: "Thanks, Kiyotaka. I appreciate it," I said, grateful that he didn't reject my request.
As we arrived at the club fair, I couldn't help but gasp slightly at the sheer number of options that surrounded us. The online listings that I had seen earlier didn't do justice to the sheer number of clubs present here. It was truly unbelievable. There seemed to be a club for every interest and niche hobby imaginable – dancing, gaming, reading, quiz, math, and singing, just to name a few were all clubs that I saw at just a glance.
My eyes were drawn to the booth for the singing club, and I lingered there for a moment, contemplating the possibility of joining. However, I quickly averted my gaze when I noticed the person hosting the booth giving me a curious glance. I didn't want to draw any unnecessary attention to myself, especially when I hadn't fully decided on anything yet. No, you are not doing that, not here. This is supposed to be your getaway, not an extension of your work.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to Kiyotaka, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the plethora of options and the thoughts I just had.
Ai: "This is incredible. There are so many clubs to choose from,"
Kiyotaka: "I agree." Damn he's bad at conversations.
Ai: "Well has anything caught your attention?"
Kiyotaka: "No, nothing here really suits my interests. I think I'll just keep looking around."
Ai: "I feel the same way. These clubs don't seem to align with what I want to focus on during my three years of high school." As I thought about my career as an idol, images of the singing and dancing clubs flashed in my mind. I tried to remove them from my thoughts, just forget it for now. You are Ai Hoshino, an ordinary student not a model.
Kiyotaka: "Uh Hoshino is everything alright? You suddenly stopped walking." Kiyotaka was distant and I looked up to see he was a considerable distance away from me. Got lost in my thoughts again. I look around to see a few students giving me strange looks for suddenly stopping in the middle of a crowded area. Feeling embarassed I quickly run to catch up to where Kiyotaka was attempting to hide my face as best as possible.
Ai: "Sorry about that." I said while panting slightly, "I just got lost in my own thoughts."
Kiyotaka: "It's ok, I understand it's happened to me before too."
Ai: "Well, let's continue looking around."
Kiyotaka: "Fine by me."
And so, we spent a considerable amount of time exploring the fair, looing into a variety of clubs and discovering what they had to offer. I felt comfortable openly talking with the people at the stands, knowing that in this vast sea of students, I was just another face in the crowd. It was unlikely that the booth organizers would remember me by the end of the day.
Just to add an extra layer of anonymity, I had brought along some fake glasses that I wore during the fair. It made me feel more comfortable as I wandered around the fair, I was sure that no one would recognize me unless they were actively looking for me. And why would they? If anyone did see me they probably would just chalk it up to some minor similarities. Who would expect a famous idol to be attending their school?
From sculpting to writing, I visited a large variety of stands, and I found all the people running them to be incredibly nice and approachable. It was a refreshing experience to talk to people other than Kiyotaka and Sakura for once. I spent most the time talking to the vendors about their club, their hobbies, and other things while Kiyotaka occasionally joined the conversation to ask a few questions. It felt nice being treated as a regular person for once, no power dynamic, no unfounded insults, and no undeserved praise. It was just a regular human interaction.
As we left the stand for cooking, I couldn't help but notice a change in Kiyotaka's demeanor. He seemed to be looking somewhere with a hint of interest, which was something I hadn't witnessed from him before. I was genuinely surprised by this newfound curiosity of his. Curiosity getting the better of me, I followed his gaze and found myself drawn to a small, stage-like platform that had been set up nearby. At the center of the platform stood a single podium, and it was evident that this setup was somehow related to the student council.
As I watched Kiyotaka's gaze fixed on the student council's platform, various thoughts swirled in my mind. Could it be that he's considering joining the student council? But knowing his usual reserved and independent nature, it didn't seem like the type of activity he would willingly engage in.
Perhaps there's something else that caught his attention. Is he intrigued by the responsibilities and duties of the student council? Or is he merely observing out of curiosity? Knowing him, he's not the type to focus on something for no reason what so ever.
As I observed the platform and Kiyotaka's focused attention, an older boy came into view. He exuded an air of confidence and authority, standing tall with a well-built figure. The glasses he wore added a touch of intellect to his commanding presence. A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd of first-year students nearby, and I realized that this must be the student council president.
I had heard a lot about the president, especially about how he was considered one of the most talented and gifted students to ever arrive at ANHS. He was no doubt an effective leader too, as under his supervision apparently the student council had one of it most productive periods in school history. Rumour also spread of him being a cold and calcuating person, uncaring for a persons personal feelings and emotions. I even heard that he was a high level in several forms of martial arts. Without a doubt the student council president was a scary person.
I observed the student council president take his position behind the large podium, drawing the attention of the large crowd. His demeanor exuded a sense of authority, and his slightly narrowed and focused eyes only added to the tension.
The atmosphere around me seemed to shift as the students noticed the president's gaze, and a hush spread through the area. Looking around I saw many people frozen in place just by his presence, and I could understand the feeling. He finally took a more relaxed stance and addressed the crowd.
Horikita Manabu: "Attention first year students. This year a large amount of the student council is graduating from ANHS. We are currently looking for suitable replacements in the first year. We implore any willing students to send in an application to join, there are no restrictions or prerequisites. However, the student council will not tolerate students that are considered naive or unwilling to take necessary action. I thank you for your time, and I hope to see some of you in the application approval process." I noticed that he was looking towards our direction, not at me though. I look next to me to see the president making eye contact with Kiyotaka before looking away and walking off stage.
Ai: "Presidents scary isn't he?" I said as a small shiver ran down my spine.
Kiyotaka: "I guess." We slowly began walking again, looking around for more booths to explore.
Ai: "Do you plan to join the student council?"
Kiyotaka: "I don't think I'm interested in that type of work. It doesn't suit me either."
Horikita Manabu: "Well that's a shame." What. I turn around to see the student council president standing behind us. He had a ghost of a smile on his face as he walked towards Kiyotaka who was now standing still.
Kiyotaka: "President Horikita, I didn't expect to see you here."
Ai: "Ayanokoji-kun you've met with the president before?"
Kiyotaka: "We've had a conversation before."
Horikita Manabu: "Well I saw you watching my speach and wanted to come discuss something with you."
Kiyotaka: "And why would the student council president have any buisness with someone such as myself?"
Horikita Manabu: "I'm sure we both know the answer to that question." The president looked around for a bit and his eyes seemed to fall on a piano that was seemingly on display for the music club. His eyes seem to indiciate that he thought of something as he turned to Kiyotaka. "Say Ayanokoji, if I remember correctly you said you practice piano." No he isn't planning to...
Kiyotaka: "Yes I do."
Horikita Manabu: "Would you be willing to play a piece." He pointed towards the piano.
Kiyotaka: "No." His response was firm.
Horikita Manabu: "What a shame. I was really hoping I could see how talented you were."
Kiyotaka: "You severly overestimate me president."
Horikita Manabu: "Perhaps I do." The president paused for a bit, taking out his phone and looking at something before speaking again, "How many points would it take for you to go and play something."
Kiyotaka: "Are you that eager to hear me play something? I don't think this a good point investment."
Horikita Manabu: "I just want to confirm something, and trust me I can spare the points." It was like I was watching a buisness transaction taking place.
Kiyotaka: "Well I do value my time alot."
Horikita Manabu: "Naturally you do."
Kiyotaka: "Hmmm, how about 500,000 points?" Wow that's a lot of points. Especially since we haven't recieved any points this month.
Horikita Manabu: "That's a lot." His small smile grew a bit wider, "But not unexpected from you."
Kiyotaka: "Like I said, I value my time. Whether or not you pay the price is completly your decision."
Horikita Manabu: "The points should have been transfered now."
Kiyotaka checked his phone to confirm, nodding slightly in response.
Kiyotaka: "I guess I have no choice now."
Horikita Manabu: "I'll be watching."
Kiyotaka: "Just don't be expecting too much from me."
Kiyotaka approached the piano stand and spoke to one of the vendors, seemingly requesting permission to play the piano. The person appeared slightly surprised by the request but eventually granted approval. Kiyotaka then took a seat at the piano, seemingly familiarizing himself with the keys. I could tell that this wasn't the first time he had played for other people, his body language said enough to tell me that. But it was strange, it didn't seem like he played for an audience, or even a performance. It was something entirely else, a trained precision.
Kiyotaka's fingers danced effortlessly across the piano keys, and a mesmerizing melody filled the room. The notes flowed seamlessly, each one in perfect harmony with the next. I couldn't help but be captivated by the sheer brilliance of his performance. It was like listening to a seasoned professional, and even people passing by couldn't resist stopping to appreciate his music. [Playing Just the Two of Us: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYwA5k00p2I]
To my right, I noticed that the president, Horikita Manabu, was also impressed. However, he seemed more interested in observing Kiyotaka's physical movements and hand gestures rather than getting lost in the music. His keen eyes were fixed on Kiyotaka, as if he was analyzing every detail of his performance.
As Kiyotaka finished his awe-inspiring performance, the crowd around us remained stunned, seemingly lost for words. I noticed a group of students from the music club approaching him, likely eager to invite him to join their ranks. However, Kiyotaka politely waved them off, declining their offers with a subtle gesture. Walking back towards us I felt a bit nervous as so many eyes were fixed on Kiyotaka.
Horikita Manabu: "That was quite impressive Ayanokoji."
Ai: "Wow I never knew you had that talent!"
Kiyotaka: "I don't know what you're talking about. The song isn't even that advanced of a piece."
Horikita: "Even still the way you played it was perfect."
Just then a pink haired girl appeared and approached Kiyotaka from behind. She was most certainly attractive and even I could tell that she had quite a lot fo attention on her, Who the hell is she?
Ichinose: "Ayanokoji-kun I never knew you were so talented."
Kiyotaka: "[Sigh] Like I said to the president, it was nothing." I noticed a bunch of guys giving Kiyotaka a death stare. Maybe it was because he was talking to this girl. Is she really that popular?
Ichinose: "THE PRESIDENT?" She spun around and saw the president of the student council with a slightly bemused expression looking at her. She then bowed a bit before addressing him. "A-ah president I didn't see you there."
Horikita Manabu: "Hello Ichinose." His expression returned to one of seriousness.
Ichinose: "You know who I am president?"
Horikita Manabu: "Of course, you submitted an application for the student council. I never forget a face." The girl named Ichinose was slighly take aback by this statement and had her cheeks tinted slightly pink.
Kiyotaka: "Oh you're aiming to join the student council Ichinose?"
Ichinose: "Y-yeah." She looked slightly embarassed.
Kiyotaka: "Well good luck I suppose."
Ichinose: "Thanks, it means a lot to me Ayanokoji!" She winked at him.
Kiyotaka: "So president, what would you like to talk about?" Kiyotaka turned to look at the president once again. The president seemed to look around for a bit before speaking.
Horikita Manabu: "Could we go somewhere a bit more private?"
Kiyotaka: "Do you have anywhere in mind?"
Horikita Manabu: "I actually do have a place in mind. We can go there now."
Kiyotaka: "Lead the way." With that both of them began making there way towards a supposedly private location.
Kiyotaka: "Well Hoshino, Ichinose, I'll see you both later." I felt a bit sad that Kiyotaka was leaving and looking at Ichinose I could tell that she also felt the same way. Judging from her expression, I think Ichinose wanted to talk to Ayanokoji a bit more.
Ichinose and I stood there, our eyes slightly narrowed as we exchanged silent glances. At this point both the president and Kiyotaka were gone and it was just us standing together. I don't know why but I felt a twinge of hostility towards her. I have no idea why.
Ichinose: "Ummm, I don't think we've introduced ourselves yet."
Ai: "Yeah I don't believe we have."
Ichinose: "We'll I'm Ichinose Honami. I'm from class B and it's great to meet you."
Ai: "Great to meet you Ichinose-san. I'm from class D and it's great to meet you!"
Ichinose: "Uhhhh, could I have your name?" Fuck. I don't think I can give her my name, but that would be really akward for me. She's already been so nice to me and it would be rude for me to not give her my name... She seems nice enough... Maybe I can use this to assert myself... wait what am I thinking?
Ai: "W-well I'm-"
Ichinose: "Are you not comfortable with telling me your name?"
Ai: "P-please keep your voice down, and... yes"
Ichinose: "I never thought that someone like you would be attending ANHS."
Ai: "Ha ha, yeah me neither."
Ichinose: "Well... I won't intrude." Ichinose
Ai: "Thanks"
Ichinose: "Well I have other plans right now so I'll see you around!"
Ai: "Y-you too." Stupid Ai.
Of course Kiyotaka has other friends, but why does she have to be so... No! It's fine! I'm just a bit jealous that Kiyotaka is talking to other people. He was my first friend here after all and I'm just a bit worried that he'll talk to me less! That's it Ai. Nothing more! He never talks to anyone but me so I was just a bit shocked. That's it.
I closed my eyes and decided to head back to the dorms. I don't think I wanted to stay in the fair any longer. I didn't really find anything interesting anyways.
AN: Sorry for the shitty chapter. Last part was a bit rushed and I realised that I had to seperate this into two chapters. I just had a bunch of ideas I wanted to do and couldn't fit in. I promise the next chapter will be better written.