"There are more people here than I expected."
After class had ended for the day, Horikita and I went to the gymnasium. Nearly all of the students assembled there were freshmen. There were about a hundred people waiting around. We stood near the back of the room and waited for the fair to begin. While waiting, we glanced over the pamphlet that students received upon entering the gymnasium. The pamphlet contained detailed information about club activities.
"I wonder if this school has famous clubs. For example, something like
karate."
"Every club seems to operate on a high level. It looks like many
athletes and club members here are famous throughout the nation." Even though this school didn't seem like a top-tier institution for
activities like baseball and ballet, the clubs here certainly looked great. "These facilities are significantly more substantial than ordinary schools. Look, they even have O, chambers. The equipment here is so
luxurious, it puts the professionals' stuff to shame. Oh, but it looks like they don't have a karate club after all."
"I see."
"What? Were you interested in karate or something?" I asked. "No, not particularly."
"It seems like it'll be hard for newcomers to get into the athletic clubs," I said. "Even if a first year managed to break in, they still might just be a benchwarmer forever. I can't think that would be much fun." Everything around here seemed far too orderly.
"Wouldn't that depend on one's efforts, though? Surely by training for one or two years, anyone could get in and play."
Training, huh? I didn't think I'd be able to put in that amount of effort,
no matter how desperate I was. "I didn't realize that the concept of training even existed for someone who always avoided trouble, like you." "What exactly does me not liking trouble have to do with that?" I
asked.
"Would you agree that someone who avoids trouble also avoids unnecessary manual labor? You said it first. You should keep to your word, I think."
"I didn't really think about it that deeply."
"If you keep acting so non-committal, you're never going to be able to make any friends," she said.
"You wound me, Horikita."
"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. My name is Tachibana, the student council secretary and the club fair's organizer. It's nice to meet you all."
After Tachibana delivered the opening remarks, representatives from each club quickly lined up on a stage. It was quite a diverse crowd. The club representatives included everything from burly athletes in judo uniforms to students dressed in beautiful kimonos.
"Hey, if you want to get a fresh start, why not try joining an athletic club? The judo club looks good, doesn't it? That upperclassman looks kind, and I'm sure he'd encourage you." "What do you mean 'kind"?! He looks like a gorilla! He'll kill me for
sure!" I snapped. "He'll probably talk passionately about how easy judo is."
"Cut it out!"
Sheesh. I'd thought that we were having a decent conversation, but
she'd done nothing but stick it to me.
"Even if I wanted to join, the athletic clubs all look really intimidating. I get the impression they don't accept beginners."
"Beginners should be welcomed. The more members a club has, the more money they receive from the school. That's how they're able to get better training equipment."
"Sounds like they're using the beginners for the money..."
"It would be ideal to gather many new members as a budgetary increase, and then simply to bench them the rest of the time, like phantom members. If you were skilled at manipulation, that is."
"What an unpleasant world... You have a pretty strange way of
thinking." I muttered.
A girl dressed in archery gear stepped onto the stage. "Hello, my name is Hashigaki, the captain of the archery club. Many students may be under the impression that archery is an old-fashioned, simple activity, but it is actually a fun and rewarding sport. We welcome beginners with open arms. If you're interested, please consider joining."
"Hey, look, they seem to be welcoming newcomers. Why don't you try joining? In order to increase their budget, that is," I said.
"I hate the idea of joining a club solely for that reason! Besides, athletic clubs are just gatherings of people with nothing better to do. Also, I probably wouldn't have fun if I didn't know anyone there. I'd end up quitting in the blink of an eye."
"Isn't that simply your twisted personality talking?"
"Yeah, you're absolutely right. But athletic clubs are a no-go."
I thought about joining a nice, calm, quiet club. Tch!"
As the seniors introduced their respective clubs one after the other, I
saw Horikita suddenly tense. She looked at the stage, her face pale.
"What's the matter?"
She didn't even seem to notice me anymore. I followed her line of sight to the stage, but I didn't find anything of note there. Just the representative of the school baseball team, dressed in uniform, giving his introduction. Had she fallen in love with him at first sight? No, I doubted it. Surprise? Disgust? Or maybe she was overjoyed? To be honest, Horikita's expression was complex and hard to read.
"Horikita, what's the matter?"
It was like she couldn't hear my voice. She kept staring intently at the stage. I decided that I'd stop talking to her and simply wait for an explanation. The baseball team's introduction wasn't any more compelling than the others. All things considered, the greeting was rather stock, no matter their schedule, appeal, or how welcoming they were to newcomers.
It wasn't just the baseball club. Nearly every club's introduction was
similarly ordinary. If anything surprised me about the fair, it was the
substantial number of minor liberal arts-related clubs and organizations, such
as the tea ceremony club or the calligraphy club. Also, I was surprised that
you only needed a minimum of three people in order to form a new club.
Every time one club finished and the next sprang up, the first-year students talked among themselves about what they thought. I noticed that the gymnasium's atmosphere was rather lively. Each club's representatives, including their supervising instructors, continued to explain their organizations to the unruly first-year students without a hint of displeasure. Perhaps they were just that desperate for more members, even if their ranks only increased by one.
As the upperclassmen finished their introductions, they walked off the stage and headed toward an area where some plain tables had been set up. Probably a reception area designed to accept new members. Eventually, everyone walked off until only one person remained. Everyone focused their attention upon him, and I realized that Horikita had been staring at that specific person this whole time.
He appeared to be about 170 centimeters in height, so he wasn't very
tall. He was slender, with sleek black hair. He wore sharp glasses and had a
piercing, calculating gaze. Standing in front of the microphone, he calmly looked around at the first-year students. What was his club, and what in the world was he going to say? My interest had been piqued.
Unfortunately, my expectations were dashed immediately. He didn't say a single word. Maybe he was drawing a blank? Or perhaps he was so nervous that he couldn't speak?
"Do your best!" "Did you forget to bring your notecards?"
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
The first-year students hurled comments at him. However, the upperclassman stood on the stage calmly, without trembling. The laughter and comments didn't seem to faze him. When the laughter had reached a crescendo, it suddenly died. He wore an apathetic expression.
"What's with this guy?" remarked an astonished student. The gymnasium buzzed with people talking, yet the boy on the stage still did not move. He simply stood there, quiet and motionless, staring fixedly at the crowd. Horikita stared back at the student with an intense gaze, not breaking
her line of sight even for a second. The relaxed atmosphere gradually changed, and things took an unexpected turn. It was as if some chemical reaction had taken place. An unbelievably tense, quiet mood gripped the entire gymnasium. Even though no orders had been given, the silence was so terrible that it seemed to have gagged everyone. Not a single student looked able to open his or her mouth. The silence continued for about thirty seconds or so...
Then, the student started his speech, slowly scanning the crowd. "I'm the student council president. My name is Horikita Manabu," he
said.
happened to have the same surname. Or, maybe...
Horikita? I glanced at the Horikita next to me. Perhaps they just
"The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among the first-year students to replace the graduating third years. Although no special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those considering application not be involved in other club activities. We generally do not accept students involved elsewhere."
He spoke in a soft tone, but the tension around us was so thick it felt like you could cut it with a knife. He had managed to silence over a hundred new students in that spacious gymnasium. Of course, it wasn't his position as student council president that granted him this deference. That was simply Horikita Manabu's power. His presence dominated everyone around him.
"Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone who possesses a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected, he or she would sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student council's right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects more than that. We gladly welcome those of you who understand this."
He didn't pause even once during his eloquent speech. Immediately after finishing, he hopped off the stage and left the gymnasium. None of the first-year students could utter a single word as we watched him go. We didn't know what would've happened if we'd tried to talk. Everyone in the room shared the same thought, apparently.
"Thank you all for coming. The club fair has ended. We will now open the reception area to anyone interested in signing up. Also, registration will be open until the end of April, so if any student wishes to join at a later date, we ask that you please bring the application form directly to the club you
wish to join." Thanks to the laid-back organizer, the tension in the air dissipated. Afterward, the third-year students who'd introduced their respective clubs started taking applications.
Horikita remained still as a statue, giving no sign she would budge.
"Hey, what's wrong?" I asked. Horikita didn't answer. It was like my words didn't even reach her
ears.
"Yo, Ayanokouji. You came, huh?"
As I was lost in thought, someone called out to me. Sudou. Our
classmates Ike and Yamauchi were also with him. "Oh, hey, you three. Looks like you guys are getting along well, huh?"
I responded, feeling a bit envious of Sudou.
"So, you joined a club, too?"
"Oh, no, I just came to check things out. Wait, "too"? Did you join a
club, Sudou?” "Yeah. I've been playing basketball ever since elementary school. I thought I'd join the team here."
I had thought he was athletic, judging from his physique. Basketball was clearly his game.
"What about you two?"
"We just came because we felt it might be fun, you know? Besides, we thought we might have a fateful encounter afterward," Ike said. "What do you mean, *fateful encounter"?"
I wanted Ike to explain his rather odd-sounding goal. He crossed his arms and responded proudly, "I want to get my first girlfriend in Class D. That's my goal. That's why I'm keeping my eyes open for an encounter." Apparently, Ike considered having a girlfriend to be of the utmost
priority. "Also, I have to say, that student council president was something else. He was so imposing. I got the feeling he ruled the place, you know?" he said. "I know, right? He made everyone shut up without saying a word. That kinda stuff is impossible," I replied.
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, I made a group chat for the guys yesterday."
Ike took out his phone. "Do you want to join in, too? It's pretty handy." "Huh? Me? Is that okay?" I asked. "Of course it's okay. We're all in Class D together, after all."
That was a rather unexpected proposal. I was happy to be invited to the group chat. Finally, I'd found the perfect chance to make friends! However, when I took out my cell phone to exchange contact information, Horikita disappeared into the crowd. Worried about her, I stopped what I was doing.
"What's wrong?" Ike asked. "Oh, nothing. You ready?"
I returned to my phone and exchanged contact information with Ike and the other guys. Horikita was free to do whatever she wanted, and I didn't have the right to stop her. For a moment, I'd felt like following her, but in the end I decided not to.