"Minna-san, sorry to intrude!"
With a graceful wave, Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei strolled into the Light Music Club room, looking effortlessly cool and composed.
"Good afternoon, Sensei!"
Akiyama Mio and the other girls stood up a bit stiffly to greet her.
"Huh? Black tea… and cookies? Don't tell me—this isn't a Light Music Club but the Tea Party Club?"
Hiratsuka's eyes sparkled as she stepped into the room and saw the treats laid out. Without a hint of hesitation, she grabbed a cookie, popped it into her mouth, chewed a few times, and then narrowed her eyes in bliss.
"Tastes great!"
Yep, everyone's on the same page now.
This really was just a Tea Party club.
Sato swept his eyes across the room. The girls all looked a little tense in front of Hiratsuka. Tainaka Ritsu even shot him a pleading look, her eyes full of exaggerated expression that screamed: "You know this teacher, right? Come handle her!"
Understanding the signal loud and clear from his "President," Sato stepped forward and asked,
"Hiratsuka-sensei, may I ask what brings you to the Light Music Club today?"
Hiratsuka opened her eyes, pulled over a chair, and sat down with one leg crossed elegantly.
"No need to be so stiff, everyone. Sit down first."
The girls exchanged glances and awkwardly followed suit.
Kotobuki Tsumugi, ever the considerate one, offered a chair to the quiet girl who had entered alongside the teacher.
The girl murmured a soft "thank you."
Everyone sat up straight, eyes fixed on Hiratsuka.
Ritsu blinked, then whispered to Mio,
"This teacher… is really pretty, huh?"
Suddenly, Hiratsuka turned and looked right at her.
With a radiant smile, she gave Ritsu a big thumbs-up.
"Excellent taste!"
Sato's mouth twitched slightly.
To be fair, Hiratsuka-sensei, who taught the national language class, was definitely a stunning beauty. She wasn't just elegant and cool. Her long, sleek, jet-black hair flowed down to her hips.
A true long-haired goddess, through and through.
But… complimenting herself like that so boldly?
Sato sighed internally at the scene. Still, he was a little surprised to realize something: at this moment, there were three long black-haired beauties gathered in one room.
One was the earnest but easily flustered Akiyama Mio.
Another, the icy girl who had yet to speak.
And finally, Hiratsuka-sensei herself, radiating charisma and cool confidence.
After basking in her self-praise, Hiratsuka cleared her throat and asked,
"So, is everyone in the Light Music Club present now?"
"Yes, we are," Ritsu quickly replied. "Is there something you need, Sensei?"
"Not at all, it's more of a request."
A request?
Ritsu laughed nervously. She really couldn't imagine what kind of request a teacher would have for their club.
Still, she braced herself.
"Please go ahead."
But as the moment came, Hiratsuka looked… a little embarrassed?
"Well, it's like this… I just wanted to discuss something with you all."
"The student with me is Yukinoshita-san from Class 2-J. She's trying to start her own club. But because there have been so many new clubs recently, we're running short on available club rooms."
"I happened to notice the Light Music Club has a relatively small number of members, so I was wondering that would you be willing to share this room?"
"Share the club room?!"
Ritsu yelped in surprise, her face stiffening.
Sato frowned and glanced at the quietly seated girl beside Hiratsuka.
Sharing a room between two completely unrelated clubs… that was bound to get awkward.
After all, different clubs had different interests—interference was inevitable, and it could lead to unnecessary conflict.
Sensing their reaction, Hiratsuka quickly added,
"Don't worry. Yukinoshita-san is currently the only member in her club. And…"
She glanced at the girl beside her and said bluntly,
"I doubt there will be many who'll join her in the future either. So the number of people will stay small, and it won't interfere with your activities."
What?!
The girls exchanged surprised looks, their eyes filled with curiosity. What kind of club was she starting to earn such a dire assessment from a teacher?
"Yukino? Why don't you introduce yourself? This might be your only shot at getting a club room, after all,"
Hiratsuka said with a teasing smile.
Yukinoshita Yukino.
The members of the Light Music Club silently memorized that name.
Yukinoshita, sitting quietly beside Hiratsuka, pressed her lips together. After a deep breath, she stood up.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Yukinoshita Yukino from Class 2-J. I apologize for the sudden intrusion."
She paused, glanced sideways at Hiratsuka, then continued.
"As Hiratsuka-sensei mentioned, it's likely my club will remain a one-person club, so I assure you it won't interfere with your regular activities."
The girls blinked.
Ritsu couldn't help asking,
"Yukinoshita-san, what kind of club are you starting?"
Sato and the others looked on with interest.
Visibly, Yukino hesitated slightly. Then, after a quick breath, she looked up and responded firmly.
In that instant, it felt like a holy light shone from her face.
"The Service Club."
She delivered the name crisply, without flinching. Since she had made the decision, there was no room for doubt.
"S-…Service Club?!"
Mio's face turned bright red in an instant. Steam practically rose from her head, and her eyes started swirling like spirals.
Sato and the others were dumbfounded.
That… that name is actually allowed?!
That took guts.
Even Sato couldn't tell what kind of expression he was making. He just stared at the bold girl with a bit of admiration.
Across from them, Yukinoshita raised an eyebrow.
She clearly knew where everyone's minds had gone.
But it wasn't their fault.
After all, most people go through life muddled. Only a few truly grasp the truth.
So thought Yukinoshita Yukino.
Still, she couldn't let the misunderstanding stand. If they were to share a room for the foreseeable future, clearing it up was essential.
"Everyone, perhaps you misunderstood the true meaning."
She spoke calmly, her gaze solemn.
"The goal of the Service Club is to extend a helping hand to those in need. We offer guidance and teach them how to help themselves…"
Yukinoshita launched into a short but powerful speech, leaving the members of the Light Music Club slack-jawed.
Wait… you can run a club like that?!