During free activity time after school that day.
Eriri stood in front of the grade bulletin board looking at her ranking, her mood not particularly pleasant.
For this month's exam, she had naturally gotten another poor grade in English, dragging down her overall score by a large margin.
Mom always laughed at her at home - even though Dad is British, your English is so terrible.
But what could she do if she just wasn't good at English!
Eriri bit her lip indignantly.
However, when her gaze shifted and she saw Murakami Yuu's name ranked near the top of the bulletin board, she couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth proudly, her mood gradually improving. She turned and walked toward the doujin game club.
She could find an opportunity to congratulate him, but she couldn't be too obvious about it and make him arrogant. Her tone should seem natural, and perhaps adding a few words of encouragement would be better...
Yuu, congratulations on making it into the top ten of the grade. But you should be able to reach even higher rankings. Don't slack off going forward, understand?
She imagined herself crossing her arms, turning to the side and saying this in a slightly proud tone. She slowly blushed.
Wouldn't that be like Mom's lecturing words! No, no good!
Eriri shook her head, her golden twin tails flying up and down with her movements, creating beautiful arcs. She began to reconsider.
Perhaps she didn't need to be so deliberate. Just like when getting along with friends normally, when eating with Yuu or when the two were alone together, she could casually and naturally say congratulations.
Eriri nodded, thinking this plan was feasible. But she still lacked an opportunity to be alone together. This Sunday she could go to Yuu's house to find him, but what reason should she use?
She turned her little brain, and soon thought of the words she had unconsciously blurted out when she had a fever at Yuu's house last time while being cared for.
'Yuu, if you have time in the future, could you please be my model?'
His answer at the time was no problem.
She found her reason!
Eriri's steps became much lighter, the corners of her mouth lifting into a smile as she calculated the time.
Today was Thursday, and Sunday was only three days away. These few days she'd work hard to handle some things in advance and free up that day. She could use the excuse of drawing to make Yuu pose in ways she wanted to see, and after that maybe she could even eat delicious food Yuu made himself.
Just thinking about that beautiful scene made Eriri feel so happy she could fly.
When she reached the door of the doujin game club, she vaguely heard arguing voices inside.
What's going on?
Eriri calmed her mindset and composed her expression, opened the door and walked in. At a glance she saw Aki Tomoya arguing with two female students about something.
"Please! This classroom carries our dreams. If it's taken back at this time, we won't have anywhere in school to realize our dreams!"
Aki Tomoya bowed with his hands clasped together raised above his head.
"Even if you say that, it's not something we can decide. Your club really doesn't meet the school's regulations, and the content of your activities isn't very clear either. We'll inform the president of the specific situation, and she'll make the final decision. But don't be too optimistic or have high expectations. The final result will probably still be to take back the activity classroom as I said."
The girl with slightly curled hair held a folder and spoke softly, not swayed by his attitude, looking completely businesslike.
"After all, many students in school have been applying for activity classrooms recently. It's only natural for clubs not recognized by the student council to give up their classrooms."
After hearing the content of their conversation, Eriri walked closer and only then recognized that the girl responding was Ibuki Yuki, the secretary belonging to the student council, while the one silently recording something beside her was accountant Uchida Mitsuko.
"How can... this be..."
Aki Tomoya raised his head and stared blankly at Ibuki Yuki.
"Actually, even after the activity classroom is taken back, you can continue your activities. Your club's activity is making games, right? You can wear headphones and go to the school's open self-study classroom, or the library is also an option. Just keep your voices down when communicating so you don't disturb others."
Ibuki Yuki thought of a solution for Aki Tomoya.
"Of course, if you find a few more students to join your club and submit an application form to the student council for recognition, you could keep this classroom. But you need to hurry. The reallocation of activity classrooms will happen soon. Once it's taken back and you want to apply again, you'll have to wait in line. You might not even get it by the end of this semester."
"I understand! I'll go recruit people right away!"
Aki Tomoya seemed to see hope and rekindled his fighting spirit.
"Mm, well then, we'll take our leave and go to the next club."
Ibuki Yuki smiled formulaically. She and Uchida Mitsuko turned around, brushed past Eriri as they left the activity classroom, and gently closed the sliding door.
Through the conversation just now, Eriri had basically understood the general situation. Their game club wasn't recognized by the student council because of too few members, and would be taken back for students who needed it.
The doujin game club was now shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. Aki Tomoya lowered his head and clenched his fists. Kasumigaoka Utaha sat in the corner of the classroom reading a book, while Kato Megumi was absent.
"I'll go recruit people right now! I absolutely won't let this classroom be taken back!"
Aki Tomoya dropped this line and, without communicating with the two people present, stubbornly ran straight out the door.
Eriri watched his departing figure, then turned to face Kasumigaoka Utaha. She suddenly discovered that she had no emotional response to the classroom being taken back, as if it had nothing to do with her - completely unmoved, and even... even slightly hopeful...
No, no! How could she think like that!
Eriri shook her head vigorously.
This change in her attitude was fully observed by Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had her suspicions but remained impassive.
"Sawamura-san, what's wrong? Not feeling well?"
"No, nothing... just wondering if Tomoya can successfully recruit people."
Eriri answered.
"I don't think the prospects are good."
Kasumigaoka Utaha tucked the hair blown loose by the wind behind her ear.
"Why?"
When Eriri asked back while looking at Kasumigaoka Utaha's profile, she somehow detected from her posture and movements a full sense of... a full sense of...
That kind of very charming, rich in allure... that kind of... indescribable strange feeling.
"Since the club was established, several boys have wanted to join our club, but Rinri-kun refused them all. I don't think someone who did that can recruit people at this critical moment."
"That's true. That guy's relationship with the boys at school wasn't good to begin with..."
Eriri leaned against the table and didn't continue.
Kasumigaoka Utaha closed the novel collection in her hands.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
"The student council. Try to get the student council president to give us a few more days, and we'll see if we can think of other solutions."
Eriri: ???
"What's wrong? That expression?"
"No... nothing. Let's go."
Eriri followed behind Kasumigaoka Utaha, feeling somewhat unfamiliar with her making this move. This wasn't quite like her usual behavior pattern.
She should be the same as herself - the proud type who wouldn't easily bow her head to others.
On the way, they ran into the student council advisor teacher Yukino Yukinoshita. The three came to the student council together and froze the instant they opened the door.
Eriri looked at Murakami Yuu with his face pinned down by Anna Kinomiya. Her mindset exploded.
...