During lunch break, Lin Zhi was chatting idly with Saiki Kusuo and Kirito Kazuto.
Suddenly, Lin Zhi remembered that Kazuto was something of a gaming expert, so he asked casually,
"By the way, Kazuto, have you heard of Sword Art Online?"
"Sword Art Online?"
Kazuto froze for a moment, then looked at Lin Zhi in astonishment.
"You know Sword Art Online?!"
"Huh?"
Lin Zhi blinked in surprise.
"You've heard of it too?"
Kazuto nodded. "Yeah. Last week I got an email about that game. I searched online but couldn't find anything about it, so I thought it was a scam."
Then, his eyes widened. "Wait, are you saying it's real?! Has full-dive virtual gaming tech actually been developed?!"
Realizing that Kazuto didn't know anything more than he did—and had instead misunderstood him—Lin Zhi gave a small sigh.
"No. I got the same email last week. I just thought, since you're a pro gamer, you might've heard something from the inside. Guess it really was just a scam."
The two exchanged a knowing glance and both lost interest.
Meanwhile, Saiki Kusuo, sitting nearby, glanced at them, his eyes flickering with intrigue.
After school, at the Light Music Club.
When Lin Zhi opened the door, the familiar faces of the club girls were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, Yukinoshita Yukino was seated quietly in the corner of the room.
Outside, cherry blossoms drifted through the air. A slant of golden sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a soft glow over the girl's face.
Her porcelain features shimmered in the warm light—serene and distant, like time itself had slowed.
"Hello," Lin Zhi greeted politely after a glance in her direction.
Yukinoshita looked up and gave a slight nod before lowering her gaze again to the text in her hands.
She was like a snow lotus blooming high in the mountains—beautiful, but cold and untouchable.
Lin Zhi could roughly guess what kind of person she was, so he didn't push for conversation.
He quietly sat down and began working on his homework.
Before long, an energetic voice rang out from outside.
"Bang!"
The door burst open, accompanied by Tainaka Ritsu's cheerful shout.
"Yo! Nohara!"
Seeing Lin Zhi, her eyes lit up, and she waved excitedly.
Then, noticing Yukinoshita sitting in the corner, she remembered that this room was shared with another club—the Service Club.
"Good afternoon, Yukinoshita!"
"Good afternoon," came the polite reply.
After the brief exchange, the Light Music Club girls gathered around Lin Zhi.
He had just finished his homework and was putting it away when he looked up at them.
"So," he asked, "when exactly are we going to start actual club activities?"
At that, everyone froze like statues.
"Haha, w-well, let's just bring the instruments next week, yeah? No need to rush!"
As the club president, Ritsu laughed awkwardly and clapped Lin Zhi on the shoulder to hide her embarrassment.
Seeing her expression, Lin Zhi didn't know whether to laugh or sigh.
According to Kazuto, other clubs were already preparing for national tournaments.
Clearly, the Light Music Club wasn't one of those.
Looking around, Lin Zhi came to a quiet conclusion.
It was a laid-back kind of place—and maybe that wasn't so bad.
Some people thrive on ambition.
Others prefer to steal a moment of peace from the rush of life.
As Kotobuki Tsumugi brought over cups of freshly brewed tea and set out small cakes, Ritsu suddenly smacked her hands together, a spark of excitement lighting up her face.
"Oh, right! Everyone! We're getting a new member!"
"A new member?!"
Akiyama Mio and Tsumugi exchanged delighted looks.
"Yup! I found out when I went to submit Nohara's membership form. Apparently someone else already applied to join."
"What's her name?"
"Uh…" Ritsu squinted, trying to recall. "Hir—Hirasawa… Yui?"
Hirasawa Yui?
Judging by the name, it sounded like another girl.
Lin Zhi thought to himself that the club was starting to feel a little unbalanced—too many girls, not enough guys.
The days drifted by peacefully.
Cherry blossoms don't last long; by the time May rolled around, their petals were already beginning to fall.
The clubroom seemed to contain two different worlds:
the easygoing Light Music Club quartet, and the solitary girl sitting quietly apart.
And yet, somehow, the atmosphere felt strangely harmonious.
"Would you like a cup of tea, Yukinoshita?"
Tsumugi approached her gently, holding out a cup of red tea.
Everyone glanced over, but Yukinoshita, firm in her own quiet resolve, politely refused.
"I'm sorry," she said softly, shaking her head.
Tsumugi blinked, then smiled warmly.
But moments later, she appeared again—this time holding out a plate of cookies.
"And… maybe a cookie?"
Yukinoshita froze for a second, lips pressed together, a faint hint of conflict flickering in her eyes.
"…Thank you," she said at last, taking one.
So she accepted in the end…
Yukinoshita sighed inwardly.
Just then—
Knock knock!
Someone rapped at the clubroom door.
The Light Music girls exchanged glances, and Ritsu's eyes suddenly gleamed with excitement.
"I bet that's her!" she whispered.
Everyone knew who she meant.
With the energy of a small hurricane, Ritsu dashed to the door and grabbed the handle.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" she announced dramatically, clearing her throat twice for effect.
"Let's all give a warm welcome to the fifth member of the Light Music Club—"
"—Hirasawa! Yui!"
The door swung open with a flourish, a gust of wind swirling in behind it.
"Eek!"
Standing outside was a wide-eyed girl who looked absolutely terrified.
Had… had she just heard her name shouted?
Blinking in confusion, she saw everyone in the room staring at her.
Panicking, she bowed deeply.
"I—I'm so sorry for interrupting!"
And with that, she turned to leave.
"Wait, what?!"
Ritsu jumped in alarm. "Hey, you're Hirasawa Yui, right?! Why are you leaving?!"
"Ritsu! You scared her!"
Mio stormed over, grabbing Ritsu by the arm before turning to Yui with an apologetic smile.
"Sorry about that—she's a bit slow on the uptake sometimes."
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T/N:
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