"Huh? We have to buy it ourselves?"
Yui Hirasawa blinked in confusion.
"Of course we do!"
Ritsu Tainaka looked like she'd just lost faith in humanity, then slung an arm around Yui's shoulders. "Think about it—kendo club buys their own wooden swords, the tennis club gets their own rackets, and the soccer club their own balls…"
"So all that stuff… they buy it themselves?"
"Exactly!"
"Ohhh, I see now."
Yui nodded, looking as if she had just discovered some great truth of the universe.
"Hey, hey!"
Ritsu's mouth twitched. "Don't tell me, Yui—you've never joined any kind of club before?"
"Ah!"
Yui gasped in shock, eyes wide. "H-How did you know that?!"
"What?!"
Now it was Ritsu's turn to be genuinely stunned.
The entire clubroom fell silent. Even Lin Zhi looked up in surprise, joining the rest of the Light Music Club in staring at Yui.
Only the faint sound of Yukino Yukinoshita turning a page broke the silence.
"Umm… is that a problem?"
Yui looked around nervously, unsure why everyone was staring at her like that.
Lin Zhi glanced at Ritsu, who still seemed frozen in disbelief. Taking pity on her, he spoke up, "It's fine. Everyone's just… a little surprised, that's all."
He had unconsciously emphasized the "little."
"I knew it's weird…"
Yui scratched her head, embarrassed. She couldn't think of anyone else who'd made it all the way to high school without ever joining a club.
"Ahem, who said it's weird?!"
Ritsu coughed twice, declaring loudly, "A new recruit like you is a blank canvas! Pure, untouched—your potential is limitless!"
"Limitless… potential?"
Yui tilted her head, still confused.
"Yeah! Like a character with high growth stats—you'll level up fast!"
Ritsu nodded solemnly as if explaining a universal truth.
"R-Really?!"
"Of course! I believe you can become an amazing guitarist, Yui!"
"T-Thank you!"
Yui's eyes sparkled with emotion as she bowed deeply.
Ritsu nodded, then withdrew her hand from Yui's shoulder. Her gaze turned resolute as she stared out the window. "Yui, the road to conquer the stars and the sea is long and treacherous. Can you see it through?"
Yui followed her gaze to the empty sky, face suddenly serious. "I can!"
Her short but determined reply seemed to echo through the room.
Lin Zhi sat quietly, sipping his tea, watching the two of them perform their dramatic little play. At last, someone who could keep up with Ritsu's antics had appeared.
Mio Akiyama sighed deeply from her seat, while the rich young lady looked on, moved to tears by the heartfelt "performance."
Yes… rich girls really were a strange breed.
Meanwhile, in the corner, a certain girl's eyes flickered with quiet envy.
"Alright, back to business!"
Ritsu clapped her hands, breaking the spell of their make-believe drama. She sat back down, crossed one leg over the other with no trace of elegance, and took a sip of tea.
"Huh? Huh?!"
Yui blinked blankly, still stuck in the scene from moments ago. She really had been swept along by Ritsu's energy.
"Lin Zhi, how much does a guitar cost these days?"
Ritsu leaned back in her chair, one arm draped casually over the backrest.
"I'm not too sure, but prices shouldn't fluctuate much." Lin Zhi thought for a moment before adding, "The cheapest ones are around eight or nine thousand yen, maybe ten. But for a decent entry-level model… you're looking at fifty thousand and up."
"F-Fifty thousand?!"
Yui's eyes widened as a strangled whimper escaped her throat.
"That's like… ten months' allowance!"
"There's no helping it," Mio said quietly. "When I bought my bass, I had to save for ages too."
"How much money do you have saved right now, Yui?" Lin Zhi asked.
"Umm… about five thousand?"
Yui's voice grew small, as if saying it aloud made it hurt more. Her heart sank at the thought of how far she still had to go.
"Five thousand, huh… that's quite the gap," Lin Zhi said thoughtfully.
"Yeah! Maybe you could ask your parents to give you an advance on your allowance," Ritsu suggested.
"But if I do that, I won't get any allowance for the whole year! Nooo…"
"Maybe there's another way," someone murmured.
"Ladies," came a cool, composed voice from the corner.
Everyone turned to see Yukino Yukinoshita lowering the book she'd been reading, her calm gaze sweeping over them.
Her soft lips parted, and her voice rang clearly through the room.
"According to school policy, once a club is officially recognized, it's possible to apply for club funds—provided the reason is legitimate."
"Huh?"
Ritsu looked utterly stunned.
Lin Zhi gave her a sidelong glance. "Our dear club president didn't know that?"
"Ha… ha ha…"
Ritsu gave a strained laugh, then suddenly sprang to her feet. "Alright! I'll go apply right now!"
Before anyone could stop her, she dashed out of the room shouting, "Wait for my good news!"
Everyone else just sat there in silence.
About ten minutes later, Ritsu burst back in, breathless and beaming.
"Everyone! I got the club funds!"
She waved a small envelope triumphantly.
"How much?" Mio asked immediately.
"Three thousand!"
"…"
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T/N:
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