The school bell rang, crisp and clear, signaling the end of classes for the day.
Kasumigaoka Touji calmly packed his things, slung his bag over one shoulder, and met up with Kasumigaoka Utaha near the shoe lockers. After changing shoes, the two stepped out of the building together.
The afternoon sun bathed the schoolyard in a golden glow. It was just past three o'clock, and the sunlight felt like warm fingers gently massaging the skin—pleasant and soothing, like an early spring day.
"Wow, it's so lively today," Touji said, looking around with mild surprise.
The entire front area of the school was bustling with energy. Upperclassmen stood beside banners, posters, and tables, calling out enthusiastically.
"We are the Tea Ceremony Club! If you love tradition and tranquility, don't hesitate!"
"We're the Swimming Club! Let our ikemen senpai and beautiful onee-sans teach you the way of the water~"
"Oi! Using a honey trap to recruit is cheating!"
"What cheating? We're just maximizing our assets!"
"The Comedy Club is performing live now! Come laugh your stress away!"
"We're the Soccer Club! Let's burn our youth together on the field!"
"Cooking Club here! Try our handmade treats!"
"..."
Touji blinked. "It's like a festival out here."
He watched as some eager upperclassmen practically latched onto unsuspecting freshmen, trying to drag them off to tour their clubs. The sheer enthusiasm was overwhelming.
Oddly enough, no one approached Touji.
Perhaps it was the quiet, composed beauty walking beside him. Kasumigaoka Utaha—graceful, elegant, and slightly intimidating—was like a flower blooming high on a snowy peak.
People admired her from afar... but dared not get too close.
"Well, clubs compete fiercely at the start of the year," Utaha said, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear with practiced elegance. "More members mean better funding, and better funding means nicer clubrooms."
Then, turning to him, she added with a neutral expression, "Want to go check them out? Toyosaki has way more clubs than your middle school, and the facilities are much better too."
It was a gentle suggestion, but also one filled with meaning.
Utaha didn't want him to choose the "Home-going Club" just because she was in it.
Youth only comes once.
She wanted him to explore his own path, not simply follow hers.
Touji shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. I already know which club I want to join."
"Really?" Utaha raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what club might that be?"
He paused for a second, then scratched his cheek with a sheepish look.
"Actually... not the Home-going Club."
Utaha blinked in surprise. "Oh? Then which one?"
"The Nap Club."
Utaha tilted her head. "Nap Club? Do we even have one?"
"Not yet," Touji said, coughing lightly. "But if all goes according to plan, my deskmate's going to start it. She wants a place where people can relax, take naps, maybe warm up lunch in a microwave."
"She?" Utaha immediately honed in on the word.
In Japanese, the difference between kare and kanojo was clear as day.
Touji winced. "It's not like that. We're just normal classmates. Nothing's going on between us."
"Is that so? You're being awfully suspicious, you know. The way you're explaining it only makes it more suspicious."
Kasumigaoka Utaha narrowed her eyes ever so slightly, a soft puff of air escaping from her nose in something between a scoff and a sigh.
Lately, her otōto-kun's romantic fortunes had been just a little too bright for her liking.
At an age filled with curiosity and overflowing hormones, surrounded by cute classmates and shameless upperclassmen… How could she not worry?
Maybe she should just pounce on him and get it over with?
...No, that would feel like admitting defeat.
Besides, Utaha wasn't just some random onee-san desperate for affection.
She wanted to be confessed to. Properly. Earnestly.
That rush of joy when someone you like gathers up the courage, stumbles through their words, and pours their heart out…
That's the kind of confession Kasumigaoka Utaha longed for.
But this guy—Kasumigaoka Touji—acted like he was blind to all her hints. Both the blatant and the subtle.
Seriously, this stupid, oblivious baka...
Could it be… he was waiting for her to confess?
Utaha's eyebrow twitched. The more she thought about it, the more likely it seemed. That little punk…!
"Not suspicious at all," Touji replied calmly, almost as if reading her mind. "Actually, I was thinking of asking Utaha to join the club too. We'll probably need the extra members if we want the application to go through."
"Besides, with fewer people around, it'll be easier to take naps without anyone getting in the way."
As he finished speaking, he casually reached out and took her hand—just like he had that morning.
Utaha blinked, then looked down at their interlocked fingers. She didn't pull away. Instead, her lips curved ever so slightly.
"If my adorable little otōto wants me to join, then I suppose I can accompany you," she said with a teasing lilt.
"But really… do you need your onee-san to hold your hand even for something like joining a club?"
"Don't get the wrong idea. We're just making up the numbers. Also… I thought it'd soothe your jealous heart."
Touji's gaze drifted toward a certain spot on her chest—where a pale pink cherry blossom petal had landed without falling off.
Beautiful… and slightly distracting.
"...Who's jealous?" Utaha narrowed her eyes even more, though a benevolent smile tugged at the corners of her lips.
She was a little jealous—but he didn't have to know that!
"You're imagining things, baka Younger brother. Don't be so full of yourself."
"How could someone as humble and low-key as me be full of himself?"
"The very fact that you can say that means you're absolutely not humble."
"Tch…"
Touji clicked his tongue, feigning indignation.
Their familiar rhythm of bickering continued as they made their way through the bustling campus.
And yet, despite their casual tone, Utaha's mind was turning.
There was definitely something more behind Touji joining the so-called Nap Club.
Could it really be just for microwaves and naps?
Somehow… she doubted it.
Maybe tomorrow, when she saw this mysterious deskmate, things would become clearer.
As she pondered this, the two arrived at the station. Without needing to say much, they entered side by side and headed toward the train platform, hands still linked under the fading afternoon sun.
...