After the morning opening ceremony and self-introductions in class, it was already noon. Since there were no afternoon classes scheduled for the day, everyone gradually dispersed in small groups.
After receiving another round of thanks from Hirasawa Yui, Shirakumo (White Ink) and Kato Megumi went to the teachers' office to find Tozuka Fuyu and explain their request.
Glancing at Shirakumo, who stood at 185 cm, and Kato Megumi, at 160 cm, Tozuka Fuyu immediately approved their arrangement.
"By the way, Shirakumo-kun, since you're an exchange student from China, you might not be aware—Japanese schools nowadays require students to join after-school clubs to enrich their extracurricular lives. So, you might want to look around and apply for a club that interests you."
"That sounds troublesome," Shirakumo couldn't help but shake his head. "Speaking of which, now that our school has merged, what happens to all the clubs? Things must be pretty chaotic, right?"
"Exactly. That's why you have a month to think it over. During this time, the faculty will work on integrating the clubs from all the merged schools. As for club presidents and vice-presidents, the students will decide among themselves."
After getting this information from Tozuka Fuyu, Shirakumo turned to Kato Megumi on their way back and asked, "So, Kato-san, which club were you in before?"
"The Going Home Club. Since it wasn't mandatory before, but now that we're in high school, students are required to join a club… I suppose I'll have to think about which one to join."
"If nothing else, you could just join the Going Home Club. Sounds pretty good to me."
Hearing this, Kato Megumi gave a faint smile. "No, that's not it. The 'Going Home Club' isn't an actual club—it just refers to people who don't join any clubs and go straight home. There isn't really a 'Going Home Club' as an official club!"
"Eh?" Shirakumo pointed at a noticeboard in the hallway. "But there's a recruitment poster for the Going Home Club right there!"
Following his gaze, Kato Megumi also spotted the hand-drawn recruitment poster for the Going Home Club. "Huh… so there is."
"Japan really is full of surprises. There's a club for everything."
"Ahaha… y-yeah, I guess so." Kato Megumi felt a little awkward.
Just moments ago, she had confidently told Shirakumo that no such club existed, only for a recruitment poster to appear right in front of them. It was hard not to feel embarrassed.
As they browsed through the various club recruitment posters and hand-drawn flyers on the noticeboard, Shirakumo finally spotted one that caught his interest—the Cooking Club.
However, the description only mentioned learning basic cooking skills, which immediately dampened his enthusiasm.
After returning to the classroom and rearranging their desks, Shirakumo said his goodbyes.
As for the club dilemma… he'd leave that problem for tomorrow's Shirakumo to worry about.
Watching Shirakumo ride off on his motorcycle, Kato Megumi stood at the school gates for a moment before finally turning to leave.
She had always had a low presence—so low that even her own parents sometimes forgot about her. She had lived like this for eighteen years, never expecting to meet someone who could consistently notice her.
Was it because Shirakumo-kun was Chinese?
Or was there another reason?
Shirakumo, of course, had no idea about Kato Megumi's thoughts. After leaving school, he immediately headed home.
Earlier, he had mailed two taels of his prized Chenyu Immortal Tea to his grandfather back home. Overjoyed, the old man had tripled Shirakumo's allowance and even arranged for some requested items to be delivered to him.
At the shopping district in Shinjuku, Shirakumo met the entrusted courier and studied him curiously. "Kenzaki-san?"
The tall, lean man in a gray suit looked almost identical to the Kenzaki Ryu he had met at the late-night diner.
"No, no—Shirakumo-kun, I'm Inokashira Goro. Kenzaki Ryu is my older brother."
Shirakumo blurted out in surprise, "Huh? So you really are related? Though, looking this similar, it makes sense."
"My brother and I are twins. Everyone who meets us remarks on it. It's just… our parents divorced, and we ended up separated."
"No wonder your surnames and given names are completely different."
After this exchange, Shirakumo asked Inokashira Goro, "So, Inokashira-san, where are the goods you brought for me from China?"
"Don't worry, they're already in my warehouse," Inokashira Goro replied with a smile. "Shirakumo-kun, I deal in import-export goods. If you ever need anything else in the future, feel free to reach out."
Shirakumo nodded in agreement—it was always good to have connections.
Following Inokashira Goro, Shirakumo soon arrived at the man's warehouse, where two wooden crates sat waiting.
"These are the items you requested, Shirakumo-kun."
Resting his hand on the crates, Shirakumo's thoughts drifted back to Teyvat.
These were the goods he planned to take back and sell for profit.
After all, the four major industries of ancient times—salt, iron, silk, and tea—were already well-established in Liyue.
To amass a fortune in Mora, Shirakumo had to think outside the box. His plan? Smuggle in luxury goods and trade them for massive profits!
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T/N:
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