Silence fell over the group.
Soren felt something inside him give up.
He turned slowly to face them.
His expression was hollow, and his eyes were dead, but there was a faint, strained smile on his lips.
Everyone stared at the nameplate, then at Soren.
Olivia's face had gone slightly pink.
Alex was trying and failing to keep a straight expression.
Felix's eyes turned as dead as Soren's.
Esper's shoulders were shaking, not sure if she should laugh or not.
Amelia blinked once and then just stared, expression unreadable.
And then…
"Wow, little brother!" Louise said brightly. "You kept the name I chose after all! I told you it was good, didn't I?"
All eyes turned to her.
Soren exhaled.
"Well, now you see the problem," he muttered. "We're all members of the 'Sweetheart Society' now, a club that makes and tastes desserts."
He turned back to the door before anyone could respond and jammed the key into the lock.
The door clicked open.
He pushed it wide and stepped inside.
"Uh… what?"
The word slipped out instinctively.
He took a few more steps, then turned around in place, surveying the space.
"Are clubrooms meant to be this… big?"
The others filtered in behind him.
The interior wasn't just one room.
Directly ahead was a dining area with a long table and chairs.
To the right, a doorway opened into a living space filled with sofas, a low table, and shelves along the walls.
Through another archway, he could see a fully equipped kitchen.
Down a short corridor, several doors were lined up neatly.
Lilliana, as the only professor present, spoke first.
"...No," she said slowly. "Usually they're about the same size as a lecture hall or two at most."
Soren frowned and looked down at the form in his hand again.
"It definitely says we were registered as a small club… So why…?"
Esper stepped closer and peered into the living room.
"Isn't it just because of the members?" she suggested.
Everyone's eyes followed her gaze.
To Amelia, a princess.
To Alex, the hero.
To Liliana, a professor.
To Louise, a heir of a viscounty.
To Esper herself, a duke's daughter.
And finally, to Soren, who was technically a failure of a noble, but still part of that world.
They all nodded almost simultaneously.
"I guess that makes sense," Soren admitted. "Well, at least we got a good clubroom."
"Still though… that name…" Felix murmured under his breath.
Soren shrugged.
"I'm pretty sure it would help you. Just go around telling girls you're a part of the Sweetheart Society and give them some desserts. It'll work out somehow."
Felix stared at him.
"...Are you a genius?"
"Shut up and get inside," Soren replied. "If you ever bring a girl here, I'll kick you out."
"As if I'd do that," Felix scoffed, but he stepped further into the room anyway, curiosity winning.
Alex walked down the small hallway and opened one of the doors.
"To be fair, this place looks big enough to house at least half of us, doesn't it?" he called back.
Soren watched him disappear into one of the side rooms.
"Does it?"
"Yeah," Alex said, reappearing a moment later. "There's a living room, a dining room, a kitchen, a small bathroom with a shower, a large bathroom with a bath, and four extra rooms. All empty."
"Holy shit," Soren muttered.
He remembered the secretary's words then and walked over to the dining table; a small stack of papers sat neatly in the centre.
He picked them up and flipped through.
"What's that?" Amelia asked, drifting to his side and peering over his shoulder.
"The secretary told me I should read them," Soren answered. "Let's see…"
He walked to the living room and dropped down onto one of the sofas.
The others gathered around, some sitting, others standing.
Soren cleared his throat and began to read.
"Rules and regulations…"
He scanned the page, then spoke aloud.
"Number one. All registered clubs must maintain a minimum of eight members at all times."
He continued.
"Two. Each club must have a supervising professor. The supervisor is responsible for safety, attendance verification, and final activity reports."
He moved his finger down the page as he spoke, his voice steady.
"Three. Clubs are required to hold at least one official meeting per week and submit a brief record of attendance at the end of each month."
"Four. All clubs must submit an activity outline for each semester that describes planned projects, research, or events. Failure to submit may result in withdrawal of funding."
"Five. Members must attend at least two-thirds of all official meetings each semester to remain on the roster. Chronic absenteeism may result in removal."
Felix winced slightly.
"Six. Damage to academy property or equipment during club activities must be reported immediately. Repair costs will be deducted from the club's allowance."
"That makes sense," Olivia murmured.
"Seven. No clubs may engage in sales, gambling, or other profit-making activities without prior authorisation."
"Eight. Club disputes are to be resolved internally when possible. Repeated internal conflict or misconduct may result in the temporary dissolution of the club."
"Nine. Clubs will receive a standard allowance of materials or funds each semester. Additional requests must be justified and approved by the Student Council Treasurer."
Alex nodded, arms crossed.
"Ten. The Club President is responsible for maintaining attendance records, managing funds, and ensuring the safety of members during activities."
Soren's expression twisted slightly.
"Great," he said flatly.
"Eleven. The Vice President shall assist the Club President in managing operations and ensure all duties are fulfilled in the President's absence."
Olivia straightened up with a startled look.
"Ah…"
"Do your best, Vice President," Esper whispered teasingly.
Soren read on.
"Twelve. The use of academy insignia or uniforms for non-academic or personal projects is prohibited without written consent."
"Thirteen. If membership falls below the minimum for more than one month, or if the club fails two consecutive reviews, the organisation will be automatically disbanded."
"Fourteen. Stellaris Academy assumes no liability for incidents occurring during unapproved activities or off-campus meetings."
"That sounds about right," Lilliana said.
"And fifteen," Soren finished. "Finally, enjoy your club activities responsibly. Clubs are a privilege of Stellaris students, a place to learn, create, and grow together."
He dropped the paper onto the coffee table and let out a yawn.
"It's all pretty standard stuff. I was expecting more limitations."
"If they added too much, it would probably seem suffocating," Alex added.
"True, but…" Soren glanced at the rules again. "There doesn't seem to be any rule against staying here overnight or anything like that…?"
His words made a couple of them blink.
"I mean, isn't that common sense?" Felix asked.
Soren rested his chin in his hand and looked around the room.
"Can I be honest? The first thought I had when I walked in was that I wanted to live here."
Lilliana, as the supervisor, frowned slightly and tried to recall the academy's residential regulations.
After a moment, she sighed.
"I don't think there's anything stopping you. As long as you don't skip classes and don't cause trouble," she said.
"Well, that's settled then. I'm moving in," Soren said lightly.
"Screw that," Felix replied immediately.
"It could be nice to stay here sometimes, but I need my privacy," Esper mused.
Amelia glanced at Soren.
"I'll stay sometimes too," she said simply.
"There's no curfew if we stay here, right?" Alex said. "I'll probably stay over sometimes for training."
Olivia smiled awkwardly.
"I'm not sure about me. I think I'll stay in the dorms for now."
Soren laughed softly at their serious responses.
"Even if we say all that, it's not like we can move in immediately. For starters, we need to buy ingredients. Alex, were there any beds or anything?"
Alex shook his head.
"No. The spare rooms are all bare. Looks like they were meant for storage."
"Then we'll need furniture too," Soren muttered. "Oh well. We'll figure it out. We're here for the next three and a half years anyway."
"Oh yeah!" Esper said suddenly, leaning forward against the arm of the sofa. "Cutie, what about the final member?"
Everyone's attention shifted to Soren.
"He should be here soon. I told him to come an hour later so you weren't all awkwardly waiting together."
"You're so thoughtful," Felix said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Soren rolled his eyes.
Before anyone could say more, a loud slam echoed from the entrance.
The door to the clubroom flew open.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT NAME!?" a furious voice shouted from the doorway.
Lev had arrived.
————「❤︎」————