The morning light was soft, filtering through scattered clouds as Ren and Kaito made their way to school. The air carried a faint chill, the kind that hinted spring hadn't quite given up yet.
Kaito walked beside him, hands tucked into his blazer pockets, eyes half-closed like he was still waking up.
"So," he began lazily, "you really thinking about joining that Literature Club?"
Ren adjusted his bag. "You were there too."
"Yeah, but I was mostly thinking about snacks," Kaito admitted. "That place smelled like tea and peace. I could get used to that."
Ren hummed in quiet agreement. "It was calm."
"Exactly. Until that loud president started talking about boiling water with passion."
Ren's lips twitched faintly. "Miyako-senpai."
Kaito groaned. "Right. She's like Rika—but powered by caffeine."
They turned the corner toward the school gates, cherry petals drifting lazily through the air as groups of students walked past them in pairs.
Kaito sighed. "Still, it wasn't bad. That Hana girl was nice, and Mei was also there."
Ren glanced at him. "You noticed?"
"Of course," Kaito said. "She even talked to us, remember? Calm voice, polite smile—the kind that makes you lower your own volume without realizing."
Ren said evenly, "She was sitting by the window. Hard not to notice."
Kaito grinned. "You did notice, huh?"
Ren looked sideways. "You're reading too much into it."
"Sure," Kaito teased. "Next thing I know, you'll be writing poems about her hair catching sunlight."
Ren gave him a flat look. "You'll be the subject of my next tragedy if you keep talking."
Kaito laughed. "Worth it."
They passed through the open gates of Seiryu High, the morning hum of voices and footsteps blending with the soft flutter of petals in the breeze. Students chatted, laughed, and hurried to their classrooms, the day already alive around them.
The first periods passed quickly. Sunlight shifted across the windows, and the chalk's soft rhythm filled the room.
By the time the lunch bell rang, chatter immediately spilled out like water released from a dam.
Rika appeared first, slamming her bento on the table. "Alright, confession time!" she declared. "My instinc says you two actually joined a club yesterday."
Kaito lifted his chopsticks defensively. "We didn't join yet, just visited."
Shun leaned forward, curious. "Visited who?"
"The Literature Club," Kaito said.
Rika blinked. "Wait, the quiet one? Books, tea, and people who quote poets unironically?"
Ren nodded once. "That one."
Shun whistled. "Didn't think you'd join that man. I thought something like Go Home Club is the suits you."
Ren looked at him. "Things change."
Kaito smirked. "And they have snacks."
Rika gasped. "So it's true—you are joining because of girls and snacks."
Kaito pressed a hand to his chest. "How dare you accuse me of such noble intentions?"
Everyone laughed. Even Ren let out a quiet exhale that almost sounded like amusement.
"Whoa," Rika said. "Hayashi Ren laughed. History made."
Ren calmly opened his lunch. "I just exhaled"
"Sure sure" she muttered, still smiling.
Lunch passed in waves of laughter and teasing until the bell rang again, pulling everyone back to their seats.
Ms. Sato stepped in soon after, her calm voice settling the room. "Alright, everyone, let's pick up from yesterday's lesson."
The world fell into its usual rhythm—the tap of chalk, the hum of fans, the faint rustle of paper.
By the time the final bell rang, sunlight had mellowed into soft gold.
"Finally done," Kaito groaned, stretching his arms. "You ready?"
Ren closed his notebook. "For what?"
"The club, obviously. You think I'm walking there alone?"
Ren gave a small sigh but stood anyway. "You'd get lost on the way."
"See? That's why I need you," Kaito said, grinning.
The Literature Clubroom was as they remembered—warm light spilling over wooden shelves, the air faintly scented with tea and paper.
"Welcome back!" Hana greeted, setting down a small tray.
Kaito waved. "Hey, the tea place again."
Before she could respond, Shizue popped up from behind a pile of books. "Ah, the prodigal visitors return!"
Kaito blinked. "We didn't leave for long."
"Details," Shizue said dramatically. "What matters is the emotion!"
A groan came from the corner. "President, please," Itsuki murmured, rubbing his eyes. "You're going to scare away the peace."
"Peace is overrated!" Shizue declared. "Chaos builds character."
"Sleep builds immunity," Itsuki replied, half-asleep again.
Ren glanced toward Mei, who was tidying the shelf by the window, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Does this happen every meeting?"
She nodded. "Every time. Though this might be a record for early chaos."
Ren's tone was even, but there was a hint of amusement. "Efficient."
"Depends on your definition," she replied softly, eyes glinting with quiet humor.
Kaito leaned toward Hana. "Is it always like this?"
Hana chuckled. "Usually quieter… until Shizue-senpai starts talking about passion in tea-making."
"That's an art form," Shizue interjected proudly. "Boiling water is about timing and emotion!"
Mei sighed gently. "She almost cried last week when the kettle overboiled."
Ren murmured, "Tragic indeed."
Itsuki's muffled voice came from under a book. "I still hear the scream."
Laughter rippled through the room. Even Ren's quiet chuckle joined in.
"Alright, alright!" Shizue said, hands on hips. "You two—" she pointed at Ren and Kaito "—if you're coming here, you're officially recruits now."
Kaito blinked. "Wait, we didn't even—"
"Too late," Hana said kindly, already writing their names on the roster. "Welcome to the Literature Club."
Mei glanced at Ren, tone light. "Congratulations."
He exhaled softly. "I wasn't consulted."
She tilted her head slightly. "You didn't object either."
Kaito grinned. "She got you there."
Shizue clapped her hands once. "Alright, everyone! Homework for next meeting: write something short. Poem, story, even a love letter to your lunch—anything that has heart!"
Ren looked unimpressed. "That's vague."
"Exactly!" Shizue said proudly. "Vagueness fuels creativity!"
"Or confusion," Mei murmured.
Itsuki raised a lazy hand. "Can I write about sleeping?"
"Yes, if it's emotional!" Shizue said immediately.
"It will be," Itsuki replied. "Tragic and relatable."
More laughter followed—gentle, genuine. Even Mei smiled more freely now, her eyes soft when they met Ren's.
For a brief moment, their gazes lingered—quiet, steady, unspoken. Then Mei looked away first, pretending to tidy a stack of papers.
Ren only looked down at his desk, expression unreadable but faintly warmer than before.
When the meeting finally ended, the sky outside had faded into soft orange.
Kaito stretched as they stepped into the hallway. "That was… surprisingly fun."
Ren hummed. "Chaotic."
"Fun chaos," Kaito corrected.
Ren sighed. "If you say so."
They made their way toward the school entrance, the quiet of the evening settling in.
"Ren! Kaito!"
They turned. Akari stood near the stairwell, still in her student council uniform, binder under one arm.
Kaito whispered, "We're doomed."
Ren looked mildly amused. "You survived Shizue-senpai. You'll be fine."
Akari walked up, smiling. "What are you two doing still here? Club recruitment's over."
Kaito puffed up proudly. "We joined the Literature Club!"
Akari blinked, surprised. "You did?"
Kaito nodded enthusiastically. "They even had tea and a dramatic president."
Ren added quietly, "And a professional sleeper."
Akari's lips curved. "Sounds… educational."
Kaito grinned. "Very. I think I learned more about kettles than literature."
Akari chuckled, turning to Ren. "You, in a club about writing? I never thought I'd see the day."
Ren shrugged lightly. "Neither did I."
"You're branching out," she said teasingly. "Maybe there's hope for you yet."
He gave her a look. "I regret telling you already."
Kaito snickered. "She's your sister, man. It's her job to bully you."
Akari smiled. "It's called character development."
Ren sighed. "Feels like a side quest."
"Every hero starts with one," she said with a wink.
The three of them walked toward the gate together. Kaito waved as he split off down his street, and Akari and Ren continued home side by side.
"You know," Akari said after a moment, "I'm glad you joined something. It's good for you."
Ren looked ahead, voice low but sincere. "It's not bad."
She smiled faintly. "That's practically a confession of happiness coming from you."
He gave a small smirk. "Don't get used to it."
Akari laughed quietly, the sound blending with the distant hum of the city. The petals that drifted past them caught the last of the fading light, soft and gold, as another quiet day came to an end.