Without realizing it, I had stayed in the infirmary longer than I thought, as the bell signaling the end of lunch break rang and Ms. Mizu took off the cat bandana from her head. She looked at me.

"Thanks for keeping me company today. The bell already rang, so you’d better get back to class before someone comes looking for you."

"Alright..."

Our first meeting didn’t go quite the way I hoped. But since I got to see such an amazing view of Ms. Mizu, I was satisfied enough. So I stepped out.

Only after the infirmary door closed again did I realize that someone was standing outside the room.

A girl, short in stature, with shoulder-length hair and bangs long enough to cover part of her eyes.

"Yuri? Do you have business with Ms. Mizu? The bell already rang, you know."

"N-No! Uh, um... yes! T-There’s something I wanted to ask about, um... the club."

Yuri played with her fingers, turning her face away nervously as she spoke to me. This was just how she usually acted. But why was she sweating more than usual today?

Was the weather really that hot? Her face was a little red too. Don’t tell me she’s running a fever?

"Really? What’s going on with the club? I can go ask with you if you want."

"D-Don’t!"

Yuri suddenly shouted, surprising me with her loud voice. Without giving me a chance to ask what was wrong, she immediately added,

"I-I'll ask later. Anyway, R-Ren, I... I'm going back to class now!"

"See you at the club then..."

With that, Yuri ran off like she was being chased by a ghost. Along the way, she tripped a few times and nearly fell, which made me even more worried.

"Is she really okay?"

---

School lessons were over, and now it was time for the clubs to begin their activities. Since I had the day off from work, I headed to the Game Club with a light heart, checking the snacks I bought yesterday in my bag.

I bought whatever looked tasty, but... maybe this is a bit too much? Well, since this is to celebrate the formation of the Game Club, it should be fine, right? Actually, maybe I should’ve bought even more to make it livelier.

"Hm~ Hm~"

Humming to myself, I walked down the stairs to the first floor, getting closer to the clubroom. Through the window, I could see lots of girls in this world doing outdoor club activities, while the boys just stood by watching or cheering from the sidelines.

Even though Yona said her club wasn’t that strict anymore, she still practiced during lunch and after school... Isn’t she tired with a schedule that packed? If I didn’t have a club of my own now, I’d probably be cheering for her too—

"—Oi. Use your eyes when you walk."

My steps continued while I was looking outside, until I suddenly bumped shoulders with someone. Since the person I hit was so sturdy, only I got pushed back and fell, while she remained standing. But since it was still my fault, I looked up and apologized.

"I was zoning out just now, my bad."

"..."

Although, after seeing who I had bumped into, maybe I didn’t need to bother apologizing. After all, it was those two gal girls who used to be friends with Yuri.

"Tch. Just this senior again. Let’s go."

"E-Eh? Wait for me~"

...It’s not like I wanted to greet them, so them walking off wasn’t a problem for me. Still, am I really that annoying? Did she really have to click her tongue like that?

Hm? Now that I think about it, why were they coming from the direction I was heading? Besides the Game Club, there’s nothing else down there except a dead end...

Then, I stopped thinking. My body quickly stood up and after that, only my legs moved. Rushing, I reached the clubroom and pushed the door open hard, maybe almost breaking it.

"Yuri! Are you okay!?"

"Waaah!?"

Yuri, who was sitting alone playing on the computer, jumped in shock at my sudden arrival. Scanning the room with my eyes, I didn’t find a single object broken or moved out of place.

But I couldn’t relax just yet. Shifting my focus to Yuri, I approached her. I held her cheeks and lifted her face so I could see her clearly.

She tried to speak, though I could barely understand her.

"Rwh-Ren?"

"Thank goodness you’re okay..."

No bruises, no dirt, and not a single tear in her uniform. I let out a sigh of relief and released her.

"I thought you were going to get into a fight again..."

"F-Fight? What’s going on...? Ow, that hurts..."

Rubbing her cheeks, which I had just grabbed tightly, Yuri groaned like someone with a toothache.

I scratched my head awkwardly.

"Sorry. I just got a little worried because I bumped into your former friends earlier. I thought they had done something bad to you, so I rushed over..."

"Them...? T-They didn’t come here at all! I, um... I’ve been alone this whole time! No one else came in!"

Yuri waved both hands quickly as she spoke.

"Good then. As long as you’re okay."

But then, where did they come from if not here? Judging by their behavior and appearance... maybe it’s better not to think too much.

Turning toward the desk, I suddenly noticed the bread Yuri usually ate for lunch, still neatly wrapped in plastic and sitting there. Only this time, there weren’t just one, but three loaves of bread, along with two orange juices probably bought from a vending machine.

"Do you usually eat this much, Yuri?"

"Ah, this—"

"Perfect timing if you’re hungry. I also brought a bunch of snacks to celebrate the formation of our club. Looks like I won’t have to worry about finishing it all alone."

Placing my bag on the table, I began pulling out the snacks I mentioned, along with a bottle of soda that, even though I had put it in the fridge this morning, had already lost its chill.

Yuri stared at it all. Her mouth slightly agape, probably surprised at how much food I brought compared to school textbooks. But after that, she smiled.

"Thank you..."

"You’re welcome. So, want to eat now?"

"Y-Yeah."

My first day attending the club.

Just as I hoped, lazy and relaxing.