Just as she was thinking, the door to the clubroom was suddenly opened.
Gotou Hitori, dressed in an old-fashioned pink tracksuit, walked in. Beside her was a red-haired girl full of curiosity.
"Good afternoon, Gotou-senpai!", Yumiko greeted them with a naturally polite attitude.
Japan is a country with a clear hierarchy. Junior students must address senior students as 'senpai,' and newcomers in the workplace must respect their seniors. Otherwise, it's easy to be targeted.
"Mi-Miura-san, good afternoon," Gotou Hitori answered softly. Hearing the word "senpai," the corners of her mouth uncontrollably lifted.
'Hehe, senpai... senpai...'
'I never thought that even someone as useless as me would one day be called senpai…'
'And by Miura-san, who's at the top of the class's social hierarchy! I have no regrets left in life!'
"This is...", Yumiko turned her gaze to the unfamiliar red-haired girl beside her, her emerald eyes filled with curiosity.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Kita Ikuyo from class C next door. I'm Bocchi-chan's friend. Please take care of me!", The girl named "Kita" smiled brightly, like a small sun full of life, radiating light and warmth without restraint.
'What a strong normie aura!'
Miura Yumiko felt a kindred spirit and gave a brief self-introduction in return.
"Sorry for the sudden visit."
Kita Ikuyo clasped her hands together and said with a cheerful smile, "Since I recently formed a band with Bocchi-chan and heard she joined an interesting club, she's been so distracted during practice that I got curious. So I asked her to bring me here to take a look! I hope you don't mind!"
Of course, the curiosity was real.
But the bigger reason was that she was worried Bocchi-chan was being deceived.
Supernatural Research Club… just hearing the name makes it sound shady.
Bocchi-chan is timid, shy, and hopelessly introverted. She totally seems like the perfect target to be tricked into some shady business. Even if something happened, she definitely wouldn't resist, just silently endure it. She might even be forced into "support X" and then be dumped into an alley after being drained of every last bit of value, left to become a stray dog's lunch…
As a friend, Kita couldn't rest easy. She decided she had to see for herself.
If it turned out to just be a group of ghost story lovers, fine. But if someone had ill intentions. She touched the small bottle hidden under her skirt, feeling more at ease.
Anti Wolf Spray, Tired of those puny single sprays? Introducing the latest anti-wolf spray—six times stronger. A must-have for any single woman who dares to go outside without a personal SWAT team.
'But judging from the current situation, maybe I am overthinking?'
'Miura Yumiko is famous across the entire first-year class. A stunning blonde-haired, green-eyed beauty with countless admirers. Since even she joined this club, it probably isn't anything sketchy.'
'As for the other one… that must be the club president Bocchi mentioned?'
'Was his name Kurmizaka? Supposedly an incredibly rare, once-in-a-generation beautiful boy?'
Thinking of how excited her friend was when telling her about him, almost screaming, Kita got curious.
She had heard the name Kaito before, but never seen him in person.
There were a few sneak shots on the school forum, but they were taken from too far away and the resolution was blurry. She could barely make out a silhouette.
Kita's brilliant golden eyes landed on the figure not far away, reading a book.
The warm afternoon sunlight poured through the windows, casting colorful light and shadow on him. A few soft cherry blossom petals floated down with the breeze, landing gently on his shoulder. Even the flowers seemed to be dancing for him.
'But why is it only a side profile?'
Kita felt like a thousand little cats were clawing at her heart, itching to rush forward recklessly.
As if hearing her thoughts, the boy, whose attention had mostly been on the manga, finally looked up. His light chestnut eyes met hers.
CRACK!
"K-Ku…"
After zoning out for a full two and a half minutes, Kita finally regained her voice.
"Kita-san, nice to meet you," Kaito nodded slightly at her, "Please take care of me."
"Please take ca—ow! That hurt!", Kita was still a bit dazed, like she had just downed a dozen shots of high-proof sake. She accidentally bit her tongue.
'Ugh… so embarrassing!'
Tears welled in the girl's eyes, and the ever-predictable Miura Yumiko laughed to smooth things over.
"I've been meaning to ask. Why does Kita-san call Gotou-senpai 'Bocchi-chan'? Is there some special meaning?"
"Be-because the name Hitori means being alone, right?"
Kita scratched her cheek in embarrassment, "Being alone is lonely, and 'Bocchi' is a phonetic translation of 'alone.' It's a nickname given by a senior in the band."
'That's not wrong… but the name "Bocchi" kind of sounds more like a name for a dog, doesn't it?'
Yumiko resisted the urge to roast and looked at Gotou Hitori, who was almost turning into a pink whack-a-mole.
"Sounds like a very cute nickname. Just like Gotou-senpai herself."
"Bocchi-chan, can I call you that too?"
Little Bocchi weakly nodded.
As fellow normies, Yumiko and Kita got along well.
Even though they had just met, after chatting a bit, they quickly became familiar.
When girls talk, the topics always revolve around makeup, food, shopping, traveling, and, of course, handsome guys.
Actually, Kita really wanted to talk about Kaito, but since the person himself was right there, she felt too embarrassed. So she settled for discussing with Yumiko which dessert shops near school were best, and which store made the most well-crafted skirts.
Kaito wasn't interested in the girls' talk.
But seeing Gotou Hitori crouching in the corner like a mushroom, drawing circles with a gloomy aura screaming "I should be under the car, not in the car".
He thought for a moment and waved at her, "Gotou-san, want to come chat?"
After all, she was the first club member he personally brought in. It was important to check on her mental state.
Otherwise, it would feel like one of those scummy guys who pick up a stray kitten or puppy from the street, bring it home, and then completely ignore it.
As if a meat pie had just fallen from the sky and hit her on the head, little Bocchi was flustered but pleasantly surprised as she sat down.
"I heard from Kita-san that you formed a band recently?"
"Y-yes."
"No wonder I haven't seen you around much."
Kaito's gaze fell on the black guitar case on the girl's back, clearly interested.
This world didn't just have a weird gender ratio; its musical scene was ridiculously vibrant too.
All-girl bands were as common as crossing a river, but they were usually just friends messing around. Very few actually made it commercially.
'Could… could it be that Kaito is subtly expressing dissatisfaction?'
'Just like how the Shogun in historical dramas would hint at disobedient subordinates… ugh, at this point, only a full dogeza (prostration) can express my sincerity!'
"I-I'm truly sorry for neglecting club activities!", Like she had a spring installed, Bocchi suddenly bounced up from her chair and was about to throw herself on the floor.
Fortunately, Kaito had fast reflexes and stopped her. Looking at the girl acting like she was facing a deadly crisis, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"I'm not blaming you," He shook his head, "When I invited you to join, I already said I wouldn't force you to participate in club activities. I just needed the headcount, that's all."
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