April in spring symbolizes a vibrant and lively scene.
The first day of school is no exception.
Uesugi Sakura and Kyujuu Rika walked to the front of the auditorium and found that various clubs were holding signs, recruiting members.
They stopped students wearing white corsages on their chests, trying their best to promote their club culture.
"Hey there, want to join our Food Research Department? There's a lot of delicious food."
"Baseball Club! Baseball Club!! The holy ground of youth and dreams!!"
The students being stopped were all first-year newbies, much easier to recruit compared to the many seasoned second-year veterans.
Being new, most of them hoped there would be seniors at school to help them get acquainted with the environment.
Yet Uesugi Sakura, being one of those seasoned veterans, repeatedly turned down invitations from various clubs.
Kyujuu Rika led him to the small tent of the Kyudo Club, which had far fewer people compared to the star club, the Baseball Club.
"Please fill in your name, and come by to the Kyudo Field after school, you know where it is, right?"
They were greeted by a senior who loved to smile.
Uesugi Sakura knew him, it was Seisuke Yooya.
It was hard not to remember him, after all, Sakura had already turned down three invitations from the Kyudo Club.
"I know." Uesugi Sakura filled out the information on the form.
Seisuke Yooya glanced at Kyujuu Rika standing behind Uesugi Sakura and asked him:
"But why did you suddenly decide to join a club, Uesugi, when you refused us repeatedly before?"
Uesugi Sakura filled in '2nd Year, Class 4' under the class section:
"That's because I felt that school clubs were all up to no good, always dragging people in, and over time, I got tired of it. Now, well, I just want to join, no special reason."
"..."
Up to no good...
"Hahaha," Seisuke Yooya laughed awkwardly, "Didn't expect Uesugi to have such a unique view."
"All done."
Uesugi Sakura handed the filled-out club application to Seisuke Yooya, wanting to wrap this up quickly, so he could return to his seat, finish reading his unfinished "Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves", and quietly pass the morning.
Seisuke Yooya carefully reviewed the application, confirming everything was in order, and smiled at Uesugi Sakura:
"Everything's set, Uesugi, please be sure to attend the Kyudo Club's briefing this afternoon."
[Task completed]
[Reward generating, please wait...]
Looks like he guessed correctly.
"So, do the Kyudo Club have a lot of rules?" Uesugi Sakura asked, looking up.
"Uh..." Seisuke Yooya showed a troubled expression, "There are quite a few... In the Kyudo Club, you can't wear the Hakama or draw a bow immediately; you need to undergo training first."
"Can I quit now?"
"Quit, quit?!"
Kyujuu Rika's eyelid twitched upon hearing this and walked over, looking at Uesugi Sakura in disbelief:
"Uesugi, wanting to quit the club before even joining is way too bizarre."
Seisuke Yooya didn't expect Uesugi Sakura to be so unconventional, but the serious look didn't suggest he was joking.
"This..."
He was at a loss for words momentarily, only able to muster a strained smile:
"Uesugi... You're certainly... quite unique."
"Not really unique, I'm just a regular high school student. I just follow my heart a bit more, and about that, please seriously consider what I said earlier, Senior."
Senior Seisuke's face was stiff: "Really, quitting before joining?"
"Exactly."
Seeing his determined tone, Seisuke Yooya reluctantly agreed, "Alright, I understand."
Kyujuu Rika didn't look back and turned to leave.
"What's going on with Kyujuu..." Seisuke Yooya knew her.
Uesugi Sakura took a sidelong glance at the leaving class leader, then turned back to focus on the black letters '2nd Year, Class 4' on the application form before continuing to fill it out and handed it to the senior:
"I'll be there on time this afternoon."
"..."
"Alright... Alright."
Seisuke Yooya watched his quickly fading figure with doubts in his mind, wondering if the Kyudo Club wouldn't end up recruiting an oddball today?
Failing to catch up with Kyujuu Rika's pace, Uesugi Sakura had to return to the classroom.
Sitting quietly in the empty classroom, leaning against the gently breezy window.
Uesugi Sakura continued reading his "Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves" — hydrangeas blooming in layers, boys undefeated for ten thousand years.
He had no grand desires, finishing his tuna's eastern university dream peacefully was enough.
Speaking of salted fish, that reward was still generating — it was truly slow.
Although not urgent, he was already preparing to hand off those attribute points to intelligence, helping it ease the burden of study.
Before long, Goto Iwao and Tsubokawa Takahiro entered the classroom.
They were Uesugi Sakura's good friends at this school, as well as the classmates in front of and behind him.
They all sat on the far left side of the classroom by the window.
Unfortunately, Uesugi Sakura sat in the third row, not the backmost seat by the window like an anime protagonist.
But having a system and being reborn in Tokyo should logically be standard protagonist protocol, right?
Am I the protagonist?
Forget it, being a protagonist is exhausting, saving the world and wooing girls just to fill the author's storyline, being a laid-back tuna is pretty nice.
Having just returned to his seat, Goto Iwao moved his chair between the two.
Uesugi Sakura, knowing there was no point in trying to read, leaned against the wall, facing them.
"Finished?"
"Uesugi! A man's promise has been fulfilled, when are we starting?" Goto Iwao leaned on the backrest of the chair.
"I think this afternoon is good." Tsubokawa Takahiro, the friend behind, adjusted his glasses with his middle finger.
"No way," Goto Iwao suddenly said to him, "Did you forget we have club activities this afternoon?"
Uesugi Sakura found it hard to believe these two would join any club. He stopped flipping through the book, raised an eyebrow, and asked:
"You two, joined the same club?"
"No."
In the next second, Goto Iwao and Tsubokawa Takahiro answered in unison.
Then Goto quickly added:
"Who would join that club? Being known would make surviving in school impossible." He showed a disgusted look.
"Uniform... Research Department?" Uesugi Sakura glanced and asked tentatively.
"Oh~!" Goto Iwao looked surprised at Uesugi Sakura, "Didn't expect our Uesugi to know club names besides studying, have you awakened?"
Uesugi Sakura scoffed at his remark.
"Do you have any right? Silently joining a club, what happened to our eternal 'Returning Home Department'? All seasoned members have left, what about those remaining?"
"Ahem!"
Goto Iwao turned serious, sitting up straight,
"The favorable condition of 'eternal Returning Home Department' gave me plenty of freedom to hunt for female classmates, but I found my club quite nice; I get to ask junior girls for contact info openly."
"So you both abandoned your promise?" Uesugi Sakura inexplicably wanted to sneer at him, obviously just an internet-dating old virgin.
"This is called a sensible improvement, people do change, striving for a better tomorrow!"
Uesugi Sakura frowned; this sounded somewhat familiar.
"Hmm~ I think so too, joining a club means true youth." Tsubokawa Takahiro pushed up his frameless glasses.
"Pff," seeing his action, Goto Iwao couldn't hold back laughter, "Hey, Tsubokawa, why do you keep adjusting your glasses today? Learned it over the holidays?"
"Cool." Just one word.
"Not cool at all, actually quite sleazy." Goto wanted him to face reality.
"Doesn't matter, these are necessary steps after joining the Uniform Research Department, as long as I think it's cool," Tsubokawa Takahiro said, then turned to Uesugi Sakura, "Why don't you join us too?"
"The student council provides ample funding, the club has plenty of chips, cola, snacks, never runs out."
"What?!"
Goto Iwao showed a look of disbelief, "The student council funds your department's food and drinks?! Your club president must have a special relationship with the student council president."
"Not at all, both the club president and the student council president are guys."
"That makes it even worse!"