Friendly-yet-firm eyes, a well-defined nose, porcelain skin, and a slender, perfectly proportioned body. She was flawless in every way — and not just physically, either. She radiated an aura of determination and inner strength. This was no damsel in distress. She was a queen. And it made her all the more radiant.
It was Nagase Iori.
Normally it was impossible for the human body to glow without an external light source, and yet she lit up the room. I saw it with my own two eyes.
She was in a league of her own. Not only was she the most beautiful girl at Yamaboshi, but she was the champion of a schoolwide tournament, too. If she was the sun, then I was a weed growing in the shade, if that. I wasn’t even sure I had the right to speak to her.
I had met her once, back when I visited the Cultural Research Club. I’d introduced myself to her, too. But she had met dozens of first-years in the time since then, so she probably didn’t remember a total wallflower like me.
I stared at the floor and averted my gaze. I didn’t want to make her feel awkward, so I didn’t get my hopes up.
“Katou Takumi-kun!”
For a minute, I wasn’t sure who had spoken to me. Then I looked up... looked over my shoulder... and realized we were the only two people in this hallway.
“Uh, hello? I’m talking to you, silly! Wait... Did I get your name wrong?”
“No, it’s Katou.”
“I knew it! You came by with those four other guys from your class, right? ...Wait, why do you look all shocked?”
“You... remember me?”
“Now hold on a darn minute! You think I’m some kinda coldhearted monster? I mean, I literally had a conversation with you! Of course I’d remember!”
“But it was just one conversation...”
“Yeah, so? ...Oh, that reminds me! I think it was the day before you came to visit — you got glomped by poor Shino-chan while she was handing out flyers, didn’t you? Heehee!”
“What? How do you know about that...?”
“Because she was super embarrassed about it! She was like, ‘Have I violated that boy’s boundaries?!’” Nagase snickered. “And after you visited, she was like, ‘He wouldn’t even look me in the eye!’ Oh, but I wouldn’t recommend falling for her if I were you. She might seem cute and vulnerable, but she keeps her guard up at all times. The only one who can slip past it is Chee-hee... if he’s lucky.”
When I visited their clubroom, I was so sure Enjouji had forgotten about me... but in truth, she hadn’t at all. The only reason she didn’t comment on it was because she was embarrassed.
“What’s going on with those two, anyway...? Oh, right. So what club did you end up picking?”
“...I haven’t decided yet.”
“Ah, the struggles of youth! I’m curious to know if the CRC is an option you’re considering... but I won’t ask! I have faith in Chee-hee and Shino-chan!”
She pointed straight ahead, as if to command me forward.
“Fly high, new kid! ...Anyway, I’ll be seeing ya!”
And with a devilish grin, she continued past me down the hall. Wordlessly, I inclined my head. Her smile told me that she wasn’t just being polite — she really did hope to see me again. But of course, it was possible it was only a carefully crafted veneer... No, it couldn’t be.
I had believed Nagase Iori wouldn’t remember me, but she did. And Enjouji Shino remembered me, too. Just like that, my world had been turned upside-down. My worst fears were only ever figments of my imagination. The opportunities were always right there — I just chose to believe they weren’t.
...Now that I thought about it, this happened to me a lot, didn’t it? I was always mourning the fact that opportunities never seemed to come along, but in hindsight...
When I spotted a couple of classmates on my way to school, I could have said hello to them instead of averting my gaze. Maybe it would have led to something.
When my classmates teased me for my run-in with Enjouji that one morning, I could have laughed it off. It would have made for a funny joke.
When I was invited to join the ping-pong club, I could have at least talked to him about it instead of shooting him down. I could have made up for my failure the first time around by going out of my way to ask him about it the next time.
When I visited the Cultural Research Club with those four other guys, I could have talked to them about it. It was a memory we all shared, was it not?
When the clubs were going out to recruit, I could have interacted with them more actively. Any of them would surely be happy to have me.
When the rest of the class was talking about meeting up to play volleyball, I could have agreed to participate instead of searching for a way out. No one was trying to get rid of me.
When that ridiculous Couples’ Battle Royale was going on, I could have at least showed up. Maybe I would have found a partner. Or even if I didn’t participate, I could have used that as an excuse to talk to people and hear their thoughts about it.
And now that I was struggling to choose a club, I could have asked someone for advice. Maybe that way I could have narrowed down my candidates.
Looking back, at any given moment, there were dozens of chances to change the status quo. I could have pounced on them, but instead I passed them all up.
No more “It’s too late now.” No more “It’s hopeless.”
I changed my destination and cut across the courtyard. Starting now, I was going to choose to believe that it wasn’t too late — in fact, it was the perfect time.
I could hear the sounds of the brass band, plus the twang of a guitar — garage band club, maybe. The shouts of the rugby team echoed loudly across the athletic field.
Club activities, everywhere I looked.
No matter what happened, Uwa and Enjouji would never give up on the Cultural Research Club. It surely wasn’t easy for them, and yet they kept pushing forward... and that was how they created opportunities for themselves.
Step one: notice that the opportunity is there. Step two: make something out of it. Uwa and Enjouji had accomplished both of these things. Maybe they were right; maybe they were clueless at first, but by following in the third-years’ footsteps, they had changed themselves for the better.
What would my life be like if I joined the Cultural Research Club? Well, I’d be able to tell my classmates about it. And since the club activities weren’t set in stone, it was full of unlimited potential. The only things set in stone was the “Culture Bulletin,” whatever that was, and the presence of my senpai. Uwa and Enjouji seemed funny and interesting — kind of distant, but kind of relatable, too.
The more I thought about the Cultural Research Club, the more interested I became. Why follow some prescribed guidelines when I could craft my own fun? It was an exciting prospect.
Then I arrived at the old building. Yikes, talk about rickety. This place looks like it needs some earthquake retrofitting.
One by one, I climbed the stairs. Were the second-years already up there? Or were they still handing out flyers?
With each step taken, my heart pounded a tiny bit harder until my whole body was tense. Normally this feeling would have rooted me to the spot, but right now? It felt good. It was this energy that spurred me forward... and frankly, I needed it. Because chances were good I was about to make a total ass of myself.
But even then, it probably wouldn’t be so bad.
I wasn’t going to change, or find opportunities, or reach potential, just by sitting around. These things weren’t going to come knocking at my door of their own accord; I needed to get out there and hunt them down myself.
This was undeniably the first step.
And so I, Katou Takumi, knocked on the door to Rec Hall Room 401...