In the large teachers' office, it seemed only the sound of wind rattling the window could be heard.
"Chuunibyou?"
"Hah, don't look at me like that, Yukinoshita. That's exactly what he said to me back then." Hiratsuka Shizuka saw the deep doubt in Yukinoshita's eyes and blushed as she defended herself.
Though youth was gone, Hiratsuka, a lover of shonen manga, couldn't help but say this in an emotional moment.
She felt it was understandable for Yukinoshita to react like this. When she first heard the reason for the club application, her reaction had been even more exaggerated.
Having become accustomed to the coldness of the adult world, having seen the rotten state of society now, the fact that two students wanted to uphold such justice by starting clubs had reignited a fire inside Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Waving her hand, Hiratsuka said, "Forget it, come with me."
With that, she stood up and without further discussion led Yukinoshita out of the teachers' office. After several twists and turns, they arrived before the door of an activity room with a blank nameplate.
With a clatter, the sliding door was opened.
"Yo, Yagami! I'm here to inspect your club activities. How's everything going recently?"
"Teacher Hiratsuka, I believe I told you to knock before coming in."
Standing silently behind Hiratsuka Shizuka, Yukinoshita listened to their conversation, but was stunned when she saw the boy in front of her.
She recognized the boy.
He was a top elite student from the sprint A-class at Sōbu High, a school champion. Known for his high deviation score, similar to Yukinoshita's international upbringing class J. Among them were children of distinguished families from Kyoto and Tokyo. Unlike class J's philosophy of studying abroad, these students mostly aimed to enter Todai or Waseda, the cradles of politicians.
And in this class, Light Yagami was the outstanding figure, a well-known celebrity at the school.
Ranked first in deviation score for the grade, a complete winner at the school sports meet, son of the former Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Bureau chief, a young detective who assisted the police in solving major cases... a string of dazzling titles attached to him, with his handsome looks becoming the least noticeable label.
Yukinoshita Yukino was not a shallow girl who judged by appearance. But she had to admit that sometimes having a handsome face mattered for a first impression.
"I do knock, but you never respond!"
"That's because you just walk in without waiting for an answer!"
"Alright, don't be mad."
"I'm not mad."
At the back of the activity room, desks and chairs were neatly stacked. The desks and chairs at the front, along with the podium, had disappeared, leaving a clean open space.
A breeze passed through, scattering cherry blossoms outside the window. They fell before the boy named Light Yagami.
He sat perfectly straight, as if always so. Eyes are the windows of the soul, and through Light Yagami's deep red eyes, one seemed to feel the word "focus."
Looking into them, a clear pressure could be felt. But his aura was calm. Perhaps it was not directed at anyone, but the pride engraved in his bones gave him this unyielding, authoritative presence. Like a black abyss swallowing all warmth and light.
With just one glance, Yukinoshita immediately confirmed the other's trait.
Execution!
He was the kind of person who, once decided, would persist to the end with unwavering consistency. Yukinoshita was certain of this.
A sudden thunderclap struck, and the sky instantly turned white.
Under the illumination of the white light, Light Yagami's face, divided by the wings of his nose, stood at the intersection of light and shadow—three-dimensional and profound.
This eerie yet sacred scene caused Yukinoshita Yukino's body to involuntarily shudder.
"So, the female student standing behind the teacher is...?"
"Hello, I am Yukinoshita Yukino from first-year class J."
Yukinoshita Yukino folded her hands over her lower abdomen and bowed slightly, displaying impeccable etiquette. As the second daughter of a politician's family, even when facing someone like Light Yagami, she remained neither humble nor arrogant.
"She hopes to join the club."
Hiratsuka Shizuka raised her hand, thumb pointing backward: "Perfect timing, Yagami, your club hasn't received any commissions yet, so consider this the teacher's commission—how about that?"
After straightening her back, Yukinoshita glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka with some dissatisfaction. Acknowledging Light Yagami was one thing, wanting to carry out her own club activities was another.
"Don't be quick to refuse, Yukinoshita." Hiratsuka raised her hand to interrupt what Yukinoshita was about to say next and whispered rapidly: "Yagami is really different. You can try interacting with him first. If it really doesn't work out, I will approve your club application."
Hearing Hiratsuka's serious tone, Yukino hesitated for a moment but finally nodded.
"Well... since it's the teacher's commission, I can't refuse either. I accept this commission. Welcome to my club, Yukinoshita."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Yagami. Teacher, I'll excuse you now."
Leaving these words behind, Hiratsuka hurriedly exited the activity room, leaving the boy and girl staring silently at each other.
For some reason, Yukinoshita Yukino shivered.
"Let's find a place to sit and talk, Yukinoshita," Light Yagami said with a gentle smile.
Obediently, Yukino moved to the back of the activity room and casually moved a chair to about four or five meters to Light's right side.
She smoothed her pleated skirt with both hands and sat down. A breeze lifted strands of her dark hair, revealing her adorably thoughtful expression.
"Yukinoshita... something on your mind?"
"No, just many things I haven't figured out yet." Yukino's tone was indifferent, cold enough to keep others at a distance. Even though the man on her left was praised as the pinnacle of Sobu High, she had no intention of getting close.
"For example?"
"What kind of club is this?"
"The nameplate on the door doesn't say."
"Try guessing." Light turned his head slightly, the corner of his mouth curling into a soft smile.
Yukino sighed. This boring guessing game was beneath her. She looked seriously at Light and shared her analysis: "There's no special environment or equipment in this room, and you've been reading, so I guess... it's a literature club."
"Unfortunately, no."
"Oh?" Yukino's face showed thoughtfulness. "If what Hiratsuka-sensei said is true, and combined with your club application, it should be a club that teaches how to draw strength from books, to cultivate character and inspire improvement? With your grades, Yagami, you should be able to achieve that. In short, something related to literature."
"Wrong again."
"Sitting here now is part of the club activity."
"Then what exactly is it?"
"Yukinoshita...," Light turned to face her directly, his deep red eyes flashing a dangerous crimson light, "welcome to the Kamimachi Club."