Chapter 8: Hina's First Club Day
The sky was just beginning to shift from gray to soft gold when Hina sat up in bed, stretching her arms overhead and blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her room was quiet, save for the distant caws of crows outside and the faint hum of cicadas warming up for another summer day in the countryside.
She stared down at the colorful pamphlet on her lap. The school's club guidebook was filled with bright photos and bold titles—kendo, art, literature, calligraphy, tea ceremony, even manga club. Her eyes flitted across the pages, her fingers tracing each club name as if the answer might pop out on its own.
But it didn't.
A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.
"Hey," came Rome's voice through the paper-thin wood. "You up?"
"Yeah, come in."
The door slid open and Rome peeked inside. He was already dressed for school, a hoodie loosely draped over his uniform jacket, his dreads pulled back and a half-eaten slice of toast hanging from his mouth. He looked at her curiously.
"You still deciding?"
Hina sighed and nodded. "I don't want to just join something random. I want it to actually mean something to me."
Rome stepped inside, chewing as he glanced down at the pamphlet. "What do you like?" he asked between bites.
"I used to draw. Remember?"
He nodded. "You were good. Real good. The manga club's not a bad idea."
"Yeah, but…" Hina hesitated, looking out the window as the sun began to rise, golden light spilling onto her tatami floor. "I'm nervous."
Rome shrugged and handed her the last half of his toast. "So? Be nervous and do it anyway."
She smiled and took the toast from him.
By the time the final class ended that afternoon, Hina's heart was pounding against her ribs. Students flooded the halls, heading in all directions for their clubs. Some carried tennis rackets. Others clutched paintbrushes or bamboo swords. Laughter and energy buzzed in the air.
Hina stood in front of a sliding door labeled Manga Club in neat calligraphy. She took a breath. Then another. Her hand hovered for a moment before she slid the door open and stepped inside.
The room smelled like pencil shavings and printer paper. Bright posters covered the walls—manga panels, character sketches, and shouty handwritten notes taped beside each one. Students sat at desks or sprawled on the floor, sketching, laughing, inking. It felt like walking into a comic book brought to life.
A girl with short, choppy blue hair looked up from a tablet.
"You new?" she asked, tilting her head.
Hina nodded. "Yes. Um, second year. I'm Hina. I just transferred."
The girl grinned. "Cool! I'm Aoi. You draw?"
"A little. I brought some stuff," Hina said quietly, holding out her sketchbook.
Aoi flipped through the pages, her expression focused but calm. "Whoa. This is good. Like—really good. Come on, I'll show you how we're doing our summer zine."
Relief swelled in Hina's chest as she followed Aoi to an open seat. Other members looked up and gave her friendly smiles or quiet nods. She rolled up her sleeves and began helping ink a panel. Her nerves faded as her pencil moved across the tablet screen, her world shrinking to lines and shapes, balance and style.
For the first time in days, she felt like herself.
By the time she left the building, the sun was beginning to set. The sky was glowing soft orange, the air cooling just enough to feel gentle on her skin. As she stepped out into the school courtyard, she saw Rome sitting under a tree, sipping from a vending machine can of soda.
He looked up when he saw her and raised an eyebrow.
"Yo, Picasso. You survived?"
"I loved it," she said, grinning, cheeks still slightly pink with excitement.
Rome stood and stretched. "So what'd they have you do?"
"I helped ink a panel. They asked me to design a new character for the next short."
"Told you you'd fit in."
As they started walking home together, Rome nudged her with his elbow.
"So... when can I read it?"
Hina gave him a look. "Only if you promise not to make fun of the love story."
"No promises."
They walked down the quiet country road, their silhouettes long in the golden light. The town around them felt smaller now, more familiar. And though Hina wouldn't have said it out loud, something in her heart felt steadier than it had in weeks.
End of Chapter 8