Chapter 3: That Day, Yukino Accepted His Membership
Yukino Yukinoshita, a second-year student in Class 2-J at Soubu High.
Academically outstanding, she consistently ranked first in every exam—midterms, mock tests, you name it. Combined with her breathtaking beauty, she was, without question, one of the school's most prominent figures.
The title of "Soubu High's #1 Beauty" was undisputed.
Yukino herself was well aware of her attractiveness, but she took no joy in it. More than the benefits her looks brought, she found them a source of trouble.
Unwarranted malice, jealousy, resentment—though if given the choice, she'd still prefer her current appearance. After all, excellence was never a flaw. The fault lay with the envious mediocrities.
In this regard, Yukino particularly liked a certain Chinese proverb:
"A true hero endures heaven's trials; only the mediocre escape envy."
It was precisely because of such experiences that Yukinoshita had founded the Service Club—to "change the world" by "helping others overcome their weaknesses."
Of course, progress so far had been… lacking. Whether due to her naturally aloof demeanor or her intimidating aura, the club had yet to receive a single request from a fellow student.
That said, while student requests were nonexistent, requests from Hiratsuka-sensei were plentiful—though most were trivial daily tasks.
Yukino strongly suspected Shizuka was exploiting the club's name to use her as a personal assistant.
But since the Service Club had no other business, and Shizuka's requests were minor, she let it slide.
Today, Yukino had assumed Shizuka's visit was another such errand.
Instead, she'd brought someone along.
Someone who wanted to join the Service Club.
Admittedly, the club was short on members. Soubu High's regulations required a minimum number of members for official club recognition. Falling short relegated a group to "interest club" status.
But why him?
Yukino didn't understand.
Did something as nebulous as fate truly exist?
She knew the boy beside Shizuka—not out of some inexplicable affection, but because of an incident.
An… unpleasant incident.
To put it bluntly, the reason he was on crutches was largely her fault. Or so Yukino believed.
If she hadn't felt unwell that morning and asked her family's driver to take her to school, the accident might have been avoided.
If she'd toughed it out and gone alone, or simply stayed home, it wouldn't have happened.
And as someone who'd witnessed everything from inside the car, Yukino knew full well that the accident had been sheer misfortune for Hayashida.
He'd been walking perfectly legally on the sidewalk, violating no traffic laws, when out of nowhere, a car struck him down. He'd been dazed all the way until the ambulance arrived.
Yukino had seen it all.
Her family had handled the aftermath, sparing her any involvement, but the seed of guilt had taken root in her heart.
Yet she never imagined that just one day later, she'd encounter him again—in her own club. If this was karma, it was absurdly swift.
Still, seeing him in good spirits and without permanent injuries, Yukino quietly sighed in relief.
Which brought her to the next question:
Should she let him join?
Before she could decide, the boy spoke:
"I'm Hayashida from Class 2-F. Uh… Have we met before?"
Her heart skipped a beat.
Then he continued, "I don't think we've met, but you seem to have seen me before."
His certainty made her feel like a fish on a chopping block.
Though caught off guard, years of elite education allowed Yukino to quickly regain her composure. She habitually tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and replied coolly, "This is our first meeting. As for your assumption that I've seen you before… perhaps. We do attend the same school. But if this is an attempt at flirting, I'll pass."
Hayashida neither confirmed nor denied it. "Is that so?"
He offered no explanation, brushing off the question with vague ambiguity.
For some reason, Yukino felt inexplicably irritated.
Not at Hayashida—at herself.
Shizuka, oblivious to Yukino's subtle shift in mood, pressed on: "So, Yukinoshita, what's your verdict?"
"May I ask Hayashida-kun a few questions first?" Yukino avoided a direct answer.
Shizuka glanced at Hayashida, who nodded. "Go ahead."
"Why do you want to join the Service Club?"
"To help others."
"That sounds noble."
"It's not. Helping others is just a way to satisfy myself." Hayashida was brutally honest. He wasn't a saint. Without his system, he'd prioritize self-preservation like any normal person.
Yukino's eyes flickered at his answer. After a moment's thought, she nodded.
"Very well… Welcome to the Service Club."
From what she knew, Hayashida was academically excellent, morally upright, and free of bad habits—an ideal club member. Many clubs had extended invitations to him, all of which he'd declined.
Now that he wanted to join hers, Yukino had no reason to refuse. She couldn't possibly reject him just because her family's car had hit him—that would be absurd.
The just and righteous Yukinoshita Yukino would never do such a thing.
Seeing Yukino accept Hayashida's membership, Shizuka checked the time. Club activities wouldn't end for a while yet.
"I'll leave you two to get acquainted. I've got some business to attend to. I'll swing by before club time ends. Ja ne~"
Before leaving, she shot Hayashida a meaningful look and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, then strode off with a flourish.
…Since when did teachers act like this?