"Hey, Nohara, are you sure it's okay to just leave Nishimiya there?"
Standing outside the club building, Kirito looked a little uneasy.
Lin Zhi smiled faintly, then sighed. "It's fine. Actually, leaving Nishimiya with Takanashi is probably the safest option."
"Fewer people means less chance she'll be bullied."
He shrugged. "Otherwise, what other club could she even join?"
Kirito and Saiki Kusuo exchanged thoughtful looks. They both knew exactly what he meant.
Bullying was rampant in Japanese schools. Even though Private Sogo High prided itself on being a strict, academically focused institution, there was no guarantee that delinquents didn't lurk among its students.
After they split up inside the building, Lin Zhi headed alone toward the top floor.
Saiki's cooking club was in the home economics room, while Kirito's kendo club occupied the entire first floor.
The kendo club was one of the school's most prestigious, having won multiple national tournaments. Taking up an entire floor of the building spoke volumes about its status.
The light music club Lin Zhi had joined, on the other hand, was… not quite as impressive.
Their clubroom was tucked away on the top floor—a sign of how unimportant they were.
Standing in front of the door, Lin Zhi took a deep breath and knocked.
Knock, knock!
The heavy sound echoed through the door, followed by the quick patter of footsteps inside.
Whoosh!
The door slid open with a rush of air.
Standing before him was a lively girl with short, tea-brown hair and bright eyes. A yellow headband held back her bangs, exposing her smooth forehead.
Her—forehead—was, well, quite prominent.
"Oh!"
Her eyes lit up when she saw him, and she let out an excited little exclamation.
"Hey, are you here to join the Light Music Club?"
"Yes. My name's Nohara Lin Zhi. Nice to meet you."
He gave a polite smile and a short introduction.
At his words, the girl's eyes sparkled even brighter, a grin blooming across her face.
"Everyone! We've got a new member! We don't have to worry about being shut down anymore!"
She waved excitedly toward the room, then turned back to him. "I'm Ritsu Tainaka, the club president!"
"Nice to meet you," Lin Zhi replied, a bit dazed.
Did she just say… shut down?
That… didn't sound good.
No wonder their clubroom was all the way up here—this club was hanging by a thread.
"Eh? A new member?"
"So we're finally safe from disbandment!"
Voices echoed from inside—feminine ones. From the sound of it, there weren't many members.
Moments later, two girls stepped into view.
And just as Lin Zhi glanced at them, his eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh? You're—"
One of the girls froze mid-step, staring back at him with the same look of surprise.
"Wait… you two know each other?" Ritsu blinked, looking back and forth between them in disbelief.
What the heck—since when did Mio have such a handsome friend? And why didn't I know about this?!
"It's just that we've met once before," the black-haired girl murmured.
"Just once?" Ritsu's tone was skeptical, her eyes darting between them.
"Really, just once!" Mio Akiyama blurted out, her cheeks flushing bright red.
"Hehe, I'm only teasing!" Ritsu laughed, throwing an arm around her friend. "You're with me every day, Mio. If you had a boyfriend, I'd know about it."
"B-Boyfriend?!"
Mio's pupils went unfocused. Her face turned scarlet, color rushing all the way to her ears. Then, with a groan, she crouched down and hugged her head.
"Hahaha… she, uh, gets a little shy sometimes," Ritsu said awkwardly, scratching her head.
Lin Zhi chuckled lightly, glancing at the blushing, long-haired girl.
A little shy? he thought. That's an understatement. She's shyer than ninety-nine point nine-nine percent of people on Earth.
Clearing his throat, he straightened up and addressed the group properly. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Nohara Lin Zhi, Class 1-A."
"Hello, I'm Tsumugi Kotobuki."
The last girl introduced herself with a graceful bow. She had long, wavy light-brown hair that flowed down to her waist and deep blue-green eyes. Her every movement carried a calm, elegant air—like someone raised in a wealthy household.
Her voice was soft and sweet, like warm cotton candy. As she looked at Lin Zhi, her gaze brimmed with open curiosity, as though she were studying a rare animal.
"This is a boy," she murmured, almost to herself.
Lin Zhi blinked, uneasy. Why does that sound… unsettling?
It was the kind of look a scientist gives a lab mouse.
"Uh… is something wrong?" he asked cautiously.
"Haha, don't mind her," Ritsu said with a grin. "Mugi went to an all-girls school before this. She's just not used to being around guys yet."
Then she gave Lin Zhi a mischievous smile. "And as for this one—you already know her, right? Our club's flower…"
"Wha—Ritsu! Don't say weird stuff!" Mio jumped to her feet, glaring at her friend, her eyes shimmering with embarrassment.
Ritsu shrank back a little. "O-okay, okay… easy, Mio. There are other people here, you know."
That reminder seemed to help Mio rein herself in. She shot Ritsu one last glare, then turned toward Lin Zhi.
Trying her best to look composed, though her ears were still red, she said softly,
"I'm Mio Akiyama. Please take care of me from now on."
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