Club Recruitment Day at Izu University had turned the main campus road into a completely packed, noisy marketplace. Banners fluttered in the wind, loudspeakers blared nonstop, and the shouts of various clubs mixed together, making the entire street feel like a chaotic festival.
Kotegawa Chisa held a stack of club pamphlets and glanced helplessly behind her.
Not far away, a small group of girls was slowly following them. They whispered among themselves, occasionally holding back giggles, but their eyes were glued to the person walking beside Chisa.
Amemura Ren seemed completely unaware—or rather, he was long used to it.
He walked steadily through the crowd, his golden, slightly wavy hair particularly eye-catching in the morning light.
Noticing Chisa's slightly troubled gaze, he turned his head and flashed a perfectly charming smile.
"The sun is really nice today."
"Even I look a bit more dazzling than usual."
He shrugged, his tone as casual as if he were talking about the weather.
"Sorry for causing you trouble, Chisa."
Chisa let out a soft sigh, secretly agreeing in her heart even though she didn't want to admit it.
"Even though I don't want to say it… that face of yours really does have the power to attract crowds, Ren."
She glanced again at the girls secretly staring from behind, then looked back at Amemura Ren.
"Just by having that face, you can cause a small riot."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Amemura Ren chuckled lightly. His heterochromatic eyes sparkled with amber and ocean blue under the sunlight, making the girls behind them hold their breath.
The two continued walking when a ridiculous scene suddenly appeared on the side of the road.
The blond pretty boy, Imamura Kouhei, was kneeling on the ground in a perfect "orz" posture, looking like he was shrouded in black despair.
He pounded the ground with his fists, his voice full of anger and misery: "Why?! Why isn't there a 'Harem Club Surrounded by Beautiful Girls'?! This isn't scientific! This isn't logical! This isn't anime at all!"
Beside him, Kitahara Iori—still only wearing underwear—had an expression that said "I understand your pain" and patted his shoulder hard.
"Kouhei, hang in there!"
Iori suddenly clenched his fist, eyes burning with suspicious passion. "Of course it exists! A new world, the other side of dreams—you just haven't found the entrance yet!"
He raised his fist high. "Let's charge toward the entrance of our dreams together!"
The moment the words left his mouth, two thick, tanned arms suddenly shot out from both sides like iron clamps, locking around Kouhei's neck.
The two muscular upperclassmen, Hisamatsu Ryujiro and Tokita Shinji, stood there like moving iron towers, laughing loudly. "Well said, Kitahara! The club full of excitement is our 'Peek a Boo'! Come on, Kouhei, welcome aboard!"
"Welcome!! Die!!!"
Kouhei's face instantly turned purple: "W-wait… guh… wait a second… I'm dying… I'm really dying…"
At that moment, both Iori and Kouhei—who had barely escaped the chokehold—spotted the two people walking toward them: Amemura Ren and Kotegawa Chisa.
Even worse, there was the very obvious group of girls trailing behind Chisa.
Iori & Kouhei: "(◎_◎;)…"
The air went completely silent for three full seconds.
Both their faces twisted as if squeezed by an invisible hand—eyes bloodshot, veins popping, mouths warped in rage.
(Iori: Why the hell?! Why does that scheming bastard get to have Chisa on his left and a bunch of girls following him?! I don't even have a damn shirt on!)
(Kouhei: This is unfair! Why isn't anyone looking at me? Why am I the one getting choked by muscle guys?)
Amemura Ren saw everything clearly. Their expressions of envy, jealousy, and hatred were way too obvious.
His love for watching the show instantly activated. He slowly walked forward, his heterochromatic eyes filled with pure, innocent light.
"Kitahara, and this blond guy over here."
He paused, his tone full of concern like he was talking to old friends. "Your current expressions… are quite artistic."
Amemura Ren studied them seriously for two seconds. "Are you rehearsing some new performance art? Do you need me to take a photo and submit it to the school newspaper?"
Iori & Kouhei: "Amemura ↑ you bastard—!! (Die inside)"
Their perfectly synchronized roar nearly drowned out all the surrounding noise.
Inside the Peek a Boo Diving Club room, the familiar smell hit them immediately—a heavy mix of alcohol and male hormones that made people's heads spin.
All the new and old members were gathered. Hisamatsu Ryujiro and Tokita Shinji stood at the front shirtless, their tanned muscles glistening under the lights like two living sculptures.
"Alright!! All freshmen—!" Ryujiro's voice boomed like a giant bell, shaking the windows. "Welcome to our diving club, Peek a Boo! As per tradition, we'll start with group division and the welcome ceremony!"
Three long tables labeled A, B, and C were set up in the center of the room, covered with glasses and countless bottles.
Kitahara Iori stared at the bottles, a strong sense of crisis rising in his heart. He took a cautious half-step back, his voice trembling. "W-what exactly are we doing here?"
"Don't be nervous, Kitahara!" Tokita Shinji grinned, showing his white teeth as he picked up a glass. "First, tell us—what do you want to drink?"
Recalling the tragedy from this morning, Iori's face clearly said "I've seen through everything."
He roared with determination: "Oolong tea! I want normal oolong tea!"
"Oh? Oolong tea, huh…" Tokita-senpai nodded thoughtfully, then picked up an ordinary teapot and poured an amber liquid into the glass. It looked clear and transparent, exactly like oolong tea.
Iori leaned in and sniffed it.
The next second, he jumped back as if electrocuted and pointed at the glass, shouting: "This is oolong tea?! This is clearly vodka mixed with whiskey! I don't know any oolong tea that can catch on fire!"
At some point, Amemura Ren had walked over to the table. He pulled out a silver lighter from his inner pocket, flicked it open with a click, and a flame appeared.
He brought the flame close to the rim of the glass—whoosh—the clear liquid instantly ignited with dancing blue flames.
Amemura Ren looked at the burning "oolong tea" and rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Senpai, why do the drinks you serve… also work as lighter fluid?"
Ryujiro clenched his fist tightly, his biceps bulging. His smile was as bright as the summer sun. "Because this is the romance of men—Flammable Water! Drink it and you'll understand the true meaning of diving! The vastness of the ocean! The burning of life itself!"
Amemura Ren silently commented in his heart: No, I think you'll only understand stomach perforation and alcohol poisoning.
In the clubroom, Iori looked completely broken, while Kouhei's eyes were shining with excitement. "Whoa!! This looks so cool!"
Chisa covered her face, clearly wanting nothing to do with any of this.
In the end, the freshmen were forced to pick up the bizarre burning "Flammable Oolong Tea" under the "kind" gazes of their seniors.
Ryujiro and Tokita Shinji raised their glasses high, their smiles as bright as the Izu sun, and shouted together:
"Then, all freshmen—drink up with everything you've got (PaB)—!!!"
Clink! The glasses collided, the crisp sound echoing through the room.
Flames danced inside the cups, illuminating Iori's eyes full of despair, Kouhei's excited face, Chisa's tightly shut eyes, and Amemura Ren's smile—a mix of helplessness and amusement at how absurdly ridiculous the whole situation was.
…This university life.
Sure enough, it really wasn't going to be boring.
He gently brought the rim of the cup to his lips.
And added one more line in his heart.
It just might… be a little hard on the human body.