Chapter 6: The First Club Activity

The day after, after school.

Takumi and Kotori were being led by Akira down the school hallway.

Their destination: the Handicrafts Club room in the club building.

Apparently, they were headed for a meet-and-greet regarding helping out with the local shopping district’s festival, as mentioned yesterday.

The local shopping district stretched out from the station where the express train stopped, and though small, it thrived. Takumi often stopped by on his way home from school.

The festival’s official name was the Hana♦Bishi Festival. It was touted as a community revitalization event, hosting activities for local kids and handing out snacks. Come to think of it, Takumi recalled seeing a poster about it near the station.

He’d assumed it’d just be the three of them—him, Kotori, and Akira—doing some low-key behind-the-scenes work. So the fact that they’d be working with another club caught both Takumi and Kotori off guard, a mix of surprise and nerves they couldn’t quite hide.

From Missouri’s how it came about: the Handicrafts Club had taken on the Hana♦Bishi Festival job, and the task had been passed to Akira. Either way, this was news to them.

Kotori’s face was pale with anxiety and stress.

Takumi wasn’t faring much better—his stomach churned at the thought of being thrust into a group and wondering if he’d be accepted.

Having only just figured out he could talk normally with Akira around, this felt like a leap from riding a tricycle to piloting a helicopter. One wrong move in social navigation, and they’d crash and burn—same difference.

Before they knew it, they’d reached the Handicrafts Club room.

Akira called out, “Ikoma’s here~!” and knocked. After a moment, the door swung open with a cheerful “Hiii!” from inside.

A girl with short, curly bobbed hair and round glasses appeared, her kinky locks bouncing. Spotting Akira, her eyes lit up, and she grabbed her hands.

“Ikoma-san, thanks for taking this on~!”

“Sorry for turning you down at first~.”

“Nah, it’s cool! I was kinda throwing it at you out of nowhere anyway!”

The two chattered excitedly, clearly close. “Yagi-san, like I said in class—” “We’re so short-handed—” “Well, you are the president, right?” From their talk, Takumi gathered her name was Yagi, the Handicrafts Club president, and in the same class as Akira.

Once her chat with Yagi wound down, Akira glanced back at Kotori and Takumi, who’d been lingering behind her, and shot them a warm smile.

“So, these are the two I called in to help out!”

Prompted, Kotori gave a small bow, while Takumi fumbled his words, managing an awkward greeting.

“…Tch.”

“…Yo.”

Yagi’s breath caught at Kotori’s striking beauty, her eyes widening. Then her gaze shifted to Takumi, who looked rough around the edges, and her expression froze solid.

“Uh… nice to meet you.”

Yagi blinked a few times, barely squeezing out the words, then shot a bewildered Is this okay? look at Akira.

Akira just flashed a friendly grin, raising a hand as she stepped into the club room.

“Alrighty, I’m Ikoma Akira, Yagi’s classmate and here to lend a hand~! And these are our helpers, Nabata-san and Hashio-kun!”

With Akira introducing them and beckoning, they had no choice but to step forward.

Takumi caught Yagi’s strained smile and twisted his face in a complicated grimace, inadvertently upping his intimidating aura by twenty percent as he steeled himself and followed Akira.

Inside the room were five club members, boys and girls. As expected, they were all captivated by Kotori, swallowing hard, only to freeze when they saw Takumi.

Exactly the reaction he’d braced for. His expression darkened as he thought about what lay ahead. One girl, mistaking his look for a glare, let out a tiny “Eep!” before quickly covering her mouth.

This was a disaster of a first impression.

The air in the room turned heavy, almost suffocating.

Takumi’s stomach twisted with guilt.

Kotori, meanwhile, was completely frozen with nerves.

Akira, seemingly puzzled by the unexpected tension, glanced around at everyone’s faces.

Trying to break the ice, she fumbled with “Uh—” and “Erm—,” rolling vowels but coming up empty.

Takumi, desperate to shift the mood and even considering bailing entirely, scanned the room for something—anything—to latch onto.

Then he noticed what the club members were working on.

In their hands were fantasy-style costumes, white with gold thread accents.

Something eerily familiar, yet oddly out of place here, caught his eye, and a shocked gasp slipped out.

““Okuribito Furīze” costumes…?”

Akira was the first to react to his mutter.

“Furīze?”

“Akira-senpai, you don’t know Furīze? It’s that manga with the elf protagonist! Being an elf means a long-lived perspective, so there’s this friction with the humans they care about, and the story’s so frustrating but so good!”

“Oh, I might’ve heard of it. Didn’t it get an anime recently?”

“Okuribito Furīze” was one of Takumi’s absolute favorite works. He’d discovered it through the anime, got hooked, binged every volume, and even got Kotori into it. Naturally, she was obsessed too, and they’d swapped recs for fanworks online. His explanation was brimming with passion.

Akira, though, seemed only mildly interested, her response half-hearted.

Takumi’s face soured at her lackluster reaction.

Then, from the side, Kotori’s voice rose, brimming with excitement to match his.

“F-Furīze is—!”

But the sudden attention from everyone made her realize she was in the spotlight, and her usual social anxiety kicked in, choking her words mid-sentence.

The group shot her puzzled looks as she clammed up.

Unlike Takumi, Kotori seemed to slip back into her aloof Ice Princess mode when anyone other than Akira was around, even with Akira present.

The air grew murky with confusion.

Takumi could feel Kotori’s embarrassment, her discomfort palpable.

But understanding didn’t mean he knew what to do—he was just as flustered, floundering for a solution.

Then Akira, as if sensing something, piped up brightly toward Kotori, urging her on.

“Wait, Nabata-san, you know Furīze too?”

“Y-Yeah. It’s… really good. You have to read it…”

Her words were halting but filled with genuine feeling.

Akira picked up on her enthusiasm, nodding with a curious “Huh.”

Takumi jumped back in, riding the wave.

“Akira-senpai, if you haven’t read Furīze, want me to bring it next time? It’s only fourteen volumes, so it’s a quick read!”

“Uh, that’s maybe a bit much for me,” Akira said, sounding a little daunted.

Kotori clutched her fists to her chest, murmuring.

“J-Just the first five volumes to start. So many great characters show up…”

“Yeah, she’s right! I’m obsessed with the professor who starts preaching with his fists around there,” Takumi added.

“And then the professor’s wild backstory and that plot twist—total shock!”

“Hell yeah, the professor’s awesome!”

“Haha…”

Takumi and Kotori were suddenly deep in Furīze talk, geeking out hard.

Akira, left in the dust, let out a dry chuckle.

The others looked stunned, but then Yagi jumped in, her voice blazing with just as much passion as theirs.

“Wait, Nabata-san, Hashio-kun, you guys know Furīze!? The professor’s such a great character, right? But I’m all in for the glasses guy and the gal assassin as a couple!”

Her eyes sparkled like she’d found her people, staring straight at them.

Takumi and Kotori froze for a second, but Kotori rebooted fast, grabbing Yagi’s hand in agreement.

“Yes! They’re basically married already!”

“I don’t really get the shipping stuff, but the way they keep overcoming trials and getting closer, that bond just hits,” Takumi said.

“Takumi, that’s exactly—”

“No, no, they’re totally a done deal! I mean, it’s not in the main story, but there’s a ton of doujinshi out there filling in the blanks—”

“—Ahem. Should we get to the point already?”

The otaku talk was heating up even more with Yagi’s addition, but Akira’s cough cut it short.

Kotori and Takumi suddenly realized they’d lost themselves in the moment.

They made sheepish faces, a different kind of embarrassment from before, but the others’ reactions were unexpected.

“Well, damn, you’re just like Yagi-chan, huh?”

“Yeah, we’re not exactly ones to talk!”

“Haha, you two got some wild gaps with your looks!”

The laughter that followed was warm, not mocking.

Caught off guard by this new kind of response, Takumi and Kotori were a mess of emotions—surprise, then a delayed wave of embarrassment for their earlier outburst. But there was no hint of rejection in the group’s eyes. They were accepting them, plain and simple.

Takumi stole a glance at Akira.

She caught his look and gave a playful wink, as if she’d orchestrated the whole thing.

No way, he thought, but a grin crept onto his face. It didn’t feel bad at all.

Akira nudged the squirming Yagi with her elbow, prompting her to speak up.

Snapping back to reality, Yagi put a fist to her mouth, cleared her throat with a “Hrmm,” and spoke with the confident air of a club president, addressing everyone—especially Takumi and Kotori, the newcomers.

“Thanks for gathering today for the Hana♦Bishi Festival.”

Scattered claps rose from the group, mixed with lighthearted cheers like “Nice one!” and “Look at our prez, so cool!” Takumi and Kotori joined in, clapping along. A sense of unity warmed their chests, the atmosphere undeniably good.

Akira chimed in with a question, like she was tossing in a perfect assist.

“So, what exactly are we doing?”

Yagi nodded eagerly, as if she’d been waiting for this, then turned to them with a beaming smile, spreading her arms wide and declaring:

“We’re doing a cosplay band performance of “Okuribito Furīze”!”

The room erupted with excited “Ooooh!”s.

Takumi and Kotori, a beat late, let out awed “Whoa”s in unison.

“Okuribito Furīze” was a hit with kids too. Just the other day, Takumi had seen an online article in a children’s magazine about a “Get the Furīze look with everyday items and clothes!” feature that had gone viral. He’d shared it with Kotori, and they’d geeked out over it.

It was popular with parents too. A cosplay band performance of its theme song? Yeah, that was a solid plan.

But there were concerns. As if voicing them, Akira tilted her head slightly, addressing Yagi, who was smugly rubbing her nose.

“So, we’re helping make the costumes, right?”

“Yup, please! We’ve got ten days to make four outfits! When you get into the details, it’s endless, and we’re not gonna have time for props, so I need help with those!”

“Got it. Props should be doable for newbies like us.”

Akira shot a wink their way.

Takumi and Kotori let out relieved sighs.

Sewing? They were total amateurs. Their experience was limited to middle school home ec classes, barely handling a needle.

And if they’d been asked to perform in the band? Forget it. The only instruments they’d touched were recorders and melodicas. Plus, they didn’t have the guts to stand in front of a crowd.

Kotori seemed to imagine herself performing, because she swayed like she was dizzy. Takumi totally got it.

But props and odd jobs? That was different. They could handle that.

As Takumi nodded enthusiastically, Akira suddenly realized something and turned to Yagi.

“What about the performance side?”

“I’ve got that covered.”

A guy raised his hand and stood. Black hair, neatly dressed in his uniform, with a slightly serious vibe.

Noticing him, Yagi introduced him with an “Oops, forgot” look.

“This is Kuroda-kun. Not a club member, but we were in the same class last year. I remembered he plays guitar, so I asked him to help out.”

“That’s the deal. Some others not here right now—like a drummer from the brass band—are on board too. We’ll handle the performance side. No vocals, though, just instruments.”

So, he was a collaborator like them.

Apparently, Yagi had been pulling strings left and right to make this Furīze cosplay band happen. She might look like a shy otaku, but her energy and social skills were impressive.

Akira smiled at Kuroda, extending a hand.

“Cool. Nice to meet you, Kuroda-kun.”

“Y-Yeah.”

Kuroda, a bit nervous, shook her hand.

Yagi watched with a satisfied grin, then clapped her hands sharply and spoke in a serious tone.

“Man, I’m so glad Nabata-san and Hashio-kun know Furīze! Makes this way easier! So, which characters’ costumes should we make, aside from Furīze?”

The room buzzed with excitement.

Suggestions flew—this character might be good, that one would stand out on stage, this one suits the members better.

Ideas popped up, but nothing gelled, and no one was bold enough to take charge.

Takumi, who could barely handle small talk with strangers, tried to fade into the background, holding his breath.

Meanwhile, Kotori was oddly fidgety.

Akira noticed and called out.

“Nabata-san, got any ideas?”

Startled, Kotori’s shoulders jumped, but she hesitantly spoke.

“Maybe… go with the new party lineup?”

Yagi caught her murmur and hummed thoughtfully.

“Yeah, having a cohesive theme would be good.”

“Yup, it’s familiar.”

“But wouldn’t popular characters get a better crowd reaction?”

“Not everyone knows them, though.”

“Hmm, true. Maybe something that screams Furīze at a glance would be better.”

Bit by bit, Kotori traded ideas with Yagi.

Before long, everyone was listening intently.

Realizing the attention, Kotori shrank shyly, but her face held no regret—only a hint of satisfaction.

Takumi’s eyes softened, a grin tugging at his lips. A spark of I can’t let her outdo me pushed him to raise his hand.

“Uh, I think—”

From there, Takumi’s suggestion sparked a flurry of opinions, and the costume discussion grew heated.

They settled on main characters familiar to kids, but every time a character came up, the talk veered off into their best moments, funny episodes, or interactions with others.

Even the non-Yagi members, helping with the project, were clearly Furīze fans. I thought this about that episode, that scene’s my favorite, what if this happened instead—and so on.

Their passion was contagious, and everyone was talking a mile a minute.

It was just… fun.

Takumi and Kotori were way chattier than usual outside their comfort zones.

Akira, who didn’t know much about the series, tossed in questions like “What’s that character like?” or “Oh, I’ve seen that line online!” Everyone happily filled her in, thrilled to share.

By dismissal time, Akira had been fully converted, genuinely curious about “Okuribito Furīze”.

Since not knowing the series might hinder costume-making, Yagi dragged her off, apparently to lend her a spare copy for “evangelizing.” Buying extra copies for lending? That blew Takumi and Kotori’s minds.

They decided to copy the idea but then realized they had no one to share with, which bummed them out a bit.

At first, when they learned this wasn’t just simple helping but working with multiple strangers—Akira aside—for ten days, the task felt daunting. Takumi and Kotori struggled just to survive paired class duties, their social skills were that bad.

But once the lid was off, it was a blast. They’d settled on costumes, and the first meet-and-greet was a huge success.

They weren’t brimming with confidence yet, but it felt like they could make this work.

After parting with Akira and Yagi, they left school, walking home together.

The excitement hadn’t faded. Kotori seemed to feel it too, and their conversation bounced along, picking up right where the costume meeting left off.

“Ended up just geeking out about Furīze the whole time, huh? Got so into it, I’m practically sweating.”

“Costume-making’s gonna be fun!”

“You into cosplay, Kotori? Wait, now that I think about it, you’re kinda already cosplaying.”

“Y-Yeah, it’s like I woke up to it… Hey, don’t be a jerk, Takumi!”

“Haha, my bad, my bad.”

Kotori puffed out her cheeks, pretending to be mad, and gave his arm a playful smack.

Laughter bubbled up from both of them.

This kind of easy banter outside was new. Walking home together, chatting like this—was it the first time? No, back when Acchan was around, they’d done something similar. So, since then.

But soon, Kotori’s house came into view. Time to part ways.

The thought of this fun ending brought a sudden pang of loneliness to Takumi’s chest.

He wasn’t used to this feeling.

But he had no reason to keep her there.

Letting out a “Haa” to mentally reset, he took a deep breath. Just then, Kotori gently tugged at his sleeve.

“U-Um, uh!”

“Yeah?”

“T-Today was… a lot. I think I talked okay, but…”

“Yeah?”

“Everyone loved Furīze, and we got so hyped, but…”

“Kotori?”

Her words were just rehashing what they’d already talked about.