16 The Literature Club

Out of all clubs that I could join, it was the Literature Club.

If I would even be allowed to choose, I'd go to the Track and Field Club with my almost near-in-human stamina, speed and focus. (Forget my accident before, it doesn't count.)

It would be the perfect club for me to even ace in! But, life doesn't always go the way you want it, right?

I'll just think that everything happens for a reason.

Mendou: [So, we're joining a club just to have you guys... free to flirt, huh? What a noble reason.]

Hoshoujo: [Watch your words. This is to help Najimi be able to express himself better.]

I mean, sure, relationships are a great way to pull emotions out of him, but she isn't thinking about my welfare here.

She's making me jealous of them here now, being a couple and all.

Sometimes I curse every happy couple I see, but I can't even think if these two are actually one with how platonic and eccentric each of them is.

Besides, isn't she embarrassed to show a third person that they're flirting?

I already know that Najimi wouldn't be one to care about what people think as he's the innocent one.

Hoshoujo: [I-It's for him. So, don't go thinking that I'm taking advantage of him.]

That never even crossed my mind, but now I'm doubting it.

Why would anyone even mention that...? Just how dense are these cliched characters?

Mendou: [Ahhh. They're taking too long.]

Right now, we're in the Literature Club room. We were told to wait here as Miss Shiraishi and Najimi went to the faculty to grab the papers for our registration.

There were a lot of boxed objects inside the club room which were about to be stored out and cleared.

They were to be put into the rooftop storage room that the student council opened for transfer, but I guess that won't be happening now.

Mendou: [Hey. They're taking a veeeeeeery long time. Don't you think you're doing something else?]

Other than Najimi, I wanted if I could also pull out some reactions from Hoshoujo by putting these thoughts in her head.

If she's truly a real tsundere, she'd be going crazy now.

Well, I did expect a reaction, but instead, I had a notebook flying toward my face.

I had to dodge it. I still have the injuries around my body to move.

Hoshoujo: [Oh? I could have sworn that I threw that real fast.]

Mendou: [HEY! What's the big idea!? I'm injured here!]

Hoshoujo: [How about another one? Will you shut up with this?]

Mendou: [A-Alright! I'll stop, jeez!]

Not to joke, she did throw that one on its side, faster than I thought I could see it.

It's a good thing my reflexes kicked in, or that'll be another injury on the book. I'm really in for a beating around those two.

Just how worse could it get as time progresses?

Mendou: [Huh? What's this?]

As I was browsing the shelves near the chair I was sitting in, I found a weird book with a dark and 3D-like cover. It was weird, but also cool at the same time.

Mendou: [Whoa! Look at this——!]

I wasn't able to hold myself in as I accidentally called out to Hoshoujo who was minding her own business.

Mendou: [Oop. My bad——]

She might throw another book if I bother her.

I opened it, and what I found was...

Mendou: [I can't read it though.]

Inside was a bunch of gibberish and symbols. It looks like a prop book for people.

Mendou: [A prop book, huh?]

Hoshoujo: [That's not a prop book. That's the missing book in the library.]

Mendou: [WHOA——]

To my surprise, Hoshoujo was already beside me, looking closely at the book as well.

I didn't notice her there as I was focused on trying to read the text that seemed to have sideways alphabet and symbols from random things.

I dropped the book in surprise before the door, and so Hoshoujo picked it up right after.

Hoshoujo: [This is the Necronomicon. A lot of people borrow this from the library as a prop, but it was never returned for a long time. To think that we would find it here.]

Mendou: [How long are we talking?]

Hoshoujo: [A year.]

Someone forgot to return a book. If there was a penalty for a day doing so, wouldn't it be over ten thousand by now?

But, I guess no one would even care as long as it was returned in a good condition.

Besides, how does she even know this?

Mendou: [You do know a lot about that library for someone who got lost.]

Hoshoujo: [Of course. My grandfather is the deen of this school, but the cafeteria and the classrooms were newly built, and I never had a stroll around the school before.]

Mendou: [Ah, I see—Wait.]

Huh? Her grandfather was the deen? I haven't even heard or seen from our dean since the ceremony. Don't they own the school then?!

Mendou: [W-Wait, slow down. Your grandfather is the dean?]

Hoshoujo: [Yes. He's on a vacation right now, and my mother is managing on his behalf.]

Mendou: [Isn't your mother running a business?]

Hoshoujo: [Well, that is too, but she's not all that busy. She has skilled secretaries that can do her work for her in some aspects.]

That's some high-level multitasking, besides the fact that she's letting her employees do the work she's supposed to do?

Oh, wait, that's how it's supposed to work.

But, putting that on the back burner...

Mendou: [Then, isn't dangerous for you to fool around with Najimi like that?! What if you two get caught?!]

Hoshoujo: [Then, all the more effort you should put in helping our cover-up. If you can't do a decent job, then I'll blame you for the misunderstanding that we may cause and have you suffer the consequences.]

Mendou: [Other than that being a threat, can't you at least encourage me properly?!]

Hoshoujo: [Act accordingly, and I will. You do look like a scum who will be happy being stepped on.]

Mendou: [Well, that's...]

What? I can't deny that.

Hoshoujo: [Tch...]

Well, not by HER! She gave me a disgusted look just now!

She does know that they'll like it if she makes that face to people who she knows love being treated like that.

Shiraishi: [We're back!]

With the door of the club room opening abruptly, our bubbly and cheerful teacher arrived along with Najimi.

She had a big smile on her face. Wait, forget about the smile, she's really happy with her grin reaching ear to ear.

Shiraishi: [We've managed to preserve the club! Yey!]

She began cheering and clapping as she went it, but she was the only one doing that.

Mendou: [I-I'm happy for you...?]

I didn't know what to say so, I might as well congratulate her, right? In any case, I'm feeling guilty for using this club as a farce to have this two hang out freely.

Najimi: [I'm the club president now.]

Mendou: [OOOH? Congratulations!]

Now, that's new! Najimi volunteering to take up a role is news to me. Since he was always chosen, he never had the chance to refuse someone's request.

Shiraishi: [Usually, we vote for who has the most pretty handwriting out of all the members for a week, but after Najimi wrote this to the faculty, the teachers were convinced anyways!]

She opened a folded paper, and inside it was calligraphy. I can't judge if it's pretty but it was pretty solid and bulky for my understanding.

Shiraishi: [They said that there is still hope for the Literature Club if it's him who would be president. Reclaiming the reputation would be hard, but if it's you guys, the maybe...!]

Wait, just what happened with the past members of the Literature Club anyways?

Mendou: [W-Wait. Just what was the old Literature Club like anyways——?]

I put up the question, but as soon as it came to that, Miss Shiraishi and Hoshoujo reacted a bit.

Huh? It seemed like a bad idea to talk about it, but Najimi isn't one capable to read the room.

Najimi: [I wanna know as well...]

It would make sense as to why Najimi wouldn't know since he already moved near my place when we were small.

The only one who would know is those who own this place and who worked in it.

Hoshoujo: [Haa... Fine. But it's a story that I've heard only, and if Miss Shiraishi is fine with it, then I'll tell.]

We all looked at Miss Shiraishi who looked sad after being all that happy earlier.

She was the advisor for the Literature Club way before, so if there was an incident, she would be the one to know a lot.

Shiraishi: [Alright. Since you guys are saving this club, I'll tell you everything I know.]

She sighed and sat on the couch, putting her hands together after putting the papers on the table.

All eyes were on her, except for Hoshoujo who opened and looked through the window.

We were all waiting for her to finally speak, and when she did.

It was something we didn't think we were expecting to hear.

Shiraishi: [Someone was murdered in this club room.]