29 The Signing Event

On the following day, Hayashi Sakura finally recovers from her cold. When she wakes up, she makes breakfast and packs her lunch to avoid eating in the cafeteria when she sees the grocery items that are neatly arranged in her fridge and on her cupboard as well. Now, who would have possibly done this among her three visitors yesterday?

Before she knew it, a smile slowly formed in the corner of her lips as she started to cook breakfast and packed lunch.

On her few week-stay in the school, it didn't take that long for Sakura to notice one of the unspoken rules inside Hirosaki University: Only the elite ones are allowed to sit in the cafeteria, while scholarship students like her and kids who are socially unwanted are seated in a place outside the cafeteria known as the student lounge.

Well, screw that person who made such an unspoken stupid rule! But she also doesn't want anyone putting a target on her back so to avoid unnecessary commotion like she happened to experience not long ago, it's better to keep off her foot from that place.

"Good morning Hayashi-san!" Alan vigorously waves at her when they happen to cross each other's path by the time Sakura leaves her room. The latter greets him back and tries to match his cheerful pace.

This was the first time they happened to walk to each other in the morning. Usually, Sakura leaves early and Alan is usually late for his first-period class. However, he surprisingly left his apartment a little bit early today, which is still a mystery for Sakura…

Smiling a toothy grin, Alan offers, "Don't you ride the train to get to school? What do you say we go together, huh?"

Sakura shoots him a confused look. "Don't you have a car or something that you can drive to go to school? I'm surprised you took the public train to get there."

"Well, I don't want to flaunt my wealth that much," Alan says cooly, like that's normal for him. "Besides, I love riding the train! Who doesn't, right?"

Sakura gives it a thought. After experiencing being hated by most of the girls in Hirosaki University because of that stupid picture that an anonymous person posted (which she later finds out to be Watanabe Rin who was suspended for 3 days), Sakura doesn't think it is actually a good idea for her to be seen by anyone who obviously knows this guy nationwide because of his family status.

Though she already said that she doesn't care what others might think of her, Sakura figured out that it won't also hurt her to be extra careful around the public.

Meanwhile, Alan instantly senses Sakura's anxiety and suddenly blurts out, "Wait for a second here. I'll be back immediately," before storming back to his room upstairs. A few seconds later, he is back with a maroon beanie on his head and a pair of normal glasses worn on his face.

"How's this for a disguise, huh?" Alan asks, twirling graciously around which makes Sakura burst out in laughter. She still can't believe up until now that this guy and her former childhood friend have been friends as well in the past.

Again, what a small world it is indeed….

Smiling at him, Sakura says, "That would be perfect." which made Alan grinned at her. For his efforts in changing as quickly as he could, Sakura then agrees on going to the train station and walking to school with him for the very first time.

***

After Sakura arrived at the school, she was welcomed by Yuna Nakano and Ryo Tanaka, who were seated in their seats behind her and Ken. After a mere few seconds, Mori Ken appears, somewhat surprised to see Sakura has already arrived at the school.

"So, are you now feeling better for real or…" Mori Ken narrows his eyes at Sakura as he walks to his seat in the front row and places his bag immediately.

Sakura scoffs at him and replies, "I am feeling much better now, thanks for asking."

Their conversation immediately ended there when their first-period class professor in Fundamentals of Accounting, Mr. Sakamoto, enters their classroom with an announcement for all of them.

"I've been told that today, the signing for clubs has officially started until the end of this week. All students must proceed to the gym to sign for their respective clubs. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir!" All students said in unison.

After that, Mr. Sakamoto immediately starts their discussion that silences all the students present in this room. But at the back of her head, Sakura was already thinking of a possible club or social circle that she might join that mostly complements her introverted personality, in fear of being rejected once again…

***

Just like what their teacher instructed earlier this morning, Sakura and her newly-found set of friends went straight to the gym where they saw hundreds of other students also gathered up here for the signing event. Several tables have been placed across from each other containing different clubs and social circles ranging from sports, arts, music, theatre, and…. books?

Nakano Yuna, being the sporty and competitive one in the group, walks straight ahead to the sports club where several other students are lining for. Tanaka Ryo's passion is for theatre, since he says he wants to become an actor someday, went to the theatre club to sign up for it. Only Mori Ken and Hayashi Sakura are left at the gym's entrance, still undecided on what club they will be joining.

Sakura tilts her head to look again where did she last see the signing table for the book club when two students from the upperclassmen suddenly approached Mori Ken standing on her right to invite him over to their taekwondo club, until several other students spot him and immediately came running towards him.

Back in their childhood days, Ken once mentioned to Sakura that he had gone to a taekwondo class once because his father forced him to do so, but didn't really last for a long time. Maybe he'll pick taekwondo club this time because of that.

While Ken is still preoccupied with different club members still trying to convince him, her eyes were solely focused on the only club that caught her interest. Unlike many other societies present that have a lot of freshman students lining up for them, this one has only a single soul who is willing to sign up for them aside from her.

It was a nerdy-looking guy who wears these super thick-framed black glasses (unlike her glasses that are a bit stylish than his) matching his black unkempt hair with bangs in soft waves that somehow covers his forehead and jet black round eyes. His sky blue buttoned-up polo doesn't really match with his black pants, which Sakura could understand because there are really some guys who are just not into fashion, unlike girls. Seated across from the table is also a guy with really clean-cut hair to both sides of his ears and back.

'Wait, does this club contain guys only or what?!' Sakura thought.

"Hi, welcome to the book club. Wanna sign up with us?"

Finally! Sakura can't imagine how happy she was when she saw this tall, slightly scrawny yet fair-skinned girl, who also wears the exact type of glasses that the guy signing right now is currently wearing, comes walking right to her. Being naturally shy, Sakura wasn't able to respond to that immediately.

Will she really join them?

Sakura tries to dart a look in her surroundings without making it obvious to this girl in front of her to see if there are any other options for her introverted nature, but only ending up finding none at the moment...