Most teachers would have ignored him in this situation.
But Shizuka Hiratsuka was different—she actually cared enough to help a student like him.
“It’s not like I don’t know how to be grateful.”
Ren wasn’t really antisocial.
He just didn’t want to pretend to be friends with a bunch of high schoolers.
He wasn’t arrogant or looking down on anyone—he just liked being on his own.
“You’re an interesting kid,”
Shizuka said with a laugh, giving his shoulder a firm pat.
“Well then, starting today, you’re an official member of the Service Club!”
With that, she walked out of the room.
Leaving just Ren and Yukino Yukinoshita…
“…” Yukino didn’t say a word.
Ren didn’t try to talk to her, either.
He found an empty desk, sat down, and took out his bread.
He still hadn’t eaten lunch.
“So, as a member of this club, do you know what we actually do?”
Yukino was stubborn and believed in absolute justice.
Since she had promised Shizuka, she made herself start the conversation, even though she wasn’t good at socializing.
“The Service Club.
It’s written on the door,” Ren replied.
He paused for a moment.
The Yukinoshita family was well known and clearly wealthy.
If they ever needed him for an exorcism, he could probably make a fortune off them.
He couldn’t help wishing someone in her family would run into an evil spirit.
Yukino had no idea he was secretly hoping her family would get haunted.
“Then do you know what the Service Club actually does?”
Glancing at the book in her hands, Ren raised an eyebrow.
“Read books?”
“No.
Reaching out a helping hand to those in need.
That is the purpose of our club.”
“A pretty nice dream.”
When he was a kid, he had dreamed of becoming a hero who saved the world.
It had been a simple, childish wish, just like hers.
They didn’t talk much on their first day together.
Before long, lunch break ended, and the bell for afternoon classes rang.
“You came back?”
After school, Ren went to the Service Club.
Since urban legends and evil spirits usually appeared at night, there was no point in going home early.
Yukino was honestly surprised.
She hadn’t expected him to return.
“If I agree to something, I do it,” he said, sounding lazy as he pulled out his phone.
Luckily, this world had some of the same mobile games from his past life.
Or he would have been bored out of his mind.
If I agree to something, I do it?
“…” Yukino’s opinion of him changed a little.
Because of Shizuka’s introduction, she had thought he was just an antisocial weirdo.
“Someone like you can’t make friends?” she asked.
“It’s not that I can’t, it’s that I don’t want to.
Forcing a smile, echoing what everyone else says, trying to please people…
I can’t do things like that.”
Japan could be strange that way.
To fit in, you had to act like a tool for others.
It was a terrible system.
“I see.” So that was why.
Yukino didn’t think that was strange at all.
She was just like him.
For a moment, her eyes softened a lot.
“In that case, all I have to do is help you make a friend, and I’ll have fulfilled Hiratsuka-sensei’s request.”
“Help me make a friend?
You don’t seem to have any friends either…” Ren gave her a weird look.
It was funny, one of them was supposed to teach, and the other was supposed to learn?
Yukino paused for a brief second before stating flatly, “First, we need to define what a friend actually is—”
“Hold on.
The second you say something like that, it proves you don’t have a single friend.”
Maybe he was right, or maybe it was something else, but she just glared at him and went quiet.
That was fine with him.
He liked the peace and quiet.
Meanwhile, Eriri’s hands and feet turned cold as soon as she walked into her house.
Honestly, she had felt this way since last night.
“Eriri’s home!”
Her mother, Sayuri Sawamura, and her father, Mr.
Spencer, were both in the living room.
When she walked in, they both looked up at her.
Eriri hesitated for a second before hurrying over to them.
“I…
I have something to tell you!”
“Oh my~ Someone is being very serious today.” Seeing her daughter act like this, Sayuri snapped her fan open, hiding the lower half of her face.
She smiled teasingly.
“Don’t tell me my little Eriri finally got a boyfriend?”
Beside her, Mr.
Spencer chuckled and nodded.
“It breaks my heart a little, but you are at that age!
When are you going to bring him home for us to meet?”
Those little jokes showed just how much Sayuri and Mr.
Spencer loved their daughter.
“I’M SERIOUS!” Eriri shouted, her face turning bright red.
It was hard to tell if she was angry or embarrassed.
“I…
I think I’m going to die!”
As soon as she said it, Sayuri and Mr.
Spencer froze.
They both stared at her in shock.
Thinking about what might happen to her, Eriri couldn’t hold back her tears.
Her voice shook with sobs.
“Yesterday…”
Then she told them everything.
She explained about Sadako’s videotape and exactly what Tomoya Aki had done.
Snap!
Sayuri shut her fan.
The playful look vanished from her face, replaced by a deadly serious expression.
“TOMOYA AKI GAVE YOU THAT TAPE?”
Sayuri knew who Tomoya was.
He was Eriri’s childhood friend.
Sure, his family was painfully average and he was an unapologetic otaku.
But as long as her daughter liked him, Sayuri had never stood in the way.
Yet this boy had actually put her daughter in danger!!
“Yeah!” Eriri nodded.
Overwhelmed by fear, she threw herself into her mother’s arms and burst into tears.
“Don’t worry…
I’ll take you both to the local shrine first thing tomorrow.
We will figure this out.” Mr.
Spencer said, his voice firm and reassuring.
It helps new readers find it.
And of course, your Power Stones help push the story forward.
Thanks for reading.