Just because she had picked up this man’s wallet, she now had to participate in some inexplicable club activity.
Although he didn’t look like a delinquent, that gloomy, murderous gaze of his was still a bit terrifying.
Earlier, he had mentioned something about “service,” the Service Club, right?
Service, Gotoh Hitori couldn’t help but gulp.
Whenever “service” was mentioned, one would think of wearing a maid outfit and calling someone “Master”…
That’s, that’s truly heaven.
But no, this is wrong; he told me to participate in some club activity.
‘Dad, Mom, and Futari, I’m about to become impure.’ Gotoh Hitori shrank back, but she didn’t dare sneak away.
After all, a truly socially anxious person can’t even bring themselves to reject others.
Helplessly, she followed behind Hikigaya Hachiman.
However, the pure aura of loneliness emanating from the boy, untainted by any impurities, gradually made her feel at ease.
“We’re here.”
Hikigaya Hachiman stopped in front of an unremarkable classroom.
Some cute cartoon character stickers were plastered on the door sign.
Gotoh Hitori was busy examining the classroom when Hikigaya Hachiman pushed the door open.
Desks and chairs were piled haphazardly in the back row, and a large, long table was placed in the center of the classroom.
It was originally just a plain club activity room, but it suddenly became anything but plain.
‘There’s a beautiful girl!’
The girl was sitting upright in the sunset, holding a book in her hands.
A breeze brushed past her hair tips, and her hair tips were brushed by the breeze.
The girl just sat there quietly, fully engrossed in the reading material in her hands.
The crimson sky outside the window, the girl reading by the window—everything was as beautiful as a painting.
Gotoh Hitori stood blankly at the doorway; before she knew it, her mind had gone completely blank.
Noticing that a guest had arrived, the girl tucked a bookmark into the book and looked up.
“Hikigaya-kun, you need to knock before entering.”
Exquisite features, soft, straight black hair—even though she was wearing the same uniform as the other girls in class, she looked completely different.
“Don’t worry about those details.”
“As expected of you.
Since you don’t pay attention to details, you surely won’t forget a small matter like breathing, will you?” The girl said coldly.
‘She’s a devil; my breathing has become uneven.
I’m about to stop breathing, I’m about to stop breathing.
Focus on breathing, focus on breathing.’
“So, who is that idiot standing there?” Those icy eyes suddenly turned toward Gotoh Hitori.
And herself…
Gotoh Hitori looked down at her toes, then thought of the guitar on her back.
She hadn’t made a single friend so far, and even the band she wanted to form had fizzled out.
It was normal that no one knew the lonely Gotoh Hitori.
But using a term like “idiot standing there” was just too impolite.
‘Although I am indeed just standing there like an idiot.’
Gotoh Hitori sniffled, prepared to open her mouth, but hesitated again.
‘How should I introduce myself so I won’t be hated?’
“Her name is Gotoh Hitori; she’s here to experience club activities.”
‘That was a huge help, Hikigaya-senpai.’
“Ah, um, I’m a student in Class A, first year, Gotoh Hitori…
Wait, what do you mean by ‘experience club activities’?” Gotoh Hitori, reacting a bit slow, asked in surprise.
“Consider it a thank-you gift, since you helped me retrieve my wallet.”
‘I don’t want something like this!’
“…”
Gotoh Hitori didn’t refuse again.
“As you can see, this girl is also a lonely soul,” Hikigaya Hachiman said to Yukinoshita Yukino.
‘He actually noticed that.’
“I think letting her try experiencing the Service Club’s activities might help her make friends.
That’s all.”
Yukino frowned and spoke: “If that’s all, you could have just tossed her to any other club.”
“I thought about that, but this girl…
she wouldn’t be able to stay there at all, would she?”
“Even if you say that, you know how busy the club has been lately.
I don’t think letting her join the club is a good thing.”
“She isn’t as tough as she appears on the outside, and she’s a very obedient child.
She’ll stay quietly in a corner during club activities.”
‘You really understand me, Hikigaya-senpai.
In fact, crouching under the table wouldn’t be a problem for me.
But Yukinoshita-senpai, hurry and reject his request so I can go home.’
“But even so…” Yukino continued to deny it, until:
“If Miko feels fear when seeing ghosts, this girl is an existence who trembles in the presence of any strange human.
Although she has clearly understood the truth—that humans are far scarier than ghosts… This chapter was taken from novelping.com without permission.
let’s just count it as part of the plan, Yukinoshita,” Hikigaya Hachiman said.
“Fine, if that’s the case.” Yukinoshita Yukino nodded, seemingly persuaded by this inexplicable logic.
“Then you two stay here for a while.
I asked Yuigahama to go to the library to find some books; I’m going to go help her carry them back,” Hikigaya Hachiman said after checking the time on his wrist.
“Oh, got it.” Yukinoshita Yukino waved her hand casually, appearing to have no intention of paying attention to Gotoh Hitori’s thoughts, and opened her book to read to herself.
‘I have a feeling I’ve seen this scene before.’
When Hiratsuka Shizuka brought me to the Service Club, something similar happened.
But forget it; Gotoh Hitori’s issue is something that needs Yuigahama Yui to resolve.
Thinking this, Hikigaya Hachiman pulled the activity room door shut and headed downstairs.
Back in the Service Club that Hikigaya Hachiman had left, Gotoh Hitori stood there stiffly, foolishly carrying her guitar.
The ticking of the clock was so clear.
Honestly, this atmosphere of being ignored was actually quite nice; it was very relaxing.
Gotoh Hitori secretly sized up Yukino, who was reading, her thoughts drifting who knows where.
She didn’t know how long had passed when Yukino seemed to notice this gaze.
Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly raised her head, glanced over here, and said: “For now, find a seat and sit down.”
“Oh, oh, okay.”
‘That murderous, ‘I-just-saw-something-dirty’ gaze from Yukinoshita-senpai earlier was so scary.’
Gotoh Hitori hurriedly took her guitar off her back in a flustered mess, stood it carefully in the corner of the wall, pulled over a chair, and sat down right against the wall.
This gave her a great sense of security.
Then, only the rustling of book pages remained in the classroom.
She didn’t know how much more time passed when Yukinoshita Yukino lifted her head, as if she could see the misery in Gotoh Hitori’s heart, and asked: “What is it?”
“It’s just, it’s just that I don’t quite understand the situation.
Now, now that it’s like this, what should I do…” As she spoke, her voice gradually grew lower, until even Gotoh Hitori herself couldn’t hear what she was saying.
Still afraid to meet Yukinoshita Yukino’s eyes, she closed her mouth.
She knew she couldn’t explain it clearly.
“Is that so.” Saying this, Yukinoshita Yukino cast her gaze back onto the book in her hands.
After flipping through a few more pages, she closed the book, put it back in her bag, and stood up.
‘I’m sorry, Yukinoshita-senpai, it’s because of me, right?
It’s all my fault for affecting the atmosphere of the entire classroom.
Please leave the classroom; staying with someone like me…
Hmm?’