Glenn accepted Yumiko's request to join the club. On their way to the office, they met Tomoyuki , who looked out of the office door.
"What's up, Sato-chan?" he asked respectfully, receiving a peaceful nod of the head from Yumiko in response.
She slowly walked over to blue-eyed guy and started the conversation decisively.
"Yamashita-kun, please join the literary club!"
"Huh?! Why so directly?" marveled at Tomoyuki's request.
"I'm sorry, but I really need it!"
Glenn glanced contentedly at their conversation, huddled against the hallway window. Tomoyuki put his hand to his chin and thought carefully about her offer. He was trying to find the benefit of joining her club.
"How many people besides me have joined the club?"
"There was no one besides me in the club until today... Only one membership sheet has been filled out. I need to find three others willing to join."
"I see. I think I'll accept the invitation if two more people join. The more people, the more the merrier, right?"
Yumiko agreed with Tomoyuki's optimistic view of life. To her, Tomoyuki seemed like a good and fun guy to rely on. However, to Yumiko, his answer sounded like a rejection, and she contrived in herself exaggerated emotions that the club was over and she would not save it. Tomoyuki, on the other hand, seeing her saddened look, waved his hands consolingly and offered to find potential volunteers from her social circle.
"Hmm, I wonder if Hayashi-kun and Akiyama-chan would agree if I suggested that they join the literature circle?"
"Akiko-chan would definitely join," Tomoyuki replied, lowering his tone. He looked thoughtfully at the study where Ryou and Akiko were doing their homework before the end of recess. "If Hayashi-kun steps in, she'll have no choice." Slowly the corridor began to be flooded from the other corner with students going to their classrooms.
Yumiko realized that Tomoyuki was aware of Akiko's feelings for Ryou. She began to construct a picture within herself in which Tomoyuki and Akiko were good acquaintances.
Soon, she entered the classroom and moved toward the desk near where Ryou and Akiko were. As she came closer to them, the attention of those two was drawn to Yumiko Sato. Glenn and Tomoyuki were peering thoughtfully from the doorway. Yumiko knew that with her conversational skills, convincing Ryou to join the club would be a difficult challenge, but gathering her thoughts, she approached them.
Yumiko, full of confidence, urgently held out her slips to them and directly asked them to join the club.
Tomoyuki was again taken aback by Yumiko's directness, and with a sigh he realized that Yumiko was bad at communicating with people. However, he was attracted to Yumiko's sincerity and her confidence was on a whole other level.
Ryou wondered at this point about her proposal. Akiko decided that Yumiko was onto something and she wanted to get close to Ryou.
"What's the point of joining a literature club?" asked Ryou, bringing her hand to her mouth.
Yumiko didn't know what to answer Ryou's serious question with. Glenn stepped into the office and stood up for the fragile girl.
"We can always be together at the club," he replied with a peaceful look.
"Why should I be with you?"
Yumiko then took a confident step and disagreed with the pessimistic approach from Ryou.
"In a circle where we can study, we don't have to worry about being disturbed, and the literature circle itself is a quiet and peaceful place. We can have our lunch breaks there, left alone with each other, and come to the club at will."
Ryou was surprised by her straightforward answer and statement of fact that looked appealing to the young man. Glenn, standing behind her, cheered for her statement. Scratching his neck, Ryou considered the decision and nodded.
"I agree."
With this approach ending in a win-win for Yumiko, Tomoyuki and Akiko saw another of her virtues. In the end, Akiko had no choice, and she also agreed in her unceremonious style.
Walking out into the hallway, Yumiko looked at the two boys, openly cheering for her victory, and sighed contentedly. The outlines of a mouth of scarlet joy appeared on her face. Tomoyuki took her up on her offer and walked off in free steps toward Akiko and Ryou to get Akiko out of the office.
Yumiko looked at Glenn, who was standing nearby, and saw him looking after Tomoyuki and Akiko with cold eyes. Yumiko thought something was bothering him at that moment.