After the end of another lesson and the break bell rang, the club members got together again in their room and talked merrily about current things. Earlier, they had been told by their teacher Masumi that she was coming to the classroom during recess for a "special" reason. Apparently, she had not explained to the boys exactly what the reason was that prompted her to arrange the meeting. They, as they had been told, quietly accepted her reminder as fact.
Suddenly, to them, Masumi walked into the club's office and they immediately turned their attention to her.
"Masumi-sensei! Didn't anyone teach you to knock on the door before entering?"
"I have news, my dear students, that will make you happy, and so much so that you will even forget about formality!"
"I don't know what you're getting at," Yumiko replied. "Have you come for an important occasion?"
"Not otherwise," she pointed her thumb at them, cheerfully. "Since your club has left Glenn, the minimum required number of members you have failed to maintain in the time specified, so I have found a new volunteer, who, in truth, has wished to join you before."
Club members marveled at her words, soon realizing that Glenn had indeed left the club on a whim.
"I could no longer delay his request to join, so your postponement is over."
"Masumi-sensei, who are you talking about?"
"Yumiko-chan, while you are the head of the club, it is up to you to sign the acceptance application. I'll leave it to you."
Soon she turned sideways, closed her eyes, and dutifully added:
"Please introduce yourself."
A short, skinny-bodied student, who looked a little younger than the members of the literary club, came in from the doorway. Apparently he was a younger grade, but none of them besides Yumiko recognized him.
Stopping beside Masumi, he spoke in his submissive and easy tone:
"My name is Tamotsu Kawasaki, please take care of me."
"Tamotsu-kun, as I said earlier, is a volunteer and wishes to join your club."
Tamotsu did not stand out with his facial features and was slightly shorter than Tomoyuki. What made him unique was the slight graying at the front of his smooth, ear-length hair.
The boys were immediately convinced by his appearance that he was a grade below him. They rose from their seats and looked at him carefully. Tamotsu, noticing their blurry eyes, was embarrassed:
"B-be glad to w-will participate in club activities with you!"
He looked like an innocent and cheerful student, which made a positive impression on the club members, but the boys were not yet dismissing the shock. All the more so when thinking about it, it wasn't often that other people entered their circle of fellowship.
Ryou was confused as to who would think of joining a literary club, for he himself was initially against the proposal of his friend.
Yumiko immediately replied, "Welcome to the literary club! We always welcome newcomers to our corner."
"Yuttyan is so open-minded!" Akiko impressed, pampered.
Tamotsu, too, admired her peaceful greeting, whereupon Masumi added for them to formally sign his admission on a sheet, and proceeded to leave.
"Please," she said last, barely turning her stiffened visage toward them, "treat him with the utmost respect."
She seemed to care a great deal about Tamotsu's entry into a circle where the members had already become friends to the point of inseparability. She left him, however, to the presumed predation of the youths in her opinion, and withdrew from the study.
Tamotsu's presence added to the sudden tension in the study, for they were unaccustomed to seeing a stranger. But Yumiko began to comfort the newcomer and helped him with his introduction sheet.
Akiko, in her case, looked a little worried about the unexpected turn of events, because she could not think of another student who she, for some unreal reason, does not know, joining their club.
Ryou, on the other hand, was initially skeptical, which made him resent himself. After filling out the sheet and officially being accepted into the club, Tamotsu stated that he had wanted to join the club before. The reason for his joining was the stereotype that the literary club is mostly unsociable and relaxes people with its quietness.
Yumiko confirmed these rumors:
"But we have fun here, you wouldn't believe it. As soon as people found out that the three best grades in school were in the literature club, they instantly thought we were nerds. But many people thought differently — there were even those who invited us to their clubs, where there are a lot of people and fun!
Glancing over at her friends, she added that they liked this club and this office, which had become a second home to them.
Tamotsu was captivated by her eloquence and her ability to bring out her thoughts in interesting ways.
"This club is quiet and unsociable, it's true, but that's why we love this place. It's a gathering of people who don't care how many diplomas anyone has or who got into a fight with whom on another date. It's a gathering of people who like to live life in a way that's interesting to them."
"Ah, I've heard from everyone that your club has a nice atmosphere and the members are friendly..."
"Please don't worry, Kawasaki-san. We're only surprised by this unexpected announcement from Masumi-sempai about an addition to our club, for we ourselves had no idea that we'd be approached with a desire to join. We don't mind new members, so please give us a chance to show ourselves in a positive way!"
"Oh...I'll try to show my best side and make a good impression, too! I realize that my application to join is sudden, because the school year is just about to end...I won't make you sad, so it's very important for me to join here!"
'Very important?' Tomoyuki muttered to himself, incredulous. He pondered where he had crossed paths with him before, for his lean appearance was familiar to him ad nauseam.
Ryou soon realized that Tamotsu is a sociable man and knows how to build relationships with people, for he felt that a pleasant atmosphere emanated from him.
"Kawasaki-kun, why do you wear colored lenses?" Akiko inquired prematurely, because the young man had purple pupils.
"I have bad eyesight."
"Ah, and here I thought you really did have that eye color from the beginning... but they fit you just fine."
"Really? Thank you..."
"The truth is, I wear colored lenses, too, and my real eye color is dark."
"Attyan, you have adorably beautiful eyes!" Yumiko blissfully declared. "I'd like to look at them forever."
Akiko was appreciatively charmed by her gentle words and declared that she adored her brown eyes, too.
"In truth..." Tamotsu retorted, awkwardly. "I wish I had pretty eyes, too."
Tomoyuki's voice was heard from outside them:
"Kawasaki-san. Do we happen to know each other?"
"Not at all. This is the first time we've spoken, though I've seen you several times in the corridor."
'Hmm... Was I mistaken? Although, maybe I remembered him too, having accidentally met him somewhere.'
Yumiko then invited him to sit in any empty seat and tell him about himself. Tamotsu thought to himself that his idea of Yumiko Sato was correct, and he heartened by it.
During the course of the conversation, which did not involve a particular topic, they learned that Tamotsu was a year behind him in his class and did not have a girlfriend. Shy questions were asked by Akiko, who meanwhile was gradually accepting of him. Ryou, on the other hand, seemed unsociable because of his presence, but he was also curious to learn something new about Tamotsu, so he was slowly coming around.
Tomoyuki was joining in the conversation, but he tried not to get too close to the distance between each other: there was something about Tamotsu that bothered him, something that was hidden. With this, they gradually came to a stage of acceptance, and with each new day they began to dispose of him. Tamotsu would often drop in at the club, causing his trust status to increase and he would also be included in the general topic of conversation, which brought him into the fun.
Tamotsu quickly blended into their atmosphere and made a positive impression. Ryou, of course, initially found it difficult to get attached to him, but he became more friendly with each new day. The club members had to go through another new challenge.
***
The number "29" is highlighted in red marker on the calendar. It was December, not sparing people with its cold and heavy snowfalls.
It was an important day for the club members, for Glenn was finally out of the hospital, though he was limited in many activities. Today they were going to meet in the park, where they had previously walked together. Tamotsu was unable to attend the meeting today.
The arrival of winter was in full swing outside, and last night there was a sleek snowfall that dazzled the city in a white tint. Yumiko and Akiko had met each other a little earlier to walk up to the park together. They already knew that Tomoyuki and Ryou would meet Glenn themselves and walk up to the park together, so they weren't going to rush much. As they entered the small park, which was sparsely populated, Yumiko was nervous on the way.
"Is something wrong, Yuttyan?"
"Not at all... I'm just glad that we're finally getting together, in this very park."
Akiko understood her feelings, for this park had become a home. It was here that she first accepted the value of their friendship. A seemingly ordinary, inconspicuous park. The girl did not dare to tell her about it, so she kept silent.
Finally, they met at the same bench where they had spent time before. The boys chatted with each other about everything Glenn was about to learn. A certain gentle effect took Akiko in a shiver, after which she took Yumiko's hands and they quickened their pace.
These moments, it seemed, would be remembered for the rest of their lives.
In a few seconds, they will meet again as the entire family.
'Here, we made a promise to each other. Here, we began to truly respect each other. This park holds all the warmth of our true feelings. None of us wants to part with the friendship we ourselves built, and no one has the right to condemn each other for such an endeavor. Our friendship cannot fade, for we will not allow that to happen. This is where our sincere feelings are manifested .. and this is where we will meet our reunion again!'
Seconds later, the girls will be talking to Glenn outside the hospital for the first time in a long time.
As the moment passes, Akiko will tap Glenn's head, saying that she is still disgusted by what he did. Everyone will turn their attention to Yumiko, crying tears of joy and unseen bitterness, whom she has kept for an entire difficult month.
After another moment, seeing her tears, the club members will also yield to emotion. Finally, a few seconds will pass, after which Yumiko will lift her eyes and say that she has waited so long for this moment, and congratulate everyone on their reunion.
"Thank you so much for being with me...!"
"We're all in the same boat, so our hearts can't be ordered," Glenn told her.
"I can't wait for the moment," Tomoyuki added, "when we'll look back on this day with joy."
"I don't want to be separated from you..." Akiko showed her vulnerability, whereupon Yumiko took her hands and trailed their fingers.
Devotion bound their hearts, but they were not going to turn away until the last and only continued to stretch the pleasure of their caresses. They grasped hands amicably in a sign of reunion, and as their bodies drew closer, their hands narrowed. Leaning forward, they felt an irreplaceable warmth.
Together they exclaimed, "After all, we are friends!" with all the adoration of this moment in their lives It was a feat that marked their strong friendship, which they were not afraid to confess openly.
In the same way, winter break began.