Kazuya sat there, smiling as he listened to the banter between Yuma and Shin. After the two had been entangled in conversation for a while, he interrupted them, "I've considered it and decided not to join any club activities."
If that high school boy named Kazuya were still around, he might have considered joining a club. However, now that he occupied this body and life belonged to him. So he should be the one to make the decisions.
Upon hearing that he didn't plan to take part in any club activities, Kazuya caught the attention of both Shimazaki and Yuma. Shin asked, "Why not join?"
"I want to focus on improving my academic performance."
"Oh, I see..." Shin's expression showed a hint of regret and disappointment. "I was planning to invite you to join the kendo club with me. But you are different from us after all. "
Yuma was confused, "Eh, what's the difference?"
Shin shot Yuma a look and retorted, "You are a fool! Pay more attention to your studies! Matsuoka was specially invited in this school as a scholarship student, ranking second in the grade. He's likely to enter the special class next year... He can easily get into a prestigious school just based on his academic performance. If it weren't for personal interests, there would be no need for him to participate in club activities."
Yuma slowly opened his mouth, looking at Kazuya with disbelief. His expression was complicated, "The second one in the whole grade? One of those transferred to our Class B from Class A? No wonder..."
No wonder Shin treated Kazuya with such courtesy. The hierarchical system deeply ingrained in Japanese society was also prevalent in schools. Although not as severe as in the workplace, people still subconsciously classified themselves and others based on grades, creating an potential social hierarchy.
Kazuya waved his hand, indicating that it wasn't a big deal. These rankings were achieved by the original owner who came from Saihaku District, Tottori Prefecture. He had been lured to Hope Peak Academy with promises of free tuition and scholarships but unfortunately transmigrated shortly after arriving in Nagoya.
Kazuya's decision not to join any club activities was his personal choice. He had only known Shin and Yuma for about a week. Meanwhile, Yuma continued with his nonsensical ideas, asking Kazuya if he would be willing to share cheat sheets during exams and offering to exchange them for two gravure idol photobooks.
Ignoring Yuma's absurd comments, Kazuya looked at Shin with a curious expression and asked, "What's the matter, Shimazaki? Is there something wrong?"
Shin hesitated for a moment and said, "Well, it's my personal request. I hope you can help me with something..."
"Go ahead, I'll help you if I can."
"In fact, I was asked to find some people signing up for the Kendo Club. Can you help me? You don't need to do the training and other activities, just to fill up the numbers." Shin was a little embarrassed to say that.
Kazuya considered his request for a moment. He thought it wouldn't hurt him if he was just as a ghost member, and he could also do a favor. So he agreed. But he also felt confused, "Why are you helping the Kendo Club recruit members?"
Shin sighed, muttering, "For some personal reasons... Thanks and really sorry for troubling you, Matsuoka."
Kazuya didn't know the reason, so he turned to the "Jack-of-all-trades" Yuma. Not let him down, Yuma immediately explained the reason, "Shin's sister is the captain of the Kendo Club. She's forcing him to find a certain number of people. Otherwise, she'll punish him. I also agreed to join the kendo club with him."
Kazuya didn't realize, "Don't you plan to join the baseball club?"
"You know, there's no rule saying you can only join one club. It's just a formality." Yuma replied.
"My sister asked me to find five people" Shin sighed again, probably worrying about how to find the remaining three.
"I see!" Having only known Shin for a short time, it was the first time Kazuya learned he has a sister. Glancing at the somewhat effeminate but still handsome Shin, he speculated that his sister was probably a beautiful woman. However, it wasn't his concern, so he continued, "Does the school have requirements for the number of club members?"
Ignoring Shin's attempts to explain, Yuma bluntly said, "More members mean more funding from the Student Council. For example, the money allocated for competitions differs between declaring ten and declaring five members!"
Kazuya understood why there were so many clubs working hard to recruit members every day—it was all about the allocation of funds.
Shin wanted to defend his sister, "She just wants more funding to ensure that club members can maintain good condition when going for competitions. It also allows for more training sessions. It's for the club's performance. She really likes the Kendo Club."
Kazuya nodded. Competing for funding was a responsible move for a club president. Even using some means wasn't entirely wrong. He continued to inquire, "Do you need to recruit people urgently? Is the Kendo Club so unpopular?"
Ignoring whether the members of the Kendo Club were nearby, Yuma laughed and said, "Of course! Think about it, Matsuoka. Wearing a Kendo uniform in summer—pure cotton! Wrapped in a headscarf—cotton padding! Wearing a faceguard, chest protector, kote, and hakama—resin plates and leather! Then the seniors shout 'Sosen' a hundred times, swinging bamboo swords. After that, the smell... Even I, smelling my own, feel like vomiting. For other people it's hell! Besides, bamboo swords and protective gear are prone to dampness and mold, especially during the rainy season. If you're a freshman, you're unlucky. After cleaning your own gear, you have to clean the seniors'. You need to clean the dojo too—so hot in summer, so cold in winter, it's a kind of cruel torture! Thinking about it..."
Yuma complained incessantly, expressing strong grievances against the Kendo Club. In the end, he concluded, "Such a sport is not something normal people would like. We're just signing up, fill out the form quickly, and leave. I've suffered enough from such sports in my junior high school. Shin's sister forced him to do it for a year. He only got relief after she graduated. We can't make the same mistake again!"
Afraid that Kazuya might leave, Shin hurriedly added, "Just signing up, we'll get through it... Once we deal with my sister, we can leave immediately. Please bear with it."
Yuma put his arm around Shin's neck, grinning, "It's okay. I didn't mean anything. We're friends, helping each other is normal. No need to apologize! Right, Matsuoka?"
Kazuya smiled and nodded. Helping out a bit with such an easy task was something he didn't mind. After all, it wouldn't take much time and wouldn't affect his plans for diligent study. Learning about the existence of special classes dedicated to studying in the school only intensified his desire for self-improvement.
With Yuma continuing his playful banter, Shin's face showed a slightly touched expression. Yuma added, "But Shin must treat us after that. Whatever we want to eat, you must pay for it!"
Shin immediately rolled his eyes at Yuma, pushing him away forcefully, "I got it!"
Kazuya watched the two play around, feeling that they really cared about each other. Even though they were typical teenagers, they were quite interesting.
After having the meal, they said goodbye to each other at the school gate and went home separately after making arrangements to sign up for the kendo club together tomorrow. Kazuya returned to the apartment he rented. The apartment appeared dilapidated, with broken bricks and tiles, walls covered in last year's dried-up ivy and fresh green vines. It gave off the sense that it was waiting for demolition at any moment. Perhaps the only advantage of this apartment was the affordable price. After using the housing allowance provided by the Hope Peak Academy, he could still save some money for improving his life.
Kazuya entered his room, took off his shoes, and turned on the lights. It was a one-room, one-bathroom single apartment with an area of about thirty square meters. The tatami mats were old and damaged, with stains and a ceiling covered in mold. The light from the pale energy-saving bulb added to the eerie atmosphere—enough to film a horror movie if there was a dead body.
After freshening up and changing into casual home attire, he continued studying textbooks for a while, then lied down on the bed before midnight. He silently recited "Status panel" in his mind, and something resembling a game interface, visible only to him, appeared in front of him.