This Monday has been nothing but stressful right from the morning until the bell rang for the last class of the day. First, all that mess in the morning with Captain Lee and Hechan confronting each other again because of me, then suddenly getting drafted to run for Track & Field club that I'm not even a member of, then some creepy stalker dude turning up in the afternoon (albeit admittedly good looking…). I could have just gone home for a hot bath and chilled on the bed, but I felt what I needed more was a distraction. So, well, I headed to the manga club.
To be honest I used to resent Chin for looking down on me when I was a bullied kid in the class. As far as I knew, we shared the same hobbies and interests, but he didn't want to have anything to do with me as if I had some victim disease that would spread to him and make him the target of bullying too. How funny that now he was always happy to welcome my visit to the manga club. Life certainly is unfair and not everyone is created or treated equally.
"Hi, guys"
I tried to be somewhat cheerful as I entered the clubroom, sliding the door open. Everyone responded kindly and that finally brought some wholesome feelings to this day.
"Je-Jenn..?"
"Oh?"
To my surprise, Eri was sitting at the desk with some other members of the club.
Was she also part of the manga club? This place really brings people together in unexpected ways...
"Tssk, here she comes again", that was Gina, still being a bit tsun tsun to me.
When will I ever see that dere side of her that other guys talked about?
"Why-, why are you here?", Eri inquired again, but with something more than confusion in her voice.
"Heh, this is the first time we have met without me bumping into you. How's your ass?"
"You know, that sounds really really weird without the context", Eri pointed out and I could finally see Gina breaking her character and laughing for a change.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to be so direct"
"What did Jenn do to your ass?", now Gina was teasing Eri.
"Unmentionable things", Eri played along.
"Please, feel free to tell us more about it", Chin joined in.
"Right, let's just stop it right here-, but Jenn, why are you here?", Eri brought an end to the light-hearted banter.
Was it that weird I turned up at the manga club?
"She's a girl of culture and is always welcome here", this was a little title that Chin gave me since the last time we talked about Onani Master Kurosawa, a cult classic.
"Since…when?", Eri was still being rather inquisitive.
"Er… like forever? I always liked manga and anime. Is it that unexpected?"
"Very very", she reiterated.
"What are you here for though, Eri? Are you also a member here?"
"No I'm in the art club, but I help out here sometimes with illustrations"
"Ah, like how Gina helps with scripts"
"Yeah, you guys know each other?", Eri asked looking at me first, and then Gina, and then me again.
"We met last time"
"Don't think that makes us friends. And stay away from my ass". Gina was half snarky and half joking now. I guess she has warmed up to me a tiny tiny bit now.
"So… you come here just because you like manga?"
Although I bumped into Eri twice before, we didn't really chit-chat much, but today she seemed to be chatty.
"I… also like to draw sometimes"
"Whoa, you've never shown us! Could you draw something now?", Chin brightened up.
"Er… I 'like' doing it, doesn't mean I'm good at it though"
"It's okay. We got many members here who can't draw to save their lives"
Right… maybe I'll give it a go. This will be the first time I actually show my drawing to other people.
I took the empty seat next to Eri and Chin gave me a pencil and paper. Although there were many things I enjoyed reading and watching, the character that I tried drawing the most before was Mamoha, so I gave that a go.
"Wow, that's really really good"
When I was done Chin was the first and the only one to comment. Gina just looked really surprised, and Eri looked even more surprised and lost for words.
The thing is, I always liked drawing manga and anime characters before, that's why I wanted to join this club in the first place previously, but was just never allowed to. But now when I draw pictures, the usual good-at-anything-and-everything Jenn's talent came out and the result was rather impressive.
"Of all things you could draw, you drew Mamoha…", Eri muttered almost involuntarily.
"Tssk, it doesn't look too bad, I'll give you that", Gina grunted again, but I felt like I was starting to earn a little more cred from her.
:Bzzzz:
I then felt my phone buzz as I received a message. It was Uncle Tan saying he'd arrived at our usual pick-up location now.
"Right, I gotta go now. Was good seeing you guys here"
I put my pencil down and got up to leave the room, feeling a little smug that I impressed everyone.