The atmosphere at school still felt eerily quiet, with only the ticking of the clock on the classroom wall keeping me company.
.
"Hoammmm..."
.
After that lesson, for some reason, I felt so sleepy. It feels like... taking a nap here wouldn't be a bad idea. Hehe, the peace I've been waiting for...
"Lemon!"
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed. I turned towards the door, and sure enough, Mapple stood there with her wide smile. I always wonder where she gets that energy from. Doesn't she ever get tired?
"Have you thought about which club you want to join?" she asked with her usual enthusiasm.
Ugh, a club, huh… I haven't really given it much thought...
"Hmmm… if I think about it, I'd want to join a relaxed club. And… if possible, something related to books."
Mapple immediately beamed. "Ah, the book club! Perfect! You'll definitely love it there, reading all day without distractions… Gosh, that's truly your ideal world, right?"
I shrugged slightly. "Well, as long as there aren't too many people. I just want a place where I can read in peace, without all the noise of other activities."
"Hmm…" Mapple pretended to think deeply. "But be careful, don't end up in a club where you're the only member. You could get lost in a pile of books, hahaha."
I frowned, slightly annoyed by her comment. "Better that than a club that tires me out or is full of drama. I just want to read, relax, and maybe take a nap."
Mapple laughed. "You never change, Lemon. Always avoiding anything exhausting. But… I get it. I don't like overly busy clubs either."
"But I think there's no such club in this school…,"
"To be honest, I've never found a club like that on the list of available clubs."
"Eh, seriously?"
"I'm serious… literary club, manga, novel clubs, writers' club… all the chill ones are gone..."
"Ehhh... why...? That was my plan—to join one of those clubs..."
"Well… I heard from a senior that some clubs got disbanded for some reason, but there are also new clubs now… so it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Hehehe."
"Don't worry, Lemon... I'm probably just mistaken..."
Great, that's a big problem. The only club I was thinking of joining is gone.
Maybe I should just join the drama club since I have Mapple there... "Aren't you joining the drama club? Isn't that full of talking and acting?"
"Ah, of course! Drama is fun! It's not what you think. There's emotion, there's a story to be told. Besides, if you join a book club, you're just sitting there reading. But me, I can embody a character! You should see me act one day."
Oh no, that sounds even worse... If I join that club, my peace will be over... "Well, I guess that's... interesting?"
Mapple leaned in closer, her face suddenly serious. "So? Have you found a club that suits you?"
"Uhhh... Not yet... But I'm still looking. If there's one that fits my 'relaxed' and 'low-energy' criteria, I'll join."
Mapple patted my shoulder with a wide grin. "Let's search together! Maybe we'll find one that fits. And if not, you can always join the drama club! Hahaha."
I just weakly nodded. "Yeah... hahaha, sure...
Let's hope that doesn't happen…"
---------
The school corridor was still quiet this morning. The only sound that could be heard was our footsteps, in sync with the ticking of the clock on the wall. I walked leisurely next to Mapple, enjoying the silence. Ah, so peaceful... even with a little noise, it was still better this way.
"Hoaaaam..." I yawned again, not sure why I kept feeling so sleepy.
"Lemon, why are you always so sleepy? The day has just started! Did you not get enough sleep? Listen to me, staying up late is bad for you."
"I-I didn't stay up late, really..." How did she know? I couldn't sleep because I was engrossed in the new novel I bought. But khekhekhe, it was totally worth it.
"I just enjoy the calm mornings," I replied while shoving my hands into my pockets, "there's no noise… it feels nice."
Mapple shrugged, not really paying too much attention to my excuse. Honestly, I'm still amazed at how she has so much energy... Is she a gorilla? No, no... if she's a gorilla, then I'm one too...
(Bugh)
"Ow! What's up, Mapple? Why did you stop?" Ouch, what is she made of, iron?
"Eh, look at this!" She exclaimed while pointing at a large flyer displayed prominently on the board.
I half-heartedly moved closer to glance at the poster. **School Club Festival!** Big, flashy letters covered the page, accompanied by illustrations of excited students, ready to welcome new members...
"A club festival? You've got to be kidding…" I didn't even know this school had a club festival.
Mapple patted my back, her grin as persistent as ever. "Lemon, fufufufu this is the perfect chance for you! At the club festival, you can go around and check out all the clubs. There are so many options! You might find a club that's chill and exactly what you're looking for."
There are no such clubs, Mapple… if there was one, I'd bet it's not even a real club...
I let out a sigh. "But aren't festivals like this always crowded? Noisy... full of people…"
Mapple kept smiling, clearly not surprised by my reaction. "Hahaha, Lemon… You're always like this. But seriously, this is my chance to help you. Plus, there are a lot of new clubs, you might find something that fits..."
I stared at the flyer again. "Well, who knows, maybe there's something interesting. But I won't get my hopes up."
Maybe I'll find a club there… perhaps one that lets me be lazy? But it seems like it'll be hard to find a club like that. Or should I just create my own club? No, that would be too troublesome…
"W-W-Why isn't the literature club here…?" A girl muttered softly, staring at the bulletin board with a confused expression.
"Oh god... I-I'm in trouble..."
Looks like I'm not the only one feeling threatened by the disappearance of the chill clubs... Ugh, who knows what will happen to me now…
"Don't worry too much, Lemon… It'll be fine…"
"Mapple… I'm not worried, just confused about where I can laze around…" Was my expression really that obvious?
"Don't worry, Lemon… Whatever happens, I'll always be with you… so don't forget, you're not alone, okay?"
Her words, somehow... brought me peace. I…
"Of course, Mapple… I… I'll always be with you too…"
For once… I hope... Everything will be fine...