Oh, here we go again...
According to the number one rule of keeping a secret—don't stand out too much.
If I make myself too noticeable, people will start paying too much attention, and that increases the risk of someone catching onto my secret. So, I should try not to stand out... Yeah, like that's possible.
I walked slowly, feeling tense as I noticed every pair of eyes in the school staring at me, like a famous celebrity had shown up. Actually, that wasn't far from the truth, but the celebrities weren't me; they were the two people walking beside me.
I glanced over at the two girls, both of whom were shining brightly with their radiant aura, while I was cloaked in the darkness of anxiety.
This is bad... Both of them followed me? One is hard enough to deal with, but both of them at once? I could already see the chaos waiting for me in the future.
"Uh... You two don't really need to follow me. It's club period, and you might end up being late."
"It's fine," Aqua said, smiling confidently. "Like I said, the Art Club is really laid-back. It's not a big deal. They understand what's important."
She spoke with such confidence, and all I could do was hope that they understood in a peaceful way.
"But Beam, don't you need to practice? If you don't head to the club soon, won't you miss training?"
Aqua glanced over at Beam, who just shrugged and replied casually.
"I already called the club and told them something urgent came up, so don't worry about it."
Wait, what? You're skipping practice? Beam, you're the school's star athlete—you shouldn't be missing practice!
"Uh, isn't that a bit much..."
I was about to say I felt guilty, but before I could, Beam reached over and took my hand.
"Don't worry, Fah. Taking care of someone you care about is important."
Ughhh...
Beam smiled gently, her handsome features practically making my heart skip a beat. I felt my face flush, unable to hide my reaction.
"It's the same for me, Fah," Aqua added, taking my other hand in hers. "You're important to me too. So, your problems are my problems."
Not only was the school's prince being sweet, but now the school's princess had also taken my hand, smiling warmly—like a spring breeze calming my restless heart.
Faced with their kindness and words that were impossible to refuse, all I could do was nod in agreement. Their smiles widened, and I lowered my head, trying to avoid the gazes of everyone around us.
This... is going to take a lot of getting used to.
"Since Fah's only been at the school for a week, it's easy to get lost. We'll lead the way," Beam said.
She was right. Even though I'd been at Varawit School for over a week, with the size of the campus and all its buildings and fields, it was easy to get lost.
"So, what kind of club are you interested in, Fah?"
Honestly, I had no idea. There were a lot of clubs, but none like the "Go Home" club I so desperately wanted. I was basically wandering around aimlessly, mainly to escape the ongoing war between these two. Who knew they'd both follow me like this?
"Uh... something calm, I guess."
"Calm, you say? In that case, how about the Literature Club? It's close by."
Since we were in the main school building, it wasn't far from the library. Next to the library was the Literature Club room. It was quite nice of the school to provide proper rooms for each club, unlike my old school, where we'd sit on marble benches.
When we arrived at the Literature Club room, the atmosphere was calm and peaceful. Members were either reading or writing poetry in different corners of the room, while others were arranging books neatly on the shelves. It felt quite relaxing.
The Literature Club, huh? It seemed nice. Judging by the atmosphere, it looked like I could just sit and read quietly. Not many people either. This felt like heaven.
"Uh... it seems peaceful."
"It is," Aqua said. "Since it's near the library, everyone has to keep it quiet. If anyone's too loud, the librarian would come after them."
"Are you interested in joining, Fah? If you like reading, this might be perfect for you," a girl approached us, speaking kindly. She had her hair tied up in a ponytail, her demeanor friendly and warm. Judging by her aura, she seemed like an upperclassman—probably a senior or the club president.
"Oh, it's the prince and princess. So you must be Fah, the new student. The Literature Club would be happy to have you."
Even the seniors knew who I was... All thanks to being followed around by the school's prince and princess. Honestly, it was... very complicated.
"What do you think? Interested?"
"But I'm not really into literature or poetry."
"Literature isn't just classical works or poetry. Modern novels and even manga count too."
Manga counts? Now I was getting interested.
"Manga, really?"
The moment I showed the slightest interest, it was like I could hear sparks igniting between Aqua and Beam. An intimidating aura radiated from both sides.
"Senior, isn't that a bit misleading?"
"Misleading? What do you mean?"
"I heard the advisor for this club is the strictest teacher in the school. Fah, did you know that the club advisor, Ms. Apichanat, is extremely strict? Sure, they let you read manga, but if you're caught reading it too much, you'll be put under a lot of scrutiny."
Ugh... just hearing that made me shiver. If I had to read manga under those conditions, no way I'd enjoy it.
"Oh, come on, the teacher doesn't come by that often."
"Maybe not, but when she does, half the club disappears, doesn't it?"
Beam added, making the senior's eyebrow twitch a bit. Aqua smiled and continued.
"Besides, you can't just read comfortably here. Doesn't Ms. Apichanat require an essay every two weeks?"
"Well..."
What? There are assignments too? This wasn't looking good.
"Not only that, but I heard you have to present an essay in front of the entire school once a month. Fah, wouldn't you hate that?"
Aqua seemed to understand all the things I disliked, hitting every point that made me reconsider joining the club. I couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for the senior trying to recruit me. She was starting to look a bit defeated.
Now the senior was sweating a little as she faced the overwhelming presence of the school's two stars. Eventually, she sighed.
"Just as the rumors say, huh..."
It seemed like the senior had started sensing the ominous vibes from the Gulf of Thailand and slowly retreated.
"Alright then, it seems like this club might not be a perfect fit for you. Good luck, Fah."
The door closed, and both Aqua and Beam immediately pulled me along to the next club. And, of course, every club we went to ended up the same as the Literature Club.
The Board Games Club:
"Are you interested in joining the Board Games Club? We've got chess, checkers, Go—everything you could want."
"Fah, if you join this club, you'll have to sit still for hours. Imagine sitting there for hours on end. Your back would be killing you, and you'd probably lose your mind."
"That's true..."
"It's not that bad. Board games are fun, and they're great for concentration. Plus, skilled players don't take that long to play."
Before the senior could say much more, Aqua stepped in to finish him off.
"Fah doesn't like high-pressure competition, right? I heard this club has tournaments all the time, and the atmosphere is so intense that some people end up in tears. Fah, you'd probably be overwhelmed."
"Uh... it's really like that?"
Is board gaming really that intense?
"Yes, it's really like that. Isn't it, senior?"
"Uh, well... things like that happen sometimes. Maybe this isn't the best fit for you."
And another senior retreated to escape the ominous aura.
The Drama Club:
"Oh, is that Fah?"
A girl with long hair tied with a pink ribbon approached me, smiling warmly.
"We're looking for new members. Fah, are you interested in acting? You'd have a lot of fun!"
"Acting is fun, but for someone like Fah who doesn't like being the center of attention, being on stage might feel overwhelming, right?"
Beam jumped in, her voice filled with concern, making me hesitate.
"Besides, acting involves memorizing lines and working in groups. If you mess up even once, it could mess up everyone's practice. I wouldn't want Fah to go through that."
"Wait, don't be so quick to decide," the senior from the Drama Club interjected.
"We're not rushing it. Just think, Fah—what if you had to do a romantic scene with a kiss? You wouldn't be comfortable with that, right?"
"Exactly. There could be wolves just waiting for a chance to kiss Fah. Some might even use acting as an excuse to steal a kiss."
Whoa, whoa... What kind of delusions are they having? And Aqua, this is clearly personal. I could see it—the aura of social menace coming off Aqua.
I thought to myself as I felt Aqua's hand slowly tighten around mine, her grip becoming increasingly possessive.
"Acting isn't all about being on stage. You could help behind the scenes—lighting, set design, or handling props. You wouldn't have to deal with stage pressure."
"But even then, Fah would have to be surrounded by noise all the time, running around setting things up, hardly getting a break. Fah's too delicate for that."
Beam nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And when it's close to the performance, there's a lot of work and stress. You might have to stay late often. Fah, you wouldn't like that, would you? Plus, I heard they sometimes make new members do extra work during late hours."
And another senior retreated from the ominous aura.
The Music Club:
"Just walk by, Fah. If you join here, forget about lunch breaks or relaxing. I still want to eat lunch with you every day."
"During festival season or competitions, you'd have to practice late into the night. You'd lose all your personal time. I still want to spend time with you, Fah."
With them saying all that, who would even dare to try convincing me? The band club seniors hadn't even reached us before they backed off, driven away by the murderous aura of the two.
The Needlework Club:
"Fah... our club doesn't want any trouble, so... um, it's probably not for you. Best to check out the next club."
Ploy, who'd gone back to her club, practically gestured for me to go somewhere else the moment she saw me.
And after that, every club that approached us was immediately shot down—uh, I mean, gently dissuaded—by the two until no one dared to advertise their clubs anymore. Eventually, we ended up back where we started: Aqua and Beam trying to win me over.
"Like I said, the Art Club is perfect for you, Fah. I guarantee you'll have nothing to worry about."
"Nah, the Basketball Club is the way to go. We've got trophies and championships. Being part of it would look great when you apply to college."
"Come to the Art Club with me, Fah. You'll love the atmosphere."
"No, come with me to the gym. I'll introduce you to the coach."
"Come with me, Fah."
"Come with me, Fah."
They kept going back and forth, and my head was starting to spin. If this continued, I'd probably lose an arm from all the pulling. Seriously... Fah's little body is too delicate for this!
Thinking that, I pulled away from both of them and dashed into the room right in front of me. The sign on the door read...
"Current Affairs Club."
Standing before me was a girl with a short ponytail, her expression full of confidence and mischief. Her dark eyes narrowed as she looked at me, and a wide grin spread across her face before she spoke.
"Well, well... Look who we have here—the famous doll from Classroom 3. Welcome to the Current Affairs Club. So, did you come for some juicy news, or are you thinking of joining us?"
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