The clamorous, excited roars of students walking about the halls of Sakuragaoka High punctuated their chatter about the things they did over the summer. Indeed, it's already September again. Summer break had come and gone before we even had time to think about it. Maybe it's our fault for not doing a whole lot of value, but if it means the heat will die down, I'm fine with being back in these familiar, ever-boring hallways. The second half of our second year has begun, yet I feel as if I've already overcome some of the major hurdles that the new school year brought with it. Though, a new challenge seems to be just around the corner…

All of the official members of the Light Music Club were gathered around on the clubroom's couch (though myself and Inuko sat on the floor) as Sawako stood in front of the chalkboard with a piece of chalk in her hand.

"Alright, people! Before the sun goes down today, I want this board filled with new ideas from head to toe!" said Sawako, spinning the chalk in between her fingers, as one would a pencil.

"Oh, oh!" Yui shot her arm into the air.

"Yui? Already got one?"

"Ideas for what, Ms. Sawako?!"

Yui's statement practically knocked Sawako off-kilter as she struggled to stand up straight in the face of Yui's aimless enthusiasm. "Oh, god, girl… You get a lady excited for nothing and that's what you say."

"To be fair," Azusa's hand rose as well, her face looking deadpan. "You didn't really tell us why we're gathered here like this."

"Alright, kiddos!" Inuko spoke in a faux-proper voice that I assume was meant to resemble Sawako's own. It looked like he was visibly grating on her within mere moments.

"Sit your butts down and put your thinking caps on, it's time to brainstorm!" I said, adjusting an imaginary set of glasses for kicks. Annoyance and embarrassment mingled on Sawako's face as my acting skills came in handy.

Inuko and I grabbed onto each other's shoulders as we laughed at our improvised comedy routines.

The chalk in Sawako's hand dramatically snapped in twain as darkness enveloped her entire body. "You two…!"

Just as quickly, she stood straight with a positively peachy disposition. Seeing her smile like that immediately made me bob with uneasiness. "That's it! I got it!"

Immediately, Sawako quickly scribbled something down on the chalkboard with wide, maddened strokes. Each tack against the board welled further anticipation in our small clubroom. "Right here!" she said, taking up an arm and slamming it against the now complete text written across the chalkboard. Some of it was made up of kanji that I struggled to read, but I could make out the katakana and hiragana that made up parts of it. 'Light Music', 'Love', oh, I can see where this is going already…

"Here's your selling point, boys and girls!" Sawako said, huffing proudly as confidently strode to let us look at the board more closely.

"The Light Music Club's Interstellar Love Comet…" said Mio, her voice having a concerned ring to it. "Ms. Sawako, this is a bit…"

"Stupid?" I interjected. "I agree completely."

"Now, now." said Sawako, not at all dissuaded by my opinion. "Hear me out." she continued, her eyes glazing at us boys on the floor. "Inuko, Leo."

"Yes, Ms. Sawako?" said Inuko.

"Mugi, Yui." said Sawako, her eyes now scanning the left side of the couch. "The four of you are the key to getting our club big, understand?"

"Um, I think I know what you're getting at, Ms. Sawako…" Azusa raised her hand, a faint look of worry about her. "...But could you please explain further?"

"Well…" Sawako grinned in a way that cast elongated shadows. She looked like a villain explaining her master plan to one of her henchmen in a B Movie. "...It's quite the lucky break that four of you were able to find love through this little club of ours."

"That's no one else's business but mine and Yui's, thank you!" I said, twirling my finger with a no-doubt angry look on my face.

"Wait, let's hear her out, Le-Le!" Yui said, grabbing my shoulders and giving me a shake. Even despite my objections, I shouldn't be surprised by Yui right now. Or it's perhaps because of my objections that she does what she does.

"Hm-hm!" Sawako giggled with sternness, as if to say Yui's word was final. She was right, but my face couldn't hide how much of a pain I thought—she knew—that she was being right now. "In essence, my idea is that we'll take our two pairs of lovebirds and turn it into the club's image. What better way to grow big than to exploit the youth's want for companionship?"

"If not for the fact that you kind of have a point, I'd say you sound incredibly pathetic right now." I said.

"Don't I, though?" she said with glee, leaving me unsure of what part she was responding to. "We'll rebrand the whole club… Just think about it!"

Sawako scooched over to Ritsu—whom I would assume was the easiest to appeal to—grabbing her shoulder and waving her hand across the air as if flying an imaginary banner. "Join our club of sweethearts, and…"

Ritsu's yellow-brown eyes glistened as her face grinned uncontrollably, fully taken in by Sawako's spell. "...you just might find one of your own!" said Ritsu, finishing Sawako's thoughts point-for-point.

"Oooh, Ritsu!" Sawako said, rubbing her face against Ritsu's like a proud mother coddling their favorite child. "Poor though your grades may be, you always get it!"

Mio, Azusa, and myself gave a defeated sigh. We were outnumbered 3 to 4, and thus, our plan was set in motion the following day.

…

Sakuragaoka's library was a place I seldom visited. The stringent, quiet air of its calm walls and the many places there were to sit made for an inviting atmosphere. Although Sakuragaoka was not a prestigious or expensive school, the resources and books it had on offer were nigh uncountable. Row after row, shelf after shelf of books went on as far as the eye can see, it's a wonder that nobody manages to ever get lost in this place. Manga, westerns, romance, research papers, historical documents, you name it… it had it all. For someone like me, it was perfect… Too perfect, even. I think the reason I never came here was because my expectations would have been set too high, should those expectations be dashed aside, well, I might not ever recover from that. My world would be clouded by a far worse cynicism than the cloud I was covered in when I first moved to Japan, and who could blame me?

Despite that, the black-haired girl I followed behind moved throughout the library as if she was a supercomputer that was neatly browsing through files on its hard drive. Mio's steps were as graceful and poised as ever, but I just know her unseen face was giddy like a small child. Few things Mio loved more than reading, anyone who knows her knew that for a fact. Be it in the clubroom, waiting at the bus station, during study hours, and so on, her nose was always in the spine of a book. You wouldn't really expect that from someone like her either, huh? On the surface, Mio is no-nonsense and easygoing, not really the type you would imagine would have such an active imagination—

"Here we are!" said Mio, bringing us to a bookshelf that was apparently our goal. She looked like an enthusiastic tour guide with the way her hands glazed over the many different materials that stuffed the shelves. Scanning the area around us, I failed to notice what was so special about where we arrived. Even amidst the other students that dotted the halls between bookshelves, it looked the same as everywhere else to me. How does no one manage to get lost here? Is there some kind of unspoken buddy system in place?

"Ah, right…"

I suppose I should explain what Mio and I are even doing here in the first place. Sawako's scheming lit the whole classroom on fire… despite the protests of myself, Azusa, and Mio. I don't mind club expansion by itself, but the idea of me and Yui's relationship being used for marketing feels kinda gross to me, y'know? And Inuko's my kouhai, so it's only natural that I look out for his and Mugi's wellbeing too. But nobody listened to us, and we were soon put to work in putting Sawako's plan into motion.

One after another, Mio stacked book after heavy book into my arms. I know I'm the guy, so it's only natural for me to do heavy lifting, but man… "Tell me why we're here again? Why'd we even listen to them?" I said, barely able to get out sentences with the uneasy strain in my arms.

"You're dating Yui, Leo." said Mio, stacking yet another textbook on top of the pile. It felt like the microscopic tissues that kept my body together threatened to tear. "You can't really complain about playing babysitter again. Besides, Azusa 'll be helping us from the sidelines too, so we're not completely out of luck."

"Wait a sec, I don't babysit— Erm…" Okay, Yui is kind of a big handful, actually. "Well, even if I do…! I have my reasons for looking out for everyone the way I normally do!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Mio said coyly, stacking yet another book into my arms. I couldn't see her face behind all the books I was holding, but I bet she looked smug. "Maybe that's how you hide how much of a deviant you can be."

"Now wait just a minute…! Me and Yui only…!" amidst my protests, my arms shook and the books I was holding wobbled like a stack of poorly made pancakes. "That was one time, y'know!"

"I was only joking— Wait, what?" said Mio, whom I assume was giving a blank stare.

"Er, nothing at all!" I said, my flushed face poking out from the pile of books that now toppled down onto the floor. "Help me out here, will you?"

Pushing her clear want for an answer aside, Mio strode over to me and took a third of the books I held. A small number in the long run, but it helped a great deal in ensuring that my arms wouldn't be crushed beneath the weight of literature. We took to a table in the far corner of the library, away from all the noise that came from being in its busier sectors. Students were all too eager to break the 'be quiet' policy that every library strictly enforced.

Mio promptly laid out the books, turning to pages that I didn't care to look over—I probably couldn't read much of it with so much kanji anyway. Judging from the occasional pictures and graphs I saw, I could only assume they were books made to teach people how to market and talk business. Boring.

"You seem oddly into this." I said, catching sight of Mio's smile as she waded through the pages of a particularly heavy book. "I mean, I know you're a bookworm, but I thought you didn't have a whole lot of patience for Ritsu's shenanigans."

Mio gave me a split-second glance, as if surprised but unbothered at what I said. "I guess it is a bit new for me, huh? But if it's for the good of the club, then I suppose I can play along and make sure things at least go smoothly."

"Awfully pragmatic of you."

"What's your excuse, then?"

"Um…" I could only look away, trying to keep my demeanor as the thought of Yui crying because of me teared away at my composure. "Yui would probably get gloomy if I didn't try and help out."

"...That's just like you." Mio laughed, eyeing me with a cool expression.

"It is not at all like me!" I protested, where did this girl even get that idea?

Mio crossed her arms and legs, giving me a smug look that was so stunningly confident that it almost felt like it belonged at the front of a magazine. As much as she might deny it, Ritsu's worse habits have definitely begun to rub off on her in more subtle ways. "Oh, yes it is, Leo Katnua! You can't deny it at all, you'd bend over backwards for that girl if she asked!"

My cheeks puffed up, holding back the outrageously loud scream I'd have otherwise let out. Where does this girl get off saying stuff like that? Grabbing one of the nearby books, I opened it up and let out a heaved, annoyed breath between its pages. My embarrassed face now safe from Mio's judging gaze, I spoke:

"...I just…I owe her sometimes, okay? That's all, really."

Mio cooed teasingly as she shuffled towards me. Peeling back the book, her gray eyes stared down at me and peered into my steadily hot face. Her eyebrows arched upwards, as if she was implicitly telling me that she found my emotional plight to be very cute. Who knew Mio could be so… predatory?

"You are just adorable, Leo." said Mio, who, just as quickly, strode back to her seat and left me with my much-needed breathing room.

Being called cute by the likes of Yui or Inuko is one thing, but I couldn't help but notice how much less… tense Mio was acting in general. She's a usually easygoing girl, but not one who was so quick to let her guard down either. She had an image she cared to keep, so her layers came out slowly rather than in droves.

"What the hell's gotten into you today?" I asked, now concerned that Mio was sick. "...You alright up there?"

"No, I was just thinking… It's pretty obvious why Yui fell for you." said Mio.

"Wha…?"

"Don't take it the wrong way." said Mio, waving me off as any potential concern was neither here nor there. "It's just… you and Yui have had me thinking a lot about the future… the long-term kind of thinking, you know?"

"What's got you so bothered…?"

"Well…" said Mio, shuffling her knees, her shy demeanor returning in a single wave. "You and Yui, Mugi and Inuko… you all have got me thinking about what I want to do with my life. It won't be long until we're seniors, in college, and then fully-fledged adults with jobs and responsibilities."

Mio paused for a moment, staring off wistfully in the folds of her books' pages, though it was clear she wasn't actually taking in its contents. I didn't know the future bothered Mio so much, someone as cool headed as her seemed like the type to have it all figured out.

"...Leo, are you gonna make a family with Yui someday?"

"You mean kids?" I asked, a warmth entering my chest at the sudden question. I found it hard to hold back a smile as Mio gave me one in return, as if she already knew my answer before she even asked. "...Well, I guess that depends on what Yui wants to do once we're older. I've certainly thought about it, but it all falls to her, really."

"I'm not asking what Yui wants, you know. What do you want to do in the future?" she continued, holding her chin expectantly.

I sighed, standing up as that warmth in my chest became white hot. I wanted to let out a scream so badly, but we're in a library, so it was more like a pained wailing I let out. "Okay, to be honest? I want at least four or five kids! Running around, spending the rest of my days with Yui as we raise a bunch of little tykes that look like us?! That's all a guy could ask for!"

Mio huffed with strange, almost motherly pride. As I expected, she knew what my answer was before I spoke. "Again, that's just like you. I'm kinda relieved you have such normal dreams."

"And why's that? You take me for some kind of weirdo?" I said, sitting down in my chair

"Sometimes," said Mio, completely avoiding my gaze.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just…" Mio stared at me with what could be presumed to be nostalgia, waving a hand and holding a book to keep her face hidden. "Actually, pop quiz time!"

Wait, what?

"Leo, what's today?" said Mio. "I'll be reeeeally disappointed if you get it wrong, you know!"

"Oh," I said, happy that she even remembered at all. Today is significant for both of us, after all. "It's September 6th, the anniversary of the day I first came here."

"Ding-ding-ding!" hummed Mio, tapping a finger against the book's spine to the rhythm of her breath. "I knew you wouldn't forget."

"How could I?" I said, a throbbing phantom pain in my knees. Distinctly recalling the day I at first arrived, I remembered the looks of girls who stared at me like I was some controversial museum piece. I also remember how loud it was, not to mention, kind of cold. It was nearly the start of autumn back then, as it is soon going to be again. Yet I wonder, why doesn't it seem as cold as before? As I asked myself and looked at the girl before me, the answer became clear.

"Y'know, I feel like I'm reiterating this a bunch, but I really was kind of a sad sack back then… I relied on other people a lot and never gave them the credit they deserved. If you hadn't reached out to me on that day, when I was so lost, I dunno what would have become of me."

Mio kept her face hidden behind her book, even though I'd already passed her test. Judging by the way her hips and hair seemed to sway like a metronome, and the way her hands seemed to shake just slightly, she was a little embarrassed by what I said.

"I… was just doing what I felt should have been done." she declared, in spite of her shaky voice. Lifting a foot, I locked on and focused on Mio's supple, clear-as-snow legs. Quickly, I determined that the back of her thighs would logically be where she felt most sensitive, so I took my foot there and jabbed my toe into it.

Mio erupted, dropping her book onto the floor as she rocketed from her seat with a yell so loud, I'm sure everyone in the school heard it. A black-haired silhouette shot past even the highest bookshelf for a split second, her whole body having turned into a beet red. As she crashed back into the couch, she didn't seem to make much noise. I sometimes forget that the girls don't actually weigh very much, despite having known them for so long.

"What's gotten into you, Leo?!" Mio said, visible tears streaming down her face as she had a blush stretched across her whole face.

I held up a finger, spotting all the details that made up Mio's face so I wouldn't soon forget them. The full-face blush, the way her pupils were like a child who couldn't sit still, the way her mouth went all wavy like a bad radio signal.

"...It's payback." I said. "And my way of saying thanks, for holding your hand out to me so long ago."

I've got a lot of blessings, and I'll make sure to count them each and every day.

Mio trembled, as if ready to erupt once more. Just as I was waiting for her to bounce up and down again, she instead let out a breath… calming down all at once. "Yeah, you're welcome. You've given me a lot, too, Leo."

I swear, I think I just heard her wrong. "...Huh?"

"...Oh, please. Don't act all cool, you know you mean a lot to me. Everyone else in the club thinks so, too."

"I know, I know. It feels like you guys are reminding me of that every day, now."

"Weren't you the one who called themselves a 'sad sack' earlier? We can't have you relapsing, now."

My mouth sputtered like a motor, I could only awkwardly turn away as she spat my words back at me.

…

After we (and by we, I mean Mio) collected the necessary documents, we left the library and decided to head back to the clubroom. As we stood in front of the door, muffled, yet undoubtedly excited words were being shouted on the other end. Mio and I exchanged fretful glances as we both likely imagined the same thing. With her and I gone, the only sensefully minded person in the room was Azusa, definitely not someone who could hold down the fort by her lonesome. As I gripped the door handle, we exchanged nods. I flew open the door and the light of the room enraptured us. Before I could let go of the handle, Mio and I let out breaths that sat somewhere between bafflement and being completely unsurprised.

In the room's center stood Inuko, with his shirt off. Ritsu and Yui were circling him, Ritsu's face jammed into the screen of her camera. He was flexing with his arms pumped upwards, like you'd see on an old marble statue of an Olympian. Judging by the smile on his face, he seemed to have consented to… whatever was going on here, and looked to be enjoying himself, too. That wasn't the surprising part, though… The real thing that caught me off guard was how built this guy was. Inuko was always abnormally strong to me, but the muscles that encased his deceptively light frame made him seem like he was expertly carved out of the finest stone. His abs looked so tight that I swear, you could probably grate cheese on them.

Mugi was also passed out on the floor, breathing like a dog that had come out for a run. Judging by her salacious smile, I guess the sight of Inuko was so stimulating that she couldn't take it for very long. There was no nosebleed, though, I guess that only happens on television after all. Azusa sat kneeled next to Mugi, using a paper fan to cool her off like she was trying to revive her.

"Oh!" Ritsu said, her camera resting on Mio. I couldn't see her eyes behind the camera, but I bet her pupils were probably replaced by dollar signs with the way she smiled at us. Yui followed behind, her hands resting on her cheeks as her eyes sparkled wondrously. Whatever dumb scheme Ritsu thought of, she got everybody onboard without much resistance.

"Leo, there you are!" Ritsu continued, slouching towards me as her finger writhed uncomfortably. Like a child who saw an especially nasty bug, I stepped back and kept her at arms' length. "Listen, we need—"

"Zip it." I silenced her. "Before that, what is this about?" I said, pointing to Inuko, still striking a variety of showy poses.

Ritsu passed the camera off to Yui, who wandered aimlessly around the club room with her face plastered into the camera screen. Huffing proudly, Ritsu smiled. "I came upon gold—that's what!"

"What crazy scheme are you thinking of?" said Mio, who was blushing, probably at the thought of doing some embarrassing action at Ritsu's behest.

"Oh, don't worry. You'll only have to sit back and watch." said Ritsu, earning a sigh of relief from Mio.

"Well, that's good to—"

"Leo, take your shirt off!"

"What." I said blankly, too frazzled by the request to make heads or tails of it.

"WHAT?!" I repeated, Mio joining in to create an unholy chorus of embarrassment.

Ritsu dashed towards me, eyes glistening like a hunter with prey in sight. Her hands reached for the flaps of my conveniently untucked shirt. I swatted her away, but her physique let her circle me instantly.

"Ack!" I let out, her hands latching onto the ends of my shirt like a child rubbing their sticky hands on good clothes.

"Up you go!" she said with weird enthusiasm, lifting my shirt up to my neck in a single upwards movement. My stomach and back shook uncontrollably as I shivered at the abrupt exposure to the elements. Yui squeed at the sight, though I couldn't see her face beyond the shirt still hung against my neck, I could still feel her encircling me. She's seen me without a shirt on before—we both played at the beach once, so why the surprise? Maybe it's the setting and mood.

"Ritsu!" Mio shouted, her voice high like the whine of boiled water in a teapot. I bet her face was probably beet red right now. "Show some decency, will you?!"

"Oh, you wanna take off your shirt, too?" Ritsu said with a teasing coo.

"T-That's not it at all! Think about how Leo might feel!"

For a moment, I could hear Ritsu's breath pause. My arms were still stuck in the air as I struggled to get my shirt back down. The one who lifted it off in my stead was Yui, twirling it mid-air like an incorrigible football fan. Maybe it was because Inuko was also standing there, shirtless and proud, but I was less embarrassed than I thought I would be. Annoyed? Certainly. But not embarrassed.

"Leo," said Ritsu, looking at me as if my shirtless state was neither here nor there to her. "You don't have much dignity to begin with, right?"

"You are so lucky that I don't hit girls." I said, perhaps too annoyed that her observation was completely correct.

"So, um…" said Azusa, still sitting on the floor and fanning Mugi as if trying to ignore what transpired. Though given the way she was sneaking glances at the two of us boys, she was probably more interested than she let on. "What exactly is happening here?"

"That's easy! Our shirtless man and a half here are gonna duke it out! What better way to have a contest of love than with two men beating the crap out of each other to prove they like their girlfriend more?" said Ritsu.

I felt a knot forming in my stomach at the prospect of hurting Inuko, much less deliberately doing so. "Have you lost your mind, Forehead? I'm not doing that!"

"Don't be a drama queen!" she replied, tapping my chest with the back of my hand. "You're not actually gonna fight, it'll all be staged—like wrestling!"

"Oh, that's…surprisingly reasonable, actually."

"Besides…" Ritsu took cursory glances at myself and Inuko, as if sizing us up. When her internal assessment looked to be finished, she shot me a smug look. "If you were to actually fight, he'd turn you into mashed potatoes."

Again, I was left too annoyed by her correct observation to object.

"So, you in or out?" asked Ritsu. Frankly, I'm surprised she's giving me a choice at all.

"In! In! In!" said Yui on repeat, still twirling my shirt around as her eyes sparkled. Ugh, who am I to take that excitement away from her?

I paced momentarily, as if contemplating an answer, even though I was never given much of a choice in the first place. My shirt's already gone, and I already look like a total dilweed. Might as well ride this out and see if this yields results.

"Fine," I said. "Let's make this quick."

Inuko smiled, planting his feet on the ground and delivering punches so swift and devastating that I could only catch a glimpse of the afterimages and trails of air left behind. Suddenly, I feared for my own safety. "Let us dance, senpai!"

"Um, Inuko…you know we're playing pretend, right? As in, we're just acting?"

"What do you mean? This IS pretend, senpai."

Oh, so this is where I'm gonna die, huh? It's earlier, a lot earlier, than I'd have preferred. But at least it's at the hands of someone I like.

"Hey, uh, Ritsu? Is it too late to back out—"

Before I could finish my sentence, the flashing red light of Ritsu's camcorder bore into my eyes, telling me that there was indeed no getting out of this.

"Inuko, go easy on him!" pleaded Azusa, clasping her hands, as if praying for the dead body that she already knows I'll become. "We don't need a body count of two today!"

Mugi, eyes still shut, laughed as her whole chest vibrated. It sounded more like chanting with spirits of those long past, but this school isn't haunted… Not yet, anyway.

Ritsu cleared her throat, her voice taking on the baritone that you'd hear the announcer of a fight club take. "Ladies and gentlemen of the wider world of Sakura Girls High, I'm your—"

"Time out." Mio said in deadpan, crossing her arms an x shape. "What about all the documents that Leo and I gathered? We did all that searching and researching for nothing?"

The arm that Ritsu used to hold her camera fell like a wet noodle, her face having the small frown of a child who just heard a fun fact that they couldn't care less about. "Hm? Oh, you can just forget about that. We won't be needing it."

Mio's arms went limp like wet noodles just the same, though she almost looked like she was on the verge of tears. Her big, gray eyes spoke less of the covergirl I saw earlier and more like someone who REALLY wanted to hold their parent's hand.

"Can we get back to the fightin' now?" said Yui.

"...I give up," said Mio, facepalming while shooing away our antics. "Do what you want. I don't care anymore."

"Then let us continue!" said Inuko, making a taunting gesture with his hand. He looked like a fighting game character, a top tier, at that.

Inuko practically threw his whole body on me, I could barely keep up with his shadow. He looked like a bear scooping an unknowing fish out of a river as I only barely managed to grapple onto his hands. Inuko was a little shorter than me, yet his weight was immense. Slowly, the ends of my shoes grinded against the floorboards as he steadily gained ground against me.

"Sparks fly as the auras of our two young men come alive!" said Ritsu, waving around her camera like a wand.

"Aura…?" said Mio.

"I'm adding it in post," said Ritsu.

"Ah."

I grit my teeth as the weight of my opponent and the weight of realizing I was completely outmatched set in. Why did I agree to this, again? All eyes were on us, which only made me nervous and caused sweat to seep from my pores.

"Fight the good fight, Leo-senpai!" Azusa bumped her fists, joining arms with Yui.

"Le-Le! Show him your Raging Demon!"

Wait, what? When did Yui start playing—you know what? Never mind.

"What? I don't get a cheer?" Inuko looked at me kind of glumly, the way he was now crushing my hands told me he was actually jealous about it. I'd say it was kind of cute, if not for the sharp pain he suddenly sent throughout my body. I internalized that shock, so as to not let out an embarrassing scream, but I was left giving him a weird-looking face instead.

"Leo-senpai, do you know what Bajiquan is?" asked Inuko, with a horribly terrifying smile on his face.

"I've seen it in video games, it's where you—"

With a single vertical spinning motion, I was suddenly airborne as my body spun in place. It was like a wild whirlwind had swept me off my feet and promised to take me out of Kansas. As my body spun, everyone looked at me with their mouths agape… and I could only wonder why they were standing from the ceiling.

"The finishing blow!"

I hardly had time to process Inuko's movements as a Bajiquan-style shoulder bash smashed into me. None of my bones were broken… hopefully, at least, but I was like a bowling ball knocked into an alleyway consisting of the classroom's furniture as pins. Everything hurt all over, and before I knew it, my vision went out like a light.

…

I awoke to the stench of sharp, sterile stench of medicine, my eyes could only barely adjust to the figures that stood above me in the comfy bed I lay in. Eyep, I'm in the infirmary… Again. I swear, high school girls (and Inuko) oughta come with a label for how dangerous they can be. As my sight adjusted, the vaguely colorful figures came into focus. The entire club, minus Sawako, all stood above me with worry on their faces. In particular, Inuko and Yui looked kinda pale.

"So, um…" I stood upright, everyone around me going agasp. It was only then that I noticed my arms and my forehead covered in some bandages. The bandage work was rudimentary, though not sloppy… Maybe Yui's gotten better at this? Maybe it was someone else? "How long was I out for?"

"'Bout ten minutes or so." Ritsu said, with her usual air of casualness.

"That right? Maybe my body's gotten sterner with all the beatings I've been taking since I met you guys."

Before I could speak again, the sound of sniffling filled the cold air. Yui was crying, of course she was… I've gotten used to her worrying about me, especially with my poor luck, but it's a little bit embarrassing when she does it in front of other people.

"Le-Le…" she said, wiping her eyes.

"Hey, look…" I pulled her hand onto my head. A phantom pain cut through my body for a moment, but I pretended not to notice. If there's one person in the world that I want to worry less, it's Yui. "I'm fine, you see? You patched me up, so I'm all better now."

"But Inuko, he…"

At the sound of his own name being called, a jolt of electricity looked like it shot through Inuko as he suddenly stood in attention. Sweat poured down on him, his eyes jittery as his mouth shook just as much.

"I'm sorry, senpai! I'm really, really sorry!" he bowed, yelling like mad. "When I hit you like that… I didn't expect you to be so light! Really, I mean it!"

He brought himself nearer, grabbing my other arm and balling up my hand, gesturing me to sock him in the face. "I know," he said. "Why don't you take one free hit on me so we're even? Okay?! Okay?!"

"Inuko, I don't think that's necessary…" said Mugi, her voice a little bit listless. I guess she hasn't fully recovered from whatever put her on the ground earlier.

"Honestly…" said Mio, sighing as she held back a migraine. "...Why can't this club just be normal for one day? What if we're not in shape for our next concert and we completely blow it?"

Yui hugged my hand as if it were a teddy bear, her tears subsiding as if they were never there to start with. "It'll be fine! We'll do what we always do!"

"Eat cake and drink tea all day?" said Azusa, her voice dripping with skepticism.

"Yep!" Yui chirped.

"Hoooo, senpai…"

"Leo-senpai, are you gonna punch me or not?" said Inuko.

"No! Of course not." I said, removing my hand from his grip.

"But I owe you!"

"If you wanna pay me back so badly, how about…" I looked around the room for a second, but my eyes were naturally drawn to Yui, as always. "How about you bring in that fancy French chocolate cake you and Mugi were going on about? Bring one for the club and one just for Yui and me."

"...Is that all?" Inuko relaxed somewhat.

"That's all."

"Okay, consider it done! I'll bring the best stuff they have!"

As Yui's cheers about the cake filled the room, another day passed and I'd somehow earned a set of bruises along the way. Mio, if you hadn't reached out to me on that day, I wouldn't be able to join in this laughter as I get to right now. Thanks to you, I've got more friends than I'm even able to keep pace with, and the one person I want to spend my life with. Just the same, I hope we get to watch each other grow as we take our respective paths in life.

Afterword

Hello, it's been some time, hasn't it? A lot's happened since the release of the last chapter, and I can't really promise a consistent upload schedule anymore because of that. Between professional reviews, school, and my original writing, I've been hard pressed to find the time to write for this as I once did. Couple that with nasty writer's block that I'm now more or less over, and this resulted in a very long gap between chapters. My apologies about that, and I do appreciate all the messages I've received asking if this will continue. Rest assured, the story is nowhere near over, and I will be sure to see it through to its proper end. I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be released, but the wait time will be far shorter than the one for this one.

Until next time, ciao! Nice to see you all again!