3.1

Clearing her throat, Hiratsuka-sensei began to speak, " Yukinoshita, I've got a new member for your club." As soon as those words were uttered, she was gone.

Aren't you at least supposed to stay here longer than a minute?

"Amane Amamiya, Class 2-F", I said, introducing myself. It appeared that I had grown at least some control of my nerves over the past week. Had I joined the club back then, I would have been in deep water.

Being completely honest, I wasn't too particularly bothered by Hikigaya's presence. Time heals all wounds, and much of the previous embarrassment that I felt towards him had faded. Only a remaining sense of awkwardness was left between us …

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of Yukinoshita. Hearing so many tales from Masako and her gossip circle, I couldn't help but be filled with images of her supposed cold fury and scorn. It probably didn't help that I had just seen those very same images in person recently.

Just when my unease was beginning to show, Yuigahama promptly spoke up. "Amamiya-san, right? I'm Yui Yuigahama! I'm so excited to have another member in the service club, especially another person from my class, y'know," she chirped excitedly.

What was with this overly kind attitude? Masako was never this nice!

As soon as Yuighama finished speaking, Yukinoshita proudly followed afterward.

"Welcome to the Service Club. I'm the President, Yukino Yukinosita from class 2-J, and this thing here is Hachiman Hikigaya.", she said with an air of authority, glaring at the male student to her right. Were the two not on friendly terms?

Shortly after Yukinoshita spoke, Hikigaya let out a heavy sigh.

"Can't you at least recognize me as a human?" he asked, clearly resigned. Looking closely at his figure, he appeared to be quite dejected. Not that I blamed him. If I were a boy and the prettiest girl in school didn't even recognize me as a human being, my mood would be pretty down.

"Amazing … with all your faults, you still consider yourself human. I find it incredibly odd that a supposedly self-aware person like yourself would not view himself as a mere bug."

"Perhaps you simply lack the comprehension to distinguish what is human, Yukipedia-san? " Hikigaya sneered back, before muttering quietly, "Ice cold Btich."

… It was almost as if I were invisible.

Before Yukinoshita could respond, Yuigahama nervously intervened, "Yukinon, Hikki, shouldn't you guys umm… tell Amamiya-san what to do? She's just standing there, listening to you guys argue."

Thank you, Yuigahama.

Coughing lightly to cover her embarrassment, Yukinoshita muttered a few words of thanks, before turning to face me. "My apologies, Amamiya-san, it seems like I lost my composure for a moment. Hikifroggy-kun can be quite the handful. It's really too bad we can't call an exterminator. If you would please take a seat next to Yuigahama-san, the front part of the desk is reserved for clients. "

As she spoke, I could help but admire her beautiful features up close. Upon viewing them up close, I now understood why many of the female students hated or viewed Yukinoshita with disdain. Dark raven hair, piercing blue eyes, flawless pale skin, and rosy red lips, Yukinoshita, was by far the most attractive girl in the school. The fact that she was consistently first in academics as well, really contributed to her overall image as the perfect girl. One couldn't help but feel hopelessly inferior to her.

"Uhh …," I dumbly said, still mesmerized by Yukinoshita's beauty. Damn it! I was a girl who liked boys! Even if I did appreciate Yukinoshita's looks, that didn't mean I felt any physical attraction to her.

"You need not worry, Amamiya-san. While I'm aware that Hikigaya possesses the look of a sexual predator, rest assured I'm capable of defending you and Yuigahama-san from his lustful urges." Yukinoshita stated reassuringly, somehow misinterpreting my hesitation.

Hearing these words, I couldn't help but wonder if Hikigaya had previously tried to assault her. Though it seemed unlikely, given the fact he seemed to loathe human contact and interaction, for a brief second I felt some concern.I was expected to be pure before marriage after all.

"It's okay," I respond, quickly taking a seat. Finding myself between Yuigahama and Hikigaya, I breathed a sigh of relief. In all honesty, sitting next to Yukinoshita would by far be the scariest seating arrangement in the room. God knows how Yuigahama befriended her.

As I sat in my seat, I began to observe my surroundings. Desks, chairs, and tables were all sprawled across the room, giving it a cluttered and rather dirtied appearance. Besides the one table used by the club, another lay adjacent to Yukinoshita, topped with what I could only assume were her books.

Plagued by the anxiety most would typically experience in new situations, I nervously fidgeted in my seat for a few moments. To my surprise, none of the members of the club paid mind in response to my presence. Yukinoshita and Hikigaya continued to read their respective books, while Yuigahama played with her phone, letting out the occasional laugh.

Maybe I really was invisible.

Before I could celebrate my newfound discovery however, Yukinoshita spoke up.

"Amamiya-san you seemed quite bothered by something. Is it Hikigaya-kun or do you wish to ask a question?" she said in a clearly annoyed tone, putting down her book. Not only was my invisibility apparently nonexistent, I had annoyed Yukinoshita.

The sight of her vexed face was seriously frightening.

"I was just wondering what exactly are we doing here. When you and Yuigahama-san mentioned this was a Service Club, I thought we would be doing active volunteering duties. I umm … didn't … expect … us to be so idle." Uttering those words, I felt the temperature of the room drop drastically. Haah ... me and my stupid mouth.

I had just stepped into a landmine and any future move would trigger the minefield.

As I was about to prepare for my journey to the afterlife, Hikigaya let out a small chuckle. "She has a good point, Yukinoshita-san. We really aren't doing anything other than playing around most of the time," he said wryly.

Can you not speak? You're going to make this worse.

And with Hikigaya's statement, the room temperature dropped once more. The only difference however, were the sub-zero readings. Seriously ... I was already shivering in both fear and dread for the upcoming conflict.

Even Yuigahama had noticed, looking up from her phone and staring at Yukinoshita nervously.

After what seemed like hours of unpalatable tension, Yukinoshita finally responded, glowering at Hikigaya as she began to speak. "Hikigaya-kun, I assumed that even a lower life form like yourself was capable of basic etiquette. Are you so hopelessly unaware, to think you can interject into another person's conversation?"

If looks could kill, Hikigaya would have been dead ten times over.

Hearing her icy tone, Hikigaya immediately cowered, shrinking from her verbal lashing. It seemed like he had more to say, but was paralyzed.I felt sort of sorry for him. Even from an outside perspective, the sight was terrifying.

Turning back to face me, Yukinoshita icily replied, "Amamiya-san, our goal in the service club is to help the student body with their requests. If they do not wish to take the initiative to ask for our help, then we are not obliged to help them." Her face was marred with clear irritation and it was as if her tone was daring me to challenge her answer.

Thankfully, I had a good sense of self preservation instilled into me. Needless to say, I wasn't going to say anything potentially offensive to Yukinoshita for the foreseeable future.

Soon after Yukinoshita had finished speaking, much of the oppressive atmosphere dissipated. Unfortunately, much did not mean all, and tension still remained in the clubroom. Wanting to distract my mind, I rummaged through my student bag hoping to find something to do.

To my luck, I spotted some school work assignments, and promptly placed them on the table where I began to fill them out. And so homework completion became my main activity within the Service Club, an organization which was supposedly dedicated to some sort of community service.

Wasn't what I was doing right now, exactly what I did at home? At least at home I didn't feel so uncomfortable.

Lamenting my situation, I was snapped back into attention by the sound of the second school bell chiming. With the end of club hours, both Hikigaya and I hurriedly rushed to the door, while Yuigahama began to talk to Yukinoshita. Apparently Hikigaya and I both came to the same conclusion, "Get out of this hell as soon as possible."

It was nice to know I wasn't the only one who felt this way towards the club.

Thus, my first club meeting of the school year ended with sizable regret.

...

3.2

An overwhelming feeling of melancholy washed through me as I trudged my way towards the Service Club the next afternoon. To be completely honest, the idea of ditching club and going straight home was a promising one. However, against my better judgement, I chose to ignore the idea.

It seemed that some lingering hope of the club being halfway decent remained.

Who was I kidding? The so-called "Service Club" I had joined seemed like a total scam. Excluding the fact the president seemed to be the type of person who would have a future career in interrogation, the only activities the club had done so far were things students would do in their free period. Although Yukinoshita stated the club intended to help those who personally came and asked for assistance, I really couldn't see anyone coming for a while.

Not that I blame them. Even if I was going to die, I would hesitate asking for her assistance.

Nearing the club room, I saw Hikigaya only a few meters away from my position. Walking quickly to catch up with him, I uttered a simple "Hello" once I was by his side. It would be nice to get closer to Hikigaya. After all Yukinoshita was unapproachable, while Yuigahama's extroverted personality didn't mesh well with my own. I wanted to have good relations with at least one person in the club, so as to at least make its atmosphere feel a little more welcoming ...

Thus Hikigaya was logically the best choice. His personality as a quiet loner, was quite compatible with my less than sociable attitude. We didn't need to have long conversations about gossip and drama, or talk about our hobbies, all that was required was a comfortable mutual silence and understanding. On another note, getting rid of the remaining awkwardness between us would also be nice.

Hearing my greeting, Hikigaya's eyes widened a bit. Clearly, he was surprised by my initiative to go out and talk to him. Well, it did make sense. Thanks to his less than reputable image, few if any people approached Hikigaya, and outside of the club, no girl would talk to him willingly. It would probably be safe to say that I was one of the few girls in his high school life who actually bothered to greet him.

"Yo" Hikigaya responded warily, continuing on. Based on his eyes darting back and forth as we walked together, he appeared to be observing my body language, looking for any hidden intent or meaning behind my actions.

We continued to walk for a few minutes, Hikigaya's observation soon ceasing. As we walked in tandem towards the club (hell), a comfortable silence emerged.

After what seemed like hours, the two of us had finally reached the club room. To my surprise both Yukinoshita and Yuigahama appeared to be right outside the door, anxiously looking through its window. The two of them wore rather intrigued yet horrified faces as they continued to peer into the room. Had some rat or mouse gotten inside?

"What are you guys doing?" Hikigaya asked.

As the two heard his words, both jumped up in surprise, Yuigahama letting out a small shirek. What could they have seen that was so attention inducing? Were rats really that interesting?

Although Yukinoshita gave a stern glare towards him, Hikigaya, not taking heed in the slightest, proceeded to enter the club room.

Going inside, we all were greeted with the sight of flying paper sheets, scattering through the whole classroom. In the middle of this flurry of papers stood a rather chubby male, wearing an oversized trench coat, laughing maniacally.

Wasn't the temperature today like 31 °C?

Turning to face us, the mysterious man wearing a trench coat began to speak. "Ku ku ku … it has been near millennia since we last met ... Hachiman!" he yelled excitedly, making weird hand gestures. Hikigaya was acquainted with this person?

"What do you want, Zaimokuza?" an obviously exasperated Hikigaya responded.

"Hikigaya-kun, do you know this person?" Yukinoshita's question mirrored exactly my own. It seemed like the two were rather familiar, based on Zaimokuza's use of Hikigaya's first name. Out of all the people to possibly be friends with, was Hikigaya truly friends with this sort of person?

"No way. And even if I did, I would never admit it." Hikigaya responded quickly, before muttering, "We may have been assigned partners in gym," the last part sounding downcast.

As Hikigaya spoke, he had a sad solemn face. Seeing such a sad sight, I couldn't help but feel a sliver of pity. Still, was this Zaimokuza person really that bad? All he had done was speak flamboyantly in an archaic manner befitting of the Heian period. True, the second-hand embarrassment was pretty bad, but I'm certain that there were worse things out there at the end of the day.

"Ho ho ho, you are indeed correct Hachiman, we have stormed and persevered through countless trials and tribulations in the despicable hell we call Gym. The two of us are sworn comrades, blood brothers dedicated to the conquest of paradise in this depraved forsaken world!"

As Zaimokuza continued to babble on, a growing sense of familiarity crept into me. I could swear I was familiar with his speech pattern, almost frighteningly so.

After giving up on trying to recall where I had previously heard this way of speaking, I lifted my head back from my contemplation. It seemed like Hikgaya was explaining something to both Yukinoshita and Yuigahama.

"This is just a case of Chuunibyou."

Wait! What did he just say?

As I heard Hikigaya utter the term Chuunibyou, a sense of familiarity washed over me. Chuunibyou ... I certainly had heard that word before, oftentimes I would hear it whenever I used to pick up my brother from school. Many of the other middle schoolers would point at me and say in hushed tones, "Look it's that Chuunibyou's sister … woah, she's actually pretty hot!"

It was seriously disgusting being ogled by my brother's peers. On a different note, everytime I went to pick him up they had referred to him by that strange term.

"Chuunibyou?" It seemed that my fellow female clubmates were apparently oblivious to the phrase.

I answered harshly, "It's basically a term to describe a person who acts out the role of a certain, usually a supernatural character. However, whereas an actor would only act his or her role while they are being filmed, a chuunibyou enacts his own fantasies almost 24/7. You could basically call them delusional people with a mental illness." Though I love my little brother, it can be safely said that I heavily dislike this so-called chuunibyou aspect of him.

In response to my statement, both Zaimokuza and Hikigaya cringed in mock pain while Yukinoshita nodded in understanding. Yuigahama, however, still seemed to be a little bit confused. Was my explanation that bad? Also why was Hikigaya seemingly in pain at my explanation?

Truthfully, I really didn't know the definition exactly. I had just described my brother's behavior and my feelings regarding it.

"I see …" Yukinoshita muttered, before turning around to address Zaimokuza who immediately cowered in fear. "You wish us to cure you of this affliction, right?"

"Uhh … not exactly." Zaimokuza timidly answered, turning around to face Hikigaya while he did so.

Was he completely unaware of the slight committed right now? Even from my limited interaction with her, it was clear to me that Yukinoshita was not the type of person who took disrespect in any form kindly.

Before any of us could warn Zaimokuza, it was already too late. Yukinoshita leveled a serious glare, and the room went still with tension.

"Please look at a person in the face when you are talking to them. It's terribly rude to do so otherwise." She spoke with a faux smile. It was pretty clear that there was no pleasantness behind her gesture.

Immediately, Zaimokuza let out a soft whimper. Trembling with fear and struggling with all his might, he managed to face Yukinoshita, quivering as he did so. Watching, I couldn't help but take pity on such a sad sight.

Suddenly Hikigaya spoke up, holding one of the previously fluttering papers in his hands. "Is this a draft for a novel?" he questioned.

With those words, Zaimokuza lit up, his previously gloom instantly dissipating. "Yes, that is indeed a draft of my latest work. I plan to have it debut at a novel competition for new writers. Unfortunately I have no friends, thus there is no one to review my work. This Blademaster General humbly requests that this club review my intricately crafted masterpiece."

After hearing all that, I want to cry for Zaimokuza's sake. Also, if those papers are part of your draft, why did you throw them all around the room?

"Can't you ask people online to critique your work?" Hikigaya asked.

"No, those people are too harsh. I would die from their criticism."

So many flags were raised in that response …

And so club ended with each member bringing home some 300-400 page manuscripts which we would all read during the night. As I lugged the heavy stack of papers home, I really wondered how Zaimokuza had that much paper and ink to waste. His printer must have gone through a beating. Poor thing.

A few hours later, in the comfort of my room, I sat at my personal desk. Since coming home, I had lazed around for quite a few hours, the time currently reaching midnight. Unfortunately, lazing around did not include reading Zaimokuza's monster of a novel, and so, the pile of papers remained unreached, giving off foreboding vibes. Letting out a small sigh, I grabbed them, feeling an ever increasing pit in my stomach as I turned to the first page and began to read.

The wind blew quietly in the quiet small city of Yawata. It was the cover of night as a mysterious shadowy figure emerged from the shadows, the nearby shadows warping around his shadowy body. 'He is here' the figure thought as it moved at lightning quick speeds throughout the nearby houses. 'Where is the reincarnation of the Toyotomi Hideyoshi?' the shadow thought thoughtfully.

Suddenly, the ground began to quake, quaking like an earthquake. Then suddenly a shimmering light shimmered through the pitch darkness, its shimmer causing light. As the light neared, a saint-like figure emerged. Donning a heavy scowl, he began to yell at the shadow.

"Begone thou evil one" for the Flying Flame Exorcist Organization will protect this precious soul. The Takihara Institute is not welcome here! With those words uttered, a growing beam of intense blue light appeared, lighting up the whole neighborhood. It was only because of the protective spell, "Shimmering light shield", that the residents were not woken up. Bracing his feet, the saint-like figure began to charge. And so thus began an ordinary night in the ordinary city of Yawata. The battle is one of many spectacular sites.

As I read the first page, I was in complete catatonic shock. Never before had I read anything that terrible. Besides the repetitive word usage, the use of wrong words,and the somehow already confusing plot, the novel was just pure garbage.

Faced with the choice of reading another couple hundred pages of this or going straight to sleep, I took the obvious choice. I stood up from my chair and began making preparations to go to bed.

Despite my resolution to go straight to sleep, I still had to find some way to finish my assigned task. I couldn't simply go to club tomorrow and face Yukinoshita empty-handed. As I pondered a way to finish the task, the sudden sound of rummaging came from downstairs.

Leaving my room to see what the commotion was, I was greeted with the sight of a pale,black haired, dark eyed, teenager clad in only boxers trying to make some instant ramen. It was really a sad sight, fitting for some middle aged man down on his luck, not a third-year middle school student.

"Masumi, you do realize it's nearly midnight?" I questioned my little brother. Was he planning on staying up to greet our parents? Interactions between them had been somewhat frosty for a couple of years now ...

"Onee-chan, I'm famished after a hard day of work."

I watched as he went on with his task, pouring boiling water into the ramen cup before dumping in some sort of powder. Ick, who knew that a dish whose only flavor was extreme saltiness would find any patrons. While I watched, a brilliant idea suddenly came into mind.

"Masumi, come to my room. I have a favor to ask." I called out to him, as soon as he had finished making his cup.

Following my call, he shuffled upstairs, stopping at my doorway before giving me a small glare. Was he irritated at me for some reason?

"Onee -chan, what is it? My time as an exorcist is precious. I've already placed multiple barriers and seals around your room to ward off evil spirits." he said, pointing to the various scribbled on post-it notes stuck across my bedroom. Was he aware that most of them just looked like some preschooler's doodles?

Sometimes I forget that he's an honors student.

As I lamented my brother's fate, he immediately began to rub his hands in excitement.

"Fu Fu Fu, I see now. This is merely a test of my merit to vanquish demons and cleanse their foul impulses! Fear not Onee-chan,I shall emerge victorious. I'm an advanced cultivator from the Tang Sect after all!"

I know you are just acting out a role, but why am I the only family member you act this way in front of?

At this point, my tolerance levels were becoming exceedingly low. Hurriedly taking action before I lost my patience, I grabbed the piles of sheets and quickly handed it over to him.

"This is a draft for a novel from one of my classmates. I want you to read this and write down your critique on a piece of paper. After you are finished you will leave that sheet on the kitchen table by tomorrow."

"Haha, surely you jest, Onee-chan. I'm an advanced cultivator who can't spare trivialities such minor tasks. It would be unbecoming of me."

This was bad. Luckily, I had one final bargaining chip left.

"There might be some content and techniques inside you can rip off for your fantasy."

Minutes later, I lay in my bed enjoying its comfort and warmth. Did I feel a little bit guilty outsourcing work to my own brother who would probably stay up all night reading? Maybe. Were the results worth it in my mind? Absolutely.

3.3

The next day was a bright one, full of sunny blue skies and a nice breeze. Thanks to my little brother's previous generosity, I had gotten a decent sleep the night before. As I approached the club, the outline of Hikigaya and Yuigahama became visible, both of whom seemed to be in conversation.

When I was only a few meters away, I could hear their voices.

"I'm totes sleepy from reading, Hikki. In fact, I might just fall asleep right nowwww."

So Yuigahama also didn't read Zaimokuza's novel.

Despite this reassurance that I wasn't the only one who skipped out on the assignment, I couldn't help but feel a little bit guilty. Looking at Hikigaya's tired and baggy eyes, it was clear that he had spent the whole night reading. The fact that he slept through most of the day's classes only added additional confirmation.

Upon noticing me, Yuigahama perked up, letting out a small smile.

"Yahallo Amamiya! You look well rested."

Was she trying to bait me in saying I didn't read that mess of a novel too?

"Yeah, I read the novel as soon as I got home. Speed reading is one of my specialties."

Sorry Yuigahama, I'm not willing to expose myself for your sake.

Proudly, I took out the piece of paper my little brother had written his critique on, my chest swelling with pride. Looking more closely, I realized it was completely filled front and back with his handwriting. Did I accidentally take his homework assignment?

Seeing my review, Hikigaya slightly widened his eyes. Clearing his throat, he began to speak. "Amamiya-san, may I take a look at your paper?"

Handing it over to him, Hikigaya keenly scanned through it, his eyes scrunched over like a nearsighted old man. Combined with his hunched posture, he really looked like an old person from afar. Quickly reading through the contents, Hikigaya let out a small snort of amusement before handing the paper back to me. It would seem that he was most likely aware of my work's true nature.

Hopefully Yukinoshita wouldn't be as perceptive.

Grabbing back my "review," Hikigaya proceeded to go ahead while Yuigahama stayed behind. Looking at me expectantly, it appeared that she wanted to talk.

"Amamiya, how are you liking the club?"

"It's fine, a little different, but overall fun." Like hell it was. However, in the interest of being courteous, I had decided to completely disguise my feelings.

"I know, right?! Club is totes fun… like both Hikki and Yukinon are always so vocal and arguing. It's, like, so hilarious!"

"Heh heh … I guess so." Did you completely forget about what happened two days ago?

"I know Yukinon can be really harsh but deep down she's really nice. She looks out for me and we always eat lunch together in the clubroom. Hey, I got a great idea! Maybe you can join us, and then we can have some lunchtime girl talk, y'know."

"I'll see what I can do."

Disregarding the fact Yukinoshtia doesn't seem to be the type of person to engage in girl talk, I'm seriously doubting your sanity right now. Also, aside from you, I really don't think Yukinoshita is nice to anyone.

By the time we had finished our short exchange, the two of us had reached the classroom. Zaimokuza and the others were already present, and it appeared that our group review was about to start.

Taking my seat, I noticed that Zaimokuza seemed livier than usual. His eyes glistened in anticipation, and his chest was puffed up arrogantly. Aside from all that, his body seemed to quiver with excitement and vigor. It was going to be a sad sight to see this proud figure reduced to a mess once reality reached him.

Once we were ready to start, Yukinoshita began to speak.

"Please forgive me, I'm struggling a bit to express in words what I feel towards this narrative." As she started to speak, Zaimokuza somehow looked even more ecstatic, shaking in joy.

"I understand. Even one such as I have difficulties putting to words my thoughts on exquisitely crafted masterpieces. This humble one most graciously requests that you try your most diligently. After all, he is most eager to hear opinions from the common folk."

Oh, Zaimokuza, you have no idea.

"It was completely horrible. In fact, I believe it was the worst thing I have ever read. Even now, I still feel pangs of regret from reading it."

"Argh!" Zaimokuza shrieked like a banshee, clutching his chest in pain. Ten seconds of criticism apparently were enough to bring his defenses down. "May you please elaborate on what you found so horrendous," he managed to croak out weakly.

"The grammar and word usage were completely atrocious. Why did you use the same word repetitively within the same sentences? Also, in many of the chapters, the verb tenses were completely messed up. Isn't that basic Japanese?"

"I did that to create an intricate writing style that would help the readers become better immersed into the storyline. An unique custom created writing style would help convey the core emotions and themes better!"

"If that's the case, then your attempts were clearly in vain. After reading this, I'm certain that no one will ever be able to understand your narrative. In addition, the names and techniques you included are too long and meticulous to keep up with. Being completely honest, I think you should focus on getting your Japanese to at least middle school level first."

"Arghhhhhhhhh!"

Crying in pain once more, Zaimokuza's body began to convulse wildly, and his head drooped onto his shoulder. He looked completely comatose and a step away from death.

It would be best if I Interjected right now.

"Let's just move on, Yukinoshita-san. Perhaps Zaimokuza-kun would be more receptive if he got feedback from a different perspective."

I would have been seriously worried for Zaimokuza's health had Yukinoshita continued her verbal onslaught.

"Very well. I suppose Yuigahama-san is next then."

Didn't she skip out on reading? Though I supposed she could just come up with something on the spot.

Yuigahama, seeing Zaimokuza's saddened face and hopeful eyes, held an expression of pity on her face. Putting her hand to her chin, she thought heavily for a few seconds before lighting up.

"Your vocabulary is very good!"

"Ufghhh"

At this point, I felt extremely sympathetic to Zaimokuza who tragically had suffered blow after blow. As I continued to send him a look of pity, I couldn't help but think, "Would Masumi turn out this way?"

No. It was impossible. While both of them were chuunibyou, that was where the comparison ended. My little brother still possessed some level of self- awareness and rational thought, right?

"Uhhh … Hikki, it's your turn now."

With Yuigahama's announcement, Zaimokuza sat up straight in his chair, leaning forward in anticipation as he gripped his knees intensely. Did he expect Hikigaya to give a good review?

In response to Zaimokuza's face of hope, Hikigaya let out a small consoling smile. At the end of the day, it seemed that the two were comrades in arms after all.

While I was getting teary eyed at such a heartwarming sight, Hikigaya took a deep breath before speaking.

"Which series did you rip off?"

"Offghhhh …"

What a grave mistake I made.

With those words, Zaimokuza effectively passed out, whimpering softly. He looked similar to a baby who had not been fed.

"Don't worry! Amamiya hasn't gone yet." Yuigahama tried to comfort him. She was a kind soul, too kind perhaps.

Taking out my brother's paper, I began to read the contents.

"The story was a masterfully crafted balance between intriguing characters and fast-paced action plots."

As expected, only another chuunibyou would like this.

Hearing my first statement, Zaimokuza sat straight with attention, his eyes glistening with excitement. The other members of the club all had different reactions, however. Hikigaya looked amused, Yukinoshita confused, and Yuigahama relieved.

"The author begins his narrative in a consistent manner, using vivid imagery to describe various settings and characters. It is through an unique writing style that the narrative is elaborately woven, its action filled plot conveyed to readers in smooth fashion."

All things aside, there was a plot to that thing?

By now Zaimokuza was beaming, his head nodding in assent as I read. However, before I could continue my review, Yukinoshita cut in with her icy tone.

"Hold up Amamiya-san, it's clear that the review you are reading is clearly not yours. I expect you to explain yourself lest you wish to receive severe repercussions."

For a second I considered telling the truth. At the end of the day, the worst that could happen would be my expulsion from the Service Club. Though that really didn't sound like a punishment. Still, it was best to be on amicable terms with Yukinoshita and so I began the process of covering my tracks.

"Heh heh heh … yeah … I thought that Zaimokuza-kun would appreciate more input so I asked my little brother to write down his thoughts. I'll move on to my own." I quickly said.

"I find it hard to believe that the two of you finished the reading the whole draft in one night. Didn't you take home one copy? Assuming that the fact that reading something of that size usually takes 4-5 hours, are you suggesting that you each read that thing for 5 hours straight with no interruptions like finishing classwork or dinner?"

"Eh ...I ... I ... read it aloud to him and he took notes while I was doing so."

To my luck, Yukinoshita seemed to believe my lie and gave me a small nod to continue. It was now time to make a book review fast from the one page of content I had read.

In the end, I decided give a generic critical statement. There was no sure way it was going to be applicable, but judging from Yukinoshita's less than stellar review, I was pretty confident any sort of criticism could be applied to Zaimokuza's writing.

"Well, the story's plot was incomprehensive and convoluted. It was hard to follow and at times didn't make sense."

"Hghhhh," Zaimokuza was officially down for the count.

Was I really that harsh compared to the others?

A few minutes and breathing exercises later, he had managed to regain enough strength to stand up. He looked like a traumatized animal who had been chased viciously for hours by a pack of hungry wolves. Nervously, he began to speak.

"Will you … read my work again?"

Hearing those words, I was stunned. I had expected Zaimokuza to throw a tantrum or at the very least ignore our criticism. Was he fully aware of what he was saying?

"Are you a complete masochist?" Yuigahama exclaimed, giving Zaimokuza a death glare. If she didn't already view him as scum, she certainly did now.

Coughing lightly into his hands, Hikigaya began to speak. He seemed to have reached an epiphany of sorts.

"Do you really want us to read your work even after all that criticism?"

"Of course, though the criticism was harsh, I still felt happy somehow. It was nice to have someone take the time to review my work. Although I know I'm unpopular and have no friends, I'm happy that other people treat my work seriously. To have my work recognized and acknowledged is good … even if it's in the form of criticism.

"Sure, I'll read it." Hikigaya agreed.

Zaimokuza let out a small smile as he heard those words. It was a genuine smile, real and full of passion, not like the ones he often wore when talking about his fantasies.

Watching him depart, I felt quite guilty recalling Zaimokuza's words of all the time and effort (maybe) he put, I didn't bother returning the same courtesy.

Letting out a sigh, I called out to the departing chuunibyou figure.

"Zaimokuza-kun, the next time you bring your novel here, I'll definitely read it too!"

Hearing my words, Zaimokuza turned around to face me, shock apparent on his face. Then, as quickly as that expression appeared, it faded as Zaimokuza began making some strange Taichi-esque pose.

"This Blademaster General offers his thanks, fair lady. In return for your kind gesture, thou shall become inspiration for a future character."

And just like that I'm feeling major regrets.

A/N: And that concludes Chapter 3. Speaking honestly, this chapter was a lot harder to write than the previous ones. Writing dialogue really isn't my strong suit so it has been quite hard. Anyways, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter.

On a different note, regarding the future changes to the plot, expect them to occur later down the line. At the moment, I'm thinking of using the original situations as a way to build some character development for Amamiya and help tie her with the rest of the cast. Lastly it would be prudent of me to say that Chapter 4 will probably take a longer time than usual. I'm still not used to writing dialogue-heavy scenes so it probably would take some time to write. Also after this release, I'll probably take a few days off from writing.