The classroom was buzzing with excitement. The end of the lesson signified something even more important—the day for students to choose their clubs. The teacher walked up and down the aisles, handing out forms to every student, each one designed to sign up for a club they wished to join.
Izumi, holding his form, stared down at it. He had no clue what to pick. He wasn't particularly passionate about any of the options. Sports? He wasn't interested. Music? Not really his thing. But then, his eyes landed on something that caught his attention: Anime Club. He hesitated for a moment, unsure if it was the right choice for him. But before he could decide, a familiar voice interrupted him.
"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Marina asked, stepping up beside him.
Izumi looked over at her, a bit surprised. "Well, I'm not sure what to pick yet," he admitted, scratching his head. "None of these clubs really... grab me."
Marina grinned, her eyes twinkling. "Anime Club sounds like a perfect fit for you. You love anime, right?"
Izumi shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I do. But I'm not sure if I should just... join a club for the sake of it."
Marina smirked. "Come on, Izumi. You can't let me join all by myself. Besides, it'll be fun."
Izumi let out a sigh, still unsure. "You really want me to join?"
"Yes," Marina said confidently. "It's a no-brainer."
Izumi looked at the paper again and then back at Marina, who was giving him that encouraging smile. He sighed again, but this time with a smile of his own. "Alright. I'll join."
Meanwhile, across the classroom, Yaki had his own mission. She was dragging Anzu toward the teacher's desk, holding the form to join the Cooking Club.
"Come on, Anzu. It'll be fun! Trust me!" Yaki said excitedly as she tugged Anzu's arm.
Anzu groaned, clearly annoyed. "Yaki, I'm not joining the Cooking Club. Why would I? I don't know how to cook!"
"You don't have to know," Yaki insisted, her face full of determination. "Besides, Yuki's joining. You can't leave your girlfriend to suffer all alone!"
Anzu rolled his eyes. "You're the worst. I don't want to cook!"
But Yaki wasn't listening. She practically shoved Anzu's form into the teacher's hand and, without giving him a chance to protest, forced him to sign up.
"Yaki, you're insane," Anzu muttered under his breath, but deep down, he knew Yaki would never let this go.
After a bit of paperwork and some minor drama in their respective classrooms, Izumi and Marina found themselves standing outside the Anime Club room. The door was already ajar, and the sounds of excited voices and laughter drifted out. They exchanged a look before stepping inside.
A girl with bright eyes and a dramatic flair greeted them almost immediately.
"Welcome! Welcome to the Anime Club! The haven for ALL anime lovers!" she exclaimed, nearly knocking a stack of manga off a nearby table as she rushed toward them. She was wearing a long cape, which seemed a bit out of place for a regular school day. "I am Niko, the president of this glorious club! It's an honor to have you both here!"
Izumi blinked at her overly dramatic introduction. "Uh, thanks?"
Marina smiled, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We're looking forward to it."
Niko clapped her hands together. "Excellent! I can already tell this is going to be amazing! Now, onto business. I've got something special prepared for you two."
She immediately handed them both a piece of paper with a sketch of a cosplay costume on it. "For the upcoming Anime Cosplay Event—you two are going to be the stars! Marina, you'll be Chidori from Full Metal Panic, and Izumi, you'll be Saito from The Sacred Blacksmith!"
Izumi's eyes widened. "Uh, I'm supposed to wear a uniform? I'm not sure if I can pull that off..."
Niko's eyes lit up. "Of course, you can! You've got that mysterious aura that Saito has! You're perfect for it!"
Marina, meanwhile, was already looking at her Chidori costume with interest. "I've never really cosplayed before... but this looks fun!"
Izumi looked at the two of them—Niko, the overly dramatic anime club president, and Marina, who already seemed like a natural at cosplaying. Despite his doubts, he smiled. "Alright, let's do this."
Just as Niko handed them the last of the materials for the cosplay event, she suddenly stopped herself. "Oh! How rude of me! I didn't even introduce myself properly!"
Izumi raised an eyebrow. "You didn't?"
"I'm Niko! The anime goddess of this club, and your future cosplay partner! Now, let's get started on these costumes!"
The rest of the club buzzed around them, helping with costume adjustments and talking about upcoming events. As the afternoon passed, Izumi and Marina spent hours trying on their costumes and tweaking them. They were becoming more and more excited as the event drew closer.
Later, as the club members chatted and prepared for the big event, Niko quietly pulled out a small notebook from her bag and began scribbling down something.
"Let's see..." she mumbled to herself, tapping her pen against the notebook. "This might be good for my next anime project... but maybe I'll save it for later."
Her eyes flicked to Izumi and Marina, who were helping each other adjust their costumes, laughing together. Something seemed to stir in her heart. "Maybe... this could be an interesting dynamic," she thought, her pen moving across the page faster now.
She smiled to herself, secretly excited about the upcoming event—but also the secret project she was planning. "This is going to be perfect..."
The days leading up to the event were filled with anticipation. Izumi, despite his initial doubts, was growing excited about the cosplay contest. Marina, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled. She couldn't wait to show off her Chidori costume.
"I'm so pumped for this," Marina said, holding up a part of her costume. "I never thought I'd get into this, but it's way more fun than I expected!"
Izumi, now more comfortable in his own costume, smiled. "Yeah, I guess it's pretty fun. Even if I still feel kind of ridiculous in this uniform."
Marina laughed, and Niko quickly chimed in, practically skipping over to them. "You both look amazing! You're going to make the whole school jealous with your costumes. This cosplay event is going to be legendary!"
Izumi and Marina exchanged a look and then laughed together, feeling more at ease with the whole situation.
on the other side of the school, Anzu and Yuki had just arrived at their own club—the Cooking Club. Anzu's expression said it all—he was not happy to be here. "Why did I agree to this again?" he muttered under his breath, staring at the apron-clad members working diligently at the counters.
Yuki, on the other hand, seemed genuinely excited. "You agreed to it because I asked you," she reminded him, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Besides, I need help, and you owe me."
Anzu sighed. "You know I'm not good at this stuff, right?"
Yuki grinned. "It'll be fine. You'll get the hang of it. Plus, it's not like you can say no to me."
Before Anzu could protest further, the Cooking Club President—a hyperactive girl with a chef's hat too big for her head—rushed over to them. "WELCOME, NEW MEMBERS!" she bellowed, startling both of them.
Anzu took a step back, clearly intimidated by the energy of the club. "Uh... hey there."
Yuki, however, was already excited. "What are we making today?"
The president pointed dramatically to a giant whiteboard filled with recipes. "Today, we'll be making the ultimate ramen challenge! Whoever can make the best ramen will become the Cooking Club Champion!"
Anzu groaned inwardly, but Yuki was already pulling him to the kitchen counter, determined to have him help. "You're gonna do great. Trust me."
"Right," Anzu muttered, trying not to look at the pile of ingredients. "This is gonna be a disaster."