Part 3
When class finally ended, Touma and Hina left the room at the same time, exchanging tired glances after surviving Professor Gen's painfully dull lecture.
—That teacher is a walking sedative... —Hina murmured, gently rubbing her eyes.
—Yeah, I have no idea how someone like him teaches at a top-tier school like Seisen —Touma replied, genuinely curious.
Hina let out a deep sigh, but her expression quickly shifted to excitement as she suddenly remembered something. She turned to Touma with a radiant smile, holding up a document in her hands.
—I almost forgot! I need to turn in the club application ASAP. Wanna come with me, Touma?
Touma watched her for a moment, then shrugged with a faint smile on his lips.
—After that class, I need something to wake me up a little. Let's go.
And with that, the two of them headed toward the administrative office, officially kicking off the peculiar "Literature and Film Club."
As they walked through the Seisen corridors, Jake and Akari caught up to them from behind.
—Hey! Where are you two rushing off to? —Jake asked, hands casually behind his head.
Hina proudly held up the signed document.
—We're registering our new club: the Literature and Film Club!
Akari's eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
—Ooh, that sounds fun! Can I join too?
Hina's smile froze instantly.
—Ah, well... you see, it's really not a very exciting club, Akari. You'd probably get bored.
—Really? But it sounds like a great way to hang out after class... —Akari replied innocently.
Jake laughed and slapped Touma on the back.
—Sounds good to me, bro! Private club for movies and chilling? Count me in!
Hina's expression went from frozen to utterly horrified in less than a second.
—Uh—wait a second... that's not exactly what I had in mind...!
Touma tried to stifle his laughter as Hina, clearly defeated, let out a long, dramatic sigh.
—I think your secret plans just went up in flames, Hina —Touma whispered, amused.
She shot him a look of mock frustration.
—Shut up, Touma. This is all your fault.
As they bickered playfully, they finally arrived at the administrative office. After a brief wait, Hina emerged victorious, holding up a slightly rusted key.
—We got it! Our very own clubroom —she said with a triumphant smile, trying to hide her mild disappointment that the club wouldn't be so private anymore.
When they reached the assigned room, they discovered it was one of the oldest in the entire school—no trace of modern tech in sight. There were old, mismatched furniture pieces, dusty books, and a television that probably hadn't been turned on in years.
Jake let out a low whistle.
—Now this is seriously retro.
Akari curiously examined the ancient VHS player.
—So... how exactly are we going to watch movies here? Does anyone even own a VHS tape?
Hina collapsed into a worn-out chair, completely defeated.
—I can't believe this... My perfect plan...
Touma couldn't hold in his laughter anymore, leaning on an old desk.
—Admit it. This is exactly what we needed—a place no sane person would willingly join. Maybe you'll get your privacy back after all, Hina.
She blinked in surprise for a moment, then gave a small, accepting smile.
—Looking at it that way... maybe it's not so bad.
Jake was examining a stack of old VHS tapes with fascinated eyes.
—Check this out, man. This stuff belongs in a museum! Looks like this place is a hidden treasure trove!
Akari sat down excitedly in front of the TV.
—Then let's put on a movie! Right now!
Touma glanced at Hina, who sighed and finally shrugged.
—You know what, Touma? I think we just made a terrible mistake...
—Probably —he replied with a grin—. But at least it'll be fun.
Ellie spoke softly through his glasses, her tone playful:
—It seems your quiet and private club has turned into something completely different, Touma-sama. You should learn to manage your expectations better.
Touma let out a quiet sigh, wearing a resigned smile.
—Thanks for the advice, Ellie... though it's a bit late now.
As he spoke, Hina was inspecting the furniture with an evaluating expression. After a moment, she left the room and came back with a broom, a couple of cloths, and some cleaning supplies.
—First things first —she said with determination, handing the broom to Touma—. We need to clean this place. Looks like it hasn't been touched in months.
Touma stared at the broom with a mix of resignation and irritation.
—Wasn't this supposed to be a literature and film club? When did it turn into the cleaning club?
Ignoring him completely, Hina marched over to the window and threw it open.
Immediately, a cloud of dust burst into the room, enveloping them in a storm of sneezing and coughing.
—Great... this is going to be harder than I thought —Touma muttered, waving his shirt to shake off the dust.
Recovering quickly, Hina looked at Akari and Jake, who were watching the scene with a mix of amusement and discomfort.
—Akari, Jake, since you two are the strongest ones here... why don't you go get some snacks and drinks to celebrate our grand opening? I don't think cleaning is really your thing...
Akari crossed her arms with a slight pout.
—Hmph, how rude. Just because I'm strong doesn't mean I can't clean properly... even if you're kinda right. But not because I'm strong!
Jake, on the other hand, grinned with satisfaction.
—Come on, Akari, this'll be fun. Plus, we get to choose all the food.
—Oh, you're right! Leave it to us! —Akari exclaimed with excitement as the two of them left like scheming partners.
As the door closed behind them, Touma crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Hina.
—I bet you're going to regret that...
Hina, however, smiled calmly.
—Well, at least we've got a little quality time for now.
Touma blinked, surprised at how natural that sounded. Hina simply kept cleaning like it was nothing, but he couldn't help noticing the peaceful look on her face.
Ellie chimed in again through the Astra Lens with her trademark teasing tone.
—Touma-sama, should I record this as an "indirect date"?
Touma sighed with a faint smile, finally taking the broom.
—Ellie... shut up and help me sweep.
Just then, the wooden door slid open gently, and both of them turned at the same time toward the sound.
—Is this the Literature and Film Club? —asked Shizuki in her flawless British accent.
Hina stiffened instantly and, without even thinking, muttered under her breath:
—Oh great, the homewrecker cat...
Touma pretended not to hear that comment as Shizuki entered the room, wearing her usual calm expression.
—How did you find out so fast? I submitted the application barely two hours ago —asked Hina, frowning.
Unfazed, Shizuki tapped her bracelet, projecting a hologram with the official announcement of the club's creation.
—This is Seisen. Information uploads within seconds... But setting that aside— —she paused briefly and placed a document on the table—. I'd like to register as a club member.
Hina didn't take even a second to respond:
—Rejected!
Touma blinked in surprise.
—Come on, you didn't even read her application...
Hina thought about it for a second, took the paper with clear reluctance, glanced at it with zero interest, then turned back to Shizuki with a defiant expression.
—You're right... —she made a dramatic pause—. Rejected.
Shizuki remained silent for a moment before giving Touma a serious look.
—So that's how it is... What do you think, Touma?
A chill ran down his spine as he felt Hina's gaze sharpen like a blade.
—Uh... well... I... I think you should join. I don't see any problem...
The temperature in the room seemed to drop as Hina glared daggers at him. Touma swallowed hard.
—See? I knew you'd agree —Shizuki said calmly, stepping further into the room—. Besides, according to club regulation Article 5, funding is required for official operations. And judging by the state of these chairs... —she said, brushing her hand over a dusty sofa—. I'd say you need someone with money and taste.
—That won't be a problem —Hina said with arms crossed—. We're currently refurbishing the place. As for funding, we'll manage...
Shizuki took a step closer, stopping right in front of Hina in a slightly challenging tone.
—That may be so... but according to Article 9, if a student applies and is rejected, the refusal must be justified before the student council... or the club may be dissolved.
Hina's face went a little pale.
—W-What!? I didn't know that...!
Touma let out a sigh and, with a resigned smile, took Shizuki's application.
—As we were saying... welcome to the club.
Shizuki gave a calm nod, casually dusted off a sofa with a flick of her wrist, and sat down to read her book with the same elegance she'd walked in with.
Hina, wearing an expression of utter defeat, slumped into one of the chairs.
—My sanctuary... my peace... gone...
Ellie chimed in through Touma's Astra Lens in her usual teasing tone.
—Touma-sama, I have logged this event as "Hina's strategic defeat." Shall I add it to a list of future incidents?
Touma had to bite his lip to keep from laughing.
—No, Ellie... I think that's enough for today...
And just like that, with a devastating blow to Hina's master plan, the Literature and Film Club had officially gained a new, elegant member...
The chaos had only just begun.