"Spring had come… The trees that lined the side of the path to the school were in full bloom. The fresh scent of flowers, butterflies, and the first batch of crops ready for harvest- the atmosphere was perfect.

Beautiful even. Is what you're thinking in that protagonist syndrome affected brain of your's aren't you? Maooo~" Yuuno was very happy this morning. Having become a year worth stronger than before in one day.

"Quiet, wench. I never once thought that. Plus I hate butterflies. They fly around like they're having a seizure. There at a spot one second and the next, they're somewhere completely different. No pattern whatsoever. Disgusting things."

"Didn't you do that too? All those years ago." Huh? "You know when you teleported around." She whispered.

"Shhhhh-!" What if someone heard her?!

Well, they wouldn't believe her. But still!

"Can you two stop fighting for one second? I'm tryna have some tea in here!" The old man complained while flipping through his newspaper while sitting on the couch.

Let me reiterate. He did not use modern lenses as we do. Or phones like Dad does. He was still stuck on newspapers.

Ancient.

"What are you on about gramps? We are getting along just fine. Just like yesterday, when Mao slept on my lap." Yuuno was not affectionate. Or trying to tease me. She was just smug. Really damn smug.

It was vexing.

"It was a mistake!" Not to mention one that happened because of her! "It wasn't like I enjoyed it? It felt like lying on a mound of fish bones!" I told her the truth outright!

"Yeah yeah whatever you say Maooo-kuuun." Her smugness didn't budge.

"Urghhhh!" This was gonna be a chore. "Bye folks, I'm leaving!" I didn't know how to refer to the two of them collectively even after the while we spent together.

Were they like my grandparents? Well, Baa-chan treated me like her grandson. JiiJii was a grumpy grandpa in a way too.

But 'bye grandparents' didn't roll off the tongue quite as well as 'bye folks' did. Today, though, I was referring to Yuuno and Luha as well, while I left. I was angry this morning, exclusively at Yuuno.

I essentially ran away from the conflict caused by that kid's smugness, but the conflict- Yuuno followed me.

Behind us, Luha also trodded along. "By grama grampa!" Well, she had her relationship with the elderly couple figured out.

We jogged along the path. I tried to avoid Yuuno, but that was physically impossible; she could probably run to the school and back 7 times before we even got there.

I had to deal with that pest for the entire walk.

A path covered by cherry blossom on either side. We approached the school.

So cliche.

###

"It is April already!" Our class teacher announced. Yes, the one with a large stature and long black hair. Her. "Do you know what that means?" No, I did not know what that meant. "It means that it's club joining time!"

Wut?

A wave of mutters started circulating around the class.

"Yes, clubs. The gathering you see outside practice stuff or build stuff. Those clubs. After school ends, you will head down and pick which club to join. They should have their flyers up on the bulletin by today."

The reality of the situation dawned on me.

'Clubs? God damn it!' I couldn't have been more distraught. It was like my world crumbled apart. I definitely under no circumstances wanted to be part of the cool club thing I saw in all the school anime that I watched. That would be soooo boring. Yes.

I just wanted to be part of the going home club~

Wow, it really was such a shame that I had to join a club.

'A heads up would have been real helpful in this situation, Yuuno!' I couldn't even look spitefully at her cuz we were in separate years and not in the same class. What a shame indeed~

"Which club are you picking Mao-kun?" Luha asked from the desk over.

"Which club do you think I'll go for? Of course, I'm picking the going home cl-"

"Before anyone has any stupid ideas like joining the Going Home Club, I'll tell you that clubs are compulsory."

HECK YEAH!- I MEAN CRAP! That is so sad! What should I do now? Looks like I have to join a club. This sucks soo much! The cool and indifferent me forced to join a club.

What can I do I really wanted to go home and waste the rest of my day away~ But it seemed that I had to find my calling while enjoying what everyone called youth.

Anyway, should I join a sports one or a cultural one? Art may be good too. A decent change of pace.

"Luha… which club are you joining?" I enquired. She looked sure.

"I was thinking the mech club. I heard about it from a senior near my district." District probably being the land her family looked after.

But wait… There was something as cool as the mech club?! That was perfect. There's no way I'm not smart enough for making mechs.

We could probably even have mech battles. Or build mechs powered by a motor which don't work on the first day of trial. Maybe JAXA would step in too.

This was great!

I mean... mech club? Sounds like such a choreee... But I don't have a choice so I might as well join it~

"I'll join that too then-" Just as I was about to say that-

"Ah, Asama-kun… You'll be in the volunteering club." The large woman up at the front said.

"Nooowww what?!" I turned around exasperated. ME? NOT JOIN THE MECH CLUB? Blasphemy!

Sure I didn't know that it existed two seconds ago, but I was really pumped up just now!

"The P.E. teacher called a bid on you yesterday so, you're his." P.E tea- ah JIIJII THAT GEEZER!

"WHYYY!!!"

What was I? A slave?!

"Do I have to join that?" I complained.

"If you want to maintain your grades." Wow, I was really getting dragged through the mud just for some stupid sports grades?

I didn't care about them all too much but it was a matter of pride.

I really wanted to swear then and there. It took everything I had to stop myself from saying inappropriate by children standards.

PE was a class we didn't usually have and even if we did the teacher was some muscular 40-year-old man. That old artefact of a human was not even necessary to the school? Why did they keep him around? Moreover give him the ability to alter grades?

I hated this. I hated this so much.

But I had resigned to this bullying. No, since it was done by adults to a minor, this was child abuse.

I will tell on this town to Mom, Dad, Alez, and Hime-nee. They will take care of everyone here accordingly.

'Just you wait. You fossil.'

###

The school ended and the class dispersed.

I- too, reluctantly and with heavy steps, headed outside.

Right on the grass field, next to the tiny garden pit stood the perpetrator.

This was the first time I ever saw the old man inside the school premises.

"Why did you sign me up for this club?" The first thing I did when meeting him was whine.

"Well, since the tilling ended yesterday, and I knew you were free so I thought you could help us out." The geezer grinned. He was totally enjoying this.

"Just sign me off! I want to join the mech club."

"Mech club?… Oh, that ancient artefact! Don't worry about it, it's pretty bad." The kettle calls the pot black.

"Still!"

"Oh look! The others are here!" He expertly switched my attention.

I turned around and there were others there. A rather plump guy. A skinny guy. A guy that looked like he chewed rubber to get that jawline of his. And a girl you'd imagine picking apples up from the orchard. They were clearly not from the same school body let alone the year.

Two looked like middle schoolers, one looked like a junior high girl, and the jawline dude looked like he was 30.

"Introduce yourself to the kiddo here." JiiJii tapped his stick.

"Hi, I'm Pepe and this is my brother Popo. We are nobles from Sendai. 3rd-year middle school." The skinny guy pointed at the plump one.

"Heya~ I am Yuri. I like apples and anything farm. 2nd year Junior High." The girl who looked like she would wear suspenders said.

"I am Greg. Elementary 3rd year."

.

.

.

Wut?

"What year?"

"Third year."

"High school?"

"Elementary school."

With that chiselled jaw of his? He could probably chew through concrete if he wanted to. And he was 9?!

"Moving on!" The old man said. We were moving on already? This was a revelation in child morphology and anatomy!

"Let's start with today's first job!"