(Chapter 5)

(The booths are lined up at the school entrance. People are scattered and giving printouts. It’s the usual day where clubs are out at the school grounds for recruitment. One of the booths are the Occult club’s.)

The day of the challenge!

“Come to our clubroom! We have freebies!!”

“The computer society will provide you as much as we can with your thirst for technology!”

“Will you join the scientist club?”

“Hey you got a good build, want to join the body building club?”

“Hey do you want to be popular?”

(Scenes where all sorts of club members are shouting.)

“Come to our clubroom!! Please come to our clubroom!!” -Ozzy

“We’re the occult club, please pay our clubroom a visit sometimes. Thank you.” -Ryuuji

“Uuu... We-we’re the-the o-o-occult... If you’re interested....” –Shiori.

“Phew Ozz-senpai. At this rate we won’t be able to get new members!”-Ryuuji.

“Where has that brat(Chieri) been? She’s supposed to help us here too.”-Shiori

“’I take pride as a warrior and will oversee this challenge’ is what she said and is sitting over there. She did not sign the probational member form yet so our current count is actually 4.” –Ozzy

“What?!!”

“We need to use that* senpai, if we really need to recruit members.”

“Hmp! The time is too early to be using out our trump card.”

“That... huh”

(A flashback scene at the clubroom. The day of their planning.)

“Just give me a theme senpai, you can count me on styling Mae-senpai up and making the recruitment a success.”

“I really think we should consider using our country’s folklore for this event.”

“Uhm... Ozzy-senpai, before considering that, may I ask why are we using a mascot at the first place?”

“It’s not mascot my little Mae-chan. You will represent us as the symbol of the club. Also, Occult Club won’t be an occult club without something so occult-ish”

“Oh god... My life is ruined.”

“Mae-chaaaaan... I’m sorry I can’t protect you from them... Uwaaah”

“It’s fine Shiori-chan. Besides, This is for our peace here at the club.”

“Mae-chaaaan!!”

“So senpai! I say we should bring out Mae-senpai as soon as the campaigning starts.”

“You fool!”

“Eh?!”

“Let’s say you can style, yes! But this is a whole day of campaigning we are talking about.”

“You can’t mean!!”

“Yes you are too naive Ryuuji-kun! Imagine the stress little Mae-chan would be getting if she is to spend all day wearing it!”

“Oh my god! I failed you Mae-senpai!! I’m so sorry!!”

“Somehow I really feel like both of you are enjoying the topic.”

Slam!!

(Chieri arrives. She threw her bag at the couch and lay her body in a lazy position while checking her phone.)

“Sweet little top 5 contender is here!”

“You’re late!” -Shiori

“Eeh, I’m pretty sure I’m not a club member yet.”

“Grrr!!”

“It’s fine, It’s fine little Shiori-chan, after this it will be her decision if she will follow Ryuuji here.”

(They continued their discussion.)

“So Ozzy-senpai, let’s say that we will start the campaign without the mascot, won’t it take a lot of time preparing once we decided to bring her out.”

“Hey newbie, I really feel insulted that you addressed me as a mascot.”

“Oops! I’m sorry Mae-senpai!! I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry! Please take my life awai I have failed you!!”

“Wha—Ryuuji!!” –Chieri

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just kidding... But really, don’t do it again.” (Sinister mode Mae)

“Don’t worry I’ve came up with a solution.” –Ozzy breaks the silence.

“Ozzy-senpai. Because of your chuuni-mode it’s really hard to accept that you are pretty much reliable.”

“How rude.”

“So, let’s hear your backup plan.”

(Mae pov)

(Back to present, a huge tent was standing at the back of the occult club’s booth.)

“I really can’t believe Ozzy-senpai have rented this huge tent.”-Mae, now at her yuki-onna mode.

“The president of this club is a good leader. The appearance and the way he acts just doesn’t fit with how reliable he is.” –Chieri

“So, Amatsuki-san—”

“Chieri, you can call me by my first name.”

“Ch-Chieri-chan then...”

“No need to act so formal. You’re someone my dear Ryuuji approved. I don’t want him to see me bitching you.”

“Somehow that sentence is not really reassuring.”

“I really wonder what Ryuuji saw in you...”

“I really wonder too~~”

“...really makes me feel jealously sick.”

“...”

“I promised him...”

Ah, her feelings for Ryuuji are genuine.

It’s not like she’s trying to hide it, but looking at her make faces like these...

“Ryuuji, despite his persistently annoying attitude—”

“Hey!”

“—I really think he’s a good person.”

(Chieri’s expression became painful, looking at Mae.)

“You...” –Chieri murmurs.

“Anyways... You really won’t try to help outside?”

“I’m telling you, I’m not a member of occult club. I just let you guys borrow Ryuuji for a while.”

“It might not really be a good introduction of us to you guys, but...”

(Flashes scenes outside where Ozzy, Shiori and Ryuuji are handing out flyers of the club. Then shifts back to Mae.)

(Full page transition to Mae’s beatutiful yuki-onna face.)

“...They are good people. It’s one of the main reasons why I wanted to preserve the club, and accepted this request once.”

(Chieri’s expression lightened up when she saw Mae. Chieri grinned)

“Let’s see you climb your way up the rankings and battle me. It won’t be an easy ride... Will never be as easy as you think.”

“Ah, no no... I really have no intention of joining the Takane no Hana battles.”

“This is not about what you will decide. You have entered Ryuuji’s life. More like he forcibly entered you in it.”

“What do you...”

“You will know soon enough.”

(flashes silhouette of 4 persons on a page, then 5 at the next one.)

(Chieri stood up, approached Mae, and handed a piece of paper.)

“For starters, let me give this to you, it might be late, but let me help the club on this event.”

(The club entry form signed by Chieri)

“Oh don’t get me wrong. This is the top 5 ranker giving you a warning.”

“Eh?”

“I will invade your daily peaceful life. I will invade it to the point that you will have no choice but to draw yourself in the popularity rankings, just to get your daily peaceful life back.”

“Eh?!”

“Just kidding~~”

(Chieri went out the tent. Mae can hear Shiori and the others greeting Chieri outside as she looked at the paper she handed to her.)

“Chieri-chan...”

“I guess it is time. Little Ryuuji-kun, fetch the Yuuki-onna”

(Ozzy’s deep voice echoed through the area. All the activities have halted and the attention focused on the occult club.)

“I introduce to you, this is one of the official activities of the occult club, so feel free to visit us anytime!”

(Everyone, at that time, looked at what came out of the tent.)

(Full page)

(Whispering everywhere:

‘who is she?’

‘So pretty.’

‘Who is she amongst the top 10?’

‘Is there someone from the occult club that belonged to the top 10?’

‘There’s a rumored one, but as far as I know they don’t have one’

‘Eeh? Who, as pretty as that, wanted to associate with the unpopular occult club?’

whispering, whispers everywhere.)

This is so annoyingly embarrassing…

(a small flashback from before the campaign started, at the tent.)

“Don’t worry Mae-senpai, we won’t reveal your identity to the masses, not yet.”

“Little Ryuuji here is right. This is a trial-run so you can still go back to your daily peaceful life if things go south.”

Even if they say that…

With this mass, what if someone recognizes me…

(Shiori approached her and whispered.)

“Just act normal, Mae-chan, trust in our bottom hundreds rank.”

“Right.”

(Mae walked near Ozzy as he continues his speech on the crowd.)

This… this nostalgic feeling.

I was supposed to live the whole three years of my life in peace.

Being in this situation, seeing myself looking like this, looking at the reaction of those seeing me…

I don’t know anymore.

I want to take a rest and leave this problem to tomorrow’s me.

For now, I just need to act like indicated on the script.

(Mae looked at the people surrounding them. The boys are mesmerized, the girls can’t stop gossiping.)

This feeling… Not good… I might get used to this…

At this point I didn’t know yet what is about to come.

The things that are about to change me.

And me, falling in love.

(A figure of a girl is watching from the window at the third floor. Inside the room, three other shadows can be seen.)

“So she’s the one Ryuuji’s talking all over.”

“What are you gonna do now, miss ‘Takane no Hana?’”

“I say we should observe her for a while.”

(A student info sheet is laid at the table, with Mae’s info in it.)

“The occult club is full of surprises. Who knew they have been housing a hidden potential among the bottom rankers”

“That Chieri is already making a move. Cocky little brat. Just because she claimed the top 5 spot she got ahead of herself and is making moves already.”

“It’s not like that. She’s just really head over heels on my cute little brother.”

“Cute little brother, huh?”

“Heh, you’re having fun too much. Remember that I will be the only one to steal the ‘Takane no Hana’ title from you, Shirogane, Ria.”

A new development! Shirogane, Ria enters the story!

>>>

“Somehow it really feels like a Shounen at this development.” Said Ingrid as they continue to read the draft.

“Yea I noticed it while shadowing the characters at the room. Only Ria’s character appeared. And what’s with the sudden other three members of the top 5? They aren’t introduced at the character background yet?” added Ara as she scratches her head

“That I haven’t looked onto yet. I should be able to introduce them at volume two or later on, but as of now, I just introduced only the mains and main supports, so I think it would be fine to leave them in the shadows.” Answered the unsure Fred.

“But it really looks so shounen!”

“A—Anyways! It’s the last chapter. Let’s wrap things up for the day.”

“Puhaaaah!! This beer really tastes great! You have a great stock at you’re fridge. Who owns this?”

“Ah that’s mine,” Answered Ingid.

The three except Kyrie finally noticed the existence of the well-built man sitting with them while reading the draft.

“OLD MAN!!!” shouted the three.

“Come on, that’s not nice, it’s like seeing a ghost or something.”

“When did you??” Asked Fred.

“Since chapter three? Kyrie let me in, I kept knocking. The way you guys are so focused reading when I entered really gave me the mood to drink beer.”

“Us focused on reading and you drinking beer are two different things! You can’t do that old man!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll give you my honest feedback on the draft once you have finished it.”

“That doesn’t really sound convincing, coming from an old drunk editor.”

Whack!

A harisen hit Fred.

“Where did you even get that? Kyrieee!!”

“I’m your editor, so if I tell you I’ll give you feedback I’ll be giving you one.”

The mood got serious in an instant.

“Hmp~ okay okay. You may continue now.”

>>>