The next day came and classes ended early before lunch. Christian wasn’t in class due to the preparation for the event as well as Alessia running late again. I guess it’s going to be a big deal for the student council for a club to be a recruitment season.

After class, I went to the club room and Christian is carrying boxes, “Where’s Alessia?”

“Ah, she’s now at the gymnasium on our station.” Christian said while pointing the stack of boxes, “Help me carry out these boxes, they contain fliers from the other clubs.”

I went to the box and opened the box and there is a spectrum of colors and paper, I picked up a single flier and it has plastered text and images that I could barely read and think of a meaning. I read the flier and what I could understand,

“Hmm, that’s the art club,” Christian said while looking at the flier I was holding, though it spells out the art club, it is certainly painted out on my face with a rhapsody of colors and illustrations that looked abstract and barely understood by the common eye.

The artist’s eye and the common eye are two different worlds; the one sees and interprets anything they paint and draws while the latter get the message of the work in different ways. But apparently, I only understood what the creator of the flier tries to speak through this glossy paper.

‘Join our club now!’ was written all over the paper with some arts and illustrations as garnish and attention grabber of the piece of paper.

“I see,” I said as I return the flier on the line of fliers on the box.

I cannot interpret it more than an advertisement rather a piece of art that the art club vandalized on such an expensive glossy paper.

“There are a lot of them from different clubs, Metalworks, ICT, book club. The ones from the list yesterday are all present.”

“Hmm, but I don’t think they would accept me in open arms.”

“Don’t worry, there are a lot of clubs that you haven’t tried applying to. You might find the club just the right fit you.”

It’s true that I tried applying for bigger and more popular clubs around the school, but failed to get into one either they are full or I didn’t pass on their standards or some bullshit they set the bar for newer members of the club.

Take the drama club for instance; they need more members to represent their club. Not only just students but better looking and popular students, even the ones working on the backstage are more handsome and beautiful students as I observed a couple of days ago.

But still on the perspective of a new student, looking for a club to share their interests would be more difficult when they would focus on bigger and more popular clubs in the school.

At least there are a fraction of clubs I haven’t tried as some lists are unfamiliar to me; I admit it I threw the towel just before waiting for this day.

“Heh, talk about the 2% of the clubs ready to accept me.”

“Just join into the Student Council Help Desk already!”

“I’m still a temporary member of your club, don’t get ahead of yourself!” I retorted as I furrow my eyebrows on Christian’s half-baked persuasion.

“So with the bigger clubs either full or not accepting new members for not passing the conditions,”

“Ohh, so you’re talking about some clubs that have a standard to meet before being a member,” Christian paused as he shrugs his shoulders, “The drama club has been pretty notorious of rejecting members who are not good looking and popular on their standards.”

“Well you are a bit popular, I mean you kinda decent looking. Why did you establish your own club instead of joining that club?”

“It’s true that their president invited me to join their club right after I became the vice president, But…”

“But what, you have the criteria for being part of the drama club, maybe a lead role.”

“I refused to accept their offer; the new club president is a scumbag from what I heard.”

I recall the conversation about the drama club while I was there yesterday and I haven’t seen him when I tried applying there, and I totally haven’t caught a glimpse of him yet.

“I see, haven’t seen him a couple of days ago though,” I said avoiding the students nearby on the stairs.

I wouldn’t worry on the box’s weight while I descend on the flight of stairs, so the chances of me falling into the stairs are at the minimum, I wouldn’t expect on a girl would catch my fall just in case like some generic Light Novel protagonist.

Or that would make my notoriety worse if that happens; I hope those tendencies would be contained on someone else’s fantasies instead.

“So what are we going to do with these fliers? Are we going to distribute them?”

“Nope, that’s not our job,” Christian said as he pushed the door leading to the roofed corridor outside of the building.

Christian said while pushing the double doors leading on an open hallway to the gymnasium and from the outside leading to the gymnasium, I can hear the chattering of other students from outside and some of the clubs got their hands on getting the attention of the students passing by.

After carrying boxes of fliers to the respective clubs, we went to our station close to the door with two foldable chairs and a plastic table with the ‘Information’ written in a piece of paper rather than the other clubs with the over-the-top banners and decorated tables and boxes of fliers and their club gimmicks displayed right in front to catch the interest of new students who would join their clubs.

At least, less is more and less pain in the ass to clean afterward.

♦

I sat on our station and I spent for the past ten minutes looking at some of the students interested in some clubs showcasing their activities. Some of the students go one table to another to showcase each club’s appeal and activities to get the attention of the new students here. Christian was doing the talking on the information while I was assigned on the writing, and showing what clubs are available for new members.

Felt like more of an information desk rather, I could sleep on the whole afternoon.

I stood up on the desk and Christian looked at my direction,

“So where are you going?” He asked as I turn my head,

“I’ll get some drinks.”

“Hmm, I see. Just get me some iced tea.” He called me once again before leaving two meters away from the desk, “And also look for Alessia since you two will be looking out on the desk.”

“Sure. I’ll look for her.” I said as I left Christian’s station alone and went out to the gymnasium for a drink. I haven’t seen her since this morning.

Christian mentioned that the clubs that are on the gymnasium are available for recruitment; I might ask them to look for a club that has actual activities rather than spending all day lazing around like cats on a warm summer day.

I insert a fifty peso bill and clicked on the TAX COFFEE button and…

Thud!

The can of coffee fell and what a surprise, a free iced tea.

I guess I’ll be having an extra drink then. As I sat on the benches closer to the vending machine, I looked at the afternoon sky and the clouds move slowly on a hectic afternoon.

Pshh Tok!

I sighed before taking a drink on the canned coffee and it tasted bitter with the mix of metallic after-taste from the can. As I throw out of the can of coffee at the trash and went to the gymnasium, I saw Alessia leaning on the wall with her arms crossed talking to some girl with prim and proper attire along with a long black up to the waist hairstyle.

The girl Alessia was talking to have her left hand threw below her waist, however, she did budge as Alessia opened her mouth. After that conversation, the girl left Alessia’s position.

As I approached her she made a sigh, “You know the most annoying people are those who try to change your mind over something that is clearly their fault.”

“What’s up with that?”

I asked as I approached her and the girl she was talking earlier,

She furrowed her eyebrows and gave a sharp glare at me as if her eyes can slit my throat, “It’s none of your business.”

I crooked my left eyebrow in response,

“Oh really then? It seems that it’s bothering you a lot…”

“No.”

“So there’s no problem then.” I gave the can of iced tea to Alessia, “And also, Christian is looking at you.”

Alessia inspected the can I gave to her earlier as if she’s looking into the details of the can,

“I got that for free,”

“Hmm,” She returns a glare at me while holding the canned iced tea, and opened the can and took a sip.

I guess she didn’t spat it out than I expected, so much for my luck…

“Okay, so did you look at some clubs that piqued your interests?” She asked as she walked and I followed along,

“Why does everyone in this club assumed that I’m looking for a club?”

“You looked like you are terrorizing other clubs. This is why some clubs don’t want to join you.”

She continues to lash out her sharp tongue at me for eavesdropping (?). But actually it was wrong timing and heck; I don’t even know that girl in the first place.

“Heh, that’s coming from the president of the going home club for you.”

I followed her to inside the gymnasium and we were barraged by some members from different clubs. Those wearing an art apron with streaks of paints in it, some are wearing aprons holding samples of cookies and macaroons. And all of them are directed to Alessia. Meanwhile, not anyone would dare to approach me for some reason.

If this could be the punch line for a huge joke, then I would laugh my ass of right now but unfortunately, that’s not the case.

She would talk to a lot of students coming to her convincing to join a club but it has more to talk to, it’s like every club gathered into her convincing to join a club. She is a big fish to catch.

I left Alessia and gave her an opportunity to look for clubs since she’s still a temporary member as well. Well, she’s also looking for a club better than the student council help desk. A girl who is more smart and clever like her deserves on a bigger or more engaging club that this has.

Meanwhile, I still am forced to a club that basically does nothing.

“Umm sir, can you… try our free samples?”

The girl with a long messy auburn hair with her bangs covering her eyes, she wears a large frame glasses over her face full of freckles, in a cooking apron over her uniform presented me a tray of cookies; some of them looked decent while some of them looked either burnt or a bit raw or doughy. I took one and put it on my mouth which she flinched,

I felt that the cookie was too much flour and it feels doughy… I can still taste the dough on my mouth. The one cooked this piece of cookies added too much flour and it wasn’t sifted enough. And it feels chewy as I try to ingest it.

“You know this flour wasn’t sifted properly.” I looked at her station and it was there and the cooking equipment is set on their station. Some students are gathering there.

“So you’re part of the cooking club?”

She nodded, as I asked her. Though I can see her hands fidget a little thinking she was scheming something like she poisoned the cookie I put on my mouth just now.

Maybe thinking the cookie I just ingested has no poison and I was overthinking.

“Did you cook this?” I asked and she flinched as if I open my mouth.

She nodded silently, as she grips her tray.

“It tasted good but it’s a bit doughy.” I said while her eyes glistened, I avoided her gaze, “Try to reduce some flour.” I said filling the gap on her cookies.

To be honest, I wasn’t that well on baking myself.

“Hmm, that’s what she said. Thanks, sir.” She said as I face back to our station. As I look back, she ran to her club mates. She mustered her courage just to get close to me.

But as I look to the direction when I was going, she gave me a bag of cookies decorated with a club logo and a blue ribbon.

“Uhh, thanks,” I said taking the bag and I heard someone from her coming from her.

“Aha, Yuuta. Sorry, she’s a new student.” The club president with glasses and apron named Gio said while laughing cheerfully.

“Ah, no problem.”

I smiled wryly as I receive it and took a glance to the girl and despite her face was completely flustered, I can see her smile forming slightly on her face.

I left the two and returned from the station twenty minutes after I left the station. And I found Alessia sitting on the desk alone and Christian is not on sight on the desk.

Approaching the desk, she locked her gaze at me. “So, did you found a club?”

“No. I mean who would want to get a guy that looks like a teenage thug?”

She leveled her eyebrows. Of course same goes on her case that she’s not part or joining any clubs that swarmed into her earlier, I mean with her athletic skills and intelligence is a big asset for a club like her.

“How about you, aren’t you looking for a club.”

I asked as Alessia puts her smartphone away on her bag and she heaves a sigh,

“I’ve got a lot of clubs to want me to join their clubs, but I’m not interested in finding one.” She said coolly.

“I didn’t expect that since she would get picked by any club in an instant.”

“As I said, I’m not interested in joining clubs.”

“I see them.”

I said as I sat on the desk and brought out a copy of Osada Banzai’s No Longer an Alien which tackles the life a Japanese man trying to adapt in a foreign society as a whole, however during the war, his ethnicity is labeled as a terrorist. A thought-provoking novel and I hadn’t got some time to read after moving.

In fact, I can relate to the story but not into the extreme that I can basically pull a revolution. But I prefer to start a revolution from the self than the system.

“Seems an interesting book you have there.”

Alessia looked at the bag of cookies I just got earlier from the girl.

“Did someone from the baking club give you some cookies?”

“Hmm, you want some?” I brought out a bag of cookies and took a piece of it and it still the same taste from earlier.

She said as I flip the page on the book I was reading. She returns her focus by bringing out her smartphone and read posts over on the internet while I can hear the chattering around the gymnasium of clubs attracting students to join their club.

♦

After fifteen minutes of basically doing nothing but to check on the students joining different clubs where they could belong based on their interests and likings, they would share for the whole semester.

At least not in our case since we were too busy leading these students to their potential clubs, and as the sky turns transitions to a shade and the students start to leave the gymnasium, Christian went ahead with the members of the student council and Alessia already left ahead as I fold the chairs and tables on our station.

I could say that working alone is one of my strongest points, you shouldering all the work you did is the one would be relevant in the end, not the ones you requested or demanded.

As I was finished putting the tables and chairs to the storeroom behind the gymnasium, I went back to the vending machines to have a drink after carrying six kilograms of folding plastic chairs along with a heavy ass table around for almost 20 meters.

I checked the time from my smartphone, and crap I’m getting late on my part-time job in a restaurant at Session Road. I went to the school gate and saw Christian talking to a member who is a bit shorter than him, short-haired, and her hands behind her back emphasizing her small breasts while Christian is flustered talking to her.

Christian looks like he is on his heights on his high school life: fairly popular, high grades and a lot of friends is something a naïve student would ever dream of. However, it’s not an easy path going through his choices to achieve what he has right now.

“Oh Yuuta, where are ya’ going?” Christian asked while he’s grinning after the conversation with the girl earlier.

“Ah, I have a part-time job tonight,” I said waiting for the next taxi.

Maybe this is where I belong… For now...