Chapter 19

Suzen explained that she used the video only for herself, to not misremember his words. She said that the interview was always planned to be written since she did not know how to edit videos. It would be harder for her to embellish the article with links to other articles and explanations.

She also apologized for the ad, she did not expect people to be so interested and loads of them asked her about him. She won't use it for the rest of the presentation. Which was enough for them to talk a bit less officially when he thanked her. He even read other articles she wrote and even the poll for the clubs.

Thomas actually helped him sneak behind the school and check the less popular stalls. Still, there were enough people, but at least none of them called him specifically. While most of the stalls here were interesting and niche, none were in the top possible club's Mat wanted to pick. However the same could not be said about Thomas who was excited.

"I didn't even know such a club exists!" Thomas said loudly, making the two boys at the stall for the club look at him angry.

"Sorry!" he apologized.

"This is useless..." Mat said but then his eyes met with the eyes of a chubby blacked haired girl.

"YOU!" she startled him and quickly run to him. He stepped back, but she smiled.

"Please join my club! Please!"

"Wh-what?"

"Here!" she showed him her WW to quickly join.

"Wait! What kind of club is it?" Thomas asked since her table was empty.

"Planetary exploration!" she said proudly.

"Oh boy..." Thomas looked at Mat who said nothing.

"It seems appropriate for you to join, and I need all the people I can get! My two clubmates already graduated so I have to find at least two other people!"

"Not my problem!" Mat said and was about to leave.

"What, wait! Are you not interested? I thought you got a planet!"

"So what? That doesn't mean I have to join a club about it!"

"But...you want to explore it, no?"

"Yeah, sure! Which I can surely do with club budget, WW, and four people!" Mat laughed.

"W-What about you?" she looked at Thomas.

"Well..." he glanced at Mat. "I am not sure..."

"Look, we already have a project we worked on with my friend, so you would just fit the numbers, it would be free time for you, please!"

"Are you saying two people can make a project for the whole club?"

"For sure! It is our passion after all!" she said and Thomas looked curious.

"Oh don't say you are buying that!" Mat said surprised.

"What? I sill don't know what to do!"

"Well if you want to see...I will show you what we can do! Look!" she took them to her table and showed them her WW screen.

"We research the history of space exploration, the technical details, the problems, the laws...everything. But not just theory, but also computer models, technical prototypes for special probes, and such. We also have a small club room in the school and ..."

"What about your project?"

"We are creating a system for holographic exploration,"

"What is that?" Mat asked.

"The idea is to...join and I tell you!"

"I am good!" he said and tried to leave.

"Wait, please! Look!" she stopped him and showed him a document on her WW.

"What is this? 70 pages...?"

"We already have enough to pass, so trust me! And you!" she turned to Thomas. "Exploration is a fairly broad topic, so you could probably do anything you want!"

"If you really don't need us, why do you want us specifically?"

"Well, I thought you would like it since you won a planet...But also the teachers are not stupid and they are cautious about newcomers saving desperate clubs. But with your reputation you wouldn't raise any eyebrows..." she said honestly and Mat sight. Honestly speaking having less school work would be nice.

"I...I will think about it!" he hesitates and she laughed.

"Great! Thank you! If you could tell me before school tomorrow that would be great. The sooner the better! What about you?"

"Well...it depends on Mat. Since otherwise, your club is doom anyway," Thomas said unintentionally bluntly.

***

Mat send a message to Suzan practically right after he left the club presentations, but it took her the whole day to respond, so it was pretty late when he read her message.

What she said was true, they are one of the smallest but oldest clubs in the school. They are practically invisible, even though their projects are always in the top twenty each year they did not get the award for a best since like fifteen years ago.

They ranked at the bottom of the poll mostly because nobody really knows about them. They have no club website and post nothing to the school bulletin board.

Thanks, but what about the girl, the club manager?

Mat wrote and continue working on his article. After twenty minutes he got a reply.

Her name is like the first thing that appears when you search for it, it's Ember. I am not your search engine... That said she is on top of her class in science and technology. She is a second-year and has no other info on the net.

So you do not know her personally?

No, I knew last year's manager. It was a chipper guy, but he never mentioned her.

Thanks!

Are you going to join?

Looking at the ridiculous exams, requirements, and daily tasks for the other clubs I am actually thinking about it. What do you think?

Why ask me when you have your magical table?

Just want a professional opinion.

Ha! Well said. I would do it, you might not have a better opportunity for an easy club.

Then I ask the handler and tell her tomorrow.

Handler?

The guy that helps me from the government.

Do you have somebody like that?

Weird...anyway good luck. I gotta go, too much work!

Thanks!