Chapter 3

"Hi! May I help you?" A girl dressed in a school uniform asked the shy Luca. She was currently sitting on the chair with her desk full of books. She smiled to make sure she will not scare the shy and delicate man away.

Luca was currently sitting in a plastic chair facing the girl whom he thought was the club president. Luca kept fidgeting his fingers while holding the club form and for a matter of seconds, he lifted up his head and spoke to her.

"I-i want to enter the club." Knowing the latter wanted to join the club, the girl smiled widely and readily welcoming him to the club. Besides, the literature club had fewer members than the rest. And she couldn't deny that the club got mocked since all of them likes books and stuff, making their club more isolated.

"Okay! You're in! It's been a while since the literature club and we would be happy if the population here increased! My name's Sakura Takamura (Takamura Sakura) and oh! Your form so we can know you better."

Luca handed her the form and smiled.

"The other members are not here yet, so feel free to visit every corner of the club room. There were books there in the shelf in which you could enjoy and refreshed. And don't be scared at me okay? You look so tensed!" Takamura huffed childishly making the other chuckled lightly. Seeing Luca feel comfortable, Takamura finally reassured his worries inside.

"I'm going to the office for a while. Feel free to enjoy yourself here. And, you can take a peak at the other form so that you'll know the other members. See you!"

"Hmm." Luca nodded and Takamura ran off towards the office. As being told, he looked at the form from the other members and studied their names and faces. As he looked, there are only four members joined in the literature club excluding the class president. That makes them six now. Luca's gentle fingers flipped the pages on the members' form, so focused on the folder that he didn't noticed someone entered inside the club room.

"Um excuse me but, who are you?" Luca's body went stiff as he slowly lifted up his gaze to the person who just spoke to him. According to the membership form, his name was Kenji Ishikawa (Ishikawa Kenji), a senior student in class B. He was in the same year as him, though Luca was in class A. Luca cleared his throat and hid his fidgeting fingers to his back.

"H-hi. I am Luca Tanaka. I'm not a thief! I'm just...the club president showed me the form so I could get to know the members here. I am a new member so..." Luca panicked as he thought he was accused as a thief. Ishikawa just smiled at Luca and spoke.

"It's okay Tanaka. I'm not accusing you as a thief. You're just panicking."

"Oh."

"Rest assured. I am a new member too so let's enjoy being clubmates together."

Luca nodded at Ishikawa and arranged the form back to where it belong. Ishikawa walked towards the shelf and picked a book. It was the Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare.

"You like Shakespeare?" Luca asked Ishikawa. Ishikawa hummed and slumped his butt to the floor next to the shelf.

"Yes. His works are superb and legendary. And his stories are very fun and good to read." Ishikawa retorted making Luca hummed, sign as he agreed.

"You don't look quite Japanese, are you half? Or pure foreigner?"

"Half. My Mom's not a Japanaese but my father was."

"I see. So that's why your eye color is quite different from the rest of us. It's simply unique and pretty too."

'Should I laugh or not? Somehow I'm uncomfortable at his compliment.'

Luca chuckled stiffly while looking at the latter holding a Shakespeare book. As he looked at Ishikawa, he found the other one good looking. However, he was not as good looking as the same as Kisaki. Ishikawa's raven hair kissed his nape as his bangs swayed on the lower portion of his brows. His body was quite normal, not too sturdy and not too skinny.

"What?" Luca shook his head and proceeds to stride his steps to the bookshelf. He picked the novel Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. He then went to the club's sofa and sat there. Luca then started reading the novel. He was immersed by the events written in the book that his eyes shone in amazement.

"Oh! You two are here! Come help me lift these things up!" Takamura yelled making the two who was immersed in their books totally surprised. The two then lifted up the boxes and also surprised when the box was heavy.

There were a lot of boxes in the delivery truck outside the campus so the two get on their way outside. The two lifted the box one by one and was having a sweat on how heavy the box is.

"Um, Takamura, what is inside the box?" Luca asked as he was having a hard time lifting each box.

"It is the new books I ordered using the club's funds. The books here are old. Time for these new babies have new friends on their shelf." Takamura said making Luca slanted his head in confusion.

New babies?

"Oh."

"You're replying me with 'oh' again."

"I'm sorry."

Takamura just laughed and started arranging the new books to the shelf. Ishikawa and Luca lifted up the heavy boxes until no box remained in the delivery truck. The truck then left after delivering the books.

"Tanaka, you will arrange these books on the learning section. Ishikawa, yours is on the novel section. Try to clean the shelf too, it's getting dusty." The two nodded and started cleaning and arranging books. Luca sparkled his eyes as he touched the book one by one. The scent of the pages lingered on his nose and wanting to read each book that lay on the shelf. Luca lifted up the corner of his lips and held the book from the box, ready to arrange it on the shelf.

The covers of the book made his mood became lighter. He could stay here for the whole day while reading book but the world didn't let him do so. He still going to the classroom.

"Takamura, I'm going to my classroom now. You need help or...?"

"It's okay. Class is still important. You two should go now. I'm having a free time now so I could still arrange this all slowly." Takamura waved his hand, gesturing the two to 'go away and go to your classroom.'

As being told, the two took their feet off to their classroom. They were silent and awkward since no one managed to talk to themselves.

"Um, should I walk you to your classroom?" Ishikawa suggested, but the other shook his head.

"No thanks. Well, I have to go now."

"Okay." The two separate ways and heading on each other's classroom. As Luca arrived, Kisaki guarded the classroom door.

"What took you so long?" Kisaki asked while his hands crossed. He raised his brows and looked straight to Luca's eyes. Luca uncomfortably looked away to Kisaki's gaze as he didn't likeed being stared.

"W-well. I helped our club president."

"Oh. Okay, let's go inside." The two went inside the classroom and took a seat. Luca looked at Kisaki's calm face full of thoughts.

"You looked pissed. Something happened?" Luca asked Kisaki while fixing the specs he was wearing in his eyes.

"Nothing really. Just some club matters. How about you? You seemed so happy when you get back. Something happened?"

"Nothing. I'm just happy that there's a lot of books there."

Luca left dumbfounded as he heard Luca.

He's happy because there's a lot of books there? I should give a book when time comes.

Kisaki chuckled on how Luca explained the books to him. Kisaki found him cute and juvenile, so innocent. If he was a girl then maybe he will date him.

Somehow, he scratched that thought from the script.

"Luca, there's a festival this Friday. You want to come with me?" Kisaki wanted to show the festival to him. Maybe this latter never experienced going in a festival since he lived in Anerica before.

"I'd love to. But I can't." Luca can't go because of his father. He doesn't want his father to be worried of him. He knows his father will be angry if he comes to the festival with a friend. But this time, he really wanted to go, if he can.

"Hmm. I wanted to show you something. It's okay, I will not force you."

'I wanted to buy you a book if you come. But it seems that you have matters. Well, this one maybe had a girlfriend.'

"Oh."

The fell silent again. Not too long and the teacher went inside of the classroom. They greeted him and went on their seats.

The teacher's lecture made Kisaki bored and sleepy, Luca noticed Kisaki's head hung low as the left hand still supporting his head from falling. He couldn't blame it. The pace on how the teacher explained was slow and sloppy, if Luca listened to it then he would be snoring for now. But, to his disguise, he was reading the Angels and Demons novel on the back of his notebook and glancing at the teacher at the same time, pretending that he was listening.

Not that he was unwilling to listen, but the teacher seems unwilling to teach too. What's the point of listening when you couldn't even understand?

Not too long and the session subside, the sleepy Kisaki was unwilling to wake up from his desk.

Luca on the other hand, shake the other's shoulder so that he would wake up from the deep slumber.

"Kisaki, wake up." Kisaki just groaned and hugged his bag tight as if it was a pillow.

"Hey, you're going to get locked in the classroom if you stay like that." Hearing the word "locked" Kisaki slothfully opened his eyes.

"Oh. I fell asleep."

"Yeah like, almost an hour ago." Luca said as he packed his things to his bag and wear it on his back.

"W-well, you're awake now. I have to go."

"Wait! We're in the same neighborhood. We're going home together." Kisaki suggested and stopped Luca by holding his wrist. Luca inwardly sighed and wait at Kisaki packing his things. After he was done, the walked out of the classroom and to the campus.

The pink sakura trees glowed at the golden hour. Luca wanted to picture the view if he had a phone. Sadly, he doesn't have one.

"Wait! How 'bout we're going to relax at that hill a bit?" Kisaki said to Luca and at the same time he was pointing at the hill. The hill was not too steep thus it was easy to climb there. Luca nodded and followed Kisaki's back.

As they were about to reach the height where all the sakura trees could be seen as a whole, they halted their steps and stared at the beautiful view below them.

"Wow." Luca exclaimed, looking at the scene with an awe. The view was just like a canvas in the art exhibit. The sakura leaves fall every second, every millimeter as the old leaf falls. Luca never saw a beautiful place like this before. He just stood there without blinking. Kisaki looked at him and quite amused. He never met anyone so genuine at things he liked before.

The two rejoiced the beautiful scene in front of them, just like in the movies.

"We have to go now. It's getting late." Kisaki said and Luca just nodded. In fact, he didn't want to leave the place. But he was scared that his father grew worried of him so he wanted to go home. Kisaki's house was two blocks away from Luca's. So, Kisaki was the first one who went home.

As Luca arrived at the house, he greeted his father with a smile and went straight to the room. After he go to the kitchen, he needed to change first. After he changed, he walked out of his bedroom and went straight towards the television. He was going to watch movies while his father still working in the kitchen.

"Son, wait for a while. I will cook dinner."

"Yes father. What will you cook today?"

"Miso soup."

"Oh."

Hideo chortled as he heard Luca's reply. Luca opened the television and watched movies.

As Hideo done cooking dinner, the two father-son duo went to the kitchen to eat. Luca's mind was still in the festival Kisaki told him. He wanted to go but he couldn't go out. His father won't let him. But he really wanted to see what a festival looks like, just like in the animes.

"Father?"

"Hmm?"

"C-can we go to a festival this Friday?"

If he couldn't go with a friend. He still could go with his father. Hideo smiled at Luca and said,

"Of course. We will go there."