Rebirth of the traditional Classics Club (part 3)

At that moment I had wanted her to guess how I was feeling.

If she's joining the club, it would mean the end of my private space

as well as having to fulfill my obligation to my sister.

I sighed within my heart... It was a

futile effort.

While thinking that, I asked, "Why are you in the Classics Club as well?" I didn't want to join this club! I tried to convey this implied

message within my question, but it seemed like she totally didn't get it.

"Well, I have personal reasons for joining."

She even evaded my question. Unexpectedly, this Chitanda Eru is quite suspicious. "What about you, Oreki-san?"

"Me?"

Now that's tricky. How should I answer her? I don't think she'd understand that I came here due to an order from my sister. But as

I began to think about it, I realized she didn't really need to know my reason.

Suddenly the door slid open and a loud voice boomed inwards, "Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

It was a teacher; probably patrolling the campus after school time. With a firm body and tanned skin, he seems to be a PE

teacher.

Though he wasn't carrying a bamboo sword, it wouldn't look too far fetched to imagine him with one.

While he's way past

his prime, he still has that air of authority around him. Chitanda shirked back upon getting yelled at so suddenly, but soon reverted to her calming smile.

She then went togreet the teacher."Good afternoon, Morishita-sensei." She made a perfect salutation by the way she bowed her head with the right speed and angle.

Seeing how she maintained her manners regardless of where she was, I couldn't help but feel envious of her.

The teacher called Morishita was briefly stunned into silence by her courtesy, but soon went back to talking loudly again. "I saw the door unlocked so I came over to see what was going on. What are you doing entering the classroom without permission? What's your name and class?"

... Hmph, without permission, huh?

"I'm Oreki Houtarou of Class 1-B. By the way, Sensei, this is the Classics Club room, and I'm afraid you've interrupted our club

activities."

"The Classics Club...?" Without hiding his suspicions, he continued, "I thought that had been abolished."

"Well, that was before today. It's been reactivated this morning. You can confirm with our supervising teacher, umm..."

"Ooide-sensei."

"Yes, you can confirm with Ooide-sensei."

A suitable explanation at a suitable moment.

Morishita-sensei quickly lowered his volume. "Oh. I see. Well, continue with what you're doing. And remember to return the key when you're done."

""Yes, sir.""

Morishita once again turned to gaze at us before shutting the door roughly. Chitanda once again cowered her body at the loud

sound, but then gently whispered, "He's..."

"Hmm?"

"He's quite loud for a teacher."

I smiled. Anyway, guess I have no more business here. "Alright. Now that we're done with the introductions, shall we

go home?"

"Huh? We're not having any activities today?"

"Well, I'm going home." I picked up my rucksack, which doesn't have much stuff in

it, and turned my back towards Chitanda.

"I'll count on you to lock the door. You don't want to get yelled at like that again, do you?"

"Eh?"

I then proceeded to leave the Geology Room. Or rather, I was about to leave, when I was stopped by Chitanda's discerning voice.

"Please wait!"

I turned around to look at Chitanda, who looked as though she had been told something quite unthinkable, and who said blankly, "I, I can't lock the door."

"Why's that?"

"Because I don't have the key."

Oh, yeah. The key's with me. There weren't that many spare keys available to be borrowed, it seems. So I took the key from my pocket and held it towards her.

"Here, you take care of... Sorry, I mean, please take care of this, Chitanda-san."

But Chitanda didn't respond. She simply stared at the key hanging from my finger, and before long she tilted her head and

asked, "Oreki-san, why are you carrying that?"

Is she missing a few screws in her head?

"Well, I couldn't have come in without a key... Wait a minute, how the hell... sorry, how did you come in to this room, Chitanda-san?"

"The door wasn't locked when I came in. I thought someone else had entered before me, so I didn't need a key to enter."

I see. Since unless she received a letter from a former member like I have, she wouldn't have known that there were no other members in the Classics Club.

"Is that so? When I came the door was locked."

Turns out it was a mistake for me to utter that so nonchalantly, as the expression in Chitanda's eyes changed instantly and her

gaze became sharp. Was it me or have her pupils gotten larger?

Indifferent to my startled expression, she slowly asked me, "When you said the door was locked, do you mean that door which you came through?"

While feeling confused at such a change in expression for such a

graceful girl, I nodded. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Chitanda took one step towards me.

"So this means that I was locked inside, right?"

The clear batting sounds made by the Baseball Team could be heard from the outside.

While I have no more business with this

room, Chitanda seemed to want to talk for a bit longer. I sighed and relented, and placed my shoulder bag down on a table nearby.

Locked inside, was what Chitanda had said. Is that so?

I deliberated for a bit. The key was with me, while Chitanda was inside

the room. I have no memory of ever locking the door. Then the answer was simple.

"Wasn't it you who locked the door from the inside?"

Yet Chitanda shook her head and denied that unequivocally.

"I never did that."

"Well, the key's with me. Who else could have locked the door besides you?"

"..."

"Well, there are times when people forget whether they've locked the door or not,"

Yet Chitanda doesn't seem to be paying attention to my explanation, and suddenly pointed right behind me.

"By the way, is that your friend over there?"

I turned around, and found the silhouette of a black uniform collar from behind the gap of the slightly ajar door. His gaze quickly met with mine.

I remember seeing those brown eyes that look as though they're smiling, so I raised my voice and called out, "Satoshi! That's some sick hobby you've got, eavesdropping on other people's conversations!"

The door was opened, and as expected, the person that entered was Fukube Satoshi.