Report Club!

The whole day, I didn't leave my room. I didn't know what to do with myself. How could I have fallen in love? That thought played over and over in my mind. I hated this feeling, but deep down, it felt like bliss. That's all I could think about. I even forgot I had school the next day—or what I'd do if she approached me. I had no plan. I only left my room when my mom called me out for dinner and a bath. By the time all of that was done, it was midnight. I dragged myself to bed and dropped face-first onto the warm, soft blankets. I had no thoughts except sleep—until I heard a voice.

"You still up, Shikaru? We've got school tomorrow, remember?" It was Saki, leaning out from her balcony, checking on me.

"What do you want—and how did I forget to close my window?" I grumbled, walking over to my balcony in confusion.

"You didn't forget. I opened it up before you got to your room," she said casually. "And what are you doing staying up so late? Go to sleep already."

"You did what now?! I don't even have the energy to argue with you, and you're not asleep either! What are you doing up?"

She leaned against her railing. "I'm not sleeping because I've got nothing better to do. But you're not sleeping 'cause you keep thinking about her."

I froze. She hit the nail right on the head, like she'd read my mind. "How did you know? I didn't even say that much about her."

Saki smirked. "You didn't have to. I saw your dumb little blushing face. And don't act like you know her well—you barely talked to her!" She opened her window and slipped back into her room. "And remember, soldier—you gotta win the war for her love!"

I let out a soft laugh and mumbled to myself, "It's not a war, idiot. It's a battle inside myself, just trying to warm up to her." That tiny moment with Saki lifted the weight off my chest. My mind finally calmed, and I drifted to sleep peacefully.

The next morning, I was attacked by a sound that stabbed my ears.

"Wakey wakey! Get up or we're gonna be late! And if we're late, you're getting a fistful of danger!" Saki yelled like a general in battle.

She didn't have the softest touch, but I had to admit—she was kind, in her own weird way. "Shut up, I'm getting up! And you don't look that ready yourself!" I groaned, sitting up groggily.

In the chaos of the morning rush, I completely forgot everything from last night. Saki made sure I had no time to dwell on my thoughts. We both left the house together, but I was a bit faster. She clearly didn't like that—I tripped the second I passed her. I managed to catch myself mid-fall, but I still scraped my knee against the wall.

Somehow, we reached school without being late—a rare miracle. As I was frantically switching to my indoor shoes, I bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—wait, Toko? Sorry again, I didn't see you!" said a familiar voice.

I froze. My shoes dropped from my hands. I just stood there, completely stunned.

"Ah-ah… it's alright! Happens to the best of us. Oh, and by the way—thanks for helping me the other day. That really helped a ton. I-I gotta go now! Can't be late to class!"

With that, I ran off, leaving my heart doing flips. I didn't even get to respond properly.

Meanwhile, Saki had other plans. She marched right up to Yasuna with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, Vice Pres… you seem awfully smiley around him. Is there a reason for that?" Her voice was teasing, like an interrogator in a comedy sketch.

Yasuna panicked. "I'm so sorry! I didn't know he liked someone else! I promise—I'll stop talking to him, I'll—"

Saki gently placed a finger over her lips. "Shhh. Chill, dude. I never said I was his partner. You jumped to conclusions—and in doing so, you kinda answered my question." She smirked. "Here's a tip: if you really want him, you've gotta win him over with everything you've got. Don't worry about me. My job is just to annoy him to the moon and back."

Yasuna was left frozen, overwhelmed by Saki's forwardness. She didn't even move until the PE teacher yelled at her to get to class.

She then remembered her actual task—delivering documents to the teacher's room. The teachers weren't mad, just mildly annoyed. On the other hand, Saki and I got scolded for being late. We stood there silently, accepting our fate.

Ena, meanwhile, was giggling quietly behind us.

"That used to be me, y'know. Always late. Teachers gave up 'cause I live so close to the school," he whispered.

Our homeroom teacher, Miss Kanari, cut him off mid-sentence. She didn't have the patience to deal with his antics this early in the day. I couldn't help but wonder if the teachers had truly surrendered to Ena's habitual tardiness.

Once things settled, Miss Kanari told us about all the clubs available—Drama, Sports, Lit, and then one caught my ear: the Report Club. Saki nudged me when she heard it, but I played it cool and ignored her. Ena was sitting next to me, and I didn't want to get roasted again like the assembly incident.

We were told we could sign up after classes, either by talking to a member or going to the club rooms. I had to wait almost the entire day. During break, I just collapsed on my math book, drowning in numbers.

"What's up, dude? You look like a ghost. Did you even bring lunch?" Ena asked.

"Sadly, no. Neither did Saki. We both forgot because of the morning rush," I replied, my stomach growling.

Saki slumped beside me in defeat, disappointed in herself. But then, a sweet voice saved us from our hunger.

"Umm… guys, I don't mind sharing some lunch. My mom packed a little too much anyway."

We turned to see the angel—Yasuna.

"Vice Pres! Great to see you again! And that's not 'a little too much'—that's enough food for four people," Saki said, drooling.

"When did you two get so close? Did something happen after I left you alone?" I asked, suspiciously squinting at Saki.

"Something like that! We had a bonding moment—besties now!" she said, slinging her arm over Yasuna's shoulder.

Before I could react, Ena raised his hands. "Can we eat before you two start a soap opera?"

I reluctantly agreed, though eating with Yasuna sitting across from me wasn't what I expected. I couldn't focus. Her presence alone made me forget how to chew. Her brown, glittering eyes, her perfectly shaped face, her long silver earrings, soft snowy hair, and graceful posture—she was divine.

"Earth to Toko. You good?" Yasuna asked sweetly. "Would you consider joining the Report Club? We could really use your help."

I blinked back into reality. "Yes! I'd love to join. I swear my life to it!"

Everyone paused, then burst out laughing. I felt like I overdid it.

"You don't need to go that far!" Yasuna chuckled.

Saki leaned over and whispered, "Don't do anything suspicious in those club rooms, or we'll find out nine months later and—"

I dragged her aside, smacked her head gently, and whispered back, "Shut up! You really think she likes me back? She probably doesn't even know how I feel!"

Saki gave a sly smile. "What if I told you she did? You just don't see it yet."

I rolled my eyes, dismissing the thought, and we rejoined the group. I spent the rest of the break talking with Yasuna about the club. I tried to stay calm, but it was hard not to stare at her. Just as I was about to tell her my decision, the bell rang and the teacher entered. Honestly, I was a little relieved.

The final bell rang after what felt like the longest day ever. On day two, I was already exhausted. Everyone had their own groups. For me, it was just Saki, Ena, and maybe Yasuna. I packed up my stuff and walked over to her.

"Miss Ohana… I want to join the Report Club. Can you show me the way?"

Her whole face lit up. "Yes!! Let's go, what are we waiting for?!"

She grabbed my hand—again, soft like clouds—and bolted toward the staircase. I chased after her, up two flights, all the way to the end of the hallway, where sunlight poured through the windows.

She burst open the door to the clubroom. Five people were inside—one asleep on the couch, one writing at a desk, two girls drawing a giant map. One of them looked up.

"Yasuna… could it be?"

"Yes! It means what you think it means! Meet our newest member, Irishki Toko, 2nd year! The Report Club is saved!"

Yasuna held my hands and beamed. "Thank you, Toko! You've helped us so much!"

They handed me a form that read "Report Club Joining." I filled it out as fast as I could. Just then, the guy on the couch shot up, grabbed the form, and jumped out the window!

I ran to the ledge in panic—but saw him land on a huge gym mat. He handed the form to someone from a third-story window and gave us a thumbs-up.

The second I said "He gave us a thumbs-up," everyone in the room—except the jumper—pounced on me in joy.

"THANK YOU FOR REGISTERING!!"

In that moment, I wondered if joining the Report Club was the greatest decision I ever made… or a chaotic mistake I would never recover from.