Chapter 5 - How to be a normal highschool girl 4

Step 4: Join a club and discover your hidden talent.

Joining a club sounds like a great idea—until I remember my only real skills involve strategic planning, self-defense, and making people disappear (not that I've ever actually done that... yet). So maybe the tea ceremony club wouldn't mind a new recruit?

Yeah. Probably not. A girl like me? They'd probably think I'm some sort of secret agent or a stray dog that wandered in from the alley, ready to wreck the peace of their delicate, calming space. Not that I'm a wrecking ball or anything—well, maybe in a figurative sense, but I'm not planning on throwing any tea sets around... this time.

Okay, calm down, Aika. Focus. You need a club. It's part of the whole "fit in and make it to the top of the school's ranking" thing. I have to pretend like I don't care about getting on the list, but deep down, I know I want to. Being the granddaughter of a yakuza boss probably doesn't exactly help my chances, though. If I were to take the rankings by storm, I would have to do it without anyone finding out my true background.

So, I stroll down the hallway, scanning the club flyers with the concentration of someone trying to find a needle in a haystack. Seriously, how do people even pick clubs here? There's everything from traditional Japanese flower arranging to the "Anime and Manga Enthusiasts Club" (which, honestly, sounds way too tempting, but I'm trying to be serious here).

"Drama Club..." I mutter under my breath. "Okay, maybe I'd be good at that... but only if I get to throw punches and deliver monologues with real tension."

"Nope." I shake my head. "That's not going to help my ranking."

And then, I see it: the "Tea Ceremony Club."

I pause, looking at the flyer like it might be some sort of trap. It's literally just a picture of a teapot, surrounded by soft pink flowers and a calm, zen aesthetic. The words "Welcome! New members wanted!" are written in delicate characters that scream "peace" and "elegance."

This might be my only shot. I've heard nothing but good things about the tea ceremony club. They have a reputation for being... well, refined. And in a place like Hoshikawa Private Academy, where the social hierarchy runs like a cold, ruthless river, being "refined" might just be my ticket to blending in. I could be a member of the "peaceful" and "graceful" club while also, you know, secretly planning my next strategic move for world domination. Or just school domination. One step at a time.

Alright, time to take the plunge.

I approach the door, taking a deep breath. As I reach for the handle, I hesitate. What if they look at me like I'm a lunatic? What if they tell me I'm not tea-ceremony-material because I might accidentally punch the teapot in half?

"Don't overthink it," I mutter to myself. "Just walk in and act like you belong."

I turn the handle, push open the door, and—

"Whoa."

...That's not what I expected.

Instead of a calm, peaceful space filled with soft, calming music and people gracefully sipping tea, I'm met with the sight of absolute chaos.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to—!" A girl frantically tries to pour tea into a tiny cup, but she's shaking so much that the tea ends up splashing everywhere, including her lap.

A guy in the corner is holding a teapot over his head like a battle axe, looking like he's ready to throw it at the wall. "It's a ceremony, not a gladiator match! Can we please just—"

"Guys, no! We have to focus! Remember, tea ceremony means peace! Harmony!" a frazzled-looking senior cries out as she shoves papers into a folder, knocking over a plate of sweets in the process.

I blink, unsure if I've stepped into some sort of secret club that practices a mixture of tea ceremony and chaotic wrestling. This is a far cry from the serene scene I was imagining.

But hey, maybe this is what being in a club is all about. Total chaos and accidental tea stains.

I clear my throat, standing awkwardly in the doorway, trying to make myself as invisible as possible. I don't know if I should retreat, but I don't exactly feel like walking away either. I'm in too deep now. So, I clear my throat again and give my best "I am a calm and collected person" smile.

The room falls silent. Everyone turns to look at me.

I immediately regret everything.

"Um," I start, trying to salvage my dignity. "Is this the... Tea Ceremony Club?"

The girl who was spilling tea earlier looks up at me and blinks. "Yeah... it is... but, um... you sure you're in the right place?"

I glance around. "This doesn't look like the peaceful, Zen experience I imagined."

"You've seen nothing yet," a guy in the back says, shaking his teapot like a tambourine. "We're just... uhh... working on our focus today."

I blink. "Focus? Is this part of the tea ceremony? Tea that looks like it's been dropped from the sky?"

"Hey!" the frazzled senior snaps. "You wanna see some real focus? Come over here and try your hand at the—"

Before she can finish, another tea pot is hurled in the air. It narrowly misses my head, and I duck just in time. "What's going on here?" I gasp, catching my breath.

"We're working on... tea balance," the guy with the teapot says, shrugging like it's no big deal. "Balance between the spirit and the teapot. You gotta know how to toss a teapot to properly align the energy."

"That's... that's not how tea ceremony works!" I stammer, completely flabbergasted. "It's supposed to be calm and graceful! And—wait, you can't throw teapots in a ceremony!"

"Well, someone didn't read the handbook," the senior says, suddenly giving me a smirk. "You wanna join, kid? We need more energy in this club. It's always been about peace and harmony, but that's getting real boring."

She hands me a teacup with a wink.

I take it cautiously, knowing full well that I'm about to become part of this utterly bizarre and borderline chaotic tea-throwing club. "I'm... not sure this is what I had in mind," I admit. "I was kind of hoping for something a little... less explosive?"

"We do both," she says with a grin. "Tea and chaos. You can handle it, right?"

I stare down at the cup in my hand, watching the steam rise from the tea, unsure whether to take a sip or just hold it for dear life. "I mean, sure," I say, now fully committed to my role as a "tea ceremony" member. "Why not? I'm really good at... handling things that make no sense."

I take a sip. It's... the best tea I've ever had. Not even kidding.

"Well, kid, welcome to the real tea ceremony," the senior says with a grin.

I grin back. "Yeah. This is definitely not what I expected."

And then, of course, that's when he walks in.

Takeda Shun.

I didn't know who he was at first, just some guy strolling in like he owns the place, looking way too cool for his own good. But as he walks past me, I can feel his eyes flicker over me, cold as ice, with a mix of indifference and something... else. A quick flicker of amusement? Nah, couldn't be. I glance at his uniform. He looks like he's about to jump into some B-grade action movie or something. Dark, messy hair, leather jacket (seriously? In a tea ceremony club?), and an air of complete detachment that practically screams "I'm too cool for you."

He moves over to the far corner of the room and leans against the wall, arms crossed. My guess? He's not exactly here for tea. But of course, I'm wrong.

"Oi," the guy with the teapot—let's call him Mr. Zen Warrior—calls out. "Shun, you joining us or what?"

Shun barely looks up, his eyes sliding over the chaos around him. "Nah. I'm just here for the free tea."

The room collectively sighs, but they don't press it. Instead, the senior who brought me in just grins wider. "Fine, whatever. You can just hang around, I guess."

I'm about to take another sip of my tea when I catch Shun's gaze, narrowed and sharp. It's like he's staring directly into my soul. My hand freezes mid-air, and I have no idea why, but I feel like I've just been caught in some sort of trap.

My first week in this school has been far from normal.