Something Feels Off
"Club?"
The lecture ended, and during the short break, Kalligo's face twisted strangely upon hearing about the club from Abel.
It made sense. The word had come out of nowhere, spoken by someone he never would have expected.
"Abel. You're telling me you want to join a club?"
"That's right."
"And not just any club, but the gardening club?"
"That's right."
Abel's response held not a shred of hesitation. Kalligo couldn't hide his shock.
Of all people, him. Abel, born into a lineage of ability users, was going to do club activities. And not because he was forced into it, or for some prestigious group. He was choosing the gardening club, of all things—a total mismatch for his massive build.
There were too many parts that didn't add up to take at face value, so Kalligo replied:
"Abel. If you're trying to tease me, cut it out."
"I'm not teasing."
"Then why the gardening club, of all things? Do you even know what gardening is?"
"Taking care of flowers, grass, and trees, right?"
He knew exactly what it was. No mistake, no trick. So why? What did it have to do with him at all?
"...Well. Whatever club you choose is your freedom. Just give it your all."
"Aren't you joining a club yourself, Kalligo?"
"It's not mandatory, is it? I don't see the point in forcing myself."
Even before enrollment, attention had poured in from all sides. For Kalligo himself, that excessive scrutiny was a noose around his neck. The wise choice was to spend the semester as quietly as possible. Club activities were best avoided altogether.
"That's exactly why the gardening club is perfect, isn't it?"
"Joining there would signal your desire to lay low?"
"At the very least, to everyone else, it sends the message that Prince Kalligo wants to be left alone—don't approach or bother him."
"..."
Thinking it over again, Abel's words weren't entirely wrong. Joining the gardening club could mean focusing more on tending flowers, grass, and trees rather than socializing. Sure, every club had senior-junior interactions, but the vibe was worlds apart just from the name alone.
Besides, Abel had surprisingly good instincts about this sort of thing. From his behavior so far, he'd seemed like the typical ability user obsessed solely with power.
"Hold on, Abel. Leaving me aside. Why the gardening club for you?"
"Seria asked me to join with her."
"Ah."
That explained it. If Seria had asked him to join, of course he'd say yes.
But it was a shame. Why hadn't she asked him? If she had, he'd have joined the gardening club without a second's hesitation.
"I've been feeling like I've focused too much on physical training lately. I thought tending flowers and grass could be a good way to cultivate my mind as well."
Abel added more reasons, but they fell on deaf ears. Kalligo's mind was already filled with plans to apply to the gardening club the moment the next lecture ended.
The gardening club. Sorry to say it to Seria, but it was a club with zero popularity.
No helping it. There were far more exciting club activities out there. Far more places with talented seniors waiting. Who would choose this one?
Even those who genuinely wanted to handle flowers and grass rarely picked it. As far as Kalligo knew, it was a spot for vague nobles who didn't quite fit elsewhere. The kind who felt guilty doing nothing but also couldn't stand out without drawing eyes. A place to blend in quietly.
Word was, there were only five existing members—just enough to keep the club afloat. With two fourth-years, they needed at least three new recruits this time or risk shutting down.
'Abel talked them into it well. With just Seria and him, they'd have needed one more.'
Not bad at all. A golden opportunity. Spending time with Seria—who cared about growing flowers or grass? As long as he could be closer to her, spend more time with her, Kalligo could endure anything.
"...What in the world is this situation?"
That's why he couldn't easily accept the scene before him.
He'd come to the clubroom to apply for the gardening club. A small garden a bit removed from the main grounds, with a glass greenhouse at its center—that was the gardening club's base.
Seria and Abel had already applied. No more new members expected. He was confident he was the only freshman visiting the greenhouse.
"Prince Kalligo?"
"It's the imperial prince."
So why were they here—the most famous freshmen of all?
Flam Phoenix. Portus Sparrow. Figures whose fame might even surpass the imperial prince's.
And each held what looked like club application forms.
"Flam Phoenix, Portus Sparrow. What brings you two here?"
"We heard this was the gardening clubroom, so we came!"
"So why, exactly?"
"What other reason? To join the club, obviously."
"..."
No, that's not what he meant. Why the gardening club, of all places? These idiots. This quiet club wouldn't stay quiet anymore. He couldn't even guess how many stares would flood in.
And the most baffling part: Why were the top prospects from the elemental ability lines here? It offered no boost to ability training. No connections to influential people.
"Hey, you damn water punk. Watch your mouth. This is our empire's prince."
"And a freshman just like us. Forgot we're all freshmen here? Though with you, it's no surprise—your head's probably too full of burning and smashing to remember."
"...Wanna go another round?"
"Using abilities in a greenhouse? For me, it's just watering the plants. But you? All you can do is turn these beautiful flowers, grass, and trees into ashes."
"You bastard!"
For the first time, Kalligo felt the urge to pull rank as the imperial prince. He wanted to yell at them to hand in those forms and find another club. To get out and fight in the training grounds if they must.
"Flam Phoenix. Portus Sparrow. We sincerely welcome our two new juniors to the club."
But Kalligo was too late. The gardening club president had already accepted them gladly. From the looks of it, they'd heard the pitch and were just finalizing the paperwork.
Way too late to stop it now.
"Ah. Prince—ahem. And you there, our other junior. Here to apply too?"
"...Yes. So it seems, senior."
"Hand it over. You're approved on the spot, but we need the record of submission."
The club president's face beamed. No wonder—three huge names had just joined. It was a club for quiet types seeking a low-key spot. But had it ever really been that?
They'd probably just been pushed here due to circumstances. Now the quiet clubroom would buzz for the first time in ages. It might even become the semester's hottest club.
Oblivious to Kalligo's turmoil, the president happily took the form and headed inside.
'Haa.'
His head throbbed. Regret crept in—he'd done something foolish. Trying to lay low, but now sharing a club with the son of Phoenix and the heir of Master Sparrow? The palace would look at him sideways if word got out!
If not for the next arrival, he might have turned and left.
"Kalligo? What brings you here?"
"Ah. Seria."
Her voice cleared his mind of negativity in an instant. A smile bloomed on his stiff lips. The greenhouse, which had seemed utterly ordinary, suddenly felt more beautiful than anywhere else.
"Truth be told, I came to join the gardening club as well."
"You, Kalligo? I heard you weren't doing clubs..."
"Hahaha. People's hearts can change anytime."
Indeed. That's what made them human—different yesterday and today. Or, yesterday and today the same. Unchanging feelings, too.
'Like my gaze on you.'
He gazed at Seria warmly, but the interlopers butted in.
"Speak of the devil."
"Hey."
"Ah...? Wh-what are you two doing here?"
Seria pointed at Flam and Portus, not hiding her surprise. Something must have happened between the three. Kalligo's wariness of Flam and Portus deepened.
"What else? Came to join the club."
"Join the club?"
"You think we came to tour the greenhouse?"
"Hey, water boy. Pretty up your words."
Tension flared between them again. Kalligo, with nothing to lose, just crossed his arms and watched. If they caused a scene and got kicked out, it'd be his gain.
"Excuse me."
Seria stepped between Flam and Portus once more.
"You two. Aren't we all in the same club now?"
"For now."
"Yeah."
"Then maybe hold off on fighting? If you're gonna make a racket in the greenhouse, take it outside. Don't damage the petals or trample the grass."
A side of her he'd never seen. Kalligo was impressed, discovering yet another facet. Flam and Portus eyed the intervening Seria with odd looks.
Finally—
'Hold on.'
Abel, just entering the greenhouse, paused at the door, deep in thought.
Something was off. Really off. This scene didn't fit an ability user story. One girl, three guys? Was there ever an ability tale with such a skewed gender ratio? Shouldn't it be the reverse? Or at least balanced?
'...Nah, couldn't be?'
A wave of unease. The crisis of his long-held truth crumbling. Frozen for a moment, Abel shook his head, banishing the thought.
Sure. Ability stories could have that ratio. It wasn't unheard of. As long as no mystery enemies attacked out of nowhere. Or he met a new guy there who eventually joined the club...
A massive explosion rocked the academy, and part of the building crumbled away.