Chapter 6: The Club (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 6: The Club (2)
Lee Sol followed the teacher into the counseling office.
The rest of us waited outside, killing time with idle chatter. Senior Min-ji still looked dazed after seeing Lee Sol up close.
"That’s the first time I’ve seen her from that distance... She really looks like a doll. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?"
"W-well, I guess?"
The Club President laughed awkwardly, dodging the question.
"Ahem. Anyway, do you know her?" He quickly shifted the topic to me.
A brilliant move, honestly. Is this the power of experience?
I popped a snack into my mouth and answered. "Yeah, well... we’re in the same class, at least."
"—!"
“This is it!”
What is?
Before I could even finish the thought, the President grabbed my shoulders.
"The fate of our club rests on your shoulders. You have to convince her."
"Huh? Me?"
"You’re closer to her than we are. It’s much more likely she’ll listen to a friend. Besides, if we seniors say it, it’ll just sound like we’re forcing her."
I understood his logic, but...
"I’m not actually that close to her."
We’d barely exchanged a few words the entire year.
"That’s how people get close!"
Despite my protest, the President was determined to dump the task on me.
"If you manage to bring her in as a member? I’ll buy a whole tub of Pagen Daz for the club snacks."
"……."
Hmm. Pagen Daz, huh? A bit tempting, but not quite enough.
"……Make it two tubs."
"Fine, I'll give it a shot."
I shook hands with the President. For two tubs of Pagen Daz, what wouldn't I do?
*
"Oh, what? You're still here?"
Lee Sol, having finished her counseling session, raised her voice in surprise when she spotted me in the club room.
"Well, I am part of the Counseling Club."
"Ah. So that's what it was? I thought you were here because of A-young’s confess—"
I quickly covered her mouth. Startled, my hand had moved instinctively.
Her face really was tiny. My palm covered half of it.
...Anyway. This girl actually thought I was here for counseling because I’d been rejected after a confession. I managed to stop her before a weird misunderstanding could spread, but still.
"...Where on earth did you hear that?"
Lee Sol mumbled against my hand.
"Mmph. Mmph. Mmm-ph."
“I can’t talk if you don’t let go.”
Ah, right. I cautiously pulled my hand away. Only then did her clear voice ring out.
"Nuri told me. She said I should be mindful and stay out of the way when you two are together."
"……."
I rubbed my eyelids with my fingertips. That girl, seriously...
First, I had to clear the air. "She must have gotten the wrong idea. Nothing happened between me and Shin A-young."
"Really? I see."
“I guess not.”
Lee Sol nodded lightly. Her agreement was so simple, both on the outside and the inside. For a moment, I wondered if she had actually understood.
"……."
She just looked around the club room with a vacant gaze, showing no particular reaction. Whatever the case, she clearly didn't have much interest. Did she just not care?
Usually, people have at least a shred of curiosity about others, but I couldn't see even a speck of that in Lee Sol.
‘Why does our school only attract weirdos?’
First Shin A-young, and now her. The place was full of "unique" characters.
‘……Though I’m probably not one to talk.’
Come to think of it, I was the weirdest one here. But first, I had to focus on the mission.
"I heard you're looking for a club. Do you have any place in mind?"
Lee Sol shrugged. "No, not yet. Nuri did tell me to join her club, though."
“I’m not really feeling it. But I guess it’s better to be where I know someone…”
Ji Nuri, huh? That was a formidable rival. Lee Sol was leaning that way, but it seemed she hadn't made a final decision yet. That was good news. It meant there was still room to persuade her.
"So there isn't a club you actually want to join yet?"
"Hmm... I guess not?"
I took the opportunity to ask casually. "Then, how about here?"
It was a probing question.
"...Here?"
“Ugh... Counseling? Just hearing the word makes it sound boring.”
Her expression slowly sank. She looked genuinely unenthusiastic, and she was shuddering inwardly. She was the complete opposite of Shin A-young, whose inner thoughts and outer expressions were always at odds. To put it nicely, she was honest; to put it bluntly, she was direct.
"……."
It was a reaction I’d more or less expected. Who looks for "fun" in a counseling club? But I couldn't just back down.
"Why don't you try it out first?"
Lee Sol tilted her head slightly. "I don't know... Is there even anything to 'try out' in a counseling club?"
“This is such a drag... How do I say no? Can’t I just not do a club at all...?”
‘This girl...’
Reading Lee Sol's thoughts, I was starting to get a handle on her personality. This wasn't just about finding the Counseling Club annoying. It was more than that. It was a general laziness toward school life as a whole. The desire to lie down right this second occupied the majority of her mind.
‘……Her personality is even more hopeless than I thought.’
She had zero motivation for anything. There was a reason Ji Nuri had been looking after her since the group project. If she’d gone to any other group, she would have been a total burden.
But regardless of that...
‘Actually, this is better.’
The situation wasn't bad. In fact, her laziness might make persuading her easier. I pointed a thumb toward the back of the club room.
"You might like it more than you think. It’s called the Counseling Club, but the reality is a bit different."
I led her over and pulled back a curtain in the corner of the room.
"...What's this?"
"The Counseling Club's snack booth."
From various snacks to jellies and canned drinks, everything except the food sold at the school snack shop was lined up there.
"Is there anything you want? Pick one."
"Ummm..." Lee Sol trailed off as she scanned the stash. "I don't knowww..."
“I’m craving something sweet right now, but there’s no chocolate.”
I quickly scanned the shelves. She was right. Of all times, we had to be out of chocolate snacks now.
‘Seriously, that guy...! I told him to take it easy on the snacks.’
Cursing the President in my head, I rummaged through my bag. As a temporary fix, I pulled out the Chocomong I’d received from Ji Nuri. I handed it to her as if I’d naturally pulled it from the fridge.
"...We have Chocomong too."
"Oh, Chocomong!"
For the first time since she’d arrived, Lee Sol’s eyes sparkled.
Slurp.
She immediately started drinking the Chocomong that was supposed to be mine. She really looked like she was enjoying it. It was a shame to lose it, but I could endure it for the sake of the club and two tubs of Pagen Daz.
"Next is the counseling room."
Lee Sol followed me obediently, Chocomong still in her mouth. It seemed the bribe had worked enough to make her at least listen.
"If you're bored, we have board games too. If you want to play, you can use the inner room."
"...Is this really a counseling club?"
"These are all items necessary for the counseling process."
"Huh? These things?"
Doubt flickered in Lee Sol's eyes. To be fair, from the outside, they looked like things meant for just messing around. ...And to be honest, that is how they were being used.
However, saying they were used for counseling wasn't a lie. The school nurse actually used snacks and board games during her private sessions with students. It was just that we used them when we were playing.
"……."
But for now, I needed to dress it up. I had to make this place appeal to her.
"What do you think is the most important part of counseling?" I asked while looking over the snack shelf.
"Hmm...?" She pressed the straw with her lips, falling into thought. "I don't know. Gaslighting?"
"...Could you call it 'persuasion' instead?"
"Yeah, that."
Since persuading someone is an important part of counseling, she wasn't entirely wrong. Counseling is about helping the client recognize the need for change and leading them toward it. It’s just that it’s not the first priority.
"That was close enough, so I'll give you some cola jelly as a prize."
It was the second thing she wanted to eat right now. The first was salty potato chips. I did it on purpose. By leaving her slightly unsatisfied, I hoped to pique her interest.
"...Then, what's the right answer?"
The plan worked. Even while eating the jelly, she was the one to ask the question first.
"It’s simply 'quietly' listening to what the other person has to say."
"...Quietly?"
Lee Sol reacted to that word.
"Other club activities require you to move around or be active, but here, staying still is a virtue."
"Oh……."
In a way, it was a perfect fit for her. A custom-tailored pitch for the ultimate slacker.
"Are you starting to get interested in the Counseling Club?"
"Hmm, it definitely sounds okay..."
The atmosphere was good. Should I drive the stake in now?
"Why don't you join the Counseling Club?"
"What should I dooo...?"
Lee Sol crossed her arms, sinking into deep thought. Just a little more. I felt like I could push her over the edge with just one more nudge...
Knock, knock—
That was when the sound of knocking echoed.
"...Excuse me."
Through the quietly opening door, Ji Nuri appeared.