Temporary... Or Not? (3)
“Tae-il?”
Yuuya poked Tae-il's cheek.
No reaction. He was out cold, like he was dead.
“Do you really hate it that much...?”
Where had that cool guy from moments ago gone? All that remained was this pathetic boy.
Yuuya pouted, sulking.
It felt just like when someone outright rejected her hobby that she threw herself into with full passion.
Compared to something like a leopard gecko, it's cute though...
Yuuya knew she had sensibilities different from ordinary people, but she was certain no one would faint just from seeing this.
This was Tae-il overreacting.
“Maybe not...?”
Now that she thought about it, the number one reason new recruits bolted during trial visits was managing the feeder crickets.
Yuuya suddenly felt deeply depressed.
She never realized how heartbreaking it was not to have her tastes and hobbies understood.
“Haa.”
With a sigh, Yuuya laid Tae-il flat on the floor to search for the cricket that had burrowed into his clothes. She started undressing him.
That's when the door opened.
“Yuuya! Sorry, starting next week, the teachers have staff meetings so... Huh?”
“Ah...”
Yuuya's face rarely flushed red.
There she was, unbuttoning the shirt of an unconscious male student—with a teacher witnessing it.
It was a scene ripe for any misunderstanding.
“T-teacher... This is a m-misunderstanding...”
“I get the gist, so wouldn't it be better for him if you hurry up and get it out?”
“Y-yes!”
Fortunately, Asakura—the advisor for the Animal Husbandry Club and a teacher—was quick on the uptake.
Yuuya hurriedly stripped off Tae-il's clothes and snatched the wriggling cricket from inside.
“Got it...”
“A cricket? I thought maybe a lizard or something. He fainted over just one cricket?”
Asakura chuckled, teasing that the boy was awfully timid.
She couldn't fathom how a kid like this had wandered into their clubroom.
Did he fall for Yuuya too?
It was entirely plausible.
At the start of the semester, when they used Yuuya as the face for recruiting new members, over ten boys had shown up.
They were all gone now, but back then, the clubroom had been lively.
“I thought Yuuya's charm had worn off, but she's still got it.”
“...?”
Yuuya tilted her head, not getting it.
“Hehe. That airheaded side is Yuuya's best feature.”
“I-I'm not that airheaded...”
“Bad people never admit they're bad.”
Asakura chuckled and asked about the cricket's fate.
“Execution.”
“Ahaha!”
The failed escapee cricket was later deliciously devoured by Coco.
Ignoring Coco's satisfied burp from a full belly, Asakura pointed at Tae-il.
“Anyway. I came to tell you I won't be able to drop by the clubroom starting Monday. What's with him?”
“Temporary member...?”
“Him?”
A guy who faints at the sight of a cricket—in the Animal Husbandry Club?
“Did he really get enchanted...?”
Asakura adjusted her slipping glasses and blinked dumbly.
On the sofa.
Tae-il, just regaining consciousness, felt an odd chill on his chest.
What was I doing just now...?
His memory was fuzzy.
“Oh, you're awake?”
Startled by the voice of a mature adult woman, Tae-il bolted upright.
“W-what is this!?”
He realized he was half-naked and frantically covered himself.
“Sorry...”
“Yuuya-senpai?”
Now he noticed Yuuya was there too.
Yuuya quickly apologized.
She'd had no choice but to undress him to catch the cricket that had crawled inside his clothes.
“I-if that's the case, it's okay, but...”
What did it hurt to dress him again?
Tae-il grumbled inwardly, rubbing his skin with an uncomfortable expression.
The thought of a cricket crawling over his body made him want to rush home and shower.
“Tae-il? That name sounds familiar... Ah! You're that kid?”
“That kid?”
“The troublemaker who got Gotou from the Japanese history department and Fujimura from Japanese language hauled before the chairman!”
“...”
Tae-il had a hunch why those two teachers had been summoned.
Asakura burst out laughing.
Her ponytail and ample chest swayed gently with each laugh.
“Ahaha. Never thought the infamous celebrity would end up in a niche club like Animal Husbandry. Yuuya, when did you get close to him?”
“Tuesday...?”
“This week? You just got friendly?”
Yuuya nodded.
Tama was nestled in her arms, yawning.
Tae-il thought to himself.
Could that first meeting really count as getting close?
His mouth itched to speak up in all sorts of ways, but here he was the total underdog—in the lair of evil, no less.
He clamped his lips shut.
He had no desire to relive the sensation of bugs crawling on him.
“So why is the celebrity here? You're not seriously trying to join Animal Husbandry, are you?”
“Well, here's how it happened...”
And so, a sudden three-way discussion on the future of the Animal Husbandry Club began.
Asakura listened to Tae-il's loophole explanation, resting her chin on her fist with interest and nodding.
“I see. Clever idea.”
Normal people wouldn't think of this.
Asakura judged that Tae-il must be under serious psychological pressure.
Otherwise, he wouldn't pitch such an absurd plan so boldly.
What could have driven a boy who fainted at crickets to come here?
Asakura tamped down her surging curiosity.
“So, what do you think?”
“About what?”
“Don't you feel like riding along with my proposal?”
Tae-il shot Asakura a sullen glare.
It was awfully insolent toward a teacher, but considering he'd woken up half-naked between two women, she showed mercy and let it slide.
“Like I said. The idea's good. But other teachers will complain for sure.”
“Why?”
“For starters, Animal Husbandry and Light Music Clubs are worlds apart from something like Cooking Research or Manga Research.”
“Isn't the principle the same?”
“Not at all. Those clubs split or merged out of necessity, and internally and externally, there's no mismatch in perception.”
Asakura extended her left hand, spreading it wide.
Her fingers folded one by one, then spread again, repeating.
“Whether one finger or two on the left hand is extended, they're all left-hand fingers.”
Cooking Research might split into baking and desserts, but they all fell under the cooking umbrella.
Manga Research was the same—all subculture, enjoyed by like-minded people.
“But your proposal is like this.”
Asakura stretched both hands forward, extending only her index fingers and crossing them into an X.
“It's forced, so it'll breed backlash—and it's ripe for abuse.”
“Ripe for abuse?”
Tae-il couldn't wrap his head around the abuse part, even if he got the forced bit, and shot back.
Asakura's glasses glinted.
“Let me give you an example.”
There was a massive club with over twenty members.
Big and popular, but as a hobby club, results were lackluster.
Popularity kept drawing more members, but activity funds grew tighter.
“Ah...”
“Yuuya-senpai?”
Yuuya let out a small sigh just hearing this far.
“Looks like Yuuya gets it. So, what if kids like that pulled a Tae-il move?”
“Pulled a me move?”
“Trying to merge with an unrelated club.”
Hard to produce results right away. Funds short. Nobody wants to cover it personally.
Then, Tae-il's loophole births a weird merged Animal Husbandry-Light Music club.
They get a brilliant idea.
“Let's swallow up other small clubs.”
Asakura rested her chin on laced fingers, grinning.
“Use them to cover the shortfall.”
“That's forced. Impossible without the advisor's permission.”
“But Tae-il's doing the exact same force, isn't he? What's the difference?”
Tae-il thought he was different.
He was cooperating peacefully with the other side.
“I get what you're thinking, Tae-il. But not every advisor is passionate about their club. Some don't even know how many they advise. Our school is full of them.”
New teachers might care, but veterans lose interest in club activities.
Sports clubs count as achievements, but hobby clubs? Forget it.
Most teachers care about the members, not the club itself.
Clubs with chairman-approved stars or public successes draw their eye.
“Whether students politick or fight over clubs, teachers don't care. Why?”
“Survival of the fittest...”
“Right. Yuuya, as a second-year, knows the school ecosystem better.”
Tae-il's pouty face reflected in Asakura's glasses.
“Look, I get you're desperate and want to help us.”
“I thought it was win-win for both sides.”
“I understand. Pure-hearted people think that way. But how many are left like that nowadays? Even bullying's getting smarter.”
Asakura ruffled Tae-il's hair roughly, like he was adorable.
“Hey, what was that...!”
“You're just so cute. And commendable. Trying to persuade adults with such a quirky method. Guess you haven't tasted the world's bitterness yet, huh? Must come from a good family?”
“...”
Tae-il mentally added his past and current lives' ages.
He was way older.
But no military service, so yeah, less worldly bitterness.
The indie scene was a tiny society.
Full of all sorts, but not the whole world.
Tae-il clicked his tongue softly. Annoying, but she was right.
Like a total kid.
He couldn't hide his expression. Seeing Tae-il's sulky face at not getting his way, Asakura covered her mouth and smirked silently.
“Alright. Teacher's feeling generous today.”
“What?”
“Don't react so suspiciously. Just hear me out.”
Asakura crossed her arms and jerked her chin.
“I'll do it. Be the advisor for your new Light Music Club.”
“Really?”
Tae-il shot up and grabbed Asakura's shoulders roughly. If it was a lie, he looked ready to swing.
“No lie, right? Right?”
“Why would a teacher lie to a student? But I've got conditions too.”
“Conditions?”
“Calm down, Tae-il.”
Yuuya pulled Tae-il off and sat him back down.
Tae-il glared at Asakura with eyes burning fiercely.
Burning youth, huh.
It felt like looking at the demon kids from her temporary sports club, counting down to Interhigh.
Were the other Light Music kids like this? Probably not.
Asakura recalled the Light Music clubs that performed at festivals—zero passion, existing purely for self-indulgent fun.
Will this one be different?
He'd have to be.
Otherwise, he wouldn't pitch that ridiculous story even to her.
But she couldn't fully trust him. He was the 'troublemaker' infamous even in the staff room.
So, time for a leash.
“The condition's simple. You join here too.”
“Dual membership?”
“Yep. You know Sakuraba, right?”
“Same class.”
“Then you get it. Thanks to her, the school's gotten lenient on this stuff.”
What'll you do?
Asakura smiled provokingly.
Tae-il answered.
Honestly, it wasn't even a choice worth asking.
Asakura gave a satisfied smile at Tae-il's reply.