Joining a Club (1)
When I woke up that morning, I could tell my body felt a lot better than it had the day before. I'd stayed up late, so I got up a little later than usual, but I'd always been an early riser — even with the alarm going off twice, I still made it to school on time.
When I got there, everyone was already in their seats. I'd arrived later than I usually did, so that was probably why. I slipped quietly toward my desk, and to my surprise, Kim Naeun was the first to react.
"Juyeong's late? Don't tell me you're still sick?"
"No, it's not that. I just went to bed a little late last night..."
There wasn't a trace of her usual teasing in Kim Naeun's voice — just genuine concern. Hearing her sound so unfamiliar made her seem like a slightly different person.
"You're late, so that's a tardy fine."
"I got trauma from looking at your picture yesterday, so pay up for emotional damages."
"Stop the Hanbyeol hate!"
Of course, there were also guys like Kang Hanbyeol, cracking stupid jokes first thing in the morning. The fact that he'd never lost that original spark of his was almost impressive, in its own way.
Once I'd sat down, Yeonhee was the last to speak up.
"Are you feeling any better?"
"Yeah. Thanks to you."
"Really? That's a relief."
The atmosphere between us was somehow awkward, different from usual — and Kim Naeun, who'd witnessed it, immediately started needling us.
"What's this, what's this~ This vibe~ What happened yesterdayyy~?"
"......"
Normally I would've come up with some kind of excuse, but one look at Yeonhee's face in the seat next to mine and I answered with silence.
Kim Naeun kept at it. Before long, Yeonhee had sentenced her to death by tickling.
"Ahahaha...! Y-Yeonhee, I'm sorry...!"
"I... I'm thorry... I won' do it again..."
If she was going to apologize that fast, I had no idea why she'd started in the first place.
And when I looked ahead, there was Kang Hanbyeol watching us, his eyes curved into crescents and the corners of his mouth curled up in a grin.
"What's with that face."
"So what happened yesterday?"
Right... this was the kind of guy he was.
I gave him the usual half-assed answer.
"Nothing happened."
Then I immediately changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, I heard you and Kim Naeun had something going on yesterday."
"Ah, just, y'know... it was nothing."
Then why'd you send Yeonhee off by herself yesterday?
We'd been chatting about stupid stuff since morning when the bell rang and the homeroom teacher walked in.
"Looks like nobody's absent, so I'll tell you what we're doing today. I'm only saying this once, so listen up."
"From now on, you'll be doing club activities once a week."
"I'll hand out a list of clubs. Before first period ends, look it over and decide, or walk around and check them out yourselves — pick one and apply."
"If you want to start your own, you can apply as long as you've got enough people. Keep that in mind."
"Alright. Get started."
The moment the homeroom teacher finished speaking, the kids moved in perfect unison. Some clustered with close friends, some with their partners, and some went off alone.
But I stayed right where I was. The only people I knew were already sitting around me, so there was no need to move.
"Hey, what club are you joining?"
"I'll know once I look."
I barely knew the kids in my own class, and now we were supposed to do activities with kids from other classes on top of that. I'd wondered if there was any way I could get more isolated than I already was. Turns out there was.
I glanced to the side. Yeonhee was looking over the club list with Kim Naeun.
Guess those two are planning to join the same club.
So what was I supposed to do? Just pick some random club, sleep through it, and kill time? Or join the same one as this guy staring a hole through the list in front of me?
...Those thoughts were pointless. I needed to know what clubs there even were before I could decide anything, so I picked up the list and started scanning through it one by one.
Basketball Club
Soccer Club
Badminton Club
The ones at the very top were the usual staples you saw everywhere. I kept going down, and that was when the slightly strange clubs started to appear.
Otaku Meetup Club
Magic Research Club
Occult Research Club
...What kind of weird clubs are these?
Not even magic tricks — a Magic Research Club? Were they seriously letting people make anything as long as they had the numbers?
I kept going down the list, skipping the weird ones, until I found a club that actually looked doable.
Movie Appreciation Club
A club where all you had to do was watch a movie and write a review afterward — basic, and something that would suit just about anyone.
I settled on it in my mind and looked up, just as Kang Hanbyeol — who seemed to have made his own decision — spoke up.
"You decide what you're doing?"
"Yeah. I'm applying for the Movie Appreciation Club."
"Huh? I was gonna go there too."
...?
Honestly, I was surprised.
"That's unexpected."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I figured a social butterfly like you would go for something athletic — soccer club, basketball club, that kind of thing."
It sounded like a stereotype, but wasn't that pretty much how it actually worked? Then again, I was a loner, so maybe I just didn't know.
"It's a pain, man. I just want to sit on my ass, watch movies, and coast."
So that was his real reason. Well, I'd been thinking something similar, so it wasn't all that different.
While I was having those dumb thoughts, a voice came from beside me.
"Have you guys decided where you're going?"
I turned. Yeonhee had apparently finished talking with Kim Naeun and was looking at me, waiting for an answer.
"Hanbyeol and I are joining the Movie Appreciation Club."
"Huh? You guys too?"
No way...
"Naeun and I were just talking about joining the Movie Appreciation Club too."
This lineup again...
"Eck, Kang Hanbyeol too?"
"What's wrong with me?"
I let Kim Naeun's voice — the kind that said she'd just heard something she wished she hadn't — go in one ear and out the other, and asked a question of my own.
"Even if Hanbyeol and I had nothing better to do, why you two?"
"Hmm... this one just looked like the best option?"
Fair enough. There had been a lot of weird clubs. I nodded to myself.
"Alright, I'll take all our applications to the teacher."
Kang Hanbyeol stood up, grabbed the four sheets of paper, and walked toward the teacher's desk. Something about it felt like déjà vu, but this time I wasn't getting robbed blind right in front of my own eyes, so it was fine.
Just before first period ended.
"Second period today, you'll go to the club you applied for, get a basic rundown, and they'll take attendance. Head to the classroom listed next to your club on the sheet."
"Yes~"
Following the homeroom teacher's instructions, we headed for the Movie Appreciation Club's classroom.
"Is this the right place?"
The guy in front kept glancing back and forth between the paper in his hand and the classroom door as he slowly walked in. We followed behind him into the room.
The moment we stepped inside, the kids already in the class turned their eyes on us.
...Doesn't feel great.
They were probably just checking who we were, but their gazes lingered a little too long. It was probably because of Yeonhee walking beside me.
Even if she'd announced she had a boyfriend, looks like hers didn't just go away. Thinking that, I was reminded of Yeonhee's popularity for the first time in a while.
"Is it always this empty...?"
"We might've just gotten here early."
"True, our homeroom teacher did let us out early."
Unlike me, who'd been bothered by the staring, Yeonhee seemed more puzzled by how few people there were.
Guess she's used to this much attention.
At Yeonhee's words I looked around, and there really weren't as many people as I'd expected. The few students already sitting there seemed to be kids from this homeroom who'd picked the Movie Appreciation Club. Thanks to our homeroom teacher's overflowing laziness, we'd apparently arrived earlier than the kids from other classes, who were still getting the rundown.
"So where should we sit?"
"We're watching movies, so how about the front?"
"Sitting up front might actually hurt your eyes."
I walked past the three of them still discussing where to sit and headed for a corner seat by the window, just like I did in class. Once I sat down, the others naturally settled in around me.
"Why'd you guys come over here...? I thought we were watching a movie."
"A girlfriend following her boyfriend is the most natural thing in the world. Is there a problem?"
I couldn't hold back my curiosity, and Yeonhee answered with her usual excuse.
"I just followed Yeonhee, y'know?"
Kim Naeun answered with a wink. And last, we all looked at Kang Hanbyeol.
"What, you want me to go sit somewhere else by myself?"
Kang Hanbyeol said, shrugging. ...Yeah, that would've been pretty cold.
And just like that, we had the same group as in our regular classroom. The only real difference was the desk arrangement, set up for watching movies. The desks were pushed together in pairs, which naturally brought Yeonhee and me closer than usual.
I was staring out the window without much thought when she apparently couldn't stand even that brief silence and started teasing from beside me.
"Why are you only looking that way~?"
"Don't tell me you're embarrassed because we're so close~?"
I wasn't even thinking anything, so why was she putting on a whole one-woman show? And hadn't she been the one who got more embarrassed?
Still, I was grateful she'd thrown the first punch — now I had an excuse. I didn't hesitate. I went on the counterattack.
"You're acting like it doesn't bother you at all, huh?"
"H-huh?"
She froze, flustered by my words. Since Kang Hanbyeol and Kim Naeun were sitting in front of us, I cupped a hand to her ear and whispered.
"After you touched me like that and enjoyed it."
The moment I said it, Yeonhee seemed to remember what had happened — her face flushed bright red, and she buried it in the desk.
We'd ended up flirting without meaning to, and the jealous stares from all around us were sharp enough to sting. I glanced ahead, wondering if Kang Hanbyeol and Kim Naeun had seen it too, but—
"Why did it have to be you sitting next to me."
"That's my line."
They didn't seem to care at all.