Light Music Club

Bai Qiu apologized profusely.

"Honestly, calling a girl by the wrong name is a surefire way to lose points with her."

After taking a look at Bai Qiu's sincere expression, which didn't seem fake, and considering that he was from the Celestial Dynasty, too,

Tainaka Ritsu took the opportunity to forgive him.

Even if he had been teasing her on purpose, she wouldn't have gotten mad.

"To keep you from getting my name wrong again, just call me Ritsu."

Tainaka Ritsu patted her seemingly nonexistent chest and said magnanimously.

At the same time, she began plotting. Someone had practically delivered himself right to their door.

Ritsu glanced unobtrusively at Mio and Tsumugi.

The two seemed to understand immediately, too.

"Sure thing, Captain Ritsu."

Bai Qiu answered without hesitation. Who said Ritsu was all bluster? She was clearly more perceptive than she let on.

In just a few words, she'd already brought them closer.

"Why are you calling me Captain Ritsu?"

Tainaka Ritsu asked in confusion. Akiyama Mio and Kotobuki Tsumugi looked over curiously, too.

"Aren't you the club president? That makes you the leader here!"

Bai Qiu praised her.

"Oh, is that so? Ahahahaha..."

Captain Ritsu's face practically radiated happiness.

"Aw, stop it. You're going to make me blush with all those compliments."

"Bai Qiu-kun, I've got high hopes for you."

Light Music Club

After a while, Akiyama Mio couldn't take watching Tainaka Ritsu gloat and chatter on any longer.

Couldn't she act a little more seriously? How were they supposed to recruit new members like this?

So Akiyama Mio brought her hand down in a karate chop on Tainaka Ritsu's forehead.

Tainaka Ritsu finally settled down, looking wronged as she covered her shining forehead.

"How did you know Ritsu was the club president, Bai Qiu-kun?"

Kotobuki Tsumugi blinked at Bai Qiu as she asked.

At that, the other three looked over, too.

That was true. Had anyone even said Ritsu was the president?

"Because Ritsu was sitting in the middle, of course. Besides, she has the air of a leader."

Bai Qiu said with an exaggerated expression.

"Is that right...? Ahahahaha!"

Tainaka Ritsu started gloating again.

Akiyama Mio looked at Bai Qiu strangely. She had a feeling he was deliberately showering Ritsu with compliments to make her head swell.

To keep Ritsu from getting carried away like before,

Akiyama Mio worked up her courage and asked, "Bai... Qiu-kun, is there something you need from us?"

Could he have come to confront them about what happened last time? At the thought, Akiyama Mio suddenly felt a little worried.

"Of course. I'm here to apply to the Light Music Club. Well, not me—it's the girl beside me."

Bai Qiu patted Yui Hirasawa beside him.

Akiyama Mio felt relieved, then quickly grew excited.

"Join the club?!" ×3

"My name's Yui Hirasawa. You can just call me Yui."

Yui Hirasawa was a little disappointed that she hadn't found anything to eat, but meeting so many cute girls was nice, too.

After their initial surprise, Akiyama Mio, Kotobuki Tsumugi, and Tainaka Ritsu exchanged glances, their eyes shining.

The meaning was clear.

They were going to keep this seemingly spacey, clumsy girl in the club.

Then Tainaka Ritsu suddenly straightened up.

She sat upright, crossed her legs, and snapped her fingers.

"Kotsumugi, bring the tea."

Kotobuki Tsumugi smiled sweetly and got up to prepare some refreshments.

Before long, each of them had a delicate little cake and a steaming cup of black tea in front of them.

The tableware looked pretty high-end, too.

"Please, help yourselves."

Kotobuki Tsumugi smiled with her eyes closed. She seemed to enjoy preparing food for everyone.

Yui Hirasawa's eyes lit up. "Thanks!"

Little Qiu hadn't lied to her. There really was delicious food here.

Yui Hirasawa couldn't resist the temptation and eagerly dug into the afternoon tea.

Bai Qiu's eyes lit up, too, and he picked up his cup to take a sip of black tea.

This was the kind of treatment he'd come to expect from the Light Music Club.

Seeing that the two of them had been successfully won over by the food, the other three girls looked satisfied.

Akiyama Mio asked, "What instrument can you play, Hirasawa-san?"

Yui Hirasawa swallowed a bite of cake. "It's delicious! I can play the castanets."

"And call me Yui, since I'm calling you Little Mio, too."

Akiyama Mio blushed. That was fast. Still, she made an effort to reply, "Okay, Yui..."

Tainaka Ritsu looked surprised. "Castanets?"

Yui Hirasawa's heart skipped a beat. Wait, if she didn't know how to play any instruments, would she be barred from joining this fun club?

But Tainaka Ritsu's next words put her at ease.

"No problem at all. You can join the Light Music Club even if you can't play an instrument."

The Light Music Club's requirements seemed a little too lax, but Akiyama Mio went on to ask,

"Why do you want to join the Light Music Club, Yui?"

Yui Hirasawa had finished the cake in front of her. Her gaze drifted toward the untouched piece on Bai Qiu's table.

"Because Little Qiu said you get free—"

Yui Hirasawa stopped halfway, suddenly realizing that might not be the best thing to say.

Akiyama Mio tilted her head.

"Because I like relaxing music."

"Oh, relaxing music! So that's how Yui understands the Light Music Club."

That answer seemed to satisfy Akiyama Mio.

"One last question. The Light Music Club is currently short a guitarist. Are you willing to take the position, Yui?"

Tainaka Ritsu asked directly.

"I'll do my best!"

Yui Hirasawa declared confidently.

Great! The Light Music Club's disbandment crisis was over.

Tainaka Ritsu was thrilled. Now she was the club president in name as well as in fact.

Then Tainaka Ritsu quickly pulled out a Club Application Form, and Yui Hirasawa signed her name.

"Welcome!" ×3

Applause broke out...

Seeing this, Bai Qiu felt reassured, too.

He finished the last of his black tea and stood up. "I'll leave Yui in your hands, then. I'm heading out."

"Already leaving? Won't you have another cup?"

Kotobuki Tsumugi looked a little disappointed.

"Little Qiu, aren't you joining, too?"

Yui Hirasawa asked in surprise.

"Me? Didn't I just bring you here?"

Bai Qiu paused.

"Won't you join with me?"

Yui Hirasawa pleaded.

Bai Qiu shook his head. "I'll pass."

"But you joined Akari's Astronomy Club."

"Right. I'm already in a club."

Bai Qiu was even more confused.

"Then why won't you join the Light Music Club with me? You're playing favorites."

After saying that, Yui Hirasawa picked up the cake Bai Qiu hadn't touched and wolfed it down.

Bai Qiu froze. Wait, that didn't seem right!

Meanwhile, watching from the side, Tainaka Ritsu started getting ideas.

I never said I was going to let you leave!

She pulled Akiyama Mio and Kotobuki Tsumugi over and whispered,

"I heard that club funding depends on the number of members. If we can get Bai Qiu-kun to stay, we'll get more money! So..."

Kotobuki Tsumugi wasn't interested in money, but she was suddenly very interested in this.

Akiyama Mio blushed. "But Bai Qiu-kun's a boy..."

"Mio, don't you want to buy a new tuner? With more funding, you can buy whatever you want!"

Tainaka Ritsu tempted her.

After a token struggle, Akiyama Mio gave in.

"Mm-hmm. Watch this!"

Tainaka Ritsu nodded with satisfaction.

"Aki-kun, don't go!"

Before Bai Qiu could even take a step, Tainaka Ritsu slid across the floor and grabbed his leg, shouting at the top of her lungs.

Seeing Ritsu's complete lack of dignity, Akiyama Mio instinctively wanted to step in and stop her.

But then she remembered what Ritsu had just said.