Who Says You Can't Join Two Clubs? / Would You Stay in the Astronomy Club with Me for the Rest of Your Life?

"Really, really!"

Tainaka Ritsu patted her chest as she promised,

"It's just like that, um, Gho... Gho-ghost..."

"Damn it, after Mio punched me, I can't remember."

Ritsu said in frustration, her vocabulary failing her.

Akiyama Mio glared at her again, annoyed.

Bai Qiu smiled. "A Ghost Member?"

"Right, right, that's it!"

Tainaka Ritsu's eyes lit up, and she gave him a thumbs-up.

Who Says You Can't Join Two Clubs?

"So, what do you think? Can I join?"

As a Ghost Member, you could attend club activities whenever you wanted.

It offered an incredible amount of freedom.

If that was the case, as long as Bai Qiu managed his time well, joining Kessoku Band's practice wouldn't be a problem.

Honestly, he'd already been wavering.

There was good food here, and there were cute girls.

Yui also wanted him to stay.

And he could earn more Notes in the Light Music Club.

Why not?

There was just one more thing.

At the thought, Bai Qiu looked troubled.

"But I've already joined the Astronomy Club. Can I join the Light Music Club too?"

"Absolutely!"

Tainaka Ritsu assured him.

Then she looked at Bai Qiu with some confusion.

"Who says you can only join one club?"

There was no rule at school saying students could only join one club, but most students had limited energy.

Some joined clubs to appease their homeroom teachers and earn credits.

Others did it to avoid standing out as loners.

Usually, everyone joined just one club.

Bai Qiu had once been in the Going-Home Club, so he clearly didn't know much about this.

"Besides, the Astronomy Club is an Interest Club, so it's even less of a problem."

Tainaka Ritsu smiled broadly.

Since the Light Music Club was also facing the threat of disbandment and the possibility of being downgraded to an Interest Club, Tainaka Ritsu had looked into the Astronomy Club as well.

After hearing that, Bai Qiu put his worries aside and smiled.

"Then I'll join. I look forward to working with you, Captain Ritsu."

"Woohoo! Leave it to me!"

Tainaka Ritsu stood tall, casting a smug glance at the other girls.

Well? Your club president was pretty cool just now, wasn't she?

But the others clearly hadn't noticed.

They were all happily welcoming Bai Qiu to the club.

Aw, that's a little disappointing, Captain Ritsu thought.

Just as she was about to say something,

a lilting, cheerful piano melody drifted in through the window.

It sounded as if it were celebrating the founding of the Light Music Club.

The piano notes floated naturally through the window, their beautiful melody striking a chord and drawing everyone in before they knew it.

Akiyama Mio, who loved music, couldn't help exclaiming, "That's amazing..."

"Yeah..."

Bai Qiu nodded too. At least, judging by his level-two piano skills, he didn't think he could play at that level yet.

In other words, this was already professional-level playing.

It seemed this school was full of experts!

"Don't go praising others and putting ourselves down! Our Tsumugi is amazing too!"

"Right, Tsumugi? This would be a piece of cake for you."

Tainaka Ritsu looked at Kotobuki Tsumugi with complete confidence.

Akiyama Mio and Bai Qiu came back to themselves and looked at her too.

Kotobuki Tsumugi looked up and thought for a moment.

"Um, I don't think I could play it that easily."

Hearing that, Tainaka Ritsu's confidence dipped a little, but she still encouraged her. "I believe in you."

Encouraged by her words, Kotobuki Tsumugi excitedly raised her fist. "I'll do my best!"

After that, Tainaka Ritsu was about to have some tea and cake to recharge.

But she discovered that everyone's plates had been cleared at some point.

"T-the cake?"

Tainaka Ritsu looked completely bewildered.

"It wasn't me!"

Yui Hirasawa shook her head frantically like a groundhog, but the crumbs at the corner of her mouth gave her away.

No wonder Yui hadn't said a word just now!

Bai Qiu and the others looked at Yui Hirasawa with a mixture of shock, curiosity, and confusion.

How big was her stomach? She'd eaten five people's worth of cake!

Yui Hirasawa stuck out her tongue cutely.

Would You Stay with Me in the Astronomy Club for the Rest of Your Life?

The next morning, in the classroom,

"Little Qiu, want to go look at guitars together after school?"

Yui Hirasawa faced Bai Qiu and invited him cheerfully.

Of course, it wouldn't just be the two of them.

Yui Hirasawa didn't have an instrument yet.

So the Light Music Club had decided to take her to a music shop after school that afternoon to see if there was a guitar she liked.

Bai Qiu thought for a moment, imagining the scene of four girls and one boy going out together.

Maybe I should pass.

They were only going to look at guitars. He didn't need to tag along.

Besides, he'd been to the music shop just a few days ago and wasn't especially interested in going again.

So Bai Qiu shook his head. "Maybe... you guys should go without me."

"Come with us! You're a club member too, Little Qiu. We're bound together by fate!"

Bai Qiu blinked. "Bound together by fate?"

They'd gotten close awfully fast.

Yui Hirasawa happily explained, "Little Ritsu said that. It sounds cool, doesn't it?"

Captain Ritsu? Her?

Who would've thought she could come up with such a profound and meaningful phrase?

Bai Qiu was doubtful, but he still nodded in agreement. "I have some other things to do."

"If you don't have enough money, I can lend you some," he added. He remembered that the guitar Yui Hirasawa had her eye on was quite expensive.

But Kotobuki Ojou-sama had managed to get it for her with her superb haggling skills.

Still, if he lent Yui Hirasawa the money to buy it, perhaps he could earn some Notes too.

"Oh, that's great!"

Yui Hirasawa was thrilled to hear that. She'd been worried she wouldn't have enough money.

After all, she didn't have much in savings. She spent whatever she had!

Next, Bai Qiu explained the concept of a "Ghost Member" to Yui Hirasawa. It seemed she hadn't listened at all the day before.

She'd been too busy eating.

"Ding, ding, ding."

The bell rang, signaling the start of class.

Bai Qiu turned around.

At some point, Takamatsu Tomo had taken her seat too.

She was looking in Bai Qiu's direction and hadn't even noticed the bell ringing.

Bai Qiu noticed and reminded her.

"Akari, what's wrong?"

"Class is starting."

"Ah... it's nothing."

Takamatsu Tomo jumped like a startled little penguin.

She quickly turned away, too nervous to look at Bai Qiu, then lowered her head and stared at the stone on her desk.

Bai Qiu vaguely felt that something was off about Akari, but he didn't think much of it.

After all, the three of them in the back row hardly ever paid attention in class.

They were all busy doing their own things.

Although he appeared to be looking at the blackboard, Bai Qiu was actually studying the system.

He'd originally had a little over 15,000 Notes, and after joining the Light Music Club with Yui Hirasawa the day before, he'd received another 5,000 Notes as a reward.

So now he had a little over 20,000 Notes.