"But in exchange..."
Hasegawa Izumi nodded, then turned around and looked at the various animals.
"It's okay, I'll help!"
She immediately patted her chest to reassure him.
And so, two days passed.
"Izumi-chan, you and Takanashi-san have been acting so mysterious. What are you up to?"
During the lunch break, Fujiwara Chika came over, curious.
"This is classified. If you want to know, you'll have to apply to join our organization," Takanashi Rikka said, her expression turning serious.
"Are you even going to keep it from me, Izumi-chan?"
She gave Hasegawa Izumi a pitiful look.
"It's nothing. We're just planning to apply for a club, and I made a deal with Kotsuna to do it..."
He had no intention of hiding it.
"Since it's not a secret anyway, I might as well tell you," Takanashi Rikka added.
"I see..."
Fujiwara Chika swayed on her feet, then suddenly smiled without saying anything.
"Do you want to come along too, Chika?" he asked.
"I can't say no to you. Since Izumi-chan wants to invite me, I'll come with you."
Fujiwara Chika's smile bloomed like a flower.
You're the one who wanted to go, aren't you?
He couldn't be bothered to call her out.
After school.
"Takanashi Rikka and Hasegawa-kun, your club application has been approved."
Just as the three of them were heading out, Tsukumo Nanase suddenly appeared.
"Leave it to me, Izumi."
Takanashi Rikka volunteered, giving him a meaningful look.
"Okay."
"Hehe~"
On the way, Fujiwara Chika hummed a little tune, in high spirits.
"I had no idea Shuchiin had a place like this. If I'd known, I definitely would've come to look around more often."
When they arrived, she exclaimed in surprise.
After all, the Junior High Department was quite a distance from the High School Department, and she didn't know much about it.
"Oh, there's a cat! And a puppy!"
She stopped between two cages, crouched down, and reached out to greet them.
"Chika, you really do like animals," Hasegawa Izumi said, genuinely surprised.
"What kind of person do you think I am, Izumi-chan?!"
Fujiwara Chika tilted her head up and pouted in protest.
"Uh, that's hard to say."
His gaze wandered.
When he faced off against Chika, she often resorted to all kinds of underhanded tactics to win. That made him feel that her innocent-seeming exterior was somewhat of an act—that she was more of a natural schemer.
It seemed that even after knowing a friend for a long time, you didn't necessarily understand them completely.
"By the way, do these animals have names?"
Before she could get angry, Fujiwara Chika felt the puppy licking her hand and asked curiously.
"Let me think. That turtle is Prime Minister Turtle, and that carp is Little Carp..."
He pointed to the animals in the pond and began introducing them.
"That orange cat is Rainbow Cat, the black one is Black Cat Detective, and the gray one is Tom. The two pigs are Zhu Zhu Xia and Peppa. The remaining rabbit is Blue Rabbit, and the dog licking your hand is Hachiko..."
He counted off the animals in the cages one by one.
"Geh-ge-he!"
Suddenly, the rooster in the corner let out a loud crow, eager to make its presence known.
"Oh, I almost forgot you, IKUN."
He turned and pointed at it.
"Ge!"
The rooster hopped and flapped its wings, looking displeased and ready to attack.
"You even gave them all names? And you recognized every one of them. Izumi-chan, your memory is amazing!"
Fujiwara Chika held her cheeks in her hands, her voice full of admiration.
"It's nothing. You just have to remember what makes each one distinctive."
He waved it off indifferently.
"By the way, is there any special meaning behind the names you chose, Izumi-chan?"
"Um, you don't need to pry into that. It's a long story."
After helping him feed the animals, Fujiwara Chika ran into a friend beneath the school building and parted ways with him.
Just then, Hasegawa Izumi received an electronic message from Rikka and headed over to the Activity Building.
"You're finally here, Sage."
Takanashi Rikka turned her head slightly, her gaze sharp.
"Sorry for the wait, Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User."
A figure emerged from the shadows, the corner of his mouth curling into a smile.
The scene of them meeting up like this was just like the mastermind's encounter before some dark incident was about to unfold.
"Then, in accordance with my will! Open, the gate of magic that belongs to us!"
Takanashi Rikka stretched out her right hand, and the door swung open.
The lock had already been opened before he arrived. Perhaps the girl had already gone inside earlier, but had waited for him to arrive for dramatic effect.
The clubroom was surprisingly well furnished, set up just like a living room at home. There was a low table and a cabinet, and even a whole sofa set. It was downright luxurious.
Apparently, the room had once belonged to the defunct Tea Ceremony Club. Since most of the students at this school came from wealthy families and nobody cared about the expense, the furnishings had been left behind.
"It's so soft, like sitting on a marshmallow."
Takanashi Rikka plopped down on the sofa and sank into it, thoroughly enjoying the feeling.
"With this, there's no need for any unnecessary renovations," Hasegawa Izumi said after trying it out himself. He was quite pleased.
"Mm! This is perfect," Takanashi Rikka agreed.
After all, they didn't have the money to renovate it anyway.
It seemed the deal they'd made with the teacher had worked out in their favor.
After putting in a little effort to clean up, the clubroom looked brand new.
"Done."
Takanashi Rikka wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Looking at everything before them, they were both completely satisfied.
This was where their dream began!
Before recruiting members, there was one more thing to take care of: putting up the club's name.
"It's finished."
Using a calligraphy brush, Hasegawa Izumi wrote "Far East Magic Society" on a wooden plaque.
The characters were full and rounded, seemingly natural, and the brushstrokes carried a hint of sharpness.
"Oh! It's like a work of art! No wonder you're the Sage. You're even amazing at calligraphy."
Takanashi Rikka picked up the plaque, her expression filled with awe.
She also seemed to sense something special in the characters, though it was hard to describe.
"Now let me hang it up there."
She volunteered, brought over a stool, then rose onto her toes, trying to hang the plaque above the door.
But her height was a problem, so she had to stretch onto her tiptoes.
Takanashi Rikka wobbled as she finally managed to hang the plaque. Suddenly, she lost her balance and pitched forward.
"Ah!!"
Just as she was about to meet the floor up close, a strong arm suddenly appeared beneath her and caught her around the waist.
For a moment, her body was held parallel to the ground.
The situation was extremely perilous. She could even hear her own heart pounding.
Hasegawa Izumi tightened his right arm and placed his left hand against the girl's back, helping her upright.
"How could the mighty Wicked Eye of the Tyrant King User fall so low as to lose her balance? If you'd fallen and died just now, wouldn't you have become the biggest joke in the world?"
He couldn't help teasing her.
"I... I lost my composure. It's humiliating. I'll remember this day."
Takanashi Rikka stared at him, then suddenly realized what had happened. Her face turned red as a steamed shrimp, and she lowered her head.
"Never mind. Everyone has their low moments. I hope you regain your powers soon."
He patted her shoulder and comforted her.
"Mm."
She answered in a soft, quiet voice.
With their base established and their rear secured, it was time to recruit members.
But they hadn't prepared for that yet, and the first week was almost over, so they planned to start the following week.
They were about to head to the club recruitment area to see how other clubs recruited members when they realized nobody was there today.
The crowd was heading toward the auditorium.
Curious, he and Rikka followed the crowd.
It turned out that the Club Activities Information Session was being held that day. Most of the clubs had someone there explaining their activities, while the students sat below to watch.
Before you continue