Noon.
During lunch, they heard a broadcast.
"Starting at five o'clock this afternoon, the club orientation will be held in the First Gymnasium.
Students interested in joining a club, please gather in the First Gymnasium.
Once again..."
Many students interested in joining clubs were already discussing it enthusiastically, but others were still unsure about the situation and wanted to ask Sakayanagi Arisu what she thought.
Sakayanagi Arisu had no idea. She didn't know whether joining a club would help their Class Points, either, so she glared at those students. "If you want to know about that, ask my adviser. Don't bother me."
Her attitude immediately put many of them off.
Katsuragi Kohei spoke up at that point. "I think we should sign up. It'll definitely be beneficial, though we should still ask Shizuka what he thinks later. In any case, I'll apply to join the Student Council again."
Before long, Yagami Shizuka returned after finishing his meal.
As soon as he came back, several people asked him about the clubs.
"Oh, the clubs? Miss Arisu already told me about them." Yagami Shizuka once again drew everyone's attention. "She said joining a club will be a big help to us in the future.
"Special Exams will also test us on things related to our interests and hobbies. Plus, joining a club will let us meet students from other classes, and some exams will involve working together with other classes.
"If a club takes part in important events or competitions and wins, it'll earn points, too.
"So, not only will clubs enrich our lives, they'll also help us earn more points in the future. We should all get involved."
His few words cleared up the doubts of many students.
If they weren't any good at exams to begin with, then they'd just have to try their best when it came to their hobbies and interests.
If someone really had nothing going for them in class, there was a good chance they'd become a target for expulsion.
With expulsion on one side and a 100% chance of employment on the other, anyone would know which to choose.
Not long after he sat down, Yagami Shizuka felt someone hitting him with a book. When he looked back, he saw Sakayanagi Arisu stretching out her arm and neck, holding the notebook rolled up into a baton.
"Hey, what club are you planning to sign up for?"
He hadn't expected her to come talk to him of her own accord.
Was she trying to find out, so she could join the same club?
But with her physical condition, she probably wouldn't be able to participate in any club.
"I don't know if this school has a food club or anything like that. If it does, I'll sign up," Yagami Shizuka said absentmindedly.
"Are you serious?" Sakayanagi Arisu asked in disbelief.
"Of course I am." He didn't bat an eye. "If there isn't one, I'd like to start one. We could meet the club's goals just by cooking and eating every day, and we'd get funding, too. We'd save three years' worth of food expenses. Wouldn't that be a great club?"
"I thought you'd have at least one particular strength, but it seems I was wrong."
Sakayanagi Arisu still didn't think the person in front of her was capable of discovering every rule. He must have learned about them through some other means.
But she'd investigated for a long time, and it was just a blank notebook. Only Kiryuin's signature couldn't be replaced.
"Miss Arisu, I think you've misunderstood something." Yagami Shizuka looked completely serious. "No one in this world is perfect. Everyone has flaws, and my flaw is that I only know a little bit about everything.
"I think it's truly sad when someone focuses on just one thing and never gets to experience the joys of anything else. Our lives should be rich and varied. We should experience everything we can so we have no regrets.
"I can do a little of everything, but I'm not an expert at anything. My dream is to sleep, and I'm especially fond of food. That's just who I am."
"What a wonderful philosophy!" Sakayanagi Arisu nodded. She agreed with that outlook on life. If not for her physical condition, she'd like to enjoy life just as Yagami Shizuka described, eating and drinking to her heart's content.
Could she make that happen?
Five in the afternoon, inside the First Gymnasium.
Quite a lot of people had come to look at the clubs. It was lively.
After each club had finished its introduction...
Sure enough, there was a food club. Here, it was called the Cooking Club.
As the name suggested, it was a club dedicated to studying cuisine and improving one's cooking skills. It was also full of beautiful girls. There wasn't a single boy.
Yagami Shizuka thought it looked pretty good and wanted to give it a try, but when he saw that it was all girls, he lost his nerve and didn't go in.
What was wrong with Japanese men? Didn't they cook?
It was a complete disgrace to men everywhere.
Back in his hometown, men who couldn't cook were laughed at.
"You're not really thinking of joining that club, are you?" Sakayanagi Arisu scoffed at the club, clearly unimpressed. "How could a club that just sits around doing nothing contribute anything to the class? You already know the rules of this school, don't you? Why join a club like that?"
Sakayanagi Arisu clearly had a big problem with his choice of club.
But back in the classroom, she hadn't seemed to mind.
"Didn't you say enjoying life was a good thing, too? Besides, cooking could come in handy during the Special Exam for the school festival. It's not completely useless.
"Food is essential to life. Just look at the first Uninhabited Island Exam. A class that can't cook might as well give up."
"This..." Sakayanagi Arisu was at a loss for words.
"Actually, if you don't approve, Miss Arisu, I don't have to join. I'll leave it entirely up to you. Just say the word, and I definitely won't."
Sakayanagi Arisu blinked her bright purple eyes rapidly, and her heart began to race again. She thought it over, then said, "If you want to help me, you'll be busy enough as it is. It's best not to join. It won't be of any practical use, and besides, is it really appropriate for a man to cook?"
"I don't see what's inappropriate about it. I already know how to cook, anyway. I can make meals for you every day from now on. The better I get, the more different dishes I can make for you."
"Ah! Cough, cough!" Sakayanagi suddenly coughed twice and nearly fell to the floor.
Sakayanagi Arisu abruptly turned away and covered her mouth, trying to contain her uncontrollable laughter.
It took a long while for her to compose herself. In a low voice, she said, "I'm tired, so I'll head back first. I'll say it again: I don't approve. You don't need to waste your time on something like this."
"Okay." Yagami Shizuka could only sigh. He'd thought Sakayanagi Arisu seemed quite happy. Why wouldn't she approve?
There was nothing he could do. If she didn't approve, Yagami Shizuka could only let it go.
The next day, in the classroom.
Katsuragi Kohei complained once again about the Student Council's lack of discernment. His application had been rejected again.
He couldn't understand it.
He'd never imagined the Student Council would have such strict requirements for its members.
Quite a few classmates teased him, saying the Student Council might have rejected him because he was bald.
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