Kushida took advantage of Tsukishima turning away to glance at the two Ape-men.
By now, Kanji Ike had gotten into the water, showing off the doggy paddle he'd perfected in the river like a peacock displaying its plumage.
Yamauchi, meanwhile, kept sweeping his gaze over the girls, muttering to himself and occasionally clawing at the air with his hands.
Kushida figured these two idiots really might confess to her. She couldn't help cursing them out in her head again. She felt like she needed to find some time to let off steam.
Tsukishima laughed. "All right, Saintess. Future shared girlfriend, teach me how to swim."
Maybe because his instructor had changed from a burly middle-aged man to a pretty girl, Tsukishima's swimming had improved a little.
At least, every now and then, he managed a few strokes that didn't look quite so much like doggy paddling.
Before long, the bell rang.
Tsukishima moved closer to Kushida. "Remember to come to my dorm tonight. I think I haven't been practicing enough."
Kushida nodded. She needed somewhere to let off steam, too.
At Tsukishima's dorm, she'd have to keep an eye on the noise, which wasn't ideal, but at least she wouldn't get caught like before.
Maybe she could get Tsukishima to keep watch for her in the future, so she could enjoy herself?
She could discuss it with him tonight.
After school.
Tsukishima winked at Kushida, then picked up his bag and headed for the Manga Club.
"President Yamada, look. This is a portrait I drew. How should I fix something like this?"
He took out the portrait of Kushida he'd drawn the previous night and handed it to Yamada.
Yamada and the other club members crowded around. They stared at the abstract masterpiece in silence for a moment.
"Tsukishima, if you look at the individual body parts, you've actually drawn them pretty well. The problem is the proportions. It seems like you don't have a habit of drawing guidelines. See..."
Yamada took out a pen and drew a cross on the paper. "See this cross? The horizontal line helps you determine where the eyes go, while the vertical line marks the center of the face and helps you keep it symmetrical..."
"You don't need to draw the other parts of the body all at once, either. First, use guidelines to determine the position and proportions of each part, then gradually fill in the outlines..."
With a few quick strokes, President Yamada sketched out a beautiful girl. "See? Once you've finished, erase the guidelines and you'll have the basic shape. Then you can add some details..."
Tsukishima nodded. "Got it. First, figure out where each part goes, use simple lines to mark out the rough areas, then draw the corresponding details inside them."
President Yamada nodded. "That's more or less it."
He held up Tsukishima's abstract drawing and pulled out a folder. "The first picture Tsukishima ever drew after joining the Manga Club. It's got sentimental value."
Tsukishima looked curiously at the large folder, which held quite a few sheets of paper. "President, what's this?"
President Yamada laughed. "It's a collection of the first drawings by every generation of Manga Club members. There are plenty that are even more abstract than yours. Let me show you."
He pulled out a masterpiece depicting a Cthulhu-like mass of tentacles tangled together, his face full of nostalgia. "Three years ago, young and naive, I joined the Manga Club, dreaming of becoming a great manga artist. Then, in my excitement, I drew this battle between giant robots!"
"The previous president looked at it for a long time and said I had a real talent for drawing unconventional manga..."
Tsukishima was silent for a moment. "The previous president had a keen eye for talent..."
The club members all burst out laughing.
President Yamada glanced at the sky. "All right, everyone, head back. It's getting late. Make sure you get some rest."
The club members dispersed.
Holding the example drawing the president had made, Tsukishima happily hummed to himself. At this rate, he'd be able to draw portraits in no time.
"Are you Tsukishima Yuto?"
Just as he stepped out of the club activities building, a clear voice came from beside him.
Tsukishima turned to look. A handsome blond guy was smiling at him. "And you are?"
The blond guy stepped forward. "I'm Masayoshi Hashimoto from Class A..."
Tsukishima sighed. "All right, let's go."
He put the president's example drawing into his bag. "Let's get this over with so I can head back. I've got things to do."
The private room at the café.
Tsukishima glanced around. "Quite a crowd."
There was the cane-wielding little girl, Sakayanagi Arisu, and a long-haired, hunched-over man who might have been mixed-race.
"Please, have a seat."
Masayoshi Hashimoto gestured toward the chair, then stood behind Sakayanagi.
Tsukishima sat down and took a sip of the coffee beside him. His face scrunched up. "Ugh... How about we add some sugar? Life's already bitter enough. Why make yourself suffer even more?"
The cane-wielding little girl, Sakayanagi, had been sizing him up ever since he entered. She smiled lightly. "These beans were air-shipped from Belgium. I thought you might prefer their original flavor."
As soon as she finished speaking, someone came in and set down a box of sugar cubes.
Tsukishima immediately added three. "No thanks. I've never had much interest in fancy things. As long as food fills my stomach and water quenches my thirst, that's enough. Let's get straight to the point. What did you want to see me about, young lady?"
Sakayanagi smiled softly. "I just think you're very interesting, Tsukishima. I'm curious what kind of person could leave Katsuragi so distracted these past few days that even his attacks against me have grown much weaker."
Tsukishima looked at her in confusion. "Didn't Katsuragi tell you?"
Sakayanagi smiled warmly. "Hearing it from someone else isn't as interesting as talking to the person himself. The information would be more accurate, too, wouldn't it?"
Tsukishima thought for a moment. "He didn't say much. I just explained that if Australian kangaroos got into a fight with Australians, each Australian would have to face more than twenty kangaroos."
Sakayanagi was taken aback, then laughed. "You really are interesting, Tsukishima. So who do you think would win a boxing match between a person and a kangaroo?"
Tsukishima rubbed his chin. "Hmm, that's hard to say. If the person were allowed to use tools, they'd definitely win. But kangaroos are no pushovers either. One kick can break someone's ribs. And, by the way, kangaroos don't fight with their fists. They prefer to leap up and kick people."
Sakayanagi nodded. "I see. I've learned something."
She took a sip of coffee and said casually, "Someone who could figure out the school rules within a week of starting classes shouldn't have been assigned to Class D."
Tsukishima didn't answer that. Instead, he asked curiously, "How did you know I was the one who figured it out? Ichinose wouldn't have told you, would she?"
Sakayanagi laughed. "Why don't you take a guess, Tsukishima?"
Tsukishima immediately thought of that bespectacled guy, Horikita Manabu. "Did you buy the information from the Student Council with points? Damn, I was so busy counting the money that I forgot to make those Student Council people sign a confidentiality agreement."
"Besides, Ichinose and I went to the Student Council together. All it would take is a little asking around to find out. Maybe you didn't spend any points at all."
Sakayanagi nodded. "You really should be more careful, Tsukishima."
Before you continue