"Um... I want to start my own club."
"Start a club? That sounds pretty interesting. What kind of club do you want to start, Star Color?"
"The Board Game Club. I still need to find two people who share my interests, though. It's such a hassle."
"I'll join."
"Huh?... Huh!"
"It sounds like fun. Playing games to pass the time and stuff would be great, wouldn't it?"
"Thank you, Satoshi Satonaka!"
Even though this guy had his eye on Star Color's body, what gave him more trouble than being targeted was not having enough members. Bro, you're the real hero. Just for today, I can make an exception.
"Ahem, ahem..."
Star Color felt like his thoughts were getting weird. Damn it! There was no way he was gay!
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. We're still one person short, and I want to go to the Student Council to get an application form."
He went with Satoshi Satonaka to the Student Council's admissions office.
Ah, there were old acquaintances, Little Fist Stone Katsuragi and the universally adored Classmate Totsuka.
Star Color waved at them, and they looked over and nodded in greeting.
Little Fist Stone Katsuragi was really hardworking. Something like the Student Council was a sure thing for him, given his serious personality.
"Excuse me, Senior. I'd like an application form to start a club."
The purple-haired senior with her hair in two buns sat upright in front of him. He thought her name was Tachibana... He'd forgotten it...
Star Color didn't have that great a memory. Just remembering the names of his classmates used up most of his brain's storage. Buns? They looked like two oranges perched on her head. I'll call you Orange Sis from now on.
"You two... are you dating? The school doesn't forbid students from dating, but please don't do anything that disrupts discipline."
Only then did Star Color realize he was still holding Satonaka's hand. He immediately blushed like a steam engine and let go.
"No, no! We're both guys!"
"Wait, you're a guy?!"
Orange Sis's eyes lit up even brighter. What was with this woman? Was she a fujoshi?! Don't go seeing two guys as a couple at the drop of a hat, damn it!
"Don't get the wrong idea. We're just classmates."
Star Color covered his face with one hand, completely mortified.
"All right. Please fill this out."
Orange Sis handed him a form.
"To start a new club, you need at least three members. Once you've completed the application, submit it to the Student Council for review."
"Okay~. Thanks, Senior."
Star Color quickly filled out the application and handed it back to Orange Sis with both hands.
Orange Sis looked it over, then seemed a little confused.
"Board Game Club? What are board games? Games?"
"It means exactly what it says: games played on a tabletop."
"So they're still games, then?"
"Board games cover a lot of different things. Shogi, chess, mahjong, and playing cards have even developed into competitive sports. Strictly speaking, they're all types of board games."
"I see."
Orange Sis nodded, looking thoughtful.
"Then please wait for the Student Council's decision. We'll finish reviewing it within two or three days. If it's approved, we'll send a message to your phone, Star Color."
"Okay. Thanks, Senior Tachibana."
By the time they left the Gymnasium, it was nearly evening.
A blood-red hue covered the world, bathing everyone in the wild, wanton light of the setting sun.
"The sky's always this color..."
Star Color murmured.
"Yeah. Seeing the same scenery over and over gets old easily."
The breeze in the evening light gently brushed Tamiya Emi's hair, making it flutter and sway.
"It's like the sky has shattered."
Star Color tilted his head back to gaze at the sunset and reached out as if trying to grasp something, but his hand couldn't touch the sky. Under the blood-red light, the shadows cast by his slender waist and arms looked like cracks. They stretched outward from the center, slowly splintering...
Tamiya Emi stood there, stunned. Star Color didn't look as cute as usual. His aura was like that of a world-weary nihilist.
Star Color turned his gaze away from the sky for a moment. He looked straight at Tamiya Emi, without avoiding her eyes. His purple pupils reflected everything, pure and clear.
--Tamiya Emi saw her own blurred eyes reflected in his.
"Hahaha, don't worry. This is just the melancholy that comes with being a teenager. Don't mind it."
Star Color returned to his usual expression, rainbow colors lighting up his eyes.
Only then did Tamiya Emi realize she didn't really understand Star Color's true inner self.
"I'm starving. Um... Oh, right. Tamiya, want to try my cooking?"
"Huh? That would be too much trouble for you."
"How could it be~? Just yesterday, you said I should let you trouble me more, and now you're being so polite."
"Then I'll gladly impose on you, Star Color."
Tamiya Emi nodded and finally accepted his invitation.
"Um~, let's go to the supermarket first and buy some ingredients."
It was the first time in Tamiya Emi's life that she had been in a boy's room. She sat up straight, feeling a little uneasy.
Meanwhile, Star Color hummed a song in the kitchen that Tamiya Emi had never heard before. Even sitting in the room, she could smell the delicious food coming from the kitchen.
"Dinner will be ready soon~, Tamiya."
"Okay."
Tamiya Emi looked around curiously. So boys' and girls' rooms had the same decor and layout. She noticed that the door of Star Color's wardrobe was ajar.
Curious, she peeked inside. Mm-hmm, there were women's clothes...
Tamiya Emi's brain crashed.JPG.
A gorgeous, striking black kimono, a dazzling white dress, and an extremely revealing sheer negligee! They'd be embarrassing enough even for a girl to wear! Why did Star Color... This was so weird! Was Star Color really a boy? He was, right!... Why were there women's clothes in his wardrobe?
Could Star Color have a cross-dressing fetish?!
Tamiya Emi's crashed brain came up with an answer.
Well, I should respect my friend's hobbies. Mm-hmm.
Tamiya Emi nodded, convincing herself. She closed Star Color's wardrobe door, pretending she hadn't seen anything. Awkwardly, she paced back and forth. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart.
It's not like I'm nervous because I just imagined how cute Star Color would look wearing those clothes! That's right, I can't think about that anymore.
Tamiya Emi suppressed her feelings and desperately maintained her ladylike composure.
"Phew, don't overthink it."
"Um, what are you thinking about, Tamiya?"
The voice from behind made Tamiya Emi's body tremble slightly.
Petite and adorable Star Color wore a slightly oversized tan apron printed with rabbits. He had only put it on over his school uniform, but somehow it gave him a shy, youthful air. Just seeing Star Color's cute face was enough to soothe her, and the harmless aura he gave off, like a kitten or puppy, made him a total heartbreaker...
"Nothing... Do you need any help?"
It was also Tamiya Emi's first time being this close to a boy, but Star Color's looks made it hard for her to treat him like one. She didn't feel any awkward distance between them. It was strange.
"No need~. Dinner will be ready in a bit."
"I can already smell how good it is. I'm really looking forward to trying your cooking, Star Color."
Star Color went back to the kitchen and busied himself for a while. Then he brought out baked onion soup, beef stew with vegetables, pizza toast, and some sliced bread.
"Tada~, dinner's served. Good thing the supermarket had a microwave. I managed to make the pizza toast without a hitch."
Tamiya Emi's eyes sparkled as she looked at the dishes on the table. Their aroma alone was enough to tempt her growling stomach.
"There's pasta and rice, too. It should be enough to fill you up, Tamiya."
Star Color sat down with his legs splayed to the sides, in a kneeling position with his legs tucked beneath him, and gazed fondly at Tamiya Emi.
"You really went to so much trouble for me, Star Color."
"It wasn't any trouble~. I love seeing people's happy expressions. When Tamiya eats, you unconsciously show a little happiness, so I want to see more of that happiness of yours."
"Geez, Star Color! Don't say things that make me embarrassed."
"All right, let's start with some onion soup to wash away the day's fatigue~."
Tamiya Emi blushed and murmured softly.
"Let's eat."
The bread in the soup had soaked up the onion broth, and it melted in her mouth.
The warm broth settled in her stomach. She tasted the sweetness of the melted cheese and the savory flavor of the soup itself, the two flavors blending together in perfect balance. The satisfaction traveled from her taste buds to her nerves and filled her whole mind.
"Delicious..."
"Right~? If you run out of bread, you can help yourself to more."
Star Color smiled calmly and just gazed absentmindedly at the way Tamiya Emi ate.
"Star Color, staring at a girl while she eats isn't very gentlemanly."
Tamiya Emi looked up, a little shy and embarrassed despite her ladylike composure.
"Um, sorry. It's just that you're enjoying your food so much, Tamiya... It makes me feel hungrier, too."
Star Color blushed and scratched his cheek.
"Um... Star Color, can I just call you Star Color-kun from now on?"
"Of course. I don't mind."
"Star Color-kun..."
"What is it?"
"Thank you."
Before you continue