"By the way, are you interested in the club fair they mentioned over the broadcast?"
Mazumi Mami put down his chopsticks and glanced at the three girls eating with their heads down, trying to break the subtle silence at the table with a lighthearted topic.
Chisato Nishikigi immediately looked up, her eyes sparkling.
"Ah! You mean the kind you always see in novels and manga—the club that seems ordinary on the surface and has a weird name, but is actually full of incredibly talented people? They joke around and goof off most of the time, but when it counts, they have to shoulder the responsibility of saving the world!"
"Is our campus life finally about to get a little more exciting?"
The more she spoke, the more excited she became, as if she could already picture herself looking cool after joining a club like that.
"...Chisato, you should read fewer manga and light novels."
Runa Inoue deadpanned, "There's no way a club like that exists in real life."
"But what if there really is one!"
Chisato puffed out her cheeks in protest, then turned to Walnut, who was sitting nearby and leisurely sipping her soup.
"Right, right? Walnut! Use your supercomputing power to search the school database and see if there are any hidden S-rank clubs or secret organizations! I'm sure there are!"
Chisato said.
Walnut set down her soup bowl and expressionlessly pulled over a napkin to wipe her mouth.
"My computing power isn't for things like that."
Her tone held a trace of resignation.
"Besides, there's already too much about this school that we haven't figured out. I'm currently working on analyzing the S System's source code. It's enormous, and it'll take quite a while to make a complete copy without triggering any alarms."
Walnut said.
"Even so, there's nothing wrong with relaxing a little."
Mazumi picked up the conversation, his tone gentle yet decisive. "We've already made good progress—the hidden rules are more or less clear, and we've found some leads on the S System's code and the way it operates at the highest level. These things can't be rushed. We can take our time."
He paused, his expression softening.
"After all, our undercover mission at this school lasts three years. That may not seem like a long time, but it's not short, either. It's enough for us to make our plans at a comfortable pace. And we might even make an unexpected discovery. The club system at this school may not be as simple as it seems. But most importantly—"
He smiled at the three girls. "I hope you'll take some time to relax, too. You don't have to stay tense all the time."
His considerate words softened the expressions of the three maids.
"Since that's what you think, young master..."
Chisato was the first to raise her hand in agreement. "Then let's go take a look! See if there are any interesting clubs! And if there aren't—"
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation. "We'll start one ourselves!"
She put her hands on her hips, growing more enthusiastic as she spoke. "Besides, we've been cooped up in the young master's room discussing things so often lately. It doesn't feel quite right. It'd be much more convenient if we had a clubroom of our own!"
"Oh?"
Runa raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm impressed you thought of that, Chisato. I thought you'd only be interested in having fun."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!"
Chisato bristled. "Are you calling me an idiot?! I'll have you know, I'm not stupid at all! I just can't be bothered to think most of the time!"
"A club of our own..."
Walnut tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, deep in thought. "That's not a bad idea. We could handle all sorts of matters more efficiently, and it'd be convenient to gather everyone in one place. Things at this school are always changing, after all. We can't keep running back to the dorm every time."
"Since everyone seems to agree, let's go take a look."
Mazumi made the final call. "If there's no suitable club, we can start one ourselves. Having a club of our own would definitely help with our future plans."
"Hehe, then it's settled!"
Chisato clapped her hands excitedly. "We'll go together! And if there's no suitable club, we'll start one ourselves! I've even thought of a name—GJ Club!"
"...GJ Club?"
Runa furrowed her brow. "What does that meaningless club name even mean? Is it short for 'Good Job'? And what would the club do?"
"GJ Club is just GJ Club! Don't worry about the details!"
Chisato waved her hand with complete confidence.
"Wouldn't that mean the club doesn't even have any clear activities?" Walnut retorted calmly. "A club like that probably wouldn't get past the application review."
"If the application doesn't get approved—"
Chisato's thoughts leaped ahead again, a crafty glint flashing in her eyes. "Then we'll just take over the Student Council! If they won't let us have a space of our own, we'll reach for the highest position instead!"
"That's quite a leap..."
Runa pressed a hand to her forehead. "We don't even know where the Student Council is or who's in it."
"If we look, we'll find it eventually!"
Chisato laughed it off, then turned to Mazumi and blinked. "Right, young master?"
Mazumi nodded slightly. "Yes, that's certainly an option. If there's no suitable club, joining the Student Council wouldn't be a bad idea. It's an administrative body, so we'd have access to more important information."
As soon as he finished speaking, Runa immediately changed her tune. "Since that's what the young master thinks, then it really is a good option."
"Exactly."
Walnut nodded in agreement. "We'd obviously be able to do more if we had control of the Student Council."
Chisato's eyes widened, and the corner of her mouth twitched. "You... you're all so mean! Why did you all ignore me when I brought up the Student Council, but immediately agree as soon as the young master says it?!"
"Because the young master is the young master."
Runa answered without batting an eye.
"That's right. The young master's decisions are always correct."
Walnut added calmly.
"Young master—! They're all picking on me!"
Chisato immediately turned to Mazumi and complained with an aggrieved expression.
Watching Chisato's exaggerated performance, Mazumi couldn't help laughing. He gently patted her on the head.
"All right, all right. Let's take a break. We'll go check out the club fair together—consider it a walk after lunch."
His casual words dispelled the dorm's earlier, awkward tension completely, bringing the atmosphere back to its usual warmth and ease.
As for the "future" indicated by the drawing of lots, the four of them tacitly set it aside for now, waiting for a better time to face it.
As if the drawing of lots had never happened.