Souls Collide

"Are you not planning to recruit new members for our club, Zhenglong?"

"You're already acting like you belong here when you haven't even filled out an application. Students from other classes will have to prove their abilities to pass my screening."

As we chatted, Sakayanagi had already started acting like she owned the place. In a way, she did, since this whole school belonged to her, but I wasn't someone who let just anyone in.

Judging by Sakayanagi's performance in the original story, I had my doubts about her talent in this area. She'd done such a poor job spreading rumors that it was hard to believe she was any good at it.

"I'd be interested to hear more."

After filling out the application, Sakayanagi sat up straight, putting on the air expected of a young lady from Japan's aristocracy.

"My screening is very simple. This club may look like a way to swindle your family out of its money. I won't deny that I do plan to swindle club funds with the students in Class C, but that's only on the surface. We still have to eat, after all.

"If you only want to become an ordinary member, then I'm afraid that's impossible because of our class affiliations.

"For now, I'll assume you want to become a full-fledged member of this club.

"Considering the wide gulf between the difficulty of writing literature and one's interest in it, I won't turn away anyone who genuinely loves literature. But I'll still put them to the test.

"In other words, full-fledged members of this club need to share a certain affinity with me, the club president, on a spiritual level.

"So my test will be related to that. Hiyori, you've read all the material for the story I'm about to write, right?"

I put my conversation with Sakayanagi on hold and turned my attention to Hiyori, who was sipping her plum juice in small mouthfuls.

"It's a wonderful story. I'm really looking forward to seeing you complete it, Zhenglong. Could it be...?"

Hiyori suddenly looked up, as if she'd just had an epiphany.

"Let's play a deduction game. This unfinished story is our goal. We'll try to bring it to life through our interpretation.

"I'm Shimamura, and you're Komako. Let's make our souls collide through the story. This is a game only we can play."

I opened a drawer, took out the pages Sakayanagi hadn't seen, and handed them to Hiyori again.

"If this really is a deduction game, then perhaps I should have politely declined your request from the start and left your club of my own accord. But I'm willing to believe in you, Zhenglong. Let me help you rewrite this unsatisfying story."

This time, Hiyori stayed silent for a long while. Then she let go of the gentle smile she always showed others, looked at me earnestly, and announced her decision.

"That's what it means for souls to collide. I believe we'll bring a story to life that satisfies us both. It's a shame, though: if it were published, I'd probably insist on keeping the original version. It's enough for beautiful stories to exist between us. Empty, sorrowful stories are more suited to Japan's distorted society."

I had a pretty good idea why Hiyori had become so serious. If we pieced together a story entirely from the material I'd shown her, then she and I, as the protagonists, would both be insulted by it.

"For now, if Classmate Sakayanagi is interested, you can just be a good audience member.

"After our performance, if you're still willing to join our club, I'll have another story for you to bring to life with me. It's a short one, inspired by our encounter at the supermarket yesterday."

I could feel my blood boiling. If I didn't have to attend the club orientation later, I'd have wanted to start acting it out with Hiyori right then.

While we waited, Hiyori took a notebook from her bag and began jotting down her analysis of the characters.

I, meanwhile, began copying the story I'd prepared for Sakayanagi onto several sheets of composition paper, making notes as I went.

Sakayanagi sat beside me, propping her head up with one hand as she watched me write the story out, stroke by stroke.

When it was almost time to go, I took Sakayanagi's walking speed into account and put down my pen a little early. I slipped the unfinished pages into a locked drawer in my desk.

"So what did that servant do afterward?"

It was like reaching the latest chapter of a web novel, only for the story to stop dead at the climax.

That was the situation Sakayanagi found herself in. I'd written up to the crucial moment, then left her hanging.

"I'm sure you'll understand."

Maybe that was what they meant by grandparents spoiling their grandchildren. This time, I managed to control myself and didn't glance at the bottle of plum juice in Sakayanagi's other hand.

That's right. Just as Sakayanagi's grandfather had confiscated her father's plum wine, Sakayanagi had taken my bottle of plum juice.

If I looked at the bottle in her hand while saying that, I'd be giving myself away.

Of course, she might have guessed what happened next and done it on purpose. So I hadn't lost completely.

After all, I was holding Sakayanagi's other hand right now. To keep Hiyori, who was lost in thought, from tripping on flat ground, I'd given Sakayanagi my cane to hold.

Class A would be without Sakayanagi at the helm for a while. Ryuen should be able to seize the opportunity and do something, right? I'd already passed him the information, so he'd better not waste his chance!

"I accept your earlier proposal, Zhenglong. Whether or not Hiyori can bring a story to life with you, I'm willing to take the test too. That unfinished story has that kind of power."

Sakayanagi didn't seem to mind having Sima Zhenglong act as her guide. Instead, she devoted most of her attention to thinking about how the story would continue.

Still, compared with the story he'd prepared for her, she was more interested in the one he'd prepared for Hiyori. There was quite a difference between a short story and a novella.

The two were equally difficult to write, but when it came to a good story that needed to be acted out, a longer one clearly gave the performers more room to shine.

"I will!"

"Hm?"

After Sakayanagi announced her decision, Hiyori came out of her reverie and answered with absolute conviction.

"Our souls will collide! I'll prove that my soul and Zhenglong's are a perfect match!"

After making her declaration to Sakayanagi, Hiyori returned the cane to her, then took back the bottle of plum juice from Sakayanagi's hand and put it in her own bag.