Club President Gotō

"A club related to Devil Hunters? Is it called the Devil Hunter Club?"

Asaba Kotone immediately grew curious.

In Part Two of the original manga, Tokyo's largest high school had a Devil Hunter Club. Even the Famine Devil and the War Devil-or rather, Asa Mitaka-were members, but that was still four years away for him.

If his current high school had a Devil Hunter Club too, he might run into someone unexpected there.

"No, I think it's called... what was it again...?"

Kobeni Higashiyama couldn't quite remember. She hadn't really looked into those clubs in the first place.

"It's called the Devil Research Club, Higashiyama."

Just then, a boy wearing glasses walked over. His hair was slightly long, and his face looked almost sickly pale.

He then addressed Asaba Kotone as well. "So, Asaba, would you like to join our Devil Research Club?"

"Sorry, I'd still prefer to start a different club myself."

Once he learned it was the Devil Research Club, Asaba Kotone lost interest.

There was a big difference between a Devil Research Club and a Devil Hunter Club.

Incidentally, back in Asaba Kotone's home country in his previous life, school groups called "societies" and "departments" were different. Societies generally focused on hobbies and interests, while departments were more official organizations established by the school.

In Japan, however, they didn't use the term "society"; all such groups were called "clubs." The Devil Hunter Club, for instance, was clearly more official, while the Devil Research Club was clearly interest-based, but both were called clubs.

"All right. That's a real shame..."

The boy kept smiling.

But his narrowed eyes caught Asaba Kotone's attention.

He remembered that the boy's name seemed to be Gotō Iwen. When he had looked through the class lists earlier, he had memorized the names of everyone in Second-Year Class 1.

After Gotō Iwen left, Kobeni Higashiyama made a point of telling Asaba Kotone, "I think that Gotō guy just now is the president of the Devil Research Club..."

But she stopped halfway through.

She had meant to say that Gotō had a rather odd personality. Whenever someone turned down his invitation, he would give them the cold shoulder afterward.

The only reason Gotō had spoken normally to her just now was that he had never invited her. After all, someone as timid and cowardly as her wasn't suited to researching devils.

She hadn't said it because her own personality wasn't exactly normal either, so she wasn't in any position to criticize someone else.

"The president, huh... Still, I'm really not interested. Let's go start the Reading Club."

Asaba Kotone said.

Hearing the words "Reading Club," Kobeni Higashiyama briefly wondered whether Asaba was trying to start it for her sake.

But she immediately cut that thought short. Her face flushed as she shook her head vigorously, feeling she was getting far too carried away.

She figured Asaba must simply enjoy reading himself. After all, she had run into him at the Library before.

Normally, Kobeni Higashiyama would have gone to the Library around this time, but right now, it was the last thing on her mind.

Kobeni Higashiyama followed behind Asaba Kotone, then suddenly remembered something and immediately asked, "Wait, is it just the two of us? You usually need at least three or four people to start a club..."

"Then let's find one more person. Or do you know anyone suitable?"

Asaba Kotone actually had another option: going straight to the principal. If he did, he would definitely be allowed to form a club as an exception.

"Someone suitable... let me think..."

Kobeni Higashiyama wasn't close to many classmates, which made finding someone suitable even harder.

Just then, someone gently tapped Kobeni Higashiyama on the shoulder from behind. "Kobeni, I just heard what you two were saying. How about letting me make up the numbers?"

The hand suddenly tapping her shoulder nearly frightened Kobeni Higashiyama, but she immediately relaxed once she saw who it was. "Huh? Are you really sure?"

"We're friends, after all. Besides~..."

At that, the girl with twin ponytails shot a meaningful glance at Asaba Kotone beside them.

Kobeni Higashiyama immediately understood what the girl was implying with that look and shyly turned her face away.

"Hi, Asaba. I'm Kobeni's friend, Rika Matsumoto. Mind letting me make up the numbers?"

The girl with twin ponytails was cheerful and outgoing, giving the impression of being Kobeni Higashiyama's complete opposite.

"Of course. Welcome aboard. Let's go submit the application now."

Afterward, Asaba Kotone went to the teacher in charge of such matters to apply to establish the Reading Club.

Perhaps because of his special status, the application went through without a hitch, and he was assigned a dedicated clubroom for the Reading Club.

They didn't get a Club Advisor, though. High school clubs in Japan usually had a teacher serving as their Club Advisor, and some schools even made it mandatory.

This high school, however, had no such requirement. It was merely a verbal recommendation, leaving the decision of whether to have a Club Advisor to the president and members.

Asaba Kotone wanted more freedom to do as he pleased, so he chose not to have a Club Advisor.

With that, the Reading Club was officially established.

Still, the application process had certainly taken quite a bit of time.

And Kobeni Higashiyama still needed to continue showing him around the school, so club activities wouldn't begin until tomorrow.

Asaba Kotone happened to need some time to prepare, too. Once he got home, he would go to the Library and buy some books to put in the clubroom.

It was almost six in the evening.

Inside the Devil Research Club's clubroom, all the other members had already gone home. Only its president, Gotō Iwen, remained.

He sat in a chair with his head lowered, doing nothing, seemingly lost in thought.

He had invited Asaba Kotone to join the Devil Research Club because he was deeply curious about what devil Asaba Kotone had contracted with to gain strength beyond anything he could comprehend. He wanted to study the devil contracted with Asaba Kotone-its personality, abilities, habits, and so on.

But Asaba Kotone had declined his invitation, and he couldn't understand it. How could some Reading Club possibly be more interesting than researching devils?

Or was Asaba simply looking down on him for being an ordinary person?

Gotō Iwen was already imagining that Asaba Kotone had rejected him because he looked down on ordinary people like him. After all, as far as he was concerned, researching devils was the most interesting thing there was.

In that case, if I make a contract with a devil too... that should do it, right!

At that thought, Gotō Iwen abruptly stood up and opened a small, disused dark room inside the clubroom. He cleared away the clutter from one spot, revealing an entrance to a basement beneath the things he had just moved...

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