Chapter 2 — A Name on a List
Daiki Mifune discovered he had joined a club three days later.
He found out the same way he learned most unwanted things—by accident.
"Mifune."
He looked up from his desk, pen still hovering above his notebook.
Ms. Hanada stood at the front of Class 1-A, attendance clipboard tucked under her arm. Her gaze rested on him with mild curiosity.
"Yes," Daiki replied.
"Please see me after class."
A few heads turned. Whispers followed.
Daiki frowned slightly but said nothing. He returned to his notes, though his focus slipped. He hadn't done anything wrong. He was sure of that. He always made sure of that.
Still, when the final bell rang, unease lingered.
Saito stretched beside him. "I'll wait outside."
"No need."
"I insist," Saito said cheerfully.
Daiki stood. "Go."
Saito ignored him completely and followed anyway.
Ms. Hanada adjusted her glasses as Daiki approached.
"Mifune," she said, checking the clipboard, "you haven't attended your club orientation yet."
Daiki blinked once.
"…Club?"
"Yes. The Literature and Philosophy Club."
The words didn't register at first.
Then they did.
"…There's a mistake," Daiki said calmly. "I didn't join any club."
Ms. Hanada smiled politely. "Your name is here. You were registered last week."
She turned the clipboard toward him.
Daiki Mifune — Literature and Philosophy Club
His gaze slid sideways.
Saito was standing just outside the classroom door, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling like he had nothing to do with this.
Daiki exhaled slowly.
"I see," he said.
Ms. Hanada continued, unaware. "Club participation is compulsory, as you know. The president mentioned you haven't attended even once. Please make sure you do."
"Yes," Daiki replied.
He bowed slightly and turned to leave.
The moment they stepped into the hallway, Daiki stopped.
"Saito."
"Yeah?"
"You did this."
Saito grinned. "You noticed."
"I didn't agree."
"You would've said no."
"Yes."
"Exactly."
Daiki stared at him.
Saito met his gaze easily. "You can't keep avoiding everything forever."
"I can."
"You're bad at lying," Saito said. "And worse at disappearing."
Daiki scoffed. "You signed me up without asking."
"Literature and Philosophy," Saito continued, ignoring him. "Quiet. Small. Perfect for you."
"I'm not going."
Saito shrugged. "That's between you and the club president."
Daiki's eyes narrowed. "Who is it?"
"Third year. Yuri Cheng."
Daiki paused.
"…That's not a Japanese name."
"Yeah. He's cool."
"That doesn't help."
Saito laughed. "Relax. Worst case, you show up once, then vanish."
Daiki said nothing.
He didn't like plans made for him.
He liked them even less when they made sense.
The Literature and Philosophy Club met in a small room on the third floor, tucked away from the noise of more popular clubs. The door was old, its paint chipped, the sign slightly crooked.
Daiki passed by it that afternoon without slowing down.
Inside, Yuri Cheng sat at the head of a table, flipping through a thin notebook.
"Still absent," he muttered.
Across from him, another third-year glanced up. "Maybe he quit?"
Yuri shook his head. "Name's still on the list."
He stood. "I'll check tomorrow."
By the end of the week, Daiki still hadn't attended.
Life continued as usual.
He kept his head down in class. He avoided PE. He walked home alone. He ate lunch quietly. Saito talked enough for both of them.
But something had shifted.
Sasuki Hoshino noticed.
Not consciously at first.
It was small things.
Daiki leaving class immediately when the bell rang.Daiki avoiding the hallway near the club rooms.Daiki being called out by Ms. Hanada.
She didn't know why she noticed. She told herself she didn't care.
Still, her gaze drifted to the window seat more often than before.
"Hey," Airi whispered one afternoon. "You've been staring."
"I haven't."
"You have."
Sasuki clicked her pen shut. "He's just… strange."
"That's not new."
"I know."
Sasuki frowned. "But why would someone like that join a literature club?"
Airi blinked. "He did?"
"Ms. Hanada mentioned it in the staff announcement."
Airi leaned back in her chair. "Weird."
Sasuki looked away.
He doesn't seem like the type.
Saturday arrived quietly.
Daiki sat on the floor of his apartment, helping Kira with homework. She hummed as she wrote, tongue sticking out in concentration.
"Onii-chan," she said suddenly, "do you have to go to school clubs?"
"…Yes."
"Why?"
"Rules."
She looked up. "Do you like it?"
"No."
She nodded seriously. "Then don't go."
Daiki almost smiled.
Almost.
That evening, as he lay awake, his phone buzzed.
Saito:Club president's looking for you.
Daiki stared at the screen.
He didn't reply.
Monday morning, the trap closed.
"Mifune."
Daiki froze mid-step.
He turned slowly.
A tall boy stood a few meters away, dark hair tied loosely, expression calm but sharp. He wore a third-year badge.
"You're hard to find," the boy said.
"…Who are you?"
"Yuri Cheng. Literature and Philosophy Club president."
Daiki exhaled.
"I'm busy."
Yuri tilted his head. "You've been busy for two weeks."
"I didn't sign up."
Yuri smiled faintly. "Your name says otherwise."
Daiki considered walking away.
Yuri spoke again. "You don't have to like the club."
Daiki paused.
"You don't have to talk," Yuri continued. "You don't even have to participate much."
"…Then why bother?" Daiki asked.
"Because," Yuri said, "people who avoid things usually have the most to say."
Daiki looked at him for a long moment.
"…One meeting," he said finally.
Yuri nodded. "That's enough."
For now.
As Daiki followed him down the hallway, unseen eyes watched.
From the classroom door, Sasuki Hoshino observed silently.
She didn't know why her chest felt tight.
Only that the class loner was finally moving somewhere she couldn't ignore.
End of Chapter 2