A True LOVE [ Yandere-kun X Male Rivals ]

[3] Clubs or Not

As the teacher continued his lesson, explaining the classes of the days to come, Ayano felt himself dozing off. Only hours had passed since his visit to the nurse's office, but it felt like an eternity to him. Glancing at the clock, he could see he had at least a few minutes before lunch break.

As if on cue, the teacher began wrapping up his lesson, although Ayato couldn't care less. He always studied at home anyway, so paying attention in class was something he didn't do very often. The words 'clubs', however, reached his ears, and soon he found himself watching his teacher with attention.

"These past years, joining a club was a voluntary choice. As a third-year student, you are obligated to join a club for the coming semester. It can be any club of choice. Just make sure to pick one before the deadline next week."

Hearing a groan from Taro, who was sitting beside him, Ayato couldn't help but agree. He didn't see the point in staying late at school only to do club activities, so these past years, he opted not to join any club. Now, it seemed like he didn't have a choice to begin with. As he groaned internally, the sound of the bell rang throughout the class, and everyone began leaving for lunch.

As Ayato got up, he heard Taro call out to him.

"Aishi-kun, are you going somewhere? If not, do you want to eat lunch with us?" Taro politely asked.

Normally, Ayato ate his lunch wherever or not at all, but he figured it couldn't hurt to join them, especially since Osano seemed enthusiastic about keeping him around.

"Sure, let me just grab my lunch."

"Let's eat on the rooftop!" Osano decided as the three of them began walking to their destination.

Once they reached the rooftop and settled down on a bench, Osano turned to Ayato. "Do you know what clubs you're going to join, Aishi-kun?"

"Clubs?" Ayato said as he raised an eyebrow at him, "I'm not sure. I didn't join any clubs before."

"You didn't?!" Osano exclaimed in surprise as if he had just admitted to a war crime. "Club activities after class are the best part of a school week. You do fun stuff and meet new friends. I can't believe you didn't partake in any clubs."

"I can," Taro commented as he ate his meal. "Honestly, there hasn't been any club that interested me."

"Well, that's because no clubs have anything for bookworms like you," Osano irked before turning to Ayato. "I joined the cooking club in my first year, and it was really fun. The club leader was very kind, too. Maybe we can all join together this year!"

Ayato raised an eyebrow at the omitted part. "What about your second year? What club did you join then?"

To his surprise, his words weren't well-received, and Osano's face darkened. In an attempt to cover it up, Osano pouted, "Ugh, I joined the gaming club by mistake. It wasn't my thing at all. I wouldn't join this year either!"

"Is it that bad?" Taro responded, to which Osano doubled down. "It's full of geeks and people with no life besides gaming and school! I couldn't stand the suffocating atmosphere, so I left the first chance I got."

The expression on his face and the hidden meaning behind his words didn't escape Ayato as he watched the two discuss a topic related to gaming. A sense of curiosity welled up in him, but he brushed it off, knowing that it wasn't his place or his care to ask any further.

As the two continued talking, Osano turned back to Ayato, who was almost done eating. "Back to the topic at hand. Do you have a club in mind?"

"I think I'll look around," Ayato decided, considering he didn't have much choice. "The cooking club sounds like something I can do. I might check there first."