The HermitCraft Literature Club!

Sold My Soul

"Heeeeeeeeey!!!"

I see an annoying guy running towards me from the distance, waving his arms in the air to catch my attention. It's like he's totally oblivious to the strange looks that he's receiving from the other people passing by.

That guy is Mumbo Jumbo, my neighbor and best friend since middle school. He's the kind of friend I wouldn't see myself making now, but it just works out because we've known each other for so long.

We always used to walk to school together, but starting around high school, he started to sleep in more and more. I eventually stopped waiting for him after that.

If he's going to chase after me like this, I almost feel better pretending that I didn't see him and walking away. However, I just sigh and pause on the sidewalk, and let Mumbo catch up to me.

He stops in front of me, breathing heavily from his sprint.

"Sorry Grian! I overslept again! But I caught you this time!"

I look at him teasingly. "Maybe, but only because I decided to stop and wait for you."

Mumbo seemed a bit downcast after that. "Oh, you say that like you thought about ignoring me! That's really mean, Grian!"
"Well... if you're acting weird, I just don't want people who think we're a couple or something..."

"Okay, geez..." Then, slightly perking up, he exclaimed, "It's fine! You did wait for me, after all! I guess you couldn't be mean, even if you want to."

"Whatever you say, Mumbo. Whatever you say."

We cross the street together and make our way towards our school. As we draw near, the streets become crowded as more students arrive. A few feet away from the front entrance of the building, Mumbo stops and turns to face me, a small smile on his face.

"By the way Grian, have you decided on a club to join?"

"Come on, I already told you that I'm not interested in any clubs. I haven't even been looking."

"What?! That's not true! You told me you were going to join a club this year!"

I take off my glasses and started polishing them with a part of my uniform.

"Did I?", I say dismissively.

I guess it could be possible, if he brought it up in one of our many conversations where I space out and nod at whatever Mumbo says. He likes to worry a bit too much about me, even when I tell him I'm perfectly content with games and building.

"Uh-huh! I was saying how I was worried that you wouldn't have any useful skills before college. Your happiness is important to me, you know!" Mumbo took a deep breath and continued. "And I know that you're happy right now, but I'd die at the thought of you becoming a NEET because you're not used to the real world! You trust me, right? You don't want me to keep worrying about you!"

I suddenly feel guilty. "Alright, alright... I'll check out a few clubs if it makes you happy," I say, defeated. "No promises, though!"

"Will you at least promise me you'll try a little?", begs Mumbo, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Yeah, I guess I'll promise you that."

"Yaay~!"

I wonder why I let myself get lectured by Mumbo. More than that, I'm surprised I let myself relent to him. I guess seeing him so stressed about my wellbeing makes me want to ease his worries a bit, even if he does tend to exaggerate everything in his head.

~~~~~

The school day is as boring as ever, and it's over before I know it. After I put all my books away, I stare at my desk, trying to gather what little motivation I have left.

"Clubs..."

Since Mumbo wants me to check out some of the clubs, I guess I'll start with the video game club...

A head with a mustache peeks into the classroom.

"Hello?"

I violently shake my head, forcing myself back to reality. "Mumbo...?" I look around and realize that I'm the only one left in the room, as everyone else has already left.

Mumbo fiddled with the collar of his uniform as he walked into the classroom. "I thought I'd catch you on your way out, but I saw you in here just staring at a desk, so I came in. Honestly, you're even worse than me sometimes!"

I put my arm on the table and leaned into my palm, looking up at Mumbo.

"You don't need to stay and wait for me if that's gonna make you late to your club."

"Well... I thought that you might need some encouragement, so I..." Mumbo looks down, hands in his pockets.

"What?"

"Well, I thought that you could come to my club!"

I was understandably hesitant about going to his club.

"Mumbo..."

"Yeah?" He turns to me, hope shining in his eyes.

"...There is no way I'm going to your club."

"What?! That's mean..."

Mumbo is vice president of the Literature Club. Not that I was ever aware of his interest in literature. In fact, I'm fairly certain that he only joined because he thought it would be fun to start something new. Since he was the first who showed interest in the idea after the guy who suggested it, he got the title of "Vice President". That said, my interest in literature is guaranteed to be even less than Mumbo's.

"Come on, please?"

Now laying my face on the desk, I ask in a weary voice, "Why do you care this much, anyway?"

Mumbo blushes. "I... kind of told the club yesterday that I would bring a new member... and Scar made cookies and everything..." He nervously laughs.

"Don't make promises that you can't keep, Mumbo!"

I can't tell if Mumbo has this all planned out, or if he's just that much of a fool. Either way, I let out a long sigh.

"Fine... I'll stop by for the food, okay? Nothing else!"

Mumbo bounces in place, clearly excited. "I knew you would give in! Let's go~!"

And thus, today marks the day I sold my soul for cookies.