Chapter 24: Lit Club Meet
After the club discussions were over, Mayumi spoke up again. "Everyone, the school festival is in a couple of months and we need to plan what we will do for our Club. I'd like you all to come to my place today for dinner, we can plan everything out."
No one objected. This was expected. One of the guys excitedly nodded. "Mayumi chan is inviting us to her house!"
The folks took a taxi and left for Mayumi's place. The building was a tall building of 24 floors and she lived on the 20th.
"Wow, you live in a pretty posh apartment complex Mayumi!" One of the literature club members exclaimed.
Mayumi smiled like an elderly person. They came to her apartment door and rang the bell. "Give me a minute!" A voice came from inside.
At that moment, the elevator doors opened and Red came out of it carrying grocery bags. He saw the group of students from his school, including Rin and Aito.
"Oh, the entire Lit Club is here?" Red asked Mayumi with a smile.
Mayumi suddenly realized the awkwardness of the situation. "Yeah, we are planning for the school festival. Is your club planning anything?"
"Hmm, we will all create an individual piece of artwork. I've been learning to draw at the Art Club, so I am planning to submit a drawing eventually." Red smiled and he nodded to the others, including Rin and Aito. "Have fun!"
He then opened his door. At that moment Rin saw that there was a beautiful lady sitting inside Red's house.
"What do you want me to cook? Red asked in a bored voice as he closed the door and his voice disappeared behind the door.
Rin looked at Mayumi with a questioning look. Mayumi saw that Rin ignored Red and her voice was cold towards Rin. "That's his cousin." The group then entered the house, but the others were slightly confused. Why did Mayumi suddenly turn cold towards Rin?
Rin was surprised as well. Mayumi is always so gentle, how did she turn so cold?
Later, the Lit Club group were having dinner with Mayumi.
Mayumi's mom suddenly spoke. "Mayu, you have to thank Red for his food yesterday. It was so delicious!"
"Hehe, I'll be regularly eating at his place from now on, its a free gourmet restaurant service from the neighbor." Mayumi laughed as she remembered yesterday's food.
"Why didn't you call him for dinner as well?" Her mom asked.
"His cousin is staying with him for some time, it would be awkward if he came alone." Mayumi made an excuse. She had initially thought of inviting him, but seeing Aito and Minami, she decided to avoid it.
"Mayumi, what's wrong? Did something happen today?" One of the boys noticed that Mayumi seemed to be in a bad mood.
"Hmm? Nothing, I just have something on my mind." Mayumi said.
At that moment Mayumi received a message. After reading it she grew excited. "Mom, Red is going camping to a temple outside Tokyo for the weekend and invited me."
"Mayu, this is your final year." Her mother reminded, but then she sighed. "Forget it, I know you have your Gradfather's travelling genes within you. Just be careful when you go!"
"Don't worry mom, I'm already done with studying for the year end exams." Mayumi patted her chest proudly.
At that time, one of the club members looked at Rin. "Aren't you good friends with Red? How come he didn't invite you?"
"I... " Rin didn't know how to reply to this tactless boy.
"Rin feels like Red is not a good influence. He is too frivolous and wastes too much time and constantly flirts with girls. She didn't want to be friends with him anymore." Aito proudly said.
When the others heard that they suddenly cooled down. No one said anything, but they had only one thought in their mind. 'Ungrateful Wretch!'
However, Mayumi was angered. "Aito, how can you bad mouth Red like this?"
Aito raised his hand and shrugged. "Did I say anything wrong? It is really the reason why Rin has stopped being friends with him."
Rin quietly bit her lip amd said nothing. She had already decided to abandon Red and her choice was Aito.
Mayumi shook her head, but she didn't say any further.
In Red's flat, Lupa was busy playing a danmaku game on the tv using a controller. Red looked at the TV and was bewildered.
"You are playing a Touhou game on Lunatic difficulty?" Red asked.
"Heh, I'm trying for a 1cc." (1 credit clear) Lupa snorted.
Red looked at her playing and shook his head. "Getting 1cc on lunatic mode isn't easy." Red said.
Touhou games were a popular bullet hell game series a couple of decades back whose fandom has continued to endure and formed a nostalgic community. They are known for their incredible difficulty. Red used to play them to improve his finger speed and attention.
Red ignored Lupa and began cooking. After dinner, he sat down and began meditating, ignoring Lupa, who was still rage quitting and restarting the game on lunatic mode.
Lupa eventually got frustrated and stopped. She looled at Red who was sitting and meditating, then remembered that he was like this even at the middle of the night.
"Do you meditate like this all night?" Lupa asked. "Don't you need to sleep?"
"Sleep? This is a replacement for sleeping and tempers my mind." Red calmly replied.
Lupa shook her head and went back to the bedroom to sleep.
The next day at school, the atmosphere didn't feel right. When Red came in, he saw people staring at him with a complicated gaze and others were looking at Aito with disgust and disappointed by Rin.
Red walked to his seat confused as ever. "What did I do now?" He asked Yui. "Why is everyone staring at me?"
"You should look at the class group chat more often." Yui said. "Its not something you did, but what others did to you."
"Huh? No one did anything to me." Red said in confusion.
Yui took out her phone and showed a post on the school forum, confessions sub forum.
"I am posting anonymously because I don't want my name to be revealed. I am friends with some Literature club members and heard this from them.
Red helped Aito get a makeover, encouraged him and helped him not be bullied when his confession got shot down by Rin and even organized a class trip to help the two resolve their differences.
In the end? Rin hugs Red, then abandons him and avoids him. Red clearly has feelings for Rin but he chose to ignore them for her sake. In the end Rin becomes Aito's girlfriend and yesterday at Literature Club both bad mouthed Red calling him bad names, saying that interacting with him is frivolous..."
"Who is so bored?" Red asked in anger. "Stupid gossip crap!" He acted as if he didn't believe it. However, the post had blown up and hundreds of people were stunned by this.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone