Capítulo 26: The Art Club
Izumi Kotomi and Megumi Kato found a bench on the street and sat down.
"The first time I ever had a crepe, it was an orange peel-flavored one," Megumi Kato said with a smile as she took a small bite of her crepe. "I didn't like oranges much before, but after that, I started to enjoy the taste."
"Really? I've always liked oranges, but I'm not a big fan of the white pith on them."
Whenever Izumi Kotomi peeled an orange, she would meticulously remove the white pith from the fruit. Of course, if she was in a hurry or just feeling lazy, she wouldn't bother and would eat the orange as is.
"Would you like to try some?"
Megumi Kato, after taking another bite, offered her orange peel crepe to Izumi Kotomi.
"Huh?" Izumi Kotomi looked up nervously at the crepe Megumi Kato held out. If she took a bite, would that count as an indirect kiss?
But...
She really wanted to try it!
Finally, she silently chanted in her mind: We're both girls, we're both girls...
Then, she hesitantly opened her cherry-red lips and took a small bite of the orange peel crepe.
The orange peel crepe, despite what one might think, didn't just have a bunch of orange peels rolled inside. Instead, it featured thin strips of candied orange peel, along with orange juice cooked down with sugar and liqueur to make a syrup, which was then drizzled over the crepe. There was also a version where the crepe itself was soaked in the orange syrup.
"Is it good?" Megumi Kato asked with a gentle smile.
"It's really good," Izumi Kotomi nodded.
Megumi Kato smiled again and continued eating her crepe. Whether it was her imagination or not, Izumi Kotomi couldn't help but feel that after she had taken a bite, Megumi Kato seemed to be enjoying her crepe even more.
Before, Megumi Kato had been taking small bites, but now, with her eyes slightly closed, she seemed to savor each mouthful, as if the crepe had become magically more delicious after being shared.
Gradually, the evening sun began to paint the sky with hues of red, casting a lazy, golden glow over everything. Whether on the streets or indoors, the presence of twilight always brought about a sense of calm.
Izumi Kotomi had always loved the moment when dusk began to settle in.
For as long as she could remember, she had cherished the feeling of creating something during twilight.
She loved the sound of birds in the morning, just as much as she loved the setting sun's final act of the day.
"It's getting late," Megumi Kato remarked softly.
"Yeah, if I get home too late, my mom might scold me," Izumi Kotomi said, finishing the last bite of her strawberry and cream crepe.
"You really seem to listen to your mom."
"Mm-hmm, I'm a good girl," Izumi Kotomi replied with a hint of pride.
After saying that, she realized she had spoken with a bit of self-satisfaction. But was listening to your mom really something to be proud of?
Maybe, but not always.
After finishing their crepes, Izumi Kotomi and Megumi Kato didn't linger on the street but headed home together.
It was convenient that their homes were on the same route.
They could walk home and chat until they reached their doorsteps.
"By the way, have you thought about which club to join?" Megumi Kato asked as they walked.
Izumi Kotomi was reminded of the announcement Shizuka Hiratsuka had made earlier in the day, just before the last class, about club activities.
Every high school had clubs, either officially established by the school or small, student-organized ones created by like-minded students.
However, first-year students weren't allowed to create their own clubs. They could only apply to start one in their second year.
Izumi Kotomi had indeed been thinking about joining a club.
The literature club and the art club were her top choices.
As for the anime club, Izumi Kotomi hadn't really considered it. She had heard that Sobu High School's anime club was more like a gathering of popular guys and girls—a "normie" club.
A second-year student had once vented his frustration: "Damn it! When I first joined Sobu High School, I was so excited to hear there was an anime club. I thought I'd finally found a group of friends who loved anime and gal games as much as I did! But when I joined, I found out it was just a bunch of normies hanging out!"
Apparently, they rarely talked about anime, and the only anime they were familiar with were the ones that had become super popular.
Their club activities mostly consisted of going to karaoke together or cosplaying as couples at conventions.
After hearing that, Izumi Kotomi quickly ruled out the anime club as an option.
With her current appearance, joining the anime club might make her the club's mascot or the darling of the normie group. But Izumi Kotomi wasn't interested. It wasn't that their activities were bad—hanging out with a group of people could be fun too.
It was just that she wasn't particularly interested in the activities the anime club had to offer.
She'd rather stay at home, play games, watch new anime, catch up on old ones, write novels, or draw manga.
So, between the literature club and the art club, Izumi Kotomi made her decision after a moment's thought.
"I'm thinking of joining the art club," Izumi Kotomi said.
"The art club?"
Megumi Kato didn't seem surprised. "That makes sense. You're really good at drawing, Kotomi. I'm sure you'll have a lot to talk about with the other members."
"What about you, Megumi? Have you decided on a club yet?"
Megumi Kato shook her head with a smile. "I've looked at all the clubs, but none of them really interest me, so I'm not planning on joining any. But if you join a club, you'll have to stay at school for an extra hour every day for club activities, which means we won't be able to walk home together."
Megumi Kato's subtle reminder made Izumi Kotomi realize that if she joined the art club and Megumi didn't join any club, they wouldn't be able to walk home together anymore.
Honestly, Izumi Kotomi really enjoyed these walks home, chatting leisurely with Megumi Kato.
"It's okay," Megumi Kato suddenly said. "I heard that Sobu High School's library is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. While you're at the art club, I can go to the library to read and do my homework until your club activities are over."
"Won't that waste your time?" Izumi Kotomi asked.
"Not at all. If I finish my homework in the library, I won't have to do it when I get home."
"Oh, I see," Izumi Kotomi nodded in understanding.
As they chatted, they found themselves standing in front of Izumi Kotomi's house.
"We're here."
"So this is your house, Kotomi? A detached house with its own yard," Megumi Kato said, glancing around as if trying to memorize the exact location of Izumi Kotomi's home.
"Yes, feel free to visit anytime," Izumi Kotomi replied with a smile.
"Sure~ See you tomorrow, Kotomi."
"Bye-bye."
Izumi Kotomi waved as she said goodbye to Megumi Kato.
After seeing Megumi Kato off, Izumi Kotomi turned and walked into her house.
Her first manuscript fee had been deposited.
Now, it was time to tell her parents and sister about her writing career!
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