Chapter 8. Literature club (2)

"You don't have those books here."

"Yeah, we didn't have the books you are looking for."

Ren sighed as he looked at the library committee member.

He was currently in the library trying to find some of the novels he wanted to read.

As he was short on money, he thought that he could borrow the novels from the library.

That's why he visited the library after school but the result was unexpected.

The books he was looking for had either been taken away by someone or they are not available in the library.

"Why don't you have those famous novels?"

When Ren asked that question, the library committee member just shrugged his hands and said.

"Do you think the library would have all the books?"

"Didn't the library should at least have some famous novels?"

"I am only responsible for taking care of books, not buying them and we do have some novels if you want to read them."

Ren just sighed hearing the answer. He knew that the library have some novels but he had already read those. 

As Ren was about to leave the library, the library committee member said.

"If you really want to read those novels, I knew the place where you can find them."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you could find those books in the literature club."

"Literature club!"

Ren hadn't heard of the literature club but from its name, he can tell what kind of club it was.

"Many people don't know but there are many novels in the literature club. The teacher in charge of that club like to collect books. You could even find some light novels there."

"Can you tell me where I could find the literature club?"

"Go to the third floor. The last room there is the literature club."

The library committee member said as he started reading his book. Ren just thanked him and left. He didn't wanted to disturb him more.

* * *

"It really has many books."

Ren muttered as he entered the literature club. There were many bookshelves full of books in the room. 

Many papers were also scattered on the floor and the room wasn't very tidy but Ren didn't care about it.

His eyes were on the books. 

'There really are all kinds of novels here.'

There were almost all of the famous novels in the bookshelves. There were also novels of his favourite authors.

"Why are there light novels in the literature club?"

Ren muttered as he noticed some volumes of light novels. He was confused as to why there were light novels in the literature club but he didn't think about it much.

He was here to find some novels to read not to figure out why there were light novels in the literature club.

'Ah, here it is.'

As Ren was looking around, he finally found the book he was looking for. 

«Undeserving»

It was a book that was written by Nagami Yuu, one of his favourite authors. He was looking for that book to find some inspiration for his story.

As the setting of his book and «Undeserving» was same, Ren thought he could gain some inspiration from it.

Although the setting of both the books were the same as they were both the stories of geniuses, the plot was vastly different.

"Can I take it without asking anyone?"

Although Ren had found the book, he was hesitant to take it back as it will be considered theft If he took it without asking anyone.

'Slide!'

As he was thinking of whether to take the book or not, the door suddenly opened.

"Ah, what are you doing here….Amano-kun?"

"Nakai sensei?!"

It was Nakai sensei and a glasses wearing boy who entered the room. 

"Why is that book in your hand Amano-kun?"

Nakai sensei asked as he glanced towards the book in Ren's hand.

"Ah, no, I was just thinking of borrowing it for a bit?"

Ren answered hurriedly. He was in a awkward situation as he was seen taking the book.

He knew he had not done something wrong but the timing of the situation made him feel like he was caught stealing.

"Oh, you are just borrowing the book?"

Nakai sensei said as he came close to Ren and put a hand on his shoulder. His face was smiling but Ren felt that it was a devil smiling in front of him.

"Yes, I was just borrowing it for a bit?"

"Really? You are sure you aren't stealing instead of borrowing?"

"Yeah, I am sure."

"But you know the books in the literature club can't be 'borrowed' without the permission of the teacher in charge and that would be me."

"Huh?!"

Ren was surprised when he heard Nakai sensei's words. He really didn't knew that Nakai sensei was in charge of the literature club.

When he think about it, it also made sense, Nakai sensei was the literature teacher. It made sense for him to be in charge of the literature club.

"If I think about it, I hadn't gave you any permission to borrow a book, right."

"Ahh?!"

Ren just groaned instead of any response. He can't think of any response.

"Um, can you tell me what is going in?"

As they were talking among themselves, the bespectacled boy spoke.

"Oh, It isn't much Himuro-kun, Amano here is our newest member "

"Huhhh?!"

Both Ren and the bespectacled boy named Himuro shrieked loudly at Nakai sensei's words.

"What are you saying? When did I joined the literature club?"

"Do you want me to report to the discipline committee that you were stealing books?"

"Ah! Are you blackmailing me?"

"No, I will not use those petty methods. It is a equivalent exchange. You can borrow those books without any permission if you joined the literature club. Don't you think it is a good thing for you."

"Huh!"

Ren fell in  thoughts at Nakai sensei words, it was true that he will be able to borrow books from the literature club if he joined it but he had to give up his free time if he really did that.

"Is it really worth it?"

Ren thought about it for some time and after thinking about the prices of novels in the market, he finally made up his mind to join the club.

It wasn't like he had to give up something valuable for it, it will only take his free time.

"So, what do you think about it?"

"Ah, I will join the club."

Ren said as he softly sighed and Nakai sensei had a huge smile on his face when he heard Ren's response.

"Haha, that's the answer I was looking for. Now, clean up the literature club room as your first task."

"What?!"

"Didn't you heard me. I said to clean the room. Don't you think it is too dirty for a room. As a club member, it's your duty to clean it. Himuro-kun, here will help you."

Nakai sensei said as he left the club room with a smile on his face.

"Nakai sensei is somewhat weird but he's good at teaching and he is very knowledgeable about literature. By the way, Nice to meet you, I am Himuro Kouji."

"Amano Ren, it's nice to meet you too."

Ren said with a smile but he was frowning inwardly thinking about his future days with the devil teacher.

Fame, wealth, prestige, genius, destruction, despair, loss and failure.

Those are the eight words which describes Ren's life completely.

He was hailed as a genius but his arrogance led him to despair. From a genius, he became a failure.

He was just struggling with his life when fate gave him a second chance.

Now, what will he do after he found himself waking up in another world.

A min-maxing Self-Insert ruins himself at character creation because S.P.E.C.I.A.L.

Story Written by Fulcon.

Professor Jien Wang came to Korea to participate in a symposium. After he completed his schedule, he came straight to GH Mobile in Jiksan Town with Attorney Young-Jin Kim from Kim & Jeong Law Firm. They didn't even stop by a rest area on the way.
"I like this factory. It looks very well built."
After they looked around at the factory yard, they walked up to the second floor where the president's office was located. Gun-Ho was so happy to see them.
"Hey, Jien Wang!"
"Gun-Ho Goo! It's really good to see you, friend."
"Long time no see, Attorney Kim. Have a seat."
After having a handshake, the three men finally sat on chairs.
"So, you are done with the symposium?"
"Yes, I came straight here to see you, Gun-Ho, after the symposium."
"I know Attorney Kim came here once when we had the building dedication ceremony, but this must be your first time here, right, Jien Wang?"
"I took a quick glance of the factory on the way up to your office. I know I came here before, but the factory looks different somehow."
"You haven't been to the production field yet, have you?"
"No, I haven't yet."
"Maybe you can have a tour of the factory first before we leave to play golf."
Gun-Ho made a call to Jong-Suk Park and asked him to come to his office.
Jong-Suk Park soon came to Gun-Ho's office. He was wearing the GH Mobile uniform.
"This is our plant manager."
"Oh, Chang Zhang (factory manager)!"
Jien Wang extended his hand to Jong-Suk for a handshake.
"I think I have seen this person before."
"Probably so, since he is a very good friend of mine. He is like a brother to me. Jong-Suk, please give my two friends here on a tour of our factory."
 
Jong-Suk took Professor Jien Wang and Attorney Young-Jin Kim to his daily workplace—the production field.
When the workers in the production field saw two men in a business suit coming to the worksite while following their plant manager, they thought Professor Wang and Attorney Kim were the investigators from a buyer company to check their factory. And they got busy cleaning the worksite by organizing incomplete products and moving the defective products somewhere that wasn't so obvious.
After observing the products pouring out of extruding machines and molding machines, Jien Wang nodded his head.
"Gun-Ho Goo is indeed an incredible man."
The machines in the factory were being maintained extremely clean; thanks to My Machine program. The machines were placed in a very well organized way, and the factory overall was neat and clean.
"I can't believe this factory maintains the cleanliness to this level. I haven't seen a factory this clean in China."
Attorney Young-Jin Kim was interpreting for Professor Jien Wang. Whenever Jong-Suk Park explained about the production system, Attorney Kim interpreted it into Chinese for Professor Wang. The production workers, who were paying attention to the visitors, were wondering as they saw them speaking in English.
"They are speaking in English. They are not the investigators from our customer companies then. Are they Korean Americans?"
"It seems like."
The workers were interested in the visitors to their worksite.
Jien Wang took out his smartphone to take some pictures of the factory when Jong-Suk stopped him.
"Taking a picture is not allowed in our factory. I am sorry about it. If you really need to do so, you need to get permission from President Goo first."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know that."
Professor Jien Wang put his smartphone back to his pocket.
After taking a tour of the production field, they went back to the second floor to Gun-Ho's office.
"How was it?"
"Wow. I couldn't believe what I saw. It was so clean. I think I need to send some of the Chinese factory owners here to learn."
"I am sure Chinese factories are clean enough too."
"I'm serious. I was very impressed. The business owners in China should learn from you."
"Shall we head to the country club now?"
"Sounds good."
 
Gun-Ho took Jien Wang and Young-Jin Kim to Sangrok Country Club. It was located very close to his GH Mobile factory in Jiksan Town.
"So, this is the country club that is operated by the National Pension Service of Korea, huh?"
When Jien Wang recalled what he heard from Gun-Ho about Sangrok Country Club, Attorney Young-Jin Kim was surprised.
"Jien Wang! You seem to know more about things in Korea than me."
"Nah. Gun-Ho Goo told me the other day."
While Gun-Ho and Young-Jin brought their own golf clubs, Jien Wang had to borrow a full set of golf gear including golf gloves and golf shoes. Gun-Ho paid for everything with a credit card, including a golf cart and golf caddies.
"Gun-Ho Goo, you are spending money again for us."
"That's okay. I'm using my company credit card."
Gun-Ho waved the credit card as he said so.
"This is what I like about a businessman. Many professors are not so cool when it comes to payment for anything."
The golf course was not busy at all since it was a weekday.
Attorney Young-Jin Kim was very good at golfing as expected while Gun-Ho Goo and Jien-Wang made frequent mistakes in hitting the golf ball. They often made over par.
"Let's take a break. It has been a while since the last time I played golf. I feel tired already. Why don't we take a rest at the Shade House over there?"
"Sure."
The Shade House in the forest had a great view of the golf course. The three men had fruit beverages while looking at the view.
"Attorney Kim, are you playing golf like everyday? You can't be this good otherwise."
"Haha. I just started playing golf at an early age when I was in school. I used to play golf with my dad when I was little."
"I see. No wonder why people from a wealthy family usually play golf very well."
"Aren't you from a wealthy family too, Jien Wang? You studied in the U.S. at Yale University. It must cost a lot to travel from China to the U.S. and study there. I thought you could do so because of your family's stable financial support."
"Not necessarily. My father is a college professor just like me. I could study abroad because the Zhejiang government granted me a scholarship. We shouldn't talk about who has more money in front of Gun-Ho Goo. He is the richest among us. The god of wealth seems to be attached to Gun-Ho only."
Gun-Ho was thinking while having his beverage.
'That's right. I am the man with ShinWangJaeWang fate.'
 
"I wish Seukang Li is here with us today."
"Yeah. Oh, Seukang Li asked me how you are doing. He said he wants to meet you, Gun-Ho."
"Me? Why?"
"As you know, Seukang Li is in charge of the bureau of cultural affairs and media. His office is hosting a book exhibition in Shanghai, and he said a lot of publishing companies from other countries participated in it, and that helped his work a lot. He heard that you, President Goo, have a publishing company called GH Media. He wants you to come and join him in the book exhibition."
"GH Media usually publishes American or Japanese books after translating into the Korean language. I don't think we have any books we can participate in the book exhibition in Shanghai with."
"What about you publishing Chinese books?"
"President Jeong-Sook Park of GH Media said she doesn't do Chinese books because they are not very popular."
"I see. That makes sense. I was told that they stopped printing out my book after the second edition. Chinese books are not very fun to read, even for me. But I want to help Seukang Li in some way…"
Gun-Ho recalled the fact that Seukang Li helped GH Parts Company's business by introducing a window manufacturing company to Min-Hyeok Kim. And that increased the company's sales revenue. Gun-Ho wanted to help Seukang Li as well.
"Well, I guess I can still participate in his book exhibition."
"Seukang Li will be very happy if you can just participate."

This is the story of a poor young man whose poverty even shreds apart their family willing to climb his way through society and into the top. A very realistic novel that moves away from fantasy and sci-fi and focuses solely on the issues of society and life.

"I-Is this t-the Literature.....Club?"

The boy shyly asked us as the girl beside her waited for him. I knew that girl because Brother claimed that she is his first friend in here.

Fujimoto Aki...was it?

The other club members were certainly not happy at their presence, especially with that girl.

"Yes, and who might you be?"

Since no one responded to the boy's question, I took the initiative which bewildered the others.

"Ah y-yes, my name i-is Ki-Kinoshita Ken..."

"Kinoshita...Okay, my name is Kaburagi Reika. Nice to meet you."

I retained his name as I displayed an etiquette by slightly bowing. Kinoshita too made a bow but lower than mine.

"N-Nice to meet you t-too."

I guess he was just nervous meeting with new people. Is he the anti-social type? Well, I did not continue the conversation since I was just a member of this club.

So I glanced at the President for this Literature Club. A third-year girl who snapped out of the astonishment she received and caught on to what my glance meant.

She had a black bob hairstyle which went well with her chubby cheeks. She was a bit taller than me.

She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and spoke with respect despite knowing that Kinoshita boy is affiliated with the delinquent girl Fujimoto Aki.

"Hello, my name is Fuwa Hijiri. The President of the Literature Club."

She bowed slightly, just like a replica of what I did moments ago.

"H-Hello to you too. My name is Ki-Kinoshita...Ken."

The nervousness crept in Kinoshita's voice and Fuwa grasped his personality a bit with this small introduction.

The girl beside Kinoshita tapped him on his back and whispered something in his ear. Then she proceeded to exit this room.

"Sorry for intruding."

Fujimoto slid open the door behind her and closed it, leaving Kinoshita on his own to deal with us. 

Fuwa, the Club's President, started the conversation as it was her authority to do so.

"So Kinoshita, do you need anything from us?"

"Ah yes..... I wish to j-join the Literature Club."

"...This late?"

I also found it strange that he would try to join a club this late. There must have been something that compelled him to do such action.

Fuwa-senpai also had the same doubt. She asked for the cause.

"Kinoshita, why do you want to join this club? That too at this time?"

Kinoshita, a bit flustered by the question, decided to divulge the reason. He stuttered as he embarrassingly replied to us all.

"I-It is a bit of a.....selfish reason. Umm..... it was to stop people from having the intention to persuade me to join....their club."

"Huh?"

Fuwa-senpai was appalled and disappointed at Kinoshita's answer to his question.

I did not think that he was lying so I believed him to some extent. But still, joining a club for the sole reason of obstructing other people to make him join a club...

Listening to the cause, it was quite harsh for me. I don't know about the other members but I was certainly disappointed and hurt.

"...Y-Yes, there was quite a number that tried to recruit me but I do not want to enlist in a club. So i-"

"So you thought of going into a club that does particularly nothing to halt the recruiter's persistence........ Am I right?"

The one who intervened with a slight furious tone was the sole boy member of this club. 

Matsuoka Takeo. That was his name.

He is a second-year, an upperclassman of mine who I was with good terms. Even though he had a decent looking face, he was quite nerdy in his behaviours.

Out of all of the four members here, I understood that he was the one who loved reading books the most. 

Is it wrong that I thought he would be the type that would play around with women? 

After all, he had this air surrounding him as if he would woo any girl approaching him.

But no. After conversing with him, the assumptions that I had were completely shut down. His personality was entirely different, far away from what I envisioned.

He loves books and if someone berates his hobby, then he will get angry, that's why this scene was unfolding.

"...Yes, that....is right."

Matsuoka-senpai turned his sight away from Kinoshita as he was disgusted by him.

"Worthless."

".....Eh?"

Kinoshita was genuinely confused by Matsuoka-senpai. He returned back to reading a book that he was previously holding in his hands.

Another girl beside Matsuoka-senpai was worried about both of their interactions. So she frantically looked at the boys with concerned gazes. 

She is Oshiro Misumi. Another second year.

From when we talked, I could conclude that she was the timid type, even with people who were close to her. But there was an exception which applied to Matsuoka-senpai.

Oshiro-senpai is the childhood friend of Matsuoka-senpai, which explains the lack of shyness when she would talk to him.

Well, she is pretty beautiful and on top of that, she is smart. If her socializing skills would improve then I'm sure that she would be popular in the school. 

"By the way, just to make myself clear. I'm against it." Matsuoka-senpai nonchalantly declared to the other members.

Oshiro-senpai beside Matsuoka-senpai reluctantly nodded alongside his announcement.

We were silent and Kinoshita felt awkward as he stared at all of us. Fuwa-senpai coughed and made Kinoshita's sight retract to her.

"Well Kinoshita, I'm sorry but it seems that the majority here does not accept your participation in our club."

"...Eh...?"

Kinoshita did not want to hear this type of answer so he made a last push.

"...B-But, I can help you. From what I have heard, this club is lacking members. I can f-fill in the missing spot."

A tad bit of anxiousness slipped in his voice but the assertion he sprouted were indeed true.

For a club to receive funds and stray from the path of disbandment, there need to be at least 5 members and a teacher who would take on the role of an advisor.

With me as an addition to this club, currently, there are already 4 members.

Fuwa-senpai told me that last year, they were not in a dire state but when her seniors graduated, there were now fewer members. 

I wonder how the others would react to Kinoshita's attempt to help the club. 

Matsuoka-senpai was the one who replied to him.

"So you want us to accept you for namesake? What a bloody joke." He continued to antagonise Kinoshita.

Fuwa-senpai beckoned Matsuoka-senpai to keep his calm. He agreed to but to an extent. Oshiro-senpai was cooperating with Fuwa-senpai to keep him in tab.

"You are well-informed Kinoshita. It is true that we are having trouble with the number of members."

Kinoshita's face sparkled slightly as he liked the way the conversation diverted to.

After much pondering and silence between us, Fuwa-senpai made her decision. I looked at her opened her mouth and announced.

"Okay, I'll accept you."

Kinoshita wore a happy face as his eyes twinkled and the smile he had was unforgettable in his own ways. 

Hearing Fuwa-senpai's decision, I was also happy. If I see it like this, Kinoshita is close to that Fujimoto girl. And Fujimoto is close to my brother. So to speak, Kinoshita also must be close with Brother, right?.

Whenever I have the opportunity to see Brother at school far away, I always see those two stuck with him as they chatted.

I might know what Brother has been up to through Kinoshita.

"What? Fuwa-senpai, what the hell!?"

Matsuoka-senpai's outburst did not faze Fuwa-senpai. She calmly looked over Matsuoka-senpai.

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Of course! Why let him join us?"

"As Kinoshita said, we are really lacking one member. He wished to help us and I don't see any problems with that. Do you?"

"Yes! I admit that we are struggling but that doesn't mean we have to accept whoever we want! Especially someone who is associated with those two first-year thugs."

Matsuoka-senpai was not afraid to state the bitter facts about Kinoshita. He stayed silent as the two upperclassmen argued.

Oshiro-senpai was fidgeting scarily as she was frightened by how Matsuoka-senpai was rambling on and on against Kinoshita.

"So what are you implying? Do you think that Kinoshita is ill-mannered and violent just because he is close to Fujimoto Aki and Kaburagi Tenma?"

"Not only that, but he also came here for his own selfish reason and he is shamelessly coating it with a supposed aid to us."

From our perspective, what Matsuoka-senpai said was exactly what we felt. Fuwa-senpai felt like that too but I don't know why she would accept Kinoshita despite that.

"But it does not change the fact that we're still lacking a member. Do you really want me to dissolve this club?"

"No, but.....It should be someone else. Anyone but him."

"Why?"

"I'm sure that someone like him does not even glance at a book."

Kinoshita felt anguished at the way Matsuoka-senpai thought of him. I could easily discern what is going through his head, after all, he expressed his emotion on his face.

Right now, he had a concerned gaze and a wry smile to back up the awkward atmosphere he emitted. 

"Um.....Sorry to interrupt but.....I like books."

Kinoshita broke the discussion between Fuwa-senpai and Matsuoka-senpai as he added an important factor about himself. But the way Kinoshita retorted was weird.

I guessed he could not contain himself due to Matsuoka-senpai misjudging him.

"Unbelievable."

Matsuoka-senpai scoffed as he did not believe a single word that came out of Kinoshita's mouth. Kinoshita was left in disbelief. 

I saw this as an occasion and stepped in to help out Kinoshita. I don't know if what I'm about to say will be to his advantage or not but it will be up to Kinoshita.

"Then why don't you test him Matsuoka-senpai?"

He glanced at me and as if he was disgusted at me, spoke.

"So you also support that prick?"

I did not back down from his ferocious glare. Matsuoka-senpai did not distinguish on who to act so antagonistically. 

If a girl, boy, old granny, old woman or a grown-up man insults his books, he will indiscriminately lash out on that person.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Test him, Matsuoka."

Fuwa-senpai backed me up. She really liked this approach so she did not reproach me.

Matsuoka-senpai glowered at both me and Fuwa-senpai. Then finally, he looked at Kinoshita properly this time as he observed his figure.

With arrogance, Matsuoka-senpai fired a difficult question right off the bat.

"Harper Lee is one of the most influential authors in the world. What book did he write?"

That caught Kinoshita off guard. He was silent and pondered on the question.

That was not fair. 

Matsuoka-senpai read a lot of English books because they were interesting and dynamic. 

There were few English books in here so there were not that much who were read it, except Matsuoka-senpai.

Kinoshita was taking his time and Matsuoka-senpai scoffed again.

"See? He-"

"'To Kill a Mocking Bird.' Published in 1960. It focuses on racial discrimination in America. It is really popular there."

I was shocked. The others were also appalled but Matsuoka-senpai was the most affected.

"It's been a while since I read it so.....it took me some time to remember it."

Kinoshita wryly smiled as he scratched the back of his head.

Matsuoka-senpai retaliated by asking another question quickly.

"'The Great Gatsby' is-!"

"Published in 1925. American Author by the name of Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald, wrote it. The story concentrates on idealism and resistance to social upheaval. Considered one of the greatest novels of all time."

Kinoshita's demeanour change as his confidence lingered in his tone which left Matsuoka-senpai in a daze.

Kinoshita continued speaking.

"Incidentally, my favourite book is a Japanese one. Published in 1914, Written by Natsume Sõseki, Kokoro. It explores the transformation of Japan's Meiji Society to the Modern Era."

We were silent as we all listened to him.

"It also concentrates on friendships, roles of women and......family..."

Kinoshita's smile was gentler as he uttered the word 'family'.

He stopped speaking as he now embarrassingly stared at all of the members of the Literature Club, including myself.

After moments of silence, Fuwa-Senpai announced.

"Does anyone have any objections?"

Matsuoka-senpai did not say anything and looked the other way. Oshiro-senpai moved her head frantically as she signalled that she was not against it.

I silently nodded towards Fuwa-senpai's direction.

She declared.

"I do have one condition though."

That caught me off guard.

Kaburagi Tenma. That is the name of the main protagonist of this story. Or should I say, the main villain? In this story, everyone will perceive him as being manipulative, fearful and a scum. They are not wrong. People close to him see him as someone who takes advantage of others' helplessness, someone who has a stone heart, someone who is unfair. The ones who are really close to him find him interesting, funny and sometimes reliable.

But no one actually really knows his true self. Is he a coward? A kind person like those typical shounen protagonists? A lonely person? An evil manipulator? We don't know.

Before, he was not like that. He was just an ordinary kid. But what changed this 16-year-old this much? Did something absurd happened?

We also don't know the motivation that drives him to be feared and hated by those around him. Why is he doing this

The bitter truth is much darker than that.

But.....

The one thing that we understand as we progress the story is that he is doing it not because he wants to, but because of someone else. Someone else special.....

Follow the story of this despised and feared delinquent, to find out his true motives, how did he become like this, and finally, who is that someone that he is doing it for.....







PS: This is the first time that I'm writing a story. As you can see by the protagonist's name, it is set in Japan because I'm a big fan of anime in Japan. Also, I didn't put honorifics like '-san' or '-Kun' because I don't really know how it works.

After Chapter 10 or so, my writing becomes better so bear with the shitty writing skills. I improve gradually

And finally, I am grateful that you readers took your time to read my story. It's my first story so bear with it if there are too many grammar mistakes or if the story is kind of boring. Hope you all have a good time and I also hope that some readers might like the story I just wrote. Thank you.

"Gayle, wake up! You told me that you have classes by eight," there she goes again, waking me up two hours before the said time.




"Kenichi, it's only five in the morning. Let me sleep," I rolled my eyes before closing them again.




"You're like a turtle and moves slowly. Don't blame me if you're late again," she shuts the door loudly.




Kenichi jinxed my morning so like what she said, I was late again for the first period. My friend, Cloede, was snickering when the professor scolded me outside the room. I barely got in but since I'm the rank one student in my course, he let it slide.




"Did you finish your plates?" Cloede asked me when I finally sat on my seat next to hers.




I showed my work to her, "You bet, I did!"




"Ugh, I have to skip break time again." she grumbled and pouted.




We continued listening to our history professor. It was boring but our professor is an effective educationist, he makes a way to interpret it easily without the additional and irrelevant topics.




I immediately stood up when the professor bid his farewell to the class. I fixed my things, Cloede noticed what I was doing, "We have three hours vacant, what're you gonna do?"




"I'm going to the bookstore and read at the apartment," I made sure that may wallet is in my bag, "How 'bout you?"




"Can I do my plates at your place? I promise that I'll be quiet!" she insisted. I threw my key card at her, she smiled widely when she caught it.




"Don't lock the front door and buy me lunch." I quickly left her hanging so that she can't argue with me.


I saw some familiar faces while walking down the hallway so I had to greet them. When I was already out of the campus, I can only see few students from different departments since there are different schedules. I was smiling from ear to ear while passing by the familiar street where the bookstore is located.


Casually opening the door, the owner smiled when he saw me, "Here for a new book?"


"Yes! Are there new arrivals?"


He pointed at the pile of books that aren't placed in the shelves, "Check it out yourself. There are no discounts today."


"Of course, Mr. Pete. I'll pay handsomely," I winked at him which made us both laugh. I've been in and out in this place for two years already. That's why I'm close to Mr. Pete, who's the same page as my grandpa.


I browsed the pile, nit-picking my next book by reading the sypnosis at the back. There are three books that I like but I can only buy one so I placed the books in front of Mr. Pete, "Good sir, can you please reserve these two books for me?"


"Well, of course, Gayle." he nodded and hid it in a drawer. "Is this your final choice?"


"Yes, please." I took the exact amount of money from my wallet and handed it to him. "Thanks, Mr. Pete!"


The apartment isn't that faraway from the university, just a walking distance. I went inside a mart first to buy a drink and then made my way to my comfy home. Cloede followed my instructions to not lock the door, I saw her biting her lip while doing her plates when I entered. "You're back, your food's here."


I sat on the chair across her, "Did you eat?"


"Nope, later." She didn't even bat on eye on me.


"You went out again last night, didn't you?"


She avoided my gaze, "Hestia blackmailed me with free beer. It's not my fault that you and Kenichi aren't easily persuaded with free drinks."


"Kenichi was busy with her readings while I was doing my plates," I shrugged and mocked her, "If you did it last night then you won't look like that now."


"I get it. Geez," she rolled her eyes and focused again.


I ate my lunch and went inside my room to read the book I just bought. I flipped through the pages and I swear, it relieved my stress. I set an alarm so that I won't forget the time.


When I opened the book on its first page, I saw a familiar handwriting. And the note says: You're a book that I couldn't read. I ain't giving up on you, that's the last thing I would do.


Someone knocked lightly, "Gayle, can I borrow your architectural structures book?"


"Okay, sure. Wait a minute," I sighed and looked for it on my upper shelves. The clumsy Gayle did her thing again and dropped a few books on my head, "Ow." I scratched it for a minute before picking up the books that fell.


And there, I saw it again. That same handwriting that says: This isn't the right time for us but maybe someday, we can. My feelings for you will last for a lifetime.


The door opened and Cloede entered the room, "Are you hurt?" she helped me clean things up and found the book she was looking for, "I'll go back outside."


My curiosity kicked in and made me compile all the books I've bought from Mr. Pete's store and checked each. I separated the books that contained notes with the same handwriting. All of the notes seemed like a letter of love for someone. And at the back of the books, there are initials, "K.Q."


I noticed that the books are my favorite ones or should I say, the books that changed my perspective in life. How come I've noticed this just now? I should probably return these 'cause it seemed like valuable items.


My leisure time for reading went to packing, I piled everything inside a box. My alarm rang like crazy which halted my actions, I took my bag and went outside. Cloede was already sleeping from exhaustion.


"Cloede, wake up. We still have our Statics class," I slightly tapped her back.


"I finished it just in time," she said, half awake.


"Yeah, you did." I helped her fix her things and stuffed some food in her bag, "Eat on the way."


On our way to the campus, we saw Kenichi walking like a zombie, "Hestia invited us to drink tonight. Y'all go?"


"Where?"


"Drink Mania." she answered.


"Too far," I shrugged.


"Oh, come on. That's your excuse to avoid drinking and read inside your room," Cloede rolled her eyes, "Convince your cousin here, Kenichi. She needs a night life."


"Reading books at night is a night life." I rolled my eyes at her too, "We have to go or we're gonna be late!"


I pulled Cloede away already, she was still half awake so she's a bit cranky. I'm used to it though and sometimes it's worse than this. We were early or rather, the professor is late for this class. Cloede used the remaining time to eat while polishing her plates. While I'm just sitting around because the book that I bought today went inside a box.


We had the usual discussion and made our way to the hell class, a terror to every Architecture student that doesn't want making plates every week. The professor eyed each one of us and smirked, "All of you look tired. Fine then, I'll call you one by one. For those who aren't doing anything, you may sleep."


That's just great, I could've used this special time to read. When it was my turn, I hesitantly asked, "Prof, can I go to the library for a minute?"


There's still two hours before the class finishes, I'd waste my time just looking at my blockmates sleeping.


"Alright, Ms. Rodriguez." she observed my plates first, "You did great again, are you inspired?"


I nodded, "With the fantasy books I've read, yes." She gave a few comments before letting me do what I want to do. There were a few students inside the library and half of them are sleeping.


Walking soundlessly to the fiction section, a guy wearing a lab coat was already there. I didn't mind him and just started looking for the same book that I bought from the store, his smell bothered me though. He smelled like chemicals all mixed together, not in a bad way.


I was there for half an hour and still couldn't find what I was looking for, the guy was already gone. I didn't even notice that he left. There was an obvious spot that he didn't properly arranged so I did it for him and just my luck, it was the book that I was trying to find. Is he a mind reader?


Shrugging it off, I happily gave my library card to the librarian so that I could borrow the book. I didn't bother going back to the room because it's cooler here. Finding a comfortable spot next to the air conditioner, I finally entered my own world.


Stopping at page fifty, I yawned and stretched my arms. It was a sign that I need to head back because I probably spent more time than I should have.


It wasn't the usual chaotic day so with just a little push, my cousin Kenichi already convinced me to go the club with out friends. She was already wearing her club outfit when I got home so she waited for me to finish.


"Hurry up! We still need to pick up Sierra at her place," she continuously knocked on the door.


"Wait a minute!" I said, while adjusting my pace to her preferred speed. I didn't bother putting on makeup because I don't know how but I did put on some lip tint. When I was done and went outside, Kenichi's bored face automatically made my eyes roll, "Why do we always have to pick up Sierra? She's living close to the clubs."


"Tell her that later and see what happens," she just smirked.


I won't bother ask, Sierra's an amazona and is always willing to fight anyone who questions her way of living. I'd prefer seeing her as a lawyer than an engineer but she's also the type who can go to jail anytime.


"Took you long enough." Sierra fixed her dress and hair when she sat at the backseat.


"Did you have coitus with someone while waiting for us?" Kenichi eyed her on the rearview mirror.


"What do you think?" Sierra smirked.


We immediately brushed it off like we heard nothing. It's the usual Sierra and I'm not against her sexual activities. Even though she does it with different men from time to time, she's still serious with her studies so everything's good. As long as she knows her priorities, I won't judge her and tell her what to do. That's what friends are for.


"We're finally complete!" Hestia cheered when the three of us arrived.


Hestia and Cloede arrived early because their condominium was right around the corner. Hard liquor was already lined up on the table and only needed to be opened to get this party started.


"Drink all you can, sisters!"

Gayle Rueco is an architect student whose only escape route is reading books due to the stress from her plates and other requirements. She is a cheapskate and buys books for less than a dollar from a book sale store. Some of the books she purchased had different notes in the same handwriting on the front page. She was curious about the person who wrote it, for it seemed like a letter of love to someone. Her discovery of the owner has opened a new book and has resulted to unforeseen events that she can only read through the pages.

News of the second attack soon filled the school and rumors were flying around everywhere. Art ignored most of the rumors and researched more about the Basilisk. Seeing it's weakness was the sound of a rooster he was excited and headed down to Hagrid's hut. To his disappointment, Hagrid's roosters were all killed, confirming Art's theory about it being a Basilisk. 

'Someone knew that the cry of a rooster could kill it so they killed them to protect it.' 

Frustrated, he wrote his letter to Newt, asking for advice on how to handle the Basilisk. He met the twins in the Room of Requirement and informed them about his finds. They had a different reactions compared to Cedric. 

"A great giant snake is slithering around the castle? We have to stop it!" 

"Maybe we can lay a trap for it? Lure it in somehow and kill it." 

Art laughed at his friends bitterly, they truly were fearless. 

"How do you plan to fight something that you can't look at?" Art asked. 

"Well I am sure you can think of something. You're the brains while we are the muscle." Fred said laughing, patting Art's shoulder. 

Art gave him a cold look and continued to read the book. 

Soon a different kind of news spread throughout the castle, a Dueling Club was being formed and Lockhart was the teacher teaching it. 

"What a waste of time, he's an idiot." Art said harshly as he read the paper. 

A couple of students heard him and looked at him with weird eyes as they signed up. 

"He can't be an idiot Artland, have you read his books? He has done many incredible things." Hermoine said, defending Lockhart. 

"Books are books Hermoine. Has he done anything incredible since he has been here? All he has done is make his class a joke and got rid of the bones in Harry's arms." Art said, looking at the bushy haired girl. 

She seemed to disagree with Art but didn't say anything and walked away. Art's classes with Flitwick were getting more intense and they couldn't use his classroom anymore and opted for Dueling club room. This made it harder for Art to use his unique style but he welcomed the challenge. Flitwick was still energetic as always, staying that Art had real talent for dueling. 

"Should we go?" Cedric asked, appearing behind Art. 

Art shook his head lightly, "No I have better things to do. How about you?" 

"I think so. It will be enjoyable to watch Lockhart make a fool out of himself." Cedric smiled evilly. 

Art laughed and headed toward class. He was working on his inventing his own spell which would allow him to create a map of his surroundings in his head. It would allow him 360 degree vision which could come in handy if he had to fight the Basilisk. 

That night he found himself in the Room of Requirement working on his spell. He had failed countless times already but didn't give up hope. He sat down and tried to figure out what he was missing. 

Suddenly he slapped the ground, a flash of inspiration came to him. 

"A bat! A bat uses echolocation to map its surroundings! I could do the same but with magic! Small but constant burst of magic that would reflect off of my surroundings!" he said out loud. He stood up and tried to control his magic, sending out small waves of magic. 

"It works!" he yelled, he laughed in joy as he continued to refine it. 

After a few hours of work, he closed his eyes and said, "Omnis Oculus!" 

Slowly a grid appeared in his head with his surroundings coming into clear view. He laughed again and tried to walk around. He fell a couple of times due to being a little unbalanced but eventually got the hang of it. 

"My first spell." he said, opening his eyes. He felt happiness and pride, it also gave him a new desire to create his own spells. 

He looked at the time and saw it was already late so he quickly made his way back to his dorm where he saw the twins were already sleeping. 

The next day the twins told Art something that shocked Art. Harry was a parseltongue and he talked to a snake during the Dueling Club. 

'But Harry can't be the heir.' Art thought. 

The school seemed to be a buzz with the thought that Harry was the heir of Slytherin. People avoided him and stared at him with fear. The twins found this amusing and were yelling at people in the hallway. 

"Make way! The heir of Slytherin is coming!" they said, creating a big wake for Harry. 

Harry seemed to feel better about it after the twins made such a big joke out of it. Art smiled to himself, glad the twins the way they were. Another attack shook the school, this time it was a second year. What shocked everyone was that Nearly Headless Nick, a ghost, was also petrified. 

Art felt immense pressure and started to patrol the hallways, looking for the Basilisk. The great snake seemed to disappear though and Art felt frustrated. Soon Christmas came and almost everyone opted to leave the castle. Art also went home that Christmas as well, missing his parents. 

Seeing his parents on the platform, he gave them both a big hug before getting into the car. Being home he felt relaxed and enjoyed spending time with his family. On Christmas he exchanged gifts with his parents, he also received gifts from the twins, Cedric and Newt. From Newt he received his new book about beasts and his private journal from his travels around the world. 

From the twins he received a book on advanced spells and from Cedric he got a Sneakoscope. Happy with his gifts Art started to read Newt's journal. The vacation was short lived though and was heading back to Hogwarts. 

When he got back, he heard that Hermoine was in the hospital wing. He went to check on her but Madam Pomfrey said she didn't want to see him. Art understood and told Madam Pomfrey to tell her he wishes her to get better soon. 

Seeing Art leave, Pomfrey went and checked on Hermione. "You know dear, you could have probably let him see you." 

Hermoine peeked out from her hands which were covering her face. Her face was covered with brown hair and her eyes were yellow. "Not like this Madam Pomfrey, I look like a cat." she said quietly. 

Madam Pomfrey shook her head softly but didn't say anything more. A week later she was discharged from the hospital but didn't say why she was there causing Art to be suspicious. 

He didn't ask them though, as they didn't seem to want to share. The term started again and everyone was busy with class.

Artland Cason lost everything at a young age to the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. Though it is years later his anger and hatred burn just as hot.

The days flew by quickly and before long, it was time for military education training. Alright, Yu Luocheng could admit that his physical strength wasn't that great, but it was known that e-sports addicts had hidden talents somewhere in their bodies.[1]
There were a lot of people who were bitterly complaining about the training and Yu Luocheng was dying on the inside, but on the outside, he was smiling lightly. He couldn't let the girls see his bitter face now could he? 
***
There was a warning for the freshman on the internet, stating that you shouldn't wish for rain during the military training. Do you know how many people were praying for high sun for you, could your prayers compare to the sophomores, juniors, and seniors?
True, you could see sophomores and juniors enjoy the greenery during their free time, shaking their legs and enjoying a cool drink. Some even took advantage of the time to be lovey dovey, like crazy people. Going through military training during the day, singing songs at night, and the songs were all weird songs, making them feel bored.
Of course, not everyone felt bored. Taking advantage of the song singing session, already there were some unsavory things starting to unveil. There were also some of the more perverted guys who were waiting for opportunities to make moves on the girls.
A group of people was flocking around Jasmine, as she could sing and dance well, and it was elegant, graceful and attractive sight.
At the same time, there were some guys who thought they were being gentlemen and trying their luck to attract the ice queen Bai Feifei.
Yu Luocheng couldn't dance or sing, and although he wished he could do it to impress the girls, he had nothing up his sleeves. So he would rather just be humble and continue texting his goddess.
Alright, there was no reply.
It had already been half an hour and Yu Luocheng bitterly realized that Yang Qianqian had not replied to him.
Then again, Yang Qianqian would now be in a similar situation as Jasmine and Bai Feifei, surrounded by proud and persistent guys. When he thought about the fact that Yang Qianqian was surrounded by handsome and perverted guys, he felt his heart constrict and his annoyance grew. Maybe being surrounded by a bunch of pretty girls could ease his mood.
"Forget it, I'm getting out of here."
It was late and full of boring chatter, so he decided to leave early. It wasn't that far from the e-sports club, and he saw that there were still lights on, so he risked getting caught sneaking out and headed towards it.
The club was livelier than Yu Luocheng imagined, all the computers were occupied by seniors, both male and female. Yu Luocheng had thought he could rank a few rounds, but there were no available computers for him. He was an officer, but he didn't feel good about making a senior who was so high and into the game move from their seat.
He thought of going to the network club instead and left the club room. As he neared the stairs, he heard someone shout from inside the club room.
"Oh my god, Team Shanghai was disqualified from the finals, what the hell happened?"
"Didn't they win, why would they be disqualified?"
"Yeah, I heard from another pro player, the Vayne was not actually played by Cat Eye at all!"
Yu Luocheng stopped at the stairs, his heart jumping wildly in his chest. It had actually been found out, it looked like Steven was in for a rough ride.
He didn't stop for long, continuing on his way to the network club. He would never admit to this matter after all.
***
The network club was located inside the library, so it was more quiet and clean than the internet cafes outside. It was also a nonsmoking zone to maintain the fresh smell of books in the library.
As Yu Luocheng stepped through the entrance, there was a sexy girl wearing a white dress walking in his direction. While Yu Luocheng was appraising the girl secretly inside, the girl was also giving him a suspicious look.
"Uh…"
Yu Luocheng snapped back to reality, not really knowing what to say as he had just gotten caught staring. Bai Feifei was also staring at him, wondering why this guy looked so familiar to her. 
Ah, it was that guy.
"What a coincidence, you also skipped out?" Yu Luocheng blurted out, struggling to find a topic to talk about.
"I got permission from the facilitator to leave," Bai Feifei replied.
"..."
Yu Luocheng had nothing to say, and as he walked towards the library stairs, he thought it would be awkward if he didn't say anything. Glancing sideways at her, he asked, "Are you heading to the multimedia center too?"
"I'm looking for a book," Bai Feifei replied, her beautiful eyes boring into him. She seemed to be reading his soul like an open window and judging what kind of person he was…
A bad student who liked to skip class to go on the internet!
There were a thousand books in the library, but he only had eyes for the multimedia room!
She actually came to the library to read books, okay!
Yu Luocheng was frustrated that he had easily exposed his intentions, thinking that he could have looked for a book together with her and sat down to chat. Then he would have been able to be the first guy in the whole division to have made a breakthrough with Bai Feifei.
Ah, a loser was a loser in the end. Just from this short exchange, he could already tell the difference between a goddess and a loser.
There were a lot of opportunities placed in front of a loser, but because of the hermit loser's short-sightedness, the impatient eagerness would chase away the opportunities instead.
***
Yu Luocheng walked into his beloved multimedia center, his thumb pressing the button to boot up the computer. As he listened to the machine sound indicating it was starting up, all thoughts of Bai Feifei flew out of his mind.
A computer was really the lifeline of a loser. While waiting for the computer to boot up, Yu Luocheng listlessly glanced around the room and took in the decorations.
Simple white denim jeans, pastel-colored sleeveless t-shirt, a pair of smooth arms which left a lot of room for imagination...
Bai Feifei?
Yu Luocheng was confused. Wasn't she heading up to the second floor of the library to find a book? Why would she be in the multimedia center? Maybe she was a loser too?
Bai Feifei stood in front of the counter, a somewhat confused look on her face. She glanced around, finding Yu Luocheng's face who was looking at her within the sea of computers.
She really had a pair of beautiful eyes, like a painting decorated with beautiful frames. Yu Luocheng could tell from her expression that she wanted to ask him something, but she didn't have the courage to come forward.
Thinking that he should play the gentleman, he stood up from his beloved wife and headed toward her.
"I thought you were looking for a book?" Yu Luocheng asked once he reached her.
"I need a student ID," Bai Feifei replied.
"Ah, I see." Yu Luocheng nodded.
Freshmen had yet to be issued a student card, and the other rooms needed the card to be accessed.
"How do I access the internet from here?" Bai Feifei asked, looking like someone who had never been in an internet cafe or the likes before.
"You just need to pay a fee to register as a member, and then key in the member password into any of the unused computers," Yu Luocheng replied.
Bai Feifei nodded and took out the money, paying at the counter and waited for the person to register her. As Yu Luocheng watched Bai Feifei pull out ten yuan, he hesitated for a long time before swallowing the words he wanted to say to her about the promotion that was ongoing: where if you top up one hundred points, you could get fifty points free.
'Don't compare the value of a loser like yourself against a goddess like her.'
[1] talent in finger exercise maybe xD


When a national athlete of China laughs at the concept of being able to win a gold medal in video gaming, what a pro-gamer like yourself ought to do is take your size-42 shoe and measure it against his pretty face!
When parents, relatives, friends, and all the rest of society scoff at pro-gaming and say it’s not a real job… what else can you do but hold true to your passion for the competitive multiplayer scene, and resolutely turn away from their doubts!
Have you ever thought that it could actually become an official event during the Olympics, perhaps within the next four years—a game of split-second reactions and seamless teamwork between five-man squads, the ultimate test of reflexes and finesse, in an arena where players compete with all their heart and soul… 
This is e-sports!
Let the champions roar ‘Demacia!’ and rock the world to its foundations!

After school Alex once again went to the literature club with the book she borrowed and her permission slip to join. When she got there she heard Mai's Abigale's and a deep male's voice arguing in the club room.
"Ms. Schmidt I have informed you multiple times your father has arranged a blind date for you please understand I'm just doing my job I must bring you back." Male voice
"He only sent you to prove a point! It's where your loyalties lie and you know YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU WHY WOULD YOU ACCEPT THIS MISSION IT'S CRUEL I DON'T MIND YOU NOT LOVING ME BACK BUT TO THROW ME TO SOME OTHER MAN I DO NOT KNOW IS JUST WRONG AND I HATE MY FATHER FOR DOING THIS TO ME AND I HATE YOUR LOYALTY TOWARDS HIM!!! SO NO I WILL NOT GO!!!" Abby
"Ms. Schmidt pl-" male
"HENRY JUST LEAVE AND STOP CALLING ME MS. SCHMIDT WE HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR YEARS!!!" Abby
"Henry come on just leave Abby alone reschedule or something and don't bring yourself next time." Mai
"I'll do that Ms. Fauster I apologize young miss I'll get someone else to come by next time. *bows and leaves*" Henry
When Henry opened the door he saw Alex waiting patiently next to the door for them to finish he decided to ignore her and just take his leave
"Mai I didn't want him to leave I want him to be here with me and comfort me tell me he loves me too not this I'm 17 and I don't think it's so much trouble for him to love me back he's only 19 and a great guy but dad says I need a rich man with good genes! *sobs* it's not fair I just want to love him I'd gladly give up my name and inheritance but dad won't let me." Abby
"I know Abby I know you and I'm sorry I can't do anything to help you." Mai
"Don't call me Abby *soft giggle* Mai you're a great friend who seems to really understand." Abby
"I do... truthfully I am pretty sure I'm a lesbian but my family wouldn't let me act on it or I'll be forced to marry some one they believe I just haven't found "the right one" and I honestly hope they are right because I don't want to marry someone I don't love." Mai
"*cough* Uh here's my permission slip" Alex
"Oh Alex you are here I apologize you had to see that unsightly affair." Abby
"Ah no it's fine Abigale I just waited outside until the man left but then you guys got in your friendship bubble and made it very awkward for me" Alex
"Well yeah sorry about that. Uh all you have to do in this club is hang out and read every month we pick a subject to read about this month is otaku culture now you don't have to only read this type that month we will just talk about it at the end of the month." Abby
"Okay so I'll just sit down and read the next volume of this *hands over the borrowed light novel*" Alex
"Welcome to the club" x2
"I have the next volume here *hands over volume 2* enjoy" Abby
"Ahhhh Alex I have some books you should read too." Mai
"I'll look through them after I finish this story okay Mai?" Alex
"Sounds good to me." Mai
Like that hours go by and the club ends around 6:30 Alex decided to walk to that bookstore she saw yesterday when she approaches the door and touch the handle she got a strange zap followed on her palm followed by a ding.
*ding* 'requirement met ??? = superb magic talent'
(Wait does this mean this place is related to magic? I assumed it was real considering my status says mana but still I'm super excited to go in.)
'I am amazed at your analytical skills host it's almost like it was obvious'
(Shut up I know it's obvious but come on you don't need to make fun of me)
'I am actually surprised you figured it out'
(Oh then that's - wait did you call me dumb)
'I did not call you dumb host'
(What ever)
Alex decided to walk into the store and see what they have in there. After she went into the store she sees a multitude of old books in various languages suddenly and old creaky woman sounding voice speaks to her
"Hello dearie what is it you desire from this old store of mine?" Old woman voice
*ding* 'acquire knowledge from legendary magical figure
Reward: free lottery spin
Penalty: N/A you lose out if you don't do this'
"Well I just want all this knowledge of yours it should be helpful in the long run miss?" Alex
"Call me Cynthia girl and what makes you think you should get my knowledge?" Cynthia

Futanari with a system watch as she becomes more and more powerful as the story goes on and watch as she gets more and more knowledge

"S-so, Kurosawa-san, I never got to ask you before, but what's your favorite kind of literature?" Yuri looked up at me but still kept her head tilted enough so that her hair covered her face and the slight blush on her cheeks.

Yuri's shy nature is both cute and troublesome at times. I'm not gonna bite her if she makes eye contact with me, ya know?

Oh well, I'll just have to open up her shell a little~

"Hmm, let me think about it," going into a thinking position, I thought about my answer, wanting to give her a truthful one - you can't open up someone's shell without opening up your own, after all. "I'd say that I like Romance Novels and most kinds of Action/Adventure-based Stories. Though I don't mind a horror book every now and then," coming to a conclusion, I sat down on a chair and leaned into it, looking at Yuri who was sitting on a chair next to mine, "Anything that keeps my attention and is exciting, I suppose~"

Seeing my smile, Yuri turned her head away with a bashful look on her face, while her hands fidgeted with a lock of her long purple hair. 

It seems she's not used to being smiled at by a handsome person like yours truly~

Jokes aside, Yuri right now is incredibly adorable. If I didn't know she suffered from terrible natural shyness and anxiety, I'd be assured that she was shy because she had feelings for me and I'd probably end up asking her out. Alas, this is just how she is.

"W-well, that's nice. I, uhh, like horror stories mainly b-but I wouldn't mind reading some Romance..." she trailed off for a second before snapping her head toward me, "If I give you a recommendation for a Horror, can you, I don't know, maybe give me recommendation for a Romance novel?" she looked hopefully up at me, her purple eyes filled with worry and other anxious feelings.

Seeing her opening up like this, I really thanked my lucky stars that she opened up when talking about books or other hobbies of hers.

Smiling, I nodded my head, "Sure, I don't have a copy of the book, but I can give you a recommendation. It's not strictly a romance novel, but it delves into some pretty complex stuff and it's more of a short story if anything. It's called 'The Grasshopper' and it's by Anton Chekhov--" interrupting me, a small blur came and sat on my lap before wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Hiroki-senpai, you've read 'The Grasshopper' as well? That's my favorite book!*" Karla's face was right next to mine, smiling and I instantly felt the atmosphere between me and Yuri deflate as my purple-haired fellow club member turned away from us and went straight into her book with a complicated look on her face.

(*A/N - Is this a coincidence? Hell no. I just like torturing Hiroki and making Karla aggressively hit on him.)

Seeing this, I couldn't help but think that Karla was way too forward and aggressive...Like seriously, it's getting kinda annoying...

Looking down at the troublesome girl on my lap, I couldn't stop the small frown from coming onto my face. But as if she didn't see it, Karla continued to smile and her hands kept playing with the hair on the back of my head.

...She may be annoying but having her play with my hair is pretty nice...No! Stop! Do not be seduced, Hiroki!

Resolving myself, I opened my mouth to speak, "Yuri-san and I were just having a conversation; Don't you think you were rude barging in like that, Kure-san?" my voice wasn't cold or harsh but the annoyance was very clear.

This gained Yuri's attention as she looked at me from the corner of her eye, surprise filling her purple eyes at the fact that I would even bring it up and want to talk to her instead of the girl so clearly smitten with me.

But in classic Karla fashion, the girl on my lap stayed completely oblivious to my annoyance and just continued smiling. However, despite her lack of reaction to my annoyance, I knew that she knew I was annoyed, which made her obliviousness even more frustrating. But she still answered me, but not with the answer I wanted.

"Hiroki-senpai, call me Karla, otherwise I'll get mad," her smile changed into a childish pout and one of her hands came down to my chest to 'playfully' hit me.

And when I say playfully, I mean she hit me with enough strength to break an average man's ribs and sternum. Luckily as you already know, I'm incredibly sturdy. My body's more like bio-metal than normal human flesh at this point.

But it didn't mean her doing so didn't annoy me, even if only a little bit.

"I don't think we know each other enough to be on a first name basis, Kure-san," she flinched a little at the slight edge to my voice and looked a bit taken aback like no one had ever gone against her wishes.

She was the great-granddaughter of the head of the Kure Clan, so she was no doubt a spoiled little princess who everyone doted on. I'm not so nice to just continue to go along with such selfish behavior.

When she went to speak, I cut her off.

"Kure-san, I'm fine with you flirting with me - in fact, I find it incredibly flattering. But you can't just use it as a reason to be rude like this," once again it seemed like she was being purposely ignorant but she stood up and sat on a chair of her own before looking between me and Yuri.

"You're right, Hiroki-senpai, I was rude just then. But I just can't seem to help myself around you!" she giggled as she said this before she looked a bit more seriously at me, "But I'll try if that's what you want, senpai."

Her serious and determined face was quite cute and I couldn't help but pat her head, "That's all I ask...Karla-san," when she heard me call her name, she smiled but I could see the displeasure about the fact that I still added the '-san' honorific. Though overall she seemed pretty thrilled that she'd made at least some progress.

Just when I was about to continue speaking to Yuri again, a solitary knock resounded around the club room before the door to the club slid open revealing a teen boy.

He was of average height with medium-short length black hair. His most prominent features are his set of dead fish-eyes and a short strand of hair that sticks upwards, usually known as an Ahoge in anime. He was wearing the school uniform all males wear but it looked a little baggy on him.

He wasn't too attractive but that wasn't because he was necessarily ugly but mainly because his facial expressions were set in a constant scowl or a cynical smile. In fact, he would be rather good-looking if it weren't for his horrible expressions.

Seeing him, I knew exactly who he was: He was Hachiman Hikigaya, the protagonist of OreGairu (or Snafu, depending on your preference).

Smiling at the guy, I stood up before looking at the rest of the people in the club, "Well, I've got some business to do, so I'll see you guys tomorrow," looking more specifically at Yuri, I winked at her, "You'll have to give me that book suggestion tomorrow, okay, Yuri-san?"

She only nodded at what I said before blushing and burying her head back in her book. Chuckling at her reaction, I could practically feel the animosity from Hachiman. Ignoring him for now, I turned to the others and gave them a quick wave before walking over to Hachiman who was just now realizing how tall and muscular I was.

It was safe to say he wasn't too intimidated on the surface but he definitely felt like I could squash him. Not that I would. I quite liked Hachiman when I watched his Anime. I just felt that he needed a friend to help pull him through his own shitty attitude.

And I wouldn't mind being that friend, given the chance.

Laughing, I looked over at him as we walked away from the club room, "'All popular people should go and die' is what's going through your mind, right?"

He heard my laughter and let out a scoffing sound before looking back at me with his rotten grey eyes.

"Not at all. I just wish they could go and be popular somewhere else," he did nothing to hide his disdain and it caused me to laugh. He looked up at me like I was an idiot for a minute before sighing, shaking his head and looking back in front of us.

Not wanting the conversation to die out just yet, I brought up a topic both of us could speak about.

"So, did Hiratsuka-sensei force you to join this club as well?" I grinned as I saw him flinch at the mention of a teacher the two of us had.

He looked left and then right before looking up at me with a slightly evil-looking grin, "Yep, that old hag said something to get me into the club...I would've said no but..." he looked over at me and I instantly knew what he was talking about:

He was scared she'd strong-arm him into the club via punching him.

I can't blame him. If it weren't for my unique genetics, I'd probably be scared of her punches as well.

Without thinking about it, I put a hand on his shoulder and consoled him, "Don't worry, she's a brute and she did the same thing to me."

Though, she made me feel bad by pleading me to join...

Hachiman seemed genuinely surprised by the contact and had probably been under the impression that I was just like everyone else and thought he was gross or something. But I wasn't and thank god for foreknowledge from the Anime otherwise I'd probably have thought he was weird or something.

His surprise didn't last long, however, and he subtly shifted my hand off of his shoulder but he still had his grin on his face as he reveled in the fact at least one person didn't think he was weird.

I didn't want to burst his bubble but I decided to carry on talking anyway.

"Oh, and the name's Hiroki Kurosawa. Nice to meet ya, let's get along," despite us walking, I stuck a hand toward him, offering a handshake.

Yet again, Hachiman was surprised but he didn't let it ruffle him as he kept his composure and grabbed my hand, completing the handshake, "Likewise, Kurosawa-san. My name's Hachiman Hikigaya."

We kept up some light conversation while we walked. The basics; what year we were in, did the other have any hobbies - stuff like that. He even went on to ask why a big guy like me was joining the Literature Club which was unusual for Hachiman; He usually stayed out of other people's business.

"Uhh, I guess I joined it because I want to read books and discuss them with others who hold similar interests. Plus being in a sports club would be too boring," I casually replied to him and he seemed to think over my answer, analyzing it for anything he could use. Guess that's Hachiman for you, always analyzing people and finding weak points in their armor so he can hurt them if he needs to.

Not that I really minded him doing so. In fact, I admired him for it. There's nothing wrong with preparing yourself against possible enemies. Though I do think Hachiman could learn to relax a little.

And though I didn't tell him my main reason for joining the Literature Club, I have to say that what I told him isn't a lie. I do want to discuss books, poems and other forms of literature with the club members - it'd be fun.

Hachiman, finishing his analyzing of my reply, looked at me with a curious face before voicing that curiosity, "What do you mean boring? Don't you like sports or something?" his suspicion was clear and he could no doubt see my muscular body - so he knew I was physically fit and probably worked out a lot (though he didn't know that this was purely to do with genetics, his assumption was pretty sound anyway). 

After thinking for a few seconds on how to say this and not sound incredibly arrogant, I gave up and just said it how it is.

"No, I quite like sports and most physical activities," my statement only confused him further, but I carried on speaking, ignoring his confusion, "but I'd simply crush anyone I came up against. Whether it's in terms of physical ability or talent, I'd remain unbeaten. It'd be boring because I'd lack any kind of opposition. Books, as long as you find something just right, won't get boring. So, my choice is pretty obvious when you think of it like that," I finished my lengthy answer and just looked ahead, ignoring Hachiman's raised eyebrow at my arrogance.

We continue walking as I sensed Hachiman trying to figure out how to reply to my comment. At first, I could see that he wanted to call me out on my arrogance but as he looked at my body, he could tell that what I was saying wasn't completely full of arrogance.

In the end, he settled with this, "Well, at least you know your strengths. Though I think you would be surprised if you actually joined the clubs instead of just making assumptions that you'd crush everyone you came across. You're not the only talented person in the world," he didn't mean offense by what he said. It was purely what he thought from an objective point of view.

Laughing, I slapped him on the back, knocking the air out of him and making stumble forward a bit, "Ha! I guess you're right, Hikigaya-san. But don't worry, I'm not arrogant enough to think I'm unmatched in the world. Yet."

Smiling, I laughed once more before Hachiman came to a stop next to a door in front of his. I could see the grin on his face and I knew I was on my way to befriending him. Or at the very least getting him intrigued with me before finally becoming friends with him.

I was bound to be surrounded by girls, so I needed some bros and Hachiman was definitely worthy of such a title. I knew at least that he wouldn't betray me, and quite frankly that's all I need.

He slid the door open and walked in. I walked in shortly after him and saw two people waiting for us.

One of them I recognized immediately as Hiratsuka, who looked over at me with a slightly guilty look on her face.

The other one was both unfamiliar and familiar to me. What I saw was a beautiful teenage girl with waist-length black hair which is tied with two red ribbons by each shoulder and angular blue eyes. She was currently sat down on a table opposite Hiratsuka, looking down at a book.

She had a cold facial expression, yet it didn't take away from her beautiful appearance. She had a definite female figure despite having a small-ish chest, with his hips being wide and her waist being thin. She was extremely attractive.

She gave off a weird vibe as she felt both petite and fragile while giving off the impression that she was big and strong. It was quite a weird thing to look at but oddly enough it added to her beauty, making her seem like royalty or something.

When she looked up at me, her sharp and cold blue eyes cut through me and I felt my heart beat a bit quicker.

...Man, I must have something wrong with me if I'm feeling something for this ice-cold chick...!

Making a Deal with a God you apparently helped in a past life isn't something you do every day, but if given the chance, would you make a wish that was a little over the top? 

Well, no matter what you'd do, Hiroki Kurosawa got his wish granted and woke up in an apartment in Japan and within minutes, he realized his bigger wish had come true; he was in an Anime World!

(Hey, Author here, this novel isn't going to be anything too serious - it's more like a wish-fulfillment novel if anything. So, if that ain't your kind of thing, you can skip this novel~)

great book club books

Book Club

The author's dream

SHINOBI: The RPG

Story of a Big Player from Gangnam

A Brother's Sacrifice

Through The Pages

Rise of House Cason

League of Legends: League of Unknowns

Knowledge is Power

Peak Human In An Anime World

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