"What's up with the sudden gathering?"
Kenji, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke up. He put down the I Love manga he'd been flipping through and glanced at Chitose, a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes. The other party, however, calmly leaned her head back, her index finger tapping rhythmically on the table. Her silence only irritated him further.
"The reason for this gathering is..." She paused, her indifferent expression shifting into a serious one. "We have to participate in the upcoming school festival—and win."
Everyone reacted differently.
Roka and Sakura lit up with excitement. Minami fidgeted restlessly. Kenji, as usual, looked confused—he clearly had no idea what a cultural festival even was.
'If I remember correctly, the goal here is to clear up the misunderstanding between Roka and my sister. But neither Kenji nor I have even seen her at school lately, let alone confronted her about Roka. So it's very likely the story is moving forward without our awareness.'
Although Kenji was reluctantly going along with it, I didn't respond right away. Instead, I raised a question.
"Is it really necessary to participate in the school festival? I'm not underestimating our club, but I doubt any of you are actually capable of making a game."
The room went silent.
No one answered. But I received glares—especially from Chitose. Still, I went on.
"We're basically set up to lose. So what's the point?"
SLAM! — Chitose suddenly slammed the table, keeping her fierce glare on me.
"What are you saying? You're not planning to help, are you!?"
My next words might determine my fate—maybe even get me kicked out. But that was probably overthinking it.
"I was willing to cooperate," I began, "but I hate being kept in the dark."
My words were vague, but they carried weight—especially for someone as secretive as her.
"...W-What do you mean?" she asked, her tone faltering.
I looked around the room, skipping over Kenji.
"This club was about to be disbanded before we joined. We technically saved it by becoming members. But now, out of nowhere, you summon us and declare we have to participate in the school festival. You didn't explain anything, but you're clearly determined to win."
"Is there something wrong with that?" Kenji asked.
"Not at all. But—" I cut myself off, glancing at Roka, then Chitose. "I've only known you guys for a few days, but I understand your personalities enough. None of you do something like this without a reason. And on top of that... there's something else."
I turned to Kenji.
"Kenji, what do you think happens during the school festival?"
"Isn't it just club competitions?"
"Correct!" I clapped slowly. "It's a regular inter-club competition, and there are only two clubs focusing on game development, so why are they so desperate to win?" I asked, keeping my eyes on Chitose.
She looked away.
A clear tell.
"Actually, yesterday, my sister nearly strangled me—demanding I quit this club and join the 'real' one. That was weird. Normally, the game club is united, but it seems like there's a rift between the two clubs, and it's not a petty feud. She even threatened to disband this club. She said it was supposed to be disbanded before I joined—that's why she was pissed off when I did."
Silence.
No one said a word. Even Kenji, who usually needed things spelled out, had a vague idea now.
"So here's my guess: there's a conflict between this club's members and my sister. And I assume that the stakes are simple—if she wins, this club is gone. But if you win, you get to keep it."
I extended my hand toward Chitose, then slowly curled my fingers, leaving only my index finger pointing at her.
"Now, Vice President... can you tell us the real reason behind this?"
I didn't wait for an answer.
Instead, I picked up my things and stood up, preparing to leave. But before I walked out, I left them with a final message.
"I'm not forcing you to explain anything to me. All I'm saying is—if you really want something, you can rely on us. We're club members too... unless you don't see us that way."
With that, I left the clubroom and headed home.
Kenji followed shortly after, casting one last glance back at them before leaving.
The atmosphere inside the room turned heavy.
Sakura remained unaffected. Same with Minami.
But for Roka and Chitose—it was different.
"Chitose... what should we do?"
Roka's voice trembled. Her eyes brimmed with guilt, tears threatening to fall. She hadn't meant to drag everyone into her mess. But after hearing his words—"We're "members too... unless you don't treat us as "one"—they hit her harder than she expected.
I don't know what happened after I left, but I have a few speculations. After all, I set this up to track the developments. Even if I read through to the latest point, it's not always a hundred percent accurate. Take this for example: I didn't see Hachi Shiou. Normally, following the usual route, he should've shown up chasing after Roka. But for some reason, he just vanished—his whole existence, I mean.
Also, Kenji was supposed to confront my sister's club after getting suspended for peeking. But since I interfered and he didn't get punished, they didn't follow the normal route. Instead, I got hit with the backlash. Backlash, yeah. I literally just woke up earlier and got strangled by my sister, demanding I quit the club. Lucky for me, she didn't bring her club members along—otherwise, our relationship would've gotten way too complicated. Not that I'd mind, but for now, until I finish my grand plan, I should keep things intact.
"Hmmm… Something feels off. I can't quite put my finger on it, but… am I becoming more of a sis-con? For real? Or am I just being overprotective? I don't know. Whatever."
I dismissed the thought and sat down on a nearby bench to watch the sunset.
An orange sun, wrapped in twilight skies, slowly fell and reflected its fading rays. If it were noon, the light would've been blinding—but now, it was beautiful.
I let my back fall onto the bench, eyes still on the sky, lost in thought. Why did I end up in this world? Was it just to satisfy my wish? Honestly, I never even jerked off to fictional characters—I just read stories because I wanted to know what would happen next. I couldn't imagine things from my perspective; it always felt too narrow. But with this different mind, it's like I can both accept and reject the idea—rather than just blindly accepting it.
After a minute, I noticed the presence of two people walking toward me. I kept my gaze fixed on the sky, pretending not to notice them. As they arrived, I expected them to sit down and try to initiate a conversation. However, to my surprise, Roka stood in front of me and bowed.
"Uhm... I'm sorry for everything. It's all my fault—for causing conflict between you and Takao."
Although she was looking down, I could see tears dripping from her eyes. She was clearly guilty and probably in pain after seeing how dissatisfied I was with the way they treated us.
I gently raised my hand and gave her a light pat on the head.
"It's alright, Shibasaki-san," I said with a faint smile, trying to reassure her. "Although she wanted me to leave your club for good, I can understand her reasoning. As for the strangling... that's a different matter. But rest assured, we're not in conflict—and even if we are, you're not the cause of it."
Roka raised her head and looked at me in awe. I softly caressed her cheek and wiped away her tears, causing her to blush.
"Actually, my sister doesn't hate you. In fact, the reason she wants to disband your club... is so she can integrate it with hers."
"Huh...?" Not only Roka but even Chitose looked dumbfounded.
I had unknowingly spoiled something. But what could I do? It was already out. The plot was going to spiral anyway—might as well let it. Who knows? Maybe I'll get to see a different version of D-Frag!
"My sister's hoping for your club to disband so she can bring you into hers," I added.
"But—"
Roka tried to say something, but I cut her off.
"I know. You're also hoping for her to join your club, right? That's why you've been keeping it alive and fighting, even on the brink of disbandment."
She nodded lightly in agreement.
This really was complicated: one side wanted to cut ties, to break from the past and forge a better future; the other wanted to preserve what already existed. Different values and beliefs—but the same bond of friendship.
"Don't worry," I said with a smile. "I'm not leaving your club. I already consider you a friend—even if you don't feel the same way about me."
It was a little underhanded. But who cares about the method, as long as the result is satisfying?
Now that the matter with Roka was settled, I turned my attention to Chitose, giving her a sidelong glance.
"What about you? Got something to say too, Student Council President?" I asked, a hint of sarcasm lacing my voice.
Chitose was clearly annoyed but kept herself in check. "I-I'm sorry too..." she muttered, then raised her fist, preparing to throw hands and unleash her signature Earth Punch.