Chapter 6: Does the Tennis Club Really Produce That Many Doujins?

“You really got Senyao riled up.”

Sitting across from me, Senior Jiang Xiang didn’t hide her amusement, chuckling.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Senyao actually hit someone on the head.”

“Really? She seemed pretty practiced at it.”

I glanced warily at Senior Liu Senyao, who returned from the counter with a puffed-up expression, clutching her milk tea and cleaning the table that Mu Ziqing and I—okay, mostly I—had dirtied.

…Damn it, why’d they make me share a table just because it’s crowded? Weren’t our grudges supposed to be water under the bridge?!

Forgotten, understand? Forgotten!!

Thud.

A milk tea was slammed onto my table.

Along with a pair of eyes glinting with a hint of murderous intent.

Eek—!

Woof!

I instinctively shrank back.

Look, in that world, it was exactly this kind of danger-sense that got me through crisis after crisis.

“Got something to say?”

Senior Liu Senyao crossed her arms, glaring at me with a huff.

“I’m a hero.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, I’m super sorry. Like, really regretful right now.”

Senior Liu Senyao squinted, her eyes wary like a deer in the forest.

“I don’t buy it. Are you actually reflecting? Saying that kind of thing to your universally invincible, beautiful, and adorable senior is super rude!”

“Actually, I think you jumping him from behind and hugging him was kinda your fault too, Senyao,” Senior Jiang Xiang, the last bastion of journalistic integrity, spoke up.

“W-Well, maybe! But I just thought it was fun seeing him play cool all alone, so…” Senior Liu Senyao’s voice trailed off.

“My bad,” I said solemnly.

“I shouldn’t have pointed it out, even if I felt more on my back. I should’ve gritted my teeth and enjoyed—er, endured—your enthusiasm and friendliness.”
I looked at Senior Liu Senyao with righteous conviction.

“Senior, I’m sorry!!”

“Shut up already!”

Senior Liu Senyao stood up and fled in a panic.

“I’m getting you another milk tea to apologize for smacking your head, okay?!!”

…

Watching her retreat, Senior Jiang Xiang burst out laughing.

“You guys are hilarious.”

The more mature, short-haired senior looked at me warmly.

“Every time you’re around, Senyao seems extra happy.”

“You’ve only seen us together twice, right?” I twitched my cheek.

Stop playing the butler role, Senior Jiang Xiang.

“Senyao’s not the type to play ‘guess who’ with someone on their second meeting.”

Senior Jiang Xiang said with a smile.
“Especially with a guy. She’s lively, but since middle school, she’s kept her distance from guys.
She’s always been too popular, so she often gets misunderstood and ends up in awkward situations.”

Yeah, I get it. Teenage guys are prone to wishful thinking. If a pretty girl gets too close, it’s easy to think, “Does she like me?”

Guess Senior Liu Senyao’s been confessed to a ton and had her share of troubles.

“But you’re different. It feels like you’ve known each other forever. Sometimes I almost believe her silly claim that you’re her cousin or something.”

Senior Jiang Xiang’s lips curved into a slight smile.

“Or maybe… she’s known you one-sidedly for a long time?”

What a sharp intuition.

Kinda scary.

I pointed at the milk tea shop’s sign.

“My God, Senior Jiang, look! That mascot is too mascot!”

A long silence followed.

Senior Jiang Xiang gently pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Sometimes I really think you and Senyao would make a great pair. Ever thought about…”

“No way. That’d be a toad lusting after a swan.” I waved my hands frantically.

“…Ever thought about forming a comedy duo and debuting?”

“I’m outta here.” I stood up.

“Senyao! Someone’s calling you a toad!”

…

When Senior Liu Senyao stormed back, yelling “What’s that supposed to mean?”, Senior Jiang Xiang laughed and stopped the banter.

“Alright, no more messing around. Sorry, I just find your conversations with Senyao so fun, I wanted to join in. It really is entertaining.”

Maybe because we weren’t that close, she was willing to play along with my nonsense.
For her, building rapport with interview subjects is probably a key skill.

Must be a Demon King aftereffect—I always analyze things from a utilitarian angle.

“Even Xiao Xiang’s joking around now?” Senior Liu Senyao tilted her head at Senior Jiang Xiang.

“Feeling like your ice cream’s too much and wanna share some with me?” Senior Jiang Xiang asked with a grin.

“! Haha, yeah, speaking of—Junior, have you picked your trial club yet?”

Protecting her ice cream like a puppy, Senior Liu Senyao blinked her big eyes, clearly changing the subject.

“Trial club? We just started school. What’s the rush?”

My obvious question left both seniors in an odd silence.

“You got dragged off by the teachers this afternoon, right? So you missed the announcement?” Senior Liu Senyao nodded understandingly.

And whose fault was that?!

Seeing the resentment in my eyes, she gave me a knowing wink.

“Bet it felt awesome being called a boyfriend by a national treasure beauty, huh? Look at those wide eyes! No need to thank me! It’s what I do!”

Senior Liu Senyao looked smug.
“Even though Xiao Xiang and the teachers nearly chewed me out, see? Someone’s grateful!”

…Her and Shen Yingxu—both idiots, through and through.

I feel zero guilt about them anymore.

Not that I had much to begin with.

“Didn’t you look into our school’s teaching style when you enrolled, Junior?”

“Nah, I picked this place because I knew people here…”

It’s kinda funny now, but when choosing high schools, I didn’t consider anywhere else.
I just followed Ye Qingshu and Mu Ziqing’s applications and worked my *ss off to catch up to those two brainiacs.

Looking back, that reason’s pretty dumb.
But because of it, I don’t actually know much about this school’s teaching style.

“I see,” Senior Jiang Xiang nodded.
“It’s modeled after a high school in Lucheng. They focus on holistic club-based development and produce tons of outstanding graduates. Our school’s great at copying and adapting.”

In plain terms, straight-up plagiarizing.

“Getting Zhu Lubing to enroll was part of pushing the club culture further,” Senior Jiang Xiang explained.
“So the school’s planning to kick off club recruitment right from the start.”

“So, basically, I need to pick a club to visit tomorrow?”

“Yup. Teachers should’ve mentioned it when handing out textbooks. Uh, you probably missed that, right? Did you fill out the form?”

Not at all.

“Did you have a friend fill it out for you?”

Mu Ziqing’s not in my class, and Ye Qingshu doesn’t usually reach out to me.

“I haven’t really made friends yet…”

I’m not admitting I have few friends.

“Hmm, in your situation, can you even make friends?” Senior Liu Senyao, eating her ice cream, looked at me.
“Your senior’s really worried about you.”

Shut up, sea lion.

My goal’s to make a hundred friends.

“If I didn’t fill it out, will they just assign me a club to visit?”

“They will, but you might get stuck with an unpopular one based on numbers,” Senior Jiang Xiang frowned slightly.

“Like, you’d miss out on hot clubs like the news club,” Senior Liu Senyao added, waving her spoon in the air.
“Hmph, but if you beg your universally invincible, beautiful, adorable senior, I might let you visit!”

This girl who’s not even in the news club—what’s she talking about?

“Pass. Isn’t it more interesting this way? Maybe I’ll join some obscure club, meet a long-haired beauty, and join the Service Club to watch a pink-haired meatball cry.”

“That’s anime or novel stuff. Reality’s harsher,” Senior Jiang Xiang said seriously.

Talking about reality to a former Demon King and a former… whatever she was…

“Unpopular clubs are unpopular for a reason. Either the activity’s super niche with no visitors…”

She glanced at me, her eyes carrying a hint of warning.

“…Or they’ve got a bad reputation that keeps people away.”

“Isn’t our school supposed to be pretty good?”
I could tell what “bad reputation” implied coming from the news club vice president.

“There’s all kinds of people, and like attracts like,” Senior Jiang Xiang said matter-of-factly, glancing at Senior Liu Senyao.

I suddenly got why Senior Liu Senyao brought up the club trial thing—she’s an idiot, but surprisingly decent.

“Why’d you tell him? I was gonna laugh my *ss off when he stepped right into a trap…” Senior Liu Senyao looked genuinely disappointed.

—Scratch that, she and Shen Yingxu belong at the same table.

“But since you know now, I’ll tell you a few to avoid,” Senior Liu Senyao held up a finger, striking a wise pose by her cheek.

Cute, sure, but wise? That’s debatable.

“Public service clubs are fine. They’re unpopular but usually for earning credits, and people take them seriously.
For specialty clubs… Flower Arrangement Club has to restock daily, Board Game Club plays poker all day, and Chess Club has some smokers…”

…

The next day, I checked the club trial assignment list posted outside the classroom.

“Tennis Club? …But I remember that one…”

I recalled what Senior Jiang Xiang said when Senior Liu Senyao stepped away to pay for takeout.

“If it’s the Tennis Club, I’d suggest you skip it altogether, Junior.”

A faint look of disgust crossed her face.

“It’s just rumors on forums and confession walls, quickly deleted by their club—but from our interviews, their club’s got a messy reputation when it comes to relationships.”

…Since Senior specifically pointed it out.

Plus, the Tennis Club really does produce a lot of doujins.

I wasn’t super keen on visiting to begin with, and now I was ready to ditch it entirely.

Listen to advice, eat well—it’s not like I’m desperate to join the Go-Home Club.

But just as I was about to walk away, my hand was gently grabbed.

“Come with me to the Art Club.”

The national treasure beauty, Zhu Lubing, appeared from the classroom and grabbed my hand in the hallway, under the complex gazes of those around us.