SIDE STORY – Love Club 101
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Takade Saki’s Perspective

 

“Saya-senpai said she’ll be a little late today. She has clean-up duty after class today, so I’m in charge for now!”

 

 

 

This was the first time that Saya-senpai had put me in charge of any club activities, so to make her proud, I was going to get everything jump-started. Watanabe-san raised her hand.

“Wouldn’t it be a better idea if we just continued our own art projects?”

With my hand on my hip, I pointed at her nose.

“Does Saya-senpai ever let us continue our art projects?!”

“Hehe, that’s the point, Takade-san.”

I shook my head from side to side.

“Nope, today I’m in charge, so that means we’re going to open our feelings to one another!”

Yuko-chan jumped.

“Ehhh? I-I need to go to the bathroom!”

“No, you don’t! Stay right there, Yuko-chan!”

The giant jumped out of her seat, so I had to leap at her, grab her ankle, and watch her fall to the floor. She slammed down like a tower crumbling to the ground.

“I-I don’t want to talk about this! Leave me alone, Saki-chan!”

“Don’t be a big baby! How else is Watanabe-san supposed to really get the full experiences of the art club?!”

“Art clubs don’t act like ours! Why can’t we be normal?!”

Yuko-chan cried. She sounded like she was in tears. I didn’t want to do this, but I let her go.

“Listen, Yuko-chan…we all already know about your big crush on…”

“No! Stop it, Saki-chan!”

Like a cat turning into a vicious lion, she clawed at me by knocking me on the head. I fell backward, into Watanabe-san’s arms.

“Wow, are you okay, Takade-san?”

I lifted my head to see that ghost rush out of the room. I clicked my tongue, foiled again by her absurdly tall body.

“She’s a hard one to get talking.”

I slumped my shoulders as I pulled away from Watanabe-san. Now sitting next to her, I turned to her.

"Hey, are you in love with anyone?"

“Wow, that’s a loaded question! Why do you want to know?”

I shrugged.

“Don’t know, just want to get to know you better.”

She giggled hysterically.

"Most people ask for hobbies and whatnot. You go right to the jugular."

She turned to the table and began drawing. Watanabe’s artwork wasn’t anything special, but she always seemed to be enjoying herself when she was in the midst of it.

“You know Takade-san…back in middle school there actually was someone I liked.”

“Oh?”

Suddenly, something juicy came to me. Like a beast hungry for meat, I pushed myself closer to Watanabe-san. All she did was giggle as she leaned away slightly.

“Oh, who was it?! Huh?”

“Well, probably saying ‘I liked them’ isn’t the right meaning.”

Her smile actually died down a bit. That was interesting because, for the time I've known Watanabe Mae-san, she always had this lovable beam on her face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been the kind of girl to…fall in love and stuff, you know? I don’t really watch those dramas or get into all that.”

She sighed and it opened up a new side to the cheerful Watanabe-san.

“But certainly, there was a person who always made me feel like…I was the most important in their life…and I kind of messed that up in middle school.”

“What do you mean?”

She nibbled on her lip.

“You know…I don’t think I’m too ready to tell you, to be honest.”

I might have overstepped my boundaries, and now I felt guilty for it. Soberly, I sat on the side of her.

“…Sorry…”

I closed my eyes.

“Middle school was rough for me…kids would always say horrible things for me because I was gay and different.”

I took a deep breath, clearing those terrible memories from my mind.

“So, when I came to high school, I kind of reformed myself. Made sure I learned to express myself more. There’s one thing about me…and that’s my love for romance and…girls.”

I found myself giggling.

“But I guess not everyone is like that, huh, Watanabe-san?”

She looked at her art and scribbled a bit before turning back to me.

“I never knew you had to go through that…”

She closed her leaf green eyes and opened them again, looking back at me. As if our souls connected, she admitted.

“You know…I love this person to death…and she’s still my friend.”

“Oh?! Are you like that too?!”

"Eh?! Wait, as I said…I don't think our love is like that…"

She backed up, but I caught her in my clutches as she got out of her seat to escape.

“Come on, how else could it be?!”

“I can love someone without thinking about them romantically, Takade-san.”

"But you said you never liked people like that before. But you just used love when speaking about her! You can't be that blind! Embrace your love! Embrace it!"

She shook with frustration now as her cheeks went all the brighter.

“You don’t get it! I don’t like her like that!”

She denied her feelings but luckily, I caught on to a certain nugget of information.

“Her? Her, who?!”

“You are twisting my words. I-I’m twisting my words…”

She took a deep breath.

“Oh my gosh…now I know how she feels when I do this to her. I…shouldn’t tease her like this.”

The bluehead calmed down and turned back to me.

“She’s my friend…and probably the only person I’ve…ever felt anything like that for.”

Accepting her feelings or at least acknowledging them, she put her hand on her hips. I’m not sure who her friend was…I don’t know much about her friends outside of the club here…

Instantly, I imagined that dirty blond foreigner…It must have been her.

"But…right now…I'm not ready to…ah…have any kind of relationship. And…I think she is the last person I want to…you know…date.”

I lunged back.

“Eh? That makes no sense! Is it because you’re friends and don’t want to cross that barrier?! If not now, when Watanabe-san?! When?!”

The excitement was getting to me, but she stood firm.

“B-Because right now I’m…struggling with things…”

Her face went bright red as she kicked on the floor.

“A-And…I believe…that I should overcome them if I…if I want to be on the same level as her.”

Her voice cracked…and I think I went too far again. It was apparent to me now that the bright, cheerful Watanabe-san might have her own worries. So, I walked to her, put my arms around her, and laid her head on my chest.

Mommy always told me I have a chest for comforting people.

 

 

“What are you doing, Takade-san?”

“I’m consoling you. Whatever problems you are going through…I hope you the best, and I’m here as your new friend.”

I spoke from the heart.

“But…if you really do have feelings for this person, how long will you wait until someone else takes them away?”

Her body slumped…before she whispered.

“As long as they’re happy, it doesn’t matter much to me...”

She sounded…defeated, and it took me by surprise.

“I’m back!”

From the entrance, Saya-senpai and Yuko-chan walked in. It seemed the scared mouse ran to Saya-senpai’s classroom and stayed with her until she came to clubs.

“Oh, are we interrupting an emotional breakthrough?”

My love teased, causing me to get a tad flustered.

“N-No! We were just talking about love!”

I screamed from the top of my lungs as I let go. Watanabe-san giggled as I flipped about the room.

“I was a bit upset, and she cheered me up, Saitou-san.”

Watanabe-san covered for me as she took my arm in hers.

"I think we've just become better friends; didn’t we, Takade-san?!”

With her cheeks, she pushed them on me. I wasn’t expecting any of this and it caused my body to warm up. My gosh, she was soft too. It made me think…the person she likes is missing out if she doesn’t have the same feelings for her.

“Alright girls, let’s get started.”

My love clapped as she brought us all to the center of the room. I wasn’t ready to be the boss, today taught me that, and I didn’t care. When Saya-senpai took charge of the group…I couldn’t settle down. She was just so…beautiful and charming.

“Order me around, Saya-senpai!”

“Oh, okay, go get the teacups out of the closet. We’re going to discuss the New Year’s Event.”

“R-Right!”

I could die happy right now. I officially love the Arts Club all the more now! So, I raced to the closet. As I was looking around, a warm breath trickled in my ear.

“Hey…you know what, Takade-san?”

It was Watanabe-san whispering to me. She reminded me of a tomboy in every sense of the word, but when she did things like this…it was so adorable that my heart couldn’t take it sometimes.

“Oh?! W-what is it?”

“…I think I’m going to try and…get her attention soon. I don’t think she truly knows how deeply I care for her.”

Gently, as if she was speaking to a timid animal, she expressed her feelings.

“And I at least want her to know that I want to protect her like when we were kids.”

 

The image of her and that blondie went into my mind. They…would be adorable together!

“You two would make a wonderful couple!”

I whispered back. With my nose held high, I marched back with her. We enjoyed tea and discussed Saya-senpai's amazing plan for the New Year!

 

 

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