Vol 2 Chapter 40 – Club Membership Restrictions

“I am truly sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

I bowed my head.

It was the only thing I could do.

My very presence was causing problems for the “Modern Culture Research Society.”

“Stooop. Apologies are no good, Kajiwara-kun.”

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Toudou-san clicked her tongue and shot me a displeased glare.

I understood what she wanted to say, but still.

“Toudou-san, but—”

“You get it, don’t you? None of this is your fault, Kajiwara-kun. Why in the world would we have to blame you or make you apologize? There’s not a single person in our club who wants that.”

Nod, nod. President Takahashi agreed.

Segawa-san and Ema-san also gave a firm nod of their own.

“It’s the teachers, the parents, and that whole crowd who are a bunch of foolish bimbos. There’s no need for you to worry about it, Kajiwara-kun.”

“…I understand.”

I understood.

And so, I asked my next question.

“So, what was the final outcome of the discussion with the student council?”

That’s what I was concerned about.

Of course, President Takahashi is an exceptionally sharp person.

As if she carries the fate of the “Bewitching Star,” the star of beauty and stratagem.

With a glint of her silver-rimmed glasses, she let out a little laugh.

Hehehe.

“Oh, I had a very meaningful conversation with Student Council President Tsuboka. I’ll explain it all now. First—we couldn’t refuse the promotion to a full-fledged club. That’s already a settled matter, and not even the student council can overturn it. Nothing to be done there.”

That much is a given.

The problem was what came next.

From what I’d heard, they were planning to establish membership restrictions.

“Now then, first up are the upperclassmen. We’ve placed restrictions on third-year admissions. It’s just common sense, but even though it’s still only May, why would upperclassmen who are about to get busy with job hunting or university exams join a club now? We decided to refuse them on the grounds that it’s unthinkable.”

“Well—that makes sense.”

To be blunt, they’d be a nuisance.

No, to begin with, the “Modern Culture Research Society” doesn’t need a single new person.

The very act of being begged to let people join is a nuisance.

“In the first place, it’s plain to see their insincere motive is to get close to you, Kajiwara-kun. My argument that this would be unacceptable to both the club’s activities and to you went over pretty well. It’s not as if they lack all wisdom and reason. The student council will handle that part for us.”

“Really saves us the trouble. President Tsuboka is quite capable.”

I see.

So the third-years are taken care of.

I felt a sense of relief, for the time being.

So then—what about the first-years, who are in my grade, and the second-years, who are in the same grade as the president and the others?

“To put it another way, we can’t stop the first- and second-years from submitting membership applications!”

Isn’t that no good, then?

But—the real plan probably starts now.

“Of course, the real discussion starts here. The two from the student council, plus Hatsune and me. We were up talking late all yesterday. In short, we’re going to hold a membership test!”

Ping!

President Takahashi held up her index finger.

A membership test?

“Look, you went through a screening too, didn’t you, Kajiwara-kun?”

“Did I?”

“You did! That’s what we’ve decided!!”

So that’s what they decided.

It was true that I had asked if it was okay for one guy to intrude on an all-female group.

That part was a fact.

And they did check with every single member, and I was welcomed by a unanimous decision.

That whole process did happen.

It wasn’t a complete lie.

“That was a terrifyingly strict screening… hehe, you did well to overcome it, Kajiwara-kun.”

Um, in my memory, I think it was decided in less than five minutes.

In any case, it seemed the screening was going to be tough.

President Takahashi and Toudou-san were planning to establish just such a screening, a membership test.

“I understand that we’re supposed to just go along with that version of events.”

“Me too.”

Segawa-san and Ema-san nodded.

Since those two weren’t called to the student council meeting, they had no choice but to agree.

They had a faith in President Takahashi that bordered on worship, and while they thought Toudou-san was a bit shady, they trusted her for the most part.

“Excellent. Most excellent. Now we’ve established a common understanding that the membership test was an extremely rigorous ordeal.”

Nod, nod. Toudou-san agreed.

It was a dirty trick, but since the other side was trying to use an even dirtier trick to invade our sacred otaku space, it couldn’t be helped.

That’s how I saw it.

“So, what are the specifics?”

“Well, it’s that thing. Do you know that we already distributed a recruitment flyer to the entire student body once?”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

With her characteristic energy as a ‘light-side’ otaku, President Takahashi had nervously gone around and distributed club recruitment flyers to every classroom.

She did it last year, and this year too.

“And despite that, the only applicants were the four of us here. And this year, only you joined, Kajiwara-kun. In other words, there are no more otaku in this school besides the ones right here.”

I see.

If that’s the case, then…

“Are you going to give them a test on being an otaku?”

“Of course!”

President Takahashi nodded enthusiastically.

“And that’s not all. Since we’re taking this seriously as a club activity, no holding memberships in other clubs. A duty to show up every day except Sunday. And they’ll have to participate in doujin activities!”

“I see.”

Yeah, a normal person could never put up with that, is what I thought.

The moment you ban joining other clubs, the all-star athletes who are passionately dedicated to their sports can’t get in.

They surely wouldn’t have the resolve to throw away the things they love, the things they can pour their entire being into—the springtime of their youth—just for the sake of hitting on me.

On top of that, they’re required to participate enthusiastically in club activities.

They’re required to live as an otaku.

Wannabe otaku need not apply.

For a normal person, it would be torture.

“I guess you probably won’t get anyone begging to join under those conditions.”

“There might be a few. A very few.”

Even that small number probably couldn’t stand being an otaku.

Or so I thought.

I thought that, but well.

I had no intention of finding fault with the conclusion reached by the two from the student council, President Takahashi, and Toudou-san, but…

“Umm, President Takahashi. I do have another idea, just in case.”

“And that is?”

“How about I properly turn down every single applicant myself, telling them that anyone who won’t seriously engage in otaku club activities is a nuisance?”

Isn’t it enough for me to just warn them off?

I just have to tell them clearly.

That doing something like this will not make me like them.

“…Are you sure? Can you really turn them down?”

Ah, so that’s what President Takahashi was worried about.

It’s true that when someone asks me out directly, one-on-one, I find it hard to reject them harshly.

I can sense that they, too, are being serious and have worked up the courage to approach me.

But, that only applies to me personally.

“If it involves all of you in the club, that’s a different story.”

That makes them a clear enemy.

President Takahashi, Toudou-san, Segawa-san, Ema-san.

There isn’t a single one of them who isn’t important to me.

Our relationship may still be new, but every one of them is precious to me.

When it’s a problem that involves them versus a problem that’s only about me, the situation is completely different.

“I will clearly reject anyone who wishes to join. I’ll tell them that doing this won’t make me have favorable feelings for them.”

“If you’re willing to do that, then let’s go with that.”

President Takahashi snorted, as if to say, Now everything’s perfect.

“Well, some of them will probably still come… Oh well. It won’t even take a month for all of them to give up,” Toudou-san concluded.

“Alright, let’s get started on the next doujinshi right away. You keep up your illustration practice too, Kajiwara-kun.”

“Understood!”

At President Takahashi’s words, everyone took out their graphics tablets and started drawing.

The same unchanging daily routine.

Hoping that it would stay this way forever, we forged ahead, dedicating ourselves completely to our otaku activities.