Join a Club

"What, you want to join a club?"

The next day, when Tang Keke heard Bai Yuyou say she wanted to check out the Light Music Club, she blinked her eyes in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah… Ye Shuang said… to go take a look…" Bai Yuyou paused before adding, "Make other friends…"

Make other friends…

Tang Keke’s face immediately fell, her expression slack as if her soul had been sucked out. "Am I… being hated by my brother now?"

It had to be true—yesterday, she’d been subjected to targeted training, and today, Ye Shuang was encouraging Bai Yuyou to make other friends.

"I shouldn’t have said my brother was gay," Tang Keke muttered, clutching her chest as if in pain.

In reality, it was just a misunderstanding. Ye Shuang had only meant for Bai Yuyou to befriend people with different personalities, not to stop being friends with Tang Keke. But if you really thought about it, Bai Yuyou’s phrasing wasn’t entirely wrong.

Seeing Tang Keke’s exaggerated distress, Bai Yuyou tilted her head slightly before pulling a band-aid out of her pocket.

"Here."

"Thanks, but it’s not an outside kind of pain."

Before long, the school day ended, and afternoon arrived.

Bai Yuyou returned to the place where she’d heard the guitar the day before—the classroom. Unlike yesterday, the door wasn’t completely shut but slightly ajar. Bai Yuyou crept closer, peeking inside with half her face visible.

Secretly observing.jpg

Inside were the same two girls from yesterday, sitting together and seemingly deep in conversation.

"Zhixia," the long-haired girl asked the one with the thin ponytail, "how much of our club’s budget is left?"

"None. You already know this, Linlin… Our club is small, and with Teacher Chen, our advisor, out with a broken leg, the school isn’t willing to allocate funds to us."

"No way… So we don’t even have money for the anniversary performance?"

"We don’t have to set up a stage for a performance," Zhixia said, tapping her chin cutely. "How about we just perform by the roadside at our booth? It’s free, and there’s plenty of foot traffic."

"Th-that’s way too embarrassing!" Linlin’s lips twitched.

Zhixia shrugged helplessly. "What else can we do? The Rock Club, the Traditional Music Club, and even the Love Kun Music Group are all fighting for spots, and they have way more members than us. We can’t compete."

"Besides, all our members have already left for the Rock Club."

Linlin hugged her guitar and suddenly asked, "So… is our club going to be disbanded?"

"I asked the club advisor yesterday. She said if we can’t get at least five members, we won’t be able to hold activities next semester. This classroom will be given to another club."

"Five people… Finding three more shouldn’t be that hard, right? We could just ask some classmates to pretend or something."

"It’s not just about the members. We also need an advisor. After Teacher Chen’s injury, even if she recovers, she won’t be able to supervise the club. Where are we supposed to find another advisor? Almost all the teachers are already overseeing other clubs."

"Guess there’s no way around it, then." Linlin sighed.

Zhixia lowered her head, her smile tinged with sadness. "Yeah… Last year, it was so lively. But after graduation season, it’s just the two of us left."

"..."

The classroom fell silent for a few seconds.

"Zhixia."

"Hm?"

"Have you… felt like we’re being watched this whole time?"

"Now that you mention it…" Zhixia followed Linlin’s gaze toward the door.

...

Bai Yuyou was crouched outside, trying to muster the courage to go in and ask about joining the club. But her feet refused to move, and she ended up squatting there like a little penguin.

A few seconds later, she peeked inside again—only to find the classroom completely empty.

Bai Yuyou tilted her head in confusion before leaning in further. Still no one. The two girls from earlier had vanished into thin air, leaving only the faintly fluttering curtains as proof they’d ever been there.

Then, she noticed two shadows stretching across the wall in front of her, completely covering her own.

Slowly, she turned around—only to find the two girls standing right behind her, smiling.

"Hello there, classmate."

The moment Bai Yuyou realized they were standing behind her, she froze completely, her face devoid of expression.

"Classmate?"

"Classmate?"

It took her a long moment before she mechanically stood up, her entire body trembling slightly.

"We meet again! Are you interested in our club?" Zhixia asked cheerfully.

Unlike Zhixia’s bubbly demeanor, Linlin was more serious. "Do you want to visit the Light Music Club?"

Clearly, both were intrigued by Bai Yuyou. Linlin now understood what Zhixia had meant yesterday when she called her a "doll." The girl before them was like a work of art—flawless, delicate, and almost unreal in her beauty.

Bai Yuyou reached into her pocket and pulled out a note, handing it to Zhixia.

The two read it together—

[•ω•`) What if I said I was just passing by… would you believe me?]

"Nope! Come on in." Zhixia laughed, looping her arm through Bai Yuyou’s and pulling her into the classroom.

Soon, Bai Yuyou was seated in a chair.

Zhixia and Linlin studied the girl in front of them. Sensing her nervousness, Zhixia introduced herself first. "Hi! I’m Qiao Zhixia, the club president. You can just call me Zhixia."

Linlin followed with a polite nod. "I’m An Qiulin. Linlin is fine."

"What’s your name?"

Bai Yuyou’s lips parted slightly. She wasn’t completely incapable of speech, but her comfort level varied:

- Around Ye Shuang: 90% verbal.

- Around Tang Keke: 50% verbal.

- Alone: 20% verbal.

"Bai… Yuyou," she managed. "Join… Light Music Club."

"Really?!" Zhixia’s eyes sparkled as if she’d stumbled upon treasure. She was genuinely moved—the club hadn’t had new members in half a year. "Of course! We’d love to have you."

"Do you play any instruments?"

Bai Yuyou tensed up even more. As a complete beginner at guitar, she fumbled for words.

Linlin, however, seemed to realize something. Gently, she pulled out a sheet of paper from a nearby desk drawer and handed it to Bai Yuyou.

"Bai Yuyou, if you’re not comfortable speaking, here."

She smiled warmly.

"Don’t be nervous. Just write down what you want to say."