“A transfer student this late into the year?”

I lean back on the chair in front of Stella.

This time, she’s not behind her desk. We’re sitting on separate sofas, with the coffee table separating us. She brewed herself some tea. I was offered one this time, but I declined. Something about having Stella serving me tea doesn’t sit well with me.

She takes a sip from her tea and then replies,

“Yeah. Weird, huh? I’m surprised the school even accepted her.”

“Well, they do usually accept anyone with a rich background. Like you, for example. The daughter of our state governor is, unsurprisingly, the student council president of our school.”

“Well, it’s not like I’m trying to hide it.”

She stares at me. As soon as I was about to say something, she continues speaking.

“I know my family’s influence has helped me get a first-class ticket to this school. You, on the other hand, were accepted purely on your academic accomplishments. You should be proud of yourself, Kastille, coming from a family with no noteworthy background.”

This school is in the top ten in the entire nation (usually switching places between 2nd and 3rd). What sets this school apart from the other top high schools in the nation are the families that support it.

The school resides in the largest city in the nation. The GDP in this city alone can rival many foreign countries. People with power and money in this city hold a great amount of influence. Those people would then want their children to attend the best school in the city.

A perfect hunting ground for me.

I simply nod in agreement.

“What’s the task this time, then? I hope it’s not another lost backpack.”

“Uhh… Well… on top of transferring this late into the year, it looks like she also wants to start a club.”

“Does this person have no sense of time at all? The exams are in two weeks!”

I sigh in exasperation. This is stupid. This transfer student is stupid. This transfer student’s parents are stupid for raising someone like that.

“I know, I know. But, there’s nothing against the school rules about when you can or cannot start a club. Just go see what she needs help with. If it’s not possible that the club can be started with the minimum five members, then just let her down softly. Help her in any way you can. The best-case scenario would be for the club to get established. Try to get a happy ending without hurting anyone’s feelings, okay?”

---

Most students now are busy preparing for the final exams. Most students are also already in a club or two. Who would want to join a club started by some unknown transfer student weeks before the exams?

How did this transfer student even get a sponsor?

Worse yet, the kind of club that she’s trying to start…

This whole situation is such an enigma, it’s making my head hurt thinking about it.

I approach the student commons. Stella said our little client is waiting here by the grand wall of trophies, which are displayed like an art gallery in a museum. The number of trophies, awards, achievements, and other accolades are so immense, they had to install more displays all around the walls of the commons and yet it wasn’t enough. More displays spilled into the branching hallways.

Going by what kind of club the transfer student is trying to start, I know exactly which section of the wall of displays to go to.

Standing near the corner where a hallway splits from the commons stands a girl.

She has her hair tied into two parts to the back sides of her head. They’re neatly layered and held together by two matching red ribbons. The ends of the layers were left to flow freely, giving the impression that they could be ponytails. In fact, it could be said that the way she has her hair set up is like a blend between a bun and a ponytail. She has dyed her hair pink.

“Excuse me, are you the client who requested help from the student council?” I ask.

She turns around. This time, I can see her front.

There is a red- and yellow-threaded bracelet with a silver bead on her left wrist.

She has her hair parted, revealing a portion of her forehead. She has large eyes with a dark blue color that compliment her beaming smile. She gave off an aura of someone who has too much energy.

What was quite more noticeable than anything else, however, was her considerable chest size. Even Liliana would feel ashamed.

“Hi! You’re from the student council?”

She offers her hand. I shake it.

“My name is Kastille. You must be – “

“Mia Schroeder!”

She cut me off.

“Nice to meet you, Kastille!”

She looks me over, top to bottom.

“Hmm… You’re shorter than I thought.”

Looks like Mia and I have around the same height.

In comparison, Stella is probably a little more than a head shorter than me. Liliana is a few inches taller than I am. Rhys is a couple inches taller than me, but we’re both shorter than Liliana.

“Huh? Did Stella say something about me?”

“No, not really. Just your name and what you look like.”

Stella better not have said anything weird about me.

I try to change the subject.

“I see you’re looking at the school’s trophies.”

“Yeah! Although, this section looks smaller than some of the others…”

“Well, the club that you’re trying to establish wasn’t the most popular.”

I look at the nameplate that tells what track or department these accolades belong to.

“Entertainment, Gaming Club.”

“Why don’t people want to have fun? The sports and STEM displays take up half of the entire wall space in the commons! But, we get this tiny spot that’s less than a meter long!”

“I think you joined the wrong school, Mia. Besides, the gaming club was abolished when the seniors graduated two years ago. The underclassmen at the time were hard-pressed to not continue running the club and instead focus on other, more productive interests.”

“No, this is the right school. Look at some of the competitions they won!”

She starts pointing to specific trophies.

“First person shooters! MOBAs! RTS! Poker! Fighting games! Billiards! Even game shows! They were a powerhouse. That’s why I came here. I want to bring it back.”

What a foolish dream.

Sure, the students usually excel in any endeavor they try. Playing games, however, are not exactly what the school wants to teach.

Politicians. CEOs. Top-tier athletes. Doctors. Engineers.

The school is only interested in nurturing high-performing elites of the modern world.

While there is some money and game to be gained from playing these games (competitions, streaming, and otherwise), they lack the kind of influence that other elites possess.

I share a similar goal with the school. Nurture the students into elites, and then reap the benefits from the alumni.

I sigh.

“You really want to bring this club back from the dead?”

She nods vigorously.

“Yes!”

Looks like this isn’t going to be easy.

I scratch the back of my head.

“You do understand the situation the school is in, right? Exams are coming up. Additionally, students are already members of some club or another at this point. What do you plan on doing?”

“Talk! I’m going to talk and see if I can convince people to join.”

“That’s not going to work. It’s not exactly the most convenient, either. We can’t just approach every student we come across.”

Unfortunately, talking to other students is the best action we can take right now. If we post something online, it will most likely be ignored. In that case, if our best chance is to talk to students, then the best students to talk to first would be…

“We could talk to the former members of the club. They’ll likely be the most willing to reestablish the gaming club.”

Mia suddenly makes a pouting face. Did I say something wrong?

“I was supposed to say that!”

I shrug, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know we were reading from a script.”

She giggles and her pout turns into a smile.

“Hehe, I’m just joking. We were both thinking the same thing, though!”

“Uh-huh. Should we get started then?”

Mia makes a puzzled look.

“Eh? You know where the former members are?”

“Some of them should still be with their clubs preparing for the performance-based part of the exams.”

The final exams aren’t just a bunch of questions and answers. They also include performance-based scenarios that will test a student’s ability in a simulated environment.

Most students join a club appropriate to their specialization to gain experience and pertinent skills. Students could also join a second club if their schedule permits. That second club is usually some hobby of the student’s, but it could also be a supplement to their specialization.

“Wow. You really did your work. I’m glad I have someone so dependable!”

“Save the compliments for later. We haven’t even started yet.”

“You’re right! Okay. I’m ready. Let’s goooo!”

She runs ahead but stops shortly after. She turns back to me.

“Ehehee... Sorry, how about you lead? I don’t know where everything is.”

“Right. Follow me, then.”

I hope this ends quickly...