As the end-of-class bell rang, another school day came to a close. Mingming had mentioned earlier that morning about discussing the Literature Club's new member recruitment, so Lu Mingfei slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed straight for the clubroom. Just then, he felt someone tugging at his hem.
Damn it, how could he have forgotten about this?
"Uesugi-san, can I show you around the campus tomorrow instead? I have to go to the clubroom today to discuss club recruitment," Lu Mingfei said, feeling rather helpless.
"Lu Mingfei is a liar." Erii didn't speak aloud; instead, she wrote it down in her notebook and handed it right in front of Lu Mingfei.
Lu Mingfei was starting to get annoyed. Going to the clubroom was something he had promised Mingming first thing in the morning, and back then, Erii hadn't even arrived yet. Besides, agreeing to show her around the school was entirely due to the teacher's arrangement and out of consideration for a new student. Now she was acting like this, making it look as though he owed her something. It made Lu Mingfei irritated, extremely irritated.
"Hey, I only agreed to show you around because the teachers asked me to look after you. I don't owe you anything," Lu Mingfei said, losing his patience. What was wrong with this Eldest Miss? She was so gorgeous that a whole bunch of boys would jump at the chance to show her around the school—why did she have to latch onto him? Having just gone through the agony of unrequited love, Lu Mingfei was already on a very short fuse, and she had to walk right into the line of fire.
All club activities for senior year were going to be replaced by study halls, so this club meeting might well be the final club activity for the senior students in the Literature Club. Lu Mingfei didn't want to miss it for the world.
"Is the clubroom inside the school?" The notebook was thrust before his eyes once more.
"A clubroom is where club activities happen, so of course it's in the school. Though I suppose Japan has them too."
"I fell very ill when I was little, so I couldn't speak and couldn't go to school. That's why I've never joined a club before."
The notebook flipped to a fresh page.
"The clubroom is part of the school too, so let's start by visiting the clubroom!"
Lu Mingfei furrowed his brow, seeing no better way out of the immediate dilemma, yet burdened with such dead weight.
Erii continued writing in her notebook: "Call me Erii."
"Oh," Lu Mingfei replied reluctantly. "Though the Literature Club isn't much fun." Clearly, he had no wish to drag her along there.
"Lu Mingfei promised me first that he would show me around the school, but then he agreed to go to the Literature Club with another girl. Liar, a big liar." It was followed by a little angry emoticon.
"I'll take you there, all right, Madam Grandmama."
Lu Mingfei led Erii out of the classroom, racking his brains over how to explain why this Eldest Miss was tagging along to the Literature Club. She obviously belonged in the Anime Club instead. He had to come up with an excuse; otherwise, given Su Xiaoqiang's personality, she would never let slip this prime opportunity to exact revenge on him. Lu Mingfei wrung his brains dry without coming up with a plausible explanation. Seeing the two of them walk in together, the members of the Literature Club looked somewhat surprised.
"Not bad, Lu Mingfei. I never figured you'd hook up with the newly crowned campus belle so fast," Su Xiaoqiang teased.
Lu Mingfei awkwardly scratched his head. "It's not what you guys think. I promised to show her around the school, and since it happened to coincide with club activities, I had no choice but to bring her along."
"People like to touch their hair when they're lying." Su Xiaoqiang pointed at Lu Mingfei's hand.
"No need to explain, we're all bros here, we get it." Xu Miaomiao gave him a thumbs-up.
"Hey, aren't you going to say something too?" Lu Mingfei looked at Erii. With the Xu Brothers' gift for fabricating rumors, the whole school would probably think he and Erii were a couple by tomorrow.
"So this is the clubroom? It's my first time seeing one." Erii didn't pull out her little notebook.
Erii, please don't just nod along like that! Lu Mingfei wailed inwardly. But Erii showed zero intention of explaining; she simply went about touring the clubroom on her own, truly staying true to her original intention.
"Have you never participated in club activities? I remember Japan has club periods starting from elementary school, right?" Mingming asked.
Erii didn't even turn her head back, as if she hadn't heard a thing. She flipped through the books on the shelf, glanced at the photos of Literature Club activities, and walked over to the cabinet displaying trophies. She paused there, only to lose interest just as quickly and turn toward the podium.
Seeing that she had no intention of answering, Lu Mingfei had to explain for her: "She fell very seriously ill when she was little and has never attended school before."
Su Xiaoqiang's expression became wonderfully complex. What was up with this kid? He knew the girl's past inside and out, and yet he claimed nothing was going on between them.
Su Xiaoqiang looked at Lu Mingfei. "And you say there's nothing scandalous going on? You know her past like the back of your hand, rattling off every detail."
"Get lost, how could someone like her ever fancy me?" Lu Mingfei laughed and cursed.
It was true—with Erii's looks and figure, she had surpassed the original three campus belles on the very first day of school, claiming the top spot on Shilan Middle School's campus belle rankings. Precisely because of that, Lu Mingfei wanted nothing to do with her, but he had been saddled with a heavy responsibility by the teachers, and she kept gravitating toward him anyway.
"Classmate Lu Mingfei is a good guy," Su Xiaoqiang said, mimicking the tone Erii had used that morning.
"Hahahahaha." The Xu Brothers slapped their bellies, howling with laughter.
Dark lines crossed Lu Mingfei's face. Why? He hadn't done a single thing, yet he had been handed a colossal good-guy card, and now the joke just wouldn't die—Su Xiaoqiang kept bringing it up.
"Can I join the Literature Club?" Erii looked at Mingming.
Erii, your conversational leaps are way too wide, Lu Mingfei muttered darkly to himself.
"Of course you can, Uesugi-san," Zhao Menghua piped up eagerly before Mingming could reply.
Hang on, what business is it of yours, brother? Did Mingming say anything? Why are you answering on your own accord? Even if you are Mingming's boyfriend, you shouldn't be making decisions for her! Lu Mingfei was utterly speechless. Anyone with eyes could see that Zhao Menghua had designs on Erii; just look at him currying favor day in and day out—his "second Chu Zihang" persona was about to shatter. Besides, you already have Mingming, why are you still going after Erii?
"Alright, during Friday's club period, we'll hold a welcome party for Uesugi-san," Mingming said, putting her foot down with a final decision, showing no intention of letting Lu Mingfei object.
She handed a club application form to Erii and instructed her on how to fill it out. Erii leaned over the podium, writing furiously, and finished the form in no time. Mingming collected the paper, signaling Erii's successful admission into the Literature Club.
"Didn't senior year scrap club activities?" Lu Mingfei protested weakly.
"The Literature Club isn't disbanding because of that, though. Only the seniors are having their club activities suspended, but the club still needs to recruit new members, so Uesugi-san can still join," Mingming said with an earnest expression. "Besides, it's just the official club periods that are canceled; we can still organize activities on our own privately."
"Fine, the president calls the shots." Lu Mingfei chose to compromise. Mingming was dead set on pulling Erii into the fold, likely eyeing the clout of the newly crowned campus belle as a bonus attraction for the upcoming club recruitment drive.
"By the way, Lu Mingfei, is there any event you want to participate in for the sports meet?" Zhao Menghua asked.
Lu Mingfei stared blankly at Zhao Menghua. Why was he suddenly cueing him? Did their previous conversation have even a half-cent's worth of connection to this? Besides, as a total loser whose athletic scores all hovered strictly around the passing line, he had no business joining the sports meet at all.
Everyone present except Erii knew Lu Mingfei had zero athletic aptitude, so Zhao Menghua's inquiry undoubtedly carried malicious intent.
"No," Lu Mingfei said, thinking better of it before adding, "I'll stick to logistics."
"That won't do. Logistics spots are basically reserved for the girls, and the spots set aside for boys are already filled up. Why don't you sign up for the long-distance race? Hardly anyone ever signs up for it, and you get a prize just for finishing." Zhao Menghua flipped through the roster in his hands, apparently pondering what kind of prank would be most entertaining to pull on Lu Mingfei.
"My stamina is terrible. Can't I do some lighter event instead? If worse comes to worst, being a student referee works too." Lu Mingfei saw right through his scheme. This was an outright attempt to torture him—making him run a long-distance race was practically asking for his life!
"How about the 3,000-meter run and the shot put? Neither of them has any participants yet. All the easy events already have capable students lined up to win medals, leaving only these two unclaimed." Acting as if he hadn't heard a word Lu Mingfei said, Zhao Menghua checked off two boxes next to Lu Mingfei's name.
"Just the shot put is fine, there's no way I can finish the 3,000 meters." Lu Mingfei refused to compromise twice in one evening.
"Every participant has to join at least two events, and the remaining events already have suitable people lined up." Zhao Menghua wore a wicked grin, showing no intention of letting him off the hook.
"Alright, Zhao Menghua, stop teasing him. Let him be a student referee instead; you know what his physical stamina is like," Mingming stepped in to smooth things over.
"Fine." Zhao Menghua made two strokes on the registration sheet.