Rocket Start ~sparse flash~ Chapter 3

[nebulancer]

Subaru: Game Research Club?

Natsume: YeS. As the name implieS, the club's activities seem to be that everyone gathers to play games~ and sucH.

The third years' graduation is simultaneous with loss of club memberS, so the club looks to be in danger of being disbandeD.

Contrasted to those of traditioN, with long historieS...

There are more distinguished club roomS, but our school's students don't get as passionate about club activities, after alL.

Subaru: Nn~. I'm not taking lessonns too seriously; not participating in committees or clubs; and it's not like I'm making much progress in idol activities either...

Everyone looks like they have something or anything they work with all their might in, huh.

Natsume: Because they're submissive to desireS. This current age of children are weak to stresS, and they dislike restrainT.

There's a rumor abouT, that the recently reestablished Student Council has passed an order that "club entry is mandatory" or the likE.

BuT, I don't believe that at the current status the students will be able to accept thaT.

Subaru: Huh? In our school, was there a Student Council in the first place?

Natsume: YeS. Though it was but originally something which existed only on papeR, apparently some second year senpai whose name I don't know took charge to revive iT.

I know not of the intentionS, but there really are some disturbing dealings taking placE.

WelL, it's probably not for me to to think too much about iT. Connecting points to points to weave together a storY, that's a fortune teller's occupational disease in the enD.

Subaru: Natsume, you really like fortune telling, huh~. Why don't you associate yourself with a "Fortune Telling Research Club" or something?

Natsume: There's no club by that namE. Well, with a "UFO Fanatic Club" or "Rakugo Study Club" or "Marine Life Club" and sucH, there exist myriads of big and small clubS...

Though even if I were to search for iT, there may not be a club like thaT.

Fortune telling is my lifE. It's a shame that it's been swarmed with amateurs who know nothinG, messing around with it on the surface simply for fuN.

Because I'm not playing around herE.

Subaru: Hmm, so it feels like you're not entering a club? Or are you going to enter the Game Research Club, or whatever?

We're heading to that club room right now, right?

Fufun. You gave me a hand with the day duty, so as repayment I'll tag along with Natsume for the day~♪

Natsume: YeS. Equivalent exchangE. ...Incidentally, I just so happen to be unaffiliated with clubs stilL.

I have an acquaintance in the Game Research CluB, so after hearing about the quandary of the club being disbanded I simply sought out talK.

Even if temporarily someone joinS, the member requirement will be overcome and the club will be able to escape being shut dowN.

In that vein my acquaintance requested me of iT, that, "could I possibly join the Game Club" and sucH.¹

Recently this waY... Consulting with all kinds of people and their worrieS, I've been going round and round solving problems.

For you toO, if you have free time then I'd be glad to have you lend a hanD.

Subaru: Ohh, you help people out☆ Natsume, are you the type of person who can't overlook someone in trouble?

Natsume: I'm just a meddleR. Because I'm a fortune telleR. ...If Akehoshi-kun also hasn't entered a club yeT, would you like to enter the Game Club alongside mE?

Subaru: Nn~, I'll think about it. I don't really have motivation to join a club, and I wanna do something like an afterschool part-time job.

Natsume: Hn? If it's only your motheR, then your home circumstances must be difficult after alL?

I thought "That Akehoshi" still had earnings left oveR, to the point where you could live as if playing around with everything in lifE.

Subaru: Nah~. My dad wasn't the type to worry about money a single bit, so he donated it here and there to different charities.

Even then, it's not like we don't have enough stored away to keep going on with life, but...

If we use it all up, it feels like we'll have cut away our ties to my dad...

With those same feelings my mom's been working really busily, doing her best and earning for us by herself.

It's just that it seems her body's going to break, and I wanted to reduce my mom's workload.

That's why, with a part-time job too, I could give money back to the family, even just a little bit.

If I can buy my mom's health with money, it's pretty good.

Saying what I really feel, I want to make earnings with idol activities~, but the preferred ones to get the money making jobs are the senpais, so I'll just wait for the trend to come to me.

Because over there you've got some faint hopes.

Natsume: Hmm... Speaking of whicH, sorrY. With home circumstances and alL, you'd probably not wanted them to be touched upon too mucH.

Subaru: Ahaha, is Natsume really the kind of character to worry about that?

More importantly, I can see the Game Research Club's club room! Over there, right, there's a placard stuck to the door with "Game Club" written on it!

I can hear a plick-plack, plick-placky sound like games from it~♪

Let's go, let's go, Natsume! Somehow, it's got a fun sense coming from it~☆

Natsume: Whawa... Don't pull my hanD, Akehoshi-kun?

[Scene change: Game Research Club]

Subaru: Pardon me! Oh, this is the Game Club's club room~? It's wider than I thought and really pretty☆

Natsume: Without knockinG, entering a room without obtaining permission and walking in violates manners, you knoW. SeriouslY, you're a kid without parallel in freedom to the point where I'm even enviouS.

Subaru: Ahaha, you said something like "kid"! You little, you little- even though we're in the same year~☆

Makoto: Ehhmm... Sorry, who could you possibly be?

Subaru: Oh, some glasses guy showed up! Natsume, is this the "Game Club's acquaintance" you were talking about?

Natsume: NO. This is someone I don't knoW... With the necktie that's the same color that means he's the same yeaR, but I don't believe I have recollection of his face so he's likely a kid from the B ClasS.

NN~... But I can't quite put my finger on iT; I remember seeing him somewhere beforE.


¹-The Game Research Club's name is as written as "geemu kenkyuu-bu", but at times is shortened to simply "Game Club", or "gee-ken" for easier saying.