Chapter 30: Wait, Kayako? Folklore?

On Sunday evening, under the worried gaze of Kayaba Udo, Kayako slowly stepped into her cold, desolate home.

Her father, bleary-eyed and intoxicated on the living room floor, heard the movement and managed to crack his eyes open. He glanced at the girl standing cautiously in the doorway, terrified of disturbing him. With nothing more than a casual look, he rolled over and went back to sleep, entirely indifferent to the daughter who stood a head taller than he did.

Kayako was long accustomed to her parents' disregard. Fortunately, she had already eaten at Kayaba’s house, so she didn't need to rummage through the refrigerator, which saved her the risk of being kicked out of the house again. Carrying the clothes Fuku had given her, Kayako returned to her room, making as little noise as possible.

Though they were described as old clothes that had been worn and washed once, the truth was that Fuku had simply tried the white dress on at the boutique, felt satisfied, and had never touched it again after bringing it home. Kayako didn't care if the clothes were used; on the contrary, the fact that Fuku had not shown any obvious dislike toward her or tried to drive her away made her feel even happier.

Because of this, she had an identity—a chance to follow behind Kayaba. Even if it were just as their sidekick, it was enough for Kayako. Ever since her parents had grown estranged and stopped paying attention to her, people around her had slowly begun to distance themselves, eventually even coming to loathe her increasingly gloomy presence. Even the convenience store clerk would wear a look of disgust and avoid contact with her whenever she checked out.

It was such a relief that Kayaba and Fuku did not hate her. Yet... she longed to be like Fuku, to share intimate moments with Kayaba, or perhaps even replace her...

As soon as the thought surfaced, Kayako shook her head violently, kneeling on the floor in dejection. "I really am a hateful person. How could I have such thoughts..."

After composing herself, Kayako carefully put away the dress Fuku had given her and began writing in her diary.

"Kayaba-kun’s cooking is so good. It’s delicious, I want to eat it forever. Heart."
"Before I left, Kayaba-kun’s worried gaze—was he worried about me? I’m so happy. To think he would actually worry about me. What do I do? I’m starting to love this feeling of being watched by him more and more."
"The dress Fuku-chan gave me is so pretty, and it looks expensive, too."
"But I still like the socks Kayaba-kun gave me better~"

Closing her notebook, Kayako picked up the white socks Kayaba had given her and pressed them tightly against her chest.

"Huh..."

She felt an unexpected lump within the soft fabric. Curious, she found the spot and pulled the object out.

"This is..."

A note and a crisp 10,000 yen bill.

—Stop scavenging. I’ll find you a part-time job in a couple of days.

Huddled under the dim desk lamp, staring at the note in her hands, it was the first time in her life that cold, written words had brought warmth to her heart. Kayako stared at the note for a long time, then carefully turned off the lamp, clutched the note to her chest, and lay down on her bed.

"Kayaba-kun..."

A passionate whisper echoed in the darkness, followed by the soft sound of heavy breathing, until eventually, everything fell into silence.

A new week began, repeating its cycle. In a sense, schooling and working are remarkably similar—both are repetitive, cyclical social behaviors. And university is the most relaxed phase between these two stages. While the pressure of school is indeed much less than that of entering society—after all, one doesn't have to worry about the next meal, let alone mortgages or car loans—the school still exerts its own minor pressures on students.

"Are you really not joining any clubs again this year?" As soon as class ended, Saburo Omoku sidled up to Kayaba Udo.

"I’m not afraid of being isolated, and I’m not afraid of the teachers trying to 'counsel' me. Why should I join a club and give myself extra work, and pay fees every month?"

"Isn't it better to just go home after school? Why cram yourself into a room with a bunch of people you don't really know and likely won't keep in touch with later, only to have to clock in every day as if it were a job?"

Kayaba’s words left Saburo in silence. He wanted to say something, but could only sigh and return to his seat.

Art needs embellishment; clubs in this country aren't as wonderful as they are depicted in manga. Kayaba couldn't understand why people always thought school clubs were relaxing or that school trips were just for fun. Compared to the leisurely, interesting clubs shown in anime and films, the reality of school clubs here was far from ideal.

Take the Kyudo (archery) club, for example—a staple in anime, especially in the Holy Grail Wars. The club rules, which could run as long as a thousand-word essay, would make most people’s scalps crawl. As for meeting someone through a club? Forget it; training is strictly segregated by gender.

There are monthly membership fees, a 5,000 yen attendance fee for every activity, and a 2,500 yen fine for every absence. Yes, you heard that right—there is such a thing as an absence fee. Therefore, at the start of the school year, most schools give clubs three days to recruit new members. At this time, they pull out all the stops, because only by getting new recruits can they find people to replace the seniors as "officers" to do the grunt work.

Especially when it comes to training camps—don't even dream of anything like those in *K-On!*. First, the lodging locations for boys and girls are separate, as the school is terrified of students causing trouble. Second, the schedule runs from 6:30 AM to 6:30 PM, and the rookies have to wake up the seniors for breakfast and are strictly forbidden from leaving leftovers.

Though, there’s rarely anything left anyway...

After going through that routine, no one has any energy left for anything else. Clubs are for the "socially thriving"; the homebodies never participate.

Of course, there are exceptionally absurd and powerful clubs, like those that can invite famous voice actors or manga artists. But those clubs generally don't look at average recruits.

During his freshman year, a teacher had once pressured Kayaba to join a club, but after learning that he lived alone, they stopped asking. Fuku, like Kayaba, hadn't joined a single club until now. While others were chosen by clubs, Fuku was the one doing the choosing...

"Wait, what on earth? You’re starting a club?"

"Uh-huh~"

"And it's a Folklore Research Society!?"

On a park bench, Kayaba stared at Fuku, who had found him after lunch, his face full of shock and confusion. "Are you serious?"

"Uh-huh, yes~"

Watching Fuku, who looked completely determined, Kayaba painfully clutched his forehead. "How did you even think of starting a club like that?"

"Hmm..." Fuku lightly tapped her chin, thought for a moment, and then spoke softly.

"It’s fun~"

"..."

It was over. When Fuku said something was fun, it meant she was definitely going to do it. Seeing that he couldn't stop her, Kayaba could only sigh.

"Have you found the club members yet?"

"Uh-huh, you, me, Kayako, and..."

"!!"

Wait, Kayako? Folklore? Are you kidding me?!