Chapter 3: Club Activities

March 7th, 1:00 PM.

Today is Friday. Other than Caldesia, none of the members of the small club have classes this afternoon. After finishing her morning work in the laboratory, Qiluo snuck into the club activity room in the next building.

She was not surprised to find Gongsun Ce sprawled out on the table, fast asleep.

Qiluo whispered, "Gongsun Ce has been sleep-deprived for seven days in a row now."

Miss Qin was in the corner of the small room, tossing a ball to train her dynamic vision. Shiyu-kun thoughtfully draped a thin blanket over his friend and communicated via telepathy: (Gongsun has been studying hard lately.)

(That's amazing!) Qiluo marveled. (Gongsun Ce is actually studying!)

If the gray-haired, bespectacled young man heard this, he would likely jump up in protest. Although Mr. Gongsun slacks off in class and occasionally skips, he always manages to pass his exams by cramming at the last minute.

It wasn't that he didn't study at all.

It was just that he wasn't particularly passionate about it.

In contrast, the young lady and Shiyu-kun were model students: Qin Qianbai threw one of the ten balls she was juggling toward Qiluo’s forehead. With a soft "pop," the ball bounced back into the expressionless girl's hand.

Qiluo rubbed her forehead. "Ow! Why did you hit me?"

"Qiluo had an expression that suggested she was uneducated," Miss Qin said, putting the balls away one by one. "Qiluo should study hard, too."

"Being a hacker is so hard..." Qiluo made a crying face. "I don't understand what the doctors are saying, and they don't understand me. Today, Dr. Cecil told me I have 'zero educational value and am stupider than an amoeba,' and she's planning to abandon the teaching plan in favor of practical ability development."

"Aren't you angry, Qiluo?"

"A little, so I secretly turned her hair into a rainbow."

Shiyu-kun, who was listening in, imagined the female doctor yelling at people with long, seven-colored hair, and felt that Qiluo could be quite humorous at times.

He checked his watch, estimated that the time was right, and counted down in his heart: 3, 2, 1...

Bang! Caldesia kicked open the door to the activity room and shouted excitedly, "Club members! I’ve prepared the costumes and instruments!"

As she spoke, the club president had already changed into her stage outfit. She was wearing a purple-and-black gothic performance costume, revealing a stretch of youthful thigh beneath the hem. The red and blue breathing lights adorning the outfit gave off an end-of-the-century bar-street vibe, making her look slightly cyber-flavored.

Gongsun Ce woke up, eyes bleary, looking exactly like a zombie crawling out of a graveyard. He stared at the woman in the top hat for a long time and commented, "Are you trying to cosplay as a holiday streetlamp that fell to the dark side?"

Caldesia responded with a blast of flame. The gray-haired youth reacted quickly, grabbing his friend and using him as a human shield. The flames grazed past Shiyu-kun’s hair.

"Gongsun, I just put a blanket on you," Shiyu-kun reminded him gently. "Don't you think you should show me a bit more respect?"

"What are you talking about, you guy who dragged me into a Great Flame Explosion?"

Gongsun Ce stared at Caldesia’s handbag. "So, these are our costumes?"

The woman in the top hat sneered, "Yes, of course! I guarantee you’ll love them. I’ve prepared two outfits for the gentlemen..."

She pulled out the first set with a mischievous grin: a blue-and-white long-collared bright coat with exaggerated golden tassels on the shoulders. It came with leather gloves, white leather pants, and a fluorescent cape. Aside from the skin on his face, the outfit covered him almost completely. It was clearly custom-made for someone.

Caldesia smiled like a flower.

"Who wants to wear this one?"

"Shiyu-kun, maybe?" "I think it suits Shiyu Lingyi very well!"

Shiyu-kun gave a strained smile. "Gongsun, why don't you..."

"I'm too tacky to pull off such fashionable attire!" the gray-haired youth chuckled hideously. "Heh heh, Shiyu-kun, this beautiful costume belongs to you! I’m sure you’ll be able to capture the essence of a Morton Knight!"

Gongsun Ce was halfway through his schadenfreude when he noticed the young man in the suit smiling with deep, hidden meaning.

"All right, Gongsun. Then the second outfit is yours."

The gray-haired youth had a bad premonition as he looked at the second shopping bag the president had brought...

Caldesia pulled out a leather jacket and a red-and-white knee-length plaid skirt.

The gray-haired youth’s face turned green.

"You have such a good eye, Gongsun Ce," she laughed. "I also think this Morton skirt fits you perfectly!"

What happened next took place in a single second: Gongsun Ce, using his psychic powers to accelerate his movements, prepared to make a run for it, but unfortunately, he was pinned to the table by the young lady the moment he stood up.

"Stop! Death before dishonor!" Gongsun Ce wailed. "Miss, let me go! After all these years, how can you bear to see me humiliated like this?"

Qin Qianbai said expressionlessly, "I can bear it. I want to see it."

Qiluo excitedly fished out the matching flute, long boots, and black leather hat, dumping them all next to Gongsun Ce. The first club activity began amidst someone's screams.

·

A dozen minutes later.

Qiluo had changed back into the outfit she wore when they first met, while the young lady wore an electronic-style dress that was even more conservative than her usual clothes. They actually looked a bit like a street-side alternative college band—the amateurish, hobbyist, "just-for-fun" vibe permeating their bones was truly authentic.

Among the group, only Gongsun Ce looked out of place. He carried the flute, wore the black top hat, had a studded vest over his shirt, and wore that lovely plaid skirt on his lower half. The young man’s face was a portrait of hopelessness, like a Morton pikeman forced into the ranks against his will.

"Well then~" Qiluo stood in front of the four, saying cheerfully, "Since we are all music lovers without a foundation, let’s start our first practice with a relatively simple piece. Any songs you want to sing~"

Gongsun Ce said resentfully, "Erquan Yingyue."

"Haha."

Shiyu-kun seemed to have been tickled again. The gray-haired youth stared at his friend with a look so chilling it made the other man genuinely uncomfortable.

"What’s wrong, Gongsun?"

"Your smile's lethality increased by 200% after you put on that outfit," Gongsun Ce said expressionlessly. "You’re a perverted handsome guy who could kill everyone of the opposite sex—and even some of the same sex—between the ages of 10 and 45."

Caldesia puffed out her chest proudly, and Qiluo weakly reminded her, "She's not complimenting you, Caldesia... she's complimenting your boyfriend..."

The young lady tapped her triangle rhythmically and suggested, "Let’s sing Ode to Joy."

It was indeed a song everyone knew. But was it a bit too serious for a music club practice song? It felt like we were practicing an exorcism.

Qiluo looked at her friends, conflicted. "...I suppose that's not impossible."

You’re actually not objecting? What is this? Have the professionals completely given up on teaching the moment they saw us? I feel a sense of resignation in your gaze that says, 'They won't sing seriously for more than half an hour anyway, so let's just go with it.'

That’s too much; it’s too dismissive of our enthusiasm.

We will at least practice seriously for fifteen minutes!

"Follow me and try it out first~ Let me hear everyone’s voice~ Come on, 1, 2~"

The idol's expression reminded Gongsun Ce of a music teacher leading a kindergarten class.

She demonstrated lightly: "Joy, beautiful spark of divinity, daughter of Elysium~"

The club members sang in unison: "Joy, beautiful spark of divinity, daughter of Elysium~"

Setting aside the vocal quality, at least everyone was serious—except for one person who went off the rails. Just as the other three finished, he slowly added, "Daughter... of... Elysium..."

The singer poured twelve points of emotion into it; he sang and wept, his voice winding and sorrowful. It didn't sound like a celebration of joy at all, but rather like he was mourning the Goddess of Joy at a funeral.

Qiluo stared at the ceiling. She had guessed there would be problems, but she hadn't guessed they would start from the very beginning.

Qin Qianbai gave the man a side-eye. "A-Ce, don't mess around."

Gongsun Ce turned a deaf ear.

He tossed the flute aside, used his White Matter to create an erhu, and sat in his chair, playing and singing. The mournful sound of the erhu echoed in the room, and the bitterness of the singing made one want to cry: "We enter... your sanctuary... waaaaah! Full of fire... we are... guh!"

Shiyu-kun objectively commented: "He sounds like a laborer about to be buried alive in a royal tomb, singing the final song of his life with great passion."

Caldesia’s eyebrow twitched. "Have you had enough!"

"Your magic brings together all that custom has divided!" He immediately changed the tune, singing cheerfully and lively, "All people become brothers, under your gentle wings!"

Qiluo screamed in agony, "The lyrics changed! It went from Ode to Joy to Ode to Love! And the erhu accompaniment makes it sound even more dissonant!"

"Wow, Qiluo-chan has such a big reaction."

"The common sense of a professional must make her unable to bear it."

The young lady tapped the triangle a few more times and decided to temporarily ignore the silly man in the skirt. She raised her hand and asked, "When do we enter the dueling phase?"

Gongsun Ce, who was singing passionately, stopped with a "ga," as if his throat had been grabbed by a ghost. There was silence in the room; everyone looked as expressionless as Qin Qianbai.

Miss Qin tilted her head. "?"

The pink-haired girl rubbed her face hard, gathered all her resolve, and asked, "Qin Qianbai. Why do you think... that music club activities... would have violent components?"

Qin Qianbai said seriously, "Music club activities must first enter the secret dueling arena in the school basement..."

"It’s gone off the rails right from the venue!"

"The practice phase involves everyone fighting while singing on a secret stage..."

"There is no such practice phase! Not even in the Sky City!"

The young lady said in shock, "Even the singing duel where you bet on shining and realize your wishes..."

"That doesn't exist! Even the most brutal idol industry doesn't have such black-hearted duels!"

Gongsun Ce applauded earnestly. Qiluo’s retort was delivered with twelve points of emotion, surpassing even him at this moment!

Qin Qianbai persisted, "Then, the final battle on a high-speed train crashing into an opponent, the ghost-busting ritual performed with musical instruments, the transformation in the midst of despair..."

Qiluo took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and shouted.

"There—is—none! No Holy Relics, no robots fighting meteorites, no human-machine romance, no outer-space fleets, and no love triangles! None of it!"

The triangle fell to the table with a crisp sound.

"How could that be..."

The young lady looked as lost as a child. Caldesia gently hugged her friend, whose dream had been shattered. "Xiao Qian, reality is always so cruel."

The two male members exchanged glances. One said with his eyes, "Gongsun, you’re feeding Qin Qianbai wrong common sense again," while the other retorted with his eyebrows, "It’s not me, I didn't do it, she saw it in anime and believed it herself."

Gongsun Ce realized that the responsibility of cleaning up the mess would eventually fall on him. He put away the White Matter erhu, walked over to the panting Qiluo, and said:

"By the way, Qiluo, your movie-watching history is surprisingly extensive; you've even seen dark-history films like Robot Master."

This sentence had an effect far beyond his imagination. Qiluo instantly dove under the table.

"I haven't!" The pink-haired girl covered her face. "I was just saying random things! I don't watch anime; I'm not a 2D-fan!"

Don't give me that.

Even without mentioning the memes you used, just look in the mirror. Who would believe you aren't a 2D-fan?

Gongsun Ce quickly imagined a story of "a popular idol watching late-night anime to relieve stress and accidentally becoming obsessed," and felt more and more that the story was highly realistic. Just as he was inventing a backstory for his friend, the atmosphere in the room moved in an increasingly bizarre direction: Qiluo was pretending to be a ghost under the table, the young lady was heartbroken, and the woman in the top hat looked like she was about to explode.

In about 3 seconds, today's club activity would come to a booming end. Fortunately, a calm bystander noticed this in time.

"Although the music clubs in the outside world don't have the activities Qin Qianbai mentioned... we are neither in the outside world nor are we a real music club."

Shiyu Lingyi’s opening statement successfully attracted everyone's attention.

He smiled and said, "It wouldn't hurt to have some unusual activities once in a while, would it?"

·

Half an hour later.

The long table and lockers had been lifted to the ceiling by telekinesis, giving the activity room twice the free space than usual.

Orchestral accompaniment sounded out of thin air, and flames swayed on the pure white stage, forming a blooming red lotus.

In the center of this flower of fire, two duelists stood in a cold confrontation. One was an expressionless girl, the other a handsome young man. They observed each other's movements patiently, waiting for the signal to begin the duel—

It’s here! Listen, the pink-haired girl floating in the air sang softly: "No time to linger on the stage, the starlight flickers and fades! The final curtain, it opens now!"

Both sides moved at once. The girl swung her long blade, singing, "I will keep my oath! Protect the wish!"

The youth was forced to the edge of the stage. The girl raised her black blade and sang the final line: "—Realize eternity!"

In the blink of an eye, a white pistol pointed at the girl’s head. The youth sang softly: "The eternal dream is but a bubble, seeking only the flash of a moment!"

Pop!

The flames scorched the air, making a sharp, cracking sound that simulated a gunshot. The girl (pretending to be hit by a bullet) collapsed powerlessly.

The burning of the stage became more intense; the White Matter platform cooperated by breaking apart. Shiyu Lingyi stood in the center of the collapsing stage and shook his cape.

"The White Knight protecting the flame, coming from the deep blue vortex. The Star of the Seven Luminaries, I shall pluck it!"

The orchestral accompaniment ended with three heavy accents. The pink-haired girl floating in the air sang: "The final duel~~ is over—!"

The flames extinguished instantly, and the tables and cabinets fell back into place. The two psychics responsible for the stage effects slumped onto the table at the same time and shouted, "What a hassle!" X2.

In contrast, Qiluo looked very satisfied. "80% of the special effects from the anime were recreated, very good, very good~"

And you still say you aren't a 2D-fan.

This chuunibyou-filled musical was Shiyu-kun’s suggestion: since everyone had time, let's just act out what Qin Qianbai imagined.

The improvised short play took a total of twenty minutes. As for the overall effect, only the two leads and the narrator were happy, while the two in charge of special effects didn't like the idea much.

"Next time I want to be a lead," Caldesia complained with dissatisfaction. "Doing stage effects is so boring!"

Gongsun Ce raised his hand lazily. "Same here. By the way, I secretly recorded the highlights; does anyone want to see them?"

"I do, send me a copy!"

"I can help with the post-production~"

Shiyu Lingyi looked shocked. "Wait a minute, the recording is—"

The gray-haired youth winked at his good neighbor, and the young lady understood, imitating someone's movements. She flicked her (non-existent) cape and said in a monotone voice, "The Star of the Seven Luminaries, I shall pluck it."

The unscrupulous members burst into laughter, pounding the table. Shiyu the White Knight pleaded, "Don't..."

"Hahaha, I recorded it, I recorded it! Shiyu Lingyi, how do you feel?"

Shiyu Lingyi sighed and took out his phone, pulling up the clip he had secretly recorded earlier.

"In that case, I’ll put the video of Gongsun playing the erhu in a skirt on the forum."

"When?!" Gongsun Ce shrieked.

Qiluo, who was in charge of recording, and Caldesia, who came up with the idea, both looked at the sky, indicating they knew nothing about it.

"A bag of potato chips. Send it to me, Shiyu-kun."

"With pleasure."

Thump, thump, pop. The fists of Shiyu-kun and the young lady bumped three times to announce the successful completion of the deal. Shiyu Lingyi took the chips and asked curiously.

"I’m surprised that Qin Qianbai chose the defeated role this time."

"It was Shiyu-kun’s idea today, so let Shiyu-kun win."

The Lingdao youth smiled and asked, "What if the lead was Gongsun?"

"Then we'd decide with rock-paper-scissors."

It was unclear whether they were being more serious or more casual.

Shiyu Lingyi boiled a pot of water and made tea as usual.

The other three were heatedly discussing what to perform next. It seemed Qiluo had completely adapted to their style and was actively integrating into their silly activities.

He poured a cup of tea for Miss Qin first. The expressionless girl sipped the tea and said, "When we were discussing at the fast-food restaurant, Shiyu-kun was clearly the least enthusiastic."

He thought for a moment before realizing she was talking about the club activities.

Shiyu Lingyi didn't really like this kind of mixed-style, non-mainstream activity, and he was the one who held the opposing view back then.

However...

"Even if it's a stupid thing, it’s fun to do it together," Shiyu Lingyi said as such.

"That’s Caldesia’s line."

He agreed, "The unreasonable girl occasionally says something reasonable."

Silly club activities are actually quite nice...

Provided that you aren't the one being pranked.

The two looked at the gray-haired youth, who was still wearing the plaid skirt, and thought the same.