High Royals Gamer Club - Prologue

“… How about we go to the movies after school today? That new movie you’ve been wanting to watch just came out.”

“… Huuh? I know you don’t like rom-coms, we can just go out to eat if you’d like.”

“… I could if I tried, you know I’d try anything for you, darling.”

“… Ohh my, what a romantic.”

A beautiful couple, consisting of a girl with long silky dark-brown hair and a male with light-blonde hair strode down the hallway with their hands interlocked. As they chatted about their after-school plans, many on-looking students gave their full attention to them as their radiance blissed the crowd.

While the student body wore blue blazers accompanied by black trousers and mini-skirts, their appearance was much more casual. The male’s white dress shirt was enclosed by a long gray trench coat and black scarf knit tightly around his neck. The girl’s appearance also differed from the other students, with her shirt being a black turtle-neck along with a light-brown petite pencil skirt.

A female with long whitish-brown hair bundled into a ponytail walks down a nearby flight of stairs, making eye contact with the couple.

She bows her head and hands the blonde male a clipboard while walking at their side. “Good morning, President, Vice President.”

The dark-brown haired girl laughed and turned back to her with a smile. “Good morning Emi-san. You can call us by our first names, you know. It’s not like the council holds a hierarchy or anything.”

Emi smiles while putting two hands at the front of her red-silk shirt. “Well, good morning, Ayame-san and Toshiaki-san.”

Toshiaki brushes his blonde hair back and hands the clipboard back to Emi. “It looks fine. Just make sure that we get those numbers right for the sports team expenses, I’ll talk to Toru about it later today.”

Emi nods her head as they continue walking down the long white hallway and stop in front of a room with the words ‘Council Room’ on a plastic sign.

“Aya-chan! Toshi-kun!” A loud voice chanted behind them.

Emi continued into the council room as a girl with long light-brown hair and cheerful expression skipped down the hallway towards them.

“Ah, Chihiro-chan, a good morning to you as well.” Ayame beamed.

Chihiro puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms while looking to the side. “I went through all the trouble of making nicknames for all of us last night! Why not use them?”

Toshiaki sighed while placing a hand on his forehead. “Nicknames are stupid, just stick to calling me by my actual name, please and thank you.”

“You’re stupid!”Chihiro jolted while poking him in the cheek.

Toshiaki flicked her hand away with a small eye twitch. “Why is it during mornings that you always find ways to be annoying?”

Ayame put her hands up with a nervous smile. “Ohh kay guys, no need to get so riled up first thing. Let’s just get this meeting over with, kay?”

Toshiaki let out a breath and walked past the brown-wooden door, side-eying Chihiro with a glare. Chihiro stuck out her tongue in exchange and turned back to Ayame with a wide smile.

“I know you two don’t get along, but don’t agitate him to much, Chihi—“

Before Ayame could finish her statement, Chihiro’s eyes narrow as she takes a step forward.

“I-I mean Chiro, definitely Chiro!” Ayame corrects herself with a nervous smile.

Chihiro lips curl upwards as she bounces past her into the council room. Ayame sighs and walks in after her.

The room was spacious, having brown-tiled floors and a white walls decorated with black and blue polka-dots. Four long wooden tables seated several students talking amongst eachother. While some wore blazers with dress-shirts, others wore casual and even business attire.

Toshiaki took a seat to the left of Emi, causing all of the students to stop their conversations and turn their attention forward. Ayame takes a seat beside him with Chihiro seating to her right.

Emi stands from her chair, moving a strand of hair behind her ear with a soft smile. “Good morning everyone. Thank you to all who participated in yesterday’s Council meet-up and helped clean the Imizagi Park. I’m sure the locals will appreciate it, and your community hours have been logged, good work.”

She then turns to Toshiaki with a bowed head while taking a seat. Toshiaki lifts a clipboard from in front of him and scans the paper.

“Good day to you all. Today marks the start of the winter semester, and thus new club applications are able to be submitted for approval…” Toshiaki taps the first name on the list and slides it over to the ‘Club Name’ column.

“… First on the list is… Nobira Haruto, wanting to create the… High Royals Gamer Club.”

A male with shaggy light-brown hair and emerald eyes raises from his chair at the side of the table. He tilts his brown glasses back on top of his nose while marching to the middle of the room with stiffness.

Toshiaki puts down the clipboard and clasps his hands together in front of him, masking a good portion of his face. “Second year Nobira Haruto, you’re in my class, aren’t you. How do you do?”

“D-Doing great, sir!” Haruto shouts before covering his mouth.

Giggles and murmurs fill the room as Toshiaki raises his hand, causing the room to fall back to silence.

“The only sir I know is my father, please call me Homura.” Toshiaki confirms with a grin.

“… Anyways, you’re wanting to create this club… But if I’m not mistaken, this is in the gaming department, which there’s always a club for.” Toshiaki turns to Ayame who gives him a slight nod.

Haruto adjusts his collar with a gulp. “W-Well, that’s the thing. We aren’t as broad as the Gaming Club, in fact our members play a specific game… So…”

“I see… What game are you referring to then—“

Toshiaki’s hands tremble as he hesitates to flip the page, his eyes gazing down at the paper with intensity. Ayame notices his quivering hand and leans over to look at the parchment.

. . .

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