Chapter 3: Hunting Season(ing) Part Two

[mp_npc]

God, was there some planet in retrograde right now? Everything was so…gray. Tome usually would have been able to cite a specific planet but she had been too oddly deflated all day to speculate.

At least she wasn’t the worst one off. No, not by far. That honor went to the pompadour’d thug who did nothing but sulk in the corner of their shared club space now. Her own club mates who were always too scared of him to even approach even tried to offer him one of their honey chip bags out of sheer pity. Tome, usually quite stingy with the resources (especially now they didn’t actually have funding anymore) didn’t even object. ‘How the mighty fall.’

Goda had spent some time trying to cheer Onigawara up. That boy was too nice for his own good. Him AND Kageyama. Tome didn’t know what Goda had been trying, exactly, since she was too engrossed in (or rather numbed by) her video game to listen but she could guess. The Body Improvement Club had one solution for every possible human ailment. It was exactly why she didn’t risk complaining today.

Tome glanced at the clock—it was getting to be that time, wasn’t it? The time where everyone finished their club activities up. Ah. Orwell was calling her name once again.

Comments

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"hey everyone..." Mob was absolutely drenched with sweat and his face was red enough that Mob could actually feel it. He probably looked like he had just gotten out of the shower. It wasn't exactly how he wanted anyone to see him (but especially a guy as cool as Teruki). Almost as soon as he entered the room, he reached for his gym bag to pull out towel. He might not have enough time to go home and clean up, but at least he could dry off a little.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

The Telepathy Club exchanged muted greetings with the Body Improvement Club who greeted them exuberantly in return. Onigawara was simply there.

No sooner had the door had the door closed behind the muscular group than it was opening again. Everyone who wasn’t already immersed in a video game, a bag of snacks, or their own self pity turned to see who it was. Everyone who had business in the room was already accounted for, after all—

“Pardon the interruption,” Teruki said, scanning all the inhabitants. ‘Wow. Quite a crowd.’

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob turned. "Oh, h-hey, Hanazawa-kun!" He frantically tried to dry up his hair with his towel, hoping that it would shield him from his gaze.

He could hear Goda step forward from where he was standing. Whenever he moved in their little room, you could feel the floor vibrate, the same way the kids felt the vibrations whenever the T-Rex moved in Jurassic Park.

"It's you. The kid from Black Garlic Middle School." Goda's voice was just about as strong and powerful as he was.

Oh no. He had forgotten about that. Mob swallowed and opened his mouth. "Um... President... Hanazawa-kun is--"

"'Actually a good guy,' right'" Musashi answered with a smile. Mob blanched. Was the President a telepath? How had he avoided figuring that out by now? Musashi surveyed Mob's expression with a smile, affirmed that his hunch was right. "I thought so. There's no way you'd invite someone to our Sacred Club Space unless they were a good person!"

"Y-yeah."

"Well, then," Musashi said to Teruki with a big smile. "Any friend of Mob's is a friend of ours!"

And if on cue, the entire Body Improvement Club (sans Onigawara) all posed behind him, biceps flexing, hamstrings throbbing, and chests heaving in a grand display of the peak human form.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

"...Thank you for the warm welcome." Teruki bowed his head in lieu of any other gesture that seemed appropriate in the face of that radical show of acceptance.

Before he even thought of approaching Mob, Teruki's eyes were drawn to Onigawara. Onigawara didn't look back. If this were any other situation, Teruki would have been tempted to make some scathing comment about...no, no. That was his old self talking. His new self would have made a gesture offering solidarity in disgrace. But this wasn't any other time. This was for Mob. Nothing was going to distract him--not the curious and intimidated stares from the back, not his former opponents carrying on as if he weren't there, and especially not the scorn of an old enemy.

"Kageyama-kun." He gave the smallest member of the Body Improvement Club a wink. "Good showing out there. I saw you on my way in."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Yeah, really?" Mob really wanted to believe that Teruki was being genuine.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

"You were working hard on not heel-striking, right? I could tell."

"That's right! That's exactly right!" Hiroshi boisterously agreed mid-squat, his shocking blonde mohawk staving impressively still. He was quite proud in particular, having been the one to coach Mob on overstriding. "Kageyama's form has really improved!"

"There you go." Teruki gave Mob a hundred-watt smile as he approached him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "You look like you could take on anything."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Thanks." Mob let his towel slide down the side of his head. He caught it as it fell, then hurriedly tucked it back into his gym bag.

"What is going on here?" Mameta said under his breath, just barely loud enough for Tome to overhear him.

[mp_npc]

"Inukawa...who the heck is that guy?" Tome, even in her despondent state, couldn't help but notice the extremely special looking person who just walked in and was apparently on a peculiar buddy-buddy basis with their resident wallflower.

Before she could get an answer, Mob and that person were headed her way--or, rather, it looked like they were walking Mob over.

"Tome Kurata-senpai, right?" Their eyes met, and Tome looked at Mob in question and then back again.

"...Yes. And you are?"

"Teruki Hanazawa. Black Vinegar Middle School. I'm a simple acquaintance of Kageyama-kun's."

Tome thought she heard Onigawara scoff, but they all moved on as if he hadn't.

"I heard you're the famous President of the only Telepathy Club in Seasoning City."

"...Perhaps?" Was that true? It's not as if she ever researched what any other schools did, but had word really gone around about it that much? Likely the petty gossip of mere mortals, but...still.

"I was talking with Kageyama-kun recently and I was moved by your club's lofty mission. So, I'm here to share a lead about aliens I think you'll find very interesting."

That was enough to get Tome to set her video game down and wipe the crumbs off her face.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was confused. Why was Teruki getting so friendly with Tome? Had he become distracted from their mission? Maybe... maybe he was interested in Tome and that's why he couldn't focus on Tsubomi right now.

Mob was okay with it. He'd waited a long time for Tsubomi. There was nothing wrong with waiting longer. Besides, if Teruki were interested in Tome, he'd do what he could to support him!

[mp_npc]

"Hanazawa...if I'm honest, that sounds a little too good to be true." Tome folded her arms, daring to be proven wrong.

"You think I'm mocking you? I may be no one special, but I'm pretty tapped in to what goes on at Black Vinegar. Also..." Teru lifted a finger, and all the snacks and books strewn across the table rose high into the air--Haruto woke up from his nap to wheeze in fear and confusion--and they danced about until they returned to the table in an far more orderly fashion.

Tome shot up from her desk. "You're a psychic!?" Tome's eyes shot over to Mob. 'And you kept that there were more people like you from me!?'

"Of course, I'm nowhere on Kageyama-kun's level...in this case, you can just trust my word that I have a knack for sniffing out a good lead."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Um, actually," Mob speaks up, quietly at first, but then stronger at all. "Hanazawa-kun's really strong as well. And he has a lot of talents that I don't have, either." Though to be fair, Mob didn't really have many talents to speak of.

All the members of the Body Improvement Club shot each other confused looks. Mameta exited out of his cell phone game just long enough to text Haruto next to him.

This is weird, right?

Haruto blinked at the notification on his cell phone, then shot Mameta a perplexed look himself. He'd been so engrossed in his game that he didn't have any idea what was going on.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Teruki shot Mob a look that was halfway between confused and flattered. "Hey, don't be so modest. I'm not even in any clubs right now."

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Master says that The Going Home Club is the best."

[mp_npc]

Before Teruki could fire off another reply, the room was silenced by the sound of the door snapping open. Standing at the threshold was none other than Onigawara with his back turned to everyone, standing the most upright he ever had.

"...Freakin' WEIRD!"

Then, the door slammed shut. He was gone.

'...They actually got Onigawara to leave.' Shirihiko gaped.

"Alright! Enough!" Tome thrust her finger out at Teruki. "You said you had a lead so out with it!"

"Ah." Teruki squeezed Mob a bit tighter to himself. "Yes, yes. Please remember I'm just a simple intermediary, here, you can really thank Kageyama-kun's passion fo--"

"Lead! Now!"

Tome's mouth snapped shut when a polaroid was cleanly tossed across the desk to sit before her. Her eyes widened. It was unmistakable. An honest-to-goodness crop circle carved in wheat.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

The other members of the Telepathy Club leaned in for a closer look.

"Wow."

"Looks like this might be the real deal."

The words of awe coming from the quieter members of the Telepathy Club was enough to draw everyone around to take a look.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Ah, this could get out of hand quickly. There were nothing but other boys around. Teruki couldn't risk getting them too drawn in--for Mob's sake.

"Tome-senpai. I think you understand the gravity of this." For the first time since they met, the weight of his words drew Tome's earnest attention. Ah, yes. She was fully reeled in now. "It would be my honor to assist you and Kageyama-kun in investigating this further."

"Kageyama? He's not in the club--"

"Kageyama-kun is a powerful psychic. That's why you asked for his help and his alone in the first place with reconnaissance, right? We're at a stage that demands expertise and delicacy."

Tome straightened up and looked at her other club members. She wanted to disagree with this newcomer, but...

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Tome really did seem enraptured by Teruki's smooth words.

"If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do what I can."

Musashi clapped a hand on Mob's shoulder. "Good luck, Kageyama!"\

A cacophony of Good lucks rose from the Body Improvement Club as they followed Musashi's lead, each clapping a hand so hard on Mob's shoulder that he was sure it was going to bruise later. He knew they meant well, though.

"Guess we should say good luck, too," Mameta said to Tome.

"We'll be here to provide backup," Saruto said, picking up his video game system to continue with his game.

"Yeah, backup," Haruto added, picking up his phone again.

[mp_simplyacommoner]

‘Not too slow to fall in line, huh?’

“Then, let’s get going. I have just the person to talk to at my school. He’s part of a club too, so he should still be there.”

In the space that Teruki had spoke, Tome had already finished packing to go and was out the door.

‘So…Kageyama-kun’s into the aggressive type, huh.’ “Well, then.” He let go of the other boy’s shoulder—giving his back a firm pat—and moved to follow.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Um." Mob swallowed nervously as he followed after him. "You're doing a great job, Hanazawa-kun." It's not the job he anticipated today, but that was okay. "Who's this person you're talking about, though?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

Teruki leaned close to Mob’s ear—even if Tome was already pretty far up the hall as it was. “Thanks, but today’s all about you, remember? We’re meeting one of my former underlings. His family owns a large plot of farm land to the south of here where this phenomena has been occurring.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"About... me?" Now Mob was really confused. Was Tsubomi going to be involved somehow that he didn't know yet? Of course. He was sure Teruki's plan was more complex than something as direct as just arranging a meetup.

"Oh," he said. Then: "Why former underling?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

“I’m not Shadow Leader at Black Vinegar anymore. I stepped back.”

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

"Wow, really?"

[mp_simplyacommoner]

’Is he…surprised?’

“Yeah. But I guess you could say this guy and I still have a good relationship, so I was able to call in a favor.”

Good relationship was an understatement…at least from the other boy’s side.

There, on the roof of the rebuilt Black Vinegar (that they’d made it to in record time with Tome moving like greased lightning), one simple glimpse of Teruki sent a boy bowing so deeply he nearly smacked his dyed hair into the raised bed he had been dutifully tending to.

“SHADOW LEADER! I’m so humbled you’ve visited me this late!”

“Hey, hey, I’m not…you know.” Teruki motioned for him to calm down. “I said I was coming after school today, remember?”

“Yes, but I’m still very humbled!”

Tome gave Mob a look where they stood behind Teruki.

[spiritsandsuchtrainee]

Mob was utterly unaware of Tome's look as he watched in quiet awe at the respect Teruki was getting from someone who wasn't even his underling anymore. He was really was seriously respected!