Living in Tokyo, all I want to do is laze around.

“I think this afternoon was pretty good.” Takahiro Tsubokawa, sitting at the table behind him, pushed up his glasses with his middle finger.

“No,” Goto Iwakatsu suddenly said to him, “you forgot we have club activities this afternoon.”

Uesugi Kai found it hard to believe that these two guys would join the club. He stopped flipping through his book, raised an eyebrow, and asked:

"You two, are you in the same club?"

"No."

The next second, Goto Iwakatsu and Tsubokawa Takahiro replied in unison.

Then, Goto quickly added:

"Who would join that club? If people find out, I won't be able to get along at school anymore." He gave a disgusted look.

"Uniforms... Research Department?" Uesugi Kai glanced at it and asked tentatively.

"Oh~!" Goto Iwakatsu looked at Uesugi Kai with surprise. "I didn't expect that our Uesugi-kun would know the names of clubs besides studying. Has he suddenly become enlightened?"

Kai Uesugi scoffed at his statement.

"You think you're qualified? You joined the club without saying a word. What happened to the 'stay-at-home' club? All the senior members have left. What are the rest of the 'stay-at-home' club members going to do?"

"Cough cough!"

Goto Iwakatsu became serious and straightened up.

"The advantage of the 'Returning Home Forever' club is that I have plenty of freedom to hunt down female classmates, but I found that my club is really great, and I can openly ask female juniors for their contact information."

"So? You broke your vow?" Uesugi Kai inexplicably wanted to give him a look of contempt; he was clearly an old virgin who spent all his time online dating.

"This is called reasonable improvement. People always change, and we should strive for a better tomorrow!"

Uesugi Kai frowned; he felt like he'd heard those words somewhere before.

“Yeah, I think so too. Joining a club is what makes youth real.” Takahiro Tsubokawa pushed up his frameless glasses.

"Pfft," Goto Iwakatsu suddenly couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, Tsubokawa, why are you doing this all the time today? Did you learn something new during the holidays?"

"Handsome." Just one word.

"Not handsome at all, on the contrary, a bit sleazy." Goto wanted him to face reality.

“It doesn’t matter. This is a necessary step after joining the uniform research club. I think it’s fine as long as it looks good,” Tsubokawa Takahiro said, then turned to Uesugi Kai, “Why don’t you join Uesugi too?”

"The student union has ample funding, and the clubs have plenty of potato chips, cola, and snacks in stock, so there will never be a shortage."

"what?!"

Goto Iwakatsu looked incredulous. "The student council actually allocated funds to your department to provide for your meals and drinks?! Your department head probably has some special relationship with the student council president."

"No, both the minister and the president are men."

"That would be even worse!"

###Chapter Fifteen: Tokyoites Are All Liars###

Kai Uesugi glanced at the watch on his wrist.

12:12:23

Lunchtime.

"Let's go, to the cafeteria."

Kai Uesugi stood up and walked towards the door, followed by Iwakatsu Goto and Takahiro Tsubokawa.

At the cafeteria, after queuing for a while, Uesugi Kai ordered a 450 yen fried chicken rice bowl.

The cafeteria has a nice environment; it was built with a lot of glass, making it very bright and airy.

It's more like a nicely decorated restaurant than a cafeteria.

"Uesugi, what's your decision? How about joining our Uniform Research Club?" Takahiro Tsubokawa ordered a 380 yen Kamatama udon, which came with a miso soup.

“Our photography club is a better fit for Uesugi than that weird club. After all, what girl would refuse a handsome guy taking her picture?” Goto Iwakatsu said, taking a bite of his 500 yen beef rice bowl.

"Do you think Uesugi will join your photo club?" Tsubokawa asked.

"Uesugi will join your uniform research club?" Goto retorted without backing down.

"Besides creating illustrations for the Literature Club, the Uniform Research Club is a complete slacking-off club, with members leaving early at will." Takahiro Tsubokawa patted him on the shoulder. "Based on this alone, your Photography Club is completely defeated."

Goto Iwakatsu patted him on the back, speaking in a fatherly tone: "Everyone knows that your Uniform Research Club is a pervert at school. There's no comparison. You can't go wrong by listening to me."

"Are you club presidents?" Uesugi Kai wasn't interested in what they were saying. "You just joined the club and you're already trying so hard to get me in. Are you short of people?"

"This is for your own good, Uesugi. Look, besides the two of us, who else would bother with you?"

"Thank you for your concern, but unfortunately, I've already joined the club." Uesugi Kai continued shoveling rice into his mouth; eating was the most important thing.

"Um?!"

Goto Iwakatsu and Tsubokawa Takahiro both looked surprised and stopped eating.

"Uesugi, you actually joined the club on your own initiative? Is the world ending?"

"The world is being destroyed every day—earthquakes, meteorites, viruses, magical girls—it's nothing special. This is the class president's mandatory requirement." Uesugi Kai felt that their performance was exaggerated.

Goto Iwakatsu didn't believe Uesugi Kai's nonsense: "You would listen to the class president? She's called on you many times before, but it didn't seem to have any effect."

"There is a proverb that says, 'Sitting on a stone for three years will warm you.' The class monitor's perseverance moved me, and I also made corresponding changes. It's a very simple and ordinary thing."

"Hmm, that makes sense." Takahiro Tsubokawa nodded thoughtfully.

"That makes no sense at all. Uesugi is from Tokyo. How can you believe what he says? It's all lies."

"That's it," Goto Iwakatsu added.

"We Osaka people are the best; we're honest and simple."

"Nara is also nice."

"Saitama is the most rustic."

Takahiro Tsubokawa wholeheartedly agreed: "Yes, Saitama is all flat-chested."

Uesugi Kai was exasperated. This had suddenly veered into a regional discussion. If his classmates in Kyoto heard this, wouldn't it escalate into a war of words, or even a fight?

Regional stereotypes are rampant throughout Japan and are often used as jokes among friends during casual conversation.

The people of Kyoto were particularly smug, their words revealing a smug, self-important air.

They consider themselves a place of historical and cultural heritage, preserving the richest cultural atmosphere.

They think that people from places like Osaka and Nara are country bumpkins with no culture at all.

But people in Kyoto won't say it directly; instead, they'll laugh and tease:

xxx has its merits, but compared to Kyoto, there is a fundamental difference. If I had to give an example, it would be the difference between a paper-thin, opulent gold structure and genuine, pure 24K gold that shines brightly.

However, they all basically agree on one thing: they criticize Saitama and Gunma, because they believe that apart from the large number of people, these two places have no other distinguishing features.

Besides being dirty, she also has small breasts.

It even spawned a series of memes.

Uesugi Kai had no interest in getting involved in this regional feud. He knew that if the argument went on, they would definitely end up fighting, and according to the rules of Shin-kyo High School, fighting would definitely result in expulsion.

He quickly finished his food to avoid Goto Iwakatsu and Tsubokawa Takahiro getting too excited during their discussion, which might be overheard by their classmates in Kyoto.

That would be bad.

After quickly finishing their rice bowls, Goto Iwakatsu and Tsubokawa Takahiro also stopped their discussion and ate quickly.

There were still classes in the afternoon, and there wasn't much time at noon, so after eating in the cafeteria, the group headed to the classroom.

"By the way, Uesugi, I still don't know which department you've joined," Goto Iwakatsu asked.

"I think it's the Literature Club," Takahiro Tsubokawa speculated.

Kai Uesugi, who was walking ahead, replied, "It's the archery club."

"Archery club, why archery club? Archery club has so many rules! But it's not bad, the girls in hakama are all very classy. If you have the chance, ask me for a few LINE accounts?" Goto Iwakatsu leaned closer to Uesugi Kai.

"can."

"Really?!" Goto Iwakatsu was surprised that Uesugi Kai agreed so readily. "You're not plotting something, are you?"

"will not."

Takahiro Tsubokawa said, "Goto, Uesugi is the epitome of a popular guy in our class. He's handsome, academically gifted, and has a cute childhood friend. He's practically the perfect template for a light novel protagonist."

"Hanamaru-kun? Ah—! Why did you bring this up!" Goto Iwakatsu grew angrier the more he thought about it. "That damned Uesugi! Why do you have such a cute girl living next door to you, and why don't I have one!"

"Didn't you add so many people on LINE? Aren't most of them pretty?" Uesugi Kai asked. It was impossible for these two gossipy guys not to know about his relationship with Hanabi, who walked to school with him every day.

"How can that compare! What I want is a childhood friend who can wake me up every day, accompany me to school, and walk me home together! Ugh, you awful, awful social butterfly! Why do you have such a cute childhood friend!"

Goto Iwakatsu's eyes turned resentful. "Uesugi, do you know how many classmates are jealous of you?"

Takahiro Tsubokawa looked at Kai Uesugi, who was taller than him, and asked, "Uesugi, is there something wrong with you?"

"Why are you suddenly saying that?" Uesugi Kai didn't understand what he meant.

"You know Hanamaru is very popular in class, right?"

"know."

“Such a cute girl, and so easy to talk to, it would be strange if she wasn’t popular.” Goto Iwakatsu suddenly interjected, staring intently at Uesugi Kai beside him with a strange look.

Takahiro Tsubokawa continued, "Do you know that many classmates want to pursue her?"

Pursue?

Has she ever been confessed to? Kai Uesugi has never encountered a situation where she was confessed to.

"A lot?" he asked the two of them.

“A lot.” Goto Iwakatsu and Tsubokawa Takahiro observed Uesugi Kai’s expression and nodded heavily.

"So be it." As they walked down the corridor, Uesugi Kai's tone was completely indifferent.

"Aren't you worried?" Goto Iwakatsu pressed.

"What are you worried about?" Uesugi Kai asked in return.