The Cooking Club's room was absolutely pristine, with every countertop and stove polished and shined to the point where if the sun pointed into the room, it could potentially blind a person. Its size was impressive and it boasted several top-of-the-line stoves, ovens, and a variety of different mixers. Pots and pans hung from above, almost making the place feel like a restaurant's kitchen, and a few cabinets lined up the opposite wall. Despite its size, however, it was remarkedly empty.

Only two people currently occupied the room and were huddled together over the only stovetop that was currently turned on. One was the girl that Genki had take note of. She stood tall, a hand on her forehead as an expression of exasperation pained her. The other was a boy who looked younger and on the verge of either bursting into hysterics or a rant, it was hard to tell. But there was a passion burning in his eyes as he watched the pot eagerly, hands itching to lift the pot.

At the sound of Genki's voice, however, the two looked over at him. After properly hearing what he had to say, the boy continued to watch the stove as the girl approached him, bearing a grin. "Nice to meet you, Mori Genki-san," Her voice was light and airy as she spoke, fitting her appearance. "I'm Mizuame Rin. You can just call me Linda."

Pausing for a moment, she threw a glare over the boy's way. "That's Kaito. I'm really glad you showed up, I was starting to think Kaito forgot to put up the recruitment posters!" She told him cheerfully.

At the sound of his name, the brunet threw an offended look at the pair. "After going through all the work of making them, of course I was going to put them up!" He replied, pouting.

Linda motioned for Genki to follow her as she returned to Kaito's side. "Actually, a lot of the members of the Cooking Club graduated last year, so I was a little worried about our numbers. There were only two second years last year, and Kaito here is a first year whose brother I know," She explained. "So now it's just the two of us. Now the three of us! All we need is one or two members and we'll get funding for the year!"

The Student Council Room wasn't much different from before with the exception of a noticeable polish. There was a whiteboard set up on one wall with a projector hanging from above and desks arranged in a square. While there were nameplates with markers behind them, they had nothing on them yet. On one side of the whiteboard, however, there was a list of names and positions written down in neat handwriting.

The door of the student council room slid open and a male student slipped in. He jumped in place as he spotted Oka, letting out a small laugh as he realized how silly he looked. Taking a seat at the table, he took out a small bag from his backpack before placing it on the ground next to him. As he unzipped the bag, the shine of a camera lens poked out. Once he was satisfied, he closed the bag and pushed it over to his right, giving Oka his full attention.

"Good afternoon, senpai!" He greeted her. "I'm Kinoshita Sora, a first year. I'll be the council's secretary this year."

The Archery Clubroom was as active as ever, with a majority of its members fawning over the new room. A majority of the equipment was stored safely in one corner of the room, but the new targets had been laid out already. Despite the excitement, however, there was some anxiety rolling around coming from the younger members.

Standing closest to the wall was the captain that Yori addressed. There wasn't much that was remarkable appearance-wise, but everyone in the club and even some outside of it knew that she wasn't someone to trifle with. She had been the number two of the club ever since she arrived in her first year and knew how to help lead the members. It was only natural that she was gifted the title of captain, so it didn't come as much of a surprise to anyone. That said, however, even she looked a little concerned, though it was promptly shelved as she was greeted.

"Welcome back, Sasaki," She greeted her cordially, lighting up. After a few seconds, however, she let out a small sigh. "I'm not sure if you've heard, but there's been some rumors that our funding is getting cut. If it's true, we're not going to be able to support as many people as we'd like."

Spending time together? Lunch? Kaarage?! What in the world was wrong with this guy? There wasn't even time to come up with a proper retort as Hoshino made his swift exit, leaving Sakuya fuming. Idiot. He was an idiot! She absolutely hated that his stupid comment managed to hit her hard enough to stun her to silence. And she was supposed to look after him, what an absolute joke! Her initial assumption had been right on the money, at the very least, even if she was less than pleased at the outcome. Did she look like some sort of beguiled housewife?!

After a few seconds, however, it was apparent that any lingering students were definitely staring at her. Gripping her bag tightly, she spun on her heel and marched out of the room, biting down hard on her tongue to prevent herself from lashing out at anyone. This was so stupid, all that fuss for an idiot. No, that wasn't what she was really mad at. She felt completely embarrassed by the entire interaction, there were about a dozen different ways she could have handled it better. And of course, that spectacle in the second years' classroom would be quick to spread. So much for keeping her head low.

Noticing the vice principal a distance ahead, Sakuya stopped in her tracks. He kept looking around, and she assumed he was looking for her. Ducking into the girls' bathroom, she placed her bag down as she approached the sink, deciding to wash her face. As she checked her reflection, she noticed that she looked upset. Of all the sorry expressions she had to have, why did she have to look upset? Did what the stupid transfer student have to say really bother her that much?

Tearing her gaze away, she stared down at the running water. "Idiot," She muttered under her breath as she turned the faucets off. Whining about it wouldn't accomplish anything, she would just have to be more careful moving forward. It didn't matter how it started, it was all about how it finished, after all. At least, that was what Reiji used to tell her. Which meant she was going to have to make sure to handle the transfer student. She wasn't about to let him think he could walk all over her like that.

She was much more determined as she dried her face off, poking her head out to the hallway. The coast was clear, so it was one less thing to worry about, at least.

"Nakano-san."

Sakuya held back the groan in her throat as she looked over to who called out her name, meeting the gaze of one displeased Yamamoto Kenta. While most people were quick to dismiss the bespectacled stickler, those that were in the know were all too aware of how much influence he had. The Yamamoto family was well known even outside of Kyoto, and the decision for one of their sons to attend Hinotori had been nothing short of a blessing; there had been multiple generous donations every year he had attended. To be fair, he typically kept to himself and wouldn't necessarily laud his position over overs. However, whenever he did decide to stick his nose somewhere, it was never a good thing.

Sakuya put on a more neutral expression as she stopped in place. "Good afternoon, Yamamoto-san," She replied.

"If you have a moment, I'd like to speak with you about something," He said, getting right to it.

"I'm gathering the council for something. If it isn't urgent, I'm happy to hear you out tomorrow," She told him.

"I wouldn't say urgent, but it is important," He paused for a moment, looking her over. "You look more mature now, like a spring flower that's finally blossomed."

Sakuya blinked slowly, her head trying to process what she just heard. First Hoshino, now this. She naively assumed she wasn't the type to draw male attention, but she supposed at the very least she should have expected it from Yamamoto. He was probably just being nice, she felt like she lost too much weight the past few months. "I'm...glad you think so," She replied, if only because she honestly had no idea what to even say to that. "Is that all?"

"Ah, no. Actually, maybe I'll take you up on that offer for tomorrow," He thought about it for a moment. "I assume you're aware of the increase in delinquency. It's bad enough poor Mochizuki-san ended up hospitalized, but it's important that they are stomped out sooner than later."

"Mochizuki Ayane? But her accident was..." Sakuya stopped herself, shaking her head. It wasn't any of her business to spread personal information around. "I believe you're mistaken that the two are connected, but I'm in full agreement. I'll come up with something sooner than later."

"Good! Though it really is a shame that poor Mochizuki was the one to suffer. Though I'll be honest, I don't think I would have cared as much if it had been Asakura," He admitted.

Sakuya resisted the urge to roll her eyes, though she did let out a sigh. Asakura did seem like he had come out of it none the worse for wear, but she wasn't going to go making assumptions. "You shouldn't say that, it's a terrible incident nonetheless," She stated.

"Don't tell me you actually care? Asakura was basically the ringleader of that little crew," Yamamoto scoffed.

While she had no strong feelings on the matter, Yamamoto was starting to annoy her. Placing her hand on her hip, she raised an eyebrow at him. "Your only interest lies in Mochizuki. As always, whenever there's a girl involved, suddenly you're right there," Sakuya replied without missing a beat. "Funny, I never took you as the type to pine over girls who had boyfriends."

"What--That's ridiculous," He snapped, much to her satisfaction. He quickly recovered, however, an odd expression on his face as his lips curved into a smirk. "And I never took you as the jealous type, Nakano-san."

Sakuya let out a hollow laugh, the smile on her face never quite reaching her eyes. Whatever little patience she had in her reservoir was already scraping the bottom, her temper flaring up again. Instead of outright yelling, however, she made sure this time she was the one in control of the situation. "I'd sooner watch you choke on your million yen bento lunch," She told him happily, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she walked past him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my members are likely waiting for me."

She heard some grumbling behind her but chose to focus on continuing her walk, checking her watch. Hm, she wasted too much time with him, if he was going to approach her with more nonsense then she was going to have to be harsh from the start. Being stricter and more assertive was usually the way to go, anyway. With that in mind, she opened the door to the student council room, happy to see two members already there. She was certain Ueno-san would join them soon enough.

"Good afternoon," She greeted them both.

Yori furrowed her brows as Kogoro explained the club's situation, arms crossed and lips drawn into the beginnings of a frown. "That's unfortunate."

What she saw as 'unfortunate' about the captain's statement, however, was up to debate. During the previous year, when Yori had first joined the club, she was known for her bossy behavior despite being one of the newest members. Admonishing others for the smallest of mistakes, giving direction when none was needed, and generally just being at odds not only with her fellow newcomers but her seniors as well. Though the green-haired sophomore mellowed out a little by the time the year ended, it wouldn't be inaccurate to assume that the green-haired girl cared more about the club itself potentially closing down rather than possessing any concern about the recruitment of new club members.

"At least the club's still standing. It could've been worse," Yori asserted a second later as her eyes roamed the clubroom, darting around as if looking for something in particular. Her cerulean pair hardened as they sighted someone, who clearly never picked up a bow in their life, began plucking at the bowstring of one of the few bows on a rack, but her gaze softened once more as they returned to look toward the captain. "Well, I'm glad you kept it running in spite of the circumstances, Kogoro-senpai."

She then moved to stretch, dominant arm extended while the other supported it, beginning to walk around the room. "Do you still have the bow I used to use? I forgot to take it with me last year.

Linda listened intently as Genki spoke, making sure to absorb everything he said. While he spoke, Kaito focused on the pot as he brought out a small, wooden box. Sliding it open, he plucked out what looked like a tiny seasoning shaker out, taking the lid off the pot and sprinkling its contents in. Placing it back respectfully, he hummed quietly to himself, though he looked over at the pair once Genki finished speaking.

"I'm hoping for at least three times a week starting on Tuesdays--with this week as an exception to focus on recruitment, of course," Linda finally spoke, holding up three fingers. "How long we end up staying varies depending on what dish we end up tackling, but we usually make enough for people to take home. That said, though, we won't be recognized as an official club until we get at least four members. So if you know anyone, try to drag them down here when you get a chance."

Kaito looked up from his cooking, his mouth agape. "Drag them down--Senpai, is that really a good idea?" He asked nervously.

"They'll all come running at the chance to have such a cute kouhai," She replied cheerfully as she slapped Kaito's shoulder.

"Shouldn't you use yourself as a recruitment tactic...?" He grumbled.

Linda ignored him, turning back to Genki. "Although, I'll probably be here every single day, so if you wanna learn something new or just need someplace to hangout, you'll always find me here!" She informed him.

Anzu let out a small sigh, scratching her cheek. "It stands for now," She grumbled, though she ended up walking a little faster to end up in front of Yori. "If Natsuhime-san was president, I wouldn't be so worried. Instead, we get stuck with Hinotori's Tyrant. I don't doubt that if there's another budget review that we'll end up getting slashed further. Never mind that we reach nationals yearly, but if the Tyrant doesn't approve, well..."

Ansu stopped before a locker, entering a combination--she made no effort to hide what she was doing, clearly showing it off so Yori could access it herself in the future. "Supposedly we're supposed to be getting some modern bows in the future, but I really feel like they're missing the point of a traditional archery club," She said as she opened the lock, carefully sliding the locker open. Each bow was marked and in its place, with a blank sticker on the locker's wall.

Rummaging through her pockets, she pulled out a marker, offering it to Yori. "Here," She offered. After a few seconds, she looked over to the other members still chatting. "If morale gets brought down, I'm afraid it'll have an affect on people."

"I'll be counting on your support!" Sora gave Oka a small bow of the head, though he straightened up considerably once Sakuya walked in. The girl looked less than pleased, albeit she gave off an air of professionalism as she stopped next to the boy. "Ah--Nakano-san, thank you again for choosing me." He said, bowing his head once more.

Sakuya stopped in front of a seat, placing her bag down before sitting. "I heard good things from Hinotori Middle School's counselor. I was surprised you had an interest in serving on the council, I was sure you'd rather be in the Photography Club or on the school's newspaper team," She said as she brought out a small notebook and pen, her hand already working on writing down a few bullet points.

"Oh, I got the okay from Otsuka-senpai--I'll be prioritizing this, of course," He hastily explained.

Sakuya nodded in response, putting her pen down as Oka spoke. For a second, she seemed like she wanted to say something, staying quiet. "Busy is right," She eventually replied, folding her hands together as she rested her chin on them. "We've got our work cut out for us this year. Vice Principal Taniguchi has stressed the importance of cracking down on the rising delinquency for one, and for another, the budget changes have gotten the clubs all up in arms. We're probably going to have to support Ueno-san in her area to keep us from falling behind."

Following the archery club captain to the lockers, Yori intently eyed Anzu's hands as her senpai fiddled with the lock. She muttered the combination under her breath multiple times as if committing the numbers to memory, only stopping when she spoke directly to the other girl. "You'd think getting composite bows on top of the wooden ones we already have would be redundant and cut into the budget even deeper, but the advisors must not think so."

With a roll of her eyes, whether that be at the lack of forethought from those in charge of funding or at Anzu's insistence at keeping morale high among the new members, Yori's hand hovered over each of the bows until reaching the furthest to the left. Ordered by height, she had managed to pull out one the largest of the bows they had in stock, sporting two feet and then some over the diminutive sophomore.

"If the newbies can't handle little issues like a lack of funding, they clearly don't have the nerve needed to do well in this club anyway," Yori expressed, just before she exhaled from the force needed to string her bow. Though the bending of the wooden limbs looked like they were dangerously close to snapping, the green-hared girl didn't even hesitate as she looped and tied the bowstring on the side she hadn't done it for yet. "But ignoring them for a moment, what did you mean by 'Tyrant'? I don't think I've ever heard about that moniker before."

With a hefty sigh and a look of pride at her now strung bow, Yori shouldered the longbow as she looked toward her senpai, eyes alight with something that wasn't mere curiosity.