Chapter 49: Manga Is the Ultimate Bible

Reading Settings

Translator: Xre

---

Amid all the chaotic back-and-forth, Amane-chan's voice cut cleanly through the noise.

“I propose we start a Help Club—an ‘Assistance Club' that solves all kinds of problems and incidents at the academy!”

The first to nod was Ayukawa.

“Ah, that works, right? We don't have to lock ourselves into just one thing. That suits you better too, doesn't it, Kazu?”

“Yeah… you're right.”

The truth was, I still didn't know what I liked or what I was good at.

But if I could figure that out while helping other students who were in trouble, then it would be killing two birds with one stone.

“Kazu has this thing where he just can't ignore people in trouble.”

“Exactly! This sounds perfect for him.”

II-chan and Mashiro-senpai both agreed. Even President Suzuka gave a small nod.

“I like your idea, Minato-san. What do you think, Kazu-kun?”

“I'd love to do it. Please let me.”

Ever since I broke free from the Takayashiki family's brainwashing, my curiosity had been growing stronger and stronger. I wanted to meet all kinds of people. I wanted to try all sorts of things. Those feelings kept swirling inside my chest.

This “Assistance Club” felt like the perfect place to pour all of that into.

“Then it's settled.”

The silver-haired returnee smiled.

“Of course, Kazu-kun will be the club president. I'll be the vice president. And for the advisor, I've already asked Student Council Advisor Kashiwazaki-sensei.”

As expected of the “Business Genius.” She had already laid the groundwork. A capable woman through and through.

“So what do we, the rest of us, do?”

“If you see someone in trouble, hear them out first. Then work together with Kazu-kun to figure out a solution.”

“Kinda plain, huh? But I don't think I hate that kind of thing.”

Ayukawa looked surprisingly motivated. Despite her full gyaru appearance, everyone knew how serious she was when it came to work.

“With the Teikousen coming up, I bet some clubs are short on people. I'll ask around my class.”

“I'll ask my friends in the art club too!”

“I'll talk to the drama club.”

Amane-chan and the others were already moving to help.

“I feel kinda bad. You're all busy, and now you're taking on another club on top of everything.”

They all laughed like it was nothing.

“Kazu-kun, you've helped us so many times already.”

“This is just returning the favor.”

“Kazu, it's nothing.”

“Totally! Leave it to us!”

“Mashiro's payback~”

Looking at the smiling faces of these five beautiful girls, I couldn't help but feel how blessed I was.

Even after cutting ties with the most powerful person in the school and preparing myself to walk alone, I had found friends this kind.

…Life really isn't something to throw away after all.

---

By mid-September, the faculty council approved us, and the club was officially established.

Our clubroom was, of course, the underground archive. We moved part of the collection to other rooms, reorganized the shelves, and under the strict command of Maid Ayukawa-sensei, carried out a full-scale cleaning operation. We polished every inch until it shone.

Even Amane-chan, who used to clash with Ayukawa, stared wide-eyed.

“You're amazing… totally not what I expected from your looks.”

And just like that, the Assistance Club (provisional) was born.

The “provisional” part was Ayukawa's idea.

“There's gotta be a better name than this, right?”

She had a point—it was a little too on the nose. But since no one could think of anything better yet, we set sail under a placeholder.

I had been worried no one would actually come to me for help. I wasn't exactly a social butterfly.

But our first request came sooner than I expected.

It was brought in through Mashiro-senpai's friend.

“You want a fill-in for the basketball club?”

In the archive-turned-clubroom, a tall second-year girl shook her head in a hurry.

“No, not the club—the basketball society.”

“There's a basketball society besides the main club?”

“Yeah. Hardly anyone knows about it, though.”

She gave a small, lonely smile.

“It's a co-ed group for people who couldn't get into the club or were forced to quit. We don't get a budget, and we can't use the gym. But we love basketball, and we just want to play for fun.”

At Teikai Academy, results were everything. It didn't matter how—that was the system. For popular sports like basketball, there were tryouts. You couldn't join just because you liked it.

“We're not an official club, so we can't play in sanctioned matches. But for the Teikousen, we finally got permission to do a warm-up game. We're facing Kojin Academy's second string. Everyone's been training hard… but then people started getting injured. Out of eight members, only four can play.”

“You lost half your team? What happened?”

Her expression darkened.

“…We were harassed by the basketball club.”

They had offered a practice match—and then played rough on purpose. Their advisor acted as referee and ignored everything.

“We were told it was embarrassing for the school that we'd play Kojin. They ordered us to withdraw. When we refused…”

“They crushed you.”

Basketball needed five players.

With only four, there was no match.

“I refuse to forfeit,” she said, biting her lip. “I don't care if it's the second string. We'll probably lose. But I want to play. So—”

“You want me as your fill-in, right?”

“I asked everywhere, but everyone's scared of the basketball club. You're the only one I can count on…”

Her eyes were desperate.

“But I barely know anything about basketball. In P.E., I just stood around.”

“That's fine! We just need a fifth player!”

Mashiro-senpai bowed with her.

“I'm begging you too, Kazu-kun! Let's shut down those violent jerks!”

The basketball club's actions were unforgivable.

“All right. If you're okay with me, I'll join.”

They clasped hands in joy.

“But I really don't know the rules.”

“Fufu, we've got that covered~”

Mashiro-senpai put a heavy paper bag on the table.

Inside were thirty-one orange-covered manga volumes.

“‘Scrum Dunk'…”

I'd heard of it—but never read it.

That night, I started.

…and I couldn't stop.

I skipped dinner. I skipped my bath. I read until dawn.

So this is what a classic is.

The next day, after school, I rushed to the park court near the school, completely fired up.

Tall-senpai laughed the moment she saw my face.

“The power of Scrum Dunk is something else, huh?”

We practiced layups first.

I dribbled from the right, stepped in, jumped—

Swish.

“Whoa! That was smooth! You're good, Suzuki-kun!”

“Pretty good” was the highest praise I could ask for.

More than the game itself, what made me happy was something else.

A team.

Me—who had always been alone, just following Pig's orders—now part of a team.

…I'm happy.

---

A week passed.

The day before the Teikousen.

That night, after my bath, I sat at my PC and started looking up basketball manga.

There were so many.

One caught my eye.

“Shirako's Basketball.”

I tried the free sample.

…and before I knew it, I had bought the entire digital set and was devouring it.

“…I see.”

So this kind of basketball exists too.

I had no idea.

All right then—

Let's try it tomorrow.