New Year; New Club (Wynona's Anime Club)

Despite being in the same school for two years, Ren couldn't make any long time friends. Thanks to that, school life had been uneventful - and sure, he had hung out with some mutual acquaintances now and again. But he could never truly call them "Friends". His big, towering specimen of a man called his Father noticed Ren's methodical routine of coming home immediately after school, computer computer computer games, sleep, wake, school. Never going out. 

Rinse and Repeat.

Ren couldn't say No to his father; the man who had raised him for the latter half of his life with care and hulking tenderness...
And when his booming voice had asked with good intentions: "Don't you have any friends?"

It didn't hurt, and Ren knew his father didn't say it to hurt him. Father had a good heart, but sometimes he was a bit blunt with his words. But that was just the way Ren liked it; genuine, unfiltered conversations. He loved his dad.

--

So when his father had asked him, "Don't you have any friends?", Ren decided to fulfill his father's implied wishes in achieving those fabled "Friends". 
An intrusive thought tugged at him, telling him "You won't bear any fruit in your journey for social interactions. Don't bother." Ren brushed it off and continued walking down the halls of Seven Star Academy towards the Sorority Hall.

The Sorority Hall was a bit alien to him, since Ren barely came down this way. He had to take a few trips around before he finally found his destination (which he had passed by several times trying to find it), and a door emblazoned with the words "Anime Club" told him he finally made it.
You could be a computer genius, but still be bad at directions.
...Is what he tells himself.

Door before him, Ren stood with his bag half-slung over his shoulder, hand in pocket, music on blast, he stood staring at the entrance to a possible new social life. 
But,
He couldn't go in. 

Worry veiled by the unenthused, stark blankness of his eyes, someone would have to be especially diligent to see how nervous Ren was in the idea of meeting new people. He sighed. 
He just stood in front of the door, doing nothing.

"O' God, if you're up there, please reward me with a double EXP event this afternoon. Amen."

Wynona stepped out into the Sorority Hall, looking for the club that she had recently joined. "Anime Club, Anime Club.." She repeated the phrase out loud until she reached the door labeled "Anime Club."
"Aha!" Wynona twisted the doorknob and peered into the room. It appeared to be a mostly vacant room with a table, couch, and TV. Wynona opened the door fully now. She cleared her throat. "I-is anybody there..?" The girl spoke in her faux shy voice, hoping to catch the attention of anyone who was in the clubroom. No one answered.

Wynona mentally shrugged after waiting for a few more seconds and fully opened the door, walking in and shutting the door behind her. The clubroom was completely void of life. Wynona scurried around in her bag and pulled out the club schedule.

"Are we not meeting today?" Wynona scanned the piece of paper carefully, reading over the meeting days. "Yup, everyone's supposed to be here. Maybe I'm just early.." A knock at the door startled the girl and snapped her out of her monologue. Wynona shoved the schedule back into her pack and made her way to the door, pulling it open to reveal a black haired boy who was slightly shorter than her. "Oh.. hey. Are you here for the Anime Club? It seems that no one is here yet.." Wynona welcomed the boy in. She set her backpack on the table and opened it up, pulling two bags of ridiculously unhealthy cheese chips out of it.

"I brought snacks, if you're interested." The girl smiled at Ren and zipped her bag back up.

Pushing his fears deep, deep down into the pit of his stomach, Ren sighed and knocked tentatively on the door at first, but got worried that he might've knocked to quietly. Just as he was about to rap his knuckles on the door once more, it suddenly swung open. From the door way was a younger, pale-skinned girl. Being a third year, Ren couldn't identify who she was. Almost immediately, his social anxiety kicked in, and he had second thoughts.

No, this is just perfect he thought. Just...Just introduce yourself.


Ren peered into the room behind her and was greatly relieved to find that she was the only visible occupant in the club room. He sighed, and plucked the earphones out and turned down the volume. He wasn't sure if he should bow or whatever, but he decided to play it cool. 

His eyes stung. Ren worried if he was going to tear up from the lack of moisture or if he was just nervous. The most probable conclusion would be the latter. The tired-eyed boy rubbed his eyes from underneath his glasses and let himself in. 
The room was practically barren, save for the TV and table and couch. The couch would be the first he'd go for, but he would introduce himself before he did so.

Remember to respond. Be polite.


Fully entering the room, he slipped off his backpack and set it on the table just as his peer did. 

"G-Good afternoon," he shuffled nervously, trying his best not to look at the floor. "My name is Ren Lee, I'm a third year. It-It's nice to meet you." 


He watched as she pulled out two ungodly unhealthy cheese chips out of her bag. His eyes widened as he recognized the brand immediately; Deetos. The most dangerously cheesy brand of cheese chips legalized in the country - possibly the whole world. And it was his third favorite snack.
Before he reached out, Ren hesitated, making a bit of a worried face as he cautiously eyed the snacks. Would it be rude to outright take one? Eventually Ren gave into his greed and hovered a tentative hand over the bag before snatching it up.

"Thanks. These are...One of my favorite things to eat." A hint of a smile appeared on Ren's lips as he shyly stared at the floor. 

Making himself at home on the couch, Ren could finally relax his muscles a little bit. His bag was a bit heavy from all the papers and books lining the innards, in addition to the laptop he carries everywhere. A professional must always keep his tools of trade on hand, after all.

As he munched on Deetos, Ren shot his peer a look, one that hinted curiousness. 

"So, uh. Is it always this empty...Uh...?" He trailed off, realizing he didn't know her name.

The girl reached in her backpack once more and took out two RIDICULOUSLY sugary drinks that she had been saving for herself and tossed one to Ren, who she could tell was mentally grasping for her name. Walking over to the couch, she sat down and turned to talk to Ren. "Wynona. My name is Wynona." She flashed a smile at Ren and opened up her ice cold Montain Deu, taking a quick swig before continuing to talk. "And, um.. I don't think it's always this empty. I wouldn't know, though. It's my first day here too. On the club schedule it said today was a meeting day."

The girl stood up and walked over to the small TV that sat in front of the couch on a stand. "While we wait for the others, though, let's watch some TV?" Wynona pressed the "ON" button with two fingers, and the TV suddenly lit up, displaying a channel that was clearly meant for children younger than Wynona and Ren. "Anything you're interested in watching?"

Deftly catching the soda can with one hand, Ren popped the top open and listened to the practically volatile liquid fizzle and hiss. Secretly, this was one of his favorite beverages, but he could never tell anyone that. He pretended to make a grimace, to alleviate his paranoia that people were watching him drink such a disgustingly healthy drink.
Regardless, he couldn't hold back in finishing the can in a matter of seconds.

"T-Thanks for the refreshments. Sorry I don't have anything to share."

Ren and Wynona, the only two denizen of the Anime Club were alone and confused. Since it was his first time in the club, he was just as lost as her. But that didn't mean they couldn't kick back and enjoy the day. After all, it is supposed to be a meeting day. Plus, he had finished his soccer club duties, and resolved to catch some morning exercises before school. Today, he'd relax for once after school, and maybe this time his Father would be a little happier for him when he tells him how he had spent the day with a new acquaintance. 

The bespectacled student sat down on the couch besides Wynona. This was Anime Club after all. At first, Ren was a bit reluctant to talk about first, but after a few seconds of self-coaxing, he opened his mouth to speak. 

"Mh...Let's watch something quality. You...You ever watch Initial V?" It took every ounce of courage Ren had to admit he watched some old racing anime.

A whole year into attending Seven Stars Academy, one thing was for certain; even now, Lloyd still found himself getting lost in the large, winding building. All he had to go by was the maps posted on the walls here and there, and the (at best) fuzzy directions of other students still loitering about the halls, so it took him far too much time to find the door sitting in some tucked away part of one of the many floors reading "Anime Club." With a low huff, tugging at the black surgical mask wrapped around his face, he stares at the door for a moment, swallowing dryly afterwards. He was, admittedly, anxious, much like the two already situated in the room-- when was the last time he bothered with people? Since when did he bother with groups, and, ugh, socializing?

Truthfully? It didn't matter, he got himself into this mess, he's on the roster, he can't turn back now.

With one last huff, chewing on the inside of his cheek, he raps his knuckles against the door and calls out "Hello? Anyone home?" with a clear tone of unease to his voice. His eyes wander as he waits, hands shoved in his pockets. "This is the anime club room, right?"

"Initial V? Isn't that the anime that the famous songs 'Striding in the 70's' and 'Jamais Vu' are from-" Wynona stopped her question right before finishing when the sound of knuckles knocking on the door to the club gave her somewhat of a start. "Oh, the others must be here." The girl adjusted her shorts and put on a happy grin as she wandered over to the clubroom's door.

Wynona opened the door, and to her surprise, it wasn't the others. It was just THE other. A boy that was taller than her just by a bit, with a stern face and a surgical mask covering up part of his face. Wynona was utterly intimidated by the boy, and she looked up to talk to him with her (now) shrill voice. "H-hello, there. You're also here for the anime club? I'm W-wynona." She stuck her hand out in the direction of the couch, welcoming the second boy inside. "We have snacks on the table and a TV, we were actually talking about Initial V right now. Are y-you a fan?"

Brief disappointment crossed his face. Initial V was definitely known for his iconic songs, but they were just jokes on the internet. It shouldn't have been a surprise that Wynona would've recognized the songs, but not the actual racing itself. Ren stifled a sigh and forced a half-smile. 

Before he could respond, a knock on the door attracted the attention of the two. Ren watched as he bounced towards the door with an excited debonair. A small twitch of disappointment ached in him. He thought he could get along with someone if it was just one on one. Three, or more is a crowd, but Ren would have to manage.

I should've expected as much...It IS a club.

Expecting a flood of people, Ren felt a flush of relief when he saw only a single person at the door. From what he could see on the comfort of the couch, Ren's eyes immediately focused on the newcomer's face. Haggard eyes above a medical mask, it was hard not to pay attention to it. But from what Ren could tell, this new kid didn't seem to be remotely interested in being here. 

Ren stood up. It would be rude not to introduce himself to a new potential member. 
As he lifted himself off the couch, his eye caught the barrenness of the club. It was practically empty.

"Hey, I'm Ren. It's nice to meet you."

"Well, uh.. I don't know much about Initial V as an anime.. I really only know about it because of the songs. I heard about it on the internet." Wynona felt more comfortable around Lloyd after he started to talk. After seeing beneath his mask, he seemed less like an intimidating man and more like a gentle giant, minus the giant part. "Ren seems to be a fan. He was just suggesting that we would watch it. I'm certain it's not on TV anymore, though.. Actually.." The girl thought of burning episodes of Initial V on to a disk and bringing it to the next club meet, but when she remembered that that was illegal internet piracy, she mentally backed out of it.

A lightbulb suddenly flickered above Wynona's head when she thought of the internet. "Oh, you guys! You have to have SMILE accounts, right? Gimme your usernames so we can keep in touch!" The girl extracted her phone from her pocket and tapped on an app, displaying the SMILE Web Forums. "My username is.." The girl felt hot shame on her back as she read out the username she created for herself many years prior. "32prankstagurl32," she read. "Don't ask about it."

Having gotten the pleasure of meeting yet another person, Ren starts to feel like he could relax more. Lloyd had occupied the couch, and since it was a small couch, he didn't want him to feel uncomfortable by sitting ass-to-ankles with him. Ren didn't want to either. Instead, he leaned up against the wall next the couch and pulled out his phone and listened to the other two talk.

Secretly, he had all 4 volumes of Initial V on blu-ray, complete with extended scenes, outtakes, and commentary all in his bag.  
Ren kept quiet.

Upon hearing Wynona's excited epiphany, Ren looked up from his phone and cringed extremely. It was true he himself had a SMILE account, but it was for personal use only. It was then Ren realized that he would not get away with not divulging his account name to his peers, especially since Wynona had taken the no-turning-back step by telling us her embarrassing username. 

Now, the thing was, Ren's username wasn't just embarrassing. On the net, Ren was more or less of an internet celebrity. And there was no way he was going to reveal THAT side of himself so early. 

Thinking quickly, Ren began to furiously type on his smartphone. "Create New Account". Name. Birth. Info. Done, done done. All in a flash. 
He promised to never use THE FORBIDDEN TEXT TECH in public, but desperate times called for desperate measures. In nearly an instant, he had successfully created a new account. 

"Oh, m-my account? Er, my username is..." He took a good hard look at his username. He didn't have time to spellcheck. "A....AlpineCock."

Ren stood in silence for a solid minute before muttering to himself that he'd change it right away. 

After that, Ren noticed the time. 
"Kind of empty for a club. You'd think everyone would be here by now... Hey, Wynona. Are you sure club meetings are afterschool?"

Wynona sat down on the couch with the others, eyes glued her phone in search of an "AlpineCock." She couldn't find the name on the user search, but she spotted it on the new users list. Wynona raised an eyebrow suspiciously and quickly added the user. Ren inquired about when clubs were held, and when Wynona looked up from her phone to answer, she felt something strange. She looked behind her. Lloyd was suddenly gone. "Wait, where did he-" Wynona cut herself off, noticing that she didn't care.

She turned her head around to look at Ren, and she fell silent for a good five seconds. She stood up, walking over to her backpack, and she unzipped her backpack, swiping her schedule out of the main pocket. A look of concern spread across the girl's face. "N-nani the fuck?! We were supposed to meet this MORNING, not after school! How could I misinterpret this flyer so badly?!" A larger look of concern took Wynona's face over. She quickly shuffled her phone out of her pocket and slammed her thumb on the home button, relieved when she saw the time was only 4:30. "Hey, Ren. It's almost time for dinner back home and I have to catch the bus. Text me if you get the chance, alright?" Wynona gave Ren a thumbs up and a smile and recklessly charged out the door, purposely leaving the extra bag of Deetos on the table for Ren to take home.

Sensing that there was a shift in atmosphere in the room, Ren took a double-take around the room. Lloyd must've left, but he hadn't said a word. The teen furrowed his brows in minor disappointment in his inability to get his number nor a simple good-bye, Ren had summed that it couldn't have been helped and shrugged it off. Moreso, his attention was turned to the vibration in his hand, as he saw the notification on his phone saying that he got a new follower. 

Ren frowned.

Pocketing the phone, he raised his eyebrows at the news of the real meeting hours. They were hours late. 

"Flyer? All I got was a catalog..." 


In response, Ren produced and unfolded the piece of paper in his pocket. His eyes skimmed over the letters until they fell upon the words "Anime Club Meeting: Morning". A bitter smile formed on his lips, and he turned his eyes towards Wynona who looked equally as concerned. 


As he watched his peer get up, Ren had also realized he needed to be home soon. For other reasons besides dinner, though.


"I'll catch you later too..." he paused. "uh...Wynona. It was nice to meet you." 


Ren turned away, stifling a shy smile, then watched his newly made friend charge out of the door with enthusiasm. He felt the emptiness of the room cloud over him, but he didn't feel alone. A moment of bitter paranoia grappled with his newfound hope, but he quickly wrote it off. 
Taking the bag of spare chips, Ren would also take off for home.


"I better get that double exp event, God."