Club Meeting Asian Society Meeting, The First R

[font=PT Sans]Ready to spend his after class with his 2nd favorite Hufflepuff, he put on his most comfortable attire and fixed up his hair, finalizing his short wardrobe montage with a wink to the handsome kid looking back at him from the hand mirror in his hands. For this is the day the Asian Society Club will crumble to mere dust bunnies.

He strutted confidently through the halls, imagine what event could be the lucky one that will make Kazuo call it quits. Lack of members? That seemed to be the most logical. While he never held high hopes for the club, Hanako had to commend the Hufflepuff’s attempt at making Asian cultures a popular topic. Alas, that’s how much his admiration ended for the younger boy. Not after the way he talked as if he knew better than Hanako. While it was true the difference of Asian cultural knowledge between the two boys was far apart from one another, it was still a fact that deeply bothered the boy. He hasn’t exactly pinpointed why Kazuo’s presence irked him but he had a few suggestions. Envy? But why would it affect him this much if his culture was never something Hanako even glanced about? Thoughts may swirl and race, though it was clear Hanako had to do more than think to find out where this was coming from.

Once he had arrived in the classroom where he was notified was where the 1st A.C.S meeting would be held, he thought of taking another round of walking. Pretend he hasn’t arrived early or better yet- act like he forgot about this whole meeting. Forget Shimada as well as the A.C.S. Change out of his clothes and do what he did best. Ignore the complicated.

There he stood just next to the hinges of the door where the corridors connected to the room that was doomed to fail. If it was doomed to fail, what was making him so hesitant in taking a step in?
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@Kazuo Shimada @Akari Kato

Enid only remembered that her new club had a meeting after waking up in the afternoon. The potions class in the morning was really exhausted. Although she wanted to review the transformation class for tomorrow, she felt down at the moment she opened the textbook. After she opened the closet, she began to worry about what to change. This is the first time to participate in a club meeting. Does it seem disrespectful to dress too casually? But dressing too grandly seems to be out of place. When Enid was having a headache, she saw the JK uniform that she put in the box, which her aunt bought her when she went to Japan last time. She has always liked this cute school uniform like Hogwarts' school uniform. If she remembers correctly, her president seems to be Japanese, would it look weird to wear this uniform... After thinking twice, Enid put on a jk uniform because she was almost late!

Because of the big blue bow on the front of the dress, she no longer wears her iconic red bow on her hair. The big blue bow on her chest and the high pony tail on the back of her head were swaying greatly when Enid was running in the corridor. After arriving at the meeting place, she saw a man standing next to the hinges of the door.It seems to be a second-year Slytherin senior. Although her friends always tell her not to get too close to Slytherin people, Enid’s uncle is an alumnus of Slytherin. She still stepped forward and asked "Hey, excuse me. Is it here the classroom where the Asian Society Meeting held?"

Reducio

@Hanako Tone @Kazuo Shimada

[font=PT Sans] “ Aaaa blablablabla” he drowned out the second his ears head another human speaking. Halfway through her dialog and Hanako had already stopped processing her words. “ Can’t you see I’m having a strictly internal emotional - ah” it was only then that he stopped looking at the floor and onto the newcomer. She was a face he was sure he has never seen before but cares too little to guess further. All he knows is that she was taller than him and that alone was enough to make him dislike her already. His next focus shifted on her incredibly familiar clothing choice that made him look puzzled. That clearly looked like a school uniform but it was somehow a tad different from the regular Hogwarts uniform. Was she just lost? The last time he checked, you had a 000000000.1 success rate if you fancy infiltrating a school. Much less if it was magic. " So...you got bored of your uniform or something? What's with the clothes? Want to be a designer in the future or something? Wait! no~ Don't answer that. I don't have the listening energy to hear anyone today. I'm trying to understand why I came to this club in the first place. And that-" he held a confident tone in his words " is difficult". Sure, he had that deal to go through, but he really didn't think about the cost of it. Well- it's not that it mattered anyway. He'd doubt the ASC had more than 2 students joining. " Yea so anyway, thanks for visiting my lovely face today. Will do you good in a long run for sure. Byebye~" he waved a bit too sweetly for it to be genuine. Not that he cared one bit. He just wanted to get back to rethinking his actions.[/font]

@Akari Kato @Enid Smith

Interacting with: @Hanako Tone
Mentioning: @Enid Smith & @Kazuo Shimada

Akari poked her head out into the corridors and glanced down it to make sure she was headed in the right direction before proceeding to step out and make her way towards the classroom that was going to hold the first official meeting of the Asian society club. Akari was glad she came across this club for she hoped it would give her a way to really try and possibly connect as well as learn about her ancestor's culture.

As she approached said classroom, she noticed a couple of students, just standing there? How come? Had the just meeting not started yet? Or perhaps cancelled? No matter, she could just go ask them.
She then recognized one of the students there to be that boy who she briefly crossed paths with when she first was inquiring about the details of the club. Though unfortunately, he didn't happen to recall his name. She only arrived towards the end of the boy's sentence, but what she had caught was him questioning his reasoning behind deciding to attend the meeting.

"Perhaps for the sweets?" Akari spoke up and added in with a light-hearted laugh remembering how Kazuo, the boy who was running the club had given them those tasty round treats while advertising for this meeting. She walked around the two and went all the way up to the door of the classroom.
"The meeting is still on though, is it not?" She mumbled quietly, but mainly to herself as she shot a quick glance through the doorway.

She then turned around and looked back at the boy before speaking up once more.
"Well look, you've already made it this far, it won't hurt to go in, plus I'm certain Kazuo has planned something nice for us"

His army of paper animals was assembled. His club was not. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, checking the time. Perhaps Hanako was right. Despite having gained some small interest in the club, the lack of members in attendance was a true indicator of its success. The other students truly had no interest in something as mundane as a culture club. He supposed it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. The more exposure he had to the Wizarding World here, the more he saw how self-contained and willfully ignorant they seemed to be. Or perhaps it was simply that they were children who didn’t understand the value of cultures beyond their own and didn’t want to waste the effort on a club that would be perceived as educational when there were so many other clubs that focused solely on ‘fun’. Disappointing.

He pulled out his wand and brought the winged origami creatures to life with a swish and a flick, watching them float above the desks in the same way that he had brought paper cranes to life a mere year ago through wishful thinking. Though the door was open, he didn’t hear the footsteps of one Hanako Tone, nor Enid Smith when she joined him by the door, but he did hear voices. A girl, asking about the club and… that delightful person. The boy who had joined his club out of spite. The boy who had, unfortunately, been right. He let the animals settle and picked up a salmon nigiri, quietly making his way to the door as Akari joined the other two. He paused as she spoke, still just as interested in the club as she had been the day he’d first met her.

He smiled as he listened to Akari encouraging Hana to go in, amused at the Slytherin’s indecisiveness. He stepped around the corner and before Hana could come up with an excuse to leave, he popped the piece of sushi in the older boy’s mouth. “Hana-senpai~” He greeted with a sly grin, remembering how using the honorific had so annoyed the boy when they first met. “I am soooo honoured that you decided to come.” He then stuck out his tongue playfully before turning to the two girls.

“Akari-chan, thank you for coming,” he greeted her with a smile. He looked at Enid, noting her schoolgirl outfit with a chuckle. “That’s a cute uniform. I’m starting to think I should change it to ‘Japan Club’ at this rate.” He joked, noting that all the members seemed interested in Japanese culture more than anything else. “I’m Kazuo Shimada, the leader of the club. はじめまして (Hajimemashite - Nice to meet you). I have snacks and handouts inside.” He indicated the classroom behind him, tilting his head slightly before turning and walking back inside.

@Hanako Tone @Enid Smith @Akari Kato

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It was not long until he encountered another member of the club, only further dampening his mood. Why was it the minute he was so sure there would be no other members, that people just start swarming in like teeny weeny bees? Annoying ones at that. Ones that gotta disperse before Kazuo sees them. “ No lady, I think you’re underestimating how much it could actually hurt if I were to go in. For both you all and me. More importantly, me. “ he replied nonchalantly with a serious tone, adding a light snicker at the mention of Kazuo planning something nice. That’s precisely why they shouldn’t attend the meeting. Burning motivation and passion is dangerous. And those said things are what Kazuo had, no matter how much Hanako tried to dismiss it. Which is why he was here in the first place. To squish it while he hung onto the small chance that the same motivation and passion would be his downfall. What else was he supposed to do when he himself was too anxious to do the same?

With a smirk, he cleared his throat and stood tall with as much pride his 134cm height could give him. “ Sorry ladies, it's difficult for me to say but the meeting has unfortunately been-”

“Hana-senpai~”

Hanako had zero chances to get him out of this despicable situation. Only managing to shoot Kazuo a fierce look before his mouth was forced to sew shut. Tempted as he was to spit whatever was forced into his mouth back on Kazuo’s face, the more he chewed, the more the taste began to heighten his taste buds. And the more it did, the more messages sent to his brain that ‘ damn this crap is good ‘.

Failing to conceal his delight in the treat, he lost focus. The treat somehow giving him nostalgic vibes of the times he regularly visited his grandmother's small house. Though not the same, it was still enjoyable. He then remembered Kazuo was the reason for his short happiness and started chewing rapidly, eager to cut in on the conversation.

“I have snacks and handouts inside.”

“More?” Hanako hopefully slipped out with an eager gleam in his eyes that only stayed for a second. “ I mean pdsft! Of course you do” he coughed out, slightly flustered. “ Gotta try to reel in more members. And what would be better than food, huh. Sneaky Kazuo, sneaky indeed“. He half-heartedly approved, ignoring how he too was easily swayed by Kazuo’s food attack.

Hanako poked his head into the meeting room, taking in the interior. “ What are we even going to do here?” He questioned, skeptical of the possible activities the club offered.
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@Kazuo Shimada @Akari Kato @Enid Smith

Interacting with: @Hanako Tone @Kazuo Shimada

Akari shook her head with a small chuckle as her attempts of encouraging the lad before her to attend was failing horribly. Though they were quickly joined by Kazuo, the leader of the club who was likely drawn out by the sound of voices congregating outside the classroom. Kazuo seemed to be having better luck with convincing, plus he came bearing snacks, and who wouldn't be won over by food?

"Of course" Akari said as she turned to the direction that Kazuo was standing in affirming that she was glad to be there, and very much like the other boy, she was quite happy to hear that there were more snacks to come, for food was always appreciated.

While the others just poked their heads into the room, Akari proceeded to go straight into the room without hesitation and immediately then looked around curiously. My my, what a lovely setup it was.

Her eyes swept across the room trying to catch every detail, though before being able to do so something had already piqued her interest.
Out of all the things that were neatly displayed across the room, surprisingly including the food, the one thing Akari was particularly drawn to was the place where the little origami figures sat. She was fascinated by the little creatures for a reason she could not really explain. There was something special about them for even though they were so gentle and delicate looking, they were not breakable.
She escorted herself towards them and once arriving she peered at all of them with pure interest.
"Kazuo, did you make these yourself?" She turned back to face the door while she asked her question.

Kazuo watched with amusement as Hanako clearly enjoyed the sushi he’d shoved in the older boy’s mouth. He chuckled when Hanako’s mask of disinterest slipped at the suggestion of more snacks. He gave Akari a conspirator’s grin at Hana’s response. “I’m so glad you appreciate my tactics, Hana-senpai~ You know, food is one of the universals that draw cultures together, no matter how different they might seem. It’s also a very important part of every culture - what we eat, how we prepare it, and how we share it. In Japan, meals are considered very important. You will rarely see people eating on the go like they do here. Preparing food is an art that should be appreciated through the enjoyment of eating.”

Akari was clearly not at all hesitant in joining the club and that produced in him a feeling of relief. He hadn’t really put much thought into the club when he’d decided to take over from the previous leader, only that he wanted to share his culture as a means to alleviate his homesickness. He had thought it would be simple, that other students might see the uniquely beautiful things that came from his culture - and other parts of Asia as well - and want to participate. At the very least he thought a few might be motivated to join out of a love of anime or kpop or some other media that had grown in popularity overseas. The reality of his situation had not been a pleasant feeling but knowing that, at the very least, he had Akari and Hana, meant he was not a complete failure.

“Hana-senpai~ No point standing in the doorway!” He announced, giving the older boy a friendly push from behind. “As it seems to be just us, what we do here can be whatever we want it to be. I can ask my mother to send all the best Japanese snacks and we can sit around reading manga if that’s what interests you.” It actually didn’t sound like an awful idea even if he meant it to be a joke.

He looked to Akari as she asked him about the origami and nodded. “Yes, I thought they would be a nice touch but I might have gone a bit overboard while I was waiting…” He glanced at his paper animal army a bit sheepishly. “Do you know how to do origami? My mother taught me. She used to say that keeping the hands busy would allow the mind to fly free. Although she probably taught me just to keep me distracted and out of trouble…”

He moved to the desk where he’d left his journal. “I wasn’t sure what kinds of people would show up. I thought there might be more people from other parts of Asia which is why I brought the map. I was hoping we could host some events based on cultural festivals or holidays and invite other students to attend. I know Hana-senpai is just here for the food…” He gave Hana a wink and a grin. “What do you think, Akari-chan? What would you like to see our club do?”

@Hanako Tone @Akari Kato

[font=PT Sans]Kazuo started to babble about the importance of food in a culture and how it’s considered. food making is an art and its preparation was something to be appreciated through the enjoyment of eating. Hanako kept his mouth shut at this because he understood the truths in his statement. He wasn’t a chef nor did he take more than 1 minute to make a mean sandwich. But he could relate Kazuo’s statement to the art of tea making. The preparation for making tea was a well-known art. For the longest time, Hanako saw himself the magic that begins when you’re taking your time in making delicious tea. To take the time to sense the hint of tea in the air, addicting sounds of the water flowing through the teapot, it was a tranquil hobby he engaged himself in when his mind seemed to be cluttered. That was before he went to a boarding school where he always had to watch his actions. And privacy? In his dorm? Nonexistent. Then, a curious thought came to his mind. What if it was possible that the club he was waiting to fail would offer that tranquil moment Hanako missed?

Before the boy could take another step in, Kazuo had already given Hanako a firm shove, making him ungracefully stumble into the room. “ I told you not to call me senpai!” he huffed, fixing his posture. “ And it’s Hana, kid. H a n n a h. Han- uh. Gives me hibby jibbies if you say like how you always did” He kept it to himself that those hibby jibbies existed because to hear it come out of a mouth other than his grandmother’s felt wrong. Like it was another name he had but was not familiar with and hadn’t used in years. He was almost sure the Hufflepuff would not react kindly to his request but there was no harm in trying.

Kazuo said we can do anything here. Was that a nicer way of saying he had no particular activities planned? Hanako wasn’t sure his suggestions were jokes or not but decided to roll his eyes at them anyway. He wasn’t wrong when there were only them in here though. Looks like Hanako wasn’t exactly wrong about the lack of members. The way the classroom was decorated gave an impression that it was made for more than at least 8 people, not just 3. Just as he was thinking about it further, his ears caught on to a discussion between Kazuo and Akari. One that made him turn his head towards with an almost childish look. Origami.

As discreetly as he could, he slowly walked towards the small origami zoo with a curious twinkle in his eyes. How did he take so long to notice such beauty right in front of his eyes? While the two conversed, Hanako’s eyes were glued towards the origami display, trying his best not to look too happy at the sight. While he was stuck in his own little world, he admired the clean look the origami gave off. Not a single crease in sight nor a side of the paper that was left out awkwardly. All the folds were given a purpose and a clear goal that Kazuo had made sure were met perfectly. While too absorbed in admiration, he hardly noticed Kazuo’s quick wink at him, nor the conversation going on. And it was most likely going to stay that way until someone poked him.[/font]

@Akari Kato@Kazuo Shimada