The realization that we might have been partly responsible for the mass withdrawal left me feeling more than a little uneasy. I glanced at Yuji and Hiiragi-san; their twitching cheeks and worried expressions suggested they were thinking the exact same thing.
Well, considering how much of a scene we’d made, it was a distinct possibility...
"Aren't you surprised?" Mika asked.
"I had a feeling this might be the case," I replied.
Mika pouted at my calm nod, clearly finding it anticlimactic. "Really? When we heard the news, our eyes practically popped out of our heads."
"Well, it happened in the first-year hallway. To us, it’s mostly someone else's problem. Though, given everything that happened with you girls, I guess it’s not exactly a distant matter."
"You’re being way too casual about this! You could at least act a little shocked!"
"Haha, sorry."
I soothed my grumbling sister and decided to dig for more details regarding this Mass Withdrawal Incident.
"So, to clarify, it was the founding members of Goto-kun's clique who dropped out?"
"Yeah, pretty much. It seems like the kids who only joined recently decided to stay."
"I see."
So the ones who had been doing the aggressive recruiting were gone. The ones who had been pressured into joining—or simply couldn't find a way out—must have seen this as the perfect chance to cut ties and remain in school. It was a clean split. Some of the core members might have only quit because they felt they’d reached a point of no return, but that’s the price of running with the wrong crowd.
Hashimoto-sensei, who had been listening in silence, let out a soft murmur of realization. "I see. So that was the dynamic..."
"Wait, Sensei, didn't the school already know that?"
"We knew the students who left were part of a group known for aggressive recruitment. However, we weren't sure if they had truly split. Since the whole group didn't leave at once, the school was worried we'd see a steady stream of dropouts as more students convinced their parents to sign the withdrawal papers."
"That makes sense. A large exodus like that would naturally make the administration wary of a domino effect."
"Exactly. According to our records, that group still has nearly thirty members. If every single one of them withdrew, it would be a disaster for the school's reputation. Ten is already a crisis; thirty would be unthinkable."
Hashimoto-sensei massaged her temples with a heavy sigh. She’d clearly spent her entire summer vacation cleaning up after those ten. My heart went out to her. If that number tripled... yeah, it would be a bloodbath.
"But hearing your perspective, I feel much more at ease," she continued.
"If my hunch is right, you won't see thirty dropouts. However..."
"Yes, I know. I'll bring this to the staff meeting and prioritize interviews with the remaining members. Now that the leaders are gone, I suspect the rest will be much more willing to talk."
This was the perfect time to reach out to the kids who had been suppressed by Goto-kun's level and influence. They might have a bit of a reputation to overcome with their peers, but without the core group around to enforce the status quo, reconciliation was possible. The biggest obstacle to their social reintegration was finally gone.
"That sounds like a plan. By the way, Mika, do you or your friends have any issues with the ones who stayed?"
"Grudges? Hmm, not really. They were annoying when they were recruiting, but it was the ones who quit who were leading the charge. The ones who stayed usually looked like they felt bad about it while they were standing in the back."
"So you don't feel the need to avoid them?"
"Nah, it’s fine."
If Mika—who had every reason to be furious—was this casual about it, then the rest of the school would probably be okay too.
Just to be safe, I turned to the others. "What about Saori-chan, Tatebayashi-san, and Hino-san? Any lingering resentment?"
"Not from me," Saori-chan said. "The most obnoxious recruiters were definitely the ones who left."
"Same here," Tatebayashi-san added. "The ones who were high-handed about it are gone. The ones left behind seemed like they were just stuck."
"I don't have a grudge," Hino-san said. "But since I've never really talked to them, it might be a little awkward to start now."
It seemed the consensus was clear. If they could just apologize to the people they’d annoyed, they’d likely be welcomed back into the fold fairly quickly. Unless, of course, some of them had been acting like big shots by riding the coattails of the leaders, but that remained to be seen.
Once the dropout talk concluded, the conversation shifted to the club. We’d founded the Entrepreneurship Research Club to protect Mika from Goto-kun's group. Now that they were gone, our raison d'être had effectively vanished.
"...So, what's the plan?" Hashimoto-sensei asked. "We could technically disband..."
"Disbanding a club less than a year after starting it is a bit much," Yuji countered. "It would look like we got shut down for doing something wrong. Why don't we just pivot to our official activity policy?"
"You mean explorer research and certification?"
"Exactly," I said. "The certificates are useful, and as sole proprietors, we need the practical knowledge. I've got taxes to calculate, and I'm planning to buy a mountain for a dedicated training ground. I need to know how real estate taxes work."
That alone made keeping the clubroom worthwhile.
"Fair enough," Hashimoto-sensei agreed. "Then we'll continue with the research and certification focus."
"Yes, ma'am!" we all chimed in.
Hashimoto-sensei sat back in her chair and straightened her collar. She scanned our faces before speaking again.
"Now, moving on, there's one more thing we need to decide as a club. And that is... the content of our activity presentation for the school festival at the end of September."
"Ooh!"
Summer was over; the next big school event was the cultural festival.
"As a cultural club, we're required to present our activities. If we don't, we risk budget cuts or even losing our permit. The school uses the festival to prune inactive clubs."
"So, any ideas?" she asked.
"Why not just present the stuff we've been researching?" I suggested. "The basics of being an explorer would be incredibly valuable to rookies."
"I agree," Yuji said. "Information on income taxes is a must. If some kid spends all their dungeon earnings without saving for the tax man..."
"They'll be in for a world of pain," Hashimoto-sensei noted. "We should include dependent deductions, too. A lucky rookie can easily exceed the limit, and if they don't tell their parents, it messes up the whole family's taxes."
It was practical, if a bit dry. But the juniors had a different idea.
"I want to do something with more of a 'dream' to it," Mika said. "Taxes are important, but they're a bit depressing for a festival."
"I agree," Saori-chan said. "Maybe we could show how things explorers find are used in the world?"
"The impact of dungeon items on daily life?" Hino-san suggested.
"Yeah! Like the dungeon food you see in supermarkets now!"
Our idea was about the direct reality of the job; theirs was about its broader social impact. Ours was easy to compile, while theirs required more work but was way more festival-friendly.
"Both sound great," Hashimoto-sensei said. "Why not do both?"
"Both? Well, our part is already mostly done, so it's possible..."
"Let's do it!" Mika insisted. "It's our first high school festival! Just handing in some old papers is boring!"
Seeing the fire in their eyes, I looked at Yuji and Hiiragi-san. They gave me a 'what can you do?' shrug.
"Fine," I sighed. "We'll do both."
"Yay!" the girls cheered.
Well, I guess I’d better get to work.