CHAPTER 1

         'Anime is life. Reality is evil. People who make a big deal out of their 3D lives are idiots. They don't watch, don't even know, or don't even care about the true essence of anime or manga. They label us otaku's off like we're nothing. They bad mouth all of our feels, tears, laughter, and frustrations whilst watching these shows or reading these "comics" just because it's a "cartoon." And high school is no different. No, it is even worse. Which is why I will conclude my essay with this:

         Anime is all that I need in my life, and if you happen to disagree and believe it to be nothing like the rest of the scum in this academy, you honestly need help.'

          "Oh my God, Miyuki! Would you please care to explain how this essay on 'Your View of High School Life' became something like this?!"

          I averted eye-contact with my furious homeroom teacher and shrugged. "W-well... you wanted my view of high school life so I simply wrote what I felt."

If anything, she should be grateful I didn't yet go all Yuno Gasai on everyone in the school despite having that kind of attitude.

          Eriko Suzuki slammed her fists onto her desk, startling me and every other teacher present in the room. The darkest glower in existence morphed her features. Colour drained from my face at a fast rate.

          "If this is what goes on through your head, you don't even have a life!" she snapped.

           I was ready to lash out at her for her harsh words. She had insulted my one and only life force, after all. But, with a loud sigh, I merely rose my hands in defeat. "I actually find that offensive, but even if I tried to explain anything to you, you probably wouldn't get it. I'd be wasting my time trying. So instead, I'll say this: Those who do not dedicate every waking moment to the 'animu' have no right to talk about life!"

         "Mi-yu-ki..."

I flinched. The eerie tone she wielded to draw out her letters—not to mention her devilish scowl—chilled me to the bone. Swallowing hard, I grabbed my arms to resist a shudder.

Great, I'd gotten her angry. And everyone at Seisein Academy knew nobody, and I repeat, NOBODY, wanted to incur her wrath. And yet I just had to go and incur it.

          Curse this stupid mouth of mine that moved without permission.

          Although expecting her to mutate into one of those monstrous villains in One Punch Man, to my surprise, Suzuki-sensei sighed. Then, while I stifled a gasp of surprise, she scooped up the English essay that I had flunked—quite terribly, might I add—frowning with animosity brimming in her narrowed eyes.

          My throat had gone dry. It took all I could muster to gulp back all traces of my suffocating fear. She was never a person I particularly enjoyed being around. Not because she was my homeroom teacher and possessed complete control over my grades, but because she was the devil itself.

          "I swear." She weaved her fingers through her lengthy almond coloured hair, tossing it over her shoulders. "You're like some artificial robot that doesn't understand anything about the world except for what's already uploaded in your database."

"Say what you will, Sensei. Ai Mikaze became a successful idol despite being an AI. And everyone knows the guy doesn't even know how to 'feel.' If he can do that, anything's fair game for me."

She chucked a notebook at my head.

"Hey!" I hissed, putting her hands where she'd hit me. "A teacher can't abuse a student!"

"It's not abuse if I'm trying to knock you out of that 2D mindset of yours and into a proper 3D one."

"Actually, I'm one hundred percent certain that was abuse. Physical abuse in its purest definition. I could file charges—"

She silenced me with the wave of her hand.

"Look. I want an essay about the good side of high school life even if it doesn't affect you. And I want it written by tomorrow. Got it, brat?"

          Putting my finger to my temple, my lips downturned heavily. The good side, huh...

           In one word, I was a loner. No friends, no boyfriend; just the nonexistent shadow you find at the back of your classroom before you realize it's human. Nothing about my high school days were "good" so all of those things high schoolers dreamed of didn't concern me. There was nobody in this school that I could even have a shot at being friends with. Nobody enjoyed anime as much as I did. Nobody loved, and involved it in their life so much they had little fangirl or fanboy attacks when phrases from anime's were said, or scenes were reenacted.

          All because they didn't care about these childish "cartoons."

"Your life is too isolated, Miyuki. I'm not saying that being a... motaku or whatever, is a bad thing—well, it is strange, but that's not the point. What I'm trying to say is—you can't only focus on those cartoons twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You need to step outside of that isolated shell of yours and socialize; make some real friends. Why are you so against making friends in the first place? Your unlovable behaviour aside, it's not like you're unable to socialize with people."

Her entire statement made me cringe. Motaku? Uncultured swine. "They're just not worthy, Sensei. They're all too busy studying their time away or keeping face to appreciate the extraordinary creations known as anime and manga. And honestly, I want nothing to do with such boring wastes of oxygen."

"So as long as they're not boring, you'd be fine with them?"

Suzuki-sensei's brisk declaration caused my lungs to malfunction. The devilish smirk poking into her cheeks only worsened my condition.

Oh no.

I stumbled back. "Wh-what? Stop smiling at me like some kind of yandere—"

"I've got an idea," she interjected, lodging my voice in my throat. "You're going to join a club."

My mouth dropped at her suggestion. A what?

"Sensei... are you feeling all right?"

"Perfectly fine, thank you." Instead of tossing me a black look like I expected, her smile broadened to her ears. She combed through her desk drawers. "Now... where did I put that club registration sheet?"

All colour drained from my face.

No! She had to be kidding me. A club?

"But, Sensei. I hate clubs! There's no way I'm joining one!"

She disdainfully cocked her head. "This will be your punishment for failing all your essays since the beginning of the year. Sorry, but, you don't have the right to refuse."

What the heck? Even though we butted heads more often than I wanted to admit, I thought she understood it better than anyone at this bleak academy. She had to have it ingrained into her how much I abhorred interacting with my dull schoolmates. My resolute hatred of clubs should've been commonplace as well.

Even if clubs like the Iwatobi Swim Team existed in anime, at the end of the day, real life wasn't like the 2D realm I adored. I wouldn't be as lucky as Gou and see a shirtless Makoto or Haru (and I could say this with a hundred percent certainty because I'd been to the swim team's practice only to be greatly disappointed).

Nevertheless, bottom line was—clubs, especially at an institute like this—meant more socializing with others. And more socializing meant less time for me to watch anime, read manga, and actually do the things that I loved.

"I'm not letting you disagree, Miyuki," announced that overruling sadist, contempt written all over her smug smirk. "If you don't join this club, I'll instantly fail you so that you'll be unable to proceed to your second year. On the other hand, if you do join, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to do something about that grade of yours for now."

My eyes bulged in disbelief. A teacher was threatening me. Me—a student! She wasn't giving me a choice at all. Was this how low the world had fallen?

"Well?" she chirped, amusement laced within her voice.

Even though she asked, she obviously knew what I was going to pick. Whether I liked it or not.

Biting my lower lip hard, I pressed my eyelids shut. Come on, me. It was only a club. Even if it was a threat to my beloved otaku lifestyle, I couldn't afford to fail a year. Kyo would kill me.

"Do you want me to become friends with them or something?" I spat, giving her a black look. This sucked. I lost the battle before it could begin. "I'll have you know now that that'll never happen."

She chuckled. "You could go ahead and hate them if you'd like. I just want you to join a club so you'll become more human-like."

"I don't need to change, Sensei. I'm living a perfectly fine high school life simply being a loner."

"I'm surprised you could say that with pride."

"I consider it one of my perks."

"Anyway!" she huffed. "This club rarely does anything so you could watch or read as many anime or manga as you'd like. And whenever they do get something to do, it's monthly. You won't have to worry about it being laborious work or anything."

I hesitated. Bribing me with the 'I-get-to-do-nothing' card was a great strategy to get me interested. And of course, watching anime and reading manga was on the plus side as well.

Knowing I stood no chance, I concurred with a grunt. "All I have to do is join, right?"

She glistened as if I had promised her a million dollars. "Miyuki Hoshino, this will be a fulfilling experience! I guarantee it!"

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Hello! If you're new to this story please be aware that all the things Miyuki says in this book is purely because of her bias towards things. Also, her view might just be a little spontaneous and odd, but that's just because this story's focus will be humour. And anime, of course x)

If you want a certain series mentioned, just tell me. If I've watched it, I'll definitely include it. I'm planning on including all the anime's I can think of anyway. And if you want, point out all the references you can figure out in each chapter. Test your knowledge >:D

Hope you all enjoy the story! Vote, comment, share, yeah? Thanks for reading!

—Misty