Chapter 3

is the third chapter of the Silver Spoon manga.

As Hachiken begins to feel more exhausted from his high school's laboring each day, he remembers the requirement to join a club throughout the school year. Once his weekly chores with his team are over, he goes around the school checking the different clubs that he can join, such as the Holstein Club. However, he ends up narrowing down his list to simply the Equestrian Club after a tour from Aki personally.

Summary
Hachiken has a dream reflecting on a past incident during middle school. He speaks with his guidance counselor about joining a sports club but states that it will cut into his studying time; upon hearing that, his guidance counselor suggests that it will be good to join clubs during middle school and high school when he goes to a college. Hachiken simply replies that he only intends to get to a cram school when he is older.

At five in the morning, Hachiken's alarm clock rings prompting his two roommates to tell him to shut it down; reluctantly, he does so. He then ends up collapsing at the front of the doorstep from exhaustion and a lack of sufficient sleep.

Hachiken eventually gets dressed and heads outside to join his team for their chores in the morning. On their way to the chicken coop, he sees Tamako collapse from apparent dizziness, which he presumes is because of the hard labor that they have been going through in the week, making him feel somewhat relieved that he is not the only one who feels that way; unfortunately, Tamako merely forgot to eat her morning snack. While handling eggs again at the chicken coop, Hachiken is told jokingly that he will be suspended a day for each egg that he drops, then being told that he is on a level beneath that of chickens in the current hierarchy system. Even later after class, Hachiken becomes even more exhausted mentally after he learns that Tokiwa still got a bad score on his math test; however, this only motivates him to help Tokiwa further.

While handling his evening chores, Hachiken remembers that he still needs to pick a club activity for after class. Once his work shift is over, instead of going back to the dormitories, he decides to check around the campus and search for a club to join, wondering whether he should join the Equestrian Club with Aki.

While walking around, thinking about the hard labor that the high school requires, he overhears a trio of third-years apparently talking about an attractive woman; eventually, they spot Hachiken and bring him to look at a magazine, which turns out to be a catalog for cows. Hachiken is shocked by the oddity of the club members and tries running away when they ask that he join them.

Fortunately, club adviser Nakajima appears and takes Hachiken away with him to see the Equestrian Club. Once they arrive, Hachiken sees Aki riding a horse. He is awed by her serious expression and initially by the beauty of the horse she is riding; however, after seeing the horse's face, he mentally remarks that it is ugly, prompting it to attack him. He is then reprimanded by Nakajima. Moments later, Aki notices him and gives him a tour of the vicinity, explaining to him about the nature of horses and the various duties that go with it. Once the tour is over, Hachiken is suggested to join the Equestrian Club which eventually applies for.

One Hachiken's first day with the club, he and all of the other new members are given an introductory presentation by Nakajima. He explains that they are free to ask the more experienced students about the club and other related activities. However, after he mentions that they will need to wake up at four o'clock each morning to care for the horses, Hachiken faints.