Chapter 179: Did He Volunteer, or Was He Asked?
After messaging Katsuragi Kohei and Ichinose Honami, Yuto put away his phone and looked toward Suzune, who wore her usual cool expression.
"Horikita, do you have anything to do after school today?"
Suzune turned toward him, first glancing at Kei beside Yuto before answering, "Nothing particularly important. I was planning to return to the student dormitory and study. Do you need something?"
"The student council matter has been settled. Since you're free this afternoon, come with me after school and officially join the council."
"Okay!"
Suzune's entire demeanor immediately changed, becoming much sharper and more energetic.
She had been waiting for this opportunity—to join the student council and let her brother, Horikita Manabu, personally witness how much she had changed.
Yuto looked at her enthusiasm with satisfaction.
The more motivated Suzune was, the happier he became.
Who would dislike a colleague who actively wanted to work?
"By the way, Horikita, have you ever thought about cutting your hair short?"
"No. I'm already used to having long hair." Suzune touched her straight, soft black hair. "Although cutting it short might not be a bad idea. Short hair would be easier to wash and more convenient when exercising. I have considered it."
"Yuto, do you like girls with short hair?" Kei asked curiously.
"I don't really care whether it's long or short," Yuto replied with a smile.
"Really? I thought you might prefer short hair. If you did, I could cut mine shorter."
Kei lightly played with her long honey-colored hair.
Suzune glanced at her.
For a moment, she saw a shadow of her former self in Kei.
Changing your hairstyle or your preferences because of someone important to you...
The only difference was that the person Suzune cared about had been her family—her brother—while the person Kei cared about was her boyfriend, Shimizu Yuto.
"I like you, not your hairstyle," Yuto said. "So, Kei, just wear your hair however you personally like it."
"Hehe~ I got it."
Kei gave him a sweet smile and affectionately rubbed her head against his arm.
Suzune quietly looked away with her usual cool expression and rubbed one of her own arms.
Could these two stop acting lovey-dovey right in front of her?
She was getting goosebumps.
...
Before long, the school day ended.
Yuto said goodbye to Kei and left the classroom with Suzune, heading toward the student council building.
At the shoe-changing area, the two happened to run into Ichinose.
"Shimizu, you're heading to the student council too, right? Let's go together," Ichinose greeted him brightly.
"Sure."
Yuto looked toward Suzune and gestured toward Ichinose. "Horikita, let me introduce you. This is Ichinose Honami from Class B. Just like you, she'll be joining the student council."
"Hello, Horikita-san," Ichinose greeted her warmly, every bit as friendly as ever.
"Hello, Ichinose-san."
Suzune responded somewhat stiffly.
She wasn't good at interacting with people, especially someone as naturally sociable as Ichinose, but she was actively trying to change herself and learn how to communicate better.
More importantly, Ichinose really did seem genuinely kind.
Suzune didn't feel the same artificial quality from her that she sensed from Kushida Kikyo.
After changing into their outdoor shoes, Yuto, Suzune, and Ichinose left together and headed toward the student council building.
On the way, Suzune seriously asked, "Shimizu, what exactly will we be responsible for after joining the student council?"
"The work itself isn't especially difficult, but there's quite a lot of it. You two should prepare yourselves," Yuto replied with a smile.
"Don't worry, Shimizu. I've been prepared for this for a long time!" Ichinose answered energetically.
"So have I," Suzune added.
"Good. Then I'll briefly explain the student council's current situation and what your positions will involve."
As they walked, Yuto gave the two girls a general explanation of the student council and the responsibilities handled by general affairs staff.
After learning that they would be joining as general affairs staff, neither Suzune nor Ichinose showed any dissatisfaction.
Yuto looked between them. "You two don't seem bothered by the position at all."
"Why would we be?" Ichinose tilted her head, her soft pink-blond hair falling slightly with the motion.
"Exactly," Suzune added. "Don't new student council members normally start in general affairs?"
"Mm-hmm." Ichinose nodded in agreement.
"I didn't."
Both girls looked at him.
Yuto grinned. "The moment I joined, the student council president shoved me straight into the vice president position."
"..."
Suzune and Ichinose stared at his smiling face.
Both suddenly wanted to punch him.
What was he showing off for?!
Yuto wasn't actually trying to boast.
He was simply telling them in advance so they wouldn't be shocked when they learned his position after entering the council.
Still discussing student council matters, the three eventually entered the student council office.
Suzune's slender body immediately tensed.
Her brother was supposed to be here.
Yet Student Council President Horikita Manabu wasn't in the office.
Suzune felt disappointed—but at the same time, strangely relieved.
Deep down, she still hadn't gathered enough courage to properly face him.
"Senpai, we brought two new members," Yuto said with a smile toward Tachibana Akane, who was inside the office.
He gestured toward each girl in turn.
"This is Horikita Suzune, the president's younger sister. And this is Ichinose Honami from first-year Class B."
Then he introduced Tachibana to them.
"This is Tachibana Akane-senpai. She serves as a secretary in the student council."
"Please take care of us, Tachibana-senpai!"
Suzune and Ichinose quickly greeted her.
"You two as well."
Tachibana's gaze lingered on Suzune.
She knew Manabu had a younger sister among the first-years, but this was the first time she had actually met her.
They really did resemble each other.
Even their cool, distant atmosphere was remarkably similar.
"Katsuragi Kohei should probably arrive to report soon too," Yuto casually remarked.
"Katsuragi already came earlier," Tachibana replied.
"Then why isn't he here?"
"Kiriyama took him out to familiarize him with the work handled by general affairs staff."
Yuto raised an eyebrow.
He looked at Tachibana. "Did Secretary Kiriyama volunteer, or did Katsuragi ask him?"
Tachibana gave Yuto a meaningful smile.
"Kiriyama volunteered. He said he wanted to help Vice President Shimizu by sharing some of the responsibility for training the newcomers."
"Tch."
Yuto clicked his tongue softly.
Kiriyama Ikuto was clearly trying something.
Katsuragi was someone Yuto had personally brought into the student council, so ordinarily Yuto should have been the one responsible for guiding and training him.
Katsuragi, being new, might not understand that convention.
But Kiriyama was already a secretary.
There was no chance he didn't know.
Yuto would have happily let someone else take some of the burden of training newcomers off his hands, but taking over without even informing him first was a different matter.
Kiriyama had probably begun thinking about competing with Yuto for influence inside the student council.
Especially now that Mizowaki had been driven out.
With Mizowaki gone, Kiriyama's ambitions had gradually grown.
He had started believing he might have the qualifications to become the next student council president himself.
That was most likely why he had rushed ahead of Yuto and taken responsibility for Katsuragi, hoping to turn the capable Class A student into one of his own supporters.
'Kiriyama really has guts, making a move like that without worrying about offending Shimizu.'
Tachibana silently thought to herself.
'Shimizu already drove Nagumo, Mizowaki, and Tonokawa out of the student council.'
After seeing how decisively Yuto had dealt with Nagumo's group, Tachibana had mentally classified him as the single worst person in the council to provoke.
Now she was actually worried that Kiriyama might end up getting driven out too.
That absolutely could not happen.
Yuto had already removed Mizowaki and Tonokawa from the secretary ranks. If Kiriyama disappeared as well, Tachibana would be left handling nearly all of the secretary work herself!
She absolutely did not want that.
Fortunately, Tachibana was worrying for nothing.
Yuto had no intention of kicking Kiriyama out over something this minor.
He wasn't some kind of demon, after all.
If anything, Yuto was grateful.
Kiriyama had taken Katsuragi off his hands, reducing the number of newcomers he personally needed to train.
"Shimizu, Mizowaki's report on the club situation is sitting on your desk. Take a look when you have time," Tachibana said, pointing toward the vice president's desk.
"Got it. Senpai, could you look after these two newcomers for me? Explain the general affairs rules and show them around the student council building while you're at it."
"Sure."
Tachibana readily accepted the work Yuto had just thrown at her.
Yuto handed Suzune and Ichinose over to her, and Tachibana led the two new members out of the office.
Meanwhile, Yuto sat at the vice president's desk and began reading Mizowaki's report.
After briefly going through the document, Yuto nodded.
According to the report, the ghost members in every club had already been removed from the rosters.
Still, Yuto intended to personally visit the club building and confirm the situation.
After all, this report had been written by Mizowaki.
And Mizowaki had been threatened by Yuto into resigning from the student council.
Who knew whether he had actually handled the task properly?
"I should take a quick look around the clubs."
Holding Mizowaki's report, Yuto stood and left the student council office.
Out in the corridor, he spotted Ichinose by herself.
He looked at her in mild surprise.
"Ichinose, why are you alone? Where are Horikita and Tachibana-senpai?"
"Senpai already showed us around the entire student council building. Then she told me to come back and find you. She kept Horikita-san with her," Ichinose explained.
"Want to know why Tachibana-senpai kept Horikita behind?"
"I am a little curious," Ichinose admitted with an embarrassed smile.
While they had been touring the building, Ichinose had noticed that Tachibana treated Suzune with noticeably more warmth.
Naturally, she wondered what kind of relationship the two had.
"The student council president is Horikita's older brother. Tachibana-senpai is probably looking after her a little more because of the president."
"Oh! That explains it!"
Yuto smiled at her enlightened expression.
"Since you're back, come with me to the club building. I need to verify some work over there."
"Of course, Vice President, sir~"
Ichinose gave him a radiant smile.
Yuto rolled his eyes at her.
She followed behind him with slightly cheerful steps.
Actually, Ichinose thought it was rather nice that Tachibana had kept Suzune behind.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten the chance to go to the clubs alone with Yuto.
"Vice President, what exactly are we going to do at the club building?" Ichinose asked.
"Don't call me that outside the student council. Just call me Shimizu."
"All right, Shimizu."
Ichinose accepted immediately with a smile.
She didn't particularly like calling Yuto "Vice President" either.
It made the distance between them feel much greater.
"We're going there to confirm the situation. The previous vice president, Nagumo Miyabi, abused his authority over club membership approvals to create a huge number of ghost members."
"The school distributes club activity funding points every month based partly on membership numbers. The student council already sent someone to eliminate those ghost members, so I'm going there to make sure everything was actually handled properly."
"I understand."
Ichinose nodded, then suddenly remembered something.
"Shimizu, do you know about the summer vacation trip to the southern island?"
"Hm?"
Yuto looked toward her and nodded.
"I know."
"Our homeroom teacher mentioned that as long as we successfully make it through the midterm exam and final exam, the school will arrange a vacation trip during summer vacation."
Ichinose's eyes brightened slightly.
"And apparently it'll be a luxurious trip on an island surrounded by beautiful blue ocean."
…
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