"Mashiro-nee, I've got a bit of a headache, so I'll head home and rest."
[You're just gonna walk away like that? Sakura-chan, are you really a boy? This young lady is very suspicious now!]
Mashiro's expression turned gentle, her voice laced with concern."Are you sure you're okay? Saki-kun, you can stay here tonight. There's a spare room, you know."
Sakurai forced a smile."I'm really sorry for worrying you today. I'll come back to spend time with you next week, Mashiro-nee."
Mashiro studied his face one more time.Seeing that his expression had softened somewhat, she finally gave a small nod.
"Be careful on your way back."
"Okay."
With that, Sakurai turned and left the apartment.He had pushed himself too far already—and if he stayed a moment longer, he wasn't sure how long his self-control would last.
Weekend.
Sakurai Saki didn't leave the house.He stayed holed up inside, playing games nonstop for two days.
It worked.
By Monday morning, he was back to baseline.
He pedaled toward school in the early light, stopping at the gates to dismount and walk his bicycle in.
At the entrance, members of the Disciplinary Committee were busy inspecting student uniforms.
Sakurai's collar was half-open. His top button? Not even trying.But as one of the school's more notorious figures, most students—and even staff—tended to look the other way.
Today, however, was different.
A new hothead had joined the Disciplinary Committee ranks.
Iino Miko.
Fresh into the high school division, but she'd already served on the Disciplinary Committee since junior high.Her father was a famous judge. Her mother worked for an international humanitarian NGO.With that kind of lineage, Miko had inherited an excessively righteous sense of justice.
"Student! Your school uniform is out of regulation!" she declared, pointing at Sakurai with unwavering resolve.
Sakurai's brain did a quick spin.
Then, silently, he reached into his bag and pulled out a biscuit snack—his go-to brand of delicious stick.He usually kept a few handy.
"Here," he said, holding it out to her.
"What?! Are you trying to bribe me?! That's completely inappropriate behavior for a Student Council member!" Iino Miko raised a hand like she was issuing a fine.
Sakurai said nothing.
He just… gently placed the biscuit in her mouth.
"Ah—" Miko instinctively bit down.
Crunch.Delicious.
Wait—no!She was supposed to be enforcing discipline, not getting fed treats like a pet!
"Please forgive me," Sakurai said with a solemn expression.
"…Okay," Miko nodded automatically.
Sakurai smiled and pushed his bicycle past her, entering through the gate.
Today's superpower:
"Forgiveness via Feeding."Feed someone something, and no matter what wrong you've done, they'll forgive you.Side effect: It only works on one person at a time.
Not bad.
Sakurai entered the school building and stepped into Class A.
Most of the students were already there.He exchanged a few greetings and sat by the window.
There were all kinds of superpowers.Some were trivial.Some were terrifying.
But the most dangerous ones?The ones that were always on.
Narration was one of them.And precognition? Even worse.
That's why he went berserk last Friday.
Today's ability might be a little shady, but compared to predicting the future, it was child's play.
"Morning, Ai-chan~"
"Morning, Sakurai." Hayasaka Ai replied, voice low and exhausted.
Working for the Shinomiya family was no joke.
Especially with Kaguya.
Last Friday, she'd overheard something about movie tickets in the Student Council room.Kaguya, who had never set foot in a theater, suddenly got curious.
So Ai made her a home projector setup to simulate the experience.
After watching, Kaguya's only comment?
"So movies are just… this?"
Ai wanted to resign.No—she wanted to quit life.
If she did quit, she'd confess to Sakurai.Then they'd elope.She had 40 million yen in savings.That was enough to live comfortably abroad.
Eleven kids sounded about right.
"What's up? Did you run into a monster over the weekend?" Sakurai asked with a grin.
Then he glanced outside.
Iino Miko was still standing at the school gate.
Her expression?
A mixture of disbelief and existential crisis.
Kinda cute.
"I ran into a yuki-onna on a snow-covered mountain guarded like a fortress," Hayasaka Ai said flatly.
Sakurai Saki let out a low chuckle."Ai-chan, your house is actually on a snowy mountain? That's rough."
"When you came in just now, didn't that responsible little Disciplinary Committee girl catch you? Your jacket's tied around your waist again, and your uniform's still a mess."
"My legs are very… flexible," Hayasaka replied with deliberate ambiguity.
Lunch break.
Sakurai headed to the Student Council Room.
Only one person was there—no surprise.
Shirogane Miyuki.
He was always the first to arrive.As Student Council President, there was never a shortage of work—club affairs, conflict mediation, personnel shuffling. It was all in his hands.
This week's main headache: club recruitment.
"Oh, Sakurai. You're here."
"You worked over the weekend again? You look like you've been through a war," Sakurai said as he flopped down on the sofa.
He pulled out a delicious stick, tore open the wrapper, and took a bite.
Corn-flavored. Slightly sweet.
"To help cover the household expenses," Shirogane replied without looking up, eyes still glued to the paperwork.
"Anyone complaining about giving the cultural clubs the prime spots for recruitment?" Sakurai asked.
Shirogane wordlessly lifted a small stack of papers and gave them a little wave."They've already filed objections."
"That was fast," Sakurai muttered.
Of course it was.
Whenever there was territory, there was conflict.Each club defending its own interests with teeth bared and banners flying.
After all, this was Shuchiin Academy—a crucible for the children of politicians and CEOs.Raised amid corporate skirmishes and political feints, these students didn't learn how to fight. They were born doing it.
The children of tigers don't become cats.Or mice.
They become tigers.
"By the way," Shirogane added, "Fujiwara wants to increase the Tabletop Game Club's budget. What's your take?"
"Shatter her illusions. Mercilessly." Sakurai answered without hesitation.
Shirogane looked up, surprised."I figured you'd defend her."
"Business is business. Now that I'm in the Student Council, I have to lead by example," Sakurai replied, calm and principled.
"…Alright."Shirogane wrote 'Not Approved' on Fujiwara Chika's application with one clean stroke.
"The recruitment layout needs to be finalized today," he said with a sigh. "My current plan is to place the cultural clubs' publicity boards at the front entrance—nice and visible."
As an ordinary student, this was probably the limit of what he could do.
"It's better to avoid doing anything too extreme, especially this early into your term," Sakurai said, walking over.
He picked up a list of complaints from the sports clubs.
"Soccer Club, Basketball Club, Kendo Club…"
He skimmed through them.
But one name was missing.
The Archery Club.
The club that Kaguya Shinomiya belonged to.
Interesting.
So, despite her cold exterior, maybe she didn't dislike the Student Council as much as she pretended to.