"'Ace' really is something," Chika Fujiwara said with a little awe as she looked around. "Even your own dedicated activity room—and it's bigger than our clubroom."
Then her gaze caught the doorframe, which bore marks of having been bumped into something. It was even slightly warped. "Hara Kei, it looks like this door doesn't close properly, right?" she asked kindly, assuming Kei wouldn't have noticed.
Kei, sitting at the piano, glanced at her and replied calmly, "As long as we use the towel on the side to block it, no sound gets out."
Chika turned to the wall and indeed saw a white towel hanging from a cute hook, swaying slightly in the breeze. She had assumed it was for wiping sweat or cleaning the piano—but its main purpose was soundproofing.
Strange, she thought. Wouldn't it be simpler to just fix the doorframe properly rather than patching the gap every time?
But Kei had chosen to keep it as-is. Did this insignificant gap hold some special meaning for her? Chika tilted her head in puzzlement but kept the thought to herself—asking would have been too forward. She wasn't Yukinoshita Yukino, after all; she didn't know Kei that well.
It was that afternoon after school. Yukinoshita had contacted Kei via "e" to see if she had time for a meeting—she wanted to ask some questions.
Although Teacher Mio had explained the assignment, she had provided almost no useful information. Fortunately, Yukinoshita's close friend Kei was the "ace" of the String Club, so she wanted to ask for insight into the String Club, Wind Instrument Club, and Choir Club, hoping to get some clues from a member's perspective.
Kei's answer was a single word: "Fine."
So after the school bell rang, Yukinoshita, guided by Kei, arrived at the String Club's activity room specifically allocated for her.
Yes—just the two of them.
Hara Kei had not come. When Yukinoshita suggested it, he had simply shook his head and said he had other matters after school, and that going to a "pointless meeting" was a waste of time.
Thus, this conversation would unfold solely among three beautiful, spirited girls.
This was genuine Girls' Talk.
"Hmm, I see," Kei's slender fingers subconsciously glided over the keyboard, letting out soft, irregular notes. After hearing Yukinoshita's explanation, she fell into thought. After a moment, she asked, "What did Hara Kei say?"
"He said to just pick either the Wind Instrument Club or the Choir Club. It'll raise goodwill and help me gain votes."
"Then why not just do that?" Kei's eyes showed genuine confusion, as if she couldn't understand what Yukinoshita was worried about.
"…," Yukinoshita was momentarily at a loss for words.
Look at your position—you're a member of the String Club! You really have no hesitation at all? Your captain would cry if she heard that.
"I don't think Hara Kei is the type to deliberately harm or embarrass someone," Kei said matter-of-factly. "If he said that, it means he's confident it's the best approach. I don't really know how he came to that conclusion, but I trust he won't make a mistake."
…When did Kei become such a devoted follower of Hara Kei?
From the side came an unexpected voice of agreement—it was Chika Fujiwara. "I think she's right. If he says it's the best way, then it probably is, isn't it?"
Two devotees of Hara Kei, then?
"You're misunderstanding me," Yukinoshita shook her head. "I'm not doubting Hara Kei. Although it sounds like a somewhat ridiculous suggestion, this is probably genuinely the 'best method' he came up with. I just don't understand how he arrived at that conclusion." She sighed a little, unwillingly.
Yukinoshita had always thought of herself as a genius, but at St. Eden Academy, she realized she was just a frog at the bottom of a well.
"Well…" Chika hesitated, trying to say something, but Yukinoshita interrupted.
"That's just his 'best method,'" she said firmly. "It has his personal style: convenient, simple, efficient, with no unnecessary fuss. I know that if I asked him, he'd probably explain the process in detail, and this seemingly difficult task could probably be finished by the end of this afternoon. I might even get a vote from one of the clubs."
"But that's not acceptable," Yukinoshita said with resolve. "I want to become student council president. Hara Kei just helped out of goodwill; I won't let him regret helping me. That one thing—must not happen." She emphasized the last four words.
"I can rely on him, but I can't do nothing and just depend on him. Otherwise, I'd be a parasite living off his efforts."
Her eyes were clear and unwavering, expressing the determination in her heart. Chika and Kei, having benefited from Hara Kei's help before, easily understood her mindset.
"Honestly, Yukino, you're too cute," Chika said, hugging Yukinoshita and playfully pressing her cheek against hers.
Kei smiled faintly, watching the two of them entwined, clearly in a good mood herself.
After a warm, fleeting moment, Kei spoke with a worried tone. "So, what should we do? If we don't use Hara Kei's method, how can we handle this request safely?"
"I actually have an idea," Yukinoshita said, slightly blushing. Her usually cool demeanor made her unaccustomed to such closeness. After a few deep breaths, she asked Kei, "Kei, you're a member of the String Club. From your perspective, what's the relationship like among the String Club, Wind Instrument Club, and Choir Club? Are they totally hostile to each other?"
"Of course not," Kei shook her head. "The Classical Music Club split two years ago. Most of the seniors involved have graduated, and our three clubs still see each other around. Even if there were big conflicts, they've long since faded."
"That's good." Yukinoshita smiled confidently. "Then this is easy."
"The way to complete the request is simple: just merge the String Club, Wind Instrument Club, and Choir Club back into the Classical Music Club."
"In that case, the question of which club owns the 300,000 yen becomes irrelevant, doesn't it?"