Student Council Room,
Manabu Horikita rubbed his aching temples. He was confused to see Fūka Kiryūin approach him, acting out of character.
Did Fūka Kiryūin think she had a chance now that Miyabi Nagumo had been taken away by Ren?
It wasn't surprising that Manabu Horikita suspected this. The Student Council only had two Vice Presidents. If Miyabi Nagumo didn't return (which was likely), Fūka Kiryūin would be the probable candidate to fill the President's seat.
But this... isn't she too impatient?
"Kiryūin, is something the matter?" Manabu Horikita chose to first hear Fūka Kiryūin's reason for coming. If she was truly so impatient, Manabu Horikita wouldn't mind giving her a stern warning.
"President Horikita, I request to withdraw from the Student Council..."
Fūka Kiryūin, her face grim, hesitated for a long time in front of Manabu Horikita. It wasn't until Manabu Horikita grew impatient that she gritted her teeth and stated the purpose of her visit.
Manabu Horikita: "..."
Is this girl sick?
Fūka Kiryūin's request stunned Manabu Horikita. Fūka Kiryūin, who had joined the Student Council with Miyabi Nagumo since first year and had been suppressed by Miyabi Nagumo for nearly two years, had never quit.
Now that she was finally about to see the light at the end of the tunnel, Fūka Kiryūin was saying she wanted to quit the Student Council...
"Kiryūin, may I ask why?" Manabu Horikita asked, concerned.
He couldn't help but care about this. Given that it was uncertain whether Miyabi Nagumo would return, Fūka Kiryūin would be the last useful connection Manabu Horikita could leave for Suzune Horikita within the Student Council.
Fūka Kiryūin, having been worn down by Miyabi Nagumo for two years, would—if Manabu Horikita were to subtly manipulate her—repay his debt of gratitude entirely to Suzune Horikita.
"My apologies, President Horikita... it's just that my ability is limited." Fūka Kiryūin avoided eye contact and only stated that her ability was lacking.
Seeing Fūka Kiryūin's firm attitude, Manabu Horikita knew he couldn't keep her: "Alright. If you insist, I won't force you to stay, Kiryūin."
Manabu Horikita's agreement to let Fūka Kiryūin leave the Student Council seemed to be a signal.
"President Horikita, I'm sorry... my ability is also limited."
"Me too. My apologies, President Horikita."
"Me too!"
The second-year students serving in the Student Council collectively began to resign. Their reasons were all similar: either they felt their ability was lacking or they felt too exhausted.
Anyone with eyes could see they were just excuses.
Since the Student Council was voluntary, Manabu Horikita could only try to persuade them. Seeing that he couldn't, he had no choice but to approve their resignations.
When everything was settled, only Manabu Horikita (the President), Akane Tachibana (the Secretary), and a few inconspicuous third-year students remained in the Student Council room.
Akane Tachibana looked at Manabu Horikita with a worried expression, not understanding why the second-years would do this: "President..."
The first-years hadn't been recruited yet, and all the second-years had resigned, leaving only a few third-years about to graduate...
The Student Council was close to collapse.
Bang!
The Student Council door was thrown open. Fūka Kiryūin walked straight in and sat down in front of Manabu Horikita: "Horikita, I'm here to join the Student Council. I want to be the Student Council Vice President."
Fūka Kiryūin made her demand so openly, immediately trying to claim the position of Student Council Vice President.
"Kiryūin, that is against the rules." Manabu Horikita looked at Fūka Kiryūin with suspicion and spoke carefully.
It was too much of a coincidence. Everything was too much of a coincidence.
Fūka Kiryūin and the other second-years had just left, and immediately afterward, Fūka Kiryūin came to the Student Council saying she wanted to join.
"So, Horikita, do you mean to find a third-year student to be Vice President? Or a first-year?" Fūka Kiryūin pointed to the Student Council members working nearby.
Third-year students couldn't, and wouldn't be willing to, serve as the so-called Student Council Vice President.
They were about to graduate, and everyone was focused on gaining class points. Who would bother coming to serve as Vice President for Manabu Horikita for half a year?
Wasting their energy for nothing and doing free labor for Manabu Horikita?
Perhaps only a student from Third Year Class A might give Manabu Horikita face and join the Student Council as Vice President.
But that would be completely counterproductive. During this crucial stage, if Manabu Horikita pulled a student from his own class to handle chores for him, he would be criticized severely, even as the leader of Third Year Class A.
For third-years now, unless there was something exceptionally important, focusing on gaining class points was the top priority.
"I think..." Manabu Horikita wanted to say he could recruit new people from the second-years to curb Fūka Kiryūin's arrogance.
But after thinking about how most of the second-years had resigned from the Student Council, Manabu Horikita felt that plan wouldn't work.
Seeing Manabu Horikita still stubbornly resisting, Fūka Kiryūin said with interest.
"Miyabi Nagumo is gone. Second Year Class A is too preoccupied to bother with Student Council affairs. I believe the remaining three classes won't care about the Student Council either."
"So, President Horikita... it seems you can only accept my proposal."
...
In a park,
Several second-year seniors who had just resigned from the Student Council watched Ren, who was carrying a black tote bag: "Katsuragi-kohai, can you delete the recording now?"
These were all students from Second Year Class A. Their resignation from the Student Council was not purely because they needed to focus their energy on their own class; it was also due to threats from Ren.
No one expected this kohai to not only extort points from them on the first day of school but also to have bought a voice recorder in advance to record the entire transaction.
The school wouldn't target Ren for attempting to use points to buy school rules from seniors. But they would absolutely target them—the seniors—who had held onto a slim hope and agreed to the transaction with Ren after the school had explicitly issued a gag order.
Without opening his eyes, Ren pulled out the voice recorder that had been threatening the seniors from his pocket, tossed it into the sea, and said lazily: "It's done."
"Katsuragi-kohai, you're not lying to us, are you?" Ren's decisive action made the seniors doubt the authenticity of the voice recorder.
They had to be cautious. What if Ren had simply bought a new voice recorder to fool them?
His good mood interrupted, Ren opened his eyes and stared at the senior who had just spoken. An invisible pressure began to spread from around Ren.
"When I say it's done, it's done. Even if it were fake, you wouldn't have the power to choose, understood?"
"Katsuragi-kohai, he's joking! We completely trust you." Seeing the situation turn sour, someone quickly covered the senior's mouth and dragged him out of the park. The others followed suit.
They had no deep-seated grudge against Ren and saw no need to argue over the authenticity of the voice recorder.
The betting pool for the first-years' midterm exams had also concluded. The three lucky winners were Fūka Kiryūin and two school staff members.
And Fūka Kiryūin's choice was to transfer to Second Year Class A.
The unique warmth of the sun slipped away from his body. The moon snuck out from the sky to shed its light upon the living.
Politely declining the party Class A held after the great success of the midterm exams, Ren pulled up Line, sent a contact his location, picked up the black plastic bag at his feet, and left the park.
The black plastic bag swayed with Ren's steps. The contents were vaguely visible.
One item could barely be made out: it looked like a collar.
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