"Hello, we're here to help. Isn't Isshiki here?"
"Ah, Isshiki went out to the convenience store to buy some food," the student council vice president said.
"Is that so? Then I'll go pick her up." Shirou greeted the two girls and headed outside.
When he arrived in front of the convenience store, the girl had just walked out, struggling to carry a large, heavy bag with both hands.
"Ah! You're here, senpai? Did I keep you waiting long?" Iroha Isshiki said with a smile when she saw him.
"Give it to me." Shirou held out his hand.
"Huh?" Iroha stared at his outstretched hand, froze for a moment, then quickly took several steps back.
"Ah! Senpai! You do like me after all, don't you? Sorry! I was a little moved, but this level of kindness just isn't enough!" The girl wore a frightened expression as she thought, I'm not that easy! Don't think you can win me over like this!
"What are you talking about? You said it was heavy and wanted me to carry it for you!" Shirou irritably snatched the bag from her hands. It really was heavy; it was definitely too much for a slender girl. It was full of snacks and drinks, apparently for the meeting later.
"Ah... thank you, Shirou-senpai." Iroha seemed not to have expected him to suddenly take the bag. Her face flushed slightly when his hand touched hers, and she spoke softly.
"Yeah..." Shirou replied. Even if this was the third time he had been turned down today, he could at least have made a snarky remark. But now that she had suddenly become so obedient, he did not know what to say instead.
Shirou and Iroha returned to the meeting room together. The girl then introduced Shirou, Yukino, and Yuihama to the members from the other school. Once everyone had arrived, they began the day's meeting.
"Today, let's brainstorm freely and speak our minds, on the premise that no one objects!" the business high school's president declared loudly as the moderator.
"Yes! As for the musical performances, since there will be elderly people attending, I think we should include traditional instruments—shamisen, erhu, guzheng, and the like."
"I think children will come too, so we should invite singers to perform theme songs from currently popular children's anime, like Little Witch Miracuru, Meruru, and Madoka Magica. They'd definitely be a huge hit."
The student council president across from them circled both hands in the air as if trying to get her brain turning. After thinking for a while, she smiled and counted them off. "Mm, traditional instruments and anime theme songs. Those are good ideas. Let's write them down first!"
Seeing that those suggestions had been accepted, everyone else seemed encouraged. One after another, they raised proposals based on their own interests.
"Actually, I think an event like this absolutely needs jazz. The school has a jazz band too."
"What about light music? A five-girl light music group would have a cute style that girls these days really like."
"Then let's make it even more extravagant and invite an orchestra! Euphoniums, trumpets, saxophones, all kinds of wind and string instruments, plus piano and violins—dozens of instruments blending together. Wouldn't that be incredibly moving? An award-winning national orchestra could give the elderly and children the most comprehensive musical experience."
"But if we want to get fired up, it has to be rock!" Someone raised a hand in what they apparently considered a very rock-and-roll gesture and shouted.
"Everyone's ideas are amazing! Let's register them all!" The student council president waved her hand and made the decision.
No... It seemed the only thing moving on their side was her hand. Her brain had not moved at all.
Shirou could not stand watching any longer and raised his hand. "Um! Please wait. At this rate, the performance schedule is already full. And if we invite this many people to perform, our budget won't be enough, right?"
"Thank you for the reminder, but this is the stage where we gather opinions from all sides. As for the budget, once things are formally decided, everyone can think of a way to solve it together," the student council president said with a gentle smile.
And so, just for the musical acts, this event had gathered traditional instruments, anime theme songs, jazz, light pop music, an orchestra, and a rock band... Was this the Bilibili New Year's Festival?
"Were the previous meetings all like this?" Yukino quietly asked Iroha.
"Yes..." Iroha lowered her head dejectedly. At this rate, by the time the Christmas event began, this meeting might not even be finished. There would also be final exam review afterward, so she might really not have time to max out Santa Attila.
"Excuse me, high schoolers. The elementary school students who came to help have arrived," an activities center staff member said after knocking and opening the door.
"Alright, please let them in." The student council president welcomed the elementary schoolers. They had contacted an elementary school in hopes of increasing the event's impact, but now that the girls had arrived, no one had thought about what work to assign them.
One by one, elementary school girls walked in through the door. With their heads lowered, they cautiously looked over the high school students inside. They had come to help, but even their teachers had not told them what exactly they were supposed to do here.
But what they absolutely had not expected was that every high schooler sitting here also had no idea what they were supposed to do...
Shirou and Yukino covered their faces in unison. The road ahead was difficult. Not only had nothing been resolved, but there was more and more to do.
Iroha Starts a Rebellion
"So those elementary schoolers over there were called in by you too?" Yukino looked at Iroha and questioned her.
"Yes. The student council president across the way wanted to make the event more meaningful, so she thought the elementary school students should contribute too, and told me to contact them..." Iroha answered weakly.
"What are those elementary school students supposed to do now?" Yukino asked.
"I'll go ask..." Iroha said, about to run over to the business high school students.
"Enough... Since they pushed the matter onto us, even if you ask them, I doubt you'll get a proper answer." Yukino covered her face. The situation here was even worse than she had imagined. The other side only talked about ideas and never did any actual work, while this side's student council president knew nothing when asked.
"I'm sorry... Then what should I have them do?" Iroha lowered her head after being scolded.
"You should have been able to think about that too. In any case, first have them prepare things they can do and that will definitely be useful later," Yukino said.
Shirou stepped in to help. "For now, have the elementary schoolers make decorations like streamers and origami stars, and decorate the Christmas tree."
"Yes! I'll go talk to them right now." Iroha suddenly understood and hurried over to the elementary schoolers as if fleeing.
Yukino was so strict with Iroha because she hoped Iroha could stand on her own. The Service Club's policy was that teaching someone to fish was better than giving them a fish. Since she had agreed to help, she would mercilessly help Iroha adapt to the work of a student council president as quickly as possible.
"If you're always this harsh with her, she'll think you're a scary senpai," Shirou said to the black-haired girl.
"Even if she resembles your younger sister, you can't spoil her like this. If you do everything for her, she'll never grow, little-sister complex!" Yukino mocked as she looked at him.
"..." Shirou was rendered speechless. Had she seen through him at some point? Though Iroha's deliberately cute behavior was nowhere near as adorable as Komachi's, he still treated her like an unadorable Komachi.
"I somehow feel like I'm being lectured by my parents at home..." Iroha muttered quietly from beside them, puffing out her cheeks.
By the second meeting, there was still no progress. Whenever anyone raised an objection, it was brushed aside with the same excuses.
"But that would narrow our perspective. I think everyone should think of a solution together. Don't rush; let's work hard together."
"If we keep discussing like this, we'll never reach a conclusion. Please decide what we need to do now first, then consider the remaining matters one by one!" Yukino proposed.
"Yes, then let's all think together now and see if there's a more democratic approach." The student council president across from them nodded with a smile. She remained as pleasant as ever, but nothing would ever be decided this way.
Ugh. "Work hard," "find a way," "think together," "democracy"—was she some civil servant counting down to clocking out while spouting empty phrases in meetings? Even a department head in a university student council could at least say, "For this matter, I'll send a few first-year assistants to help you handle it."
"..." Shirou looked at them and sighed. At a time like this, I really wish I had some Red Saber's Incitement EX skill. Then he could make them obediently follow this side's plan.
After that, they really did go home like civil servants who spent meetings spouting empty phrases and clocked out right on time.
"Could you all stay for a moment?" Shirou stepped forward and called out to several students from his school.
"Yes?"
"I guess we can."
"Is something wrong?"
The other three International High School student council members asked in confusion.
"Then what do you think, Iroha? You called us here to help, so you weren't trying to make this farce happen, were you?" Yukino Yukinoshita asked Iroha Isshiki with a smile.
"Yes! I'm willing, I'm willing! I'll definitely work hard and do it properly!" The girl nodded repeatedly as if frightened by that icy smile. Rather than being her own wish, it seemed more like she had been coerced into submission.
"Alright, alright. Iroha is still new to the job and doesn't understand a lot of things yet." Senpai Yuigahama smoothed things over, calming Yukino and telling her not to be so harsh.
"Senpai Yuigahama~!" Like a startled little lamb, Iroha buried herself in Yuihama's arms and acted cute.
"Then what does the student council as a whole think?" Shirou asked.
"Huh? Ah... right." Iroha blanked when everyone looked at her, then realized Shirou was asking her in her capacity as student council president. She turned toward the vice president, secretary, and treasurer and asked with a polite smile, "Um... what do you all think?"
"Mm..." The three student council members exchanged glances, then finally nodded in agreement.
"As for us..."
"If we're going to do it seriously, there's nothing wrong with that."
Only then did Iroha reveal a smile that was half shy and half awkward. "That's about it," she reported to Shirou.
Seeing the girl like this, Shirou thought, Just as I thought... It was not only the upperclassmen from another school who treated her like an errand girl. Even within her own student council, they had not yet gotten along well. With Iroha's social tactics of acting cute and agreeable, combined with her thick skin, she could probably have eased these stalemates.
But while the girl was completely uninhibited around him, practically a little devil, she still seemed rather timid around other older people. That was probably why she had not dared express her opinions much here either.
"Then tell me honestly: do you want to continue doing things according to their ideas, or do you want to do this properly?" Shirou asked.
"I... I still hope we can decide things quickly and put on a decent event, instead of inviting a mishmash of amateurs. And if we wrap this up quickly, I can grind the FGO event a little longer." Iroha smiled. It seemed that, having made up her mind, she had put aside the cute, coquettish image she had been carefully maintaining.
"Hey, you just revealed your selfish motive."
"You just want to make things easier for yourself."
Shirou and Yuihama both chimed in with complaints, but it really did suit the girl's personality.
But now that the client had made her resolve clear, the Service Club would naturally respond.
"I understand. Then tonight, Shirou, you'll have dinner at my place," Yukino Yukinoshita said.
"Huh? Huh?" Iroha froze in surprise. So senpai was that bold?
"Mm, looks like we'll be busy late tonight." Shirou smiled and agreed.
"Huhh?" Iroha looked from Yukino to Shirou. When had they become close enough to casually visit each other's homes?
"Then I'll help pour tea tonight. Oh, Yukino, can I stay over tonight?" Yuihama raised her hand and said with a smile.
"Huhh!! What is going on?" Iroha felt as though her brain could no longer keep up. Even Senpai Yuigahama was like this—were the three of them really that open?
"Hey! Iroha, we're leaving." The boy walking ahead noticed that the underclassman had not caught up and turned back to urge her on.
"Huhh? That's not enough? I have to come too? I'm sorry! It's not like I was never tempted, but this definitely won't bring happiness! So please let me go!" Iroha wildly waved her hands and shrieked as if she were fending off some ghost rushing toward her.
"What are you talking about? Didn't you say you wanted to end this farce? Then shouldn't we work hard tonight and prepare a strategy?" Shirou looked at his underclassman strangely. She was usually so clever and mischievous, so why was she acting so adorably dumb now?
Iroha the Foodie
The four of them arrived at an upscale apartment building, took the elevator to the fifteenth floor, then turned right and arrived at Yukino Yukinoshita's home.
"Since time is short, I'll leave dinner to you today, Shirou." Yukino took a hair tie and bound her long hair into a single ponytail, then picked up a plain apron printed with orange-red cats and handed it to Shirou.
"Mm, leave it to me. Tonight, let's have Chinese cuisine—it's easy to make and delicious." Shirou took the apron, tied it around himself, and agreed.
"No! Why is Shirou-senpai naturally starting to cook here?"
"It's normal for classmates and club underclassmen to come over, help make dinner, and eat together, right?" Shirou truly did not understand why one underclassman after another was making such a big deal out of it.
Iroha puffed out her cheeks and cried repeatedly, "That's not normal at all~! Why would a classmate come to my house? Then come to my house every day and cook for me, senpai!"
Iroha felt as though there was some kind of generation gap between herself and these people. They were only one year apart, yet she completely could not understand their thought processes.
Even Senpai Yuigahama, whom she got along with better, seemed to have been poisoned. She was now naturally sitting beside the dining table, lightly swinging her legs as she happily awaited dinner.
Sure enough, this was the insurmountable gap between the popular, sociable student council president and the Service Club that people only remembered when they needed something. Wait? In this situation, wasn't she the popular, sociable one?
"These ingredients should be enough, right?" This time, Yukino merely assisted Shirou. Though she was reluctant to admit it, this was indeed the most efficient choice right now.
The girl took chicken breast, green peppers, bok choy, and a large slab of bacon from the refrigerator. Since there were four people this time, they needed a larger amount.
Shirou glanced over the meat and vegetables, and suitable dishes for dinner immediately came to mind. After checking the seasonings in the cabinets, he nodded. "Mm, ginger, dried chilies, roasted peanuts—the ingredients are all here. This will work!"
"I can't wait, Iroha-chan. Shirou and Yukino are both amazing cooks, especially Shirou." Yuihama smiled as she rested her chin on her hands by the table, watching the boy in his apron busily working and eagerly anticipating dinner.
"Is that so... I really can't underestimate senpai either." Iroha narrowed her eyes as she looked at the orange-red cat apron Shirou wore. It was clearly a size larger than the purple cat apron Yukino wore, obviously bought specifically for him.
Yukino split open the green peppers with a small knife, rinsing out the insides under running water. Her ponytail swayed lightly with rhythmic movements behind her.
Meanwhile, Shirou spread the chicken breast across the cutting board. His knife moved across the white meat, slicing it into neat little cubes, then seasoning them with starch and sauce.
After cutting the ginger and vegetables and preparing the dried chilies and roasted peanuts, he lit the stove and heated the oil. When wisps of smoke rose from the wok, he swiftly tossed in the spices and stir-fried them, then added the chicken.
He flipped the wok, rolling the meat through the air. Without ruining its tender texture, he allowed the dish to heat evenly, absorb the rich sauce, and cook through quickly.
"That's amazing!" Iroha praised. She was actually fairly confident in her own cooking, so she knew exactly how skilled the boy before her was. Cookbooks often specified how many spoonfuls of each ingredient to use, how much sugar and salt to add, and how many times to stir or fry. Some more professional books even demanded exact timing down to the second, stating precisely what to do and when, and how many grams of salt to add.
In truth, those requirements existed so learners could make their cooking match a chef's as closely as possible. For Western cuisine, that was indeed a good approach.
But Chinese cuisine was completely different. Ingredients were measured in vague spoonfuls rather than precise amounts; compared to exact calculations, it relied far more on feel. After countless hours of training, excellent Chinese chefs developed an instinct-like subconscious sense for judging stir-frying time, heat, and seasoning.
Aside from factors like whether ingredients were fresh and whether they were farm-grown, what truly mattered was the chef's understanding of cooking and treatment of the ingredients—from controlling the heat to something as small as the way the meat was cut.
Before long, the main dish was finished. Then came the stir-fried greens. Under Shirou's practiced hands, dinner was soon complete. Yukino had also finished serving the rice, and she placed the dishes onto a tray and brought them to the table.
When the spicy diced chicken, perfect in color, aroma, and flavor, was placed on the table, Iroha stared in amazement and said:
"Shirou-senpai is actually such an amazing cook? I thought he was only good at archery and was a handy goody-two-shoes!"
"Hey, you said all of that out loud." Shirou warned her.
But by then, the girl's attention had already been completely captured by the food.
"Let's eat!" Iroha picked up a small piece of chicken with some peanuts. It gleamed with oil beneath the lights, looking crystal-clear and enticing. The perfectly balanced spice fully brought out the fragrance of the meat,
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