The Standoff

The afternoon sun streamed through the office windows, spilling across the fourth-floor corridor. Itozawa and Ichinose's silhouettes crossed through the shifting light.

With their completed application forms in hand, they walked resolutely toward the Student Council Office.

At the classroom doorway around the corner, a simple sign reading "Student Council Office" stood out in the glow of the setting sun.

Their knock echoed through the quiet corridor, followed by a languid "Come in."

They pushed open the door. The office was simply but practically furnished, with long tables arranged in a ring, clearly meant to make discussions and work easier.

There was only one person in the office: a blond boy. He had been lounging arrogantly in his chair, feet propped on the desk, looking completely casual.

But when he saw Ichinose enter, his eyes lit up. He quickly straightened his posture, suddenly looking proper.

Even so, his tone couldn't help but sound a little flippant, with a hint of carefree amusement. "Oh, looks like we have some new guests."

Ichinose stepped forward enthusiastically, about to hand over the application form, but Itozawa felt uneasy.

Ichinose didn't know who he was, but Itozawa knew all too well: Miyabi Nagumo of Class 2-A, the Student Council Vice President.

In the Original Work, if his influence hadn't been unable to reach the first-year dorms, Ichinose might have handed herself over to him during the Class Vote.

If Ichinose repeated that mistake now and became part of Miyabi Nagumo's faction, the consequences would be unimaginable.

With his ability, Miyabi Nagumo might well be able to pull off the same thing. And after joining Nagumo's faction, Horikita Manabu would certainly stand by and do nothing. Whether Ichinose could handle Miyabi Nagumo then would be a very big question.

In the Original Work, after Ichinose was recruited by Miyabi Nagumo, he never once tried to change her mind.

Perhaps he believed Ichinose couldn't affect the balance between them, but it also clearly showed his attitude: he carefully maintained his core group and never spent too much energy on matters outside the class competition. That was why Class A had stayed Class A despite so many attacks.

But conversely, he wouldn't devote much attention to anyone outside that core group.

If he could keep such close tabs on Ayanokouji, why couldn't he keep the same tabs on Ichinose, who was also a first-year?

So if they broke away from that core group, they would be left completely without support.

Itozawa's movement was slight, but enough to make Ichinose stop. She turned and looked at him in confusion, as if asking why he was stopping her.

Itozawa took a deep breath and stepped forward. His voice was calm, with a touch of casual curiosity. "May I ask who you are?" He acted as if the question came naturally, though he knew Miyabi Nagumo's identity all too well.

A glint of amusement flashed in Miyabi Nagumo's eyes. He seemed pleased by Itozawa's question; now he could introduce himself without it seeming forced.

He calmly introduced himself. "I'm Miyabi Nagumo from Class 2-A. I'm the Student Council Vice President. You can hand your application form to me instead."

A glimmer appeared in Ichinose's eyes at the introduction, and she was about to hand the application to Miyabi Nagumo.

Itozawa stopped her again, his voice carrying a barely perceptible note of provocation. "Nagumo Vice President, do you know whether President Horikita will approve your proposal?"

The words pricked Miyabi Nagumo's pride, and his expression darkened.

But he quickly hid his displeasure and regained his composure. "President Horikita will naturally make a fair judgment about my proposal."

Itozawa smiled faintly, a hint of challenge in his eyes. "Of course we trust President Horikita's judgment. Still, we'd prefer to hand the application directly to Tachibana Senpai, since she's our direct contact."

By now, Ichinose had also realized how delicate the situation was. She nodded in agreement with Itozawa. "Yes, we'd like to follow the proper procedure."

Faced with Itozawa and Ichinose's insistence, Miyabi Nagumo still refused to give up. He tried to persuade them. "Tachibana Senpai and President Horikita are both too busy. You can trust me and hand the application to me."

There was a note of urgency in his voice, making Ichinose even more suspicious of him.

She tightened her grip on the application, determined not to waver.

Seeing Ichinose's resolute expression, Miyabi Nagumo shook his head in disappointment. A flash of determination crossed his eyes, as if he intended to resort to force.

Itozawa noticed the change in Miyabi Nagumo. A quick idea came to him, and he stepped to the left, deftly blocking Miyabi Nagumo's view of Ichinose.

Then he put on an angry expression. "Miyabi Nagumo, you're lying. Tachibana Senpai clearly arranged for us to come to the office this afternoon."

At the same time, Itozawa hurriedly stirred Ichinose's ability, making it spread outward.

The only way out now was to make Ichinose's aura draw someone's attention. That might be enough to break the deadlock.

Hearing Itozawa's words, Miyabi Nagumo hesitated. He instinctively felt that something was wrong, but couldn't put his finger on what.

So he pretended to relax and leaned back, while watching Ichinose's profile from the corner of his eye, trying to find clues in her reaction.