Miyabi Nagumo

Horikita Manabu's expression didn't change, but Amasawa Yuto knew he had probably guessed correctly.

The reason was Horikita Manabu's prolonged silence.

"I didn't expect you to act so stern while actually doting on your younger sister." Amasawa Yuto was a little surprised, even though he'd been the one to make that guess.

"Even so, as Student Council President, it's my duty to see the school's policies through—as long as I remain Student Council President." Horikita Manabu seemed ready to end the conversation. "So, Amasawa, what's your answer?"

"I'll join the Student Council, but I want to see the effects of Nagumo's reforms with my own eyes before deciding how I feel about them," Amasawa Yuto replied.

"That's good enough." Horikita Manabu nodded.

"Tell me, Student Council President Horikita, don't you lack a little too much confidence in your younger sister? She's undoubtedly capable. Shouldn't she benefit from Nagumo's reforms?"

"No. I know Suzune too well. She hasn't changed at all in the past three years. She's still as... disappointing as ever." There was a note of sadness in Horikita Manabu's voice.

It seemed like a complicated situation, Amasawa Yuto thought.

"All right, Tachibana, take Amasawa and help him with the paperwork. He'll be the Student Council's Vice President from now on."

Ichinose Honami walked down the road, looking dazed. The Student Council President's merciless words clung to her like thorns in her heart.

She was so lost in thought that she didn't even notice someone calling out to her.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Ichinose jerked her head up and realized she'd nearly walked into a blond boy. He was looking at her with concern.

"I'm Miyabi Nagumo from Class 2-A. Did you just come from the Student Council Room?"

Ichinose hurriedly introduced herself. "I'm Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B. Sorry, I was a little distracted just now."

"No worries." A flicker of admiration passed through Miyabi Nagumo's eyes. She was quite cute. "Were you there to join the Student Council?"

If a girl that cute joined the Student Council, turning her into his plaything wouldn't be a bad idea.

Ichinose, whose wounds had just been salted, forced a smile. "Yes, but I'm not good enough, so Student Council President Horikita turned me down."

Miyabi Nagumo looked surprised and let out a heavy sigh. "What? How could Student Council President Horikita do that? How could he reject you just because you're in Class B?"

So Student Council President Horikita had rejected her. That meant it would be even easier for him to break her spirit, then build a fortress in its place, one in Nagumo's style.

The sympathetic words nearly brought Ichinose to tears, but she held them back. "Did you just say it's because I'm in Class B?"

"Yeah. This whole 'ability above all' thing is just a front for Student Council President Horikita. He only lets students from Class A join the Student Council. If you don't believe me, look at the six members of the Student Council right now. Aren't they all from Class A?"

"How could they..." Ichinose felt so wronged. "It's not like we get to choose which class we're assigned to..."

Nagumo nodded. "When I first joined the Student Council, I was blocked for quite a while, too. I started out in Class 1-B as well. Surprised?"

Ichinose looked at him in astonishment. "Senior Nagumo... you were, too...?"

"That's right. I moved up from Class B to Class A, and it was only after I made it to Class A that Student Council President Horikita gradually changed his attitude toward me."

Nagumo's words were a mix of truth and lies, designed to make Horikita Manabu look bad.

When Nagumo had joined the Student Council, Horikita Manabu hadn't been President yet, and Nagumo hadn't faced any discrimination.

But how could Ichinose Honami know that?

"So, Ichinose, we have a lot in common." Nagumo pretended to ponder for a moment. "I could help you get into the Student Council."

"Really?" Ichinose's eyes brightened, then dimmed again. "But what about Student Council President Horikita...?"

"Don't worry about him. I have some influence in the Student Council."

Seeing Ichinose place more and more trust in him, Nagumo smiled with satisfaction.

A little later, Amasawa Yuto messaged Ichinose, asking to meet and talk.

The two agreed to meet at the Palette.

"Horikita Manabu was a little too harsh," Amasawa Yuto said first.

Ichinose waved a hand. "Ah... that. It's fine. I was the one being immature."

Ichinose seemed to be feeling much better.

"There's something I want to tell you first, Ichinose." Amasawa Yuto looked her in the eye. "I joined the Student Council."

"So it really was like that..." A hint of disappointment flashed in Ichinose's eyes. "You're so capable, Amasawa. And you're in Class A, so Student Council President Horikita must think highly of you..."

"As for Student Council President Horikita, there shouldn't be a problem now. If you go back and ask to join the Student Council, he'll probably approve your request."

"Huh?" Ichinose was taken aback by his unexpected words. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the way he acted this afternoon was all just an act. He was only trying to put the first-years in their place and maintain the President's dignity."

Amasawa Yuto came up with this explanation to smooth things over for him:

"There were clues, actually. Look at Akane Tachibana. She clearly had no idea what he was going to say and seemed a little flustered afterward, right?"

Ichinose thought it over. He was right.

"But I heard Student Council President Horikita only lets students from Class A join the Student Council. And that Senior Nagumo had a hard time getting in, too—oh, so that's what he meant by a hard time!"

It was like teaching new recruits the rules of the unit and helping newcomers learn to respect their seniors. It was a necessary part of joining society.

But Class A...

"As for Class A, I think that's just survivorship bias. The students in the lower classes are usually busy trying to move up, so probably not many of them want to join the Student Council," Amasawa Yuto said.

Ichinose thought it over and found his explanation convincing. "So I can join the Student Council, too?"

"Exactly. Your application was left in the Student Council Room, so I resubmitted it for you. There shouldn't be any problem with you joining now."

"Thank you, Amasawa!" Ichinose gave him a radiant smile and, without thinking, clasped both his hands in hers.

She immediately realized what she'd done and pulled away awkwardly, her cheeks turning faintly red.

That familiar citrus scent again. Ichinose seemed to like that perfume.

"Anyway, about your position in the Student Council, Ichinose—my secretary's position is still open. Would you like it?"

That was Amasawa Yuto's original reason for bringing Ichinose into the Student Council.

According to the rules, both the President and Vice President needed a secretary to organize and record things.

Akane Tachibana was Horikita Manabu's secretary, and Kiriyama Ikuto was Miyabi Nagumo's.

Rather than have either Horikita Manabu or Miyabi Nagumo—those two rival trevally—put a secretary by his side to keep an eye on him, it was more reassuring to choose someone himself.

Ichinose Honami was a good choice, and she wanted to join the Student Council.

As for Katsuragi... come on, compared to Ichinose, would anyone really choose Katsuragi?