Afternoon sunlight streamed through the gymnasium's high windows, casting bright patches across the floor.
The gym was packed. More than a hundred and twenty students in brand-new uniforms milled about in small groups, their lively chatter washing over every corner.
Judging by the white stripes on the sleeves of their burgundy uniforms, the vast majority of them were first-years.
Clearly, the club recruitment presentation had drawn nearly every student who had just enrolled.
As soon as Shangguan Che entered, his attention was caught by a long table draped in sky-blue cloth.
Promotional materials for various clubs were neatly stacked across it, their colorful brochures standing out beneath the lights. He picked up two at random, handed one to Sakura Airi, and opened the other.
"Sakura, keep an eye out for the Photography Club or Newspaper Club for me. The Newspaper Club should be looking for photographers." He spoke softly as he flipped quickly through the pages.
"Sure." Sakura's voice was gentle and clear.
The brochures were especially appealing. Each club's introduction featured members holding gleaming trophies or wearing shining medals, while their professional gear made them look full of energy.
When Shangguan Che turned to the page about the Soccer Club, his gaze stopped at once.
The figures racing across the green field and the power of a shot on goal made his heart race. "This is what youth is all about! I'm definitely joining the Soccer Club!"
As he imagined what training would be like, a hesitant voice interrupted his thoughts. "Um, Shangguan, I don't think there are any photography-related clubs."
Shangguan Che came back to himself and glanced at the brochures Sakura had nearly finished looking through. He chuckled. "Oh, I see. No big deal. I can always teach myself online. Sorry for making you spend so long helping me look. I kept you from doing other things."
"Not at all, Shangguan. I don't feel like it was a waste of time." Sakura hurriedly waved her hands, her cheeks faintly flushed.
"Good. Let's listen to the presentation together, then."
"Okay!"
Just then, a crisp tapping sound came from the stage in the middle of the gym.
A girl with her purple hair tied in a bun stepped up to the microphone, her smile bright. "Hello, everyone! First-years, sorry for the wait! Next, representatives from the various clubs will introduce their clubs. I'm Tachibana Akane, secretary of the Student Council, and I'll be hosting today's presentation. It's nice to meet you!"
As she finished speaking, more than a dozen club representatives came out from backstage and lined up neatly onstage.
The line included tall, imposing upperclassmen as well as beautiful, gentle-looking upperclasswomen, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
Shangguan Che suddenly wondered what backstage looked like, so he used his superpower: Non-Yellow Clairvoyance.
But backstage was far more ordinary than he'd imagined. There were only club members waiting to go onstage and neatly stacked promotional props—not the "human-shaped mosaics" he'd pictured during a costume change.
He was searching around aimlessly when a sudden commotion reached his ears.
Shangguan Che hurried back to the audience and looked at the stage in confusion. A black-haired man wearing black-rimmed glasses was standing at the microphone without saying a word, while the students below began whispering among themselves.
"Sakura, what happened just now? I spaced out," he whispered.
"I think that club representative forgot his lines." Sakura pointed to the man onstage, a hint of concern in her voice.
"Forgot his lines? Why isn't the host stepping in to help?"
Shangguan Che looked around and soon spotted Tachibana Akane.
She stood at the side of the stage, staring intently at the man, but made no move to approach him.
Do they have some kind of grudge? he wondered, then reconsidered. It's not like I have any reason to go up there and help. If he was willing to get onstage, he has to take responsibility for it. Why am I worrying about this?
The moment Shangguan Che stopped thinking, the gym suddenly fell silent.
Following Sakura's gaze, Shangguan Che saw that the black-haired man onstage had finally begun to speak. His eyes were sharp and composed behind his glasses.
"I am Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President of this school."
The unyielding seriousness of his very first sentence made Shangguan Che raise an eyebrow. "Does the Student Council really need to be this serious?"
He'd always thought Japanese student councils were supposed to be lighthearted and fun, like the one in Seitokai no Ichizon.
He discreetly studied the two sides of the stage, and an idea occurred to him. The president's a guy and the secretary's a girl. Is it going to be one guy and four girls? But there's already a guy in the mix, so even if I joined, I wouldn't be anything special.
As he thought about it, he was reminded of the Student Council at Private Hyakkaou Academy. It seemed to have a male president with a similar look, too.
Horikita Manabu continued from the stage. "With the graduation of the upperclassmen, we will be recruiting candidates for the Student Council from among the first-years. Candidates do not need to meet any special requirements. However, anyone who wishes to join must avoid joining any other clubs. As a rule, we will not accept students who participate in both the Student Council and another club."
He paused and swept his gaze across the gym, his tone growing even more solemn. "We do not want anyone with naive ideas running for a position. Such a person would not only fail to be elected but might also leave a stain on the school. Our school's Student Council has been entrusted by the administration with the power and mission to change the rules. It is held to high expectations, and we welcome only those who understand this."
As soon as he finished, he turned and walked off the stage, leaving the gym without hesitation. The students were left behind, lost in thought.
"Naive? What does that mean? Does being a chuunibyou count?"
Shangguan Che gave it some serious thought. "But naive people can be strong, too. Take Senju Hashirama, for example.
"Besides, you're clearly the biggest chuunibyou here, President Horikita! You pretended to forget your lines, but you obviously knew them by heart. You deliberately let the situation get awkward, then used your presence to bring everyone to heel. Isn't that just playing dumb to catch your opponent off guard?
"What kind of truly mature leader would pull something like that at an event like this? Look at the leaders at national conferences. Aren't they all kind and approachable?"
"This Student Council President seems really impressive," Sakura remarked.
Shangguan Che came back to himself. Seeing the admiration in the girl's eyes, he instantly understood.
In Japanese anime, the most impressive people were often high school students—especially the ones with a touch of chuunibyou.
Shangguan Che smiled and agreed. "Yeah. He's basically the textbook example of a high school powerhouse."
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