The Tide of Battle Has Turned (4.5k) / Now They're Winning Over Both Men and Women (4.5k)

Unlike Nanase Tsubasa Tsubaki Sakurako's was undoubtedly more composed and measured. Karuizawa Kei, on the other hand, had already spoken with Ichinose Honami and knew that she wanted to recruit her, so she smiled and nodded.

"Okay, then I'll teach you."

"So, does this mean I passed?"

"Yes, we'll report this to the school, and we should be able to start participating in club activities around next week."

Ichinose Honami nodded, stamped a large "approval" stamp on the other person's application form, and then proactively stood up and extended her hand in a friendly manner.

Please guide me in the future.

"Yes, please guide me."

Tsubaki Sakurako unconsciously lowered her head to avoid the other person's gaze, but from her perspective, she caught a glimpse of Kitagawa Ryo smiling as he turned to the side and said something to Karuizawa Kei.

The first step, approaching the goal, has been completed.

She whispered this to herself.

The next step is further investigation.

It's my birthday today, so I'm taking a day off.

Today is my 23rd birthday. I usually celebrate it on the second day of the twelfth lunar month, but this year it happens to be on the first day of the first lunar month, which is quite a coincidence.

I celebrated my 21st Hiyori 22nd birthdays with everyone; it's been almost three years already.

Thank you all for your continued reading and support. I wish you a Happy New Year and good health and all the best in 2025.

Chapter 11: The Divergence Between Offense and Defense (4k5)

Just as the Drama Club began its formal recruitment interviews, the Student Council, located on the top floor of the club building, was also conducting similar work. Unlike the former, which eliminated a large number of students in the initial screening, the Student Council's initial screening was relatively lenient. In addition, a large number of students had signed up, so there were still quite a few First Year students at today's interview site, almost filling the corridor of the floor. They were all chatting and hugging small bundles according to their respective classes.

As the current Student Council President, Horikita Suzune originally had the power to recruit new students of the same grade into the Student Council during this recruitment period. However, Amasawa Ichika and Sakura Airi, who were relatively close to her and had decent abilities, were both on the payroll in the Drama Club, so there was no way to poach them.

Horikita Suzune is not Sakayanagi Arisu, so even though she had jokingly mentioned before that she would forcibly recruit Kitagawa Ryo after becoming the Student Council, she gave up on that idea after Kitagawa Ryo expressed his desire to stay in the Drama Club because of Karuizawa Kei's wishes, which led to the current situation.

The second-year students are not First Year who have just entered the school. Most of them have already participated in other club activities. However, joining the Student Council means leaving the previous clubs. After all, it is a group that has worked hard for a year. At the very least, they can use their seniority to get a better official member position in the new school year. Therefore, recruiting people is more difficult than Horikita Suzune thought.

Although Sakayanagi Arisu always smiled and said that if all else failed, she could bring in Matsushita Chiaki to help, Horikita Suzune would never do something that would blatantly strengthen the other party's power and sideline her. Therefore, in the end, she could only place her hopes on the First Year, hoping to find one or two good juniors among them.

That's why Horikita Suzune arrived early at the meeting room, which had been converted into an interview venue, and began waiting for today's interview.

A short while later, the two Student Council vice presidents Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Sakayanagi Arisu, arrived one after the other. After the secretary Katsuragi Kohei, poured tea for each of them, he asked a question:

"Can we begin now?"

"Okay, let the new students outside come in one by one in order."

After Horikita Suzune nodded, Katsuragi Kohei also agreed. Not long after he closed the door and left, with a slight commotion, the door to the reception room was pushed open again, and the first freshman who had come for the interview appeared.

"I am Ishigami Kyo from Class 1-A."

The boy who called himself Ishigami Kyo was quite tall, almost as tall as Ken Sudō, the class's sports star. He had long hair, but unlike Ryuen Kakeru, it wasn't casually loose. Instead, he had it styled into a rather complicated bun with a headband. He also had good facial features. Although he was the first freshman to come in for an interview, he showed no signs of stage fright.

Horikita Suzune quickly recalled the other person's publicly available profile on OAA:

Academic ability: A+ (95), Physical ability: D- (25), Flexible thinking ability: B+ (77), Social contribution: D (31), Comprehensive ability: B- (61).

At first glance, the panel looks a bit like Sakayanagi Arisu when she first entered the school a year ago, before Kitagawa Ryo had resolved her congenital heart disease problem. The contrast between her extremely high academic ability and her frighteningly low physical fitness is particularly striking, which makes Horikita Suzune take a few more glances at the other person's limbs.

Unlike Sakayanagi Arisu, who needed a cane to go out and was so petite and thin that her frailty was obvious at a glance, Ishigami Kyo in front of him was so tall and neither too thin nor too fat, yet he only had a D- physical fitness level. Either he was suffering from some hidden disease, or he was deliberately hiding his strength.

Unlike Horikita Suzune, who was still observing the other party with her naked eyes, Sakayanagi Arisu and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka both knew Ishigami and were very clear about his background and origins. They knew that he was a supporter of Ayanokoji Atsuomi, not only because of his family's alignment but also because of his own active choice.

The other party really liked Ayanokoji Atsuomi's philosophy.

In the past, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka would probably have felt there was nothing to talk about with Ishigami Kyo. After all, the two disliked each other; Ishigami didn't acknowledge his so-called Masterpiece, the White Room, and Kiyotaka didn't want to have much contact with anyone who followed that man's ideals.

After all, the root of all his contradictions and sorrows lies in Ayanokoji Atsuomi.

But the situation is different now.

Since being taken by Tsukishiro before his resignation, he has learned about many people and things he had never known before, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka has come to understand many truths that he would never have known in the White Room.

He gradually learned how his biological father, the one who shaped him and controlled the White Room, had gotten to where he was today, and where the power he held, the force that arbitrarily manipulated his life and the lives of many other test subjects, came from.

When the unknown becomes the known, the fog of Fate dissipates before one's eyes, making the path forward clear and bright. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka himself becomes more and more convinced that he can achieve his goal.

So, in order to get to that point...

We should unite all available forces.

While recognizing that the world operates as a vast makeshift operation, we shouldn't treat it as a simple makeshift operation.

He can take the most difficult step by acting outside the rules, but the follow-up procedures must be carried out within the rules in order to extricate himself unscathed.

While the seemingly inevitable act of revenge, resulting in mutual destruction, might garner enthusiastic applause from the audience, it was certainly not the best choice for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had only recently left the White Room and was already looking to add other bright colors to his long and promising future.

As for Sakayanagi Arisu, her attitude wasn't as complex as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's. Because of Kitagawa Ryo, she genuinely loathed everything in the White Room. Besides seeing Ayanokoji Atsuomi as an enemy, she also had no goodwill towards families like Ishigami Kyo, who secretly supported the White Room's plans. Moreover, the other party was likely one of the newcomers in Ayanokoji Faction.

That's why, before Horikita Suzune could even exchange a few perfunctory pleasantries or ask a few formulaic questions, Sakayanagi Arisu preemptively challenged her:

"Ishigami, your physical condition doesn't seem to be very good. The Student Council is a very demanding club, and the workload can be even greater when things get busy. To be honest, I don't think you're physically capable of handling this job."

"Yes, but I promise I will train harder and will definitely not hold you back."

Ishigami Kyo frankly admitted his shortcomings. Sakayanagi Arisu wanted to say a few more words, but Ayanokoji Kiyotaka spoke first:

"Physical exercise is definitely necessary. The vice president of the Sakayanagi sitting in front of you just Student Council last year. Due to health reasons, she also had to take leave and miss work many times. But after a few months of exercise, not only has her energy and spirit improved significantly, but she is also much more adept at handling her work. She is a good role model for you."

These words effectively silenced Sakayanagi Arisu's intended question, leaving her only able to respond with a cold, mocking laugh:

"It's still better than Vice President Ayanokoji, who missed the important Special Exam at the end of the school year last month due to health reasons."

Feeling that arguing like this would destroy the Student Council's prestige, Horikita Suzune quickly gestured for the two to be quiet and turned her attention back to Ishigami Kyo:

"I want to know how much you actually know about this school and the Student Council since you enrolled."

"It is precisely because I have learned so much that I so earnestly want to join the Student Council."

Ishigami Kyo simply shook his head slightly, without directly answering Horikita Suzune's question.

"In fact, the Student Council is the only club in this school that I find somewhat interesting, because it's what makes ANHS truly different from other high schools, without exception."

"Okay, I understand your thoughts."

Horikita Suzune nodded calmly upon hearing this, then casually changed the subject:

"When you came in just now, I heard some commotion outside. Do you know what happened?"

"Yes, some students were arguing in the hallway, it was between Class C and Class D, but it was stopped before I came in."

"OK."

After nodding in confirmation, Horikita Suzune ended the interview:

"You will be notified of the interview results within this week. If you pass, please come here next Monday for the final selection."

Unlike the Drama Club, which only has one round of initial screening and one round of interviews to conclude its recruitment process, the Student Council always has much stricter requirements in this regard. Not to mention that the number of applicants this year is unprecedentedly high, so the selection process is divided into three rounds.

"OK."

Before getting up to leave, Ishigami Kyo glanced in Horikita Suzune's direction and added:

"Speaking of which, I really liked your speech when you took over as Student Council, Horikita-senpai."

"You weren't enrolled in school yet back then, were you?"

"I heard it from other people."

After uttering this cryptic remark, Ishigami Kyo closed the door to the reception room.

Before Horikita Suzune could even ponder the meaning behind the other person's words, the second interviewee walked in.

Sakayanagi Arisu tensed up, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka temporarily put aside his own plans, and even Horikita Suzune, who was still pondering whether to let Ishigami Kyo pass this round of interviews, composed herself, took a deep breath, and cast a focused gaze at the newcomer.

The girl who ranked second in overall performance among the Fourth Generation of the White Room, Sakayanagi Arisu, is currently a member of Class 1-D, but is actually the same age as them. She calmly found a seat and sat down in front of the three of them, but did not introduce herself. Instead, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka on the far right to Horikita Suzune in the middle, and finally moved to Sakayanagi Arisu on the far left, where she stopped completely.

"Tsubaki-san from Class 1-D, Grade 1, right?"

Finally, it was Horikita Suzune who broke the silence first.

"Yes, I'm Xue from Class 1-D."

Children born in the White Room often hold an indifferent or even disgusted attitude towards their surnames, or rather, they have little real feeling about them. Firstly, they were simply given names in the White Room, and they were used to being called that all the time.

Secondly, it was never them who gave up this surname, but their parents. From the moment they were sent into the White Room, their surname was artificially erased by their biological parents. It would be strange if they felt proud or self-satisfied about this prefix after they came out.

Moreover, for Xue, a name contains precious and unique memories, while the surname was only added many years later, something she shared with her sister, so she cared even less about it.

But Horikita Suzune continued to address her in a very formal manner:

"Okay, Tsubaki-kun, I just heard from Ishigami that there was a quarrel between Class C and Class D outside. Do you know what happened?"

"It was just a verbal argument, nothing more than a fight. The reason for the argument was also ridiculous. Isn't it just the pot calling the kettle black that Class C looks down on Class D? Besides, the specific Class Points haven't been announced yet. If it turns out that Class D has more points left than Class C after the first month, that would be the most powerful rebuttal."

After briefly explaining the unexpected incident, Yuki continued to look at Sakayanagi Arisu. In fact, for most of the time since she came in, she had been subtly provoking the other party with her gaze. However, Sakayanagi Arisu simply lowered her eyes, fiddled with her fingers, or played with the ends of her hair, showing no intention of paying any attention to her.

Thank you for your explanation.

Horikita Suzune nodded, then continued to inquire:

"The OAA's public records show that you caused a very serious incident at the end of your third year of junior high school. Could you please explain the details? If it is indeed a serious stain, the Student Council would not admit you."

"I just taught a few street thugs a lesson, maybe I was a little too rough? After all, I wasn't in a good mood at the time, and they started it first. If the responsibility were really mine, I wouldn't be here here for an interview, would I?"

At this point, Xue herself smiled again:

"It just means I was assigned to Class D."

"Indeed, judging from your performance on the OAA, if it weren't for this incident, you should at least be in Class B or Class A."

Horikita Suzune nodded in affirmation, but immediately found another problem and asked with concern:

"However, the information above also shows that Chun, you were bedridden for a long time before last year and were receiving psychological treatment. How are you doing now?"

"Then of course everything is normal."

Sakayanagi Arisu raised her eyes, looking at the corners of her mouth that rose with the girl's unwavering answer, a rise that could even be described as somewhat arrogant.

She was still staring at him, with a smile on her face.

During their second meeting, Sakayanagi Arisu curiously asked her why she could also laugh in White Room.

At that time, Yuki's own answer was:

"I can easily smile whenever I'm with Ryo."

To Sakayanagi Arisu at the time, this answer seemed like a narrow-minded display, the petty cleverness and pride of a child.

It's like a child from a small mountain village facing a child from a big city. They can only humbly exaggerate and cherish their few advantages, hoping to inflate them to the point where they can compete with the whole world.

Everyone has something they lack most. Some people crave it, while others fear it, because everyone knows that in the end, what hurts them the most is the part they lack most.

But now all of that has been made up for.

Regardless of what was filled in those empty spaces, they were indeed filled and compacted, allowing the snow to gradually reach Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Right now, everything can be described as good, as good as it gets --"

Chapter Twelve: This time it's a hit with both men and women (4k5)

After finishing all the recruitment work for the Drama Club, Kitagawa Ryo went straight upstairs to the Student Council on the top floor.

Ignoring the curious glances from the First Year students, Kitagawa Ryo greeted his two third-year seniors, Mizowaki and Tonokawa, who were guarding the outermost perimeter, and then entered the Student Council building with practiced ease.

Katsuragi Kohei, who was standing outside the reception room, was also taken aback when Kitagawa Ryo arrived:

"Is there something you need, Kitagawa?"

"Hmm, has Yuki already gone inside for her interview? She's the one from Class 1-D, Tsubaki..."

Before Kitagawa Ryo could finish his question, the door to the meeting room was pushed open from the inside. The person he was about to question walked out with a relaxed expression and naturally waved to Kitagawa Ryo upon seeing him outside the door.

"Hmm? Did Ryo come all the way here just to pick me up?"

"More or less."

Since the Student Council recruitment process was still ongoing, Kitagawa Ryo didn't want to make things difficult for Katsuragi Kohei. He casually grabbed a set of keys from a desk as if he were entering his own home and pulled Yuki directly into another meeting room next door.

"Let's wait for the results."

In response to Kitagawa Ryo's question, Yuki shook her head.

"It depends on who's in charge of your Student Council."

"This matter will definitely be decided by President Suzune."