The Shocked Student Council President

"Huh?"

Tachibana Akane was dumbfounded.

Her mouth hung slightly open as she stared blankly at Horikita Manabu in the main seat, her heart skipping a beat.

President, what are you saying?

"Isn't this what you just asked me to..."

Wait.

A thought that nearly made Tachibana Akane faint on the spot surfaced in her already overwhelmed mind.

If.

If the President in front of her didn't know about this card...

Then the guy who looked exactly like the President and handed her this strange card at the door just now.

Was... who?

A ghost story—this had to be one of the seven school mysteries or some kind of urban legend!

Waaaaahhhhh!!

Seeing his secretary looking like her soul had left her body and her face turning deathly pale, Horikita Manabu frowned and temporarily set aside the idea of pressing for an answer.

Judging by her state, she probably didn't know anything anyway.

Subsequently.

He flipped the pure white card over and saw the comical pattern on the back.

A silhouette wearing a top hat and a monocle.

The signature was the same.

The meaning was still unclear, but it was definitely not any internal code or emblem of the Student Council.

"Interesting."

Horikita Manabu whispered, a sharp glint flashing across his lenses.

Immediately.

He stood up.

"Today's meeting ends here. All motions are tabled; we will discuss them next time."

His words and actions were devoid of any hesitation.

The other Student Council members present exchanged confused glances, but faced with the President's order, they could only stand up and respond instinctively.

"Yes!"

No one dared to ask a single question.

Following that.

Horikita Manabu didn't look at anyone, walking straight out of the Conference Room with the Notice Letter in hand, his stride steady and composed.

Soon.

Central Surveillance Room.

The security guard on duty was looking down at his phone, bored, until that figure pushed the door open and entered.

"Ahem, is there something you need?"

The guard stood up instantly, asking with some embarrassment.

"I am Horikita Manabu. Please pull up the surveillance footage from outside the Student Council office from ten minutes ago."

Horikita Manabu was concise.

"Right!"

Soon.

Following the security guard's operations, the image on one of the screens switched rapidly, freezing on the Student Council hallway and rewinding the time.

Horikita Manabu stood before the screen, observing calmly.

In the footage.

Tachibana Akane walked out of the office clutching documents, and then a figure entered the surveillance range.

The moment he saw that figure clearly.

Horikita Manabu's pupils shook violently.

Because.

The "Horikita Manabu" in the footage was identical to him—height, build, hairstyle, gait, and even the cold, stern aura he projected were exactly the same.

But.

Horikita Manabu was certain, this was absolutely not him!

Although the other party's disguise was so perfect that it made him doubt whether he had truly done such a thing, the surveillance footage would not lie; he had been in the Conference Room at the time.

The footage from further back confirmed this as well.

So.

What was this?

Urban legend? Magic? Superpowers?

Horikita Manabu fell silent, his worldview nearly collapsing.

No—

He could not jump to conclusions so easily.

Horikita took a deep breath, leaned in closer, and watched every move with intense focus.

"Himself" called out to Tachibana Akane, handed her a white card, said something, and then, the moment Tachibana Akane lowered her head to look at it, turned and left.

The speed was so fast that it even left behind an afterimage.

The entire process took only a dozen seconds.

At the same time.

The security guard was stunned, looking at the Horikita Manabu beside him, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something.

"President..."

It took a long while for him to choke out a sentence, "Are you a ninja?"

Otherwise.

How could there be a shadow clone technique?

"..."

Horikita Manabu had no time to entertain him.

He slowed the footage down a hundredfold, observing it frame by frame, and the result made him heave a sigh of relief.

That was a relief.

Although the speed was ridiculously fast.

It was still within the realm of humanity, and as for the identical appearance... it must be some kind of Disguise Technique, right?

Horikita Manabu thought uncertainly.

There was no other way.

This was the most logical explanation he could think of.

Otherwise.

Could it really be a superpower?

"Archive this footage separately. I will report this matter to the school later; please keep it confidential."

Things like this could not be known by ordinary students.

It would cause chaos.

Soon.

Horikita Manabu made his decision and turned to leave.

He did not continue the meeting, nor did he go to question Tachibana Akane, but instead returned to his office.

He closed the door, shutting out the shrill noises of the outside world.

Horikita Manabu needed to think.

Immediately.

He sat at his desk and reached into his pocket to take out the pure white card.

The office was very quiet.

As his fingers traced the card, he fell into deep thought.

[When the moonlight washes the pitch-black campus,]

A time hint?

Moonlight should refer to the night.

[When the hands pass the zenith three times,]

Three times?

Could it be in three days?

No.

The zenith of the clock is 12, and there are two 12s in a day, so three times does not mean three days, but rather...

"The early morning of the day after tomorrow."

Horikita Manabu murmured, having estimated the time.

[I shall take away everyone's treasures.]

This final sentence was simple and obvious; the three riddles combined meant—I will take everyone's treasures at midnight the day after tomorrow.

Horikita Manabu's fingers tapped lightly against the desk.

His brows were tightly furrowed.

Within this.

The most crucial information remained unrevealed.

The location? How would they take it?

The target, the method, the motive—everything was a mystery, but one thing was certain.

This was a declaration of war.

A declaration of war delivered to him, Horikita Manabu, and to the school; it was flamboyant, arrogant, and filled with a desire for performance.

Within the school.

Such a person actually existed.

Was it a first-year student?

Horikita Manabu remained silent, solely opening his computer to access the first-year student files, not letting a single word of the data escape his notice.

"Knock, knock—"

Just as he was flipping through them.

An ill-timed knock sounded at the door.

Without even waiting for Horikita Manabu to respond, the doorknob was turned, and a figure leaned lazily against the doorframe, sporting dazzling short golden hair.

Nagumo Miyabi crossed his arms over his chest.

A cynical arc hung at the corners of his mouth.

"Yo, Senpai, pondering the meaning of life all by yourself? Running off halfway through a meeting is certainly your style. Do you need me to help you take over?"

Clearly.

This guy had rushed over to mock him the moment he heard the news.

"Get out."

Horikita Manabu frowned.

Hearing this.

Nagumo Miyabi pursed his lips slightly, then suddenly caught sight of the card on the other's desk and couldn't help but let out a scoff.

"Pfft... what is this?"

"A love letter written to you by a first-year student?"

"..."

Horikita Manabu frowned again, a faint trace of anger already rising within him as he slowly stood up.

Seeing this.

Nagumo Miyabi instantly lost his nerve and changed the subject:

"But having said that, Senpai, you were really strange today. You clearly knew the location, yet you specifically called me over in front of so many people to question me... were you trying to show the first-years how united we in the Student Council are?"

"What did you say?"

Horikita Manabu's aura faltered.

Seeing this.

Nagumo Miyabi assumed he was feeling guilty and couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Don't worry, don't worry, I won't take it to heart. How could I ever dare to challenge you, Senpai?"

"So that's how it is."

Horikita Manabu whispered, his lenses reflecting a sharp glint.

The final piece of the puzzle.

Found.