The day after school, Hoshino didn't hurry to the Student Council Room. Instead, he went to the teachers' office first to check on the progress of the records review.
Things were going smoothly. It would be finished by tomorrow at the latest, which put Hoshino considerably more at ease.
Next came the clubs.
Yesterday, seven clubs—including the Chess Club—had yet to fill out their forms. Hoshino could only come by and check on their progress first, hoping they wouldn't drag things out again.
"Um, I'm Hoshino. I came by yesterday. Is that form filled out yet?"
"It is! I'll go get it right now!"
"Excuse me..."
"..."
Things went much more smoothly than he'd expected. But then again, when it came to club budgets, who would dare not take this seriously?
Hoshino's lips curled into a pleased smile as he strolled along, several completed forms in hand.
Suddenly, two familiar figures in the distance caught Hoshino's attention.
Huh? Ryuen? And Ishizaki? What were they doing here?
At that moment, Hoshino was on the stairs in the middle of the third-floor lobby of the club building. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ryuen and Ishizaki apparently talking as they turned into one of the third-floor corners.
Hoshino grew curious. He quickly thought back, making sure he hadn't mistaken them, then hurried after them at a light pace.
"Don't I remember some classrooms over there being used to store odds and ends? There aren't many clubs, are there? Just the Chemistry Club and one other... What was it called again? Hardly anyone's in it!" Hoshino thought, uncertainly.
Come to think of it, would Ryuen and Ishizaki actually join a club? Hoshino could hardly imagine which club would dare take in big shots like them. Hadn't the Student Council received any applications from Class C to establish a club?
To avoid being spotted, Hoshino only went as far as the corner and cautiously peered around. One glance was enough to confirm it: it was definitely Ryuen and Ishizaki!
They continued down the corridor, their backs to him, still seeming to talk.
Huh? They'd already passed the clubroom doors, but they still didn't stop. They kept going all the way to the end of the corridor.
There was a lounge area there. Since most of the rooms on this side were used to store odds and ends, the corner was rarely used. A few boxes filled with miscellaneous items sat there, too. But since it was a lounge, it wasn't a dim, cluttered place. Sunlight poured in, making it perfect for someone to relax alone!
Following Ryuen had led him to a pretty nice hidden spot!
"How is it, Ryuen? This place... It's pretty good, right?..." They were some distance away, but the surroundings were so quiet that Hoshino could still make out some of what they were saying.
"Yeah, it's pretty good... A nice place! Perfect for putting... that plan into action..." Ryuen looked around, a contemptuous smile on his lips and a hint of smugness in his voice.
Hoshino didn't peek out again. He only let the corners of his mouth lift slightly, as if he'd heard something interesting.
By Hoshino's estimate, Ryuen and the others stayed there for about ten minutes.
Only after Ryuen and the others left by the stairs near the lounge did Hoshino stroll over openly.
"Mm! Now that I'm closer, it really is a nice hidden spot!"
Looking at the sunlight streaming through the glass, Hoshino nodded in satisfaction. It was a shame there was nowhere to sit, though; the only place to rest was the nearby staircase.
After looking around a little, he saw that there didn't seem to be any cameras here. It really was a suitable place for Ryuen to do his thing!
Having stumbled upon Ryuen's plan by chance put Hoshino in a great mood. He sat down on one of the nearby steps.
Still, Hoshino couldn't help wondering: what exactly was Ryuen planning to do? Which class's students was he planning to target? And why scout the place out beforehand?
After thinking it over, Hoshino guessed it was probably Class B.
After all, Class B was the biggest obstacle in Class C's way right now.
It was too soon to go after Class A. A little investigating would easily uncover the fact that Class A was "divided." The best time to strike would be when they started fighting among themselves!
It couldn't possibly be Class D, could it? They'd only gotten fewer than a hundred Class Points last month, leaving each student with less than ten thousand Personal Points for the month! The gap between them and Class C's 500 Class Points was enormous! There was nothing to gain from targeting them.
Still, he could do something...
Ryuen had spent so long checking the place because he was worried about cameras, hadn't he?
Then Hoshino would install one for him. He wondered how Ryuen would react after it all came to light. Just imagining it seemed pretty amusing.
No sooner said than done. Hoshino stood up and took out the camcorder he carried with him...
Well, having 100,000 points sitting around outside, even if it was disguised, was pretty nerve-racking. He was always afraid it might get stolen!
Back at the Student Council, Hoshino turned in the club survey forms and returned to his seat, where he got busy.
"Good afternoon!... Hm? Who's this unfamiliar face?" A casual voice rang out, and Hoshino was "startled" out of his work.
When he looked up, a blond boy was standing in front of President Horikita's desk, gazing at Hoshino with interest.
"He's Hoshino, a first-year. He recently joined the Student Council as a secretary. This is Vice President Nagumo." President Horikita held the documents Vice President Nagumo had handed over. Hearing the vice president speak, he gave a brief introduction.
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Hoshino stood up and bowed slightly.
"...Mm! Likewise."
When Hoshino looked up, he saw Vice President Nagumo staring at him thoughtfully, a casual smile still on his lips.
"So you're the talented student President Horikita personally invited to join?" Vice President Nagumo walked over.
"Uh... No." Hoshino glanced at President Horikita beside him. Seeing that he had no intention of stepping in, he hesitated for a moment before answering.
President Horikita continued to read the documents, his expression unchanged, while Vice President Nagumo looked astonished.
"Huh?" Secretary Tachibana, standing nearby, sounded surprised.
"...I mean, I'm not particularly talented." Looking at the purple-haired upperclassman's utterly bewildered expression, Hoshino felt a little helpless. Why did all the purple-haired girls he'd met seem to be short on brainpower?
"...Mm! Haha... Not bad. I like you!" Vice President Nagumo seemed to catch on. He put a hand on Hoshino's shoulder and spoke as if they were already old friends.
Come to think of it, the last person who'd done that had been Hashimoto from Class A. Those two... were really alike.
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