Unexpected Development

"Hey, Hoshino, do you... have some time after school? Um, would you be willing to join an information exchange meeting regarding the Sudo incident? Please!" Standing before Hoshino's desk, Kushida looked at him with moist, pleading eyes.

"...Um, I'm still tied up with Student Council business..." Hoshino scratched his head awkwardly, looking away as he stammered.

A girl as beautiful as Kushida certainly held an innate advantage in these situations; even Hoshino found it hard to resist.

"...Right, of course, the Student Council has a lot going on. Sorry..." With that, Kushida left, looking disappointed.

There was basically no room for further discussion on this matter, and the only remaining issue was Class B, though Hoshino had no idea where to go to ask about it.

Hoshino didn't dare to fully trust Hoshinomiya or Ichinose either; after all, he didn't really know them yet, and they were merely acquaintances. As for Class D, that was even more out of the question!

It really was a situation where he didn't know where to start.

But whatever, this evidence should be enough to negotiate some terms with Ryuen.

To ensure Ryuen didn't have time to stir up trouble, Hoshino decided to wait another two days before approaching him, hoping to land a blow that would catch Ryuen off guard.

Why is the atmosphere in the classroom so strange?

Suddenly sensing something unusual, Hoshino had noticed it the moment he arrived that morning: it seemed quite a few people were paying attention to the girl with long pink hair sitting next to Horikita!

Even during the break, he could see people whispering to the girl as she huddled in her seat.

Had someone discovered something? Could it be related to last night's information exchange meeting?

Perhaps unable to bear the stifling atmosphere in the classroom, the girl with long pink hair stood up and tiptoed out.

"Wait, Sakura, I have something I'd like to ask you, is that okay?" That familiar voice—it was undoubtedly Kushida.

Hoshino was suddenly curious; how did she know? She hadn't noticed anything a few days ago.

Standing up, Hoshino walked out of the classroom.

Just as he stepped into the hallway, two familiar figures caught his attention: Ayanokoji and Horikita! At this moment, their attention was also fixed on Kushida and the girl near the doorway.

"...About the Sudo incident..." Perhaps afraid of startling the girl, Kushida's voice softened.

"...S-sorry! I have something urgent to attend to..." The girl averted her gaze, appearing terrified of meeting Kushida's eyes.

"...It won't take long, this is very important!" Kushida grabbed the girl's hand.

"I... I don't know, I don't know anything!" The girl struggled desperately, and in the commotion, she stumbled. Something fell out of her bag, and Hoshino, quick to react, snatched the strap. Looking closely, he realized it was a pink camera.

"I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Kushida hurriedly bent down to help the girl up.

"Here." He had only come out to watch the drama, but having something fly toward him like that had actually given Hoshino a start.

"Thank you!" The girl took the camera, checked it carefully, and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Hoshino! It's a good thing you were there!" Kushida also flashed a relieved smile.

"No, I just happened to be passing by." He couldn't exactly tell her he'd come out just to watch the show.

After the girl thanked him again, she hurried away, and despite Kushida calling out to her several times, she couldn't get the girl to stay...

"Hoshino, you preside over this deliberation."

Hoshino, who had been buried in the documents on his desk, was shocked by President Horikita's words and looked up, dazed.

"Huh?... Why?"

"As the Student Council secretary, you need to learn a few things. This incident is the perfect opportunity for you to get some practice."

Hoshino had assumed President Horikita was joking, but this left him completely stumped. Then again, he had never seen President Horikita crack a joke.

"But..."

Hoshino had no confidence in handling something like this; it was his first time, after all.

Besides, was it really okay for him to do it? Shouldn't he recuse himself?

"Don't worry, I will be observing as well. If you make any mistakes, I will point them out to you."

President Horikita seemed determined to have Hoshino take the lead!

"Uh... okay?" Unsure of how to respond, Hoshino agreed tentatively.

Watching President Horikita review files behind his desk, Hoshino fell into deep thought.

In President Horikita's eyes, this was probably just a trivial matter.

To dare delegate authority to someone from his own class? President Horikita must have already secured some evidence.

This was likely a test to see if he was fit for a position in the Student Council and if he possessed the ability to resolve problems.

Still, this was going to be a headache; the troublemakers in his class were surely going to pester him now.

Hoshino certainly couldn't bring himself to cover for Sudo. However, Hoshino had already confirmed that the other party was the one who had provoked the fight.

Sudo was indeed acting in self-defense, but he himself was the witness...

Hoshino suddenly felt some regret about taking this on.

Did this mean he had lost his chance to squeeze any benefits out of Ryuen? Was this recording just going to go to waste in his hands!

No! There must still be a way! What if I ask Sakayanagi to "take over"?

But how would I handle the matters on this side?

Hoshino didn't quite know what to do.

Forget it! I'll stop thinking about it for now! Looking at the pile of work in front of him, Hoshino gave up on thinking.

"Phew! It's been so long since I've been out for a walk at night!"

Ever since joining the Student Council, Hoshino had basically been buried in an endless mountain of tasks every day; even when he occasionally had some free time, he wouldn't want to come out anymore.

Since he happened to be free today, Hoshino thought he would head out for a stroll to get some rest. Who knows, maybe a good idea would suddenly pop into his head!

Walking around the artificial lake near the dormitory buildings, Hoshino suddenly felt as if he had returned to reality. After all, entering this school had always felt a bit dreamlike.

Come to think of it, Hoshino had even bumped into Kushida and Ayanokoji secretly... sharing secrets here? It was still kind of funny to think about.

Wait! Ayanokoji! Hoshino suddenly had a half-baked idea...