As they chatted, the students gathered around him soon got to know one another. It was the beginning of a little clique.
Aside from Katsuragi Kohei, Suzuki Toru had noticed the others, too.
For example, there was a boy who wore his long hair tied back. He was extremely popular and a real people person, able to strike up a conversation with anyone. His name was Hashimoto Masayoshi.
There were also Kito Hayato, Morishita Ai, Yamamura Miki, and others.
Well, it wasn't just that they were interesting in their own right. He could also see wishes clinging to them.
Generally speaking, background characters didn't have wishes.
Chapter 5: The Student Council
"An orientation for club activities will be held at the First Gymnasium at 5 p.m. today. Students interested in joining a club, please gather at the First Gymnasium..."
At that moment, an announcement came over the PA system.
Suzuki Toru paused to think. He had noticed early on that the classrooms for each year weren't in the same place. The only places along the way where he could run into upperclassmen were the dorms, cafeteria, and shopping street.
Was the school deliberately keeping each year group apart?
No, perhaps he was overthinking it.
"Are you very interested in club activities, Suzuki?" A cute, familiar voice suddenly spoke up in front of him. Sakayanagi Arisu was looking at him with a cheerful smile.
For some reason, there was always something foxlike about the way the girl smiled.
"I want to see what all the fuss is about." Suzuki Toru's eyes gleamed. In this class, she was actually the person he was most interested in.
Even now, all sorts of wishes poured out of her without a pause.
[Want to see the little princess looking utterly defeated], [Play with her until her heart stops], [Join her on the surface, then stab the little princess in the back], [Lick Miss Sakayanagi's sweet, fragrant little feet raw], [Beat the little princess, then tell her, "You're still a long way off!"]...
Most of the wishes were absurd, but they weren't impossible. It all came down to how you went about it.
"Hehe, I'm a little interested, too. May I go with you?"
"Of course."
The moment he agreed, he seemed to sense resentment from the class, especially directed at him.
After all, judging by her appearance, the girl before him had a flawless face. Her petite frame naturally drew plenty of attention, and her delicate, frail appearance made people want to dote on her.
Of course, the girl's calves were eye-catching, too. Suzuki Toru had never seen anyone make white thigh-high stockings look both innocent and alluring. And beneath her rather short skirt, her jade-smooth thighs looked all the more tempting and delicate.
In Japan, fitting into a clique mattered a lot. People who couldn't were usually seen as failures and labeled "loners," "shut-ins," "creepy guys," or "NEETs," among other things. The people around them would unconsciously keep their distance.
In more extreme cases, people might even suspect they secretly collected figurines of pretty girls and played those indecent GalGames.
After all, that sort of behavior had become a stereotype.
But there were always exceptions.
A pretty girl like Sakayanagi Arisu didn't have to make an effort to join a clique; the clique came to her. All she had to do was chime in now and then, and she'd quickly become its center.
If Sakayanagi Arisu also had exceptional personal abilities, it wouldn't be surprising if Class A gained another leader.
But the girl didn't seem to be in any hurry.
Suzuki Toru noticed that she only spoke with a handful of students. She'd paid some attention to the students he'd just mentioned, too.
The difference was that Suzuki Toru had done nothing, while she'd already taken the initiative to approach them.
When classes ended, Suzuki Toru had thought the two of them would go together, but he hadn't expected another shameless person to tag along.
Just like yesterday, Kamuro Masumi followed a short distance behind them, wearing an expression that said they just happened to be going the same way.
Suzuki Toru could more or less guess what she was thinking. She was probably feeling a little uneasy and wanted to learn the truth about the school, so she'd followed them without thinking.
"Have your legs always been like that?"
Even with a cane, Sakayanagi Arisu walked very slowly, so Suzuki Toru had to slow down to match her pace.
"Hehe, I suppose you've noticed. I have a congenital heart condition and have been frail since I was young. I can't handle even a little exercise, not even walking for a long time."
"Can't it be treated?"
"Not yet. The necessary medical technology hasn't been developed."
"Sorry for bringing up something unpleasant."
"You're very kind, Suzuki. But you don't have to go out of your way to accommodate me."
As they talked, the two finally arrived at the gymnasium.
Quite a few first-year students had already gathered there. At a rough estimate, there were over a hundred. Suzuki Toru also saw Katsuragi Kohei standing with a few boys.
Despite the crowd, Suzuki Toru could still pick out the most conspicuous people.
There was a girl with pale pink hair, surrounded by a number of other girls. She seemed to be the center of her class. She wore a bright smile and looked gentle and easygoing.
There was a student who looked like a delinquent, with his hands in his pockets and his jacket casually draped over his shoulders. There was a bruise on his face, so he'd probably gotten into a fight yesterday.
Then there was a boy who kept bickering with the person beside him. He seemed utterly ordinary, but he'd apparently noticed something, because he suddenly glanced at Suzuki Toru.
Suzuki Toru casually looked away. There were too many wishes clinging to these people for him not to notice them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, first-years! We'll now begin the club orientation, presented by representatives from each club." A petite, cute girl with her hair tied in a bun stood on the stage. "I'm Tachibana, the Student Council secretary, and I'll be hosting today's orientation. It's a pleasure to meet you all!"
After her greeting, a line of club representatives appeared onstage. There were all sorts of clubs, from judo, archery, basketball, and tennis to the Art Club, tea ceremony, and cooking clubs.
The array was dazzling, but Suzuki Toru noticed a man standing at the back of the line.
Before long, he was the only one left onstage.
He stood before the microphone without saying a word, and soon drew everyone's attention.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Come on, you've got this, big brother!"
"Look at your notes!"
"What's this? Did that upperclassman wet himself?"
The first-years shouted all kinds of things, but none of it seemed to affect the man onstage.
The long silence gradually weighed on the atmosphere. The noise subsided, and the entire gymnasium suddenly filled with tension and silence.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
"I am Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President. As the upperclassmen graduate, the Student Council will be recruiting candidates from the first-year students." He surveyed the room, his expression unreadable. "There are no special qualifications required to run. However, if anyone is considering running for the Student Council, please avoid joining any clubs. As a general rule, the Student Council will not allow students who are running for office to participate in other clubs at the same time."
"Furthermore, our Student Council has no interest in candidates who take an overly optimistic view of things. People like that wouldn't just fail to get elected—they would surely become a stain on the school."
"Our school's Student Council has the authority and responsibility to change the order of things. The school recognizes this and has placed great expectations on us."
"Therefore, we welcome only those who understand what this means."
With that, the Student Council President stepped down from the stage briskly and left the gymnasium without hesitation.
Suzuki Toru watched him go—or, more precisely, he watched the wishes clinging to him.
[Help my upperclassman teach his useless little sister a lesson], [Take Horikita Manabu's place], [Humiliate his little sister in front of him], [Get Horikita Manabu expelled], [Make Horikita Manabu tell his sister, "You foolish little sister of mine"]...
Little sister?
Suzuki Toru glanced around and soon spotted a girl standing motionless.
Horikita Suzune?
Chapter 6: Getting Her Attention
[Give Horikita Suzune's soft little waist a squeeze], [Get Horikita Suzune expelled in front of her brother], [Get Horikita Manabu expelled in front of his little sister], [Make Horikita Suzune graduate as a Class D student], [Lick Horikita Suzune's feet raw], [Make sure to thoroughly train Horikita Suzune], [Want to see Horikita Suzune serve someone with a look of utter reluctance]...
Not far away, the girl stood motionless. Her long black hair fell loosely down her back, and a few strands rested over her slightly prominent chest. Black thigh-high socks hugged her slender legs, their surface smooth and lustrous. Beneath her skirt, her thighs were snowy white, the contrast striking.
Looking a little more closely, he could see the tops of her socks pressing into her thighs, leaving faint indentations. They looked soft, yet still full.
The girl named Horikita Suzune seemed to be in some kind of daze, staring blankly ahead. A boy stood beside her.
Just then, Suzuki Toru suddenly heard Sakayanagi Arisu's voice.
"What are you looking at, Suzuki?"
Perhaps out of curiosity, Sakayanagi Arisu followed his gaze and looked toward Horikita Suzune with interest.
"I didn't see any girls as cute as you, so I'm relieved." Suzuki Toru looked away and stole a casual glance at Sakayanagi Arisu. He then noticed that she didn't seem to be looking at Horikita Suzune.
"Hehe, what a straightforward compliment. I didn't expect you to think so highly of me, Suzuki. I'm very grateful." Sakayanagi Arisu accepted his words without batting an eye, even smiling slightly. She really was shameless.
Then she added, "Actually, you score pretty highly with me, too. Handsome and kind people are popular with girls."
"That's great. I was worried I'd never find a girlfriend."
Kamuro Masumi rolled her eyes. What nonsense were those two shameless people talking about? She couldn't stand it.
"By the way, Suzuki, what did you think of the clubs just now?" Sakayanagi Arisu asked, as if changing the subject. "Was there one you wanted to join?"
"I have one in mind. I just don't know if someone like me could get in," Suzuki Toru answered calmly.
"Hehe, I don't think anyone would turn you down, Suzuki." Sakayanagi Arisu looked up at him. "Can you tell me which club?"
"Is there a reward if I answer?"
"Don't tell me you're thinking about something lewd, Suzuki?" Sakayanagi Arisu gave him a half-smile. As a pretty girl, she was used to all kinds of leering looks and could easily tell where someone was looking.
"Want me to say it out loud?" Suzuki Toru shifted his gaze away from her calves. Wishes had gotten more and more perverted lately: people wanted to be stepped on by girls and lick their feet.
"No, I feel like I'd get angry if I heard it." Sakayanagi Arisu rejected his offer. "Where were you last night?"
"In the dorm."
Though he didn't know why she'd suddenly asked, Suzuki Toru still answered her.
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