Horikita Suzune Comes Seeking

Perhaps because he had encountered a few too many bothersome things in the first few days, An Xiao spent the following days in comfort. Aside from getting to know Shiina Hiyori, a fellow book lover, nothing else of note occurred.

...Except for his work in the Student Council.

"I'm telling you... Akane Tachibana, the workload in our Student Council is just too much every single day."

Tossing a document he had just finished processing to the side, An Xiao leaned back, looking like a salted fish that had lost its dreams, his gaze staring blankly at the ceiling of the Student Council room.

"Don't throw the documents around," Akane Tachibana said with a huff, though her tone softened a rare notch after seeing the stack of files An Xiao had already completed.

"It can't be helped. Since school just started, there are many things that need to be reprocessed."

"You've got it easy; the President has even more documents to deal with on his end."

Hearing Akane Tachibana say this, An Xiao looked curiously toward Horikita Manabu.

He saw that Horikita Manabu was still sitting in the main seat. Having finished his own work, he was reviewing the files An Xiao had processed today one by one, his pen occasionally making marks on them.

"You processed these quite well. It seems you haven't been slacking off these past few days, and you've taken what Tachibana said to heart," Horikita Manabu said as he closed the file and adjusted his glasses. "You can head back for today."

"If there are any issues later, I will have Tachibana notify you directly. Remember to keep an eye on your messages."

"Also..." Horikita Manabu glanced at an empty seat beside him before adding, "If anyone else comes looking for you, remember to report it to me promptly."

Finally finished!

Sitting up abruptly and rubbing his throbbing temples, An Xiao took a concentrated peppermint candy from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, and then gulped down a mouthful of cold water.

"Hiss~ I'm alive again!"

Feeling the icy, slightly stinging sensation in his throat, An Xiao's previously wilted spirit finally felt much better.

"Are you... really okay?"

Although she had seen it several times, Akane Tachibana, standing beside An Xiao, still felt puzzled by his behavior.

"Akane Tachibana, you should try it sometime when you get the chance; it's truly very refreshing," An Xiao said with a smile. After briefly bidding farewell to the others in the Student Council, he left with a cheerful stride.

"This Student Council is really no place for a human to stay."

In the dormitory elevator, An Xiao pressed the button for his floor and leaned against the wall, muttering to himself.

"After I get back to the room, I should make something good to reward myself. I remember there should still be some leftover cola and chicken wings in the fridge..."

Ding~

Since he didn't live on a high floor, the elevator arrived quickly. Still muttering, An Xiao reached his door and took out his room card. Just as he opened the door, he heard a cold, clear female voice from behind him.

"You're finally back. I've been waiting for a long time."

"Ah!" An Xiao was startled by the sudden voice and pressed himself against the door he had just opened.

"Why are you making such a fuss?" Horikita Suzune stood behind An Xiao, expressionless, and walked past him into his room.

Seeing An Xiao still standing at the doorway without moving, Horikita Suzune frowned.

"Why aren't you coming in?"

Why did you go in?

An Xiao stood at the door, looked at the room number above, then looked at the room card in his hand that had just opened the door, and looked at the girl in front of him in a daze. "Isn't... this my room?"

But Horikita Suzune ignored him. She glanced at An Xiao and walked straight inside. By the time An Xiao entered, she was already sitting on the sofa in the living room.

"I didn't expect your room to be quite clean."

"So, did you have some kind of stereotype about my room before?"

An Xiao closed the door and walked in, complaining helplessly. He pulled over a chair and said in a listless tone, "What do you want with me? Can you make it quick? I've been busy under your brother all afternoon, and I haven't even eaten yet."

Upon hearing An Xiao mention her brother, Horikita Suzune's previously straight posture trembled slightly, but she quickly suppressed it. She took a box of pastries that looked expensive from the bag she was carrying.

"Since you haven't eaten, you can have this to pad your stomach first."

"This is... the daifuku from that famous pastry shop in the mall!"

"I wanted to buy some before, but there's always a huge crowd at that shop, so I gave up."

As An Xiao spoke, he took the box of daifuku from Horikita Suzune. Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly thought of something. His movements paused, and he turned his head stiffly to look at Horikita Suzune.

"You wouldn't happen to have some very, very troublesome matter you need my help with, and you're planning to say something like 'since I've opened this, I must help you and cannot refuse'..."

"That wouldn't happen, right?"

"..." Horikita Suzune turned her head away, refusing to look at An Xiao.

Answer me directly! At least refute me, you jerk!

Sigh

Seeing Horikita Suzune's reaction, An Xiao knew it was almost certainly the case. He sighed, took a daifuku from the half-opened box, and started eating it just like that.

Noticing Horikita Suzune's surprised gaze, An Xiao chewed the daifuku, rolled his eyes, and said irritably, "I did take points from your brother, after all. I can't just take the points and not do the work."

"Besides, your brother is my direct superior right now."

After hearing An Xiao's words, Horikita Suzune was silent for a moment, then looked up again and said to An Xiao, "Do you have any way for me to obtain a large amount of points in the shortest possible time?"

An Xiao choked. He was genuinely choked. After forcefully swallowing the daifuku stuck in his throat, he looked at Horikita Suzune with confusion. "What's wrong? Did you use up all your points? The month is only half over."

Ignoring An Xiao's surprised gaze, Horikita Suzune sat on the sofa and said word by word.

"I want to change classes."