Perhaps because he'd run into too many hassles during the first few days, An Xiao had enjoyed a peaceful stretch afterward. Other than meeting Shiina Hiyori, a fellow book lover, nothing else had happened.
...Except for the work at the Student Council.
"Hey, Tachibana-senpai, does the Student Council have this much work every day?"
An Xiao tossed a freshly processed document aside and leaned back, like a fish that had given up on life. His gaze drifted blankly across the Student Council room's ceiling.
"Don't throw documents around," Akane Tachibana said, exasperated. But when she saw the stack An Xiao had already finished, her tone softened a little.
"There's no helping it. It's the start of the school year, so a lot of things have to be handled all over again."
"You've got it easy. The president has even more documents to deal with."
Hearing that, An Xiao looked curiously in Horikita Manabu's direction.
Horikita Manabu was still seated at the head of the table. He'd finished his own work and was now checking the documents An Xiao had handled that day, occasionally making a few notes with his pen.
"Your work's pretty good. Looks like you haven't been slacking off these past few days, and you've taken Tachibana's advice to heart." Horikita Manabu closed the file and pushed up his glasses. "You can head back for today."
"If anything else comes up, I'll have Tachibana notify you directly. Keep an eye on your messages."
"And one more thing..." Horikita Manabu glanced at an empty seat beside him, then continued, "If anyone else comes looking for you, report it to me right away."
Finally, it was over!
An Xiao sat up and rubbed his throbbing temples. He took a concentrated mint from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, then gulped down some cold water.
"Whew! I'm alive again!"
The cool, slightly stinging sensation in his throat helped his earlier listlessness ease up.
"Is that... really good for you?"
Although she'd seen him do it several times, Akane Tachibana still couldn't understand why An Xiao did that.
"You should give it a try sometime, Tachibana-senpai. It really wakes you up." An Xiao smiled at her, said a quick goodbye to everyone else in the Student Council, and left with a spring in his step.
"Seriously, no human could stand working in the Student Council."
In the dorm elevator, An Xiao pressed the button for his floor and leaned against the wall, muttering under his breath.
"Maybe I'll make myself something good to eat when I get back. I think there's still some leftover Coke and chicken wings in the fridge..."
Ding!
His floor wasn't very high up, so the elevator arrived quickly. Still muttering, An Xiao stepped out and went to his door. He took out his room card and had just opened the door when a cool female voice spoke from behind him.
"You're finally back. I've been waiting for you."
"Ah!" Startled by the sudden voice, An Xiao jerked against the door he'd just opened.
"Why are you making such a fuss?" Horikita Suzune stood behind An Xiao, her expression blank. She walked past him and into his room.
When she saw that An Xiao was still standing by the door, Horikita Suzune frowned.
"Why aren't you coming in?"
Why did you go in?
An Xiao stood in the doorway, looking at the room number above the door and then at the keycard in his hand, which had just opened it. He stared at the girl in confusion. "This... isn't my room?"
Horikita Suzune ignored him. After giving him a glance, she walked straight inside. By the time An Xiao followed her in, she was already sitting on the living room sofa.
"I didn't expect your room to be this clean."
"So you had some kind of stereotype about my room?"
An Xiao closed the door and walked in, replying with a helpless jab. He pulled over a chair and sat down, his voice listless. "What did you come to see me about? Can you make it quick? I spent all afternoon working under your brother, and I still haven't even eaten."
At the mention of her brother, Horikita Suzune's straight-backed posture visibly stiffened. She quickly relaxed again and took a box of expensive-looking sweets from her bag.
"If you haven't eaten yet, have these first to tide you over."
"These are... the daifuku from that famous sweets shop in the mall!"
"I've been wanting to buy some, but there's always a long line outside, so I gave up."
As he spoke, An Xiao accepted the box of daifuku from Horikita Suzune. He was about to open it when, for some reason, he suddenly paused. With a stiff turn, he looked back at Horikita Suzune.
"Don't tell me you've got some really, really troublesome favor to ask, and once I open this, you'll say I have to help you and can't refuse..."
"Probably not, right?"
"..." Horikita Suzune turned her head to the side, refusing to look at An Xiao.
Give me a straight answer! At least deny it, you jerk!
sigh
Seeing Horikita Suzune like that, An Xiao figured he was probably right. He sighed, took a daifuku out of the half-opened box, and started eating it.
Noticing the surprise in Horikita Suzune's eyes, An Xiao chewed his daifuku and rolled his eyes. "I did take points from your brother, after all. I can't just take the points and do nothing."
"Besides, your brother is still my immediate superior."
After hearing An Xiao out, Horikita Suzune fell silent for a moment. Then she looked up at him again. "Is there any way for me to earn a large number of points in the shortest possible time?"
An Xiao choked—literally. He forced the sticky daifuku down his throat, then looked at Horikita Suzune in confusion. "What's going on? Have you used up all your points? The month's barely halfway over."
Ignoring An Xiao's astonished gaze, Horikita Suzune sat on the sofa and spoke slowly, one word at a time.
"I want to change classes."
Before you continue