Yun Lan's Choice

"Furthermore," he continued, his tone remaining steady, yet it carried a weight that made Akane Tachibana sense the significance of the next task, "this afternoon, I need you to go to Class B of the first year. Invite Yun Lan to join the Student Council."

"Yun Lan, from Class B of the first year?" Akane Tachibana repeated the name subconsciously, her brain rapidly retrieving relevant information—his entrance exam scores were excellent but not top-tier, and aside from... the club point incident a few days ago that caused a minor stir, there was little else. Inviting a freshman to join the Student Council directly, especially when personally designated by the president, was extremely rare in practice. Usually, it required multiple stages of observation, recommendation, and assessment.

Questions rose like tiny bubbles in her rigorous train of thought: Is he that impressive? Why now? Is it his ability that caught his eye, even though he is from Class B? Is there a connection between the president personally attending the club orientation and inviting this person?

But all her doubts quickly subsided and vanished the moment they touched Manabu Horikita's unquestionable eyes. The decisions made by the president always had profound meaning and sufficient reason. As his executor, what she needed was to understand his intent and implement it perfectly, not to question the cause and effect.

"President, I understand." Akane Tachibana bowed again, her voice steady, without any hesitation or inquiry. She quickly added this new task to her afternoon work sequence. "I will extend the formal invitation to student Yun Lan after the club recruitment session. Should I provide him with a preliminary explanation of the Student Council's duties, or ask if he has a preferred department?"

"No need." Manabu Horikita withdrew his gaze and turned it back to the screen, as if the instruction he had just given was the most ordinary one. "Just convey the invitation. Specific departments and duties can be discussed after he agrees to join. If he asks for the reason..." He paused slightly, "just say it is a routine talent assessment by the Student Council."

"Routine talent assessment"—this reason was official and vague, sufficient to handle most situations while leaving enough room for maneuver.

"Understood." Akane Tachibana noted the key points. She knew very well that behind the president's "routine" often lay non-routine attention.

"Go. Prioritize the club orientation matters." Manabu Horikita ended the conversation.

The office returned to silence. Manabu Horikita's gaze fell on the name "Yun Lan" on the screen, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the armrest in a steady, slow rhythm.

And inviting Yun Lan... this move itself was a probe, as well as a layout. He wanted to see for himself whether this young man who could easily stir the pool of points, the heir of the Yun Family, and the young man favored by the Chairman, was truly the person he was waiting for—someone capable of suppressing Miyabi Nagumo.

At five in the afternoon, the orange sunset slanted through the gaps between the school buildings, casting long shadows on the path leading to the First Gymnasium. The air still held the warmth of the day, mixed with the scent of grass and trees peculiar to spring. Yun Lan had his hands in his trouser pockets, his posture leisurely, followed by Honami Ichinose, who walked with a light step and a curious smile. The two were chatting idly, the topic drifting from one thing to another before settling on the upcoming club recruitment.

"Brother Lan, which clubs are you interested in? Sports? Arts? Or something quieter like tea ceremony or flower arrangement?" Honami Ichinose tilted her head, her long pink hair swaying slightly with the movement, her blue eyes reflecting the light of the sunset.

"Hmm... I haven't really thought about it yet, I'll take a look first." Yun Lan smiled, his gaze sweeping over the slightly aged walls of the gymnasium ahead. They seemed to have arrived a bit late; the number of students entering and leaving the gymnasium entrance had thinned out considerably, and the clamor from inside had gradually subsided, replaced by a somewhat solemn quiet.

As soon as they reached the open main entrance of the gymnasium, the scene inside was fully visible. In the center of the venue, which should have been crowded with freshmen and various club recruitment booths, a tall figure stood on a makeshift podium in front of the crowd. The person was wearing a crisp school uniform, and the Student Council emblem on his armband was clearly visible; it was the Student Council President, Manabu Horikita. He was delivering his final remarks, his voice carrying through a non-professional portable microphone, calm and penetrating.

"...Therefore, discipline and order are the foundation for ensuring everyone's studies and activities. We only welcome those who can understand and are willing to uphold this." Manabu Horikita's speaking pace was steady, his gaze sweeping over the few remaining listeners like a precision instrument. Just as his gaze was about to shift away, he happened to catch the two figures who had just appeared at the entrance—Yun Lan and Honami Ichinose.

His speech paused ever so slightly, almost imperceptibly, but those sharp eyes did linger on Yun Lan for an extra moment. It seemed he hadn't expected this first-year student, who had caused quite a "stir" just yesterday, to arrive so late, just as the club orientation was ending. The corners of Manabu Horikita's mouth twitched with extreme restraint, a tiny arc almost invisible, like some silent evaluation or perhaps a pure facial nerve reaction. Immediately, he returned to his cold, stern expression and calmly uttered his closing remarks: "That concludes my speech."

A few scattered but relatively uniform responses sounded from the crowd, and the people began to disperse.

"Uh oh," Yun Lan tilted his head, his gaze crossing over the shoulders of the students in front to look toward the now-empty podium. "The speech seems to be over? Are we late?"

There was no regret in his tone; it was more like he was stating an interesting fact. "Well, nothing to be done about it. Let's just go check out the various club booths directly; there should still be people there."

Honami Ichinose nodded, though her gaze remained on the back of Manabu Horikita as he left the podium, before turning curiously to Yun Lan: "Brother Lan, is there any club you particularly want to join?"

Yun Lan rubbed his chin, pretending to think: "A club... if I had to say, the Student Council." He raised a finger to point at the side of the gymnasium, where a simple notice for the Student Council seemed to still be posted. "I vaguely heard from outside just now that those who want to join the Student Council cannot participate in other club activities at the same time? The rules are quite strict."

"Eh? The Student Council?" Honami Ichinose was a bit surprised. "Why not consider joining other interesting clubs first? Brother Lan doesn't seem like the type who would be particularly interested in such strict rules and regulations. Besides, don't you have any hobbies in sports or the arts, Brother Lan?"

Hearing little Honami's innocent and direct question, Yun Lan wore a gentle and harmless smile, as if he were just an enthusiastic freshman seriously considering his club options.