Damn Cheating Sakayanagi Arisu (If It's Not Turned On, It's Not Cheating)

Immediately after, the voice of Manabu Horikita seemed to pause, then he posed a question, his tone carrying a certain profound scrutiny:

"...So, just how much... do you know about the S System?"

(Classmate Sakayanagi cheated in advance, she definitely cheated, she absolutely cheated. My father the chairman basically left her cheat codes on, didn't he?)

Even through the door, Linmu could sense the sudden heaviness and tension in the office. It seemed they had touched upon some little secrets!

However, this heaviness was about to be broken.

Linmu raised his hand, curled his knuckles, and knocked on the door panel.

"Knock, knock, knock."

Then, his clear voice, carrying a slightly lazy nasal tone, traveled through the door, his tone so natural and casual as if he were just passing by to say hello:

"Excuse me. May I come in and listen? President Horikita, and... Classmate Sakayanagi."

The conversation inside the office came to an abrupt halt.

A deathly silence followed.

Even without using X-ray vision, Linmu could imagine the look of surprise and scrutiny the two inside must have exchanged.

They clearly hadn't expected to be interrupted, let alone that the person arriving not only knew they were here.

But could also accurately identify them, and... judging by the voice, it seemed to be that white-haired boy from Class D?

After a moment of silence, the emotionless voice of Manabu Horikita sounded:

"Come in."

The door lock clicked, and it was opened from the inside. Appearing at the doorway was the Student Council secretary, Akane Tachibana.

She looked at Linmu standing outside the door, his cold, handsome face currently expressionless, save for the lollipop he was sucking on.

A flash of clear surprise crossed Akane Tachibana's eyes, but her excellent training allowed her to calm down quickly. A polite smile appeared on her face as she stepped aside to clear the path:

"Please, come in."

Linmu nodded and stepped inside.

The office was more spacious and minimalist than he had imagined; besides the desk, chairs, and filing cabinets, there was a set of sofas for guests.

Manabu Horikita stood by the window, arms crossed, his gaze sharp behind his lenses as he cast it toward him.

Sakayanagi Arisu sat elegantly on a single sofa, holding a steaming cup of tea, her silver hair shimmering under the light filtering through the gaps in the blinds.

Standing beside her was a tall, serious-looking bald boy—none other than the other leader of Class A, Kohei Katsuragi.

At this moment, Katsuragi looked at Linmu with eyes full of vigilance and disbelief.

As soon as Linmu stood still, before Manabu Horikita could speak, Sakayanagi Arisu was the first to set down her teacup, a playful smile curling her lips.

Her amethyst-like eyes turned toward Linmu, her voice as soft as wind chimes, yet carrying obvious teasing:

"Oh my, it seems Classmate Linmu's art of 'divination' is truly as legendary as they say.

Can you even 'calculate' the location of us discussing some... little private topics with such precision?"

She deliberately emphasized the words "divination" and "calculate," her probing and interest undisguised.

Linmu raised an eyebrow and took the lead, his tone relaxed, even carrying a hint of the solicitation he used when running his stall:

"So, has Classmate Sakayanagi changed her mind and decided she needs me to perform a divination for 'you'?

The previous promise is still valid, you know. It's free, but only this once; next time, it will be charged according to the price list."

He blinked, wearing an expression that said, "Don't miss this opportunity."

Seeing the two of them singing in harmony, seemingly ignoring him as the Student Council president and the somewhat bizarre situation at hand, Manabu Horikita frowned imperceptibly.

He gave a light cough, deliberately interrupting this conversation that was veering off-topic.

He raised a hand to adjust the rimless glasses on the bridge of his nose, his gaze sharp and oppressive as he turned toward Linmu, his voice steady and carrying the unique authority and scrutiny of a Student Council president:

"This student, if I recall correctly, you are Linmu Fujimiya from Class D.

Breaking into the temporary office area of the Student Council without permission and interrupting an ongoing official discussion... may I ask, what is your business?"

His questioning was direct and official, attempting to regain control of the situation and the lead in the conversation.

Linmu first made an apologetic "wait a moment" gesture toward Sakayanagi Arisu, then turned his head to meet Manabu Horikita's highly oppressive gaze head-on.

He wore that harmless, even slightly innocent expression on his face, the plastic stick of the lollipop in his mouth swaying gently as he spoke.

His tone was languid, yet every word was reasonable, and he was not in the slightest intimidated by the other's authority:

"President Horikita, you're overthinking it. I was just bored and wandering around the swimming pool area."

He pointed outside the door, "Besides, it's free time during the swimming class. I don't believe the school rules state that students cannot walk in the public areas of the teaching facilities?

I just felt that the hard plastic chairs downstairs were really uncomfortable and my back was hurting, so I wanted to come up and find a place to rest my legs. I happened to walk near this office, and by coincidence, I heard what sounded like familiar voices..."

He spread his hands, looking like an honest student who just wanted a comfortable place to rest: "I think this shouldn't... count as a violation of school rules, right, President?"

He said this neither servile nor overbearing, with a sufficient (albeit nonsense-generated) reason and a calm attitude, even carrying the subtext that "the Student Council should be considerate of ordinary students."

This left Manabu Horikita, who had been on high alert and expecting him to say something shocking, momentarily speechless.

However, for Kohei Katsuragi, who was standing beside Sakayanagi Arisu, his nerves tightened instantly; the look he directed at Lin Mu had escalated from wariness to deep disbelief and apprehension.

He refused to believe that it was a coincidence that he had come here; this white-haired boy from the bottom-ranked Class D, who appeared lazy and casual, had not only keenly sensed their observation.

He had even dared to approach them on his own initiative, and when faced with such a direct interrogation from Student Council President Manabu Horikita, he was actually able to respond with such composure, even... with a sense of ease?

What on earth... is going on with this Class D?

The atmosphere inside the office once again fell into a subtle silence.

It was as if an invisible contest permeated the air, with gazes intersecting in the space between them.

Manabu Horikita was scrutinizing, Katsuragi was on guard, Akane Tachibana was observing, while Sakayanagi Arisu continued to watch Lin Mu with keen interest, as if she were enjoying an entertaining performance.

A moment later, it was Sakayanagi Arisu who let out a soft laugh, breaking the stillness.

She elegantly picked up her teacup, took another sip, and then looked at Manabu Horikita with an impeccable and slightly playful smile on her lips, taking the initiative to smooth things over:

"President Horikita, since Lin Mu-kun just came up here to find a place to rest and it was a mere coincidence, why not let him sit down and take a break?

Anyway, we were just... chatting about some trivial school anecdotes, and having one more person listening might even provide some different perspectives, don't you think?"

Her gaze swept between Manabu Horikita and Lin Mu, her smile deepening.

"Besides, I am becoming more and more interested in Lin Mu-kun's 'fortune-telling'."