He was a little over 170 centimeters tall, about the same height as Ju Fan—not particularly tall. A head of neat black hair framed his slender build. Through his sharply designed glasses, one could glimpse his intelligent eyes.
He was Horikita Suzune's older brother, Horikita Manabu. He stood calmly, gazing at the first-year students as though waiting for them to quiet down.
But the first-years misunderstood what he was doing.
"Good luck!"
"Where are the banners?"
"Ahahaha."
The first-year students called out things like that, but the senior standing onstage remained unmoved. He simply stood there, as if none of the laughter or encouragement had reached him.
The laughter peaked, then gradually died down.
"What's he doing?"
Someone finally realized something was off. A nervous person wouldn't look so calm.
An unbelievable silence settled over the entire gymnasium, so oppressive that it felt impossible to speak. After that atmosphere lingered for half a minute, Horikita Manabu looked around and finally began his speech.
"I'm Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President. As always, with the graduation of the senior students, the Student Council will be recruiting candidates from among the first-years.
"There are no special requirements for candidates, but anyone considering running for the Student Council should avoid joining other clubs. As a rule, we do not accept applicants who wish to participate in both a club and the Student Council."
His tone was gentle, yet the atmosphere grew tense enough to prickle the skin. He alone had managed to silence everyone in the gymnasium. His ability to control the mood was just like Horikita Suzune's, only on a grander scale. Then again, they were siblings.
"Furthermore... our Student Council does not want candidates who take this lightly. People like that won't just fail to get elected; they'll also tarnish the school's reputation. Our Student Council is entrusted with the power and responsibility to change the rules, and that is why so much is expected of it. We welcome those who understand this."
After delivering his smooth speech, he went straight offstage and left the gymnasium. His words had revealed one thing: the Student Council President could change the rules at this school.
"If there aren't any restrictions, then turning the whole school into my personal harem might not be impossible after all. Joining the Student Council really does seem like a good choice."
"If that's what you're thinking, I'd advise you not to join the Student Council. Someone like you would be eliminated immediately."
Horikita's mocking voice came from beside him. It seemed that after her brother left, she had returned to normal. But Ju Fan had let his inner thoughts slip out loud, which meant he'd let his guard down a little.
"Thank you all for your efforts. That concludes the information session. We'll now begin accepting club applications. Applications will be accepted through the end of April, so if you decide to apply later, please take your application form directly to the club you wish to join."
Once the host had delivered the closing remarks, the third-year students representing the clubs began accepting applications.
"Shinomiya, could you help me find someone?"
Horikita's voice trembled. She looked like an injured puppy, asking him for help. It showed just how overwhelmed she was by her emotions; she would never have let herself look like this before.
"The Student Council President from earlier?"
"That's right. I... I have something to say to my brother. So come with me."
Horikita's eyes were full of trust in Ju Fan, as if she knew he would agree to her request. That was probably why she'd turned to him for help.
Since Horikita trusted him so much, he wouldn't let her down.
"Of course. You came with me this time, after all. Returning the favor is only right. Besides, I want to see what kind of person the Student Council President is."
The two of them headed toward the gymnasium's back entrance. After stepping down from the stage, the Student Council President had gone in that direction as well.
Things turned out unexpectedly. When Ju Fan and Horikita stepped outside, Horikita Manabu was standing beneath a large tree, seemingly waiting for someone. Beside him stood the cute host from earlier, Senior Tachibana, the Student Council secretary.
"So you did come, Suzune... And who is this?"
As if he'd expected Horikita Suzune to follow him, Horikita Manabu turned around at just the right moment. But when he saw Ju Fan with her, a flicker of surprise crossed his face. A glint of coldness flashed in his eyes, giving Ju Fan a sense of danger.
He seemed to have seen Ju Fan teasing Horikita Suzune earlier. After all, just as Horikita Suzune had kept her eyes on him, he had clearly noticed her at the time.
"Shinomiya Ju Fan is a student in Class D."
As soon as Horikita Manabu asked, Senior Tachibana immediately gave him Ju Fan's information. The two of them worked together seamlessly, as if they'd rehearsed it in advance. Of course, it was also possible that Senior Tachibana simply had a good memory and knew everyone in the school.
"Brother, I want to join the Student Council."
Horikita Suzune immediately stated why she'd come. Ju Fan understood: as his younger sister, she wanted to follow the same path as her brother.
"Give it up, Suzune. You don't meet the requirements for joining the Student Council. The fact that you, my sister, were placed in Class D is already a stain on my reputation. You'd be better off dropping out."
Not only did Horikita Manabu refuse his sister's request, he said something harsh instead. But his words also carried an unspoken meaning: he hoped Horikita Suzune wouldn't stay in Class D and would work hard to advance to Class A.
He sounded harsh, but was actually concerned for his younger sister, Horikita Suzune. In some ways, Horikita Manabu had a rather awkward personality. Senior Tachibana, standing beside him and watching the siblings with a quiet smile, seemed to understand that.
"I'll advance to Class A soon, Brother. Then..."
"Mm. Do your best, then. Tachibana, let's go."
Ignoring Horikita Suzune's earnest explanation, Horikita Manabu seemed to lose interest and left with Senior Tachibana.
Maybe Horikita Suzune, lost in her own thoughts, didn't notice, but Ju Fan saw it clearly: as Senior Tachibana walked away, she suddenly turned around and gave them both an encouraging gesture. He just wasn't sure what she was encouraging them about.
And when Horikita Suzune said she would advance from Class D to Class A, Horikita Manabu didn't argue or tell her she couldn't do it. He simply told her to do her best. Had the Student Council President come here specifically to remind her? What an awkward person. If he wanted to encourage his sister, why not just say so? That kind of behavior was bound to cause misunderstandings. Hadn't Horikita Suzune already misunderstood him?
"Hey, Horikita, are you okay? Honestly, the Student Council President was way too harsh. He could've put it better."
Ju Fan steadied Horikita, who had been so shaken that she could barely stand, like a newborn fawn.
"I'm fine. I'll advance from Class D to Class A, no matter what. I absolutely won't become a stain on my brother's reputation. Shinomiya, I'm sorry for the trouble, but please help me."
"Sure. We already agreed on that, didn't we? We've been partners for a while now. But, well... I didn't know you were a siscon, Horikita. Haha... I've learned something interesting. You don't want anyone finding out you're a siscon, do you? So you'd better behave... Pfft!"
"Shinomiya, are you trying to test the limits of my patience? I really will hit you."
"You already did... But since you still have the strength to hit me, I guess you're fine."
You had to admit, although Horikita had been badly shaken by her brother, she recovered incredibly fast. Maybe it was because she'd grown up in a strict family. She sure had a strong constitution for handling setbacks.
Still, he'd have to put on some ointment when he got back. Horikita had hit him in the stomach without holding back at all. It was probably already bruised. Come to think of it, hadn't he been hit a little too many times today? Though, he had brought some of it on himself.
"Shinomiya, here."
"Is this medicine for swelling and pain? Horikita, why do you carry something like this around?"
"Your personality is so awful, Shinomiya. I figured I'd need it sooner or later. And now I do. Thanks for today. See you tomorrow."
"Yeah, see you tomorrow."
Something seemed to have changed in Horikita Suzune, but Ju Fan couldn't quite tell what. Still, Horikita Suzune's affection level had reached 50 (maybe they could become ordinary friends of the opposite sex)...
Before you continue