Narrator

"Look carefully, this man is called Handsome Guy... oh no, it's Horikita Manabu."

"At this moment, he is attempting to use the Death Stare skill to silence the entire venue. The effect is outstanding."

A mechanical voice, utterly devoid of emotional fluctuation, echoed clearly through the gymnasium that had suddenly fallen into silence.

The air froze for an instant.

"???"

"Huh? What was that sound?"

"Where did this narrator come from?!"

Someone couldn't hold it in first.

Then, like a row of dominoes toppling over.

Suppressed laughter, coughs, snickers spread from every corner of the audience.

Horikita Manabu's silence skill seemed to have been forcibly interrupted by this inexplicable narration.

On the platform, Horikita Manabu himself—that stern face—twitched. Then, with an even colder gaze, he slowly swept the room, trying to locate the source of the narrator's voice.

Kitagawa Kai stood at the edge of Class A's area, lowering his head slightly, using Kamuro beside him as cover, struggling to maintain an expression of I have nothing to do with this.

The narrator skill had been too effective.

The moment she heard the narration, Kamuro Masumi elbowed Kitagawa, her voice very soft: "Pfft... what the hell is this... I'm dying of laughter..."

On stage, Horikita Manabu finally moved. He raised the microphone to his lips.

"Welcome, new students. I am the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu."

Narrator: "Here it begins. The classic self-introduction segment."

The corner of Horikita Manabu's mouth seemed to twitch, but his speaking pace remained unchanged: "Regarding clubs..."

Narrator, seamlessly interjecting: "Regarding clubs, he knows a lot, but usually only says three things. First point, second point, and the last point. This is the basic decorum of a Student Council President."

"..."

The entire gymnasium was enveloped in a bizarre atmosphere.

Everyone had to strain their cheek muscles to keep from laughing out loud.

Horikita Manabu's speech was actually brief and forceful, but every time he reached a key point, the narrator would chime in at just the right moment.

"Finally, I'm sure many of you here are interested in the Student Council. On that note, I will only clarify one point."

"With the graduation of the third-year students, the Student Council will also recruit talented individuals from among the new students. However, the Student Council is not a club."

"We do not speak of interest, only of ability. In order to devote all our energy to the Student Council, members are forbidden from participating in club activities."

"We in the Student Council do not wish for candidates with naive ideas to run. People like that would not only fail to be elected but would surely leave a stain on the school."

"That is all."

With his final words, Horikita Manabu turned and walked off the stage, each step steady. In moments, his figure disappeared, leaving behind a crowd of bewildered new students.

"What the hell was that just now?!"

"Was it a prank? Or a program from the broadcasting club?"

"Who has the guts to do that right in front of the Horikita President..."

"Only Nanumo Miyabi, the second-year senior, would be that bold..."

"That last part about leaving a stain, combined with the earlier narration... something feels off..."

In the back area of Class D, a tall girl with straight black hair—Horikita Suzune.

She had her arms crossed, her fingertips unconsciously tightening slightly.

When the name Nanumo Miyabi faintly drifted into her ears, her already cold expression turned utterly grim.

A girl who had always chased after her brother could absolutely not tolerate anyone slandering him.

She turned slightly, her gaze falling on the boy beside her.

"Ayanokoji-kun, investigate Nanumo Miyabi with me."

The named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked up: "I'll pass. That's not a good idea."

I just want to live an ordinary, uneventful school life.

The air stagnated for a moment.

Horikita Suzune said nothing. She simply, deftly, produced a Metal Compass from somewhere.

She pushed with her thumb, opening the legs of the compass to a sharp angle, aiming it at Ayanokoji.

The meaning was clear without words.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's expression didn't change much. He simply raised both hands in a compliant manner, making a simple gesture of surrender.

"I understand. What exactly do you need me to do, Horikita-san?"

"Gather information. Especially on whether there is an obvious conflict between Nanumo Miyabi and the Student Council—or rather, between her and Horikita President."

She paused, then added, "You don't stand out. You're suited for observing."

And also suited for being a tool.

Ayanokoji nodded. "Okay."

'Got myself dragged into trouble.' he thought, but his face remained expressionless.

Kitagawa Kai had barely returned to Class B's area when he was surrounded by a lively, energetic buzz of discussion.

"A lot of people decided to join clubs today, huh?" That was Amikura Mako, small and cute.

"A party! We have to have a party!"

"Then we gotta celebrate~" a nearby girl chimed in.

Just then, Ichinose Honami lightly clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention. "Speaking of which, I did a little asking around yesterday. There's a set meal place near the school—the food's pretty unique, the prices are reasonable, and there's even a special discount for new students!"

"Really? That's great!"

"A set meal place sounds good! We can chat slowly!"

"Ichinose even looked into that for us, how thoughtful!"

"As expected of our class rep!"

Kitagawa Kai's steps faltered.

Class B's party frequency was indeed a bit too high.

Monday: a get-together to celebrate getting to know each other. Wednesday: a group karaoke outing. Now: another group dinner.

Though each time it was nominally a small, voluntary gathering, under Ichinose Honami's highly infectious call to action, it always ended up as a lively event involving most of the class.

Amid the clamor of voices, Ichinose Honami quietly slipped over to Kitagawa Kai's side, tilting her face up slightly, her pink ponytail swaying.

"Kitagawa-kun, you've never joined any of our class parties, have you?"

Kitagawa Kai was about to refuse. "Uh, today might be—"

"You're coming, right? Everyone's really looking forward to getting to know each other better."

"And," Ichinose's tone turned light again, "tonight's just a casual dinner. I promise, we'll all have a great time together! Kitagawa-kun, come along too, okay?"

Faced with the girl's big, watery eyes, Kitagawa Kai couldn't take the stare and quickly said, "Fine, fine, I'll go."

"Great! (｡>▽<｡)" Ichinose's eyes sparkled with genuine, bright light. "Then it's settled! Six o'clock tonight, don't forget!"

She confirmed happily, then, as if remembering something, added, "Don't worry, it's just a relaxed get-together. No pressure!"

With that, she turned and walked away lightly to invite the next person.

In the distance, a girl with a beautiful face, fair skin, and a long purple ponytail was trying to minimize her presence.

It was Himeno Yuki.

"Himeno-san!" Ichinose's voice was still clear and pleasant.

Himeno Yuki's body stiffened almost imperceptibly, and she stopped in her tracks.

She lifted her head slightly, her gaze wandering, not quite daring to look Ichinose in the eye, and only mumbled a vague reply: "Fine."