Saturday morning, in the Student Council meeting room.
The regular meeting was nearing its end. At the head of the long table, Horikita Manabu sat upright, his expression composed, as he brought the week's business to a close.
"...In summary, recruitment for first-year students will take place next Thursday. All departments should prepare in advance to ensure everything runs smoothly."
"Yes, President."
"Understood."
The responses were uneven but uniformly respectful. The atmosphere in the meeting room relaxed a little. Papers rustled and chairs shifted slightly as everyone began gathering their belongings from the table, preparing to leave.
Kitagawa Kai sat toward the back. Almost as soon as Horikita Manabu finished speaking, he unobtrusively closed his notebook, ready to slip away quietly.
Weekend hours were precious, and he clearly had no intention of lingering in the Student Council Room.
However, just as Kitagawa Kai followed the others toward the door, an arm reached out from diagonally behind him, resting lightly on his shoulder and stopping him.
"Kitagawa, my junior."
A cute yet firm female voice sounded beside him, carrying a faint smile that seemed to say, "Finally caught you."
Kitagawa Kai paused and turned his head. The person stopping him was his senior, Tachibana Akane.
She wore her girls' uniform impeccably, her purple hair carefully arranged into two small buns, symmetrically placed on either side of the back of her head. They exposed her fair neck and clear face, giving her a playful, lively look.
Standing beside Kitagawa Kai, her petite frame meant she had to tilt her head up slightly to meet his eyes.
"Today, it's your turn to be on duty with me. It's written very clearly on the schedule, so don't think you can slip away."
"Oh dear, it looks like you're right. Sorry, Senior Tachibana. I nearly