Student Council Recruitment

In the afternoon, the first gymnasium was abuzz with voices.

When Mazumi Mami stepped through the gymnasium doors with his three maids, the venue was already packed with first-year students who had come to attend the club orientation.

Recruitment booths lined the perimeter of the gymnasium, hanging colorful banners and posters. The air was thick with the lively anticipation unique to a new semester.

"First-year students, thank you for waiting."

A clear female voice rang out from the stage at the center of the gymnasium, carrying through the entire venue via the microphone.

The speaker was a purple-haired girl standing on the stage, dressed in a neat school uniform with an exquisite student council badge pinned to her chest. Her demeanor was dignified and capable.

"I am the student council secretary, Tachibana Akane. Next, representatives from each club will give their introductions in turn. Thank you for your attention."

She ended her opening remarks concisely and neatly, then stepped to the side of the stage.

Immediately after, the club representatives filed onto the stage one by one, lining up in a row.

These club representatives were a diverse bunch.

There was a senior in a judo uniform, tall and sturdy, with solid muscles and sharp eyes.

There was a senior in a gorgeous kimono, elegant in bearing, every gesture carrying a classical charm.

There was also a beret-wearing youth who looked like he belonged to the art club.

And several representatives from sports clubs, wearing tank tops that revealed their toned arms.

Whenever a club representative stepped up to the microphone and began their introduction, the first-year students below would whisper to their friends, discussing whether the club seemed interesting, how often it held activities, and whether prior experience was needed.

Mazumi Mami stood quietly among the crowd, observing his surroundings without moving a muscle.

The atmosphere in the gymnasium grew livelier, with noise rising and falling in waves.

But neither the supervising teachers nor the club representatives on stage showed any sign of annoyance at the clamor.

They continued their introductions earnestly, even putting in more effort to promote their clubs—after all, these seniors were working hard to recruit as many new members as possible.

As the orientation progressed, the club representatives who had finished their introductions stepped off the stage one by one and headed to the simple long tables set up around the gymnasium.

There, application forms were laid out, and registration would begin directly after the orientation ended.

By now, lines had already formed in front of several booths.

Mazumi Mami withdrew his gaze and turned to the three girls beside him. "So? Are there any clubs you want to join?"

Chisato Nishikigi shook her head first, her tone tinged with disappointment.

"Nothing satisfying—these clubs are all too ordinary, and I basically already know everything they teach."

She pouted. "I was hoping there'd be something like a 'hidden club' or a 'secret organization,' but it's all just normal sports and culture clubs... boring."

Runa Inoue also shook her head gently. "I don't really like clubs that are too lively. But looking around, there don't seem to be any niche clubs with fewer members and a quieter atmosphere."

"The club sizes are indeed too large,"

Walnut analyzed coolly. "If we're going to operate within a club, too many members would compromise stealth and efficiency. Plus, with many eyes around, it's not conducive to handling confidential matters."

Mazumi Mami nodded thoughtfully. "Then, it seems there are only two paths left—start our own club, or... join the student council."

He murmured to himself, his gaze shifting back to the stage.

Just then, a person with an extraordinary presence stepped onto the stage.

He was about a hundred and seventy centimeters tall, not particularly imposing.

But the moment he set foot on the stage, the atmosphere around him seemed to change.

He had a slender build, with neat, well-groomed black hair. A pair of exquisitely crafted glasses sat on his face, and through the lenses, eyes full of intellect and sharpness could be seen.

He stood before the microphone, looking down at the first-year students with a composed demeanor.

Yet, he didn't say a single word.

He just stood there silently.

One second, two seconds, five seconds, ten seconds...

The noise in the gymnasium began to shift subtly.

"Go for it—!"

"Didn't you prepare a speech—?"

"Haha! Could it be he's so nervous he can't speak!"

Voices like these came from the first-years, mixed with laughter and good-natured teasing.

But the senior on stage remained completely still.

He just stood there, as if all the commotion around him had nothing to do with him, as if the laughter and encouragement hadn't reached his ears at all.

The laughter gradually peaked, then, like an ebbing tide, began to cool rapidly.

"What the hell is that guy doing?"

Students in the gymnasium started to look confused and dumbfounded. The noise rose again, but this time with clear impatience.

Even so, the man on stage remained unmoved.

He stood there, utterly still, without moving a muscle.

Then, an indescribable tension began to spread through the gymnasium.

It was as if an invisible hand was slowly tightening around everyone's heart.

That tense silence made people feel—even without any command—that they absolutely must not speak.

The first-year students who had been jeering moments ago were now completely silent, like cicadas in winter.

The vast gymnasium fell into a suffocating silence that lasted a full thirty seconds.

And just as that thirty-second stillness was about to solidify the air itself—the senior on stage finally slowly swept his gaze across the entire student body and spoke.

His voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly to every corner of the gymnasium:

"I am the student council president—Manabu Horikita."

His tone was gentle, yet carried a sharpness that seemed to pierce the skin.

In that instant, over a hundred first-year students in the gymnasium all fell silent.

"With the graduation of the upperclassmen, the student council will also be recruiting candidates from the first-year students. There are no special requirements for candidates, but those considering running for the student council should avoid joining other clubs. In principle, those who wish to participate in both the student council and other clubs will not be accepted."

His tone remained steady, yet the air grew even heavier.

With just his presence alone, he silenced over a hundred first-year students in this vast space.

Of course, this was not solely due to his title as student council president.

Mazumi Mami narrowed his eyes slightly, silently assessing the man on stage—this was the power inherent in the individual known as Manabu Horikita.

The aura and pressure emanating from his very bones had completely seized control of the atmosphere.

"Next—"

Horikita continued, his tone still calm and penetrating.

"The student council does not wish for candidates who harbor naive ideas to run. Such people would not only be unfit for election but would surely leave a stain on the school. Our school's student council is highly anticipated precisely because the school has granted us the authority and mission to change the regulations. We only welcome those who can understand this."

After delivering this speech smoothly, he did not add a single word more, nor did he respond to any potential questions. He simply turned and walked off the stage, leaving the gymnasium without looking back.

His figure disappeared into the backlight of the doorway.

Only when the door had fully closed did the suffocating pressure in the gymnasium slowly dissipate.

"Thank you all for your hard work! The orientation is now over!"

Fortunately, the student council secretary, Tachibana Akane, stepped onto the stage in time to save the situation, breaking the silence with her clear voice.

"Club applications are now officially being accepted. Additionally, since applications will continue until the end of April, students who wish to apply later can simply bring their application forms directly to the club they wish to join, and a staff member will handle it!"

With her voice, the atmosphere in the gymnasium gradually returned to normal.

But in the whispered conversations among the first-year students, dissatisfaction was palpable.

"What's his deal... that student council president, way too full of himself, right?"

"I know, right? You'd think he was some big official. Just a student council president, and look at that holier-than-thou attitude..."

"He's got presence, sure... but he's way too cocky."

Many students wore expressions of defiance.

After all, most of the people below were peers around the same age as Manabu Horikita.

Facing such a condescending attitude, it was only natural to feel annoyed.

"That guy really gives off a super arrogant vibe."

Chisato Nishikigi crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks slightly, clearly a bit annoyed by Horikita's attitude.

"But what he said was quite informative."

Runa Inoue responded calmly. "Besides, weren't we just discussing the student council earlier? Now they're recruiting new members—isn't this a perfect opportunity?"

She turned to look at Mazumi Mami: "Young master, should we go check it out?"

Mazumi Mami pondered for a moment, then nodded. "We can consider that direction."

But his gaze wasn't entirely fixed on the student council booth. Instead, it shifted to another direction—toward the edge of the crowd, where a boy with an extremely low presence, almost blending into the background, stood, along with a girl beside him.

"However, more than that..."

Mazumi Mami lowered his voice and said to Walnut beside him, "Walnut, I need you to investigate someone."

"Who?"

"The girl standing next to Kiyotaka Ayanokouji."

Mazumi Mami's gaze precisely locked onto that inconspicuous corner of the crowd. "I remember she's been by Kiyotaka Ayanokouji's side since yesterday. And just now, when Horikita was speaking on stage, the way she looked at him... was very off."

He paused slightly, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Look into her background. There might be... some very interesting findings."

A sharp glint flashed in Walnut's eyes. "Understood. I'll gather the relevant information as soon as possible."

A faint smile curled at the corner of Mazumi Mami's lips.

The recruitment information from the student council itself was certainly one gain for today.

But the undercurrents of this school clearly ran far deeper than the surface-level rules and rankings.

Kiyotaka Ayanokouji—that classmate who appeared more ordinary than anyone else, so ordinary it bordered on unnatural—and the mysterious girl beside him might become another interesting key point.

As the orientation officially concluded, the crowd in the gymnasium began to surge toward the club booths scattered around.

Liveliness and clamor returned once more, but beneath this surface bustle, undercurrents churned.