Horikita Manabu

Watanabe Hayabara turned his head slowly, his gaze landing on the source of the voice, even though he had actually identified its owner long ago.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly into a faint smile as he said softly, "Is something the matter, Shiina Hiyori?"

Shiina Hiyori stood there with a smile on her face, looking a bit shy. She said gently, "Oh, it's nothing. I just saw you here, so I came over to say hello."

Watanabe Hayabara nodded to show he understood. At that moment, Kushida Kikyo, who was standing to the side, suddenly interjected, "And who is this?"

Shiina Hiyori turned her gaze toward Kushida Kikyo and replied with a polite smile, "I am Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kushida Kikyo returned a friendly smile and said, "Hello, I'm Kushida Kikyo, a classmate of Watanabe Hayabara. It's nice to meet you, Shiina Hiyori."

"If there's something on your mind, Shiina Hiyori, just say it. No need to be so hesitant," Watanabe Hayabara said with a smile, his tone relaxed.

Shiina Hiyori's cheeks flushed slightly as she said, "Well... Watanabe Hayabara, would you mind accompanying me to look at the clubs this afternoon?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Kushida Kikyo looked puzzled and chimed in, "What clubs?"

Shiina Hiyori seemed surprised by Kushida Kikyo's question. She blinked and explained, "Don't you know? The announcement just said, 'Starting at 5:00 PM today, a club orientation will be held in the first gymnasium. Students interested in clubs, please gather at the first gymnasium.' It was such a cute female voice."

When she said the last sentence, Shiina Hiyori's gaze swept over Watanabe Hayabara intentionally or otherwise, as if she were saying it specifically for him.

"Of course I can, but don't you have any classmates in Class C you're close with, Shiina Hiyori?"

Shiina Hiyori shook her head gently, a helpless smile on her lips, and said, "I don't really get along with the others in Class C. Please do me this favor, Watanabe Hayabara." As she spoke, she rested her chin on her hand, striking a pitiful pose.

"I could never refuse a request from a beautiful girl."

At this point, Kushida Kikyo, who was sitting nearby, chimed in, "Watanabe Hayabara, you should be helpful!" Her voice was crisp and pleasant, making one feel particularly close to her. Then, Kushida Kikyo turned to Shiina Hiyori and said with a smile, "If you need any help, Shiina Hiyori, feel free to come to me anytime."

"Then I thank you as well, Kushida Kikyo," Watanabe Hayabara said with a smile, a hint of gratitude in his eyes.

Kushida Kikyo smiled slightly in response, "You're welcome, it's the least I can do." Her voice remained crisp and pleasant, giving off a very friendly impression.

"Please be sure to bridge the gap for me, Shiina Hiyori; my wish is to become good friends with everyone," Watanabe Hayabara said, looking at Shiina Hiyori with anticipation, his eyes sparkling with sincerity.

Shiina Hiyori nodded and said gently, "Okay, I will do my best to help." Her tone was firm yet soft, giving off a sense of reliability.

"Then I'll see you at the gymnasium at five, Shiina Hiyori! Bye-bye." Watanabe Hayabara and Kushida Kikyo said in unison, then waved goodbye to Shiina Hiyori.

After parting ways, Watanabe Hayabara and Kushida Kikyo continued to enjoy their lunch, chatting and sharing bits of their lives. Once they finished their meal, they went their separate ways.

The afternoon classes proceeded as usual.

Watanabe Hayabara arrived at the gymnasium on time. He first joined the queue to receive the club introduction brochure, which contained detailed information about each club, and then found a spot away from the crowd to stand.

"Attention, first-year students. Thank you for waiting. We will now begin the club orientation, led by our club representatives. I am Tachibana, secretary of the Student Council, and I will be your moderator for this session. Please treat me well."

After the moderator Tachibana finished her greeting, the club representatives lined up on the gymnasium stage.

The representatives were a diverse group, ranging from a senior in a judo uniform who looked quite strong to a senior wearing a beautiful kimono.

Watanabe Hayabara rubbed his chin, listening to the discussions around him while looking at the brochure in his hand.

[Quite a collection. A display of goods, though it's all just for the sake of club funding.]

Watanabe Hayabara specifically listened to the speech given by the senior in the kimono.

"My name is Hashigaki, and I am the captain of the Archery Club. I think many students have the impression that archery is old-fashioned and plain. However, it is very interesting and a sport well worth pursuing. We welcome beginners, so please, by all means, join our club."

[A very cliché introduction, nothing stands out.]

Next, one senior after another took the stage to introduce their clubs in turn.

Each introduction sparked lively discussions and exchanges of ideas among the first-year students, making the gymnasium quite noisy.

From the teachers acting as supervisors to the club representatives, none showed any signs of annoyance at the noisy first-years, continuing to explain their club situations. Once finished, the seniors stepped off the stage one by one and headed toward the simple recruitment booths set up with tables.

One person left the stage, then two, and finally, only one person remained. Everyone's gaze focused on him.

Watanabe Hayabara looked over, and through his sharp-styled glasses, he could glimpse eyes full of intellect.

However, that person did not speak; he stood perfectly still, scanning the first-year students below.

"What is that guy doing?" The students below began to murmur.

The man on the stage remained unmoved, standing there in complete silence.

Then, the relaxed and cheerful atmosphere of the first-year students slowly shifted in an unexpected direction.

The entire gymnasium was filled with an unbelievable tension and silence.

This silence was so terrifying that even without anyone ordering it, people felt they couldn't speak.

By now, no one dared to open their mouths. And when this silence had lasted for about thirty seconds... the senior on the stage finally slowly scanned all the students and began to speak.

"I am Horikita Manabu, President of the Student Council."

The entire venue became even quieter.

"With the graduation of the seniors, the Student Council will be recruiting candidates from the first-year class. There are no special requirements for candidates, but if anyone is considering running for the Student Council, please refrain from joining other clubs. Those who wish to participate in both the Student Council and other clubs will, in principle, not be accepted."

The entire venue fell deathly silent, and even the constant whispering ceased.

"Furthermore—we in the Student Council do not want those who hold naive ideas to run. Such people would not only fail to be elected but would likely leave a stain on the school. Our school's Student Council is highly anticipated precisely because it is entrusted by the school with the right and mission to change regulations. We only welcome those who can understand this."

After Student Council President Horikita Manabu finished his fluent speech, he stepped off the stage and walked out of the gymnasium.

"Thank you all for your hard work; the orientation ends here. We will now begin accepting club applications. Additionally, since the application process will continue until the end of April, those who wish to apply later should take their application forms directly to the club they wish to join." The moderator's summary helped ease the atmosphere significantly.