Student Council Conditions

Two days before the midterms, Yuto received an unexpected message.

The sender was Horikita Manabu—the student council president, a Class A third-year, the man Yuto had extorted for two hundred thousand points last time. The message was brief, with only one line: "Come to the student council office after school."

Yuto stared at the screen for several seconds. There were only two possible reasons Horikita Manabu wanted to see him—either he wanted to settle the score over the recording from last time, or he needed Yuto for something. Based on what Yuto knew about him, the latter was more likely. He slipped his phone into his pocket. Whatever was coming would come.

After school, he arrived at the student council office at the appointed time. The door was open, and several people were inside. Horikita Manabu sat at the head seat with a pile of documents spread before him. A bespectacled boy stood beside him, while two people Yuto had never seen sat across from him. The whole office felt oppressive, filled with an atmosphere that said, "This is no place for idle people."

"Come in," Horikita Manabu said without looking up.

Yuto walked in and sat in the chair opposite Horikita Manabu. He swept his eyes over the people in the office—the bespectacled boy was probably the student council secretary or something similar, holding a notebook ready to take notes. In the corner sat a blond boy, lounging casually against the back of his chair with a faint smile on his face. He looked utterly out of place in this serious office.

"Yuto Hayashi, Class D, first year." Horikita Manabu got straight to the point. "I told you last time that I would remember you. You remember that, don't you?"

"I do."

"I looked into you for a while." Horikita Manabu leaned back in his chair, looking at him calmly. "Your grades place you in the top ten percent of the year. You work part-time at a cake shop as a side business. You're close with Kushida Kikyo from Class D. You possess a miniature video camera—you used it to film something on the shopping street, then recently used it to earn a considerable sum of points."

Yuto did not respond. Horikita Manabu knew even more than he had expected, which meant he had genuinely investigated him.

"You're capable," Horikita Manabu concluded. "Chabashira must be pleased that Class D has produced someone like you."

"Did the president call me here just to praise me?"

Horikita Manabu stared at him for several seconds, then said something that silenced the entire office.

"I want you to join the student council."

Yuto said nothing.

"With your abilities, staying in Class D is a waste," Horikita Manabu continued. "The student council has its own resources and connections. Once you join, you'll see more and meet more people than you ever would sitting in a classroom. There's no downside for you."

"What are the terms?"

Horikita Manabu was silent for a moment.

"Look after Suzune for me."

Yuto raised his head and looked at him. The request was far more direct than he had expected. He had thought Horikita Manabu would beat around the bush with polite phrases like "I hope you can help Class D improve," but he had not.

"President, you want a Class D student like me to look after your sister?" Yuto confirmed. "Aren't you afraid I'll bully her?"

"You can't bully her." Horikita Manabu looked at him, his gaze containing no test, only certainty born of judgment. "And I investigated you. Your methods may not be clean, but you aren't the type to hurt people for no reason. You like making deals with people. Before you scheme against someone else, you scheme against yourself first. Suzune is stubborn, but she isn't stupid. You can't bully her. At most, you'll make her suffer a few setbacks."

Yuto was silent for several seconds. Horikita Manabu's assessment of him was more accurate than he had expected.

"You know what your sister is like." Yuto shifted in his seat. "Tell her to go east, and she goes west. Tell her to go west, and she goes east. Tell her to focus on studying, and she insists on making some study group. Tell her not to interfere with Sudo, and she insists on interfering. Looking after her—that's no small workload."

"So?"

"So I need more money."

The blond boy beside them could not help laughing. It was not loud, but it rang especially clearly through the quiet office. Horikita Manabu did not laugh. He remained seated at the head of the table, looking at Yuto without any change in expression.

He pushed a document across the desk.

"This is your letter of appointment. Starting today, you are the vice director of the student council's General Affairs Department."

Yuto looked down at the document. The letter was written formally, stamped with the student council seal and bearing Horikita Manabu's signature. General Affairs—the department responsible for coordinating the student council's miscellaneous affairs, organizing activities, and liaising between departments. It did not require much specialized skill, but it did require dependable people.

"The General Affairs Department has several smaller divisions. One of them is the Events Liaison Group." Horikita Manabu said, "The group leader is Honami Ichinose from Class B, first year. As vice director of General Affairs, you'll have plenty of chances to work with her. General Affairs has a broad range of responsibilities, so having a vice director to share her workload is a good thing."

Yuto's eyes shifted slightly when he heard Honami Ichinose's name. Honami Ichinose—Class B's leader, his first client in the information business, and a character who had left a strong impression on him in the original work. He had not expected to become her colleague this way.

"Additionally, student council members receive a certain amount of activity funding every month." Horikita Manabu took an envelope from a drawer and pushed it in front of Yuto. "This is your vice director allowance and an advance on this quarter's activity budget. Three hundred thousand points in total."

Yuto glanced at the envelope. Three hundred thousand. Added to the previous two hundred thousand, he had already made half a million points from Horikita Manabu alone.

"President, this is bribery."

"This is an investment," Horikita Manabu said. His tone was flat, but serious. "I invest in you, and you watch over Suzune. We each get what we need."

Yuto was silent for several seconds before reaching out and taking the envelope. As his fingers touched it, he felt its thickness. This was probably what three hundred thousand points felt like in physical form.

"Deal."

Horikita Manabu nodded, then gestured toward the blond boy. "Nan Yun, take him around and introduce him to the other student council members."

The blond boy called Nan Yun stood up. He was not particularly tall, but he had a strong presence. When he smiled, he gave off a feeling that was both friendly and dangerous. He wore his uniform casually, his tie hanging loose around his neck, a sharp contrast to everyone else's impeccable dress in the office.

"Yuto Hayashi from Class D, first year, right?" Nan Yun extended a hand, his smile natural. "I'm Nan Yun Ya, Class A, second year, student council vice president. Welcome to the student council."

Yuto took his hand. Nan Yun's grip was strong, and he did not release it until three seconds later. The strength was perfectly measured—not enough to feel offensive, but not so weak as to seem perfunctory.

"I'd heard Class D had an interesting person. I finally get to meet you today." Nan Yun patted his shoulder with the casual ease of an old friend. "Come on. I'll show you around and introduce you to everyone."

He led Yuto out of the office, introducing things as they walked. "This is the conference hall. We hold regular meetings every Wednesday afternoon, so don't be late. That's the archive room. Activity records from previous years are all in there. Look through them when you have time and get familiar with how the student council operates. Oh, right, the General Affairs office is around the corner on the third floor. Your desk is at the far end by the window. I had someone prepare it."

Nan Yun's introduction flowed smoothly. His familiarity with the school clearly exceeded that of most students. He led Yuto through several corridors and past a few offices with signs on their doors. Every time they passed somewhere, he casually explained which department it was and who worked inside.

At the corner of the second floor, they ran into a bespectacled girl. Nan Yun stopped to greet her. "Kiriyama, this is the new vice director of General Affairs, Yuto Hayashi from Class D, first year."

The girl called Kiriyama glanced at Yuto and nodded. "Hello. I'm Kiriyama Yuriko, Class A, second year, the student council accountant."

Her tone was cold, though not rude—she was simply not friendly. Yuto nodded and returned her greeting. Kiriyama then turned and left.

"That's just how Kiriyama is. Don't mind her," Nan Yun said with a smile. "She treats everyone that way."

They continued on and met several more student council members. Second-years and third-years—Yuto memorized several names alone: Tachibana Akane the secretary, Morita the assistant accountant, and Watanabe from the Athletics Department. Everyone reacted differently. Some were warm, some indifferent, but all showed varying degrees of surprise at his "Class D, first year" background.

When they reached the third floor, Nan Yun pushed open a door.

"This is General Affairs."

The room was not large, but it was tidy. A row of filing cabinets stood against the wall, while an elongated table sat in the center with several open folders spread across it. There was also a small desk in the corner with a potted pothos plant on top. Sunlight streamed through the windows, making the whole room bright and quiet.

Several students sat in the room, and they all looked up when someone entered. Nan Yun stepped aside to let Yuto in, then tipped his chin toward the most noticeable person in the room.

"Ichinose, this is the new vice director of your General Affairs Department, Yuto Hayashi from Class D, first year."

A pink-haired girl rose from her seat.

She looked gentle, and her eyes curved when she smiled, giving her an utterly unguarded warmth. Her uniform was neatly worn, though a tiny flower brooch was pinned to her collar—a subtle decoration that did not violate school rules, yet showed a touch of personal thought.

"Hello, I'm Honami Ichinose from Class B, first year." She extended her hand, her voice gentle but not weak. "It's nice to meet you."

Yuto shook her hand. Her fingers were soft, and her grip was light, but sincere.

"Yuto Hayashi. I look forward to working with you."

"Vice director—that's amazing." Ichinose smiled, with no empty politeness in it. She was genuinely happy. "I heard General Affairs hasn't had a vice director in a long time, and you took the position as soon as you arrived. I was handling everything alone before, and sometimes I really couldn't keep up."

"I was only appointed today, so I may need some time to get familiar with things."

"That's fine. Ask me anytime if there's something you don't understand," Ichinose said. "General Affairs has a lot of miscellaneous work, but it isn't difficult once you get used to it. Mostly activity coordination and interdepartmental liaison work, plus occasionally helping set up venues. Oh, Vice Director, when are you usually free? I'll adjust the shift schedule and try to arrange your duty hours at times that work for you."

Her thoughtfulness surprised Yuto a little. Most people would only say, "Ask me if you don't understand something," when a new colleague arrived. But she had immediately thought of adjusting the shifts and duty schedule. It showed that she was genuinely considering how to help a new member fit in.

"Any time after school works. My cake shop job starts after six."

"Okay, then I'll schedule you from four to five-thirty. Oh, and there's a General Affairs meeting tomorrow afternoon. Do you want to attend? We'll mainly be discussing activity arrangements for next month's campus open day."

"Sure."

Ichinose smiled again. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."

Nan Yun watched from the side for a while before adding, "Ichinose is very reliable. Ask her if there's anything you don't understand. She may be a group leader, but she handles practically everything big and small in General Affairs."

"You're giving me too much credit, Nan Yun-senpai." Ichinose waved modestly, though she could not hide the smile on her face.

Nan Yun then led Yuto around a few more places and introduced him to people from other departments. By the end of the tour, Yuto had a general understanding of the student council's structure—Horikita Manabu was the president, Nan Yun Ya the vice president, Tachibana Akane the secretary, Kiriyama Yuriko the accountant, with departments such as General Affairs, Athletics, Culture, and the Disciplinary Committee beneath them.

After they finished, Nan Yun stopped at the end of a corridor.

"So, how does it feel?"

"Pretty good."

"Good. Official work starts tomorrow, so don't be late." Nan Yun patted his shoulder. "Oh, and you can come find me anytime if there's a problem. The student council has plenty of rules, but it's flexible too. As long as you get things done, nobody will care what methods you use."

After saying that, he left. His steps were light, his back radiating unhurried confidence. Yuto stood in the corridor and watched him go, slipping a hand into his pocket to touch the envelope containing three hundred thousand points.

Nan Yun Ya felt far more complicated than Horikita Manabu. Horikita Manabu was the kind of person you could see through at a glance—serious, upright, principled. Nan Yun Ya was the kind of person who smiled as he spoke to you, while you never knew what he was thinking.

Yuto thought again of Honami Ichinose's smile just now. It was clean, so clean that it made people want to protect it from being stained. He knew what Ichinose would go through later in the original work—Nan Yun Ya would set his sights on her and use every method he could to try to control her. She was still smiling without a care, believing she had met a friendly, trustworthy senior. She was not on guard against him yet, but Yuto knew that as time passed, Nan Yun Ya's ambitions would gradually reveal themselves.

He made a mental note: he had to help Honami Ichinose. Not now, but sooner or later.

Meanwhile, in another corner of campus, Horikita Suzune and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood in the corridor of an old school building. Few people came to this building normally. Half the corridor lights were broken, leaving it dim, while the paint at the corners of the walls had begun to peel.

A third-year student stood before them. He wore a faded school uniform jacket, thin as a bamboo pole and looking somewhat malnourished. He clutched a wrinkled stack of test papers in his hand. Their edges had curled up, and they truly looked like they had been around for years.

"Thirty thousand," the senior quoted, his tone carrying the confidence of someone who believed plenty of others would buy if they did not.

"That's too expensive." Horikita Suzune frowned slightly.

"Not expensive, not expensive. These are the original midterm papers from last year." The senior shook the papers between two fingers, making them rustle. "Guaranteed to get you through. Think about it—spend thirty thousand and pass, instead of failing and spending even more points on a makeup exam."

"You said you guarantee a pass, not high marks."

"Passing is enough. What more do you want?"

Horikita Suzune fell silent for several seconds. She knew the value of these papers—Yuto's information had been right. The school's test writers truly had a habit of taking shortcuts, and past papers overlapped heavily with this year's tests in question types and key topics. As long as she studied these papers thoroughly, she could at least pass this exam. But she did not have many points, and thirty thousand was not a small amount to her. She was not someone who spent points carelessly, but thirty thousand did make her hesitate.

"I only have twenty thousand."

The senior shook his head and pulled the papers back slightly. "Twenty thousand won't do. I took a risk stealing these from the storeroom. Thirty thousand, not one point less."

Horikita Suzune gritted her teeth.

Then Ayanokoji spoke from beside her.

"Senpai, how did that free meal set at the cafeteria taste last time?"

The senior's expression changed. His hand froze in midair, and the confidence on his face turned into wariness.

"H-how do you know that?"

"I saw you." Ayanokoji spoke unhurriedly, his tone as flat as if he were stating something insignificant. "For three days in a row, you ate free curry rice. You probably spent your points on something else, didn't you? You're short on points right now, aren't you?"

Sweat began to form on the senior's forehead. The fingers gripping the papers tightened unconsciously.

Ayanokoji continued, "Twenty thousand. Sell them to us. With those twenty thousand, you can still eat several decent meals. If you miss this deal, you won't even get to eat free curry rice anymore."

The senior stared at him for several seconds, as if judging just how much information this person had. In the end, he deflated and shoved the papers into Horikita Suzune's hands.

"...Twenty thousand it is. Take them and leave."

After Horikita Suzune checked that the papers were correct, she transferred the points. The senior left without looking back after receiving them. His footsteps echoed several times through the empty corridor before disappearing.

She looked down at the test papers in her hands. The pages were old, but the content was complete. The math, English, and Japanese questions were all printed clearly. At that price, they were worth it.

She raised her head to look at Ayanokoji.

"How did you know he ate the free meal set?"

"Observation," Ayanokoji said. "There were curry stains on the cuffs of his uniform jacket. They weren't from a single meal; they had accumulated over several days. He also smelled like curry—the distinctive spice scent of the cafeteria's free curry. On top of that, his center of gravity shifted left when he walked, which meant there was something in his left pocket. Probably a phone charger or something similar. Taken together, he's been short on money lately, spent his points elsewhere, and could only fill himself up on free curry rice."

Horikita Suzune was silent for several seconds. She realized she was finding this classmate harder and harder to understand. He was unlike Yuto—Yuto wore his cleverness on his face but could not be bothered to use it, while Ayanokoji hid his cleverness so completely that nobody noticed it. The two of them shared one thing in common: neither wanted others to know what they were really thinking.

"Have you been around Yuto for too long? Did you learn that from him?"

Ayanokoji thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe we influence each other."

Then he left. His hands were in his pockets, and his pace was neither hurried nor slow. His figure soon disappeared around the corridor corner.

Horikita Suzune stood alone in the dim corridor, looking down at the test papers in her hands. Then she thought of Yuto's expression when he had said, "The upperclassmen have papers from previous years," at the end of the corridor that day. He had clearly known the answer when he spoke, yet he had only given her a hint and made her find it herself. Every word he said was true, but he never told the whole truth. She remembered him handing her a soda and saying, "Thanks to you, I made two hundred thousand," and when he said, "I really did delete what was in the video camera. As for anything else, think about it yourself." The way that person did things was always impossible to read.

She put the papers into her schoolbag and turned to leave as well. No matter what, she had gotten what she wanted.

For the midterms, she could not disappoint her brother again.