Shirogane didn't hesitate and headed straight to the student council office.
The office was located in a large classroom near the indoor swimming pool provided by the school.
Of course, that didn't mean student council members could slack off and peek at students in swim class.
It was probably just a space issue, so the school assigned this as their office.
And every student here knew about this place. Anyone could come.
Now, Shirogane was standing in front of the student council room. He had two reasons for coming here today. First, he wanted to gain an advantage in the class competition by trying to join the student council. Second, he needed to deal with the SD card he had found yesterday.
The card contained secretly recorded videos.
And the longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for the people in those videos.
Thinking about this, Shirogane noticed someone already standing at the door—leaning on a cane.
Unlike yesterday, today she was wearing a black beret.
It was just a simple addition, yet it somehow made her look at least 20% cuter.
The moment he saw her, Shirogane realized that this visit to the student council might not be as simple as he had hoped.
"What a coincidence. Are you here to turn something in too, Sakayanagi?" he asked.
Hearing his voice, the silver-haired girl in the beret turned around. "Oh my, if it isn't Shirogane from Class 1-C."
"Visiting the student council today as well?"
"But it seems you didn't bring a girl with you this time," Sakayanagi Arisu said.
What did she mean by that?
Had she seen him talking to Ichinose at the second-year building? If so, why not just greet him back then?
Before he could say anything, the narration system in his head chimed in.
[I'm not sure, but she seems a little unhappy.]
"—"
So this narration system wasn't always useful. At first, Shirogane had thought it was all-knowing, but after a while, he started to suspect it was just someone from the future.
And it only provided analysis or information when he was directly involved.
But now, it was telling him that Sakayanagi was upset?
Shirogane had no idea when he had made her mad.
"I parted ways with Ichinose back in the second-year area," he said. "She doesn't seem to have any reason to visit the student council right now."
"..." Sakayanagi.
She looked a little confused but remained polite. "I already thought it was impressive that you got along so well with Shiina from your own class, but now you're friendly with students from other classes too?"
"It seems you completely ignored what I told you."
"Still enjoying your lively school life."
Even though her tone remained polite, Shirogane—and even his narration system—could tell she might be a little annoyed.
"Were you with your classmates yesterday, Sakayanagi?" he asked.
"Hmm?" Sakayanagi tilted her head slightly, as if listening carefully.
"I saw you at the shopping district yesterday with your class," Shirogane said. "It looked like they acknowledged you as their leader."
Wait a second.
Shirogane suddenly realized something.
Sakayanagi had just mentioned his good relationship with Shiina. That meant she had seen him yesterday too, right?
"You already know my body isn't very strong," Sakayanagi said. "Even something like being independent is quite a burden for me."
"So I simply borrowed the help of others."
"I shared some of my observations about this school, and in return, I gained some students' support."
"They willingly became my arms and legs," she said lightly.
I see.
So she really did win over some of her classmates.
But hey, hey, hey—your way of thinking is kinda dangerous.
You say these students are your right-hand people, but it feels more like you're just using them as tools.
Still, Shirogane felt that Sakayanagi had already grasped something important about how this school really worked.
After all, Sakayanagi Arisu was a student from Class A. She had been thinking about the strange aspects of this school since the entrance ceremony, and she had already earned the approval of some of her classmates. With her leading them, they could probably gather important intel much faster.
"So, what brings you to the student council today?" Shirogane asked.
Honestly, he didn't expect a direct answer.
If Sakayanagi knew about the class battles, then sharing information with students from other classes wouldn't be a smart move.
"I came to print a roster of all the students in our grade," Sakayanagi Arisu said. "Since we'll be competing as classes, isn't it important to know everything about both our own class and the others?"
Uh…
Alright then.
So basically, she already had a pretty good grasp of the situation.
Terrifying.
Was this the final boss that Class C would have to face?
Even Shirogane was feeling the pressure. If Ryuen's method of using violence could force a disorganized class into unity, then Sakayanagi had taken a different approach—earning her classmates' trust.
It seemed like her classmates were smart enough to follow the flow. Once she gave orders, they immediately started moving.
Everything was perfectly divided and assigned.
That made Class A very dangerous.
They had a strong leader, and their subordinates were obedient.
"So it looks like you've already taken control of Class A and become its leader?" Shirogane asked in a casual tone.
"Not really." Sakayanagi gently gripped her cane, her expression showing a hint of regret. "I do want to be the class representative, but there are also students who prefer a more cautious approach."
Oh.
So that means she's the aggressive type?
Didn't see that coming at all.
She looked small and frail, but her attacks were unexpectedly sharp.
But if that was the case, then Class A wasn't completely united either. As long as there were internal conflicts, it would be an opportunity for the other classes.
Just as Shirogane was thinking that, the doors to the student council room suddenly creaked open.
The tightly shut doors were pushed open from the inside.
Both Shirogane and Sakayanagi turned their eyes toward the doorway, where the silhouette of a black-haired boy appeared.
The student council president!
No surprise there—this was the same student council president who had spoken at the entrance ceremony. He was a top-tier senior, leading Class A in the third year, and under his leadership, not a single student had been expelled.
Horikita Manabu.
"Well, you two seem to be having a great time chatting at the door. Are you coming in or not?" the president asked, his voice carrying the weight of judgment.
"No, we're coming in," Shirogane replied.
"Hmm—" Sakayanagi, as always, maintained her adorable demeanor.
But.
Everyone had now realized one thing.
The student council office had terrible soundproofing.
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