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Akira had just put down his phone when Horikita walked over from the end of the corridor. The two didn't say anything more and walked side-by-side towards the Student Council.
However, today was Friday, and there was a long line at the entrance of the Student Council. It seemed many people were taking advantage of the time before the weekend to handle matters.
They quietly stood at the end of the line, waited for more than ten minutes, and finally it was their turn.
As soon as Akira entered the Student Council office, his gaze swept across the room. Besides Student Council President Horikita Manabu and Student Council Secretary Tachibana Akane, a familiar figure was also sitting on a sofa not far away.
The person was none other than Nagumo.
Akira had met him once before when he went to that parfait shop with Kushida.
The blond-haired upperclassman was currently turned sideways, talking to the girl beside him.
And the girl beside him, with a sunflower-shaped hair accessory in her hair, had a gentle demeanor and a cute appearance.
However, compared to Nagumo's conversation, she mostly just listened quietly, occasionally nodding in response, not seeming very enthusiastic.
"Shimizu-kun, good afternoon." On the other side, Tachibana quickly walked over from not far away, first nodding to Akira, then her gaze fell on Horikita beside him, her expression clearly freezing for a moment. Because her face was too similar to the President's.
Out of affection for the President, she asked kindly. "Hello, I'm Tachibana Akane from third-year Class A. My position is Secretary, assisting the Student Council President. Could you tell me your class and name?"
But Horikita didn't hear her at all.
From the moment she stepped into the Student Council office, her gaze was as if drawn by a magnet, firmly fixed on Horikita Manabu. She didn't even notice Tachibana walking up to her, let alone answer the question.
"Horikita," Akira gently touched her arm, reminding her in a low voice. "Don't keep staring at your brother. Tachibana-senpai is asking you a question; hurry up and answer."
These words seemed to suddenly startle her awake.
Horikita suddenly snapped back to reality. When she looked at Tachibana, her voice was still a bit tight, with undisguised awkwardness. "I'm Horikita Suzune from Class D, first year."
"And what else! Remember what I told you?" Akira asked, seizing the opportunity.
Horikita glared at him, then her tone became stiff as she said, "Tachibana-senpai... I heard... you are my brother's collaborator. Thank you very much... for your support of my brother."
As she said this, she felt incredibly awkward.
She wasn't the type to be overly polite and praise people upon first meeting.
However, while waiting in line earlier, Akira had specifically reminded her. Being polite to others would earn her brother's approval.
He'd even prepared her lines for who to meet and what to say.
At this point, she could only comply.
Tachibana looked at her features, and the surprise in her eyes gradually turned into understanding. She was indeed the President's younger sister; their facial features and expressions were almost identical.
She naturally wouldn't mind the other party's initial minor rudeness.
After all, she was the Student Council President's biological sister, so even if her attitude was a bit cold, it was reasonable.
However, she hadn't expected the other party to utter such polite social remarks.
When she first met her, she'd thought this girl had no emotional intelligence whatsoever, only caring about her brother and ignoring everyone else.
Moreover, these words sounded particularly gratifying to her. She was already deeply proud to be the President's assistant, and being recognized by the President's sister was truly a happy thing.
However... if she hadn't misjudged, those words just now seemed to have been prompted by Shimizu-kun next to her?
Thinking this, her gaze towards Akira also unconsciously softened a bit.
Tachibana nodded gently, then turned sideways and made an inviting gesture. "Then Shimizu-kun and Horikita-san, please have a seat on the sofa over there for a while. The President just received a call from the school authorities and might be busy for a bit. Please wait a moment. I'll go make you some tea."
This was only their second meeting, and Tachibana was actually going to specially make tea to entertain them?
Akira glanced at the tables in the office area. There were no ready-made tea sets, so it was clear she'd have to prepare them specifically.
Other students who came to the Student Council usually waited standing or sat down briefly, never receiving such treatment.
Perhaps the President was temporarily unavailable and wanted them to wait comfortably?
But then he thought again, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over Horikita, who was still subtly pursing her lips beside him. It was mostly because of her and those few polite words.
After all, she was the President's sister, so the treatment would naturally be different.
"Then we'll trouble Tachibana-senpai," Akira replied politely.
"Please rest assured, I won't disturb my brother's work. I can wait for as long as it takes," Horikita emphasized her words.
Although she said that, she still couldn't help but instinctively glance quickly at Horikita Manabu. He was sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone while looking down at documents.
It wasn't until Akira gently touched her arm that she snapped back to attention, awkwardly shifting her gaze and following him to sit on the sofa.
However, once she sat down, she remained completely tense.
Her bottom barely touched a small part of the sofa's edge, and her back was ramrod straight, like a fully drawn bowstring.
Akira looked at her tense posture, finding it quite perplexing. "What exactly are you so nervous about? Your brother isn't some man-eating beast. Is there a need to sit so stiffly?"
Horikita choked on his question, with a hint of stubbornness. "I'm not nervous. It's just basic etiquette to maintain a proper sitting posture in an unfamiliar place."
....
In the office, Nagumo, though sitting on a sofa not far away, had intentionally or unintentionally scanned the newly arrived juniors several times. Especially the beautiful girl with long straight black hair and captivating fox-like eyes.
He already had a preference for beautiful women, not to mention that when he heard her self-introduction earlier, he specifically perked up his ears and learned that she was the President's sister.
He'd always regarded Horikita Manabu as a rival, but unfortunately, the President rarely paid him any attention.
If he could win over his sister, he couldn't imagine how displeased Horikita Manabu's expression would be. Just thinking about it made Nagumo feel a thrill.
"Asahina, I'm going to go see those two adorable juniors. You can continue with your work alone for now."
As soon as he thought of this, he immediately ended his conversation with his childhood friend Asahina.
"Hmph," Asahina rolled her eyes as usual.
Nagumo chuckled, not getting angry at all.
His childhood friend had always disliked his personality. He was used to it by now.
"However, those two look like they're dating, don't they? It's one thing for you to go after girls who don't have partners, but don't go breaking up this cute junior couple!" Asahina looked at him, her tone a bit serious.
"If there's truly such pure emotion, then naturally no one can take advantage of it," Nagumo replied without thinking. "It's a good opportunity for me to test how strong their relationship really is. I'm doing this for their own good, too."
"What kind of twisted logic is that!" Asahina frowned. "Pure love isn't for you to use as an experiment. Besides, that girl looks like she's not to be trifled with; she's the President's sister. Don't end up losing more than you gain. Be careful if the President truly gets angry."
Nagumo's lips curved into a nonchalant smile. "It's only interesting if she's not easy to deal with. Look at that awkward, unwilling glint in her eyes when she was talking to him just now. That kind of relationship is the easiest to find cracks in."
He looked up towards the corner of the office, where Horikita was whispering something to the junior named Shimizu, her expression noticeably more relaxed than when they first entered.
Whether the two were dating was hard to say, but that youthful innocence couldn't be hidden. Even if they were together, it probably hadn't been long. After all, new students had only been enrolled for a little over a month.
Nagumo withdrew his gaze, a smile of unknown meaning playing on his lips. "Rather, I just want to make the President angry. I want to see if he can bring out his full strength and have a good game with me."
While Nagumo certainly enjoyed being close to beautiful girls, his heart yearned more for clashes with interesting opponents.
From childhood, he'd almost always encountered mediocre individuals, which occasionally made him wonder. Was he truly a genius?
If he could completely defeat other so-called "geniuses," then he'd undoubtedly be a true genius.
Asahina looked at the calculating glint in his eyes and sighed helplessly. "Do as you please. But if the President finds out you're bullying his sister, I won't speak up for you."
"Don't worry," Nagumo stood up and straightened the collar of his uniform. "I've always preferred 'fair competition' out in the open."
With that, he slowly walked towards Horikita and Akira.