Yagami from Class 1-B could barely contain himself. He was itching to go challenge Ayanokouji, but Ichika from Class 1-A stepped in to stop him.
Ichika fixed him with glistening eyes and said, "Have you forgotten that our target is Akasaka Ryunosuke? How could you shift your attention to Ayanokouji-senpai instead!"
Deep down, she muttered to herself, (Ayanokouji-senpai is mine!)
As a devoted fan of Ayanokouji, Ichika had no intention of letting Yagami go after her prey too soon. She still wanted to spend the remaining three years of school life alongside Ayanokouji, and she couldn't allow Yagami to ruin that plan.
Yagami, however, couldn't care less. He let out a cold laugh. "Don't think I don't know what you're scheming. I'm warning you, don't get in my way."
"Our superiors made it clear that Ayanokouji-senpai is also a target. He's just ranked second, but that doesn't mean I'm forbidden from going after him."
"Tsk." Ichika clicked her tongue and said nothing more. What her opponent said was true, and she had no grounds to hold him back any longer.
Yagami brushed past her with a provocative look and said, "Just watch from the sidelines. I'll prove to our superiors that I'm far stronger than Ayanokouji-senpai!"
With that, he walked away without a backward glance. Ichika could only heave a long sigh.
"What a difficult person to deal with. This could become a problem." She made a sour face, then clapped her hands together. "Well, there's no way he can win against Ayanokouji-senpai anyway, so I don't need to worry too much."
In Ichika's assessment, Yagami was no match for Ayanokouji, so she wasn't worried in the slightest. The little red-haired devil skipped off down the hallway, hands clasped behind her back.
She had her own preparations to make. Not against Ayanokouji, but against Ryunosuke. After all, that man had been the one to throw her father, Tsukishiro, behind bars. She felt it was only right to repay him a little.
Ichika had only recently learned that Tsukishiro was her father, though at this point it hardly mattered. What mattered was that she now had a solid reason to confront Ryunosuke. It wasn't out of any deep love for her father, as they had never even acknowledged each other, and there was no emotional bond between them. She simply wanted an excuse to act. In her eyes, only Ayanokouji existed. She didn't think much of Ryunosuke at all.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
In the Student Council Office.
Ryunosuke had officially taken his place as the new Student Council President. The council itself had gone through a major reshuffling, and with the seniors having graduated, the vacant positions needed to be filled.
He had once promised Kushida that he would bring her into the Student Council, and he kept that promise. Assigning her a role, however, proved to be a bit of a puzzle. He didn't dare give her anything too important for fear of being stabbed in the back, and if that happened, things could get very messy indeed.
Ryunosuke couldn't read Kushida's mind. He had no idea when she might betray him, so granting her real authority was out of the question. In the end, he gave her a position unrelated to core decision-making but guaranteed to keep her busy: the Disciplinary Committee.
Her duties would include routine inspections and overseeing student conduct and discipline, maintaining order on campus to ensure a proper learning environment. It was a perfect fit for Kushida, who loved being in the spotlight and relished proving herself in front of everyone. A role that required her to patrol frequently and stay visible suited her just fine.
Once Ryunosuke laid it out, Kushida had no objections. In fact, it was exactly what she had wanted. Being the center of attention and staying in the public eye was something she craved deeply. Her attitude toward Ryunosuke warmed considerably.
Kushida tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and said in a faintly coquettish tone, "Thank you so much, Akasaka-kun~"
"You really do know me inside out. You knew exactly what I wanted most."
She tilted forward slightly, looking up at him with a teasing gaze, her voice easing into something more relaxed. She even let her real face slip through as she added, "Thank you. From now on, I won't stand in your way anymore. If you ever need anything from me, just say the word."
Ryunosuke immediately leaned back and dabbed at the cold sweat on his forehead. He gestured for Kushida to step back, as she was standing far too close. There were other people in the council room, and on top of that, both of his wives were present. He couldn't afford to be seen getting that cozy with her.
Sure enough, because Kushida had gotten so close, Suzune, who served as Vice President, was now frowning, and Hiyori, serving as Secretary, was visibly struggling with a pang of jealousy.
"Tsk!" Kushida clicked her tongue inwardly, cursing him for being such a coward. She immediately switched back into her "little angel" mode and flashed a radiant smile at the two jealous girls.
"Please don't misunderstand, Horikita-san, Shiina-san. He is absolutely not my type. He's average-looking on top of being a total playboy. I'd have to be blind to ever fall for someone like him."
The words hit Ryunosuke like a blow to the chest. He coughed up blood, though it was really just tomato juice. He'd had a bout with Ryuen that morning and activated his chuunibyou mode, and since he hadn't quite snapped out of it yet, he was still prone to these little dramatic performances.
Ryunosuke clutched his chest with an expression of profound injury. "Kushida-san, you've wounded my fragile soul. I demand compensation!"
Kushida rolled her eyes and ignored him. This was just how he acted, and she'd already gotten used to it. It was also the first time she'd learned that this guy had a chuunibyou streak. She eased the door shut behind her and left the Student Council office.
Seeing that, Ryunosuke dropped the act. He plucked a tissue and dabbed the remaining tomato juice from the corner of his mouth.
As for why Hiyori and Suzune had joined the council: Suzune had been lured in with the argument that it was a chance to surpass her older brother. At the time, Ryunosuke had told her, "You don't want to disappoint your brother, do you? Then join the Student Council!"
"Work for me for free! Ah, I mean, prove your worth! Show your brother you're no pale imitation!"
That was how Ryunosuke had played her, and Suzune had taken the bait hook, line, and sinker. She was now perfectly willing to work hard for him of her own free will.
She's too easy to fool, Ryunosuke thought, feeling rather pleased with himself.
As for Hiyori, her reason for joining was simpler. She had noticed that Ryunosuke would no longer have time to sit and read with her. More precisely, outside of Saturdays and Sundays, he would have no free time at all, since the Student Council schedule ran two to three hours after classes.
This effectively cut off their weekday reading sessions. Besides, Hiyori had already been monopolizing far too much of his time, and that wasn't fair to the other girls. He had to divide his time equally. In other words, he needed to spread his affection so that everyone received their share.
What else could he do? There were simply too many of them. If things weren't managed fairly, he could end up meeting a tragic fate, like Ito Makoto...