*CLICK!*
Pushing open the heavy, opulent doors of the Student Council room, Izuru stepped inside, his face clouded with thought. He scanned the room; though he had been using it for some time now, the sheer scale of its luxury still made him click his tongue in awe every single time.
Just how lavish was this place?
If the Headmaster's office was a level 38 on the luxury scale, then this Student Council room was a staggering 250!
From the floors to the walls, and even up to the ceiling, every inch was adorned with the finest, most exquisite modern materials. Even the desks and furnishings were in a league of their own; a single glance was enough to radiate an aura of high-society prestige.
Furthermore, while newly renovated buildings usually reeked of formaldehyde for weeks, this recently completed room was different. Even if someone brought in the world's most sensitive chemical detector, they wouldn't find a single trace of it.
The level of investment here was simply unbelievable.
Of course, with his true nature being that of an otaku, Izuru shouldn't have been so easily swayed by mere material wealth. To him, no matter how much this room outshone the Headmaster's authority, it was just a room.
After all, it wasn't his. What was the point of all this luxury? Could he eat it with chili sauce?
But there was one catch: the room actually was his.
Right after this hyper-luxurious sanctuary was finished, the Vice President—who happened to be the sole investor—formally declared that the room was a joint asset belonging to Izuru as the President and herself as the Vice President.
{Uh... wait, what?}
Izuru didn't quite grasp how that worked, but since the Vice President said so, he went along with it. Besides, "free meals" like this tended to taste better the longer you ate them. It was no wonder people started looking at him like he was some kept gigolo.
Shaking his head with a bitter chuckle, Izuru swept the ridiculous thoughts aside. He strode toward the custom-made executive chair reserved for the President and sank into it with practiced ease.
He rested his elbows on the polished desk, lacing his fingers in front of his face in a classic Gendo Ikari thinking pose.
{First Itsuki Nakano, then Miku Nakano right after...}
{As for Miku, based on our conversation, I can temporarily conclude that her behavior is normal. From buying the matcha soda to her tone and attitude, everything seemed standard...}
{But Itsuki is definitely suspicious. Especially when I called her 'Meat Bun Monster.' That forced restraint and the way she faked that smile was bizarre. Even Miku said that kind of reaction was out of character for her...}
{The more I think about it, the weirder it gets...}
*CLICK!*
Just as Izuru was drowning in his theories, the door creaked open.
A beautiful girl stepped in, her ink-black hair tied back in a sharp, elegant style. She possessed captivating crimson irises and porcelain skin that was clearly meticulously cared for. Clutching a stack of documents to her chest, she walked slowly toward Izuru's desk.
"President, these are the documents that need processing for the school's opening. Although I've already completed them for you, please review them. This is the President's responsibility, after all; as your Vice President, it wouldn't be right for me to overstep my bounds..."
With a faint, almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her lips, the black-haired, red-eyed beauty handed the neatly organized stack to the still-distracted Izuru.
Hearing that voice, Izuru let out a long, weary sigh. He looked up slightly, pausing for a moment before speaking. "I told you before, Yashoku. You know I don't understand any of this paperwork. Just handle it yourself."
The moment the girl—whom Izuru called "Yashoku"—heard that name, her face flushed a deep crimson and her heart throbbed as if struck by Cupid's arrow. However, she maintained her cold, unapproachable mask and offered a sharp correction.
"My name is Kaguya, not Yashoku..."
Izuru was well aware of her true identity. In fact, there were very few people in this school who didn't know who she was.
She was the genius daughter of the Shinomiya family, one of the four great conglomerates of the nation. Not only was she ranked second in her entire year academically, but she was a polymath who had mastered the tea ceremony, flower arranging, traditional dance, and even martial arts like Aikido, Naginata, and Kyudo.
Moreover, she was the one who funded this absurdly expensive room, and she was the Student Council Vice President.
She was the polar opposite of Izuru, whose "talents" leaned more toward making ridiculous faces, acting edgy, seeking death, and wielding a legendary poisonous tongue.
And yet, this young lady of the Shinomiya household had chosen to back Izuru—someone completely different from her—to lead the council. She had even gone through the trouble of dragging him into a bet just to force him into the position.
Oh, and as a side note: her full name was "Kaguya Shinomiya." The reason Izuru called her "Yashoku" (Late-Night Snack) was that whenever he saw her in the evening, he felt a strange surge of energy and his appetite increased—in more ways than one.
However, despite his deep misgivings about the bet that put him here, Izuru kept them buried. He knew that if he asked, Kaguya would just crush his pride with words like: "It's Kaguya, not Yashoku. There's no secret reason why I wanted you as President. I simply enjoy seeing that look of agony on your face when you're forced to do a job you hate. It's 'truly quite cute'..."
He had asked once, and after that, he never brought it up again.
"Furthermore, please stop using 'I can't' as an excuse to dodge your own work, President!"
Kaguya looked thoroughly displeased. Her brow furrowed, and her voice took on a sharp, icy edge.
"Haaaah~!" With a sigh of resignation, Izuru lazily accepted the stack of start-of-term paperwork. He tossed them onto the desk and began flipping through them half-heartedly, intending to give them a quick skim.
Budget reallocations for various school clubs this semester...
Event planning for the opening ceremony...
And...
{Wait?} Izuru's eyes sharpened, zeroing in on a specific document.
Arrangements for a private tutor for five failing quintuplets who are about to transfer in. Candidate requirements: A top-tier student from the same year...
{Five failing sisters moving here? Is it the Nakano quintuplets? This is getting strange...}