"Totsuka-kun, are you looking for me because of that love letter from earlier?"
The moment Izuru dropped that bombshell, the atmosphere of the entire class shifted violently. Students who overheard him stared in disbelief, their eyes darting between Izuru and Saika. Several boys and girls let out howls of despair, while Okita began muttering incoherently with a hollow, haunted gaze.
"The sine formula is..."
Itsuki, Yotsuba, Yukino, and Yui—who had been closing in to speak with Izuru—froze mid-step. However, the reactions of the four girls couldn't have been more different.
Itsuki's expression soured instantly; she looked as if she wanted to march over and shred the aforementioned "love letter" into confetti. Yotsuba maintained her polite, innocent smile as if nothing had happened. Yui wore an unreadable smirk, seemingly refusing to take the words "love letter" out of Izuru's mouth at face value.
Yukino, meanwhile, didn't let her mask slip for a second. She acted as though she hadn't even heard him. Not a single facial muscle twitched, though internally she was scoffing: {Do you really think these cheap tactics will work on me every time? Just you wait; I'll report this nonsense to Shinomiya Kaguya and see if you ever dare bring up this topic again!}
The micro-expressions of the four girls were caught by Izuru's sharp eyes in an instant. The reactions from Yui and Itsuki, in particular, sparked a flicker of suspicion and doubt in his mind.
He recalled the oddness he'd sensed from Itsuki at the cafeteria yesterday, which was later reinforced by the concerns of her sisters, Yotsuba and Miku. Then there was Yui's bold maneuver in the cooking classroom.
Now, with a mysterious letter of unknown origin cutting straight to the heart of the matter, Izuru's internal world grew complicated. Subconsciously, he began to draw lines between the girls' behavior and the contents of that cryptic note.
{No, I can't let myself get swept up in the rhythm!}
Realizing his thoughts were being led by someone else's tune, Izuru's expression hardened. He bit the tip of his tongue, using the sharp jolt of pain to snap himself back to reality.
Meanwhile, Saika, upon hearing Izuru's words, reacted like a bashful maiden. With a face flushed a deep pink, he spoke up stiffly.
"President, what... what are you saying!? I didn't write you a love letter! I really didn't! It was a request for help—a letter asking the President to teach me how to play tennis. Please, don't misunderstand!"
Seeing a Saika this helplessly cute, many students instinctively clutched their chests, muttering, "I'm dead, RIP me." Izuru, however, maintained a stone-cold, deadpan face. Without a hint of wavering in his voice or expression, he spoke with absolute calm.
"Yes, I know. It's just... why does everyone who needs help come looking for me, the Student Council President? Why not seek out Hirano, the lone commander of the 'Service Club' who loves to help despite her icy exterior? She's a professional; for a novice like you, an 'expert' like her could carry ten people at once! And besides..."
At this point, Izuru's tone shifted. Anyone listening could hear the bitter, pathetic grief in his heart.
"Why was your request decorated like a love letter? Do you have any idea how much of a scam that is? You've toyed with the pure feelings of this vir—... of this innocent young man, getting my hopes up only to hand me a dud! Does your conscience not bother you!?"
As Izuru finished his lament, the four girls nearby shared a look of identical, complicated bewilderment. Meanwhile, the "Saika Faction" led by Okita let out a collective sigh of relief. A few members even began lower their metaphorical torches and gasoline, causing the corner of Izuru's mouth to twitch. As for Saika?
"Eh!? Is that so? I'm so sorry! It's just that when I went to buy envelopes, the shopkeeper recommended those to me..."
Looking at Saika's personality and appearance, it was highly likely the shopkeeper assumed he was a shy girl looking for stationery to confess to her crush. A truly tragic misunderstanding.
Seeing Saika hang his head like a cute little animal begging for forgiveness out of sheer guilt, Izuru scratched the back of his head awkwardly and let out a resigned sigh.
"Fine, I'll let the matter of my trampled-upon pure feelings... slide. But can you answer my other question? Why seek help from me, the President, instead of a professional like Hirano?"
"Hirano?" Hearing the "death-wish" nickname that only Izuru dared to use, it took Saika a moment to realize he meant Yukino. Only when he noticed Yukino standing nearby, pinning him and Izuru with a frigid stare, did he shiver and snap to. He asked, somewhat puzzled:
"You mean Hira... Yukinoshita-san? Yukinoshita-san is indeed an all-around athletic genius; having her teach me would be wonderful. But what is this 'Service Club' you mentioned? I've never heard of it. What does it have to do with getting help from Yukinoshita-san?"
Izuru's eyebrows shot up. He felt a wave of silent understanding. {That's right. The 'Service Club,' which consists of Yukino alone, isn't an official club yet. Naturally, it has no recognition or promotion. It's only normal that Saika and the others haven't heard of it.}
Even the first request to help Okita yesterday had been funneled through Izuru as President.
Thinking of the "Service Club's" pathetic current state, Izuru began to explain: "The so-called 'Service Club' is—"
"Those who possess much showing compassion to those who lack; that is the essence of a volunteer. Providing assistance to those in need is the mission of this 'Service Club'..."
Yukino having closed the distance between herself and the two boys, cut in with an icy voice. The intervention didn't just grab the attention of the class; it caused a sharp glint to flash in the eyes of the three girls standing behind her.
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