After being 'called', more like ordered, to go to the student council office in the evening, I felt troubled. It seems I have a knack for attracting danger. First, it was the girls surrounding Ichinose, then it was Manabu.
Maybe it would be a good idea to call Kanzaki.
So, I called him...
"Hello."
"Yes, what is it? It is pretty unusual for you to call me."
"Why would you say that?"
"Because it is true. It has almost been a week since we exchanged contact details, and you have not called me."
"Are you in any position to say this, though?"
"Yeah, you are right. Well, what did you call for?"
"There is some bad news, and some news you can decide whether it is good or bad."
"What happened?" His tone was curious, but with a hint of seriousness.
"Ichinose had her student council interview today. However, she fell unconscious just before she was able to give the interview. And, it was because after exhausting herself the whole day in class, she had also pulled an all-nighter to prepare for the interview."
"Is she okay?"
"Hoshinomiya-sensei said that Ichinose would be fine after some rest."
"That's a relief. I believe this was the bad news."
"Yes..."
"What were you doing there? You did not have an interview there."
"You were watching me fail to approach her in class. I think the rest, you can connect the dots."
"So, you did not want Ichinose to be surrounded by girls when you talked to her about our plan."
"Exactly!"
"So, what is the other news?"
"Horikita-senpai, the council president, wants to meet me today."
"Why did that happen?"
"I was frustrated. So when he glared at me, I glared back. And, I was rude..."
"And how is that possibly good news?"
"Because he is not the type to act on grudges this quickly."
"You seem to know a lot about his character. Isn't this kind of confidence responsible for sinking the ship?"
"I am pretty confident about this... So, would you like to come with me?"
"Huh! Why? Did he even say you can bring someone?"
"He never said I have to come alone. He just said 5 pm, council office."
"Still."
"You are thinking too much into it. So, yes or no?"
"Let me think for a bit."
"Got it. Bye~" I said, then cut the call instantly.
This school is way too troublesome...
Maybe I should just hack the school system and get expelled... No way, I would be put in jail. Maybe just fail on purpose. No, there is no penalty for school exams. Maybe hitting someone would work.
No, the problem is even if I get expelled, I won't be able to look Maki-chan in the face. She definitely thought this through, too. Damn!
As I started to pass the time coding, at 4 pm, Kanzaki's message came. "I will come with you. Meeting up with you in your room at 4:30. What is your room number?"
"111" I messaged back.
"Ok. See you later."
"Yeah, c ya."
As I sighed in relief at not having to go alone, I decided to prepare something to welcome Kanzaki in. After all, Hospitality is a very important thing in life.
I prepared some iced tea and marshmallows. An odd combo, but it works!
After some time, the bell rang. "Kanzaki here."
"Come in, the door is unlocked."
After he got in, I said, "Lock the door on your way in."
As he locked the door, my attention drew to the bag he had brought.
"What's that for?"
"A gift. You really did not expect me to come empty-handed, did you?"
"Ye-... No no, of course not."
"You are hopeless... Here, some chicken."
I took the package with great care, thinking it might be hot. It was, but I am smart.
"Let's go in 5 minutes."
"Alright. Then I must ask, what do you think he will do after calling you in?"
"I think he would either punish me or recruit me."
"And why would you think that?"
"The president himself was conducting the interview. This means that either there was no second year who was responsible enough to bring good results, or he personally wants to install someone to keep the second years in check. But, this might just be speculation, which is why punishing me is not completely far-fetched."
"But most likely, it will be a recruitment," said Kanzaki.
"Yes." I replied.
As he finished his tea, we both got ready to leave and reached the student council office.
A senior was standing at the door. "Names?" he asked.
"Shikakoi Souta. This is Kanzaki Ryuuji."
"I thought you were supposed to come alone."
"He never said I was to come alone."
Then suddenly, a voice from inside called, "Let them in."
The senior let us in instantly, so we just stood, waiting for Horikita-senpai to say what he wanted.
"Sit down."
We take our respective seats.
"You are either very calm," he said, "or very foolish."
I smiled faintly. "I get that a lot."
"I did not ask for wit."
"And yet you received it."
Kanzaki, sitting next to me, closed his eyes for one second. A silent prayer for my soul, perhaps.
Manabu did not react. "That is precisely why I called you."
That was... not what I expected.
I glanced at Kanzaki. He did not look at me, but the slightest tension in his jaw told me he had noticed the same thing.
Interesting.
Manabu continued.
"During the interviews today, one of the candidates collapsed. Before any of the council members moved, you had already judged her condition, stayed in position, and carried her to the nurse's office without confusion."
I said nothing.
He tapped the file lightly with one finger.
"You were also standing outside an interview room without authorization, did not panic when questioned, and showed no visible interest in defending yourself. That is unusual."
"You make it sound like a crime."
"It is not. Yet."
What a warm man.
"And so?" I asked.
"And so I wanted to confirm whether you are simply insolent, or whether there is actual value underneath it."
Before I could answer, Kanzaki spoke.
"If this is an evaluation, then it would be more efficient to ask directly what you want to know."
Manabu's gaze shifted to Kanzaki.
For the first time since we entered, the atmosphere moved.
Not much. Just enough.
"A reasonable interruption," he said. "Your name."
"Kanzaki Ryuuji."
"Class B?"
"Yes."
"Let me get straight to the point. I want Shikakoi to join the student council."
As expected, troublesome people have troublesome requests.
"What makes you believe I would be interested in solving your mess for you, and long after you are gone at that?"
"So you already know about him?" Manabu asked.
"All I know is that the second years are somewhat untrustworthy, possibly chaotic. Or else, you would not be the one conducting the interviews..."
"So, you deduced that much just from yesterday."
"Since you have already gotten straight to the point, I might as well. I have no interest in aiding someone who has already given up trying to salvage the issue."
"What do you mean by that?" Manabu asked.
"It is simple. If you wanted, then expelling whoever is troubling would not be so far-fetched. And once that person is expelled, the senior who would end up leading would be less chaotic. However, not only have you avoided that, but you are also planting someone to keep an eye on them. Simply put, you really believe there is no hope in solving the root of the problem. My main point is that there is no point in supporting someone who has already given up."
I waited for a moment, then said, "If that was all, then I will be taking my leave."
After we got out, Kanzaki had many questions.
"What did you mean, he gave up?"
"It means what it means. Horikita-senpai has given up. The reason is unknown for now. I do not have informants in the second-years after all."
"And don't you think that if he could have solved the problem, he would have. Besides, expelling him might just be impossible."
"Everything is impossible if you do not do anything. If he gives up, then he might as well not try at all."
"So, your plan was never to give him a solution, but to,"
"Yes, it was to force him into action. If he were to try, I might just lend him a hand."
"But there must be some reason he was holding back."
"Yeah, the second-year student in concern holds something that affects the people surrounding Horikita-senpai."
"And you still went and said those things."
"As I said, giving up leads to nothing. Well, then, see you later." I said as I went back into my dorm room.