After this, their youthful tale could not be halted.

At the far end of the fourth floor of the old school building lay the student council's stronghold.

Once again, Tsukasa Jinguuji found himself here.

It always seemed as though this was Hoshinomori Hoshino’s home field, and that vexed him. After all, he had no territory of his own in this school.

As was customary, Hoshinomori Hoshino brewed tea for Tsukasa Jinguuji, and then sat down across from him.

Since she never initiated conversation, Tsukasa, bored out of his mind, retrieved a paperback from his bag and began to read as if she wasn’t there.

“Jinguuji, you really shouldn’t bring books unrelated to your studies to school,” she remarked.

“It’s fine. I left all the study-related ones at home,” he replied.

Hoshinomori Hoshino was deeply curious as to what reasoning could possibly make this boy believe he could get away with such a statement.

“So you’re hoping I’ll confiscate your book, then?”

“It’s after school. Even the student council doesn’t have the authority to do that now,” Jinguuji answered calmly.

“Then perhaps I’ll just lock you in the student council room until Monday morning and confiscate it then.”

“How is that even remotely humane?”

“At the very least, I suspect I command more respect than you do, Jinguuji.”

“Don’t think you can get away with any kind of tyranny just because of that.”

Hoshinomori Hoshino smiled, and Jinguuji quietly slid his book back into his bag.

At some point, Hoshinomori Hoshino had also taken out a book, laying it open on her skirt. If his gaze lingered too boldly, one might well think he was trying to steal a glimpse beneath her hem.

“What are you reading?” Jinguuji asked.

At his question, Hoshinomori Hoshino lifted the book with both hands to reveal the title—“Forbidden Colors.”

“You really are something else,” Jinguuji said with genuine admiration.

“You flatter me.”

“This is my first time seeing a high school girl bring ‘Forbidden Colors’ to school.”

“And it’s my first time seeing a high school boy reading a light novel with risqué illustrations right under the student council president’s nose,” she retorted.

Jinguuji was at a loss for words. He genuinely could not understand what the point of this utterly pointless exchange was.

“Shouldn’t you be dealing with student council matters?” he asked at length.

“No hurry. I’m waiting for someone.”

“Who?”

Some five or six seconds of silence passed.

“They’re here.”

She closed “Forbidden Colors.”

The student council room door slid open, admitting a boy and a girl.

Jinguuji recognized both.

The boy was the one he’d seen on the rooftop at lunchtime—if memory served, his name was Yamada.

When Jinguuji had been leaving downstairs, Hoshinomori Hoshino had called out the boy’s name, and he’d remembered it.

As for the girl, she too was a familiar face—Yoh Yagami.

“You’re here, Yamada, Yagami,” Hoshinomori Hoshino greeted them with a smile, rising to her feet.

Yamada’s full name was Kanade Yamada, a first-year student from Class 1-C, and a classmate of Yoh Yagami.

He was quite short, maybe only around one-sixty centimeters, with a slender frame and delicate features, framed by stiff black-rimmed glasses. His skin was also noticeably paler than the average boy.

He looked the type whose mind was sharp, but who’d be liable to trip if he ever tried running—a veritable reed, as Pascal would say.

What surprised Jinguuji was that Kanade Yamada was the student council treasurer.

No wonder Hoshinomori Hoshino seemed so familiar with him at lunchtime.

Although Jinguuji had been involved with Hoshinomori Hoshino, she rarely talked to him about student council matters.

So, it was hardly strange that Jinguuji didn’t know the other members.

“Hello, Jinguuji-senpai. Pleased to meet you—ah, but we already met at noon. I’m truly grateful, senpai.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come over to greet you right away. I was so flustered that I completely lost my head and didn’t know what to do.

“In any case, thank you so much for helping,” the boy said, bowing deeply.

Such lavish gratitude left Jinguuji at a loss, so he promptly credited Hoshinomori Hoshino.

After all, she’d been the one to actually step in; at best, he’d merely passed on a message.

The student council president merely watched Jinguuji with a gentle smile, neither confirming nor denying his claim, tacitly allowing it to stand.

He had the distinct impression she was doing it just to see him squirm, and a hot, prickling sensation crept through his chest.

Meanwhile, Yoh Yagami was still looking on in blank confusion. Once Yamada recounted the lunchtime events, she stared at Jinguuji in amazement.

“Jinguuji-senpai, with a face like yours, I’d have pegged you as the kind who’d shove aside a young mother holding a baby when confronted by a demon cultist—save yourself first, right? Who would have thought otherwise?”

“What kind of face is that supposed to be?!”

“Hmm… maybe the kind of face that gets sliced in half by a chainsaw-wielding demon cultist with horns?”

He realized then that conversing with Yoh Yagami was only going to raise his blood pressure.

Hoshinomori Hoshino poured black tea for Yamada Kanade, then set a cup of milky hot drink—steaming milk—in front of Yoh Yagami.

“Ooh, President, you’re so thoughtful!”

The petite girl blew on her cup, took a sip, and exclaimed, “It warms the heart and spleen!”

“That’s not quite right,” Jinguuji interjected, deadpan.

“How does it taste?” Hoshinomori Hoshino asked with a smile.

“It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it, Yagami. You’ll have it every day from now on.”

“Mmm! Thank you, President!”

Jinguuji raised an eyebrow at the word “every day,” glancing at Yoh Yagami.

She didn’t seem to have realized what it implied—clearly an airhead.

Given her earlier rudeness, Jinguuji decided not to enlighten her.

“All right, now that everyone’s here, it’s time to get down to business.”

The beautiful student council president’s smile was dazzling. Jinguuji had the distinct feeling it was directed at him.

“There are two items on today’s agenda. First, this year’s culture festival—”

“Excuse me,” Jinguuji raised his hand.

The other three turned to look at him.

“Uh, neither I nor this one are student council members. Isn’t it inappropriate for us to stay?”

He stood up, preparing to drag Yoh Yagami away with him.

“Have a little patience, Jinguuji. Or should I say, Vice President Jinguuji.”

“???”

Hoshinomori Hoshino slid a document across the table.

“I did say there were two agenda items today.

“The second is to discuss the inclusion of Tsukasa Jinguuji and Yoh Yagami as new members of the student council.”

“What?”

“As I mentioned last time, starting this term, only Yamada and I are left in the student council.

“This term, there’s the sports festival and the culture festival, and in the third term, the second-years have their class trip.

“Planning all these events is a heavy responsibility for the council. With just the two of us, it’s impossible.

“So, I proposed to the administration that we recruit the top-ranked student from each grade to form a new student council. The proposal was approved.

“That’s all.

“Any objections?”

Kanade Yamada: “No objections.”

Yoh Yagami: “No objections.”

Jinguuji stared at Yoh Yagami in disbelief.

“You’re the one who’d push over a young mother, aren’t you!”

“I…I don’t know what you’re talking about, senpai.” The girl looked away, hands trembling guiltily as she held her cup.

Damn it.

He’d been set up.

At that moment, Hoshinomori Hoshino leaned close to Jinguuji, her body inclining, and the breathtaking curve of her chest hovered right before his eyes.

Her hand came to rest lightly on his shoulder, silky hair brushing his neck, warm breath spilling over his ear, seeping into his mind with exquisite gentleness as she whispered,

“Now then, Jinguuji.

“All you have to do is sign your name on this paper, and from this day forward…

“You’ll be mine.”