After several rounds of back and forth, the student council finally began to carry out its duties.
Inside the student council room, Hoshino Mori Hoshino brought a steaming cup of black tea to the young man before her, who thanked her politely, his manner quite reserved.
With Kanoya Yamada entering the room, all the student council members were gathered. Tsukiya Jinguuji sat at the farthest edge of the sofa, looking absent-minded. He had just rapidly flipped through a few pages of his book, imprinting the words as images in his mind, and was now enjoying the novel in his thoughts.
Yo Sheep Palace plopped down beside Tsukiya Jinguuji. The boy glanced at her indifferently—despite the sofa having plenty of space, he couldn’t fathom why she insisted on squeezing next to him.
“Senpai.”
“…Hmm?”
“You’re really diligent, Senpai. You’re the first to arrive today, aren’t you?”
“You’re all late. I even did the duty chores before coming.”
“I was chatting with friends in the classroom and completely lost track of time. Almost forgot I was in the student council.”
“Almost?”
“Yeah, if it weren’t for the president coming to my class to find me, I’d have gone home to lie on my bed and read ‘Shounen Jump.’ ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ updates today—I’m waiting for Nakamura-sensei to shine.”
(Nakamura-sensei is a voice actor.)
“So you did forget everything.”
“You could say that.” The girl nodded proudly.
You’re certainly honest, Tsukiya Jinguuji thought to himself.
Tsukiya Jinguuji chatted idly with Yo Sheep Palace, while on the other side, Hoshino Mori Hoshino and Kanoya Yamada listened intently to Kudo speak.
“Kudo-kun… is that right?”
“Yes.”
The young man before her looked at Hoshino Mori Hoshino with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, making the girl a bit uneasy. She instinctively fiddled with her hair, beginning to seriously consider his words.
“Our club—all of us are fans of President Hoshino Mori. If you could perform with us, it would surely stir excitement at the cultural festival.”
The girl didn’t ponder long. Faced with her junior’s hopeful gaze, it took her only a few seconds to decide.
“I’m very sorry, but I can’t agree.”
“Eh… Wh-why?”
“I can guess why you’ve come to me, Kudo-kun, but as the student council president, I already put all my effort into handling school affairs every day.
“I even have to rely on troublesome juniors to help me.”
Sensing that the girl was alluding to something, Tsukiya Jinguuji glanced at her quietly but said nothing.
“Besides, I’m not a member of the drama club. Having someone outside the club perform in your play, even as the lead actress, isn’t fair to the regular members.”
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“No, that’s not the case. Everyone admires President Hoshino Mori—if you could join, everyone would be thrilled.”
“Kudo-kun, admiration is one thing, but actually performing on stage is quite another.
“Of course, as your senior, being loved by you juniors is naturally a great joy for me.
“For you and perhaps some others, that might truly be how you feel, and I’m grateful for your support.
“But, Kudo-kun, the fact that the drama club, once disbanded, was reformed is entirely thanks to you first-years. How could I be the one to enjoy the fruits of your labor?
“As your senior, I’m very pleased with your activities so far, and I’m also looking forward to your performance at the cultural festival.
“So, as the student council president, the only thing I can and should do is to build the best stage for you at the festival.”
…
…
After Kudo left, Yo Sheep Palace swung her legs and clapped her hands cheerfully.
“As expected from President-senpai! You’re so good at long speeches—no wonder even Jinguuji-senpai was charmed and joined the council, completely lost.”
Tsukiya Jinguuji remained unmoved.
“But why did Kudo-kun come to the president? It’s really puzzling.”
“Yamada-kun, can’t you figure out such an easy thing?” Yo Sheep Palace put her hands on her hips, puffed out her AA cup chest, and looked smug.
“Huh?”
“It’s so obvious I don’t even want to say it. Let’s have Jinguuji-senpai answer. He surely knows why! Hey!”
Tsukiya Jinguuji had already opened his novel, silent.
“Oh, I’m also curious. I’d like to know if Jinguuji-kun knows the reason.” Hoshino Mori Hoshino looked at the boy with mischievous anticipation.
Feeling the three pairs of eyes on him, he found it hard to focus on the words in his book.
The boy raised his head and met Hoshino Mori Hoshino’s gaze. She held a kettle, pouring tea into his cup like a maid, her beautiful eyes shining.
Tsukiya Jinguuji closed his book and spoke slowly: “President Hoshino Mori was a member of the drama club before joining the student council.”
“Eh?!” Kanoya Yamada showed a surprised expression, turning to Hoshino Mori Hoshino for confirmation.
Hoshino Mori Hoshino smiled gently. “Ah~ You’re absolutely right, Jinguuji-kun. You sure pay attention to me—could it be you care about me?”
“No such thing.”
The boy picked up his cup and sipped his tea.
Actually, this is something anyone could find out by asking a teacher or a third-year senior.
When Hoshino Mori Hoshino was a freshman, she joined the drama club and, thanks to her outstanding acting, became a regular lead performer.
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Later, she was invited by the previous student council president to join the council and, after some time, left the drama club.
By the time Tsukiya Jinguuji entered Kamizakura High, the drama club had already ceased activity for lack of members.
It wasn’t until this spring, with the arrival of new students, that the club was revived.
That’s why Kudo came to Hoshino Mori Hoshino.
If he didn’t hear about it from a teacher or a third-year, he most likely discovered old photos or videotapes in the long-unused drama clubroom.
But since Kudo mentioned “admiration,” he must have been captivated by Hoshino Mori Hoshino’s acting, raising the likelihood he found a videotape.
As for how Tsukiya Jinguuji knew, it was during his time with Hoshino Mori Hoshino—she herself brought up the subject.
Although it was just mentioned in passing, for Tsukiya Jinguuji, anything he cared to recall would never be forgotten.
“Jinguuji-senpai, are you interested in President-senpai? Shoo—shoo—”
“Don’t say stupid things.”
The boy closed his book, its spine aimed squarely at Yo Sheep Palace’s head, but the girl was ready, confidently raising her hands and closing them.
A flawless catch!
Thud—
A failed attempt. Tears streaming, the girl collapsed onto the sofa, her petite form writhing wildly, letting out “mmm mmm mmm” sounds.
“All right, let’s end the small talk.” Hoshino Mori Hoshino clapped her hands.
“Let’s get started with today’s work. Yamada-kun, please organize and submit the funding applications from each club last semester.”
“Yes.”
“Sheep Palace, could you go to the journalism club and discuss the school magazine with them?”
“Eh~~~ That’s just running errands!”
“Friendly negotiations with students are also part of a secretary’s duties. Sheep Palace, you’re so cute—talking will surely go smoothly.”
“Well, since President-senpai says so, I’ll give it my best.”
“As for Jinguuji-kun, you… uh…
“In any case, could you please put down ‘The Roger Case’ for now?”
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