The fallout from the cafeteria incident spread like wildfire.By second period the whispers had escalated from "Did you see how many girls surrounded him?" to "The Cooking Club and Student Council are already fighting for him." By fourth period, I was certain every teacher in the building had been informed.
And by lunch break, a folded slip of paper with a neat seal was placed on my desk.
"The Student Council requests your presence. - President Kenzaki."
My blood ran cold. Not because of the words, but because of the name. Touya Kenzaki. I remembered her face from the occasional variety show rerun on TV, even before this world. A young actress, charismatic, frighteningly composed. And here she was, the President of this school's Student Council.
The hallway felt longer than usual. Every step echoed, every whisper grew sharper. Yui fidgeted at my side, offering moral support, but she wasn't summoned. Neither was Hikigaya, who leaned against the classroom doorframe with her usual slouch.
"Don't get yourself executed," Hikigaya muttered.
Yui puffed her cheeks. "Hikki, don't say it like that! The Student Council isn't scary… right?"
The double doors opened into an imposing room. Not quite a courtroom, but the atmosphere carried the same weight. At the far end, seated at a raised desk, was Touya Kenzaki.
She was every inch the actress, sleek black hair framing her sharp features, eyes sparkling with quiet amusement. She leaned back with the authority of someone who knew she owned the room.
At her right stood Maria Kujou, scribbling notes with elegant precision, and Yuki Suou, watching me like a calm executioner. At her left, Alisa "Alya" Kujou, arms folded, gaze icy.
Standing slightly off to the side, unable to hide her restless energy, was Chisaki Sarashina, who nearly bounced in place.
And behind them, like an entourage of lesser nobles, stood Haruka Hayama and her Oregairu clique, polished, pretty, but very much secondary to Touya's presence. They whispered among themselves, clearly curious about me, but they were not the ones holding the gavel here.
"Welcome," Touya said at last, her voice velvet and steel. "You've caused quite the commotion, transfer student."
I bowed, trying to buy myself time. "I didn't… mean to."
"Of course you didn't." Her lips curved into the faintest smile. "But intention matters little in this school. Actions ripple. Reputations form. Entire clubs fracture over a single boy's presence."
The air tightened. Alya's eyes sharpened like blades. Chisaki leaned forward, openly grinning. Yuki Suou's silence pressed down heavier than words.
"And so," Touya continued, tapping her finger against the desk, "the Council must decide: do we treat you as a threat to order… or as an asset worth managing?"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Even Haruka's clique had nothing to say.
I swallowed hard. Somehow, I had the terrible feeling that my answer, whatever it would be, might shape the rest of my high school life.
Touya's gaze held mine, steady, unblinking. It wasn't cruel, nor was it kind, it was the look of someone assessing a resource, a variable in her grand plan.
At last, she spoke."You'll serve a probationary period. Consider it a… trial."
A faint stir ran through the chamber. Maria's pen paused mid-stroke. Yuki Suou tilted her head. Even Haruka, standing in her perfectly practiced poise, arched a brow.
"Trial?" I repeated cautiously.
Touya's smile deepened. "Correct. You will be assigned a rotating task, assisting different clubs and committees. Each week, a new responsibility. Should you disrupt order, or allow conflict to spiral further…" Her pause was deliberate, theatrical. "…we will take appropriate measures."
Alya finally spoke, voice like frost on glass. "In other words, you will prove your worth, or prove yourself expendable."
I resisted the urge to step back.
Chisaki, ever the opposite, leaned forward against the desk, grin wicked. "Ooh, I like this! We get to toss him around like a baton? First the Cooking Club, then maybe the Drama Club… maybe even the Disciplinary Committee, huh, Prez?"
Touya allowed a small laugh. "Something like that."
Yuki Suou's calm voice cut through: "It's pragmatic. Rather than risk another cafeteria disaster, we observe him under structure."
I wanted to argue, but what could I say? That I never asked for the swarm of attention? That it wasn't my fault the cafeteria descended into chaos? None of that mattered. In their eyes, I was already a catalyst.
Maria set her pen down, looking directly at me for the first time. "Do you accept these terms?"
There it was. The trap. If I said no, I'd mark myself as defiant. If I said yes, I'd be walking into a gauntlet.
My throat was dry. "…Yes."
The word echoed louder than I intended.
Touya's smile sharpened into satisfaction. "Good. Your first assignment will be with the Cooking Club. Report there tomorrow after classes. We'll monitor your progress closely."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Haruka exchange a glance with Yukino, her entourage finally stirring. For a moment, I wondered if they'd object, if maybe, just maybe, someone would say this was unfair.
But they said nothing. Because this was Touya's stage, and even they knew better than to interrupt her play.
The President folded her hands. "That will be all. Dismissed."
The doors shut behind me with a weighty click. The tension lingered in my chest like smoke.
"H-How was it?" Yui was waiting right outside, her hands clasped nervously. Hikigaya leaned against the wall, eyes narrowing.
"They gave me… a trial," I muttered.
Hikigaya snorted. "Figures. They're treating you like a time bomb."
Yui pouted. "That's mean! He's not... he's... he's just…!" She trailed off, cheeks pink.
I forced a smile, but inside I knew Hikigaya was right. The Council didn't see me as a person yet. Not a student. Not a classmate.
Just a variable.
And starting tomorrow, they were going to test exactly what kind of variable I was.
---------------
Thanks for reading. You can also give me ideas for the future or pinpoint plot holes that I may have forgotten, if you want.
Powerstones. Me. Give. Now.