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Miko Yotsuya suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
Lowering her voice, she leaned close to Hana Yurikawa's ear and whispered,"I went alone because I needed to talk to Max about supernatural stuff."
Well, that wasn't exactly a lie.They did talk about ghosts—just… not only about that.
"Whaaaat?!"
Hana's expression instantly changed, eyes widening in alarm.A chill ran down her spine as she crossed her arms and shivered.
"Why the heck would you two talk about that kind of thing?!" she said, half whining, half panicking.
Her reaction seemed to convince Miko.After all, when Max first approached them yesterday, the excuse he used was that he was a "fan of ghost stories."
Miko smiled faintly and said, "See? I knew you'd freak out. That's why I didn't tell you."Then she added, with a helpless shrug, "You just had to ask."
"Ughhh (;￣д￣)"
Hana pouted, looking defeated.How was she supposed to know Miko went to talk about that creepy stuff she hated most?Curiosity really does kill the cat.
"Wait a sec!"
Something clicked in Hana's mind.She stared at Miko suspiciously.
"Miko, you didn't just make that up to scare me, did you? Trying to hide the real reason you went to see Max?"
"(ー.ー;)!"
Miko froze for half a second.
But after dealing with so many ghosts lately, she'd built up nerves of steel—she didn't let that flicker of guilt show.
She shot Hana a flat look and said coolly,"Believe it or not, whatever."
Then she turned her head away, pretending to be annoyed.
"Alright, alright! I believe you! Don't get mad!"
Seeing Miko's fake sulk, Hana immediately grabbed her hand and shook it playfully like a spoiled child.
Miko's lips twitched upward—just a little smile.Too bad Hana didn't catch it.
A gentle breeze brushed the treetops.The sun had drifted toward the western sky,like a painter dipping its brush into gold,slowly coloring the edges of the white clouds.
Max packed up his things, glanced at the girl sitting in front of him,and decided against saying hello for now.
After saying goodbye to Miura Yumiko and the others, he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed toward the student council office.
For now, he was the only one there.
The student council system at Tōo Academy was a bit unusual.Instead of being run by votes, it revolved around the president—a two-year term, after which all current members "retired."
Even members who hadn't yet served two full years had to step down.
The new president was automatically chosen from the top-ranked freshman.This year, that happened to be Max.
Of course, if someone didn't want the job, they could refuse.But Max accepted it—and as president, he had full authority to handpick his council members.
He'd chosen three.
Kaguya Shinomiya, Vice President.Chika Fujiwara, Secretary. Nagisa Manabe, Treasurer.
Today was their first official day as student council members.
After signing the necessary forms and grabbing the keys, Max entered the office, tossed his bag on the couch, and began waiting.
Time passed slowly.
About five minutes later, a knock sounded at the door.When it opened, three girls stepped inside.
The first had long, sleek black hair cascading over her shoulders,a neat center part framing a pale, expressionless face.Her crimson eyes were calm and cool—almost icy.Every feature was refined and delicate, her skin fair and flawless, her frame slender.She gave off that "too perfect to approach" kind of vibe.And perhaps befitting her elite upbringing… her chest was, well—flatter than the rest of her personality.
The second girl had long, soft pink hair with layered bangs and a few locks falling forward over her shoulders.A black ribbon tied neatly at the back of her head.Her complexion was rosy and smooth, her blue eyes bright and full of life.Compared to the first girl, her face still carried a hint of baby fat, giving her a natural cuteness.Her cheerful smile radiated warmth, instantly making people feel at ease.And, unlike the first one, her figure was—let's say—more balanced.If Kaguya represented "flat but mighty,"then this one was definitely "busty and beloved."
The third girl had short reddish-brown hair that reached her shoulders and wore red half-rim glasses.Her features weren't as doll-like as the other two,but she had a gentle expression and an air of calm intelligence that made her look dependable.Someone you'd trust right away.
They were Kaguya Shinomiya, Chika Fujiwara, and Nagisa Manabe.
Once Nagisa entered, Max set down his folder and stood to greet them with a polite smile.
"Shinomiya, Fujiwara, Manabe—welcome to the student council."
He gestured toward himself."I'm Max, Class 1-C, and the current student council president."
Then he turned toward Kaguya."Shinomiya, you first."
Kaguya glanced at him, then at Nagisa, and said calmly,"I'm Kaguya Shinomiya, Class 1-A. I've been invited to serve as vice president."
"My turn, my turn!"
Before she could even finish, the pink-haired girl beside her eagerly raised her hand.
"I'm Chika Fujiwara! Kaguya's good friend from Class 1-G.President Lin—ah, I mean President-sama—invited me to be the secretary!"
"Okay, your turn, Manabe," Max said, amused.
Chika turned toward Nagisa with a bright grin.
Nagisa smiled back and said warmly,"Nice to meet you. I'm Nagisa Manabe, Class 1-H, and I'll be serving as treasurer."
"Hi, Manabe!" Chika chirped, waving cheerfully.
"Hello, Fujiwara," Nagisa replied, her tone equally kind.
Then she turned toward the stoic Kaguya and greeted her politely,"Nice to meet you, Shinomiya."
"Nice to meet you too, Manabe," Kaguya replied.Her tone was even, her face unreadable—but still perfectly courteous.
Clap, clap, clap.
Max clapped his hands lightly and said,"Alright, now that we've all met, you'll have plenty of time to get to know each other better later.""For now, let's start getting familiar with our work."
"Huh? Already?!"
Chika blinked in surprise and looked at him."President, it's only our first day! There's no work to do yet, right?"
"....."