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"You've got a point there."
Max glanced at Chika Fujiwara, smiling as he said, "Alright then—since you're both joining the student council, how about I treat you guys to karaoke later?"
"Seriously? I'm in!"
"Thank you, President! You're the best!"
Chika raised her hand enthusiastically, practically bouncing with excitement.
"What about you, Manabe?"
Max turned to the quiet girl beside them with an easy smile.
"I'm fine with that. Thanks, President."
Manabe hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
Then, as if on cue, all eyes turned toward Kaguya Shinomiya.
Chika leaned forward, eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Kaguya, you're coming too, right?"
Under the weight of their stares, Kaguya's face remained perfectly calm—expressionless as ever. She was just about to decline when Max suddenly spoke up, still smiling.
"Maybe Shinomiya wants to head home and study instead. After all, she's got a certain goal she's trying to surpass."
The moment those words left his mouth, Kaguya's eyes twitched slightly.
She looked at him, her calm gaze sharpening.Was he trying to provoke her?
"Goal to surpass?"
Chika blinked, her curiosity instantly piqued. She glanced at Max, then at Kaguya, clearly dying to know more.
Manabe pushed up her glasses silently. She didn't say anything—but her eyes said enough. She was curious too.
After all, getting to know each other better was the first step toward building teamwork, right?
Max smiled faintly. "Mind if I tell them?"
Kaguya gave a small nod. "Go ahead."
"Well," Max said, still smiling, "the person she wants to surpass is both far away—and standing right in front of her."
"Far away and right in front of her?"
Chika and Manabe exchanged puzzled looks before realization slowly dawned on their faces. Both turned toward Max.
"President," Chika asked with a grin, "don't tell me her goal is… you?"
"Exactly." Max nodded, amused.
He went on, "When I invited Shinomiya to join the student council, we made a little deal."
"What kind of deal?" Chika's eyes lit up again.
Manabe said nothing, but the subtle shift in her expression betrayed her interest.
Max explained, "If Shinomiya can beat me in the upcoming midterm exams, she'll take over as student council president—and I'll serve as her vice president. But if she doesn't surpass me, then she has to stick to our deal and support me as my vice president during my term."
"Oh, I see!" Chika nodded in understanding, then giggled. "President, you're cool and all, but I think I've gotta cheer for Kaguya on this one!"
"And just so you know, she's seriously amazing. If you let your guard down, she might actually beat you!"
Having known Kaguya since middle school, Chika was well aware of her friend's brilliance. Sure, Max had snagged first place in the entrance exams—but Kaguya's talent was nothing to scoff at.
If Kaguya agreed to this challenge, she definitely intended to win.
Probably.
Then again… looking at Max now, Chika suddenly wavered a bit.
Maybe this time, Kaguya might actually lose.
Twice. To the same guy.
No, no, no—Kaguya's way too smart to lose again.Yeah, she's totally going to win this!
As a loyal friend, Chika clenched her fist in determination and cheered, "You got this, Kaguya!"
"Mm." Kaguya nodded slightly, her eyes softening a little. Just a little.
Then she turned her gaze back to Max, her eyes sharpening again, full of quiet confidence.
It was obvious—she saw the upcoming midterms as hers to win.
She'd always been the best. Always number one.
Until Max came along and broke that streak.
When he later approached her to join the student council and proposed that "deal," she immediately accepted.
To her, it was clearly a challenge.
If it had been anyone else, she wouldn't have cared.
But Max was the one person who'd ever beaten her.
And when it came to academics, Kaguya Shinomiya never backed down.
She was going to beat him this time—to remind him exactly who he'd decided to challenge.
Max met her gaze, his smile widening slightly. "I know how amazing Shinomiya is. That's exactly why I asked her to be vice president. But I'm pretty confident in my own grades too."
"Still, it's too early to say. We'll see who's on top after the midterms."
"True," Chika chimed in, nodding sagely with one hand under her chin.
Max chuckled, then asked, "So, Shinomiya—are you coming with us, or heading home to study?"
Their eyes locked again.
Kaguya's pupils narrowed slightly. "I'll come."
If she said no now, wouldn't that make it seem like she thought Max was out of her league—that she needed every extra second to study just to catch up?
No way.
She, Kaguya Shinomiya, wasn't someone who backed down from anyone.
If Max could afford to take a break, then so could she.
If she lost after that, she'd just accept it—fair and square.
Besides… losing wasn't always shameful. Sometimes, knowing when to "lose" gracefully was a skill in itself.
But when it came to academics? No way she was going down without a fight.
And until those midterm results came out, she was just as confident as Max.
"That's great!" Chika cheered, her face lighting up.
Max smiled. "Alright then, since that's settled, let's get familiar with our duties. There's not much to do right now, but the sooner we learn the ropes, the easier it'll be later—especially with the club-related work coming up next week."
"Yes, sir, President!" Chika saluted playfully, grinning from ear to ear.
Her cheerfulness was infectious; even Max couldn't help smiling a little wider.
The four of them started sorting through the materials left behind by the previous student council members, getting used to their new roles.
As the sunlight through the windows shifted from gold to orange-red, an hour passed in what felt like minutes.
When they finally packed up their things, they grabbed their bags and left the student council room together—ready to hit karaoke.
As Max locked the door, Kaguya quietly pulled out her phone and sent an email.
Then the four of them headed downstairs, swapped their indoor shoes for outdoor ones at the lockers, and left the school.
About twenty minutes later, they arrived at a KTV chain in Shinjuku.
…Five people, actually.
Because Max soon noticed that Ai Hayasaka had been secretly following them the whole time.
"....."