Dawn.
As sunlight streamed through the bright window, spilling warmth across the room, someone was still lazing in bed.
Horikita, having returned from her morning run, was preparing breakfast. She glanced back. That fool under the covers was still sleeping soundly.
"Amane, time to eat," Horikita called out to the figure on the bed.
But to Amane, lost in deep sleep, it was little more than a tickle.
Horikita placed the sandwiches and warmed milk on the table, then walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She looked down at Amane, whose face, even in sleep, wore a silly grin. She couldn't resist poking Amane's rosy cheek with her fingertip.
Soft, and quite warm.
But Amane didn't stir an inch.
Amane, who always stayed up late during holidays, often played around until the early hours before finally going to sleep.
Unless Horikita took the initiative to tell her a bedtime story, there was a chance this girl might turn in early.
Otherwise, Horikita had even seen Amane at four in the morning, engrossed in who-knows-what, often giggling foolishly at her phone screen.
Horikita couldn't help but poke her again.
"Mmm~"
This time, Amane let out a soft murmur. It sounded almost like she was whining coquettishly.
As if discovering a new toy, Horikita lay down beside Amane and poked her cheek again with her finger.
"No... Suzune..."
Seeing that Amane was even calling her name in her dream, a doting smile spread across Horikita's face.
But Amane's next words made Horikita's face flush bright red.
"I can't... mine, mine... it's already full, it's reached, the deepest part... no more..."
What on earth was Amane dreaming about?
Horikita, her face burning, lightly flicked Amane's forehead.
Honestly.
She must have been watching those strange things again. Even her dreams were full of indecent nonsense.
"I... I can't eat anymore, hehe~"
So she was dreaming about eating?
Horikita involuntarily turned her face away slightly. She had thought for a moment that Amane was dreaming about those... strange things.
"Such a little glutton, even your dreams are about food," Horikita said, tapping Amane's lips with her finger.
But the next second, Amane chomped down.
"Fool! Let go, now!" Horikita reached out and pinched Amane's ear.
"Owie, owie, owie!"
To her surprise, the moment Horikita touched Amane's ear, before she could even apply pressure, Amane's eyes flew open, crying out in pain.
And then...
Amane and Horikita found themselves staring directly into each other's eyes.
"So you were pretending to be asleep," Horikita said.
No sooner were the words out of her mouth than Amane leaned in and gave a quick peck on Horikita's cheek.
"Good morning, Suzune~"
"Good morning..."
Horikita let out a deep sigh. Why was it that she had absolutely no way of dealing with Amane?
After washing up, Amane obediently sat down at the dining table.
Horikita, who was munching on a sandwich, looked strangely at the motionless Amane.
"Why aren't you eating? Doesn't it suit your taste?"
"I want Suzune to feed me." Amane rested her chin in her hands, looking at Horikita with hopeful eyes.
"That's impossible! Amane, you're not a child anymore. How can you expect someone to feed you? Aren't you afraid people will laugh at you if they found out?"
Horikita shot a sidelong glance at Amane and continued eating.
"But food tastes best when Suzune feeds me~"
"Even if you flatter me like that, I won't soften up, you know."
Horikita seemed thoroughly experienced in dealing with Amane's sweet talk. She had suffered too many losses in this area before. In the past, every time Amane acted a little spoiled, she would end up giving in to her demands. It was time to make her learn and grow up.
"But I like Suzune the most~"
"...Honestly, you're impossible."
Hmm.
In the end, nothing had changed.
Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the two who were all lovey-dovey first thing in the morning, the atmosphere in the student council room was unusually tense.
Even though it was a day off, the student council meeting room was filled with students from different classes, and even teachers.
They all had only one purpose for being here: to resolve the issue concerning the points transferred by Ryuuen.
After Horikita Manabu learned the method from Amane, he immediately convened an internal student council meeting.
After a vote, the decision that the student council would handle the aftermath was confirmed by a tally of four to two.
Using his authority as student council president, Horikita Manabu called for a special incident resolution meeting.
The participants were:
Class 1-B: Homeroom Teacher Hoshinomiya, Shiranami Chihiro.
Class 1-C: Homeroom Teacher Sakagami, Ryuuen Kakeru, Ibuki Mio.
Student Council: President Horikita Manabu, Secretary Tachibana Akane, Physical Education Committee Member Kiriyama Ikuto, Probationary Member Ichinose Honami.
Faced with this large, formally convened meeting, Ryuuen sensed something unusual. But he couldn't determine who was the mastermind behind this gathering.
"Thank you all for gathering here on your day off," Horikita Manabu began. "The reason I have summoned the parties involved in the violent conflict between Class B and Class C of the first year is that there are still some questions regarding the subsequent compensation for this incident."
As soon as Horikita Manabu finished speaking, Sakagami glanced at Ryuuen.
Ryuuen immediately raised his hand.
"Ryuuen-kun, do you have something you wish to say?" Secretary Tachibana, who was presiding over the meeting, inquired.
"I transferred the compensation points to Class B a while ago, through President Horikita. What's the matter? Didn't you receive the points?" Ryuuen took the initiative, aiming to figure out exactly how far the situation had progressed.
"I have transferred the points to the relevant individuals in Class B," Horikita Manabu stated. "However, there seem to be differing opinions regarding the specific amount."
After speaking, Horikita Manabu glanced at Ichinose Honami.
Ichinose knew this was Horikita Manabu giving her a chance to prove herself. As a newcomer promoted by Nagumo, she wasn't particularly well-regarded by Horikita Manabu.
Coming across an incident related to her, it was crucial to demonstrate her value.
"According to the agreement, Ryuuen-kun was required to deliver 400,000 personal points to Class B. However, the final amount Class B received was 450,000 points. I would like Ryuuen-kun to provide a reasonable explanation regarding these extra 50,000 personal points."
Ichinose's question made Ryuuen frown.
Had his scheme been uncovered so quickly? It shouldn't be possible. A tactic like his wasn't something a high school student should be able to detect.
On the surface, it looked like he'd gifted an extra 50,000 points, but Ryuuen had been thinking about how to use those 50,000 points to maximum effect.
He hadn't expected the other party to raise questions immediately upon receiving them. This had a feeling of shooting himself in the foot.
Moreover, with Class B raising the query, the most critical problem emerged.
Was he, Ryuuen, supposed to admit that the 50,000 points were meant for Horikita Manabu?
Class B undoubtedly knew the inside story, but Ryuuen couldn't say the 50,000 points were a 'service fee' for Horikita Manabu.
Ichinose's seemingly ordinary question sharply targeted Ryuuen's weak spot.
If he bypassed Horikita Manabu, he couldn't explain the purpose of the extra 50,000 points—he couldn't very well say he intentionally overpaid, could he?
And if he didn't bypass Horikita Manabu, his actions would be equivalent to dragging the student council president into the mud right in front of the other council members.
If that happened, Ryuuen didn't need to think hard to know he would be placed under intense scrutiny.
He had no idea which unscrupulous jerk had come up with this simplest, most shameless method.
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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