"Hello, Akari. Please have a seat."
I gingerly close the door and sit down at the seat in front of her. There were two red sofas and a coffee table in between us. The coffee table has an antique teapot and two empty cups. There are also two teabags without labels. Kirari and I are sitting opposite to each other, each of us occupying one sofa.
"Would you like some tea? I have some black leaf if you'd like some."
I accept the offer and she pours hot water from the teabag into the cups. She then dips the two teabags into the cups for about a minute, before handing me the cup.
"Are those the ownership transfer documents for the gambling dens. If I can take them from your hands, I'll be willing to have Sayaka file them for you." Sayaka is the student council secretary, and her main job is to deal with Kirari's paperwork. She despises gambling, so I don't intend on defeating her specifically.
"While you're here, Kokoro-san, let's have a chat. I promise I won't keep you after lunch period, I know you have classes to go to." A chill goes down my spine. Why does Kirari want to talk to me. Has she figured out my plan? I think back to the time we had our meeting. Was there a wiretap in the room. My mind then goes to the slips of paper expressing anti-council sentiment in my backpack. Did someone take the slips of paper out of my backpack to show Kirari? Or, perhaps the most betraying thought of all, was Sumeragi a mole, and, by expressing my wish to destroy the council, expressed my future actions to Kirari. I nervously hold my breath and wait for her to begin the conversation.
"You have gained quite a notoriety here at Hyakkaou Academy. Not only have you voluntarily paid the debts of one of most indebted students, you have managed to revive an old business that we haven't seen in quite a while. I have no idea why no one else tried opening those gambling dens before! I bet Saotome-san helped you with starting that up. She acquired quite a fortune from it last year."
"Y-yeah," I respond with an all-too shaky voice. "I'm really grateful to you too for letting us open in on school property."
"That's no problem, Kokoro-san. We have recieved quite a bit of payments from you for room fees." Her eyes glow a radiant blue as she stares directly into my eyes. "We've probably received over thirty million yen from you alone. That will be great for loaning purposes."
She's trying to intimidate me. What she most likely doesn't know is that I have a lot more money that she thinks I have. I can launch an attack on the student council as soon as next week if I wanted to, and hopefully she doesn't know anything about it.
"Yeah," I respond. "You guys have really been taxing us quite a bit these past few weeks."
"I really do apologize about that, Kokoro-san," she replies cooly. "I'm just trying to create a competitive environment for any other gambling dens that might want to arise. Too bad most people at Hyakkaou are too scared or lazy to start one. You're quite brave, you know."
"Yeah. It was really all Saotome's idea. I heard there were a lot of gambling dens back then."
"You got that right. She took the least popular one from who-ever that girl's name was and used it as her own. I'm pretty sure it was Book Room #2, as well!"
I'm kinda getting scared of what she may say next. Is this really all that she wants to talk about? How lucky I am and why she's taxing me over three million yen a week?
"Anyways," Kirari continues. "It's about time to ask you what I'm truly meaning to talk about." I guess I spoke too soon. "For what reason on Earth are you giving the giving to that Suzui guy?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"I mean, I know he isn't all that rich. He's been a house pet for months before that Jabami character showed up and took a liking to him, so why are you giving him the dens? And I know you aren't selling it to him either, at least not for a reasonable price. There's no way he'd be able to afford the price even the most generous of sellers would list on the market for that entire... operation... you have going on at Book Room #2."
"I just don't really want to manage the dens anymore," I lie candidly. "I think Suzui has the brains to make sound financial decisions, and, all in all, it's my choice either way."
At this Kirari starts laughing like I told her the funniest joke in the world. She takes a sip from her tea as I realize I haven't even touched it yet. As to not look impolite, I swallow a large amount from the cup before Kirari begins talking again.
"I don't get what you see in that boy, but suit yourself. It's not necessarily my business, as long as I get my fees, of course. You're free to go now if you don't have any comments. Don't forget to finish your tea."
I quickly finish the remainder of what's inside of the cup and quickly excuse myself. I don't want to be in that room for a second longer than I had to, plus my afternoon classes are about to start. When I get to my desk, I have no choice but to pay attention to her ramblings about the nuances of history, for I am too nervous to fall asleep today.
