A Liquid Inspiration
Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)
One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.
That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.
For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.
It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:
"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."
This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.
Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks, and here's the chapter!
Vol 1. Chapter 8 - Student Council
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka
As I sat in my classroom, staring blankly at my desk, my thoughts wandered toward the events of the past three days. I couldn't help but feel proud of myself for the successful execution of my plan. It was not easy to convince Horikita Suzune to change her ways, but somehow, my words had managed to penetrate her ironclad façade.
Well, she did not exactly change per se, but she had definitely heeded my advice and began being more amicable towards Kushida. A baby step is still a step in the right direction, so I'll be rooting for you, Horikita.
And please, for the love of God, don't look at me when Kushida's asking you for lunch. Yuki's glare has been growing more intense over the past three days.
My reverie was interrupted by the sound of a notification on my phone. I picked it up and saw an email from the Student Council. I opened it and read the contents. It was an invitation to attend an interview for the vacant positions in the Student Council.
I groaned inwardly at the thought of having to deal with the Student Council. It was not that I disliked them. On the contrary, I found myself admiring Horikita Manabu and what he represents. I can see why his little sister admired him so much, and speaking of the dark-haired girl, she's currently sticking her nose in her book, absorbed in her own little world.
Typical Horikita behavior.
That said, I found myself wary of the Student Council after I learned about Nagumo Miyabi, the current Vice President of the Student Council. Apparently, Nagumo-senpai admired Horikita-senpai so much to the point of having a one-sided rivalry with the bespectacled boy. There are also rumors of him having control over the entirety of his year, and if there's one thing I've learned in this school, rumors are essentially unconfirmed facts.
This tidbit all but confirms that Nagumo Miyabi is a dangerous individual, and as much as possible, I don't want to deal with him this early. Before dealing with him, I'd prefer to have the necessary information so that I could make a profile on his psyche, how he operates, and his tendencies.
That's just basic stuff when dealing with potentially dangerous individuals. My father is the poster child of that practice.
As I put my phone back down, Yuki suddenly appeared at my side, causing me to jump slightly.
"Kiyotaka, did you get an email, too?" she asked, looking at me expectantly.
"Yeah. It's a pain, but actions have their consequences," I lamented.
After all, I only bothered with answering the forms because Yuki somehow roped me into it... and I probably gave the flashiest answer possible.
"You're going to attend the interview, right?"
I nodded in confirmation, and she let out a sigh of relief. "Thank Goodness! I just recalled what I answered in the forms, and I gotta admit... I'm a little anxious about how senpai would take it," she said before letting out a nervous laugh.
That's what you get for trying to be a troll, Yuki. Answering, 'I'm not a snobbish defect like Horikita-senpai's little sister,' sounds funny at first, but it'll bite you back in the ass.
Normally, that is.
I doubt Horikita-senpai cares much about his little sister considering how she turned out to be. I think you'll be fine, Yuki.
I was amused at Yuki's nervousness. "Relax, Yuki. You're probably overthinking it. You answered truthfully, didn't you?"
Yuki looked at me and then had a wide grin on her face. "Of course! Besides, I would probably lose respect for senpai if he didn't realize the hidden message of my insult."
Well, she's right, in a way. Calling Horikita Suzune, who was sorted into Class D, as a defect, would serve as an indicator that Yuki, at the very least, is aware of the hierarchy in ANHS. That, by itself, should tell Horikita-senpai that he's dealing with a competent student, even if she had a rather cheeky way of showing it.
"You're something else, Yuki. I'll give you that," I said, shaking my head in disbelief.
Yuki pouted at my teasing but couldn't hide the small smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. "I know I am," she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"May I ask what is this interview you're talking about?"
Both of us turned our heads to Horikita, who was somehow listening in despite looking too engrossed in the book she was reading.
"Fufu, did your parents fail to teach you it's rude to eavesdrop, Horikita-san?" Yuki asked with a tone that was laced with venom.
I sighed as I sensed the incoming headache headed my way.
Horikita's the last person you should be jealous of, Yuki. She's more of a pet than a romantic interest at this point. Going by that... should I change her contact name to Suzuneko? I'll do that later, I guess.
Glancing at Horikita, the dark-haired girl simply glared at Yuki, obviously not taking kindly to the taunt.
"Am I supposed to cut off my ears? You're within hearing range, Tsubaki-san," she replied.
That's gold coming from you, Horikita. Didn't you confront me on the first day of school simply because our eyes met for a split second? What was I supposed to do there? Gouge out my eyes?
"You've trained your dog well, Kiyotaka! She's finally developing a semblance of common sense," Yuki said, ignoring the fuming Horikita.
An odd compliment, if there was one. I don't have common sense myself.
I cleared my throat, trying to steer the conversation away from an imminent disaster. "Stop antagonizing Horikita, Yuki. You really shouldn't be jealous of her, to be honest," I said, letting out a sigh.
"I agree. I'm not interested in dating, and even if I were, I... wouldn't date someone like Ayanokōji-kun," Horikita affirmed.
Now, while that saved me from headaches somewhere down the line... that's a little hurtful, Horikita. What's wrong with dating me? Yuki, Chiaki, and Tsubasa want to do it, you know?
"At least you know your place," Yuki said, nodding her head.
Yuki then stared at me as if expecting me to say something. Probably something along the lines of "I don't want to date Horikita, too."
I ignored Yuki for the time being and addressed Horikita's earlier question. "About your question, Horikita, it's an interview for the vacant positions in the Student Council. Yuki and I received an email just now."
Horikita seemed to pause for a moment, a rare occurrence for someone who was typically composed. "I see. That's an interesting development," she said, her eyes flickering with curiosity.
"I'll make sure to trade stories with Horikita-senpai," I joked.
Horikita attempted to reach out for something in her bag but eventually decided not to do so. "You're not going to embarrass me in front of nii-san," she said, staring straight into my eyes.
It was bold of me to do this in front of Yuki, but there's something about Horikita being a pain in the ass that compelled me to do what I was planning to do.
With my conviction solidified, I pinched the dark-haired girl's cheeks.
Was it the wrong move? Probably.
But it was definitely worth it.
"What did I tell you about jokes?" I asked.
"Not to take them too seriously," she replied, albeit slightly strained as my hands were still pinching her cheeks.
To my surprise, Yuki wasn't mad at the physical contact I made with Horikita. Instead, she burst into laughter at the sight of Horikita's cheeks being pinched.
"Oh my god, Kiyotaka, you're really something else," she said in between giggles.
Today must be my lucky day.
"Can you let go of my cheeks now?" Horikita asked.
Chuckling at the sound of her strained voice, I finally let go of her cheeks.
Horikita rubbed her cheeks, looking annoyed but not angry. "You're insufferable, Ayanokōji-kun," she said.
I turned my head to Yuki, who had an amused look on her face, seemingly forgetting how she was raging with jealousy moments ago.
"Am I insufferable, Yuki?"
The blonde girl giggled. "Sometimes," she replied.
I will never forget this betrayal, Yuki.
8.1
After classes had ended, Yuki and I immediately headed to the Student Council office for our interview. It was a rather uneventful walk with us simply engaging in small talk as well as what we'll be having for dinner.
She had a rather tempting suggestion of her being my dinner, but I'm man enough to resist temptation, so I pretended not to hear what she said.
At the moment, I was enjoying the comfort of silence as we found ourselves walking in the empty hallways leading to the Student Council office.
Suddenly, Yuki spoke up.
"She's lying."
I turned to her, confused. "Who's lying? What are they lying about?"
"Horikita. She definitely likes you!" Yuki's voice was laced with a hint of jealousy. "The bitch didn't even get angry when you pinched her cheeks."
"You were bothered about that? Weren't you laughing when I pinched her cheeks?"
You're so confusing sometimes, Yuki.
"It was funny! Until I realized she didn't mind it," she reasoned out, puffing out her cheeks.
I found myself amused at Yuki's comment. "You're overthinking it, Yuki. Horikita has already made it clear that she's not interested in dating. She only let me get away with things because she doesn't know how to react to me."
Yuki pouted, clearly not convinced. "Those aren't the words I want to hear," she muttered, throwing me a side glance.
A rather adorable sight if you're unaware that this was a dangerous and extremely jealous girl.
"Fine. If ever I find myself wanting to date someone, Horikita's at the bottom of the list," I said in an attempt to placate her.
"Even if she tries to seduce you?" Yuki asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't think Horikita even knows how to seduce someone, Yuki," I replied, trying to stifle a laugh.
Yuki giggled, the tension between us dissipating. "That's true! It's an advantage that I have over her, fufu!"
"Is that so? I remember you backed off when I asked you to use your..." I trailed off, knowing that it would rile her up.
PUNCH!
Before I could even finish my sentence, I felt Yuki's fists making contact with my ribs, and it was actually painful, especially since I did not expect her to punch me.
"Shut up!" Yuki exclaimed, her face turning red out of embarrassment.
I winced at the pain, rubbing my ribs while chuckling at Yuki's reaction. "Okay, okay, I won't say it," I said, pretending to catch my breath just in case she decided to punch me again.
"I would have done it if you allowed me to regain my composure, you know?" Yuki huffed. "I'm a brave girl!"
"Do you even know how to do it?" I teased.
"W-well, you can train me! I m-mean, I'll be giving you plenty of those when you finally grow some balls and make me your girlfriend, you know? A-and! I'm the only one who can do those things to you, so you'll have to train me eventually. You got that?" Yuki said, stuttering a little.
"With how much you're stuttering, I don't think you're ready for that, Yuki," I dryly stated.
Yuki pouted. "I don't have the time to be ready when thieving cats are all over. If I have to do it, I'll do it!" She spoke in a tone filled with conviction.
What an odd subject to be passionate about, Yuki.
"Thieving cats? Is there anyone else aside from Horikita and Chiaki who you're jealous of?" I asked.
"I'm not really jealous of them because they won't even get a chance to get closer to you, but it's obvious that Sato-san and Mori-san are crushing on you, and it's annoying because we're supposed to be friends," she answered.
"I don't see the problem. It's just a small crush," I replied nonchalantly.
"Hmph!" Yuki crossed her arms in front of her chest, clearly not pleased with my answer. "Easy for you to say. You're always surrounded by girls who want you, and it's not like you're doing anything to discourage them," she said with a pout.
I let out a sigh. "What do you want me to do, Yuki? I can't control how other people feel about me. And I'm not interested in any of them, so it's not like I'm leading them on," I explained.
Yuki huffed. "I know, I know. It's just... frustrating, you know? I want to be the only one you're interested in," she admitted, her expression softening.
I stopped in my tracks, causing Yuki to bump into me. I turned to face her and held her chin, looking straight into her eyes.
"You're so much cuter when you're not being passive-aggressive, Yuki. You can just be honest about your feelings, you know?"
Yuki's cheeks flushed as she looked away from my gaze. "What do you mean? I'm always honest," she replied, flustered.
I let go of her and shrugged my shoulders. "Well, yes. But you're typically passive-aggressive when dealing with Chiaki and the others," I pointed out.
Yuki pouted at my observation. "I'm not passive-aggressive. I'm just... expressing my displeasure in a more subtle way," she defended.
As much as she disliked Horikita, they really do seem to have a lot of things in common.
"That's literally the definition of passive-aggressive, Yuki," I replied in a dry tone.
Yuki rolled her eyes at my comment, but a small smile was playing on her lips. "Okay, fine. Maybe I'm a little passive-aggressive," she admitted.
Just like how you're a "little obsessed" and a "little possessive," right?
"It's fine. I know you're working on it," I said, patting her head.
Yuki leaned into my touch, her eyes closing for a brief moment. "Yeah, I am. Anything for you," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
"But sometimes, you have to do things for yourself, Yuki. Your world really shouldn't revolve around me," I replied.
In fact, that's the only reason why I'm not taking her feelings seriously at the moment. As valuable as Yuki was in terms of ability and intangibles, her dependence on me would prove to be a liability in the future.
If I do end up settling with someone, I'd rather have it be with a woman who can stand on her own, and Yuki... Yuki's not there yet.
Yuki opened her eyes and looked at me, a small frown on her face. "I know that, Kiyotaka. But right now, I don't mind doing things for you. It's what makes me happy," she said.
I sighed inwardly. This girl really was a handful.
"You better start working on it, Yuki. I don't think I'd ever consider being in a relationship with you if you're unable to stand on your own," I replied.
Yuki's face fell at my words, but those were words that needed to be said simply because I cared about her.
I don't need to bother playing the same game as I had done with Horikita simply because I genuinely cared for Yuki.
This was the only way to get the message across—a blunt warning.
"You're really insensitive towards a girl who's headed for an interview, you know?" Yuki replied in a dry tone.
"As if that's going to hinder you. As far as I'm concerned, we're already accepted in the Student Council the moment we passed our forms to Tachibana-senpai," I replied, sighing in exasperation.
We really shouldn't have given a flashy answer.
Yuki chuckled. "That's true. But we still have to impress the Student Council President, right? Horikita-senpai's said to be a hardass," she said.
"I doubt that's going to be a problem. My father's a bigger hardass than Horikita-senpai could ever be," I replied.
After some more minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the Student Council office, where we were greeted by the sight of... that beast, I mean Ichinose, waiting outside the door. It seemed that we were not the only ones who had received the email.
Yuki seemed to notice her as well, as a smile made its way to her face. Somehow, someway, she and Ichinose had gotten close over the past three weeks.
Yuki rushed towards Ichinose and enveloped her in a hug, causing the other girl to giggle in response.
Yuki flew like a hungry bird swooping down on its prey and hugged Ichinose so tightly that their breasts collided with a sound akin to two giant watermelons being smashed together. I couldn't help but stare, mesmerized by the spectacle, although I swear I was only admiring their pure and innocent friendship.
"It's good to see you again, Honami-chan!" Yuki said, pulling away from the hug.
"It's good to see you too, Yuki-chan! And Ayanokōji-kun!" Ichinose replied, her smile widening.
"Good afternoon, Ichinose. The new hairstyle fits you," I replied, pointing out the subtle change in her hairstyle.
Ichinose giggled. "Thank you, Ayanokōji-kun. I thought I'd switch it up a bit," she said, twirling a strand of her hair between her fingers.
"It's not for me to decide, but I think you should keep it that way," I replied.
Yuki nudged me with her elbow, causing me to turn to her. "You should compliment me too, you know? I also have new hair ties!" she said, twirling her hair to show off the new hair ties she was wearing.
"They look nice, Yuki. They complement your hair well," I replied immediately, lest I incur the wrath of Mount Yuki.
Yuki beamed at my compliment, clearly happy with my response.
"Thanks, Kiyotaka! You're the best!" she exclaimed, giving me a quick hug.
I smiled at her and patted her head, happy to see her in high spirits. Although I'm happier at her chest making contact with my arm, but I will not say that out loud.
Ichinose chuckled at our interaction. "You two are so cute together," she commented.
Yuki blushed at Ichinose's words while I simply shrugged in response. "We're just friends," I said.
Ichinose raised an eyebrow at my response. "Is that so? I thought there was something more between you two with how close you guys look and with all the things Yuki-chan says," she said, her cheeks turning pink as she said that.
"Yuki, what did you tell her?" I asked.
"That... we kissed and stuff," she admitted.
I turned my head to Ichinose. "That kiss was simply for a dare, nothing much to it."
"Is that so? Would you also kiss me for a dare, Ayanokōji-kun?" Ichinose innocently asked, a playful glint showing in her eyes.
I inwardly sighed at her question. It was obvious that she was testing whether I was being defensive or if I was as nonchalant as I claimed to be.
"You better not say what I think you're going to say, Kiyotaka," Yuki whispered, a clear warning if there was one.
"Only if it'd last longer than a minute," I fired back, giving Ichinose the answer she least expected.
That's what you get for playing with fire, Ichinose. And with that, I believed I had just moved on from my irrational fear of pink-haired yanderes.
Ichinose's face turned bright red at my response, and she nervously giggled. "I-I was just kidding, Ayanokōji-kun! I didn't mean anything by it!" she said, waving her hands in front of her.
Yuki glared at me before stepping in between Ichinose and me. "He's just messing with you, Honami-chan. Don't take it seriously," she said, trying to diffuse the tension... or at least, it looked like that.
She's probably just saying that to convince herself that it's the case.
"Who said I was messing around? Ichinose is certainly beautiful, isn't she?" I said, trying to hide the smirk that was threatening to appear on my face.
Yuki let out an exasperated sigh before shaking her head. "You're impossible," she muttered under her breath.
Well, at least Yuki's aware I was simply teasing her and Ichinose.
The pink-haired girl, on the other hand, looked as if she didn't know how to react as she nervously fidgeted with her hair. "T-thank you, Ayanokōji-kun. I think you're pretty handsome, too," she replied, trying to return the compliment.
Yuki nodded eagerly. "That's right! I really do know how to pick 'em ne, Honami-chan?"
The pink-haired girl giggled. "You sure do!"
"I think we should all head inside and start the interview," I said, trying to change the topic.
Ichinose nodded. "Yeah! We don't want to keep the Student Council waiting," she said, knocking on the door to the Student Council office.
As the door opened, with the Student Council Secretary, Tachibana-senpai, welcoming us in, Yuki pulled me by the sleeves of my blazer. "You're lucky we're going inside, or I would have punched you for blatantly flirting with Honami-chan," she whispered.
"You're not mad at Ichinose for making that joke?" I asked.
"Honami-chan is pure. She doesn't have it in her to try and steal you, so the entire thing is your fault. Hmph!"
"She's not stealing anything. I don't belong to anyone," I replied, leading Yuki to pinch my left cheek.
"Ow! What was that for?" I complained, rubbing the sore spot.
"You've been really insensitive towards me today, and I don't like it. Treat me better, Kiyotaka," Yuki said, pouting.
That's true. I've been a little mean to Yuki today. With that in mind, I decided to kiss Yuki on the cheeks to make her feel better.
"Ki-Kiyotaka," Yuki stuttered, visibly off-guard with what I just did.
"Consider that my apology," I replied, smiling at her before entering the Student Council office.
8.2
As we entered the Student Council office, Tachibana-senpai directed us to a table where Horikita Manabu was, and in a strange way, it looked like we were headed for the gallows with his cold gaze piercing through us, unmoving and emotionless.
The room was dimly lit, with only a desk lamp and the light from the window illuminating the space, which only made the scene look more unnerving, and with Horikita-senpai's cold gaze, it was like meeting the grim reaper.
Horikita Manabu's presence really is something else.
That being said, I found it strange how Nagumo-senpai was conspicuously absent from the interview. Judging from what I've heard about his meddlesome behavior, I was almost certain he would be here to examine the "fresh meat," so to speak.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Horikita-senpai greeted us.
"Good afternoon, Horikita-senpai," Yuki and Ichinose replied in unison, bowing to show their respect. I simply nodded my head in acknowledgment.
"Thank you for coming in for your interviews today. The Student Council appreciates your willingness to take part in the vocation of leading the students of ANHS," Horikita-senpai began, his voice clear and authoritative. "That being said, we'll be conducting the interviews simultaneously for the sake of efficiency. Would that be fine with the three of you?"
"Of course, Horikita-senpai," Yuki responded politely while Ichinose and I nodded our heads in agreement.
"Let's get started, then," Horikita-senpai said as he pulled out a folder from his desk. "First, I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves and tell me about what you'd do when accepted into the Student Council."
Yuki and Ichinose went first, introducing themselves and outlining their reasons for applying for the Student Council. Yuki talked about her goals of improving communication between students and the administration, which was funny considering she legitimately only applied to "take over the school," and thought it'd be funny if a Class D student made it to the council.
Ichinose, on the other hand, was more earnest in her spiel as she spoke about her desire to create a fun school environment where everyone would be able to live out the best High School life possible.
I could tell Ichinose would be rejected by Horikita-senpai just from those words. His earlier comments during the Club Fair had already hinted at it.
"We in the Student Council do not wish to appoint anyone who possesses a naive outlook," he said back then.
That said, a place where everyone would be able to "live out the best High School life possible" is something that's not achievable in the real world. In fact, that mindset might even be self-destructive should things go wrong for Ichinose.
Horikita-senpai then turned his head in my direction, urging me to speak up.
"My name is Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. If I get accepted into the Student Council... I'd probably attempt to protect the first years from the machinations of people who fancy themselves as puppet masters. Despite my dislike for being involved in things I have no interest in, I am willing to take control of our year to ensure their safety and well-being."
Horikita-senpai let out a shadow of a smirk, a glint of intrigue in his eyes. He has received the message: I'm aware of Nagumo Miyabi, and I'm not interested in playing with him.
"Interesting," he mused, the icy edge in his voice giving way to a hint of curiosity. "Well, let's proceed with the interview, shall we?"
As for the other people in the room, Tachibana-senpai had a smile on her face as she seemed to have gotten my message as well. Yuki, for obvious reasons, was grinning, and Ichinose... Ichinose simply looked confused at my words, but she didn't voice out her confusion.
The interview proceeded, with Horikita-senpai asking each of us a series of questions. The inquiries ranged from our opinions on school policies to hypothetical situations where we had to make difficult decisions.
Yuki answered the questions with a confident and seemingly carefree attitude, but her responses showed that she was more than capable of handling difficult situations. Horikita-senpai's eyes narrowed as he listened to her, the hint of a smile playing on his lips, suggesting that he found her interesting and potentially promising.
Ichinose, on the other hand, struggled with some of the more morally ambiguous questions. Her dedication to peace and harmony made it difficult for her to choose between two less-than-ideal options, which caused her to falter. However, her sincerity and compassion shone through, earning her the respect of the room. Tachibana-senpai's gaze softened as she looked at Ichinose, clearly empathizing with her struggles.
As for me, I carefully weighed my answers, not letting my true intentions show but making it clear that I was no pushover. I subtly hinted at my awareness of the underlying power struggles within the school, which seemed to pique Horikita-senpai's interest even more. He leaned forward, focusing intently on my words, as though trying to decipher the hidden message behind them.
The interview continued in this manner until Horikita Manabu finally set down his pen and closed the folder in front of him. "Thank you all for your participation," he said, his voice once again cold and businesslike. "We'll review your answers and make our decision soon. You may leave now."
As we exited the room, Yuki couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. "That was intense," she remarked, glancing over at me with a knowing grin. "You did well, though. I think you've definitely caught Horikita-senpai's attention."
Ichinose nodded in agreement. "I think Ayanokōji-kun is definitely going to be accepted into the Student Council. Horikita-senpai seemed increasingly interested in every answer you gave, Ayanokōji-kun."
Yuki puffed out her chest in pride. "As he should! It's Kiyotaka, after all," she said, leading Ichinose to giggle.
"You did great, too, Yuki-chan! In some ways, you're similar to Ayanokōji-kun as you tend to say answers that are outside the box. You guys really are meant for each other, aren't you?" The pink-haired girl took a teasing tone as she finished.
"M-meant for each other?! Y-You're right, but geez! You keep catching me off-guard with your words, Honami-chan!" Yuki whined, with a tinge of pink visible on her cheeks.
"Don't sell yourself short, Ichinose. I think Yuki would agree with me when I say you also performed admirably. I think Horikita-senpai saw your earnestness, sincerity, and compassion. Those are valuable traits for a leader," I said in an attempt to boost the girl's morale.
She did seem a little uncomfortable answering Horikita-senpai's moral dilemma questions, after all. Just as what you'd expect from a well-meaning girl like Ichinose.
Ichinose gave me a small smile. "I hope so," she replied.
"Wouldn't it be fun if all three of us made it to the Student Council?" Yuki chimed in, effectively infecting Ichinose with her enthusiasm as the pink-haired girl's smile widened.
"Oh, it'd be incredibly fun to work with you, Yuki-chan!" Ichinose declared, her eyes somehow sparkling at the thought.
Yuki grinned, clearly pleased by Ichinose's enthusiasm. "Right? We'd make a great team, and the Student Council would be a lot more lively with all of us there!"
Ichinose's eyes sparkled even more, as she nodded vigorously. "Absolutely! We could bring positive change to the school and make sure everyone enjoys their time here. And with Ayanokōji-kun, we'll have a balanced and effective team."
I smiled at their excitement but remained cautious. "While it's an interesting prospect, let's not get our hopes up too high. We don't know the outcome yet. However, it's good to see both of you so enthusiastic about the possibility."
Yuki playfully nudged me. "Come on, Kiyotaka, lighten up a bit! It's okay to be excited about something like this. We all did our best, and that's what matters, right?"
Ichinose nodded in agreement. "Yuki-chan is right. We should be proud of our efforts and hope for the best. Whatever the outcome, I'm glad I got to share this experience with both of you."
But from what I've seen from Horikita Manabu, Ichinose's as good as rejected. Especially with how he's seemingly wary about Nagumo-senpai and his potential machinations, where a good-natured girl like Ichinose could be taken advantage of.
I kept this concern to myself, not wanting to dampen their spirits. After all, there was still a chance things might turn out differently than I anticipated.
And just as always, I would eventually find out that I was right.
8.3
Third Person POV
As the door clicked shut behind the three first-year students, the atmosphere in the dimly lit Student Council office shifted. Horikita Manabu leaned back in his chair with a faint sigh, watching as Tachibana Akane poured him a cup of steaming tea. The rich aroma of the tea filled the air, comforting him after the tense interviews.
"I think we have some promising candidates this year," he murmured, taking a sip of the tea Tachibana had brewed for him. Its warm, rich aroma wafted through the air, filling the room with a comforting scent.
His secretary, Tachibana Akane, turned her head in his direction, with a small smile making its way on her cute face. "You sound happy, Horikita-kun," the purple-haired girl pointed out.
Manabu nodded, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Ayanokōji Kiyotaka is even better than advertised." He paused, staring out the window. The light from outside filtered through the glass, casting a warm glow on his features.
"I took the due diligence to dig up information on him, and apparently, he's only placed in Class D due to his low interest in social contribution."
Tachibana raised an eyebrow at that. "That's odd. Ayanokōji-kun sounded like a natural leader, and from how Tsubaki-san deferred to him, it looks like he has the respect of his class," she pointed out.
Manabu nodded his head. "Exactly. That makes the premise of his report suspicious. I believe the school had deliberately changed up the sorting process for the freshmen students this year. With how unbalanced the second-years and third-years are, they must be experimenting with a more even playing field with the first-years. Under normal circumstances, Ayanokōji and Tsubaki would have been placed in Class A," he replied.
The purple-haired girl's eyes widened at Manabu's speculation. "That does seem plausible, Horikita-kun!"
"That being said, I will be accepting both Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and Tsubaki Yuki in the Student Council. A penny for your thoughts, Tachibana?"
"I agree. However, I'd like to point out that Ichinose-san isn't as bad as you initially thought. While she might have shown herself to be naive and, perhaps, a little too kindhearted, I do not see how that detracts from the natural charisma that she carries," Tachibana replied.
"But that's not why I'm rejecting her," Manabu countered, his eyes gazing into Tachibana's peach-brown orbs.
The purple-haired woman simply smiled. "You really have a strange way of showing people your empathetic side, Horikita-kun. But I don't think you should be worried about Nagumo sinking his claws into Ichinose-san."
"I see where you're getting at, Tachibana. However, I will still be rejecting Ichinose for the time being," he replied.
Tachibana raised an eyebrow. "For the time being?"
Manabu smirked, pushing his glasses closer to his nose bridge. "If Ayanokōji-kun is as good as I think he is, he'll be able to use Ichinose's rejected application to his advantage."
The purple-haired woman's eyes widened in realization. "You can't be serious, Horikita-kun!"
After all, Horikita Manabu had all but laid out his plan to her, one that states that Horikita Manabu was willing to place all his eggs in the Ayanokōji basket should he prove himself worthy of such investment.
Manabu would start by making the Class D leader the Vice President of the Student Council, granting him many powers, which included a veto power that extended to rejected applications to the Student Council.
With this power, Ayanokōji would have the power to overturn Ichinose's rejection, which would undoubtedly earn him the girl's gratitude and trust. Aside from that, Ichinose's popularity over the first years would help Ayanokōji consolidate his power over the first years, as well as end the possible threat of Nagumo Miyabi getting a hold of her.
If things worked out as Horikita mapped it out, there is a chance that it would be Ayanokōji Kiyotaka who'd serve as the Student Council President the following year and not Nagumo Miyabi. An ideal scenario, if there was one.
"I am serious. I am not in the situation to deal with Nagumo myself. However, I can see that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and I share the same disdain for his ploys, and for a first-year to be able to gather that much information within three weeks is nothing short of astounding. It'd be foolish of me not to take advantage of this chance that was given to me," Manabu answered.
"But to make a first-year student one of the Student Council's Vice Presidents... it's unprecedented, Horikita-kun," Tachibana replied.
Manabu leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Tachibana's. "As they say, 'there's a first time for everything,' and now is the time to do something unprecedented, Tachibana," he replied.
Tachibana Akane simply sighed, knowing it was pointless to debate with the bespectacled boy. She knew it best that when Horikita Manabu's determined to push for something, he would not let anyone nor anything stop him from doing so.
The purple-haired secretary could only hope that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka would live up to the incredibly high expectations placed on him by Horikita Manabu.
"Who am I kidding? He's probably even better than we imagined! The boy freaking figured out the S-System on the first day, for God's sake," Tachibana thought, pinching the bridge of her nose.
End of Chapter
A/N: Well, here goes Chapter 8!
Initially, this was going to be a long chapter, but I found out that writing chapters within the 5-7k range is better in setting up the story, and it still gets the message across anyways.
I'll be writing long chapters when needed be, but for set-up chapters, I'll keep them short and easily digestible.
Here, we're slowly deviating from the usual SoL tone of this story and dabbling into the COTE Web of Manipulation and Scheming, and I think it's about time.
This buffed-up and more proactive Manabu does recognize that it's almost impossible to manipulate Kiyotaka to do his bidding, but given that they seemed to have aligned visions, he might as well lend him a hand to make things easier (or harder) for him.
So yes, Kiyotaka is going to be the second Vice President of the Student Council, with Yuki serving as the first-year representative. Honami gets rejected, but it is hinted that Kiyotaka would steal canon Nagumo's play and put Honami on the student council himself.
Anyways, this was part of the chapter, which I eventually cut off as I felt like the entire scene would simply be dragging the chapter out. It'll be touched upon in Chapter 9 or Chapter 10, depending on when I'm going to make Kiyo and Yuki's appointment to the Student Council official.
Do keep in mind that this is an unedited version of the script and will be improved when it finally makes its way to the story. (I tend to simply write everything that comes to mind and then simply select and improve scenes, so that should explain why it looked unpolished)
Chapter 8 removed scene:
"Veto power?" I asked, narrowing my eyes as I uncovered another layer of Horikita-senpai's decision to make me Vice President. Yuki also picked up on this but opted to simply listen.
"It's just for checks and balances, a prerequisite to a working democratic state. Is there something you wish to say, Ayanokōji-kun?" Horikita-senpai asked, a smirk forming on his face.
"Consider Ichinose's rejection null and void. She's accepted into the Student Council to be my secretary. Is that what you wanted me to say, Horikita-senpai?"
To my surprise, Horikita-senpai actually laughed. It even caught Tachibana-senpai off-guard, which proved that it was not an everyday occurrence.
"Let's assume that's the case. Explain to me why you believe it's the correct exercise of your veto power," he ordered.
"Because doing so would earn me Ichinose's gratitude and trust. With her popularity over the first years, having her as my direct subordinate would make it easier to consolidate my power over the first years, as well as end the possible threat of Nagumo Miyabi getting a hold of her," I answered.
Horikita-senpai chuckled. "You're even better than I expected."
"I don't like the tone of that speech, Kiyotaka. You're not going to treat Honami-chan as a tool. You got that?" Yuki whispered, the threat evident and clear.
"Relax. I'm simply giving senpai a logical answer. Ichinose deserves to be in the council out of her own merit," I whispered back in an attempt to placate Yuki.
Yuki beamed at my words and hugged my right arm.
Horikita-senpai opted to look at Yuki and me in amusement. "Am I correct to assume that the two of you are together?"
"I'm more interested in your little sister, to be honest." I joked in an attempt to see how he'd react.
Horikita-senpai's eyes widened momentarily before smiling and nodding his head. "You have my blessing, Ayanokōji-kun. Suzune would be lucky to have you," he replied.
Take that back! Yuki's going to kill me for that, Horikita-senpai!
Yuki's eyes widened in shock at Horikita-senpai's words, her grip on my arm tightening. "E-Excuse me?!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with disbelief.
Horikita-senpai chuckled. "As an older brother, it is simply natural to root for my younger sibling. Seeing as you and Ayanokōji-kun aren't in a relationship, I think Suzune still has a chance," he said... and somehow, sounded serious.
I let out a chuckle, relieved that Horikita-senpai had taken my joke in stride. "Thank you for the blessing, Horikita-senpai. I'll keep that in mind," I replied.
Yuki looked at me with a mix of annoyance and amusement before finally letting go of my arm. "Ha-ha, very funny," she retorted, rolling her eyes.
"Sorry, Yuki. I was just messing with Horikita-senpai," I said, attempting to smooth things over.
Horikita-senpai shook his head in amusement. He must have figured out why Yuki insulted his little sister in the forms that she submitted. "As amusing as this little interlude is, we should focus on the task at hand. Are there any more questions regarding your roles?"
Yuki shook her head. "None, Horikita-senpai," she replied.
"I'm good, Horikita-senpai," I said, not wanting to prolong the meeting any further.
"Excellent. Then I shall dismiss you two for now. Please be sure to attend the first council meeting next week. You will receive the details through e-mail," Horikita-senpai said, standing up from his seat.
We both followed suit, bowing to Horikita-senpai before exiting the room. As soon as we were out of earshot, Yuki turned to me, her pout still evident on her face.
"Must be nice getting Horikita-senpai's blessing, huh?" She sarcastically asked.
Oh, she's back in her Queen of Passive-Aggressiveness mode.
"Indeed. I'll tease Horikita about it tomorrow," I replied, ignoring Yuki's displeasure at the matter.
"You're really insufferable."
"Still in love with me, aren't you?"
"That makes it even worse!"