"Oh~? And what is the student council president doing here?" Hoshinomiya-Sensei asked in a frisky manner.

Everyone abruptly paused from what they were doing and turned their attention to Hoshinomiya-Sensei's direction. I was a bit surprised to see the president of the student council, Horikita Manabu, standing there in front of our classroom door. Tachibana Akane, his secretary, was also accompanying him.

"I have some business with a certain pupil in Class 1-D. Of course, I'll only call them if you are finished with your lesson." While adjusting his glasses, Manabu began his intentions.

Now that I've had a close look at him, he does appear to be quite attractive. It's no surprise that he topped the Ikemen rankings for all of the school's males.

"May I ask who that certain someone is?" Hoshinomiya-Sensei persisted further with her interrogation.

"If you really wish to know..." Manabu heaved a sigh before continuing. "The student I'm looking for is Ayanokouji Kiyotaka," Manabu answered , judging it would be more time-efficient if he just answered all her queries.

"Oh~? You mean Mr.Popular over there~?" Hoshinomiya-Sensei said while pointing at me. Manabu just gave a slight nod as a response.

"And here I was thinking you were on the hunt for your darling sister." Hoshinomiya made a snide comment.

When Horikita's name was mentioned, she instantly stiffened. Horikita had an uneasy expression on her face now that I glanced at her, and her body language was tense. Horikita received only a fleeting glance from Manabu before he turned away with a disdainful frown visible on his face.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have time to spare for someone as inept as her." Manabu conveyed his opinion bluntly. Horikita caught my gaze as I swiveled my head. After hearing her brother's critical remarks about her, she appeared to be on the verge of crying.

My curiosity was sparked by their relationship. Is there a grudge between Manabu and his own sister? Was there something that happened between them in the past that caused their dreadful sibling rivalry? Does he truly despise Horikita that much that he felt ashamed of having her as a family member?

Then again, it is not in my position to try to pry into other people's family affairs.

"What a cold-hearted and heartless brother you are. Anyway, I'm finished with classes for the day, which is good news for you. Yay~!" Hoshinomiya laughed and made lighthearted clapping motions. "If you wish to speak with him right now, go ahead." She informed him as she waltzed out of the classroom.

Everyone's eyes had switched to me at this point. It's as if they're watching me from the stands, anticipating for me to hit the game-winning free throw for the NBA championship. ​I'm desperate to get this over with. I felt like I was back in the White Room because of other people's direct stares at me, which I was very uncomfortable with.

He peered around the classroom and strolled over to my desk once he had found where was I sitting.

In a severe tone of voice, he addressed me, "Ayanokouji." I simply raised my head to indicate that he had my undivided attention. My classmates were all listening in on our conversation. It could be really bothersome for me if he perhaps says something very unneeded.

"Please come to the student council office as soon as possible. The student council would like to speak with you about a few issues." Manabu stated unequivocally.

"Does it concern something significant?"

"Very much so, yes. It's not every day that a kid from Class D is summoned to the office of the student council. Of course, that is excluding occurrences involving conflict between students or inappropriate behavior."

"I think I'm available at the moment. So, if you want, I guess I can go to the student council office right now."

"That's good then. After you've completed packing all your luggage, please follow me as I will direct you to the student council office ." He instructed me as he motioned for me to walk along with him.

I snatched my backpack from the floor and slung the strap over my left shoulder. I briskly exited the classroom after awkwardly waving everyone goodbye. Manabu and Tachibana were waiting outside the classroom awaiting my arrival. He flicked his wrist slightly after seeing my presence, signaling me to follow his directions. I merely nodded as a response.

I could feel the stares aimed at me as we walked to the student council office. The worst aspect was that the looks came not only from students in my year but also from a number of upperclassmen.

Although I'm not sure why they were blatantly staring at me so intently, their curiosity in me was most likely heightened after seeing my OAA data or test scores. I understand that it's a near-impossible task, but couldn't they at least try to hide their motive of observing me?

Is it human nature for people who are interested in someone to just merely look at that certain person uncomfortably? Ugh, I still haven't been able to grasp this bewildering outside world to which I haven't yet become very accustomed to.

"Ittai..." I muttered as I winced slightly in pain.

Apparently, I had been so preoccupied with my thoughts that I had failed to see my surroundings and I'd accidentally blown my face against the door to the student council office. I spun around to see how they reacted to my minor mishap. Manabu was visibly face palming, while Tachibana was covering her mouth with her palm, attempting to keep her giggle in.

"Be more aware of your surroundings next time, Ayanokouji," Manabu warned. I meekly looked down in humiliation at his words.

"You may enter," said a voice from behind the closed door, allowing us to enter the office. My head hitting the door may have been misinterpreted as a knock. What an embarrassing situation.

Given the permission, I opened the door. We then entered the room in a formal manner. Rather than walking with both hands in my pockets like I typically do, I modified my stance to appear as a civil and well-mannered student. I wanted to make a good impression on the individuals at the office right now.

Everyone in the room moved their focus to us as soon as they heard the door creak open. There was Kiriyama who was seated at a desk with a fair-skinned man with light blond hair and light blue eyes. He must be Nagumo Miyabi, based on what I've learned through the OAA application. The student council's vice president.

Three figures stood in front of me, staring at me as if they were meticulously scrutinizing and watching every motion I made. Those three people were Sakayanagi Arisu of Class 1-A, Katsuragi Kohei of Class 1-A, and Ichinose Honami of Class 1-C, formerly Class 1-B, were the folks in question.

"A-Ayanokouji-Kun?!" Ichinose yelled loudly due to shock, probably not expecting my appearance. I observed Katsuragi's eyes widen and flinched ever so slightly. He looked at me for a while but soon averted his sights away from me.

"Yo, Ichinose," I replied indiscriminately.

"You all arrived rather early... Please have a seat on the couch first. This meeting will most likely take a while." Nagumo remarked while surveying the students in front of him.

We did as we were told and sat on an adjacent couch. In stark contrast to our laid-back atmosphere. Ichinose's and the others' tension was palpable.

It seems They were also summoned for an important reason. Maybe they had applied to the student council and were now waiting to hear whether or not they had been accepted? Well, I wouldn't know unless I listened in on our upcoming discussion.

"First and foremost, I'd like to express my gratitude to all of you for taking your time to come here so late in the afternoon. I know you're all probably swamped with schoolwork or preoccupied with your thoughts regarding the truth that was just revealed to you today." Manabu thanked us. As a simple reaction, we all nodded.

"I'd like to congratulate Sakayanagi Arisu and Katsuragi Kohei of Class 1-A. Your class was able to receive 980 class points this month. No class in the history of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School has ever saved up this many amounts of points in the first month. This is something you both should be very proud of." Manabu praised them for their achievements.

"Second, I'm also quite impressed with you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." He shifted his gaze towards me."This is the first time in this school's history that Class D was able to advance beyond two classes in such a short period of time. To make it even more astounding, you did all of this in the first month of your enrollment. That is something to be commended and applauded for." Manabu showered me with compliments while clapping his hands briefly.

I also noticed Arisu, who was giggling to herself, Katsuragi, who had an uneasy expression on his face, seemingly disappointed with himself, and Ichinose, who was staring at me with eyes shining with admiration and respect.

My heart would have probably fluttered there if I hadn't been so emotionally traumatized and thoroughly touched by my dreadful past.

"Now let's get down to business. Katsuragi Kohei and Ichinose Honami, You both put in an application for the student council. I'm sure you all realize how critical it is." Manabu emphasized strongly, his voice dominating. He also indicated that they expressed interest in wanting to be part of the student government. I'm curious as to what will transpire.

"I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your application even though you two were sorted into the higher classes." They were flatly rejected by Manabu.

Huh? That's odd. I'm still not sure about Katsuragi, but Ichinose seems like the right choice for the part. She appeared to be a force to be reckoned with based on her OAA statistics. She also has the highest social contribution grade out of all of our year's students, which I thought was a requirement to join. I was considering why they were turned down, My mind began to formulate several possible conclusions.

"I see... It appears that I am still unprepared to serve on the student council." Ichinose sighed despondently.

"May I ask why, Mr. President? I'm very certain that I'm the ideal candidate for the council." The president's choice was openly questioned by the so-called Katsuragi.

"While this is partially true, I'm still going to have to say no." Manabu was unfazed. He made it obvious that he had no intention of second-guessing his decision.

"Fufufu, Katsuragi-kun, stop it, it was already determined," Arisu chided, a smug smirk on her face.

"You are free to leave if you have no further queries. However, I appreciate you both for attempting." Manabu stood up and bowed to them.

Arisu tucked Katsuragi's right sleeve as they stood up from the couch and were prepared to walk away.

Katsuragi, irritated, inquired, "What is it now, Sakayanagi?"

"Hold your horses there, Katsuragi. I believe it is preferable for you and Ichinose to stay here just a little bit longer."

"Huh?" Ichinose's face was flushed with bemusement. "Can you explain what you mean by that?"

"Something exciting and entertaining is about to happen, I just have a feeling it will. President Horikita," The president was addressed by Arisu. "May we stay here for a few minutes longer, if you don't mind?" Arisu had made a request.

"I'm perfectly fine with it as long as you don't cause any trouble." Manabu gave his approval

"Thank you very much, President Horikita, "Arisu thanked him.

"Now then," He walked over to the couch in front of us and sat down, his piercing eyes fixed on me.

"If I may, President?" I kindly raised my right palm. "I'd like to know why I've been summoned to this room. I have not yet submitted an application to join the student council, and I'm very certain I haven't caused any trouble for anyone. I'm still unsure as to why I've been exactly called here. Of course, please accept my heartfelt apologies if I have made a mistake and have not noticed it."

"I applaud your demeanor and decorum, Kouhai," Nagumo, who had remained deafeningly quiet up until this point, suddenly piped up. "You surely know how to conduct yourself in the presence of the student council president. A lot of people don't show enough regard to the student council. As a result, I must eulogize you on that."

"Thank you, Nagumo-Senpai." I bowed my head slightly as a sign of respect. He gave a proud grin as a response and merely continued sipping the cup of tea he was drinking.

"Now back to the topic, may I inquire as to the specific reason as to why you've called me here, president Horikita?"

"Let's just say I've taken a bit of an interest in you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka." Manabu was upfront about his objective.

This came as a complete surprise, although, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting something like this. Ichinose, Katsuragi, and the other members of the student council's faces were visibly shocked.

"I'm flattered you feel that way about me, president Horikita. Unfortunately for you, I don't swing that way." I made an attempt to crack a joke.

Nagumo spat out the entire cup of tea he was drinking from his mouth and burst out laughing. He was visibly wheezing, tears of joy flowing down his cheeks.

Arisu was giggling alongside me as well. The others, on the other hand, were filled with horror. They were undoubtedly perplexed that I had the audacity to make such a scathing remark about him out of all people. To be honest, I'm impressed with myself as well.

"Kouhai, watch your manners! You're talking to the student council president of this school!" Tachibana barked at me.

"Aw~ come on Tachibana-Senpai, there's no need to be so strict." Nagumo stepped in to cover for me. "He's not only capable and well-mannered, but he also has a wicked sense of humor. I like this guy!" Nagumo exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

"I did not take you for someone childish, Ayanokouji," Manabu remarked.

"I suppose appearances can be deceiving." I shrugged nonchalantly. "However, I apologize if my comment offended you personally in some way. I had no intention of hurting you in any way."

"It's fine. Something like that is inconsequential to me." Manabu brushed it off.

"Getting back to where we left off, I'm sure you didn't just call me here to tell me that." I made the decision to forego the formality. Tachibana's expression showed visible displeasure.

"Yes, exactly. So, instead of wasting your time, I'll just get to the point." As he rose and approached me, he said. "For the student council, two slots are open. A post as the vice president's secretary and as a first-year representative. You can have the secretary seat if you prefer. I don't mind whichever option you choose." Manabu came out with an offer.

The comfortable vibe in the room had vanished as everyone in the room erupted into an uproar. The most common expression on everyone's faces was shock. In particular, Katsuragi and Ichinose. Meanwhile, Arisu began to chuckle uncontrollably as she saw the events unfolding in front of her eyes. To be honest, I was grateful for her presence. Without her, the environment could have gotten far too oppressive for me to bear.

"H-Horikita-Senpai, have you gone mad?!" Nagumo yelled, unable to maintain his composure for any longer.

"A-are you serious, president?!" Kiriyama expressed his concern on the matter.

"President, you do know what class I was alloted to at the start of the year, right?" I questioned him.

"Yes. I'm perfectly aware that you were originally assigned as a Class D student. However, I am unconcerned with such trivialities." Manabu answered brusquely.

"Hmm..." I rubbed my chin, contemplating if I should accept or decline his offer.

Even though I've considered joining the student council, I haven't made up my mind. Although Class D will profit from the many benefits offered by the student council, my free time will be severely constrained because I will most likely be required to participate in many student council activities after school or assist them in setting up and preparing big school events.

I wanted more time to consider the pros and cons of accepting his offer. Why did he solely want to invite me, is a question I have. He did state there were two unfilled slots on the student council, so why not approve Ichinose's application first, then mine? Is there a significant reason why he doesn't want Ichinose on the council?

My mind went into overdrive as I sought to figure out every possible connection. But, alas, it was all for naught. I couldn't come up with any reasonable explanations for why he didn't want Ichinose to be in the council. I'll have to press him for even more details.

"Before I respond to your offer..." I removed my hand from my chin. "Do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions?"

"As long as it is within to my capabilities, then sure."

"Then my first inquiry would be, why me, specifically?"

"It's because you possess the necessary characteristics to serve on the student council. Not only that, but you were also able to transform a 'defective' class into Class B in just one month. If that wasn't enough, you have the highest Academic Ability, Physical Ability score, and you tied for first with me in the intelligence category in the OAA, despite the fact that you've only been here for a month. In addition, you came in third place overall in the OAA rankings. That is extremely impressive and a very praiseworthy attainment for a first-year student."

He presented me with a pretty well-thought-out argument. But I am not someone who struggles to be put under duress. I was not going to back down simply because I had received a few praises.

"Then I'll ask you another question, president." I leaned in closer to him. "What exactly are you implying when you mean I possess the 'necessary characteristics'?"

Manabu simply remained silent for a few moments. He was staring at me with a serious expression on his face. He finally spoke up after a while.

"If you simply wish to know, then I guess I can tell you." He paused before beginning his explanation.

"You were a student who had already intrigued me since the first time I met you. You were not only able to ace the entrance examinations so quickly, but you were also able to detect the concealed cameras across the institution with ease. Your powers of observation are very alarming. Before I go any farther, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, I'd like to pose a question to you." He points his index finger at me menacingly. "Do you have any idea why you were placed in Class D out of all the classes?"

"Of course. It's because I'm a flawed student. I'm a defective product. Isn't my placement in Class D already enough of an answer for your question?" I countered.