After the last period of physical education on Tuesday, Sakurai Saki changed out of his gym clothes and returned to the classroom to grab his bag.
He caught a glimpse of Kaguya Shinomiya, who also seemed to be heading toward the Student Council Room.
They didn't speak.Neither had the habit of walking with others unnecessarily.Sakurai simply slung his bag over his shoulder and left.
Pushing open the familiar door, he saw Miyuki Shirogane seated in the president's chair, deep in paperwork, and Yu Ishigami typing away with a look of utter despair.
"Ishigami, what's wrong?" Sakurai tossed his schoolbag onto the sofa.
"I'm despairing over the clubs at this school," Ishigami muttered while furiously tapping at his keyboard. "Sakurai-senpai, can you believe it? The Gaming Club is full of normies. Normies! It's incomprehensible!"
"That's because most multiplayer games require actual... teams," Sakurai replied, giving him a side glance before looking at Shirogane. "Miyuki, haven't the club recruitment duties wrapped up? Why are you still stuck in documents?"
"Oh, Sakurai. Yeah, the initial stuff's done. But I've got a funding meeting with the Club Federation next week. These are this year's budget requests." Miyuki didn't look up from his paperwork.
This guy really is dedicated.
Sakurai turned back to Ishigami. "So? Did you end up joining anything?"
"I gave it thought," Ishigami said, as if his words carried deep meaning. "But games are still more fun."
…Don't say that like it's some profound life philosophy.
This man was a gamer through and through.
"Ishigami," Miyuki interjected, still not lifting his head, "it's better for high schoolers to join at least one club."
"…"
Ishigami looked like he wanted to make a counterargument, but Miyuki's mountain of documents spoke for itself. No one would believe this Student Council President had spare time for clubs.
Wait—wasn't he also the Student Council's accountant?
"Since I'm the accountant and it's a busy role," Ishigami said at last, "I won't join a club. Council work is more important."
Just then, footsteps echoed from the hall.
A few seconds later, Kaguya Shinomiya entered the room.
Her gaze immediately fell on Ishigami.
"Ishigami-kun," she said in her usual cool tone, "are you saying you intend to remain at the bottom of Shuchiin Academy's social hierarchy?"
Her voice was even, but her words pierced like arrows.
Shuchiin had a clear social pecking order:Sports clubs > Cultural clubs > Go-home club.And at the very bottom was Ishigami's favorite: no club at all.
"Shinomiya-senpai…" Ishigami stiffened.Cold sweat dotted his brow.
His fear of Kaguya Shinomiya wasn't something as simple as being "scared."It was primal. Instinctive.
"Ishigami-kun, I'm not going to grind you up and mix you into the school's foundation," Kaguya said, voice curious. "So why are you so afraid of me?"
Because that sentence right there is terrifying enough, thank you very much!Ishigami dared not speak.
Then her gaze turned toward Sakurai.
"Sakurai-kun, you haven't considered joining a club either?"
This wasn't shifting targets.This was adding one.
"If you're interested in the Archery Club, you can let me know. Kojima-kun from the Kendo Club also mentioned scouting you."
It was no surprise.Sakurai Saki's physical ability was well-known, even if not immediately visible.
Last year, he had helped Miyuki smooth over a major dispute with the Club Federation—a conflict that involved Ryuzhu Momo, the daughter of a powerful yakuza leader, and Kojima, head of the Kendo Club.
"No interest," Sakurai said flatly. "Sports don't motivate me."
There was another reason. A deeper one.
His powers… were too unstable.
He didn't want to hurt someone, not accidentally and especially not on purpose.He had rules. Anchors.
Just like the anchors mooring a ship, Sakurai had tied himself down with a set of principles:Never harm others without reason—especially not with his powers.Don't fall in love lightly—not until he could fully control himself.Never forget: he was human first.Smile more. Always.Live a normal life.Seek happiness in small things.Don't dwell on the past.Never, ever, go back in time…He snapped out of his thoughts.
"If you're not into sports," Kaguya added, watching his expression shift, "then what about a cultural club?"
Just then, Miyuki spoke up without looking away from his paperwork.
"Sakurai lives alone in Tokyo. He has it pretty tough."
Not everyone had the luxury of "youth."
Sakurai Saki worked part-time to supplement his family's income—and also to cover his own daily expenses. Tokyo wasn't kind to the self-reliant.
"Alone?" Kaguya Shinomiya repeated, brows lightly furrowing.
It was the first time she'd heard that.
Kaguya had always known that both Miyuki Shirogane and Sakurai Saki worked after school. But that Sakurai—General Affairs of the Student Council—actually lived alone?
Even she, with all her pride and status, had Hayasaka Ai by her side daily. Someone to talk to. Someone to share the silence with.
Returning home to an empty apartment.Eating alone.Sitting alone.
Wasn't that… lonely?
Kaguya's gaze softened. Something like maternal instinct—no, maybe a strange kind of sympathy—bubbled up within her. The cold, composed Vice President cracked slightly.
"Sakurai-kun, were you really living that harshly?"
Sakurai blinked.
It was the first time he had seen that expression on Kaguya Shinomiya's face.
Something in her tone. The way she was looking at him.
A chill ran down his spine.
Please. No.Shinomiya Vice President, stay normal.Give that weird maternal affection to Ishigami, your only underclassman. He needs it more.
"Actually, it's… fine," Sakurai replied, smile a little forced, a bit crooked, and definitely uncomfortable.
Kaguya noticed the twist in his expression.The corner of her mouth curled ever so slightly.
"Oh."
That single syllable sent ripples through the room.
Yu Ishigami:"…!!!!"
Why is she smiling?!Why does it feel like she's smiling because blood is about to be spilled?!
Those eyes! That smile! It was the smile of a predator, not a schoolgirl!
Terrifying! So terrifying!
And then—
"Ishigami-kun~" Kaguya called out in a sweet, syrupy tone that to Ishigami's ears sounded like the wailing of a demon.
He flinched, like a soldier hearing a landmine click.
He raised his head just slightly, his voice trembling."Wh-what is it, Shinomiya-senpai…?"
What was she going to say?What was she going to do?!
"If you truly don't plan on joining a club, then improve your grades, Ishigami-kun," Kaguya said coldly, her smile vanishing.
"Honestly, having someone like you in the Student Council is… embarrassing."
Her tone could've frozen lava.
Ishigami turned to Miyuki with pleading eyes, full of desperation, begging for salvation.
Miyuki's response?
A sidelong glance and the unspoken expression:
You're on your own, buddy.
Yu Ishigami collapsed inward.
This was despair.Utter, academic despair.
He didn't want to study!Studying was meaningless to him.If it weren't for the debt of gratitude he owed Miyuki-senpai, he wouldn't have stepped into the Student Council in the first place!
Why were all these geniuses here?!The top three students in the grade were all sitting in this one room! Wasn't that abnormal?!
Wait… wait…There was still hope. There was still one more—
"Ehhh?! What's everyone doing?!"
The Student Council door burst open.
Fujiwara Chika arrived like a whirlwind of chaos and curiosity.
Eyes wide. Mouth full of energy. Spirit unchecked.
Looking around suspiciously, she asked with a smile:"Were you all talking about something fun without me?!"
Ishigami: (Saved by the chaos incarnate.)