Student Council Room.
Hikigaya held the club activity report in his hand, feeling strangely nervous. Was this the legendary pressure from a superior? Commander Horikita Manabu's presence alone was enough to make him feel that way.
If he handed over this report, he might get scolded or outright rejected. But if he didn't, the club funds for the Wool Department would be completely wiped out. The idea of doing nothing and still receiving salary was appealing, but it seemed impossible.
So this is the plight of working adults—trapped between unreasonable demands and the desperate need for a paycheck. Hikigaya suddenly felt he could empathize with the struggle of corporate slaves. He imagined himself angrily throwing a resignation letter at his boss's face, only to hesitate because next month's salary was on the line.
Pathetic. The life of a social animal was truly pitiful.
Hikigaya paced outside the door, glancing around nervously. His strategy was simple: wait until the Student Council was busy, slip in, toss the report onto the table, and sneak away.
Or maybe he could hand it to another Student Council member and run for his life.
At that moment, a slender girl approached the Student Council room. She had a bright, sunflower-like smile, orange hair flowing to her waist, and a sunflower-shaped hairpin decorating her head. Seeing she didn't have any documents in her hand, Hikigaya decided not to pay her any attention.
"Are you here to see the Student Council?" The girl asked cheerfully, catching him off guard.
"Uh… yeah." Hikigaya nodded awkwardly and quickly handed her the report. "Excuse me, are you part of the Student Council? I need to submit this club activity report. I'm not sure about the procedure. Can you help me deliver it?"
"Eh? No, no." The girl shook her head, laughing softly. "I'm Asahina Hagi from Class 2-A. I'm not in the Student Council. I'm just here to see Vice President Nagumo."
"Oh, I see. Thanks, anyway." Hikigaya nodded, his hopes dashed. So, she wasn't part of the Student Council after all.
"Don't just stand out here. Come inside with me." Asahina-senpai pushed open the Student Council room door and gestured for him to follow her.
Hikigaya hesitated but reluctantly followed Asahina into the room.
"Ah, Asahina."
Huko, the blond-haired, ever-smiling Nagumo, glanced up just as Hikigaya entered. His sharp gaze settled on Hikigaya. "Why are you two together?"
"Huh?" Asahina tilted her head in confusion. "You two know each other? I just saw him pacing outside, so I brought him in."
"I see." Huko chuckled as if he found the situation amusing. "I've seen him a few times. You know, I never forget a face."
That's… terrifying. Hikigaya thought, a bit shocked by Huko's perfect recall. No wonder he was a strong candidate for the next Student Council President. This school was full of impressive people.
"Hikigaya-kun, have a seat." Huko gestured to the sofa with a welcoming smile. "What brings you to the Student Council today?"
Wait a minute. Hikigaya's intuition sensed something was off. Commander Horikita Manabu was sitting right there in the main seat, yet Huko was the one doing all the talking.
"Because we're in a transition period," Horikita Manabu explained calmly, noticing Hikigaya's confused expression. "Recently, Student Council matters have been gradually handed over to Nagumo. Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, none at all." Hikigaya sighed in relief, then carefully placed the activity report on Horikita's desk. "This is the activity report for the Wool Department."
"Hm?" Horikita looked at him with mild suspicion before picking up the document.
"Oh?" Huko leaned over curiously. "The Wool Department, huh? If I remember correctly, your club's main goal is to exploit school loopholes for profit, right? During random inspections, you were just sitting there reading. Was that really 'activity'?"
Wait, there were inspections? Hikigaya's nerves spiked. Had they been monitoring the club all this time?
"A Wool Department?" Asahina perked up, intrigued. "I've never heard of that. Let me see."
She was way too casual about this. And why was she acting so familiar with the Student Council?
"Uh, well…" Hikigaya quickly said, "I'll just leave the report here and—"
"Hold on." Horikita Manabu's calm voice cut him off. "You came here at this time because you thought it would be easier to pass in my hands, didn't you? Are you not interested in the results?"
"Uh…" Hikigaya froze, his little scheme instantly exposed. He really couldn't hide anything from the Commander.
"Haha, don't be so tense," Huko laughed cheerfully. "As long as the Wool Department actually produces results, I can approve it easily."
This guy was really confident. But Hikigaya had grown accustomed to confident leaders, whether they were in Class A, B, C, or D. They all shared a sense of assurance about their own abilities.
"Well…" Horikita Manabu glanced over the report, his expression unreadable. Then he handed the document to the secretary, Tachibana Akane.
Another public execution!
Hikigaya's nerves hit their peak as he watched Tachibana skim through the report.
Her eyes widened, and then her gaze turned icy. "Scum."
"Huh?" Hikigaya blurted out, his expression dumbfounded.
"You're actually planning to make money off girls' menstrual products? That's absolutely disgusting," Tachibana snapped, her tone sharp and judgmental.
"Whoa, really?" Asahina clapped her hands in genuine surprise. "That's actually pretty smart, Hikigaya-kun. You've got an interesting way of thinking."
"What kind of student even thinks about starting a business?" Huko chuckled, his tone amused rather than critical.
Hikigaya glanced at Horikita Manabu nervously. Did this count as a valid achievement for the Wool Department, or was he about to get shut down for goo
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