A few weeks have passed since the incident Hiroyuki and Yuuna had. And since then, there was close to no conversation ever being spoken between them.
The pattern would always be the same. Whenever they would meet, Yuuna would at least bow quickly but run away just as quickly towards the opposite direction.
Despite the close relations as members of the student council, Yuuna would try to avoid him as much as possible and avoid as much conversation with him as she can. If there was something they had to direct words towards each other, she would use Sora as their mediator.
However, it wasn't just Hiroyuki, it would seem that she had also trouble talking with the other male student council members in the team. Sadly, Hiroyuki just happened to have it worse than the others. At least she was able to talk to them directly unlike Hiroyuki whom she had to use Sora to direct messages for her.
Even when Hiroyuki would try to approach her, she would immediately back away and apologize before running away. Of course, for a shy and fragile boy such as the student council's head of student affairs, he was heartbroken to the core.
Kazue who wasn't able to turn a blind eye anymore decided to invite the boys and me to lunch in the school's cafeteria. He then told Sora to do the same for Yuuna and maybe bring along some of her friends to liven up the mood and maybe get her to spill the beans somehow.
As the rest of the student council had picked up the message and understood Kazue's true intention, Jin and Yusuke dragged the depressed Hiroyuki out of the student council and continued to drag him all the way to the cafeteria that was located on the ground floor of the clubroom building.
And thus, leading us to our current situation. Four of the strongest male students in school and I hogged an entire table to ourselves. It was not because we were bullies but because the people at this table were someone out of their league.
As we all sat together at the same table and pulled out our food of choice. I get to see some homemade lunch boxes prepared by the student council.
Apparently, all the boys in the student council knew how to cook up to a certain level.
Jin's lunch box was simple. Inside it was two chicken slice filled rice balls, a few broccoli and some unevenly seasoned eggrolls. With a juice box bought from the cafeteria, it was a perfectly well-balanced meal for a reputation holder such as himself.
Yusuke's lunch box was quite extravagant as he had two California rolls and some sushi pieces in it. Apparently, according to Yusuke, that day was special as his elder sister had some spare time and made a lot of sushi the night before. So today's lunch was the leftovers. It was then I have assumed that Yusuke's upbringing must have been quite traditional, one way or another.
For Kazue, it was just a beef bowl with a simple omelette and some dried plums on the side. It was definitely something he had rushed to make before barely making it for school.
As for Hiroyuki… Let's just say he was too depressed last night to prepare his own lunch box.
"I guess you still haven't made up with Ms Treasurer yet?"
Yusuke started the conversation as he picked up the last sushi piece from his lunch box. Hiroyuki who was drinking a juice box as his lunch continued to sulk.
"If we had made up, I wouldn't still be in this position."
"You know, I still don't really get it though," Jin said as he had his arm over Hiroyuki's shoulder while sipping his juice box loudly. "How much of a wimp must she be to avoid you over such a small matter."
"That's not really that nice to say, Jin," Yusuke said as he closed his lunch box and said his thanks. "We don't really know what's her point of view. It might have been a pretty big deal for her."
"It really doesn't make sense though. I mean I get it a bit. A random dude touched you and you felt a little shock out of it but the way she acted was kind of rude too. Not just to him but to us too. And it's not like most of us are a scary bunch!"
Jin said as he slammed his fist on the table. It ended up alerting the entire school cafeteria as everyone turned their heads to their attention. Yusuke turned around, bowed and apologize as he commented on Jin's action.
"Yeah… most of us."
I thought a bit about it and tried to console Hiroyuki as I patted his back.
"Honestly, I don't really think it's that bad. If she was really avoiding you guys, she would have left the student council, no?"
"Nobuo has a point you know," Kazue said as he walked back to the group after finishing his phone call.
He then sat beside Yusuke and began to explain what happened on the phone.
"I just had a call with Sora. She's with Ms Treasurer, her friend named Keiko Royama and another girl in a jacket named… Shiori Tanaka?"
"A friend of mine, she's cool."
I said as I assured Kazue that it shouldn't be a problem. After knowing our conversations are safe from the ears of school reporters, Kazue continued explaining.
"Anyways, you don't need to worry too much," Kazue said with a smile as if he knew something we don't. "If anything, you will get your chance to talk to her soon. We'll make sure of it."
"I see."
Hiroyuki said as he slowly straightened up his body and finally had his head raised after being down for weeks. He turned and faced everyone who gave him a comforting smile.
"Thanks, guys. What do I do without you all?"
"C'mon I knew you since we were first-year students in middle school," Jin said as he tightened his arms over him. "Knowing you, you'll be fine."
"If you ever need an ear, we'll be here," Yusuke said with a faint but honest smile.
As Kazue looked over the proud group that he had formed, he leaned back a bit and went back to his usual self.
"Besides, I'll feel guilty if I tease you while you are still sulking. This whole ordeal is pretty interesting and I want to see how this plays out. So, do me a favour and quickly get your head out of your ass."
The guys all turned their attention to Kazue with disgust. By the time we shared our simple exchange of how this was very much how Kazue was, the bell rang.
Kazue and Yusuke said their farewells and started walking ahead of us. It was just Hiroyuki, Jin and I left as we also started walking to our classrooms too.
"The student council are a nice bunch of people, aren't they?"
I said as I turned to face the already cheered up Hiroyuki. However, his happiness was short lifted as he put on a fake smile that was filled with the weight of the pressure he had as a member of the student council.
"They definitely are."
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"You can be a pretty nice guy sometimes."
Yusuke said as he walked beside Kazue as they walked towards their classroom. He continued on to praise the president.
"Given your lax personality, I would assume you wouldn't butt your head into someone else's business like that. Though, I guess I too never really thought why would he sulk over Sagawa-san so much."
"Ponder on it a little harder, Mr Vice President. I think you will start to understand why I'm putting myself in their little situation."
Yusuke stopped to think about it as he cracked his head around the situation. After a few gears grinding, as if a light bulb had just lit, Yusuke finally thought things through.
"Does Hiroyuki really think of Sagawa-san that way?"
"I guess for someone as book smart as you, you aren't much of a street smart, huh?"
Yusuke had finally picked up on the atmosphere and finally understood Hiroyuki's emotions. But most importantly, he finally understood Kazue's true intentions. Slightly disappointed and feeling regretful for his initial feelings for Kazue, he retorted back at Kazue.
"Well, that's the Yoshida Kazue I know of."
"Though that's only half the answer."
"Huh?"
Kazue stopped to look up towards the location of the student council's room. As he noticed the lights were off and that the girls had also made their way to the classroom.
"I'm sure being part of the student council is really eating him away now."
"Isn't this about Sagawa-san and Hiroyuki's incident? Why would you suddenly talk that?"
"I have worked alongside Hiroyuki for quite some time now during our 1st year in the student council. I was just on trial at that time when Hiroyuki joined us to be on trial too. He had always felt left out as if he was a nobody among the team."
"I see where you are coming from, but what does that have to do with…"
"When you are depressed from one thing, you don't just think of that one thing. All of your past worries come flooding one after another. The moment you were met with the next misfortune, your last worry will come back and haunt you. It's the same for Hiroyuki, being in the student council filled with his version of 'elites' is slowly getting to him."
Yusuke finally understood his thought process. However, the only thing he thought about and could say was…
"Spoken from experience, I suppose."
Kazue smiled.
"Then what made you choose Hiroyuki to be the head of student affairs? Seeing how you picked most of us based on our performance in school."
"I never said anything about picking you all based on your performance. Did I?"
Yusuke was caught off guard. Sure enough, he never said those words but one would imagine that was the case given the collection of elites within the student council.
Kazue could only smile as he looked towards Yusuke as he gave out his speech.
"I chose all of you based on your ability."
"Our ability?"
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Hoshino Yusuke was a genius. No one could deny that. He was both books smart and sociable among his peers. He could multitask and juggle multiple responsibilities at once and execute them without fail.
Neither was he like the ultimate strategist on the battlefield nor did he have the commanding voice to execute the battle of a commander. However, he has the knowledge of a genius through the information that he had gathered throughout the years. With such organized thoughts, he was the perfect assistance to the ultimate strategist.
His ability was 'Balance'. And as the Vice President of Niwa Mura High's Student Council, he was tasked to be the mediator for the president.
Koizumi Sora was a prodigy. The lady with a million images in her mind alone. She had records of everything she had seemed by running them in her head as if it was a slide show.
She didn't just play the music through the heart but through the memory of every single page she had planted in her brain. She didn't need to understand what she saw because she can always go through it again in her mind.
Her ability was 'Memory'. And as the Secretary of Niwa Mura High's Student Council, she was tasked to record every word that was said in the room.
Sagawa Yuuna was a princess. She was an untouchable being where no one would dare approach. Due to her parents being on top of their game, everyone wanted to befriend her and no one dared to make an enemy out of her.
And thanks to her perfect score across all academic boards, that meant she was the untouchable princess with only the purest and the nicest people would dare approach. Even if those with ill intentions do approach her, they would be quickly fished out as she could instantly tell who they truly were.
Her ability was 'Untouchable'. And as the Treasurer of Niwa Mura High's Student Council, she was tasked to protect the most important funds of the school.
Jin 'Akamatsu' Anand was a devil. His presence was enough to turn the tides of every battle he took part in. No one in the whole school could challenge him in terms of brute courage and command.
He may have a change of heart and his past may backfire him some time in the near future, but his past made him who he had become and stronger. His presence was still as scary as he once was and with his change, he could also change the hearts of others.
His ability was 'Fear'. And as the Head of Disciplinary Actions of Niwa Mura High's Student Council, he was tasked to punish those who defy the school.
Hiroyuki Kazama was a hero. He was a man so down to earth that he had never once stop thinking about the people around him. He had always made sure that the happiness of his peers was above his own.
He had made the humble change as he stepped through the door to join the student council on his own accord. He did it not to stand alongside the elites of the school, but to assure everyone else in the school that they can stand alongside them.
His ability was 'Heart'. And as the Head of Students Affair of Niwa Mura High's Student Council, he was tasked to be the bridge between the student council and everyone else.
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Kazue looked at Yusuke that had finished listening to his speech. Yusuke was surprised by the thought of Kazue as he explained his reasoning. Kazue continued on as he expressed his true feelings to his second in command.
"So you see, I never once thought the use your performance or your background as a factor. Some of you just happened to have them."
Yusuke then finally understood how Kazue had selected them and why was Hiroyuki such an odd one out. That was until then when he learned that Hiroyuki was just as wonderful as the rest of them. Yusuke was genuinely glad and thanked Kazue in his own way.
"Well, that's also the Yoshida Kazue I know of."