"Please excuse me."
Those were the words that Kei had said as he entered the teacher's office after his presence was requested by Shiki-sensei. It seemed like she had something important to discuss with Kei.
"Ah, Amane. Please, come in."
As Kei stepped in, he noticed 2 presences in the room. One was Shiki-sensei's, the other was none other than Makinohara Kyouko, the vice-president of the student council.
"I believe I have not formally introduced myself yet. I am Makinohara Kyouko, the vice-president of the student council. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"O-oh… Nice to meet you. I'm Amane Kei from class 1-E."
"Ah, yes. I am aware of who you are."
"Shiki-sensei, may I ask what this meeting is about?"
Kei said as he looked at Shiki-sensei. He had expected it to be a normal meeting like he always had whenever she called him out to meet her in the office. If there were any other guests, she would have mentioned it beforehand.
"Ah… It was a personal request from the student council affairs. Naturally since it was a matter involving the school, I have to oblige."
"But don't you usually let me know if there are other guests who show up?"
"Would you have shown up if I had told you who would be here?"
"…"
"Looks like I made the right choice then."
The room fell slightly silent and awkward when Shiki-sensei was done with her sentence. The atmosphere became slightly tense between the teacher and the student. Trying to break the tense atmosphere, Kyouko finally spoke up.
"Well! I'm glad we are all acquainted now. Now then, can you please have a seat, Amane-kun?"
Kei proceeds to sit down on the chair in front of Shiki-Sensei before Kyouko proceeded to sit beside her sister.
"I'll make this as straightforward as I can. Amane-kun, the student council would like to offer you the position of vice-secretary of the student council."
"No thank you."
"Your responsibilities will incl—… Eh?!"
Kyouko's calm and elegant demeanour was now gone as she was completely caught by surprise.
"Why not?! Do you know how much of an honour it is to be able to join the student council? We get hundreds of applications a day!"
"Kyouko. You're losing character." Shiki-sensei said to her.
"Eh?... Please excuse my unsightly behaviour. Amane-kun. Can you please give me the reason as to why you are turning down this offer? I wish to let you know, being on the student council would be able to fast track your career in the future."
"…It seems too much of a hassle. Besides, if you have hundreds of applications, then why not look through there?"
"That's…"
"She can't. The school policy requires only certain types of students to be accepted into the student council." Shiki-sensei interjected.
During the rebranding period of the school, the school administration had made a policy whereby the student council members would only be chosen if they meet certain criteria. And that they would have to be personally reviewed by and accepted by all the student council members aside from the disciplinary committee.
"The thing is… there are a few criteria that candidates need to meet in order to join the student council. One is that the student in question needs to be accepted by all the student council members. The second is that the student possesses unique qualities useful to the school."
"Then why am I selected? I don't see any qualities in me that would be suitable for this line of work."
"Oh, but there is. You see, you possess the intelligence and ability to make split second decisions that any other students would find it difficult to execute in such situations. Not to mention that you are one of the special admission students. The smartest student in the whole year and also the youngest basketball captain in the school's history who've led them to the finals in his first year on the job. Our president in particular, has taken quite a liking to you."
As she said that, Kyouko's elegant and calm demeanour had already returned as though it was completely natural for her to do so. After hearing what she said however, Kei couldn't refute anything that she said since she had backed everything with facts.
"I won't press you for an answer of course. Although you are the first student in that have ever rejected an offer from the student council since I started this school. Usually, the offer would expire when the conversation is over. But since the president has made such an exception for you, I will also allow it."
"I already gave you an answer."
"Oh now, now. You have time to think it over. I think what will happen in the coming days or weeks will probably change your mind."
"Is that a threat?"
"Who do you think I am? I would not resort to such underhanded tactics! I'm just saying someone will probably talk to you! Mou~!"
Kyouko's usual demeanour was gone once again as she walked out of the room in a slightly pouting manner. It was now just Kei and Shiki-sensei left in the room. Kei turned to Shiki-sensei, as if asking her what had just happened.
"Well? What do you think?"
"What do you mean?"
"About Kyouko? She never acts like that unless she really wants something. What a child, honestly. Be happy Amane. You're the first person who has ever seen her like that other than family members."
"I'm not sure that's something I should be happy about…"
"Will you accept?"
"Probably not."
"Well, good luck."
"With?"
"Well, let's just say that Kyouko usually plans things 10 steps ahead of everyone. So she probably has something already in store."
"What's that supposed to mean…?"
As the long meeting had finally concluded, Kei walked out of the office as he had just remembered something.
'I… forgot to tell her to go on home straight…'
As he thought about that in his mind, as he ran straight for the main gate of the school one again. The sight that he saw was so common by now that he was already tired of seeing.
"Leave me alone!"
"Come on, we can have some fun at karaoke or something!"
"Yeah! You'd have more fun with us than with whoever you're waiting for!"
He had forgotten to tell Mai to go home without him so she had waited for him as usual. And as usual, random boys approached her. This time, it was 2 upperclassmen from the same school.
"Come, let us go!"
One of the boys said gripped her wrist real tight so that she couldn't shake free and started pulling her in one direction.
"Let's— Ow ow ow!! What the hell?!"
Kei appeared and grabbed the guy's wrist extremely hard so that he would feel the pain.
"You feel that? That's what she's feeling right now. Now, let her go."
"Okay, okay!"
As the boy let go of Mai's wrist, Kei loosened his grip before the boy pulled his hand and tried to swing it around to hit Kei who then dodged it. Before he could say anything else, the senior tried to kick Kei. However, Kei had had enough of it and grabbed his legs before pulling the upperclassman's body towards him and proceeded to kick him on the stomach in return. As a result, the senior fell on the ground in pain.
"Take your friend to a doctor, and stop approaching my friend anymore, got it?"
The other guy nodded in a panic, picked up his friend, and the both of them instantly ran from the scene. Kei then turned around to check and see if Mai was okay and held her wrist to examine it.
"Shall we?"
"M-mm…"
Mai nodded as the two of them started to walk home together as they would usually do. This time however, Kei noticed Mai was slightly pouting.
"Hmm~ So he does have a soft spot after all~"
As the two of them walked home together, Kyouko stood at a distance watched the whole event unfold as if she was observing Kei.