Shortly after Kushida departed, Yukio lounged comfortably in the Student Council room and placed a call to Ichinose. He planned to have her gather the remaining interviewees all at once so he could selectively pick only Sakayanagi—no one else—wrap up the process quickly, and call it a day. Perhaps he could then head back to his dorm and enjoy something entertaining.
However, the news he received from Ichinose was unexpected:
"Sakayanagi contacted me out of the blue, saying she'd like to come by for an interview right now. Is that okay on your end?"
Both Ichinose and Yukio figured Sakayanagi probably had some other commitments later in the afternoon, so she wanted to handle the interview in the morning. Since Yukio already acknowledged Sakayanagi's capabilities, he didn't mind. He also instructed Ichinose not to notify any of the remaining second-year applicants.
It wasn't long before Sakayanagi arrived, wearing her signature beret and leaning on her cane. She gracefully pushed open the student council room door, performing that familiar yet refined ladylike gesture: slightly lifting her skirt to step forward.
"Good day, Yukio-kun."
"Ah, good morning. Please, take a seat."
With Kushida gone and only Sakayanagi present, Yukio felt far more at ease, no longer needing to maintain a stiff, proper posture as he had when dealing with Horikita. Resting his arms casually on the armrests, he leaned his spine against the chair back, one leg crossed comfortably over the other.
Observing this, Sakayanagi couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle. "Seems like you're in quite the cheerful mood today, Yukio-kun. Did something pleasant happen between you and Ichinose-san, perhaps?"
"…" No. Absolutely not. Sakayanagi, don't jump to conclusions.
In truth, his contentment stemmed from Kushida's recent "contribution." Of course, that was hardly something he could say aloud, so he ignored her remark and instead turned his attention to the fact that Sakayanagi remained standing.
"Aren't you tired?" he asked. Considering her weak constitution and heart issues, merely walking a few steps could be taxing. Why refuse to sit after coming all this way?
Sakayanagi, however, lightly shook her head, indicating she truly didn't need to sit. "We're already so well acquainted, Yukio-kun—are you really going to interview me properly?"
While Sakayanagi's indirect comment implied that Yukio might be doubting her capabilities to pass the interview or to perform her role in the student council, it was clear to both that such formalities were unnecessary. After all, Yukio had already planned to have her join—it was a mutual understanding from the start.
Conducting an elaborate interview would have been a mere waste of time. Seeing no need for pretense, Yukio stood up, signaling the end of the session. "Fine, you've passed the interview. You'll serve as the Student Council Secretary. Now, let's go—I need to lock up."
"Wonderful~" Sakayanagi responded with a radiant smile before revealing the true purpose of her visit. "Since you're free now, Yukio-kun, could you accompany me to the Director's Office?"
'Was this the real reason she made a personal trip here? Not just to join the council but to deliver this invitation?'
Yukio's thoughts began racing. He had only recently learned that the Director's seat could be bought for 30 billion personal points. Was Sakayanagi's request somehow related to this secret rule? Could the Director have learned about it through past student council presidents and wanted to meet him because of it?
Before his speculation could run any deeper, Sakayanagi cleared up the mystery. "A very special guest is visiting today. I thought you might find them interesting."
Relieved, Yukio's suspicions faded. So this was just about a notable visitor to the school—a guest so unique that Sakayanagi deemed it worth his time. It had nothing to do with the Director's position or the hidden S-system rules.
"Well, now you've got my attention." With his curiosity piqued, Yukio naturally fell in step with Sakayanagi, deliberately matching her slower pace as they walked together.
Thinking about it, Yukio couldn't help but marvel at his own audacity. Here he was, using the Director's daughter as a free, zero-cost worker in the student council, planning to leverage her assistance for his own ends—and all while plotting to one day claim the Director's seat for himself.
Even under normal circumstances, if someone harbored those two intentions at once—using the Director's daughter for unpaid labor while also eyeing her father's position—they'd feel at least a little guilty. But Yukio showed no such awkwardness, remaining as cool as ever. His thick-skinned demeanor was, without doubt, a prime example of the social savvy adults often rely on to get by.
"Hmm?"
Each step Sakayanagi took produced a soft, rhythmic tap of her cane against the floor—a gentle cadence that lent her words a strangely calming quality.
"You're not curious about the identity of this 'special guest?' Not a single question?"
Yukio and Sakayanagi had just exited the Student Council room. After locking the door behind them with practiced ease, he answered her query unhurriedly.
"Why bother asking? No matter how 'special' a guest might be, if it has nothing to do with me, you wouldn't have come here to invite me. So I assume this visitor has at least some connection to me."
"Moreover, I'm not originally from this country. My dealings with the people in high places around here are practically nonexistent."
"From this, I can guess the visitor is either connected to that small-scale event you secretly attended at the beach last summer—where I happened to get involved as well—or it's someone related to Ayanokoji. Perhaps someone from the White Room."
Indeed, Yukio had encountered only a handful of the elite on Japan last year, attending a few niche gatherings introduced by family elders. Given how limited his connections were, the fact that Sakayanagi specifically came to fetch him for this encounter meant the guest was most likely tied to him in some way. His deduction followed naturally from that.
"It seems there's no hiding anything from you, Yukio-kun," said Sakayanagi with an admiring smile, like a lily bowed by the weight of raindrops—light and graceful, yet forced into a gentle sway by circumstance. "This particular guest is someone my father addresses as Ayanokoji-sensei."
Yukio's interest grew more pronounced, his eyes brightening perceptibly.
"Ayanokoji, huh? Where I come from, there's a saying: 'Even a tiger doesn't eat its own cubs.'"
"Yet it appears this Ayanokoji is ruthless enough to contradict that sort of basic decency."
Sakayanagi's words were clear—today's guest shared the surname Ayanokoji, likely none other than the father of the White Room's ultimate creation, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
However, Sakayanagi had deliberately avoided specifying the man's position within the White Room, indirectly admitting that she herself was unaware. Perhaps her father, the Director of AN High School, knew the exact details, but it was clear that Sakayanagi had pieced together this information by eavesdropping rather than being privy to it directly.
Had she known more, Sakayanagi would surely have shared additional context with Yukio—such as the specific role Ayanokoji's father played in the White Room. This reinforced the idea that today's meeting between the Director and Ayanokoji's father was something Sakayanagi had gleaned from overheard conversations, not formal disclosure.
After expressing his thoughts on Ayanokoji's father's ruthlessness, Yukio nodded appreciatively toward Sakayanagi.
"Thanks for the heads-up, Sakayanagi. Strictly speaking, your father's likely closed his office to students today to focus on this meeting. For you to go out of your way to let me in on this... well, I owe you one."
Sakayanagi lightly swept her pale hair back, tucking it neatly behind her dainty, porcelain-like ear. The serene elegance she always seemed to exude softened momentarily into genuine warmth.
"No need to be so formal, Yukio-kun. You've helped me plenty before, after all."
***
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