The air in the conference room was thick with a mixture of nervous energy and fake enthusiasm. Ren, Yukino, Hachiman, and Yui arrived at the room where the School Festival Executive Committee meeting was being held. The room was bustling with students, most of whom were popular and outgoing, but a few looked just as lost as Hachiman did.
At the head of the long table sat Meguri Shiromeguri, the student council president, a kind and smiling girl who seemed to be everyone's friend. Next to her was Sagami, the leader of the Executive Committee, a girl who radiated confidence and seemed to thrive on being the center of attention.
"Hello, everyone! Thank you for coming," Meguri announced, her voice cheerful. "I'm sure you all know Sagami-san, our wonderful leader of the festival!"
Sagami basked in the attention, a smug smile on her face. "Thank you all for being here," she said, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "I'm so excited to work with all of you to make this the best festival ever!"
Ren, watching from the side, saw through her facade immediately. In his past life, he had encountered people like her—all talk and no action, people who loved the spotlight but hated the work that came with it. His expression remained neutral, a stark contrast to the fawning smiles of the other students.
Yukino, ever the professional, stepped forward. "We are the Service Club," she said, her voice clear and concise. "We are here to assist with any tasks you may have."
Sagami's eyes lit up as they landed on Yukino. "Oh, the Service Club! We've heard so much about you. We could use your help with the promotion and the decorations. It's so much work, and I'm just so busy with my other leadership responsibilities, so I'll be delegating everything to you."
Ren's eyes narrowed. Sagami was already offloading her work, a classic move of an incompetent leader. He looked at Yukino and saw the same expression on her face. She was annoyed, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she simply nodded and accepted the workload.
Hachiman, sitting silently beside Ren, was also observing. His eyes, usually dead and empty, seemed to hold a spark of interest. He saw Sagami for what she was, a fake, and he saw how Yukino was willing to take on the burden. He had seen this before. It was a pattern he was all too familiar with. His mind began to churn, a cynical plan already taking shape.
Yui, ever the kind one, tried to help. "We'll do our best!" she said with a bright smile. She then looked at Ren, her cheeks turning a light pink. "It's so much work, but at least we're all together!"
Ren gave her a small, reassuring smile, and she instantly felt a bit better. He wasn't saying anything, but his presence was a calming force in the chaotic room.
As the meeting continued, it became clear that Sagami was completely unprepared. She had no real plan, and she was simply delegating tasks at random, trying to make herself look like a leader while doing nothing. Yukino, in contrast, was meticulously taking notes, trying to organize the chaos into a workable plan.
Ren, without saying a word, started to assist her. He would subtly point out a flaw in Sagami's plan or a contradiction in her words. He would then look at Yukino, a silent message passing between them, and she would understand. Their minds were working in tandem, a silent partnership forming in the middle of a chaotic meeting.
The meeting ended after an hour of Sagami's self-congratulatory speeches and haphazard planning. The Service Club had their first real task, and it was a mess.
As they walked out of the conference room, Yukino looked at Ren with a new light in her eyes. "You were quiet," she said, a small hint of a question in her voice.
"There was nothing to say," Ren replied calmly. "You and Hachiman seemed to have it under control. And a lot of what was said was, well, meaningless."
Hachiman, who was walking ahead of them, heard Ren's words and stopped. He turned around, his eyes meeting Ren's. "So you noticed too," he said, his voice flat. It wasn't a question.
Ren gave him a small, understanding smile. "It's hard not to."
The tension in the air was palpable, but it wasn't a bad tension. It was the tension of a new reality, one where a new variable had entered the equation. And for the first time, Hachiman was not the only one who saw the world for what it truly was.