After listening to Symon's teasing, Hiyori Shiina thought for a moment and said in a soft voice, 'I feel... the problem isn't as serious as you make it out to be, Mr. Ghost.'
'How so?' Symon was a little surprised.
'The Student Council President seems meticulous in his words and actions; he doesn't seem like the type to hold a personal grudge. On the other hand, the Vice President...'
At this point, Hiyori paused to think, then honestly shared her thoughts:
'During the seat change, the Vice President's behavior was quite eccentric. And in the deliberations, his control over the pacing revealed a very obvious desire for attention and control.'
'If the Student Council President could set aside his biases, someone like Ryūen, who is completely uncontrollable, would be the perfect choice to counterbalance Nagumo.'
Listening to the gentle, soft voice in his ear, Symon thought for a moment and mentally agreed with her assessment.
He was quite self-aware; when it came to observing and understanding others' temperaments, the girl was often more meticulous than he was. Even in their own interactions, he was frequently the one being managed. There was no need to be stubborn about it.
Just as he was thinking this, Suzune Horikita across from them had regained her composure. In a calm tone, she asked again, 'What will it take for you to agree to join? Do you need points?'
'Hiyori, you talk to her,' Symon said in his mind.
Although he had already refused on the girl's behalf twice, it was better to let Hiyori make the final decision herself.
The moment his voice faded, Hiyori took back control of her body. After a half-second pause, she replied softly, 'I have certainly received your sincere offer, Horikita-san, but I have no intention of joining the student council. Instead of inviting me, I suggest you consider Ryūen.'
'Letting someone like him join would only bring shame to the student council and my brother.' Suzune Horikita said coldly, her impression of Ryūen clearly at rock bottom.
'Don't be so quick to dismiss it. I can explain, Horikita-san.'
Hiyori smiled gently, clasping her hands together. 'I've met Vice President Nagumo once. On the surface, he's quite a character. Coincidentally, Ryūen isn't much different from him.'
'If you have them work together, they will naturally fall into an adversarial relationship. If the President considers it carefully, he might come to a new conclusion.'
Looking at Hiyori Shiina, whose voice was now gentle as if she had become a completely different person, Suzune Horikita nodded, a little unsettled. 'I understand. I will relay your suggestion to my brother.'
The conversation ended there. As Horikita turned and left, Hiyori put away the game console beside her and, seeing that it was still early, began to wander through the book stacks.
Because of the midterm exams, the library was much more crowded than usual today. On top of that, since Hiyori had made an appearance before the first-years some days ago, many people waved and greeted her when they saw her.
Although she wasn't familiar with most of them, Hiyori Shiina still responded warmly. Some of the more outgoing girls even asked to exchange email addresses with her. Among them, one was particularly special:
'Hello.'
The greeting came from a cute girl with a sweet voice and twin tails. What made it special was that she spoke in perfect, standard Chinese.
'Ara, is that Chinese?' Hiyori Shiina asked with a smile. 'It's nice to meet you. I'm Hiyori Shiina from Class C. You can just call me Shiina-san.'
'I'm so sorry, it just slipped out...' Mei-Yu Wang nodded shyly. 'I'm Mei-Yu Wang from Class D. You can just call me Xiao Mei, Shiina-san.'
'Ara, so familiar right away? You don't have to be so nervous,' Hiyori Shiina gently soothed the shy girl in front of her.
Mei-Yu Wang lowered her head. 'I... I'm sorry.'
Just then, Symon, who had been observing, suddenly spoke up: 'Hiyori, can you let me talk to her?'
'Do you want to get to know her, Mr. Ghost...? Okay.' Hiyori hesitated for a moment, then slowly relinquished control of her body to Symon.
This was the first time Symon had shown any social inclination towards her. Even though the object of his interest was a girl, Hiyori Shiina wanted to try and grant his request.
To the outside world, since he was using Hiyori Shiina's body, Symon didn't feel the need to be conscious of personal distance. After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and poked Mei-Yu Wang's soft little cheek, saying in a gentle tone, 'Why do I get the feeling you're so timid? Are you having trouble getting used to being in Japan?'
'Yeah, it feels like everyone is so hard to approach...'
Mei-Yu Wang responded instinctively, her voice tinged with grievance and her spirits sinking, not at all realizing that the person opposite her was speaking her native language.
'The etiquette here is certainly a bit complex, and sometimes it can come off as cold. It's perfectly normal that you're not used to it. Let me show you around.'
As he said this, Symon took her hand and glanced around the library, intending to find an empty place for them to sit.
At the same time, noticing the warmth and softness in her palm, Mei-Yu Wang finally realized what was happening. Her eyes brightened as she looked at 'Hiyori' beside her—just now, she couldn't have misheard.
Meanwhile, Hiyori also perceived the warmth and softness through her senses and spoke up resentfully, 'I don't understand what you're saying, Mr. Ghost, but you're not allowed to take advantage of girls using my body.'
'Ever consider the possibility that I just couldn't stand watching anymore and decided to step in?' Symon retorted in his mind. 'I could feel that you were responding to her very gently and kindly.'
'But in a Chinese cultural context, greeting someone first and offering your nickname isn't just a simple courtesy; it's a formal way of striking up a conversation and expressing familiarity.'
'This kid is really, truly trying her best to bravely show her friendliness to you. If you really want to reciprocate, you need to be a bit more intimate.'
'I-Is that so?'
Hiyori Shiina was confused and asked tentatively, 'So, you're really not taking advantage of a girl, Mr. Ghost?'
'What kind of person do you take me for?'
Hiyori Shiina recalled, 'A thing for white hair, a lolicon, a thing for sweet moe girls, likes to watch me change clothes in the mirror...'
'That's enough...'
____
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