Chapter 113
At Honoka's insistent nudging, Minami Kotori gripped her phone tightly and finally left the school rooftop.
Before long, she found herself walking with small, tentative steps toward her mother's office door. Even after standing there for what felt like forever, hesitation kept her from taking that final step inside.
Right then, Honoka's voice urged her on from behind. "Kotori, go on in!"
"I... I understand!"
Gathering her courage, Minami Kotori gave the office door a soft, rhythmic knock. Almost immediately, the gentle voice of Minami Hiyoko drifted from within.
"Please, come in."
Hiyoko was seated behind her desk, buried under a mountain of paperwork. When she looked up and saw her own daughter entering, a flicker of surprise crossed her features.
"Eh? Kotori? What brings you here?"
"Mother... I... I have something I want to... want to..."
Seeing her daughter standing there, looking like a bundle of nerves, Hiyoko let out a soft, maternal smile.
"What could possibly make you this nervous? Come now, don't rush. Take a breath and speak slowly. Is there something you want to discuss with me?"
"Yes... I... I wanted to ask, about that... the entry permit for visiting the school... how... how do I go about processing one?"
"Processing a school entry permit?"
Hearing her daughter's request, a spark of genuine surprise lit up Hiyoko's eyes.
"Processing a permit... well, that usually has to be approved by the Student Council. And if I recall correctly... if a friend simply wants to visit the school, as long as they are accompanied by a student, registering at the guard post should be enough. Kotori, are you planning on bringing a friend to visit?"
"Yes!"
At her mother's words, Kotori's face bloomed into a deep shade of crimson. Her voice became a bit choppy as she struggled to find the right words.
"But... but this friend of mine, he..."
Hiyoko couldn't quite wrap her head around why her usually gentle and open daughter was acting so flustered today. Curiosity began to pique her interest. Just then, Honoka, who had been waiting impatiently outside, couldn't take the suspense anymore and burst into the room.
"Principal! The thing is, our group μ's is having our very first performance the day after tomorrow in the school auditorium! Me, Kotori, and Umi have a very good friend who wants to come and cheer us on... so we wanted to ask for your help in processing an official entry pass for him..."
"That is... Principal... this friend of ours... is... is a boy..."
"..."
"A boy!?"
At Honoka's blunt revelation, the smile on Hiyoko's face froze for a split second before she quickly regained her composure, a small, knowing smirk playing on her lips.
"I see! So that's what this is about!"
Feeling her mother's gaze fixated squarely on her, Kotori felt her anxiety skyrocket.
"Mother... I..."
"It's alright, Kotori! I thought it was something dire. Having a friend willing to travel all this way just to cheer for your first performance is actually a very wonderful thing!"
She leaned back slightly. "There's really no need to be so nervous!"
Holding her pen, Hiyoko fell into thought for a moment before smiling again. "If a male wishes to enter the school for a visit, then a formal entry permit is indeed required."
"Go to the Student Council and submit an application. Explain the situation clearly; the Council should be able to process the permit for you."
"I understand. Thank you, Mother!"
"Then... then I'll be heading back now!"
As Hiyoko watched her daughter's retreating figure, a meaningful smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
My little girl is finally starting to grow up.
After leaving her mother's office, Kotori and the others headed straight for the Student Council room.
"Excuse me, is anyone inside?"
"Come in."
With permission granted, Kotori stepped into the office. Ayase Eli and Toujou Nozomi, seeing the trio enter, were both momentarily stunned.
"Kousaka-san, Minami-san, what business do you have here?"
"President! We've come to apply for a school entry permit!"
"Applying for an entry permit?"
Hearing Kotori's request, Toujou Nozomi gave a subtle, playful smile. "If a friend wants to visit, a simple registration at the gate is usually enough. There's no need to go through the trouble of a formal card..."
"But... but my friend is a boy..."
"A boy?"
At Kotori's nervous reply, both Nozomi and Eli were visibly taken aback. Eli closed the notebook in her hand and fixed a serious gaze on Kotori.
"What made you think of inviting a boy to visit the school? Is there a justifiable reason?"
Before Kotori could even attempt an answer, Honoka impatiently cut in.
"Mineo-oniichan is a dear friend to the three of us! Since we're performing for the first time lusa in the auditorium, he's planning to come all the way from China just to support us. We'll be with him the entire time, so could we please ask for your help in getting him a pass?"
That single sentence from Honoka made both Eli and Nozomi feel a strange, unsettling jolt go through their bodies.
Truthfully, processing a single permit wasn't a big deal. Even though this was an all-girls school, it wasn't a prison; if there was legitimate business, entry was permitted.
However, the name "Mineo-oniichan" coming out of Honoka's mouth instantly seized Eli and Nozomi's attention. The two girls instinctively glanced toward their respective phones.
At that moment, an almost absurd thought took root in their minds.
Could the 'Mineo-oniichan' they're talking about actually be...
Honoka and the others watched Eli and Nozomi with bated breath. They didn't miss the fact that the expressions on their seniors' faces had turned incredibly strange and unnatural.
Do the Senpais really dislike the idea of a boy visiting the school that much?
Honoka added nervously, "President, Mineo-oniichan is really just coming to cheer for us. He... he's our best friend..."
"Say no more."
Eli's face was a mask of calm, devoid of any visible emotion. She looked at the trio and spoke in a steady voice.
"I have no reason to turn away a friend who is traveling such a distance to support you. Just make sure the three of you accompany him at all times."
"I'll handle the entry permit. You can come by and pick it up after school."
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