In the middle of the empty hallway, I, Hikigaya Hachiman, stood before a giant door.
The door to the student council room—just by its appearance, you could tell that the student council at this school holds a high status, perhaps even functioning as a second administration beneath the main one.
I don't know how many members there are, but they must be chosen from among the elite. So why did the president choose me? I'm just an ordinary student struggling not to fail math and get expelled.
Maybe they'll find out about this, kick me out, and I'll return to my peaceful life. That seems better than skipping school today with an excuse that I overslept. Actually, Horikita saw me this morning—she might tell her brother.
It's fine, it's fine. All I have to do is perform my duties. I've tried this kind of work back in Sōbu, no need to panic.
Besides, there's no scheming kōhai here to cause more trouble, which makes things easier and less complicated.
This seems fitting.
There's no turning back now.
I adjusted my posture in front of the wooden door and took one last look at my school uniform. It's ordinary, a bit messy, but who cares about the tie?
Why am I treating this like a job interview? It's just the student council.
Come on, Hachiman.
I reached out to grab the doorknob but stopped just before touching it. Should I just open the door and walk in, or knock first and wait for permission to enter? That's unnecessary now, isn't it? I'm a member, and they're my colleagues.
But the president with the glasses doesn't seem like someone who tolerates rude behavior.
I knocked lightly and stood still, waiting for a response. Immediately after, a voice from the other side granted me permission to enter.
That way, I avoided an unnecessary problem.
I slowly opened the door and stepped inside. The room was just as I remembered it from my previous visit, except the president was sitting at the head of the table, with the student council secretary, Akane Tachibana, behind him.
She always seems to be by his side. Are they a duo? If so, they'd be the strangest pair I've ever seen.
I quietly closed the door behind me and stepped forward, stopping across from them.
I feel like this is some kind of military appointment protocol. This is getting weirder and weirder.
"Good morning…" Better to start with a simple greeting.
"Good morning," the president replied curtly, while Tachibana-senpai just nodded.
I feel like I'm being watched, like I'm in an interview. Damn it… for the thousandth time, stop comparing this to getting a job.
"Hikigaya… welcome to the student council. I'm glad to have you on board." The president laced his fingers under his chin, resting his elbows on the table.
"Ah… thanks." It would be appropriate to say I'm glad too, but that would be a lie.
"Let's start with the basics…" The president raised his hand slightly, then pulled it back. It was a clear signal for the girl behind him to move her slender fingers through the stack of papers she held against her chest.
She pulled out a plain white sheet from the stack and placed it between the president's fingers.
Without even glancing at its contents, he set it on the wooden desk in front of him and slowly slid it forward.
"This is the schedule you'll be following for now… This sheet details all the times you need to be here."
I slipped my bag off my shoulder and placed it on a nearby table, then stepped toward the president to take the paper he was offering me.
I raised it to eye level and examined it carefully. It had all the days I needed to attend, with detailed working hours.
Do all members get such a structured schedule to coordinate their work?
The timing seemed to suit me well—not complicated or exhausting. I started to feel like things wouldn't be so bad.
All that was left was my actual role.
"As for your duties, you'll be the student council secretary… but initially, you'll just assist Tachibana." He pointed his thumb at the girl behind him.
I lifted my eyes from the paper and looked at her. She was watching me with her calm violet eyes.
She seemed like a nice girl—as my work supervisor, she probably wouldn't overwork me or bully me.
Right?
"I look forward to working with you, Hikigaya-kun." She gave a slight, polite bow.
Okay, I should respond in kind.
"Hahaha… I look forward to working with you, Tachibana-senpai." A dry laugh escaped me, purely out of nervousness.
Nervousness is really bad for your health and social relationships.
Tachibana-senpai shot me a cold look because of that unnecessary laugh. She probably finds me disgusting now.
I went back to pick up my bag from the table and took one last look at the paper in my hand. So… I'm the student council secretary now. That sounds strange. Yukinoshita probably wouldn't believe it.
"Do you have any questions?" I turned to look at the president. He was still sitting on his chair like a king on his throne. He really is as arrogant as his sister.
"No…" Everything he explained is clear so far. Anyone could understand it.
But is that all? He said I might be suited for some role.
There's no way it's just being secretary. You wouldn't need someone special for that.
He doesn't seem willing to reveal it now, so I'll stick with the secretary duties for the time being.
I quickly tucked the paper into my bag. It's best to leave now—there's nothing left for me to do here.
I looked at the president again. He gracefully raised his arm to eye level and pulled back his sleeve, revealing his wristwatch.
"It seems there's still some time before classes start… How about you sit with us for a while?"
I don't know why, but the atmosphere feels suffocatingly serious.
Still, it would be bad to refuse his invitation on the first day.
It's like rejecting your boss's invitation… Hachiman, not again.
"Alright…" I nodded, then moved toward the chairs lined up along the tables. I placed my bag slowly on the floor and sat up straight.
"Hikigaya… don't be nervous. Just act natural." The president could tell I wasn't at ease.
I don't even know why I'm so tense, but okay… I took a deep breath to calm myself. No need to panic. Everything's fine.
A heavy silence settled over the student council room. It felt strange to have two older students staring at me.
I shifted in my seat, trying to find a better position. Why do these chairs feel so cheap? Can't they afford better quality?
"Hikigaya… I want to thank you. Your help yesterday was effective." Hearing words of gratitude from an older student and the student council president was even more shocking than hearing them from Horikita.
"No… I did it for my own benefit too." I don't like calling what I do "help."
We're not the Service Club, helping students.
A small smile appeared on the president's usually serious face. His eyes were even less intense than usual.
"No matter what you say, you helped us. Your intervention prevented things from becoming more complicated, even if most of your words were just rambling." What a strange turn. Now he's mocking me so easily.
Well, that was the best performance I could give at the time.
"Aren't his words and actions all meaningless? I don't understand why you chose him, Horikita-kun." Tachibana-senpai voiced her displeasure about me joining them.
So she really does hate me. She'll probably start treating me like her servant soon.
"He has some bad traits, but if we overlook them, he might be a suitable student for the council." The president turned to the student council secretary.
I take that as a clear jab at a younger student on the first day.
Why do I have to deal with this now? I haven't done anything wrong.
Okay…
"Mr. President…" I slowly raised my hand from my knee to get their attention. "As a student council member, can I beat up students in back alleys too, or do I need to become president to do that?" If you're going to talk about bad traits, don't forget your own thuggish behavior.
But my words didn't seem to please the president. His face darkened, and he clenched his fists.
"Hikigaya…" I froze at his cold tone. It really sent a chill down my spine. "If you mention that again, I'll make sure you can't sneak around on your feet again and spy." President Horikita's words sounded like a clear threat to my safety.
What exactly would he do? Break my legs or just beat me up? I'd better avoid looking him in the eye right now. He might take it as a challenge, like some kind of predator.
I instinctively looked away… Ah, what's that? The ceiling looks so clean. Do they clean it every day? What if the president forces me to clean it?
I'll pretend I have back pain.
Tachibana-senpai slapped her forehead with her palm. "He's hopeless."
The president nodded in agreement.
Didn't he just say I might be suitable?
Better forget about that for now.
No one spoke, and silence lingered among the three of us until the president finally broke it.
"Hikigaya… I saw your grades from the last exam. You failed math, didn't you?" He looked dissatisfied with my scores. Is he going to get angry about that?
Even my parents don't care about this.
I started scratching the back of my head while looking at the desk.
"Ah… well… about that… it's just…" There's no logical excuse other than that I'm bad at math.
The president sensed my nervousness as I searched for an answer.
"You now represent the student council. Slacking off is unacceptable." He began tapping his index finger on the table as if warning me not to get the same result again.
But if I fail again, it'll be over, and I'll get kicked out, right?
"Ah… sorry…" I felt like I should apologize for that.
It seems the student council president has another privilege—access to exam scores. Although he'd already announced Ayanokōji's results before, I thought he only knew them because they were from the entrance exams.
"If you need any help, we can assist you." The president's offer seemed sincere.
I've never joined a study group or studied with anyone before, so it might be weird to start now. I'd rather stick to my own methods, but I should at least show some gratitude for the offer.
"Thank you… I'll think about it."
The president adjusted his posture, sitting more comfortably.
"It's impressive how your class managed to move up in just the first month." After the results were announced yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if all the students knew that we had become Class C students.
"Looks like luck was on our side…" I don't even believe that myself, but it's all I've got right now.
The president clicked his tongue, rejecting my words.
"It's the effect of your plan… It produced the desired results." The same words Chabashira-sensei used.
Effect… How could my actions have had that much impact?
"I don't think so… One or two people can't influence everyone… The reason we moved up is because everyone committed and worked together." The success of the plan depends on how the students respond.
You could still call it just a catalyst.
"Yes… but that commitment is the result of being influenced by your plan… We each leave our own impact. So always think about the kind of impact you want to leave, not just the result you want to achieve." His words sounded like they came from personal experience.
I've never thought about it that way before… the impact I want to leave.
I may have already affected the lives of those around me without realizing it—like Yukinoshita, but… how do I want to affect her life exactly?
I sensed a kind of wisdom in Manabu Horikita's words, and an involuntary smile crept onto my face. Maybe this is why Horikita loves her brother so much.
Perhaps… joining the student council might actually benefit me.