"Yeah, I'll be back then. Let's set the location at the West Pacific Headquarters. Open the 'gate' when the time comes."
Rinji leaned against the student council office doorway, speaking on the phone.
He was about to return home. It wasn't exactly something thrilling, but it was something to look forward to.
Rinji had spent his childhood at home with his parents, until for some reason his father insisted he leave at twelve to train himself. For the next four years, he only went home during holidays.
This time, he would be staying for a full month before returning to school.
"Hm? Rinji-kun, were you talking to your family?"
Just then, Fujiwara walked up, puzzled by his phone conversation.
He had been speaking Chinese with his father, and even though Chika was multilingual, her grasp of Chinese wasn't good enough to follow.
"Yeah, just making some preparations before going home."
Rinji pocketed his phone.
"Fortunately, while you're away, the student council shouldn't be too busy. But the second-years will soon be leaving for the school trip, so the first-year members will need to stay here on standby," Fujiwara explained. "It'll probably just be Ishigami-kun and Miko-chan holding down the fort those days."
"Your school trip is abroad?"
"In past years, yes… but lately the student council budget has been…"
The budget came from alumni donations, which had dwindled with the worsening economy.
Most likely, Shuchiin's trip this year would be within Japan.
"When you move up to second year, you'll have your school trip too," Fujiwara smiled. "Maybe by then you'll get to go abroad."
"As long as it's not the US, anywhere's fine."
"Strange. You came to Japan from America, so why do you dislike it so much?"
"Ah… it's not that I hate it. I just spent time there playing real-life FPS games, and because of some issues from my father's generation, a lot of people over there don't really want to see me."
"If you could choose a travel destination yourself, where would you go?"
"Afghanistan."
"Eh?"
She pictured a group of students lugging backpacks on a school trip to Afghanistan. The thought was bizarre.
They dropped the subject and walked into the student council office.
Only Shirogane and Kaguya were there. Iino was busy with disciplinary committee work, and Ishigami had vanished somewhere.
Shirogane had indeed been busy lately, as the second-year trip was his responsibility. Even Rinji couldn't help much with that workload.
"Still working, President?"
"Yeah. I need to gather more opinions on destinations and other details," Shirogane said, tapping his pen on the documents.
This might be the last big event he organized.
He looked up at Rinji.
"Rinji, you're really leaving the week after next?"
"Yeah, my dad and I already confirmed it. Someone will pick me up."
"I see. My dad said he wants you to come over for dinner before you leave. Sort of a send-off."
"Then I'll come by," Rinji smiled. "It's just one month away, nothing major."
While Rinji and Shirogane chatted, neither noticed Kaguya's expression turning empty.
Going to the president's house… Even though she was his girlfriend, she had never officially been there. The last time she had was during that bizarre body-swap incident. Yet Rinji had been going so often, no problem at all.
Of course, that was because they were friends.
A normal guy wouldn't bring a new girlfriend home to his family right away. But with friends, there wasn't much to worry about.
Kaguya didn't seem to grasp that.
Tch… Even Hayasaka had lived with Rinji before. Surely the president wasn't so dense as to be worse than Rinji? Why hadn't he invited her himself yet? Did she have to bring it up?
Her gaze on Rinji grew dangerously sharp.
Even though he had helped her plenty, there were some things she just couldn't accept.
After thinking a moment, she smiled and said to Shirogane, who was still working through papers, "President, could I come to your house this Saturday?"
"Oh, sure… huh?"
He only realized what she said after agreeing.
His father and Kei still lived there. Did Kaguya want to meet them?
Panic crept in. He hadn't told his family about his relationship yet. If she suddenly showed up, they'd be shocked.
But she was his girlfriend. It was perfectly reasonable for her to visit.
"President, is it inconvenient?"
"N-No, it's fine. If you want to come, then come," Shirogane said quickly.
If it had been the old days, he never would've dared. Back then, his family lived in a run-down apartment barely twenty square meters, in terrible conditions. But now that they'd moved into a nicer place, it wasn't so bad.
The problem was how to explain to his family.
"Eh? You're going to the president's house?"
Fujiwara perked up at once.
"I want to go too!"
You idiot, what business do you have going to the president's house?
Kaguya's dangerous gaze shifted instantly to Fujiwara.
I'm the president's girlfriend, so visiting makes sense. But what excuse do you have to visit a boy's home?
Rinji had been listening the whole time. He knew letting Fujiwara, the earth's cancer, tag along would only spell trouble.
But he had already developed many strategies for handling her, hard-earned after a semester of her antics.
"Secretary Fujiwara, I was actually planning to invite you out this Saturday."
"Eh?"
"There's a ramen shop in Shibuya I found. They just released a new menu item, and the promo ends Saturday. If you're busy, I'll just go alone…"
"Eh? Shibuya? That's right by my house!"
Fujiwara instantly forgot about the president's place.
"I'm going!"
"Alright, let's set a time for Saturday then."
As Rinji said this, he quietly gave Shirogane a thumbs-up.
Shirogane looked puzzled, while Kaguya covered her mouth, touched.
I misjudged you, Rinji. You really are a good kid.