The hallway buzzed with the familiar noise of after-class chatter.
Students lingered by the windows, trading notes or plans for the walk home. A few clubs were already gathering, their laughter spilling from open doors.
Ren made his way through it all, bag slung over one shoulder. The late sunlight stretched across the floor, warm and soft, turning the dust in the air into faint gold.
He wasn't really in a hurry—but he didn't want to keep Akari waiting, either.
The closer he got to the student council room, the thinner the noise became. The sound of clubs faded into murmurs, replaced by the quiet hum of the building itself.
The Council Office sat near the administration wing, behind a frosted-glass door marked Student Council — Authorized Personnel Only.
Ren paused once in front of it, considering the effort it would take to leave instead. Then he sighed, slid his hand across the handle, and stopped when he heard voices inside.
Inside, the air carried the faint scent of brewed tea and paper. The afternoon light turned the windows a pale gold.
At the long table sat Hayashi Akira, already halfway through a stack of forms; beside her were two second-years — Fujimori Haruto, the Vice President, and Sakuragi Reina, the Secretary.
Across from them sat two first-years: Fujimori Arata and Sakuragi Mei.
The atmosphere was politely strained, as if everyone were waiting for someone else to speak first.
Haruto was the first to speak, voice calm and composed.
Haruto adjusted his tie, glancing briefly at his brother across the table.
"Try not to look so bored, Arata. We're in school, not your living room," Haruto said, adjusting his glasses with a sigh.
Arata leaned back in his chair, a teasing grin already forming."Hard to tell the difference when you're the one giving the lecture, aniki[1]"
"It's called guidance," Haruto replied, tone flat but precise.
"Pretty sure guidance doesn't come with insults," Arata shot back, still smirking.
"Then you've clearly never listened properly," Haruto said, a faint hint of amusement breaking through his usual calm.
Arata sighed, half amused, half annoyed. "You always have to win the last line, don't you?"
"Someone has to."
Reina lowered her cup, watching them with open amusement. "Do you two argue like this at home as well?"
Akira glanced between them, impressed. "I'm still trying to figure out if they like each other or not."
Mei spoke softly. "It seems like their version of communication."
Reina nodded. "Ah, sibling affection — weaponized."
Haruto exhaled as if used to this. "Perhaps we can begin before this becomes a family reunion."
Akira clapped her hands softly. "Yes, good idea. Thank you all for coming right after classes. I know everyone's tired. The Student Council wanted to meet the top three scorers of the entrance exams — Fujimori Arata-kun, Sakuragi Mei-san, and…"
She glanced at the empty chair near the door. "…well, he should be here any second."
Arata folded his arms. "The mysterious third place. I was curious what kind of person beats everyone except us."
Mei looked toward the door quietly. "Perhaps someone punctual."
Akira chuckled. "You'll see soon enough."
Reina sipped her tea, amused. "I already know who it is. If he's anything like his sister, he'll enter five minutes late and make it look intentional."
Arata blinked. "His sister?"
Before anyone could answer, the door slid open with a soft click.
Ren stepped inside, the hallway light haloing around him for a second before the door closed.
He scanned the room once — the neatly arranged desks, the three older students in council uniforms, the two first-years sitting across from them.
"Afternoon," Ren said plainly.
Akira looked up from her papers. "So you did come, Ren. I was starting to think you'd gone home already."
"I thought about it."
Reina glanced up, amused. "He really talks like that? No wonder Akira worries."
Akira sighed, half-smiling. "Worry is generous. Mostly it's disbelief."
Haruto gestured toward the empty chair. "Please, take a seat. We were just discussing the first-year results."
Ren took the seat with the kind of unhurried precision that somehow slowed the whole room's rhythm.
For a moment, the only sound was the ticking clock.
Akira folded her hands. "Well, now that everyone is here, let's begin properly."
Tone stays dry and realistic, still set in that late-afternoon light.
Akira cleared her throat. "I'll keep this short. The Council likes to keep an eye on students who show initiative. Since you three ranked highest among the first-years, we'd like to offer you an early invitation to work with us."
The air went quiet.
Arata blinked. "Work with you? You mean join?"
"Correct." Haruto closed his folder neatly. "It's not compulsory, of course. We simply thought it worth presenting."
Reina leaned an elbow on the table, voice mild. "Translation: we could use the help, but we'd prefer volunteers who don't panic under paperwork."
Akira gave her a look. "You're not supposed to say the quiet part out loud."
Reina smiled. "Then you shouldn't have left it so quiet."
Across the table, Arata looked thoughtful. "So you want us to handle paperwork?"
Akira gestured vaguely. "Paperwork, events, budgets, public image—little things."
Arata's brow twitched. "That's half the school."
"Exactly," Reina said cheerfully.
Mei spoke up, voice even "I appreciate the offer, but I already have club responsibilities. Joining the Council would make scheduling difficult."
Akira nodded. "Understandable. You, Fujimori-kun?"
Arata crossed his arms. "I'm on the basketball team. Practice runs late. Unless you plan to move Council meetings to the gym, I'll pass."
Akira made a mark on her notepad. "That's a firm decline. Noted."
Her eyes moved to Ren. "And you, Ren?"
Everyone else turned to look at him. The silence lingered for a beat too long.
Ren finally said, "No."
Just that—flat, quiet, absolute.
Akira blinked. "That's it?"
"You asked a yes-or-no question."
Reina coughed lightly into her hand, trying not to laugh. "Concise. I respect that."
Haruto folded his arms, expression unreadable. "Any particular reason?"
Ren thought for a moment. "Because I prefer not to."
Arata let out a short breath that might have been a laugh. "At least he's honest."
Akira stared at her brother for a long second, then set her pen down. "You realize most people try to be polite when declining."
"I said it politely."
"That was barely a sentence."
Ren glanced toward the window. "Less words, less misunderstanding."
Reina smiled. "He's got logic. I like him."
Akira pointed at her. "Don't encourage this."
Mei's voice cut through softly. "So the answer from all three of us is no?"
Akira leaned back with a resigned sigh. "It appears that way."
Reina tapped her notebook thoughtfully. "At least they're consistent. Synchronized rejection—it's rare."
Haruto gave a small nod. "Efficiency has its charm."
Akira muttered, "Charm is not the word I'd use."
Arata stood, stretching his shoulders. "Well, that was productive."
"Productive?" Akira repeated.
"I learned the Council works harder than I want to," Arata said. "That's information."
Reina laughed quietly. "Practical mindset. He'll fit right in if he ever changes his mind."
Mei stood as well, bowing politely. "Thank you for the invitation, Akira-senpai. I'll decline formally once I submit the paperwork."
"You don't need paperwork to say no, Sakuragi-san."
"I prefer documentation" Mei said simply.
Akira blinked. "You and Haruto would get along."
Ren pushed his chair back. "If there's nothing else, I'll go."
Akira waved him off. "Go. Before I assign you to something out of spite."
Reina called after him, "Ren-kun, next time bring snacks. Meetings are better when there's food."
Ren didn't look back. "Then it wouldn't be a meeting."
That earned a muffled laugh from Arata and even a soft chuckle from Mei.
Haruto closed the last folder on the table. "I believe that concludes our business."
Akira rubbed her temple. "For you, maybe. I still have to explain to the head adviser why every first-year prodigy just refused to join."
Reina gathered her papers, smiling. "Tell them you value honesty."
Haruto added, "Or efficiency."
Akira sighed. "Or that my brother ruined the recruitment drive."
From the doorway, Ren's voice drifted back, calm and even. "You invited me. That's on you."
That set Reina laughing outright. Even Haruto looked faintly amused.
They watched the door slide shut behind him. The noise from outside—the fading chatter of students leaving, the call of a sports whistle—filled the quiet that followed.
Reina exhaled. "He's impossible. I like him."
Haruto said, "He'll survive here."
Akira leaned back in her chair, half smiling despite herself. "Survive, yes. Cooperate, doubtful."
Reina stacked her papers neatly. "Then at least he'll make things interesting."
Akira looked toward the window, the sunlight now a deep orange across the floor."Interesting is one word for it," she murmured.
The room fell quiet again, save for the faint laughter echoing from somewhere down the hall—distant, fading, but still there.
Akira turned back to the window, watching the light slip lower across the glass."…Welcome to Seiryu, Hayashi Ren," she said softly.
[1] Brother or older brother in japanese