Nagumo Miyabi almost fled,
He rushed back to the Class 2-A classroom.
He slammed the classroom door shut, his back pressed against the cold door panel, gasping for breath as if he had just been in a chase.
The look of lingering shock on his face was a loss of composure he had never experienced in his life.
He shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to calm down.
He couldn't let anyone, especially the second year students under his command, see him in such a sorry state.
He took a few deep breaths, trying to adjust his facial muscles, attempting to regain his usual devil-may-care expression.
But the lingering trace of shock deep in his eyes was hard to hide.
"Na?"
A voice filled with concern rang out.
Asahina Natsume walked over quickly, keenly catching the extremely unnatural remnants of expression on his face.
"What's wrong? You look so pale? What happened?"
She lowered her voice, her eyes fixed on him, "Is it... Sakamoto-kun again...?"
She was right.
Nagumo's mouth twitched.
He instinctively wanted to deny it.
How could he possibly talk about being handed toilet paper by a ghostly figure appearing in a toilet stall?!
This was ten thousand times more socially disastrous than being publicly executed.
"N-nothing!"
Nagumo abruptly turned his face away, his voice a little dry.
"It's just that my stomach suddenly feels a bit unwell. Yes, unwell."
He awkwardly made an excuse, walked quickly back to his seat, sat down with a thud, and buried his face in his arms, pretending to rest.
Asahina looked at his obviously transparent attempt to cover things up, blinked, and didn't press further, but her face was full of "I don't believe a word you're saying."
Nagumo lay on the desk, his heart still pounding wildly.
That surreal scene in the toilet stall was etched into his mind like a brand, refusing to fade.
Sakamoto-kun's silent appearance, his kneeling posture, his gesture of offering toilet paper... every detail was terrifyingly clear.
How was this possible?!
The door was locked!
He didn't hear any sound!
How did he get in?
Did he climb over from the next stall?
How could there be no sound at all?
Countless questions churned in his mind like boiling water, each pointing to an answer that defied common sense.
Finally, in the face of an unacceptable reality, Nagumo's reason began to search for a seemingly plausible escape—a hallucination?
Yes!
It must be a hallucination!
It must be because he was too mentally strained, constantly thinking about that lingering fellow, that he produced such a vivid hallucination!
It must be like this!
He desperately tried to convince himself, attempting to attribute that terrifying scene to his mental stress.
Although a faint voice deep inside him protested, telling him that the feeling was terrifyingly real, he chose to ignore it.
He couldn't think about it anymore; if he did, he feared he would go crazy first.
Whether what he just experienced was real or fake.
He now had only one thought—to end all of this.
He suddenly looked up and pulled out his phone.
He needed to contact Horikita Manabu.
Sakamoto-kun wants to join the Student Council, doesn't he?
Good!
He would go tell the Student Council President right now and let him join!
...Time passed quickly, and it was soon after school in the afternoon.
The perspective also shifted to the Student Council Room.
Horikita Manabu sat alone behind the President's desk, waiting for someone.
The door was gently knocked.
"Please come in."
The door opened, and a figure walked in with composed steps.
It was Sakamoto-kun.
He stopped in front of the desk, his posture tall and straight, bowing slightly, performing an impeccable salute.
"Good evening, Horikita Student Council President. I am Sakamoto-kun, here as requested."
Horikita Manabu also nodded, his gaze fixed on the young man before him.
"Good evening, Sakamoto-kun. I am Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President of Class 3-A."
Their brief self-introductions seemed like routine, but in reality, they understood each other implicitly.
They both knew the true purpose of this meeting.
In fact, Horikita Manabu was already largely aware of the outrageous "one-week interview period" proposed by Vice President Nan Yun and the legendary "master-servant interaction" between Sakamoto-kun and Vice President Nan Yun that had unfolded throughout the day.
Part of it stemmed from Vice President Nan Yun's urgent, even somewhat pleading, communication a short while ago.
Vice President Nan Yun did not elaborate on the details, only strongly recommending Sakamoto-kun as "exceptionally capable," "requiring no further assessment," and "deserving direct admission by special exception."
The other part came from the video clips that were widely circulated on the internal campus forum—from the "candlelit lunch" in the cafeteria to the miraculously skilled cleaning performance.
Horikita Manabu only needed to make a slight deduction to connect Vice President Nan Yun's abnormality with Sakamoto-kun's performance.
"First," Horikita Manabu began directly, his voice steady, "I need to clearly inform you. The so-called 'one-week interview period' that Vice President Nan Yun previously proposed to you, and his demand that you 'completely obey his command,' is not a formal procedure within the Student Council regulations. That was his personal impromptu action."
He seemed to want to see Sakamoto-kun's reaction to this.
Sakamoto-kun's expression did not change in the slightest; he merely responded calmly: "I see. Thank you, Student Council President, for informing me."
He clearly knew all along.
This First Year student knew from the beginning that it was an irregular test, yet he chose to play along in such an extreme and astonishing way, instead forcing Vice President Nan Yun, who had set the conditions, into a corner.
This level of intellect, ability, and courage,
"Indeed, he is extraordinary."
Horikita Manabu's evaluation of Sakamoto rose a few more notches in his heart.
He had initially favored this First Year, believing him to be the key figure in counterbalancing Nagumo's increasingly inflated desire for control.
He just hadn't expected that Sakamoto, even before officially joining the Student Council,
had already, by himself, brought Nagumo to heel,
and even proactively came to request formal membership for him.
This efficiency was far beyond expectations.
"However,"
Horikita Manabu's tone shifted,
"although the procedure is unconventional, Vice President Nagumo has given extremely high praise for your 'performance' during this period. Given your truly outstanding abilities, I hereby formally decide to approve your admission to the Student Council."
He paused, then added:
"I will personally submit the corresponding membership application to the school authorities. You only need to await good news."
Sakamoto bowed again:
"Thank you very much for President Horikita's recognition and promotion. I will do my best to contribute my humble efforts to the Student Council and the school."
His etiquette was impeccable, his attitude humble, yet neither servile nor overbearing.
Horikita Manabu nodded, but then posed another question:
"Sakamoto-kun, I recall that when you first came to the Student Council Room at the beginning of the school year, your sole purpose was to investigate the school's rules and mechanisms. Why have you now changed your mind and decided to join the Student Council?"
Sakamoto pushed up his glasses and calmly replied:
"As the President said, I initially had no such plans. By a stroke of luck, Vice President Nagumo presented an opportunity, and I seized it. If I can use this platform to serve the collective more effectively, it would also be a pleasure."
Horikita Manabu was silent for a moment, seemingly weighing something.
Then, he spoke again, his tone becoming more profound:
"Very well. I can grant you sufficient freedom. You don't need to participate in the tedious daily routines of the Student Council's affairs; maintaining your independent style is fine. However…"
He leaned forward, his gaze becoming sharper, as if trying to peer into Sakamoto's innermost thoughts.
"In exchange, I hope you can promise me one thing. You should know about my relationship with Horikita Suzune of Class 1-D. So, I entrust you with…"