Akira was added to a chat group.
This group consisted of people who'd previously voted for Kushida.
Among them were girls who were close to Kushida, such as Inogashira. There were also a few boys, like regulars such as Yamauchi and Ike.
Ayanokoji was also in the group.
But what surprised him was that Wang Meiyu wasn't there.
In his impression, Inogashira and Wang Meiyu were inseparable friends.
Kushida also often took the initiative to chat with them, and the three seemed to have a very harmonious relationship.
The friendship between girls is indeed more subtle than imagined.
At this moment, Kushida sent two messages in the group:
{Thank you so much for all your votes~}
{By the way, I'm planning to go to karaoke after school today. If you're free, let's all come and have fun?}
At the same time, Kushida's clear voice came from the other end of the classroom. "Everyone must come!" She was smiling and waving at several classmates.
'Our Class D is also visibly improving, starting to form small groups.'
Akira silently rolled his eyes in his heart.
Class D currently has two leaders, and it was inevitable that the two would have their own small groups.
Another group message popped up.
Ike was already impatiently yelling about wanting to sing, while Yamauchi was egging Kushida on to sing the latest popular love songs.
"I won't..."
Akira hadn't even finished sending his refusal when he suddenly smelled a faint scent of jasmine.
He turned his head sharply and found that Kushida had appeared behind him at some point.
"Shimizu-kun, you should come too~ It's more lively with more people." She tilted her head slightly.
"Sorry, I have something on tonight!" Akira shook his head, indicating his refusal.
He didn't have time to go to karaoke with her now.
Classes B and C still hadn't contacted him, and making big deals with other classes was the real business.
"...Is that so?" Kushida's smile froze for a moment. "That's too bad."
Akira certainly wasn't deliberately making excuses. He genuinely had other important matters.
He planned to visit the Student Council.
This idea first stemmed from Boxing Club President Sato's previous hint—"Go to the Student Council more often."
As an upperclassman from Class 3-A, Sato's words often contained hidden meanings, and his subtle reminders were all the more worth pondering.
Walking down the corridor, Akira couldn't help but recall the special status of the Student Council.
Contrary to what one might imagine, the Student Council here held real power, not only fully handling various disputes among students but even possessing more authority than homeroom teachers in certain matters.
For example, if students got into a fight or caused trouble, it was entirely up to the Student Council to handle it in this school.
As a homeroom teacher, one could only dutifully stand by their own students and say a few words on their behalf.
Based on his impression from last night, Horikita Manabu seemed to be a rigorous and rigid type, which made him somewhat worried about whether he would agree to his request.
When he arrived at the Student Council office, he found several people already lined up at the door.
A blue-haired girl stood in front of him—the aura emanating from the girl reminded Akira of a sharp cold weapon, but before he could ponder it further, the queue suddenly sped up.
It wasn't long before it was the blue-haired girl's turn.
Akira stood at the office door, vaguely hearing intense conversation from inside—"Act of violence!" "Does it only count if it's caught on camera?" "Many people are already injured!" "You're not doing anything about this? Is this even a normal school?"
Just a few minutes later, the office door was violently pushed open.
The blue-haired girl walked out with a gloomy face, slamming the door shut with a "bang," causing the bulletin board on the wall to tremble slightly.
"Next!"
A majestic male voice came from inside the Student Council room.
Akira then withdrew his gaze from the blue-haired girl in the corridor, adjusted his collar, and gently pushed open the Student Council door.
Several Student Council officers were busy at their respective posts.
At the head seat in the deepest part of the room sat a composed man wearing silver-rimmed glasses.
This was none other than Student Council President Horikita Manabu, whom he'd met briefly last night.
He specifically scanned every corner of the room but failed to spot the Vice President. Because according to rumors, Nagumo, the Vice President, was blond.
'It seems he's not at the Student Council today.'
"Please close the door."
Akira's gaze was drawn by this voice.
A purple-haired girl with a fluffy bun stood beside the Student Council President, looking at him somewhat indifferently.
"Alright."
The lock clicked softly.
Akira recognized her the moment he turned around—this must be the rumored Student Council Secretary, Tachibana Akane-senpai.
"Hello, student." Tachibana closed the document in her hand. "May I ask what brings you to the Student Council today?"
"I hope the Student Council can act as a third-party guarantor to ensure the safe execution of transactions between me and students from other classes." Akira looked directly at Horikita Manabu, his tone crisp and direct.
This unexpected request clearly startled Tachibana, and she widened her eyes slightly. "Guar...guarantor?"
Horikita Manabu maintained his characteristic composure. "Let's discuss it in more detail in the consultation room, Shimizu-kun."
After saying this, the President turned and walked toward the Student Council consultation room.
Tachibana's steps suddenly halted. She turned around. "Shimizu-kun..." "Do you and the President know each other from before?"
Akira detected the probing in her words. After a brief thought, he met her gaze frankly. "You could say that. Horikita Suzune, his younger sister, is my deskmate, and we've met once."
"So that's it..." Tachibana murmured softly, falling into a brief thought. "The President actually has a younger sister..."
A moment later, she resumed her usual indifferent expression. "Sorry for taking your time, please follow me."
Akira slowly stepped into the consultation room and calmly took a seat opposite Horikita Manabu.
A brief silence fell in the room, broken only by the regular ticking of the wall clock's second hand.
"I'm very curious." Horikita Manabu suddenly broke the silence. "Why did you come to the Student Council?"
Akira slightly raised his eyes. "I plan to sell information and equipment rental rights to other classes. Because the transaction amount is quite large, I need to ensure that the contracts between both parties are properly fulfilled. Simply put—I need a guarantor that everyone won't dare to default on."
"So, you plan to make a deal with Ryuuen Kakeru from Class 1-C, but you're worried about him defaulting and resorting to violence, and not paying points, which is why you came to the Student Council for help?" Horikita Manabu's gaze subtly swept across the side of his face, his tone more like certainty than inquiry.
"Strictly speaking, I'm only worried about him reneging on paying the points." Akira paused. "As for violence... I personally don't pay much attention to it. President, can you accept my request? After all, in this school, points should be able to buy everything."
"Yes..." Horikita Manabu tapped his fingertips on the table. "The Student Council can help you hide your identity and will provide you with corresponding standardized contracts and performance guarantees. To ensure the normal conduct of both parties' transactions, the condition is that five percent of your transaction proceeds will be deducted as personal points—this portion will be submitted to the school authorities, similar in nature to social taxes."
Akira didn't hesitate and directly nodded in agreement. "Acceptable."