<h4>Chapter 356: 3.1</h4>


    After the reception at the karaoke bar, I entered our designated room with the four others. As a guest, I was taken to the back, where Watanabe, Kanzaki, and the girls all took their seats. We all ordered drinks, but nothing else. "Should we sing a song or something...?"


    Watanabe picked up a microphone on the table and jokingly pointed the tip toward Kanzaki as if he were conducting an interview. Kanzaki, who wasn''t as good as him at keeping up with such a lighthearted atmosphere, looked annoyed and then lightly brushed the microphone away with his hand.


    "Sorry, we''ll have to do thatter."


    "...Right."


    Watanabe apologized and shrugged, pulling back the microphone. "First of all... I''ve told Himeno what we''re going to talk about today, but you two haven''t been informed yet. I already asked you before Ayanokouji arrived, but can you promise me that everything we say here will be kept strictly confidential?"


    It seemed like Kanzaki told them in advance that this was a confidential conversation before he allowed them to apany us.


    "Yeah. That''s fine."


    Amikura and the others seemed to take pride in their tight-lippedness. However, Kanzaki seemed wary of them.


    "I''m sorry, but I still have my doubts."


    As if to prove my point, Kanzakiid his honest thoughts bare. "Hey, hey... What should I do then?"


    Watanabe seemed to have some thoughts about being under suspicion despite having promised not to tell anyone. However, Kanzaki was right in what he did, as we would soone to see.


    If we had only met up sooner, Kanzaki could''ve refused to tell Watanabe and Amikura, who tried to follow him out of curiosity, to leave it for another time. But that didn''t happen, and the fact that he was carefully checking the situation meant that inviting them may have been a gamble.


    I was suspicious, but I wanted to trust and rely on these two people. "Can''t I just sign a contract or something? I won''t tell anyone." "I see. A signed contract. That''s not a bad idea. It''s also possible to record it with a cell phone."


    Make them swear in front of the camera not to tell anyone, and punish them if they break the contract.


    Such an approach would be one way to keep them tight-lipped.


    Without hesitation, Kanzaki pulled out his cell phone and ced it on the table as if to show it off.


    "Are you serious? I don''t know, that might make me a little bit ufortable."


    Amikura showed some of her dislike for the proposal, not believing that the suggestion came from a ssmate.


    "I told you. We''ll have an important talk with Ayanokouji today. I believe that if anything we say here is leaked, the repercussions will be immeasurable." "It isn''t an exaggeration...?"


    Kanzaki wasn''t the only one looking at Watanabe during this questioning. HImeno was also looking at him with the same intensity.


    "Can you promise not to tell anyone?"


    Kanzaki ced his hand on the phone and asked again for confirmation, epting the bacsh he''d face because of his methods.


    If you don''t want to take responsibility, you should leave now. I think that Kanzaki''s determination and spirit deeply permeated both of them.


    "I promise. I will never tell anyone."


    "...Me too. It''s not cool to leave because I can''t keep a secret. I can have my cell phone record it if you want."


    If they break their word and speak out, they were sure to be looked down on, at least by Kanzaki and Himeno.


    Although they didn''t appear to be close friends, Watanabe and his ssmates had a sense of responsibility to protect each other as people. Convinced, Kanzaki put away his cell phone, took his eyes off the two of them, and turned to me.


    "Once again, Watanabe and Amikura will remain present." "I have no objection to this. This is a problem regarding Ichinose''s ss." If a foreign entity was mixed in, it was Kanzaki''s fault for making an error in judgment.


    "I want to ask you one thing before I get into the main topic. Most of the ss, including Watanabe and the others, have overheard a rumor that Ichinose''s leaving the student council."


    Is it true? They weren''t just casually asking. It was an intense question. Since a recement hadn''t been officially announced yet, Ichinose''s statement that she had resigned hadn''t been elicited.


    However, as the recruiting process proceeded, the rumor spread and Kanzaki and the others heard about it.


    "Why did you think I''d know?"


    "Because your name was among the rumors."


    I was a little caught up by the implied phrase, but my confusion was resolved by Watanabe''s statement immediately afterward.


    "There were rumors that you were going to join the student council." Rumors are interesting. Someone who saw me interacting with Horikita, the forting student council president, may have thought so and spread the story. "You''ll soon find out, but it''s true that Ichinose''s resigning from the student council."


    "...I guess it''s true then."


    If he asked her directly, Ichinose wouldn''t deny it, but Kanzaki and the others didn''t have the guts to confirm it.


    If they asked her why she was about to quit, then many other questions would also arise. If they heard that she had already quit, they might start to bombard her.


    If something like that happened, it would cause some discord in the ss. "Ichinose would''ve liked to tell you as soon as possible, but Nagumo ordered her to keep it quiet until a recement was found. That''s why she couldn''t tell you even if she wanted to."


    I''ll make sure that point is clear so that they don''t misunderstand me. "It''s up to Ichinose to decide whether to continue being in the student council. I know that I, as her ssmate, have no right to say anything about it. However, I can''t get rid of this ominous feeling."


    "I guess Ichinose-san has given up on moving up to ss A, after all." Unlike Kanzaki, who was using an indirect way of expressing his feelings, Himeno didn''t try to sugarcoat it.


    She left the student council at the stage where they were chasing after ss A andpeting with the other sses. It was possible for Ichinose to ry this news in a positive way. Just by telling her friends that she was leaving the student council in order to focus on inter-sspetition, she could''ve convinced them that she was serious about it.


    However, now that they were on the verge of dropping from the ss struggle, they saw her departure from the student council in a different light. This act would be perceived as surrendering their weapons and giving up on their pursuit to ss A.


    In fact, Kanzaki and Himeno seemed to think so themselves. On the other hand...


    "That''s a bit of a leap, isn''t it, Himeno? I don''t think Honami-chan will give up on ss A so easily."


    In contrast, Amikura, who continued to believe without any doubts at all, refuted the scenario.


    "Then why did Ichinose quit the student council?"


    "Maybe she was trying to concentrate on getting into ss A, so she quit the student council to relieve the burden?"


    Amikura spoke up, refusing to believe that Ichinose had given up. Watanabe, who also seemed to agree with Amikura''s view, nodded his head repeatedly.


    "Then why didn''t she exin it to us properly? If she did that, we''d be able to rest easy."


    "The student council president asked her to keep quiet about it, didn''t he? Honami-chan wouldn''t carelessly break her promise."


    In response to Himeno''s rebuttal, Amikura responded reasonably. If she was told to keep quiet, it''d be natural for Ichinose to remain silent until she''d be allowed to reveal it.


    "Ichinose hasn''t given up on ss A. That''s what our current ss thinks." "So, Kanzaki, you''re saying that Ichinose quit the student council because she gave up on reaching ss A?"


    "That isn''t what I mean. The truth will remain unknown unless we hear it directly from her. However, what I''m trying to say is that you''re believing in her too blindly. Why has no one considered the possibility that her decision to leave the student council was made because she gave up on ss A?"


    Amikura and the others here have now spoken for themselves, as well as the rest of their ss.


    "It''s obvious... because Honami-chan isn''t that kind of girl." "I agree with you. And Kanzaki, I think you''re the one who assumed that Ichinose has given up on ss A. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have said that." Hearing Amikura''s and Watanabe''sments, which seemed to be the embodiment of blind belief, Kanzaki opened his mouth without hesitation. "Admittedly, I strongly believe that possibility. However, I believe it''s only a 70/30 chance, at best."


    Kanzaki was 70% convinced she had given up, which wasn''t a small chance. Rather, it was quite high.


    "You''re always skeptical, aren''t you?"


    Unsurprisingly, Watanabe responded with an exasperated tone. "I doubt it''s as much as Kanzaki-kun said, but I think it''s at least 50-50." "Himeno-san, are you serious?"


    "Of course I''m serious. I mean, shouldn''t you be a little skeptical?" "There''s nothing to be skeptical about. It''s Honami-chan." Himeno and Kanzaki exchanged nces. They wanted to believe that there were other ssmates sharing the same doubtful thoughts they had. The reality, however, was that students like Amikura and Watanabe were probably in the majority.


    Really, they didn''t take into ount the possibility that Ichinose''s heart may have been broken.


    "I feel sorry for Honami-chan... She is being treated so poorly just for quitting the student council."


    "But we''ll definitely lose the ss benefit if she resigns from the student council."


    "I don''t even know if we shouldin given that we haven''t ever joined the student council ourselves."


    Watanabe''s objection had some merit too. No one could me Ichinose for her actions. No one had the right to do so.


    If anyone were to me Ichinose, they''d be immediately admonished. If they didn''t want to lose the student council benefits, they should run for office and do something about it.


    Due to the conflicting opinions being exchanged, the karaoke box went quiet.


    We hadn''t even gotten to the main topic yet, but the inner workings of Ichinose''s ss were beginning to emerge.


    Kanzaki was by no means ipetent, but he made a few statements that left him vulnerable, making it easy to refute him.


    Perhaps this was due to a discrepancy between Kanzaki''s thoughts and his ability to articte them.


    His inexperience with speaking out was showing on his face. "...Let''s move the conversation forward a bit. After all, Ayanokouji doesn''t really know why Ichinose quit, does he?"


    Distressed, Kanzaki broke off the conversation and asked me for confirmation.


    It''d be better to offer a light helping hand here.


    Why did Ichinose quit? They all wanted to confirm her intentions. "I''m sorry to say this, but I don''t know what Ichinose''s thinking right now. I never imagined that she''d resign from the student council."


    After saying this, I decided to resume before anyone else''s response came back.


    If I continued handing over the initiative to Kanzaki, I''d risk the conversation going back and forth.


    Although I''m an outsider, I should minimize the risk here. And it could be used as a test case I could referenceter on. "Wouldn''t her ssmates, who spend every day in the same ss as her, know more about the situation than I would?"


    "Uh, that''s certain... You hit a sore spot, Ayanokouji."


    Both Watanabe and Amikura were willing to trust Ichinose, but they weren''t able to see the essence of the situation.


    The same went for Kanzaki and Himeno.


    It was good that there were multiple skeptical viewpoints within the ss, but so far, this only resulted in changing a few perspectives. It didn''t fulfill its job—changing the ss into its ideal form.


    "It''s true that it''s a problem that we, as ssmates, don''t know anything about this..."


    Amikura had her own thoughts on the matter, which she reflected on. While waiting for the four of them to answer, the waiter came to serve us the drinks we ordered.


    It seemed that the karaoke was crowded since morning and the orders were taking longer than usual. The waiter asked me to order early if I wanted anything else before leaving.


    "Kanzaki. Before you start lecturing Watanabe and the others, I think you need to make sure you can confirm the situation with the student council yourself. Don''t you think so?"


    "But if I take action now..."


    "Take action? There''s nothing wrong with confirming Ichinose''s true intentions. There are many ways to contact her, whether it''s early in the morning orte at night, by phone, or in person."


    And it wasn''t only Kanzaki, but also Himeno, who had a straight face. "Are you satisfied with just having a few sympathetic ssmates while you''re out there not taking any action?"


    "But... I mean, I''m not particrly close with Ichinose, and I can''t possibly imagine that she would tell me the truth if I asked her."


    The problem with Ichinose''s ss wasn''t limited to their blind worship. "Then, you should try to get closer to her than anyone else. If you were close enough with Ichinose to the point you two could confide in each other without keeping any secrets, Himeno, there wouldn''t have been any doubts or suspicions here."


    All that Himeno needed to do was to extract the information and share it with Kanzaki as soon as possible.


    Her expression became rigid and she didn''t seem to know how to respond. "Wait a minute... I understand what Ayanokouji''s trying to say, but you''re going a little overboard..."


    Watanabe, who had been on the receiving end of the me from Kanzaki and the others up to this point, came to her defense.


    "It isn''t easy for Ichinose to speak her mind... If it were easy to share your feelings, no one would have a hard time."


    He answered, perhaps sensing the tension bing heavy in the room. His words showed a high level of awareness when it came to protecting his friends.


    Even in the midst of bad news, there were things that came to light through discussions like this.


    "I don''t know the details of what Ichinose acts like with her ssmates. That''s why some questionse to mind."


    "Such as?"


    "If you can''t ask her directly, you can observe her ande to understand her feelings on your own. If there''s a student who''s not feeling well, anyone would notice and ask, ''Are you okay?'' If Ichinose doesn''t always have a poker face, looking for changes in her expression can be a useful method."


    One essential aspect of understanding emotions is looking at the other person''s facial expressions.


    Regardless of whether they knew the details, I wanted to know if there were any noticeable changes in Ichinose''s behavior before and after she left the student council.


    The four of them were probably thinking hard about their most recent time spent with Ichinose.


    I would like to know if there were any gestures, facial expressions, or events before or after the school trip that hinted at something.


    Did she make any kind of SOS?


    However...


    "I don''t know, it was the same as usual... right?"


    After a period of silence, Watanabe stated that there was nothing unusual going on.


    Nervous, he looked at his ssmates as if seeking their agreement. Amikura also expressed her own feelings in response to Watanabe''sment.


    "That''s right. If it''s true that she''s resigning from the student council, there might not be any change, regardless of her resignation. Even today, we were discussing the next special exam."


    "...I agree with you."


    Kanzaki, who probably had the most insight into Ichinose''s behavior, didn''t deny it. Most of Kanzaki''s ssmates were closed-off in their thinking and didn''t share any information.


    However, when those four got together and spoke, previously closed doors were bound to open.


    "However... this isn''t really recent, but I don''t know what to say, she hasn''t been in good spirits since the end of the desert ind test. The reason is... I don''t think it''s so much about ss A."


    Amikura said hesitantly, casting a casual nce in my direction. "What? Was she? I didn''t notice that at all... Really?"


    Not only Watanabe, but also Kanzaki seemed to be unaware of it as well. "Indeed, it was odd."


    Himeno chimed in, showing a certain understanding of Amikura''s statement. I hadn''t noticed it before, but now that I think about it, that might be the case. The two boys seemed to be clueless, but the two girls seemed to have some idea of what was going on.


    "No wonder Honami-chan is so strange..."


    "You seem to have an idea about the cause. Care to share, Amikura?" "Well, um, she wasn''t feeling well, but that isn''t really rted to her resignation from the student council, I think...?"


    "Why do you assume so? Even if that''s the case, if she isn''t well, I''d like to know the cause as soon as possible. It''s also rted to the chain ofmand in our ssroom."


    "I know what you mean, but... Ayanokouji-kun, what should I do?" She asked for help in a panic, thinking that she may have said something unnecessary.


    Unlike Amikura, who was a good friend of Ichinose and knew what was going on, the rest of the group didn''t seem to understand. However, seeing the strange pause and the situation where she asked me for help, Himeno had a sudden realization.


    "Oh, you mean that''s the cause?"


    "That''s what I meant!"


    She wasn''t a girl for nothing. Despite being one of the three who were oblivious to the circumstances, she noticed it first and was one step ahead. "I didn''t know much about it, but... seems to make sense." "Tell us, Himeno. What could be the reason for Ichinose''sck of energy?" Kanzaki, who had been left out of the loop, asked with an approaching air. "I don''t mean to say this in front of you, but Ichinose-san''s low energy has something to do with Ayanokouji-kun, doesn''t it?"


    Amikura nodded hesitantly at Himeno''sment.


    "What do you mean...?"


    Kanzaki was surprised to hear that I was the reason behind Ichinose''s behavior.


    If they continued to talk vaguely, Kanzaki and Watanabe would only be more confused.


    "Although it concerns Ichinose''s private life, it''s not a good idea to withhold information under these circumstances, so I''ll tell you... During the desert ind exam, I received a confession from Ichinose."


    When I revealed the information I had been keeping to myself, Watanabe was the most shocked of all.


    "A confession? Huh? What? Huh? She likes you?"


    "That''s what it means."


    "For real? That Ichinose? With Ayanokouji?? That''s huge news!" "No way...!? I didn''t know that either..."


    Amikura was so shocked that she covered her mouth with both hands and couldn''t speak.


    "What?! Then what was Amikura talking about?!"


    Panic fell in the karaoke box as each person had different information. "I knew Honami-chan liked Ayanokouji-kun, but I was shocked to find out that Karuizawa-san had already be his girlfriend."


    I didn''t think Ichinose''s best friend, Amikura, knew that she had expressed her feelings for me.


    "It was about the same time that I found out about Kei. It''s no different." Watanabe seemed puzzled by this.


    "Shibata would cry if he found out about this... No, it wouldn''t just stop with Shibata..."


    "Love affairs... I see..."


    Kanzaki shook his head several times while holding his forehead, as if the topic was giving him a headache.


    "No, but that certainly doesn''t sound like much of a rtion, even if she wasn''t in good spirits..."


    The three of them tried to separate the student council from the matter, but... "But we don''t know, do we? I don''t know how long Ichinose-san has been in love with Ayanokouji-kun, but a broken heart is a troublesome matter. Maybe she''s dragging it on and losing her cool."


    She thinks I had something to do with her quitting the student council? I was going to deny it, but I couldn''t prove that it was 100% wrong with the current information.


    "If Ayanokouji breaks up with Karuizawa and goes out with Ichinose right now, is there a chance she''ll snap out of it...?"


    Kanzaki muttered to himself, hoping to somehow improve the ss. "That''s ridiculous, isn''t it...?"


    "That''s an outrageous suggestion, isn''t it?" While saying that, Amikura''s tone seemed to imply, "What do you think?"


    "I''m sorry, but I can''t ept such a proposal from an unrted party,"


    "...You''re absolutely right."


    Love and ss warfare must be separated, even if they affect each other indirectly.


    "I''ve shared this information with you, but now we should cut in from a different direction."


    "Why are you so calm, Ayanokouji? I mean, you''re pretty lucky to be liked by Ichinose! Have some appreciation for that!"


    I didn''t like him talking about such things so passionately. Anyway, the first thing to do now was to change the four of them, who had be flippant, in their thinking.


    We narrowed down our search to find out why Ichinose quit the student council.


    "Is there any indication that she was feeling down about fighting against Ryuuen''s ss?"


    Nobody answered as if their minds hadn''t switched over yet. After a short pause, while taking a drink, Amikura raised her hand in a small gesture.


    "So far, I guess things are really the same as usual. Like, trying to win in a good way?"


    "I agree. It''s like we''re trying to do the same thing we''ve always done." "Yeah. I''ve heard some specific ways to fight."


    Kanzaki was the only one who didn''t speak up, perhaps because he was in agreement with the three of them.


    However, it seemed like he was thinking about what woulde next. "That''s why it can be seen as the flip side of pushing yourself too hard. Even though she''s been cornered enough to quit the student council, she''s putting on a front so as not to burden us, her ssmates..."


    Once you start thinking about it, unless you break the chain, you''ll be stuck in an endless swamp of thoughts.


    But Kanzaki and the others need to think about it carefully. They must delve deeper and expand their thoughts more widely. By giving each individual the power to think, they could revitalize the ss. "I know you want to know why Ichinose quit the student council. I understand that Kanzaki and the others are also struggling with multiple choices. But what''s the real intention behind it? Do you not want Ichinose to push herself too hard, or do you want her to work even harder for the ss if she''s quitting the student council? I want to know more about the details of that."


    I told them what I wanted to know and took a sip of oolong tea. All of them seemed to be struggling with their answers as they remained motionless, exchanging only nces with each other.


    I could tell just by looking at them.


    Predictions of what Ichinose''s ssmates who weren''t here would be thinking.


    Many of them would be worried about Ichinose''s mental state. They would be genuinely worried about Ichinose as their ssmate before worrying about whether their leader falls down or not.


    However, that wasn''t all for Kanzaki and Himeno.


    "Let me speak first. Naturally, I expect Ichinose to be a leader. The student council isn''t really important, and if she feels that the student council is a burden, she should quit without hesitation. What''s important is whether or not Ichinose has the will to rebuild the current ss and reach ss A. If she''s lost that will, then we''re in trouble."


    "I think Ichinose still has that will. But if she gave up on ss A, then it''s not something the outsiders can say anything about, right? In rare circumstances, it''s a matter of personal freedom to aim for it or not."


    It is no wonder that Watanabe, who showed a side of him that cares about his friends, cannot be forced toply with him.


    "Yeah... we can''t force her, right?"


    Amikura felt the same and expressed her willingness to ept the decision to give up.


    When someone gives up, it''s definitely not a good idea to force them to aim for a goal like ss A.


    "However, as a leader, it''s not eptable behavior. She should ry these feelings to the ss as soon as possible."


    At the very least, they hoped she wouldn''t drag her feet. In that respect, they didn''t have to worry about Ichinose, someone who wouldn''t want to trouble her fellow ssmates. It was easy to imagine that she''d at least contribute to the best of her abilities for the sake of her friends.


    "If she''s going to give up, she''ll make it clear at an early stage, because she wouldn''t get good results if she continued to force herself into the leader position without intending to aim for ss A."


    "So it''s okay. In fact, Ichinose hasn''t said anything, has she?" "What I fear is Ichinose''s inherent goodwill as a person. I said something simr earlier, but what if she''s hiding the truth of giving up as a bluff and pretending to be strong? There''s nothing more difficult for the ss than that." Because of her concern for her friends, she kept her feelings of giving up to herself. But if Ichinose truly had a broken heart, it wouldn''t be surprising if she was pretending to be strong while secretly feeling defeated.


    "I kind of understand what you mean, but... is it necessary to cooperate with Himeno-san to prevent that?"


    "Not only that. We need to gather people who can offer opinions to Ichinose, to provide her with another perspective. It''s important to have a second option instead of solely relying on the leader."


    "Somehow, that seems a bit like a betrayal, doesn''t it?"


    The ss led by Ichinose must''ve always been a united one. No, it should be. From Amikura''s perspective, who held such a view, it was inevitable that Kanzaki and the others'' potential actions may seem like defection. "We need to act now before it''s toote. We need to prepare for that." "That''s what I''m saying. As Ayanokouji pointed out, there are still some things to be done..."


    Watanabe and Amikura, who had been slow at first, now understood the situation. However, the conversation was still vague and disjointed. Kanzaki seemed to be acutely aware of this, and the awkward atmosphere didn''t dissipate.


    I guess this is the end of us trying to find Ichinose''s reasons for quitting the student council.


    Even if we persisted further, we probably wouldn''t be able to get any closer to the truth with the amount of information we had. It was pointless to continue spending time on a discussion that had no answer.


    "Kanzaki... it''s about time you told me what you wanted to say." "Hmm? Ahh."


    Kanzaki looked at his cell phone to check the time as if he had just recalled something.


    "The main reason for calling you out here today was to introduce a new associate. He had other business to attend to in the morning, so he''s arrivingte, but he should be here any moment now."


    For the next 20 minutes or so, we chatted casually, without talking about anything noteworthy. We waited for a bit, talking about what happened on the school trip.


    "Sorry to bother you."


    "You''re here, Hamaguchi."


    Hamaguchi? When I turned my gaze, Tetsuya Hamaguchi from Ichinose''s ss showed up.


    "Hamaguchi-kun really...? No way, That''s surprising..."


    Watanabe and Amikura exchanged nces, and Amikura''s expression revealed that Hamaguchi was not someone they were expecting to see. "Hey, Ayanokouji-kun. I wonder if we''ve met face to face like this since the desert ind test."


    "Maybe. I was indebted to you for all you did for me then."


    It was still fresh in my memory that they politely weed me, a stranger, in the midst of the need to conserve food.


    "I didn''t do much. Where should I sit?"


    "For the time being... Hamaguchi, please sit here."


    Kanzaki got up from his seat and led Hamaguchi to the other side of the room.


    "Was it Hamaguchi who was supposed to join uster?"


    "Yeah. I guess you could say it''s just Hamaguchi for now." In other words, except for Watanabe and Amikura, who unexpectedly decided to jump in, there were three of us.


    "I''ve already talked to Hamaguchi about helping us on this matter." "That means he is officially the third member of the team." Kanzaki and Himeno hade up with someone who could change Ichinose. Of course, Watanabe and his ssmates didn''t understand the situation. However, it was Kanzaki''s will that allowed these two to be present at the meeting, even if it was by chance. If he felt they were an obstacle, he could have rescheduled the meeting and held it on another day.


    "We''vee to the point where we have to start moving forward." Himeno nodded silently at Kanzaki''s determination, which had increased by one gear.


    "Wait, Hamaguchi-kun. I heard from Kanzaki-kun, but do you know what you''re going to do?"


    "Ichinose-san''s mental state is in a precarious condition. It''s not a good idea to leave it as it is. I''ve been thinking about this since bing a second-year student, not because Kanzaki-kun pointed it out to me."


    Apparently, Hamaguchi had already detected Ichinose''s anxiety. "Really? You had never shown any such indication before." "That''s true. The ss didn''t like that kind of atmosphere. No one would follow me if I tried to take action on my own, because we''ve all seen how Kanzakikun has been suffering from it for so long."


    The details here were unknown to me, a member of another ss, but the truth and weight of it were evident in the gestures and expressions of the ssmates here.


    "I don''t want Ichinose-san to be removed as a leader. I want her to be able to support her ssmates in times of trouble. Kanzaki-kun''s invitation came at the right time."


    "Even when I was left isted during the unanimous special exam, Hamaguchi kept checking on me when no one was around. I could tell from his behavior and tone that he understood how I was feeling."


    By observing his actions and demeanor, it''s clear that Hamaguchi is both dependable and trustworthy.


    It may be simr to Yousuke''s role and potential in Horikita''s ss. "Was it really okay to tell me and Amikura such a secret?" "It''s a gamble. It''s important to proceed slowly under the radar, but with Ichinose''s departure from the student council, we''ve decided that it''s no longer a scenario we can afford to take our time with. If we can''t bring in Watanabe and Amikura, we''ll soon be at a standstill."


    From the chance contact, it seemed that Kanzaki saw the light and chose to move forward. Amikura''sments were more pro-Ichinose, but she also had her own ideas.


    "I don''t mind being trusted, but..."


    "Well, I promised not to tell anyone, didn''t I?"


    Both parties seemed to be confused, but they didn''t seem to be betraying each other.


    "I''m not asking you to take our side immediately. I just hope that you''ll change your mind, even if it takes a while. So far, you''ve been too keen on leaving the decision up to Ichinose."


    "It''d be a different story if you''re nning on doing something bad, but I understand that you''re acting for the good of the ss. I''ll think about it, though I won''t make up my mind immediately."


    Watanabe, who showed a certain understanding, replied with a slight smile stretching from his cheeks.


    "I may not be able to say anything yet. But as Watanabe said, I won''t tell Honami-chan about this. That''s all I can say now..."


    "That''s enough."


    I don''t think they''ll respond to Kanzaki''s expectations if they forcefully ask them, here and now, to do more than that.


    "By the way, what exactly do you and Kanzaki n to do from now on?" "Specifically? The first step is to save the ss..."


    As Kanzaki was about to continue with his statement, he suddenly looked at the door, which was opened with a bang.


    "Oooooh! I''ll get out of your way~!"


    Both Ishizaki and Komiya entered the karaoke box without permission. Did someone here call them? I thought, but it didn''t look like it. Clearly, the atmosphere was different from what it had been just now. "What''re you doing here on your day off? Please include me in the conversation."


    Ishizaki''s eyes turned to me for the first time, not knowing that I was there. "Why''s Ayanokouji here in this gathering?"


    "Why are you here, Ishizaki and Komiya?"


    "Why, well, there are a lot of reasons. You know?"


    Ishizaki looks somewhat annoyed and lets his gaze wander off towards Komiya.


    "Oh, oh. We were both at karaoke and I saw you guys. I thought it would be more fun to have a bunch of people singing than just two guys singing in solitude." He replied by touching the ss door of the karaoke room with a bang. "We don''t get along at all, do we?"


    Amikura cut right into Ishizaki and the others.


    "That''s... that''s... you see. That''s why? We''re trying to get to know each other through singing."


    Obviously, they were making up someme excuses.


    Not wanting to let the charade continue, Kanzaki revealed the purpose of the two.


    "Since the day the special exam was announced, we''ve been getting outrageous contact from Ryuuen''s ss day after day."


    "Again?"


    Amikura crossed her arms in disgust, though she didn''t seem to be angry. "What''s so outrageous about it?"


    "You''re barging into another group''s box without permission, no?" "We just came to check on our fellow second-years. We just wanted to see what you were singing. You seemed to be having a good time so we were wondering if we could join you."


    Ishizaki was putting up a string of painful excuses to match Komiya''s, but no one believed him.


    "I''m sorry, but this isn''t a study group meeting today."


    "It seems like..."


    Ishizaki noticed that there were no study materials on the table and scratched his head.


    Ryuuen''s ss was pitted against Ichinose''s ss. Amikura''s "again" suggested that this had been happening repeatedly since they made the decision to go up against each other.


    "So can you leave?"


    Unless they were studying, there was no merit for Ishizaki and Komiya staying since they seemed to be just a group that enjoyed karaoke. "Tsk. Let''s move on to the next one."


    Finally, Ishizaki and his ssmate left the room, clicking their tongues in blunt admission.


    "They''re a bunch of idiots. No, it''s all Ryuuen giving them orders."


    "That''s right. They should study seriously, but all they think about is dragging us down."


    "It''s just likest year''s final exam."


    At that time, Ryuuen was also involved in quite dangerous behaviors because he was trying to win. I doubted that Ryuuen would overdo it this time, but I didn''t know what kind of measures he''d take.


    "Are you under any pressure to sign an unreasonable contract?" "It''s okay, we''ve already taken a firm countermeasure. Of course, we can''t say that there won''t be any trouble in the future, so we''ll remain vignt." Kanzaki stood up and returned to his seat after making sure Ishizaki and Komiya really left.


    "I''m going to get back to the main topic now. The first step to save the ss is to quickly ascertain what state of mind Ichinose is in. If we don''t get her back to normal, we won''t be able to move forward or backward."


    Indeed. Now was the time when no one knew Ichinose''s true state of mind. "I wish there was some way to get aplete picture of what''s going on..." "I guess the only way is for us to be there for Honami-chan." "What difference does it make?"


    "What? I''m at a loss to say what''s different..."


    "It''s because we''ve continued to stand still like this that we''re where we are today."


    "Hey, Kanzaki, don''t be so quarrelsome. We''re allowed to speak freely in this conversation, aren''t we?"


    Watanabe interrupted Kanzaki''s lecture with a slightly angry tone and continued.


    "We need the courage to put forward ideas, but if they get suppressed and crushed like that, it would be harder for the next opinion toe out, won''t it?" "...But..."


    "No, I agree with Watanabe-san''s opinion. I refrained from speaking out myself so far, but Ichinose-san isn''t the only one who has a big problem." In Watanabe''s defense, Hamaguchi calmly expressed to Kanzaki hisint.


    "I appreciate what you''re doing for the ss, but what''s the point if it''s just spinning out of control?"


    Although it was still a small group, individual members had more will than I thought. While most of the members were blindly believing in Ichinose, there were some who had doubts.


    However, Hamaguchi and Watanabe weren''t necessarily able to stand out in such a serious situation.


    That was why they could speak freely under Kanzaki''s presence, who took the initiative ining forward.


    "I don''t think it''s a bad idea to be there for her. I don''t think Ichinose-san would easily answer if we ask her forcibly, and I think it''s important to observe and assess naturally."


    "You want me to take my time? In this situation where there''s no more time left? It would take too long."


    "No, I think it depends on how you approach it. We only know Ichinose-san as a leader, but Amikura-san is different. I think she has a lot of chances to hang out with her friends on her days off. That should open up more opportunities for us."


    Amikura nodded emphatically in agreement.


    "Having more opportunities is a benefit. However... there may also be downsides. Because Amikura-san and the others are regrly around Ichinose-san, they may also be more easily guarded against and unable to get close to her." Even among close friends, there was still etiquette to be observed. Amikura couldn''t just ask anything without discretion.


    Himeno, who I expected to be the least likely to speak, raised a light hand before anyone else.


    "Let me hear it."


    "How about having Ayanokouji-kun check on Ichinose-san during the break? Then, he can ask her about things. Students in other sses usually don''t trust each other, but if they''re with someone they like, they''ll loosen up, won''t they?"


    "That could work. Even Ichinose-san wouldn''t mind being asked by someone she likes, and as Himeno suggested, her guard may be lowered..." Hamaguchi seemed to know that Ichinose was in love with me. "But as I said, Ayanokouji''s from another ss. That''s probably my biggest concern."


    "But you trust him, right? You''ve invited him to such an important discussion."


    Himeno''s sharpeback made Kanzaki stop mid-sentence. "Let''s see what our ssmates don''t see."


    "I understand what you mean, but Ayanokouji has a girlfriend, doesn''t he? You know, Karuizawa... That''s a problem in many ways, isn''t it?" "Honami-chan stands out. If she''s meeting with a boy alone, rumors might start. At the very least, he needs to get permission from Karuizawa-san and prove that it''s not a date... but since Honami-chan likes Ayanokouji-kun, it''s not a matter of permission..."


    The others started getting excited and brought up my name without my permission.


    "In the first ce, is it okay to proceed like this without Honami-chan? I know it''s for the sake of the ss, but it''s kind of... I don''t like it because it''s like I''m trying to take advantage of her feelings."


    It wasn''t surprising that Amikura, who seemed to be in a particrly close rtionship with Honami-chan, wouldin about this.


    ss D had been centered around Ichinose in both good and bad times. "We''re not taking this initiative solely for the special exam. This is something we''re doing for Ichinose''s sake. It''d be absurd to tell her that we''re worried about her mental condition."


    Kanzaki tried to convince Amikura, but she didn''t seem to be easily convinced.


    "I know that you wanted to change the ss during the unanimous special exam. I don''t mean to say that this is a bad thing, but I don''t think what you''re doing behind the scenes, such as secretly consulting Ayanokouji-kun and entertaining Himeno-san, is praiseworthy."


    It was a natural thought for a student from Ichinose''s ss, who was supposed to value transparency.


    "It''s clear that if you act openly, you''ll get opposition. That''s why, instead of acting alone, Himeno and Hamaguchi have cooperated with me. This gives strength to my opposition."


    It was true that more than half of the attendees here were on Kanzaki''s side. If it were Kanzaki alone, he''d have to fight one against four, but now it was practically three against two.


    With allies on his side, he could expect help from reinforcements. "I guess setting up a date with Ayanokouji-kun is the way to go." Himeno tried to conclude so, but Amikura still had a hard expression, and she didn''t change her position.


    "You don''t seem to have any hesitations. Are you that dissatisfied with Honami-chan''s way of doing things?"


    "I am..."


    "Kanzaki understands, right? He was always giving his opinions by Honami''s side, and sometimes he strongly advocated for his own opinions. But I''ve never heard Himeno do anything like that."


    "Himeno-chan..."


    Kanzaki tried to argue on her behalf, but Hamaguchi stopped him with his hand.


    "I think it''s meaningless if you don''t speak up about important things like this."


    Hamaguchi''s ability to look at the bigger picture and judge things objectively and correctly was a great new asset.


    "I don''t like the stance where ''everyone holds hands and gets along with each other.'' It''s not a recent thing. It''s been like that since before I entered this school. I don''t really like socializing with friends, and if anything, I feel morefortable being alone."


    Until now, Amikura would''ve never known that Himeno had been thinking that.


    "But I''m not good at expressing my opinion, and I thought it was easier to just go along with whatever everyone else was doing and stay quiet. So whenever I was invited to do something with the group, I''d just go along quietly, thinking that it was easier to follow along if everyone else was going to follow Ichinose-san. That''s all it was."


    Himeno had never expressed her own opinions and was content to be influenced by those around her.


    "But I always thought that I could never make it to ss A with only Ichinose-san''s methods. Though, it can''t be helped. If everyone else is going to follow without saying a word, then I have no choice but to follow." Himeno, who probably still had a hard time making eye contact with others, continued to talk while staring at the monitor where the screen continued to y. "But I learned that Kanzaki-kun was serious about changing the ss. I learned that he didn''t want to give up on graduating in ss A. So... I decided to take a chance on it."


    "So it''s like choosing between going alongfortably and ending up in ss B or lower or striving hard and graduating from ss A, even if it''s difficult. That''s what ites down to."


    Watanabe muttered after hearing Himeno''s thoughts, which he never heard before.


    "I see. I understand how Himeno-san feels. I didn''t understand anything before."


    "It''s no wonder. We never really talked about it."


    But in other words, the same could be said of Ichinose. It was difficult to know how much of what she was saying was true unless she told so herself. While expressing some dissatisfaction with the approach, Amakura also showed a certain level of understanding.


    "I''ll ask as a representative of the ss. I want to know how Ichinose feels about resigning from the student council and her future ns. Does she still think we can seed? I want to hear her true feelings."


    Having reached a conclusion, Kanzaki said this and bowed his head to me. "I have no particr reason to refuse..."


    I said so, and Kanzaki, who usually didn''t smile much, bowed his head in gratitude with a happy expression.


    "But what are you going to do about the Karuizawa problem?"


    "I''m not going to do anything about it. I''m just going to exin the situation


    to her and make her understand."


    "The situation is about other sses, you know. I wonder if Karuizawa-san will honestly ept you admitting to helping us. I mean, won''t she get suspicious?"


    "Don''t worry about that."


    Although it was a sudden request, it was a good opportunity for them to try out what they wanted to try.