"Hey, can you not sleep in the office?"

Kaoru Mitoma groggily opened his eyes to see a girl with a bun hairstyle swaying in front of him.

Instinctively, he reached out towards her.

"W-wait, just who do you think you are, reaching for your senpai like that?!"

Only after getting smacked on the head a few times did Kaoru fully wake up, immediately spotting Tachibana Akane's flushed face.

She was holding a clipboard—clearly the weapon she had used to assault him.

"Has the president not returned yet?" Kaoru Mitoma sat up from the sofa, glancing around.

Only he and Tachibana Akane were present.

"He's busy, unlike a lazy bum like you," Tachibana Akane said sternly, "And who gave you permission to sleep here? If anyone saw, they'd think the student council was slacking off."

Kaoru Mitoma checked the time—he had napped for about half an hour.

"Aren't you supposed to be inspecting the clubs?" Kaoru Mitoma recalled that as Horikita Manabu's secretary, Tachibana Akane was responsible for keeping track of all club activities.

Moreover, it was a new semester—club activities, budgets, and competitions all needed to be reviewed by her before funding could be approved.

During summer vacation, sports clubs like basketball and badminton went out to compete and achieved decent rankings.

The student council certainly couldn't refuse their application forms.

The school even rewarded them generously with Personal Points—the lowest amount being 2,000 points.

"I finished the inspection, only to come back and find a lazy bum." Tachibana Akane huffed slightly in dissatisfaction.

Having been in the student council for about two years, she was already well-versed in her duties.

Kaoru Mitoma's gaze drifted to her thigh.

Beneath the white pleated skirt, they exuded a vibrant, youthful energy.

When she turned around, her petite waist dipped slightly, drawing attention to her perky ass beneath her skirt.

Yet, the very fullness of her ass only served to highlight the graceful curve of her waist even more.

"If you don't mind, take me along next time."

"It's not a matter of whether you can or not—as a junior, you must follow my lead. Take your peers, Ichinose and Katsuragi-kun, for example. They're doing quite well." Tachibana Akane sat at her desk, compiling the day's work while still finding time to scold Kaoru Mitoma.

"I do go out with them sometimes, just not often," Kaoru defended himself.

"Hmph, so you admit it's not often enough," Akane retorted, her tone turning sour.

"Whatever. The president likes you anyway, always keeping you in the office. Not like me."

"Are you… jealous of a guy?" Kaoru asked uncertainly.

"D-don't be ridiculous!" Akane's face flushed red. "I-I'm just… helping you reflect on yourself!"

"I don't think someone who sneaks snacks in the office is in any position to help me reflect," Kaoru shot back without mercy, seizing on her weakness.

"Ugh…"

Unable to counter him, Akane could only sulk in frustration.

Even if she did sneak snacks in the office, he didn't have to say it outright!

She hadn't planned on sharing her snacks with him in the first place, and now she was even less inclined.

Still, imagining Kaoru's disappointed face when he realized he wouldn't get any, a smug smile flickered across the girl's lips and her anger faded slightly.

Kaoru had no idea what she was thinking and simply continued waiting for Horikita Manabu.

Before long, Manabu finally returned.

"Is the meeting over?"

"Yes, sorry to keep you waiting."

"Is it really important?"

Manabu nodded, his gaze lingering briefly on Akane before he took a seat opposite Kaoru.

"The school has decided to hold a sports festival from September to early October. Although they sought my opinion as student council president, I was mostly just an observer during the meeting." He spoke matter-of-factly—while the student council had a role in some school affairs, their involvement was limited, with no real decision-making power.

"Eh? Another sports festival?" Akane's eyes widened.

Most students kept their distance from athletics, especially when participation was mandatory.

And given how this school operated, their sports festival would undoubtedly be different from others—tied directly to class standings.

"Yes. The homeroom teachers will explain the details tomorrow," Manabu said, pausing briefly.

"But there's no doubt this is a special exam for the semester—and a crucial one."

"So even you don't know the specifics, President?" Kaoru asked.

"No. The school only asked the student council to assist with setting up the venue and preparing equipment." Manabu thought for a moment.

"The events are probably standard—otherwise, they wouldn't have involved us."

Having students help prepare for a special exam would violate the school's principle of fairness.

So even if the sports festival events were leaked, it wouldn't matter—or rather, success would depend entirely on individual ability.

"That feels odd. If this is a special exam, students with strong athletic skills would have a clear advantage. It's too harsh on those who aren't as physically capable," Kaoru mused.

"Exactly. I have zero confidence in this," For once, Akane agreed with him.

Horikita Manabu watched Kaoru Mitoma's thoughtful expression and smiled faintly.

"Based on past experience, the special exam won't be that simple."

"I think the real challenge might come later," Kaoru said, feeling a sense of foreboding.

After all, both second and third years had seen students drop out during the second semester.

Following the sudden dropouts in the first semester, it was unlikely that midterms or finals would claim more victims—meaning the special exam had to be the culprit.

Logically speaking, this sports festival couldn't possibly expel students simply for poor athletic ability, right?

If that were the case, Sakayanagi would be the first to go.

"Let's set aside the sports festival for now," Manabu said with clear approval.

"I've already heard from him—it seems you're quite confident about defeating Nagumo."

"Even if I don't act, he'll come after me eventually," Kaoru thought.

Having extorted Nagumo Miyabi twice, he knew the guy wasn't the forgiving type—sooner or later, he'd seek revenge.

Manabu chuckled. "Your performance in the special exams has been outstanding. Even I feel more confident because of it."

Kaoru had kept some details from his class, but with Horikita Manabu, he had been almost completely transparent.

Securing over 600 Class Points across two special exams was more than enough to earn Horikita Manabu full trust.

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