(Guys, Altered reality is back with it's new Volume. From now on you will get regur updates.)

  The following morning, I was discharged from the hospital—my injuries weren’t anything near life-threatening, after all. Afterward, I made my way to the police station as instructed, to provide my statement regarding the incident. As a result, I had to skip school for the day.

  After returning home, I checked my phone for any messages. Occasionally, my new parents manage to find a moment in their busy schedules to ask how

  \I’m doing or if I’m facing any problems. This time, there were also messages from Misaki, Yuka, and Sanae. Judging by the timing, Misaki and Yuka likely heard about what happened through Sanae. As for her, she simply asked what I am doing at the moment. Curiously enough, all three of them ended their messages with the same thing—they’re pnning to visit me after school. Seriously though… aren’t they supposed to be in css right now? What are they doing texting me during school hours?

  From that day on, Sanae and Yuka started acting unusually clingy—as if they were silently competing over something. Misaki, on the other hand, was behaving a little differently too, though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I returned to school the following day, slipping back into the usual routine. But just as I was passing through the school gate, a sleek bck limousine pulled up right in front of it, immediately drawing everyone’s attention—including mine.

  From that car stepped out a young man wearing gsses, his posture upright and composed, his neutral expression and calm demeanor exuding a quiet intelligence. Without sparing a gnce at the curious crowd, he made his way to the rear door and opened it with a respectful gesture.

  What followed was a girl who seemed to command the very air around her. Long, straight blonde hair cascaded down her back, her neatly cut bangs resting just above a pair of striking scarlet red eyes. Her beauty was undeniable—tall, graceful, and perfectly proportioned. Yet the moment she emerged, she shot a sharp gre toward the gathering crowd, her lips and brow curled into an annoyed frown as if their mere presence irritated her.

  Without uttering a single word, she turned on her heel and walked off, completely ignoring the stares behind her. The bespectacled young man followed close behind, silent and composed, like a shadow to her fme.

  “As expected of the student council president—still as rude and prideful as ever,” someone muttered once her figure had travelled far enough into the distance.

  “Wait, she’s our student council president?” another student asked in disbelief, as if they’d just uncovered some hidden truth.

  “Hmm, you’re a first-year, right? That expins it,” someone replied with a knowing nod. “It’s not surprising you haven’t seen her around much. She usually arrives before any of the students—even the teachers sometimes.”

  “Take my advice, juniors—stay far away from her,” a senior chimed in, arms crossed. “Her personality’s downright nasty. She’s not just rude—she acts like a real bitch.”

  “Seriously? Then how did someone like that end up as the student council president?” a baffled voice asked.

  “Well,” the senior sighed, “the st election didn’t give us much of a choice. One of the candidates was a total pervert who would’ve turned the school into his personal pyground, and the other was so strict, we’d be living in a military academy. So, naturally, almost everyone ended up voting for the lesser evil—our current student council president, Tanaka Tsukuyo.”

  I quietly listened to everything being said, shaking my head slightly. They really don’t know anything about her.

  “I guess today might be a good day to take action,” I muttered under my breath.

  Including today, I only have five days left to decide on a club to join. And, as you might’ve already guessed from where my thoughts are headed… I’m pnning to join the student council.

  During lunch, I found myself being fed by both Yuka and Sanae—again. To my horror, I wasn’t even embarrassed anymore. I had completely gotten used to it. What’s worse, it felt almost… natural.

  Just like she’d mentioned the other day, Sanae had brought something she made herself. Apparently, chicken curry rice is one of the few dishes she can cook, and today, she proudly presented it. To my surprise, it was genuinely delicious. The curry was rich, fvorful, and perfectly savory. I didn’t hold back on the praise, and when I did, she lit up with joy, clearly delighted by the compliment.

  Yuka, on the other hand, pouted the moment she saw Sanae basking in my praise. She responded by feeding me even more aggressively—though not in a bad way. Naturally, I didn’t forget to compliment her too, which immediately lifted her mood.

  But then the topic of the student council came up—though not by me. Misaki was the one who mentioned it first, and I used the opportunity to share my own thoughts.

  The moment I said I was considering joining, both Yuka and Misaki was in shock.

  “Why the student council?” Misaki asked.

  “Why not? Isn’t it cool?” I replied with a grin.

  “That’s only in anime,” she sighed, clearly unimpressed.

  Yuka, looking a bit uneasy, chimed in next. “Hayato… you do know what the student council president is like, right? Rumor has it there are only two members—the president and the vice president—because she refuses to let anyone else join.”

  “I know,” I said with a shrug, “but it’s worth a shot. I’ve always wanted to join the student council.”

  Csses finally came to an end, and just as I had pnned, I didn’t head home with the girls. Instead, I made my way to the student council office.

  Interestingly enough, they didn’t go home either. Inspired by my sudden interest, the girls decided to check out a few clubs that had caught their attention.

  The ground floor, or first floor, was where all the faculty rooms were located—including the student council office. Most of the regur clubs, on the other hand, were up on the fifth floor.

  I stood in front of the open doorway, the sign above it clearly marking it as the student council office. The open door was symbolic, perhaps—a silent invitation, suggesting that this pce was always accessible to students. Still, the atmosphere beyond that threshold felt anything but welcoming.

  “Can I come in?” I asked, raising my voice just enough for the girl inside to hear.

  She gnced up, then wordlessly dropped the papers she was holding onto the table. Her usual frown returned in full force, sharp and unwelcoming.

  “Come in,” she said curtly. “And state your reason for being here. I don’t have much time to spare.”

  I stepped inside, and from the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the guy with gsses—the one who was always by her side. He was seated on the sofa, calmly working through a stack of paperwork, his posture as composed as ever.

  Unsurprisingly, our eyes met for a brief moment. Just like me, he was watching from the corner of his eye, silently assessing.

  “Hello, Senior Tanaka. My name is Amane Hayato, and I’m a first-year,” I said, offering a small, respectful bow.

  Just like that senior had mentioned earlier—her name was Tanaka Tsukuyo, a second-year student and the current student council president.

  “I want to join the student council,” I added, meeting her scarlet gaze without flinching.

  The moment I stated my intention, she scoffed—sharp and dismissive.

  “Huh?! What can you even do?” she said, her tone ced with annoyance. “Stop wasting my time and get out of here.”

  I didn’t take her harsh words to heart and replied calmly, “But I heard there are only two members, including you. Wouldn’t it be better to have more people helping out? What are the qualifications to join, anyway?”

  Her frown deepened, and she clicked her tongue in irritation.

  “Hah, you really are annoying,” she muttered. “There are no qualifications. I can appoint anyone I want. But as long as I get the job done, the teachers don’t care whether I appoint anyone or not.”

  "Why won't you accept me into the student council, Senior Tanaka?" I asked, maintaining a soft smile—one that, judging by the twitch of her brow, only served to irritate her further.

  "Because I don't need anyone," she replied with a scoff. "I alone am enough to get the job done." Honestly... she certainly could.

  “But I really want to join. Isn’t there anything I could do to prove my worth?” I asked, my voice steady.

  She smmed her palms against the table, the sharp sound echoing through the room as the stack of papers scattered to the floor. Standing tall, her gre cut through the air like a bde.

  “Get out. Don’t waste my time anymore. Unlike you, I’m busy,” she snapped.

  I stood there in silence for a moment, then offered a small nod. “It seems you’re not in a good mood today. I’ll come back tomorrow,” I said calmly, before turning and walking out of the room—without looking back.

  On my way out of the school, I spotted the three girls standing near the shoe lockers. Were they waiting for me? Without a doubt.

  The moment I stepped into their line of sight, their eyes immediately locked onto me like magnets.

  “Sorry to keep you guys waiting,” I said with an awkward smile, scratching the back of my neck.

  Yuka shook her head gently. “Don’t be. We never told you we were waiting, did we?”

  They waited patiently as I changed into my outdoor shoes. The moment I was done, Sanae suddenly tched onto my arm without hesitation—she waited for me to finish, that was very considerate of her.

  “How did it go?” when we stepped out of the school building into the ground Sanae asked curiously, clearly referring to my attempt with the student council.

  I shook my head and let out a sigh. “It was a failure, I suppose.”

  “As expected,” Yuka commented in from the side. She wasn’t clinging to my arm like Sanae, but she walked so close that our shoulders kept brushing. “Knowing her personality, I’m not surprised.”

  I shook my head again, this time in mild disapproval. “Nah, I don’t think she’s a bad person.”

  All three of them immediately turned their heads toward me in sync, their expressions mirroring mild shock.

  “Hayato… by any chance, are you smitten by the student council president?” Misaki asked, eyeing me with a narrow sideways gnce. “Don’t tell me you’re into girls with sharp tongues.”

  And it wasn’t just her—Sanae and Yuka were also staring at me with the same suspicious look.

  “Wh-? No way! I just had a feeling, that’s all!” I stumbled over my words, waving my hands slightly as if that would help clear the misunderstanding faster.

  Thankfully, the suspicious gleam in their eyes faded, and they seemed to believe me. I let out a sigh of relief.

  “Anyway,” I continued, trying to shift the focus, “I’m not giving up just yet. I’ll keep going to the student council until she appoints me.”

  That was apparently the wrong thing to say. Their heads snapped toward me again.

  “Hayato,” Misaki said, eyes narrowing once more like she was peering into my soul, “are you absolutely sure you’re not into her?"

  ------

  The next day, right after school, I found myself once again standing in front of the student council room.

  "Can I come in?" I asked, keeping my voice polite and steady.

  Senior Tanaka raised her gaze from the documents in front of her, her scarlet eyes locking onto mine. As expected, her usual frown was still there, but this time, her words cut deeper than before.

  "Tch. You really came again... What a creep. Why are you so persistent? It’s disgusting."

  Ouch. Compared to yesterday, her tone was even sharper—ced with clear irritation and disdain.

  But instead of flinching or getting angry, I simply smiled.