Today ended in failure once again, but I remained unfazed. The deadline was still a few days away, and step by step, my pn is working on her.

  I made my way to the shoe lockers, but none of the girls were there yet. I checked—sure enough, their shoes were still in pce. It seemed like today, I was the one left waiting. As I stood there, the sound of calm, measured footsteps reached my ears. It was only natural, considering where I was standing. Still, I had a feeling I knew exactly who was about to approach.

  The footsteps came to a halt right beside me. I turned my head, and just as I had anticipated, the person standing there was none other than the one I had expected—a guy wearing gsses.

  "My name is Issai Hinoda," he introduced himself, his voice calm and composed, carrying the air of someone who rarely spoke without purpose.

  I studied him for a brief moment before replying, "Yes? I’m Amane Hayato. How can I help you?"

  My tone mirrored his—calm, steady, and unreadable.

  "I have a piece of advice you’d be wise not to ignore."

  He paused briefly, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing. "Stay away from Tanaka Tsukuyo. It’s for your own good—and for the sake of those around you. You don’t know anything about her, and trust me, you don’t want to get caught up in her affairs."

  Hearing his words, I couldn’t help but ugh inwardly. I don’t know anything about Tanaka Tsukuyo?

  How amusing.

  There isn’t a single person alive in this world who knows more about her than I do—not even Tsukuyo herself. Of course, I kept that thought to myself. There was no need to reveal that to anyone.

  Instead, I offered him a "friendly" smile and spoke in a tone just as calm as his, "That almost sounded like a cheap threat. But let me make one thing clear—whatever happens to me i don't care. However.... if anyone so much as dares to look at the people I care about with ill intent, I’ll destroy them. Completely."

  My eyes didn’t waver as I continued, "It would be wise of them to not ignore that piece of advice. And believe me… they really, really wouldn’t want to mess with me."

  A moment of silence hung between us before Issai gave a quiet nod, then turned on his heels without another word.

  Roughly five minutes passed. Then, as if on cue, the three girls finally arrived. Without addressing what had just happened, we left the school grounds together and began our walk home.

  -----

  "Ugh! You again? You're seriously starting to gross me out."

  Senior Tanaka groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose with a mix of frustration and exhaustion as she spotted me entering the student council office once more the very next day.

  I smiled at her shamelessly. "You could say I’m just that determined."

  She clicked her tongue in irritation, closing her eyes as if hoping I’d vanish if she just stopped looking. But then, something seemed to click—her eyes opened slowly, and a smirk curved her lips.

  "Then let’s test that determination of yours," she said, voice ced with amusement. "I’ve got just the task for you to prove your worth."

  She folded her arms, clearly enjoying herself.

  "Just the other day, the farming club reported that someone destroyed their new batch of tomato trees—along with the entire harvest. Your job is to investigate and catch the culprit. You have until tomorrow sunset."

  Her smile grew sharper.

  "If you succeed, I’ll let you join the student council. But if you fail… you are never to show your face here again unless you have a real problem. This is the only chance I’ll give you. So… do you agree?"

  This task… it wasn’t meant to be completed in just 24 hours. With csses and other obligations eating into my time, I’d be lucky to get a few legal hours to actually investigate.

  And to make things worse, the farming club’s plot was tucked away in a secluded corner of the school grounds—right behind the library building. A blind spot. No CCTV. No witnesses. Which expined why the school hadn’t found the culprit yet.

  In other words, this wasn’t just a trial. It was her way of making me give up.

  But unfortunately for her, things wouldn’t go the way she expected.

  Because I already knew who the culprit was.

  This exact case—down to the destroyed tomato pnts—was something the protagonist had once solved on his own, without anyone even asking him to. He had a friend in the farming club and, feeling bad for him, he took it upon himself to uncover the truth.

  "I do," I said, accepting her challenge without hesitation.

  Then, with a pyful grin, I turned to leave, tossing a final remark over my shoulder.

  "Be prepared to welcome me with open arms."

  Our school has a strict rule—no students are allowed on campus after the closing bell rings. Once that bell tolls, the gates are locked, and security guards begin their patrols, making sure no one sneaks in or hides within the school grounds.

  That’s why I had to move carefully, slipping past the shadows and avoiding the patrol routes I’d memorized earlier.

  I didn’t have a choice. Because the culprit I already knew of—They were going to strike again tonight.

  Hidden in the darkness, I crouched silently behind a thick bush near the farming club’s garden. The night was still, save for the occasional rustle of wind through the leaves.

  Then, just as expected, a shadow emerged.

  Careful not to make a sound, I pulled out my phone and snapped a series of photos—clear, incriminating shots of the culprit in the middle of their dirty work.

  I gnced down at the images to confirm. Perfect. Every detail captured.

  A smirk tugged at my lips. "That was a piece of cake," I murmured under my breath.

  ------

  "Are you really sure it’s "them"?" Senior Tanaka asked, doubt cing her voice as she looked at the printed images I id out before her.

  "As you can see, they’re already in the act," I replied with a broad smile, deliberately smug. Her brow twitched at my tone, she wasn't expecting me to find them in such short amount of time.

  She sighed, clearly trying to keep her composure, and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can’t believe the culprits were just… a rabbit. Where the hell did it even come from?"

  Her confusion was understandable.

  No one would have expected the culprits to be rabbit. After all, we were in the middle of a city, not nestled next to some forest where wild animals might casually wander in.

  And for some reason, they didn’t leave behind any recognizable bite marks. They simply devoured everything they sank their teeth into, leaving behind nothing but stripped stems and bare soil. It was no wonder the school couldn’t figure it out. The destruction looked too clean, too thorough—almost as if a person had done it.

  "From my investigation, I’ve confirmed that the Pet Lovers Club brought them into the school without permission and have been hiding them near the library building," I said calmly, ying out the facts like puzzle pieces clicking into pce.

  Senior Tanaka stared at me, speechless for a moment, processing the unexpected twist.

  "Does that mean I’m a student council member now?" I asked, a smile tugging at my lips, already knowing the answer.

  She clicked her tongue, gncing to the side, refusing to either admit or deny it.

  "From now on, you’ll be the secretary," she said, her voice cool and businesslike. "Your job is to keep records of meetings and other activities involving the student council."

  She paused, then shot me a narrow, frowning side-eye.

  "And make sure to stay two hands away from me. You stink."

  If it were anyone else in my pce, they might’ve taken real offense to her remark—either storming out or throwing a fit.

  But me? I just chuckled softly and pyed along.

  "Ouch, that’s so mean. I take good care of myself, you know?" I said with a mock-wounded grin.

  She dismissed my joke with a simple, unimpressed “Hmph,” then shifted into her usual grumpy tone.

  "You, go sit there," she said, pointing to the empty sofa. Then she turned to the bespectacled vice president. "Issai, hand him some of the papers and show him what he needs to do with them."

  I took a seat on the sofa she had pointed at, settling in with the ease of someone who belonged there. Across from me, the vice president was on the opposite side of the table, calm and composed as ever.

  I offered him a polite smile and a respectful bow—just like any newcomer would to a senior—deliberately acting as if the conversation we shared yesterday never happened. And, smart as he was, he also pyed along. No tension, no hints—just two council members getting to work.

  And just like that, I was officially part of the student council.

  However, I hadn’t forgotten to inform Sanae, Yuka, and Misaki. I sent them a quick message, letting them know I’d be te today, just in case they were pnning to wait for me.

  On that note, it seemed like we wouldn’t be able to go home together for the next few days—at least, not unless they join a club as well.

  Which they will, soon. So for now, this little separation was just temporary.

  Following my lead, the three of them also ended up joining clubs of their own, just as we had discussed that day. Yuka went with the cooking club—something that suited her perfectly. Misaki, with her natural talent and quiet focus, joined the art club without hesitation.

  Sanae, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as decisive. Her shy nature made it difficult for her to settle on anything, and she only managed to visit a couple of clubs on the first day.

  Thankfully, Yuka and Misaki stepped in to help. And Sanae eventually decided to join the cooking club alongside Yuka.

  That was a relief—I no longer had to worry about her adjusting on her own. With Yuka by her side, she’d be in good hands.

  Today’s Friday, and just moments ago, we were informed that there would be another joint PE session.

  However, unlike st time with Css 1-D, this time it’s with Css 1-B.