The senior who had been rejected face-to-face turned pale, opened his mouth, but couldn’t utter a single word.
Kaedehara Tōru took all of this in.
He didn’t offer any comments, merely putting the chess pieces back in their original positions.
Just then, the previously noisy sound waves inside the gymnasium suddenly receded like a tide.
It wasn’t because someone had shouted for silence.
Kaedehara Tōru redirected his gaze toward the high podium erected in the center of the gymnasium.
“Oh…”
He understood with just one glance.
Originally, representatives from every club were there promoting their organizations, but now, only one person remained on the stage.
A black-haired youth with a tall, straight posture and a stern face stood precisely in the center of the podium.
He didn’t speak, nor did he even pick up the microphone; he simply looked at the freshmen below the stage.
A strange silence fell over the gymnasium.
The freshmen exchanged glances, and their whispers grew quieter and quieter.
Some students with poorer mental fortitude had already begun to unconsciously lower their heads, afraid to meet the gaze of the man on the stage.
Horikita Manabu.
The Student Council President of Advanced Nurturing High School.
Kaedehara Tōru looked at the man on the stage.
He curled his lips and let out a scoff that only he and Sakayanagi beside him could hear.
“Using silence to create pressure is such a cheap and stale psychological trick.
It might be somewhat useful against a bunch of inexperienced students, but it’s far too undignified.”
His voice carried undisguised contempt.
Such a minor trick would be completely ineffective in the workplace meetings he had experienced in his previous life.
True pressure comes from a net constructed of language and logic, not from such pretentious posturing.
“For those who cannot grasp the deeper meaning of language, this kind of direct intimidation is actually the most effective way to manage them.”
Sakayanagi Arisu’s voice came from the side.
“He knows exactly the level of his audience, so he chose the most suitable communication method.
Although the means aren’t sophisticated, they are practical.”
Kaedehara Tōru turned his head, meeting her clear, violet eyes.
Horikita Manabu on the stage seemed quite satisfied with the effect he had created.
Only then did he pick up the microphone, and his low voice spread through the amplifier to every corner of the gymnasium.
“Welcome, freshmen.
I am the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.”
His opening remarks were extremely concise: “I presume many of you here are interested in the Student Council.
I will make only one point.”
His gaze swept over the entire audience again. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“The Student Council is not a club.
We do not require interest here; we require ability.
Those who wish to join the Student Council must possess great talent.
Furthermore, in order to fully dedicate their energy to the work of the Student Council, members are prohibited from joining any club activities.”
“Moreover, we in the Student Council do not wish for those holding naive fantasies to join.
Such people would not only be unfit to join, but they would even leave a stain on the Academy.”
Horikita Manabu’s speech was short.
After delivering these highly selective words, he turned and left the podium, giving the freshmen no opportunity to ask questions.
Kaedehara Tōru checked the time; it was quite late, so he looked at Sakayanagi Arisu.
“Since the club activities are so unremarkable, I imagine Sakayanagi-san’s stomach must be protesting.
I wonder if I have the honor of inviting an opponent who narrowly lost to me on the chessboard just now to join me for dinner?”
These words carried his usual flippancy, but the word “narrowly lost” stung like a tiny needle.
Sakayanagi Arisu slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting Kaedehara Tōru’s smiling gaze.
“An invitation issued from the posture of a victor?
Kaedehara-san, you truly refuse to suffer any disadvantage.”
She said this, but there was no hint of reproach in her tone; instead, it was more like equal banter.
“However, considering that I do need to replenish the stamina I exhausted through thinking just now, I accept your proposal.”
“My pleasure.” Kaedehara Tōru made a gesture of invitation.
Kaedehara Tōru led Sakayanagi Arisu away from the noisy gymnasium, walking through the campus path where the crowd was thinning.
The place he took her was not one of the glamorous high-end restaurants in the Keyaki Mall but a small Japanese restaurant hidden in a corner near the dormitory area.
As for why Kaedehara Tōru knew this place existed, it wasn’t because he had eaten there before; he had simply seen high ratings for the shop from students on his phone earlier.
Pushing open the wooden sliding door, the shop space was small, featuring only a few natural wood tables and a tiny counter.
A proprietress, who looked middle-aged and was wearing an apron, was busy behind the counter.
There weren’t many customers, just two or three tables, all dining quietly.
Kaedehara Tōru pulled out a chair by the window for her, then sat down across from her.
They ordered their meal: a Tempura Set Meal, a Grilled Eel Rice, and Salmon Sushi.
“Kaedehara-san, you seem very familiar with this place.”
“I’m afraid this is my first time here, but I quite like this relaxing atmosphere.”
“Relaxing?”
Sakayanagi Arisu’s gaze fell upon him.
“I, however, feel that you appear completely at ease regardless of the situation.”
“That is a disguise, just like you use that doll-like mask to conceal your inner desire for victory.
Everyone is playing a role.” You are reading on g.com, the official source.
His honesty caused Sakayanagi Arisu to fall silent again.
“By the way…”
Kaedehara Tōru changed the subject, his tone becoming lighter.
“Besides playing chess, what kind of books do Sakayanagi-san usually read to pass the time?”
This was such an ordinary question that it surprised Sakayanagi Arisu slightly.
She looked at Kaedehara Tōru’s smiling “peach blossom” eyes.
There was no calculation in his gaze, only pure curiosity.
It was as if, in this moment, they were truly just two classmates curious about each other’s daily lives.
“I usually enjoy reading books on psychology and management.
What about you, Kaedehara-san?”
“I read quite broadly—history, philosophy, and economics—but I probably prefer mystery novels; it’s rather common, I suppose…”
…The two chatted for a long time.
In this moment, all the calculations and probing between them seemed to vanish.
They were no longer opponents on a chessboard, but just two young people who happened to find a common topic.
Dinner continued in an unexpectedly harmonious atmosphere.
They talked about many things, from the characteristics of different mystery genres to certain theoretical concepts in philosophy.
Before they knew it, the sky outside the window had completely darkened.
Kaedehara Tōru paid the bill using points, and the two stood up and left.
Stepping out of the shop, the evening temperature was colder than expected.
The two walked side-by-side again on the quiet street, heading back toward the dormitories.
However, Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to have something to attend to and couldn’t return to the dormitory with him.
“Kaedehara-san,” Sakayanagi Arisu stopped just as they were about to reach the dormitory area.
“Hmm?”
“Today…
was very interesting.”
She lifted her head.
The light from the streetlamp softened the contours of her face, and her violet eyes looked even deeper in the night than they did during the day.
A genuine smile spread across Sakayanagi Arisu’s lips, completely unlike her characteristic artificial smile.
The smile was fleeting, yet it had truly happened.
“Next time, I will not lose again.”
“I await you anytime.”