章 18: The Power of the Student Council
Suzune Horikita couldn't believe that Hikigaya would actually join the student council, but she couldn't completely ignore the situation either.
If possible, she would have preferred to prevent Hikigaya from even attending the student council interview.
However, Horikita knew she lacked the authority to do so. Given her and Hikigaya's relationship, she simply didn't influence him to reconsider joining the student council.
"If you're determined to attend the club recruitment, then go ahead and do it yourself."
Horikita made her request matter-of-factly.
"Aren't you curious to see it for yourself?" Hikigaya asked, wondering why Horikita, who was likely to be present during club recruitment, wasn't interested in checking it out.
"No, there's no need."
Horikita's tone softened slightly, clearly indicating she didn't want to discuss it further.
"Alright then."
Hikigaya didn't press the issue. After all, it would be easier for him to approach Horikita's club if he went alone.
"By the way," Horikita suddenly spoke up as Hikigaya was about to leave, "Could you check if there's a karate club at school?"
"Karate? Are you some kind of superhero who breaks bricks with your bare hands?!"
Hikigaya took a step back in mock terror, looking like a fragile man who was suddenly scared for his safety.
"Hmph, if you wanted, I could split that foolish head of yours open with my bare hands."
Horikita's appearance and mannerisms might have been those of a model student, but underneath, she was a surprisingly fierce character.
"Alright, I'll ask around for you."
"Thank you. I owe you one."
At that moment, Horikita seemed unusually serious, as if Hikigaya was helping her with something she wanted to do but didn't have the time for.
Seeing this unexpected side of Horikita made Hikigaya think she was somewhat endearing.
"Also, if you fail the student council interview, I'll be the first to come and laugh at you."
Hikigaya quickly dismissed his previous thoughts. There was no doubt he must have been mistaken.
The club recruitment took place in the sports hall of the Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School. Hikigaya consulted the student handbook and quickly located the venue on the map.
He observed from outside and saw that a large number of first-year students had already gathered. Students from Class D and other classes were milling around, waiting.
Different classes had distinctly different scenes during the club recruitment.
Class B students clustered together in a tight-knit group, almost forming a small circle in one corner of the sports hall, led by a girl with bright pink hair.
Class C had a significant number of students, but they were scattered, displaying an inexplicable sense of aloofness and hostility, lacking the camaraderie one would expect.
In contrast, both Class A and Class D had very few students present, just a handful. Most students from these classes didn't seem interested in joining any clubs, for different reasons.
Class A students, likely because they were top scholars, were more focused on their academic achievements and indifferent to extracurricular activities.
Class D students, on the other hand, were simply too lazy. Their demeanor in class made it clear they had no interest in joining clubs.
Among the Class D students present, Hikigaya recognized only Sudo and Ayanokouji.
Sudo, despite his poor personality, was physically robust and seemed interested in sports clubs to showcase his athletic abilities.
Ayanokouji's presence was completely enigmatic; it was unclear why he was there.
"Better not to seek out trouble," Hikigaya thought.
Both Sudo and Ayanokouji were the types Hikigaya preferred to avoid. He discreetly hid among the crowd, using his best skills to blend in, and looked for detailed information about the clubs.
"It seems there isn't a karate club."
Horikita had asked Hikigaya to check, and a glance confirmed that there was indeed no such club.
However, upon closer inspection, Hikigaya noticed that the school had dedicated training rooms for karate enthusiasts.
He was puzzled. If there was no karate club, who were these training rooms for?
"Attention, first-year students. Thank you for your patience."
As Hikigaya pondered, a girl with a purple ball-shaped hairstyle stepped onto the podium. "I am Akane Tachibana, the student council secretary, and I will be hosting this orientation session. Please take note."
"Next, representatives from each club will give you an introduction."
With that, Tachibana, the student council secretary, stepped aside, and various club representatives took to the stage, each presenting their club's features to the new students.
Hikigaya watched the enthusiastic performances of the senior students, feeling as though he was at a circus, with the way they tried to attract new members.
He wasn't demeaning their efforts; he understood the hard work that went into such performances and respected their dedication.
And so, one by one, the club representatives took the stage and left.
By the end, only one person remained on the podium.
Standing there was a figure just over 170 centimeters tall, not particularly tall, with sleek black hair and sharp, intellectual eyes visible through a pair of stylish glasses.
Many students quickly recognized the student council president, Manabu Horikita, whom they had seen at the opening ceremony.
Horikita stood calmly, gazing at the first-year students, remaining silent for what seemed like an eternity.
At first, many students were perplexed by Horikita's behavior, some even laughing at his apparent nervousness.
However, Horikita remained motionless, and the atmosphere in the hall shifted from lively to icy cold.
Gradually, the entire sports hall was enveloped in an atmosphere of tense silence.
'How frightening. Has the legendary monster finally shown itself?!'
Hikigaya felt a sense of pressure from a different dimension as he stared at Horikita.
Unlike the unique quirks of Ayanokoji and Kouenji, Horikita Manabu felt like a true steel forged in a furnace.
New students, unable to handle the pressure from such a figure, soon fell into a state of confusion and discomfort.
After what felt like an eternity, a voice finally broke the silence.
"Everyone, I am Manabu Horikita, the student council president."
Student Council President Horikita Manabu slowly surveyed all the students and began to speak.
"With the graduation of the senior students, we will be recruiting candidates for the student council from the first-year students. There are no special conditions to become a candidate, but if anyone is considering running for the student council, please refrain from joining other clubs. If you wish to be part of the student council while also participating in other clubs, the student council will generally not consider your application."
Horikita Manabu's calm and composed announcement conveyed the recruitment requirements for the student council, creating an atmosphere of palpable tension among the students as if the words themselves were piercing their skin.
"Additionally, we do not wish to have candidates with naive expectations. If you believe your abilities are limited, it is better to withdraw voluntarily, rather than causing unnecessary trouble for everyone else. After all, the student council has been entrusted by the school with the authority and mission to amend regulations, giving it a unique status... We only welcome those who understand this."
The authority and mission to amend regulations, huh?
As expected, it's all about power...
Hikigaya quickly grasped the implications of Horikita's words.
At that moment, he felt an inexplicable irritation but felt powerless to change anything. This was simply the rule of survival at this school.
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