An Angel in School

The student council president's demeanor was icy. He cast a brief glance over everyone present, then turned and walked away with an air of calm detachment.

The first-year students could only watch in silence as he left.

"Thank you all for your efforts. This briefing is now concluded."

As the atmosphere in the room was about to turn awkward, the student council secretary, Tachibana Akane, quickly interjected, "We will now begin processing club applications. Please note that applications will be accepted until the end of April. Those wishing to apply later should bring their forms directly to the club they wish to join."

With everything back on track, the crowd visibly relaxed.

Gone was the intimidating presence of the student council president, and the tension among the ordinary students evaporated.

The freshmen began signing up for clubs, while upperclassmen representatives started handling the applications.

Everything fell into a smooth routine.

Ayanokouji observed the scene with little interest as if he was merely there to "check things out." After a glance around, he decided to leave promptly.

Hikigaya, witnessing this, let out a sigh of relief. Ayanokouji was the one person he found most inscrutable, and his absence made Hikigaya feel noticeably more at ease.

"Hey! You're that person, right? You're here too?"

Just as Hikigaya was about to take action, someone called out to him from the side.

He turned to see Sudou Ken, accompanied by two students, Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki.

"Uh... Are you talking to me?" Hikigaya didn't expect Sudou to address him directly, as he had been practically invisible in the classroom.

"Yeah, are you joining a club too?"

Despite Sudou's fiery personality, he was very approachable.

Even though Ike and Yamauchi looked puzzled, Sudou was already smiling and chatting. "I've been passionate about basketball since elementary school, so I'm looking to join the basketball club."

"That's nice..."

Hikigaya felt a shiver run down his spine under their intense gaze.

Wanting to wrap up the conversation quickly, he said, "Sorry, I'm here to join a club too, so I'll be going now."

"Alright then."

Hikigaya left calmly, his back disappearing into the crowd.

"Who was that just now?" After everything had ended, Yamauchi asked, "He looked completely unremarkable. Is he from our class?"

"Who knows," Ike shrugged. "Forget about him. Instead, let's focus on finding that fateful encounter! My goal is to be the first in Class D to get a girlfriend!"

"Seriously, you..."

Sudou Ken shook his head. "By the way, why didn't you add him to the boys' chat group for our class? Isn't that for everyone?"

"Ah, I forgot. He didn't stand out," Ike said with a hint of regret. "None of us even know his name."

"True, we can deal with that later."

Sudou nodded and returned his attention to the upcoming basketball club interviews.

"Socializing is such a hassle."

Hikigaya walked through the gymnasium, feeling exasperated.

It wasn't that he couldn't talk to Sudou and his friends; he just wasn't used to interacting with others after spending so long in solitary.

Even if socializing would benefit his class standing, he found it difficult to let go of his habitual reticence, much like a speeding train that can't stop on a dime...

Hikigaya continued searching among numerous club booths until he found the student council's registration center.

The competition for joining the student council this year was visibly intense, with only one position open for all freshmen.

Hikigaya queued up at the registration desk, where a large crowd had gathered—students from various classes who considered themselves outstanding. The student council was seen as a prestigious position, almost like a government body in the mini-society of the school.

Joining the student council was considered a mark of high status, a notion held by most students.

Hikigaya, however, had no such illusions. He didn't believe he had the capability to join the student council. His purpose here was purely to gather information about the student council president, Horikita Manabu.

As the line progressed, Hikigaya noticed that the people in front and behind him were exceptionally distinct.

In front of him was a tall, bald student who resembled an uncolored Hulk. Just standing there made Hikigaya look up in awe.

Behind him was a cheerful girl with striking pink hair and bright, sparkling eyes. Her figure was impressive enough to rival even Kushida Kikyo's. She looked as radiant as the sun.

What kind of position did I choose?

"Excuse me, are you here to join the student council too?" The pink-haired girl spoke up, "I'm Ichinose Honami, the class president of Class B."

Class B president?

Why would such a prominent person strike up a conversation with me?

"Um... Hello." Hikigaya, unable to grasp the situation, responded hesitantly.

"Eh? I introduced myself, aren't you going to introduce yourself?" Ichinose's eyes dimmed slightly with disappointment.

"My name is Hikigaya Hachiman, a student from Class D."

As a gentleman, Hikigaya couldn't bear to see the lovely girl look so dejected, so he answered with a touch of resignation.

"Hello, Hikigaya-kun. It looks like we'll be competitors for this position."

Seeing Hikigaya's response, Ichinose's smile returned.

Her demeanor was incredibly sincere, showing no hint of calculation or hostility.

This genuine attitude caught Hikigaya, who was accustomed to dealing with odd personalities in this school, completely off guard. It felt like he had just seen an angel...

No, he had already seen one.

"I'm Katsuragi Kouhei from Class A."

Noticing the close interaction between Hikigaya and Ichinose, the bald student in front of Hikigaya also spoke up. "I believe the competition for the student council will be intense. I, for one, will not hold back."

Uh, what is this, a development from a Shonen manga?

Hikigaya felt helpless.

He had only come to gather information, and now he found himself unexpectedly caught up in the competition among these big shots.