Chapter 122: She Wants to Know
"Alright, Hikigaya-senpai."
Ishigami Yu pushed the laptop over, having finished the task Hikigaya Hachiman had assigned to him. He was currently in a daze, his entire body tense with nerves. He had never imagined that the reason Hikigaya-senpai called him to the Student Council was to ask him to join.
Ishigami had never been part of a student council, nor had he ever dreamed of joining one. Hachiman took one look at the screen and smiled.
"Ishigami-kun, congratulations on joining the Student Council."
"Eh?"
The tasks Hachiman entrusted to Ishigami involved auditing spreadsheets and the like. This was second nature to Ishigami, who often helped his family prepare financial reports in his spare time. He was intimately familiar with the process.
The design Ishigami provided was perfect. Hachiman didn't even need to request formatting changes; the boy had accurately and flawlessly completed exactly what was needed. No job training required—this was exactly the kind of talent Hachiman wanted in the council.
As for Iino Miko, she had followed Fujiwara Chika out when the latter ran off crying, fearing something might happen to her. Chika, however, was lightheaded and flighty; forget a month, she would likely forget something said a week ago.
Hachiman handed over the application form he had asked Miyuki Shirogane to prepare earlier and told Ishigami to fill in his details. Once the information was complete, Ishigami watched as the three senpais signed and stamped their names on the form. All that was left was for Ishigami to sign his own.
"Work hard."
By the time Ishigami snapped out of it, Hikigaya-senpai was already patting his shoulder, telling him to do his best. Just like that, he had joined the Student Council?
"I've already finished all of this week's work, so you can come directly to the Student Council starting next week."
Hachiman believed that with Ishigami's help, his own burden would be significantly lightened. "By the way, if you're busy, you only need to drop by the Student Council once a day."
Hachiman outlined the responsibilities Ishigami might take over. Student Council affairs could be quite overwhelming for one person, but Hachiman wasn't the kind of bad leader who dumped everything on his subordinates; he intended to share the load.
"This is Shirogane Miyuki, the Student Council President." Hachiman introduced the others in the room.
Miyuki nodded in a very friendly manner. "Hello, Ishigami-treasurer."
"The person who just left is Fujiwara Chika, the Council Secretary. And this is Shinomiya Kaguya, the Vice President."
Kaguya was still feeling frustrated about the scene Chika had made earlier. She didn't feel she had said anything particularly cold-blooded, yet Fujiwara-san had bolted. Naturally, her expression wasn't the best when she looked at Ishigami.
"Hello." Kaguya gave a slight nod.
'This senpai is terrifying', Ishigami thought. Her eyes were so red they looked like they were about to drip blood. He instinctively took a step back. This flinch made Kaguya furrow her brows even further.
For Ishigami, being asked to interact with the ice-cold Shinomiya-senpai was a trial beyond his endurance. He felt his very life was under threat. Ishigami prided himself on being able to read a person's nature through their eyes, and eyes filled with such ferocity were rare.
Before he had stepped into the room, Miko Iino had acted like a protective manager, giving him a brief breakdown of the council members. Most were great—Shirogane, Fujiwara, and Hikigaya were all good people. But if one offended the "Ice Princess," the only solution seemed to be fleeing to another country.
"I'm sorry!" Ishigami gave a standard 90-degree bow, terrified that if he bowed too late, he might find his residency revoked.
Hachiman caught Ishigami mid-bow, feeling somewhat amused. "That's a bit much. We're all partners now, no need for that."
Kaguya sighed, stood up, and spoke. "Since Ishigami-kouhai has joined the council, I'll head to my club activities."
"Right, there's nothing else for today," Hachiman agreed.
Kaguya was a member of the Kyudo (Archery) Club. Though she was no longer the captain, she still participated. After a week of exams where club activities were suspended, she needed to make an appearance.
"Alright, let's end today's Student Council activities here," President Shirogane added. Knowing Secretary Fujiwara, she had probably cried her way over to the Tabletop Gaming Club. There was no need to look for her.
"Good work, everyone."
Once Kaguya left, only the three boys remained. Shirogane Miyuki was a free agent; as a "ghost member" of the Astronomy Club, he wasn't tied down. He stood up and spoke to Ishigami.
"Everyone is actually a good person; they just might need a little time."
To Miyuki, he had originally thought Kaguya was terrifying. But after spending time with her, he realized she was just very strict. Honestly, Miyuki had made many mistakes early on, and he suspected that if Hachiman hadn't intervened, Kaguya would have given him several beatings. Now that the initial friction had passed, things were much better.
"Ishigami, we've all looked at your case," Miyuki said. "You really shouldn't have had to write that apology letter."
At his core, Ishigami had been criticized and nearly expelled because he refused to write a letter of remorse.
"If an apology had to be written, these are the only words that should have been on it." Miyuki picked up a piece of scrap paper, wrote a few strokes, and showed it to Ishigami.
"Shut up, you moron."
Ishigami had been suspended for a long time. Even his family and classmates didn't understand why he wouldn't just write the letter. If he had, the school would have allowed him into the High division easily. Seeing those words, Ishigami felt a lump in his throat; that was exactly what he had wanted to say all along.
"It's all in the past now." Hachiman patted his shoulder as Ishigami lowered his head, his face hidden by his long bangs. Hachiman grinned at Miyuki's note. "Don't worry, that guy got the punishment he deserved. It's a pity he's gone, otherwise, I'd have dragged him here to let you blow off some steam."
"Even without you, Hikigaya-senpai, I gave him a good thrashing before my suspension," Ishigami said, wiping his eyes and managing a small smile.
"Just one thrashing? That's hardly enough."
Ishigami then realized Hachiman had said the guy was "gone." He swallowed hard, looking at the silently smiling Hachiman. Fortunately, Shirogane spoke up to break the tension.
"Speaking of which, want to grab something to eat after school? My treat."
Since there were no girls present, there was no need for anything fancy. Shirogane, a lover of stir-fry noodles, suggested ramen or oden. Without council work or club activities, Shirogane would usually have to head straight to his part-time job, but he wanted to welcome the newcomer.
"Sorry, I have club activities," Hachiman said immediately.
Shirogane suddenly remembered that his best friend was no longer a free agent. In the past, they could eat out whenever they were free, but that was no longer the case.
"Miyuki, you go with Ishigami. It's important for the President to build a relationship with the new treasurer. Shirogane can show the rookie the ropes."
"Fair enough."
Hachiman asked Miyuki to look after Ishigami, bringing the Student Council day to a close. He had to visit the Tokyo branch of the Sorcery Association tonight because of Yukinoshita Yukino's enrollment.
As he walked down the hallway, Hachiman sent a text to Mutsuki, asking if she was free tonight. He had planned to enroll Yukino, but then realized Mutsumi could join as well.
Although Mutsumi's cursed energy was only at the level of a Grade 4 sorcerer, the unique nature of her Cursed Technique meant that even an ordinary Grade 1 cursed spirit could fall into her trap if it wasn't careful.
Hachiman figured he might as well enroll both of them at once. He wanted Mutsumi to get on the official payroll. As for her opinion, he estimated her reply would simply be, "I'll listen to Hachiman."
He received her reply just as he exited the building.
"I am free."
Mutsumi was very free. Her father had said that if Hachiman asked her out, her evening lessons could be cancelled. She remained a girl of few words.
"Then I'll see you tonight. I'll take you to get your Sorcery Association ID card."
"Okay."
The conversation was so smooth it made Hachiman feel he could have sold Mutsumi off without any difficulty. But it was because Mutsumi firmly believed Hachiman would never harm her; any request he made was, in her eyes, for her own good. This was the level of trust she had in him—perhaps even surpassing Sakiko's.
When Hachiman arrived at the Service Club, he saw only Yukino Yukinoshita reading a book. "Gahama" was nowhere to be seen. It was normal for no one to come with requests; no one wants to ask for help right after exams end—everyone is too busy relaxing.
"Strange, where's Yuigahama?" Hachiman asked.
"She was called away by her friends," Yukino replied.
"Hayasaka?" Hachiman guessed. Yui didn't have that many friends; it was likely Hayasaka had some business with her.
"By the way, Yukinoshita, someone else will be joining us at the Sorcery Association tonight." Hachiman mentioned Mutsumi in advance. "She's also a new sorcerer. She isn't as strong as you, probably around Grade 4 level."
While Mutsumi could threaten a Grade 1 spirit, that was entirely due to the nature of her technique.
"As for being 'strong,' I'm still just an ordinary person," Yukino said, her face flushing slightly at Hachiman's praise.
Only she knew that her "strength" was different from others—it was more like a "body-snatching" inheritance. She had simply placed a clay pot in a shrine dedicated to the Nine-Tailed Fox (Hagoromo Gitsune) and gained all of the spirit's power.
Yukino didn't mind the extra person; after all, only Hachiman knew the location of the Association.
"It's a bit early to head there now."
The Association branches didn't really have "closing hours"—cursed spirits don't stop attacking just because you're off the clock. During the day, they even handled business for ordinary people, making it their busiest time. It would be better in the evening. Hachiman had already made an appointment.
"Since Yuigahama isn't here, it's a good time to ask me any questions you have about the sorcery world."
"Alright." Yukino paused. "Then, can you tell me about the famous strong individuals in the sorcery world?"
"The strong?" Hachiman hadn't expected that question.
"Yes." Yukino nodded, clearly very concerned about the topic.
She had many questions about this world, but the biggest one in her heart was about the man who could defeat the Nine-Tailed Fox even when she was at full power.
The fox had spent plenty of time whispering in Yukino's ear about how powerful she was. At the time, very few cursed spirits were stronger than her; she was essentially at the top of the pyramid. Yet even she had been beaten without a chance to fight back.
Thinking of the man in the golden mask—those terrifying eyes redder than fresh blood—Yukino felt an uncontrollable shiver.
He was an enemy beyond compare.
Such a powerhouse could not be an unknown; he had to be one of the top figures in the sorcery world.
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