ALL NOVEL Chapter 10: The Anticipation
Soon, the rest of the student council began to arrive. Today’s agenda centred on the upcoming school festival, and the mood in the room shifted to something livelier.
“Good evening, Kujou-san, Masachika-kun, and Masha-senpai,” Yuki Suou greeted them, her polished and graceful demeanor fully intact. As always, her retainer Ayano Kimishima accompanied her, quietly watching the room.
“Oh, hey Yuki. Hey Ayano,” Kuze greeted them casually, a small, relaxed smile on his face.
“Good evening, Masachika-sama,” Ayano replied politely, her voice soft yet formal.
“Suou-san. Good evening,” Aliya said, still a little distracted but maintaining her usual poise.
Masha waved her hand gently in greeting, her ever-present smile lingering.
Yuki’s eyes scanned the room.
“Kaichou isn’t here? That’s unusual. He’s usually so punctual.” Her tone was calm but laced with curiosity.
“President and Vice-President were summoned by the administration,” Masha chimed in. “They were needed for something urgent.”
“I see. Could it be related to Arima-kun, perhaps?” Yuki turned her thoughtful gaze toward Kuze, who nodded in response.
“Probably,” he said with a shrug.
“Hmm~,” Yuki mused softly, poking her cheek in her signature thoughtful gesture. A faint smile began to form, and Kuze instantly recognized the look.
She’s plotting something, he thought, his eyebrow twitching slightly. Yuki’s playfulness wasn’t something he could overlook.
“Oh my, Masachika-kun,” Yuki’s voice turned playful, though her graceful demeanor remained intact. “You must feel so lucky, being in a room with two beautiful ladies all to yourself.”
Kuze sighed, instantly feeling the setup.
“You say that like I had a choice.”
“Ara~ No need to be so modest, Masachika-kun,” Yuki teased back, her voice dripping with playful elegance. Her eyes glinted with amusement, knowing full well how to push his buttons.
“I thought you’d be more appreciative of such... delightful company,” Yuki said, her voice dripping with faux innocence.
Kuze didn’t miss a beat. “Yeah, pleasant until you start scheming something.”
“You are so cold, Masachika-kun~.”
“Ugh.” Kuze sighed in response.
Masha, watching the exchange with an amused smile, chuckled softly.
“Looks like you’re in the spotlight today, Kuze-kun.”
Kuze shot her a playful look, half-frowning, half-smiling.
“Not you too, Masha-san. I thought I was safe here.”
Aliya, meanwhile, couldn’t help but tense up slightly. She wasn’t sure why, but the way Yuki and Kuze interacted—it irked her, just a little. Yuki’s teasing was always light, but Aliya found it hard to ignore. Her eyes flicked between them, trying to figure out why it bothered her so much.
“Oh, Aliya-san,” Yuki continued, her voice smooth as ever.
“You’re not jealous, are you? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
Aliya straightened, her face flushing slightly.
“W-Why would I be jealous? You’re just being weird again, Suou-san.”
Yuki’s smile widened just a fraction. “Weird? Oh no, Aliya-chan, I’m just making sure you appreciate Masachika-kun’s... unique qualities. He is quite the catch, after all.”
Kuze rolled his eyes.
“You sure know how to exaggerate.”
Yuki brought a hand to her lips, letting out a soft, melodic laugh.
“Exaggerate? Oh no, I’m just being honest.”
Aliya’s cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink, and she quickly turned her attention to something—anything—else.
Why does she always do this? she thought, feeling a knot of frustration form in her chest.
“Compared to you, though,” Kuze continued, “I’m not even close. You’ve got the entire school wrapped around your finger, Yuki.”
“You flatter me, Masachika-kun~.” Yuki’s eyes sparkled with mischief, though she maintained her perfect posture, composed and graceful. “What can I say? It’s part of the charm.”
“R-Right,” Kuze mumbled, momentarily at a loss. It wasn’t often that Yuki caught him off guard, but when she did, it always left him fumbling for words.
Just then, the door to the student council room creaked open, drawing everyone's attention. In walked the president, Touya Kenzaki, and the vice-president, Chisaka Sarashina. Typically, one might expect them to show up together with smiles—especially since it was well-known they were dating—but judging by the grim looks on their faces, romance had clearly been the last thing on their minds. The looming matter of Youseke Arima seemed to overshadow everything.
“Sorry we’re late!” Sarashina said, her voice tinged with an apologetic tone. “We were summoned urgently by the administration.”
Her expression softened as she scanned the room, but none of the council members seemed particularly fazed. They all understood that leading the student council came with its own set of urgent responsibilities.
Kuze glanced at the two of them and gave a small nod. Figures. Something big must’ve come up.
“It’s fine,” Masha said gently, offering a reassuring smile. “We were just going over some small details.”
“Well, now that we’re all here,” Touya said while fixing his glasses, clearing his throat and regaining his composure, “let’s begin.”
With everyone in place, the meeting officially started. The focus swiftly shifted to the upcoming school festival, a centerpiece event that demanded meticulous planning. Touya took the lead, laying out the broad strokes of what the festival would involve while each member of the student council contributed their thoughts and suggestions.
They discussed logistics, activities, and the overall theme of the festival. Yuki proposed some ideas for attracting more student involvement, while Masha’s calm and thoughtful input helped structure the flow of events. Aliya, ever diligent, worked through her treasurer duties, carefully balancing the proposed budget.
The duties were doled out smoothly, with each council member assigned tasks that fit their strengths. Kuze’s role, as usual, involved managing the general affairs—something he typically found tedious but was surprisingly effective at. Yuki, with her usual charisma, was placed in charge of event promotions, a task she relished.
A general outline for the whole event was established.
“Alright, since that is taken care of, let’s move on to the next important agenda. The reason me and Chisaki were summoned to the administration.”
The reason was already glazed over by the rest of the members. They were just waiting for what decision did Administration came up with regarding the matter involving, Youseke Arima.