I really don't want to have a girlfriend.

Alone and solitary.

Even the voices and panels that kept popping up inside him seemed unwilling to accompany him on the way home.

Yuu Tenkuji could only ask and answer his own questions.

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Playboy Who Has a Short-Sleeve Preference?

The calendar pages turn one by one.

As the cultural festival approached, a lively and exhilarating atmosphere enveloped the entire Sobu High School.

The withered branches and leaves in the courtyard add to the tranquil beauty unique to winter, but the cold wind cannot blow away the flickering flames of the festival. Amidst the orderly preparations, a half-finished school anniversary sign has already been erected at the school gate.

In addition, the student council president election, which few people paid attention to, was also quietly underway.

As usual, there were only a handful of candidates running this time, with nearly half of them just participating as a hobby, with the attitude that it didn't matter if they didn't get elected or if they did, they would just do whatever they wanted. No wonder the students weren't very enthusiastic about voting.

For this reason, the election process for Tachibana Kanade and Isshiki Hachiman can be described as very smooth.

The two beautiful girls' promotion, coupled with their active election campaign, has already won over most of the students' votes verbally. Their support survey conducted by the news department is unparalleled, surpassing all others combined.

"Hasn't this already been a resounding victory?!" — Iroha Isshiki, the soon-to-be vice president of the student council, declared arrogantly.

This isn't just making wild predictions; it's a fact that those who follow this election share a consensus on.

None of the other candidates are any good enough. If they still lose, then there must be some behind-the-scenes manipulation.

"Damn it, there's no excitement at all from an election campaign. I want to see rivers of blood!" — Iroha Isshiki, the strategist of the victor, lamented, pounding her chest in frustration.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, after the cultural festival, the day will come when Tachibana Kanade, a mere first-year student, will officially take the seat of student council president.

△

"So, senior, can you create some kind of accident?"

Lunch break, Service Department.

Sipping her Musashino milk, the flaxen-haired junior student spoke in a cute, coquettish tone, making unreasonable demands.

"Kanade is too strong. If there aren't any unexpected twists and turns, I feel like all my election preparations have been for nothing~"

"It wasn't in vain."

Holding a bowl of Mapo Rice from a convenience store, Tachibana Kanade raised her small face, which was still smeared with red sauce, and looked at her calmly and earnestly.

“Everything Ayaho has done proves that we became student council members through our own efforts, not through other factors... This way, everyone will trust our abilities more.”

"Hmm..." Iroha's casual expression froze for a moment, and she waved her hands with a slight blush, her nonchalant attitude becoming somewhat embarrassed.

"I...I know, I was just joking...Don't praise me so seriously, it makes me shy."

Yuu Tenkuji is someone who is good at seizing opportunities.

Seeing her shy expression, he immediately put down his lunchbox, sat up straight, and solemnly gazed at the girl with short, flaxen hair, speaking as if reciting the Bible:

"No need to be modest. If it weren't for your efforts, how much price and sacrifice would Li Hua have had to pay to become the student council president? It is because you are supporting her that you are able to shine on the throne and bring greater prosperity and a brand new transformation to Soubu High School..."

"That's right, Iroha Isshiki, you are the biggest contributor to the establishment of the new student council!"

"Ughhhhhhh—!"

Her ears turned a deeper red, and she fanned her face frantically with her palms. He was talking so much that he could practically dig a Tokyo Tower out of Iroha with his toes.

"Senior! Senior! That's going too far! Teasing a junior like that in front of the senior girls, aren't you afraid they'll misunderstand you as a perverted playboy?!"

Trying to shift the focus? What a clumsy trick.

Tenkuji Yu scoffed dismissively, tapping his chopsticks against the lunchbox.

"If you walk upright and sit honestly, what is there to fear? Besides, so what if you're misunderstood? I wouldn't utter even half a word of fear—"

Before she could finish speaking, Yui nodded thoughtfully and murmured in a voice only he could hear, "So the reason I was rejected before was because I'm the same age as Yu... If I were a year younger, there wouldn't be a gap between us, right?"

Tenkuuji Yu coughed twice, then casually changed her tune: "You misunderstood, I don't care about age that much—"

"Oh."

Before he could finish speaking, a cold laugh rang out from the window, his dining posture still as elegant as a painting.

Without looking up, Yukino Yukinoshita casually said while eating, "Are you only just realizing his frivolous nature? It's not just first-year juniors; I bet middle schoolers and college students are his prey. It's not a misunderstanding at all."

Yui Yuigahama blinked, looking at him with surprise and worry.

"Since Xiaoxue has said that, Xiaoyou, you wouldn't..."

"I've already said no! Why do you believe what she says so readily?"

Tenkuji Yu's cheek twitched, and he glared at Yukino Yukinoshita, who was leisurely curving her lips.

Yui Yuigahama honestly replied, "Because Yuki knows Yuu very well..."

"She knows nothing." "This is certainly not what I wanted."

They both spoke at the same time, and then simultaneously turned their displeased gazes toward each other.

"You think you know me well?" "Are you saying my judgment is wrong?"

Looking at the two of them, Isshiki couldn't help but clap her hands: "Even though they say different things, their voices sound so in sync... Ah, ahahaha."

Under the intimidating gazes of the two men, her voice grew softer and softer. Finally, she chuckled awkwardly and buried her head in Tachibana Kanade's long hair, becoming an ostrich.

Turning to look at her, the girl with long, straight silver hair looked back and asked blankly, "What's wrong? Did you two have a fight?"

""nothing.""

The two answered in unison, seemingly unwilling to involve their junior in the conflict.

"Okay, that's good. Everyone should get along well."

As the soft, calm voice faded, Tachibana Kanade nodded slightly and continued scraping the remaining sauce and rice grains in the bowl with a spoon, not wasting a single drop.

While playing with her hair, Iroha pouted and muttered softly:

"Tch, discrimination..."

However, she was already used to this kind of daily treatment and didn't feel any imbalance.

Ever since her seniors returned from Kyoto, she often came to the Service Club for lunch with Tachibana Kanade—there was no way around it, since they had suspended their after-school activities, and her seniors were too busy with the cultural festival to visit her at the cafe.

In order to find out the details of the National Kendo Tournament and to regularly deliver desserts to a certain senior for his promised tasting and advice, Iroha Isshiki "had no choice" but to come during lunch break, and also brought along Tachibana Kanade, who wanted to thank the Service Club for their help in person once again.

Then after doing it a few more times, you'll get used to it.

After all, the environment here is quiet and peaceful, and the interactions between the senior students are very interesting. Even Xiaozun said that if the Mapo Tofu from the cafeteria could be moved here, she would prefer to have lunch here in the Service Club. It's only natural that she couldn't help but come to chat with them.

This is probably what it means to be able to find peace and quiet in your own "place of refuge".

"Ah, right!"

In the quiet atmosphere, the two looked away as if they were not interested in each other, and each went back to eating.

Yui Yuigahama suddenly clapped her hands and enthusiastically suggested, "Want to try it out? A test of tacit understanding!"

"Use the topic 'What Xiaoyou would do in a certain situation' as your answer, and write down your answers—if Xiaoxue writes the same thing as Xiaoyou, it means you two have great chemistry! Otherwise, it means you're being presumptuous!"

"If I join in, it will test how well we Service Department members know each other!"

"How about it, want to come and have a look?"

Chapter Thirty-Six: Tacit Understanding and Q&A within the Service Department

"Why bother with this pointless Q&A? I refuse."

With her beautifully arched eyebrows slightly furrowed, Yukino Yukinoshita objected with a look of strong resistance.

Just as Yuu was about to agree, he received a smiling look from Yui Yuigahama, and immediately shut his mouth, no longer concerned, and began to admire the warm winter scenery outside the window.

Here I need to explain, it's not that he's henpecked and afraid of the harmless little dumpling, but rather it's a kind of respect for women—anyway, it's just a tacit understanding or something, not something serious that needs to be strongly opposed.

As for Yui Yuigahama, she simply blinked her innocent big eyes and said this to Yukino Yukinoshita in a surprised tone, like a Shinigami elementary school student:

"Oh my gosh~ Xiaoxue, so you're afraid of losing to us?"

They successfully persuaded this proud minister, who was also easily provoked, to agree to join the war.

"I never expected Yui-senpai to be so cunning..."

Isshiki shrank her shoulders and looked at her with a horrified expression as if she had just seen a Shiba Inu suddenly turn into a muscular man and smash a rock with a right hook.

Yui Yuigahama pretended not to hear, raised her hands, and announced with great enthusiasm:

"Then, the first 'Service Club Teamwork Quiz ver. Xiaoyou' is about to officially begin!"

……

The department, which is the size of a regular classroom, is divided into two areas.

One area is for those answering questions behind the long table, and the other area is for those setting questions in front of the long table.

Then, for some reason, Isshiki Iroha became the question setter, while Tachibana Kanade, holding her already finished Mapo Tofu, sat down in the question-answering seat.

The scene felt strangely incongruous, leaving one with a lingering sense of unease, unable to utter a word of complaint.

"...Never mind, it's just for fun anyway."

Too lazy to bother with such trivial matters, Iroha Isshiki stood in front of the whiteboard, looked at the participants behind the long table who were using notebooks instead of answer sheets, and made a final check:

"Can I ask any kind of question?"

Just as Yui Yuigahama was about to nod, Yuu Tenkuji said expressionlessly, "Of course not."

"Give me questions that carbon-based organisms can answer normally, and that also fall within the bounds of moral and ethical standards, you know?"

Under his imposing gaze, Isshiki Hatake could only suppress the black bubble that had just risen in her heart, puffing out her little face and obediently nodding: "Tch, I know... Am I the kind of person who only knows how to cause trouble in your eyes, Senpai?"

Yuu Tenkuji didn't speak, only chuckled in response.

"Hmph...right!" Just as she was about to complain, Isshiki Hatake's eyes suddenly lit up, and she turned around and picked up a whiteboard marker, writing a few big words with a squeak.

"Perfect, let's make this the first question—'What impression does the senior have of the cute junior, Isshiki-chan?'"

A brief silence fell behind the long table.

"...Are you sure?"