Part 8
"What are you guys doing...?". Suddenly surrounded by Ike and the others with who he had no connections, even the normally calm Katsuragi could not hide his surprise. It was there that Kushida, who must have participated in the dialogue of the earlier exam, started talking to him.
"Sorry for being so sudden, Katsuragi-kun, do you have some time?".
"Kushida, huh? What is the meaning of this?" Katsuragi asks.
"The truth is, I heard it from Ike-kun and the others. But isn't today supposed to be Katsuragi-kun's birthday?".
"Muu...that's right but...you've figured it out pretty well".
Perhaps he had no recollection of telling this fact to anyone, but he looks at us with a slightly confused expression.
"So that's why the four of us here wanted to celebrate it with Katsuragi-kun and that's why we called out to you" Kushida continued.
"No. There's no reason to do anything that special. Am I wrong?" Katsuragi replies. It seems rather than rejoicing at this, he's put his guard up. That was inevitable. It wouldn't be strange even if he thought it were some trap from Class D. But even so, the fact that he isn't showing signs of immediately rejecting us, is probably largely thanks to Kushida's presence.
"Do you have any plans to meet someone else today?" Kushida asks.
"That's not the case but.....". Kushida then claps her hands with a big smile as if to say 'I'm glad'. If she shows that kind of smile, any ordinary man would fall in love with her with that one shot.
But this man is the leader of Class A, and is not someone that can simply be sunk like this.
"I'm sorry but it's not like we're close friends or anything. If there's any ulterior motives to this please say so" Katsuragi said.
"There are no ulterior motives. We're seriously just thinking about celebrating your birthday, Katsuragi" Ike said that with a serious face. He's probably thinking about celebrating Katsuragi's birthday from the bottom of his heart filled with sympathy.
"Mu.....". This is a bind, as if to say that Katsuragi tightened his mouth with an expression of rejection. And so I realized that in his hands, Katsuragi was holding the same birthday present bag as yesterday.
It was something he should have bought two days ago, and yet he was carrying it around with him wherever he went. I wonder why. It seems Ike and the others have not realized this (or have realized and are pretending to not have) and they called out to Katsuragi.
"Sorry but I have business at the school now. I apologize" Katsuragi said.
"School, eh? Speaking of which, recently you've been always wearing your uniform. What are you doing?" Ike asked in a casual manner but Katsuragi did not miss the incongruousness in that one word.
"What do you mean by that?". From the mild-mannered look he had just a while ago, it seems Katsuragi has entered his battle mode as his expression turned sharp.
"Ehh? What is what?". Ike remained aloof without having realized that change but that aloofness collapsed with the next lines that followed.
"How did you know that I was wearing my uniform recently?" he asked. Being stared by strong eyes that seemed to suck you in, Ike unexpectedly gulped.
He must have picked up the words that were whispered in his subconscious and remembered something inconvenient.
"Ehh? No, that's...".
"Yesterday after you met me, I met up with Ike and the others. I told them about it then, should I have not?". Having been left with no other choice but to follow up like that, I told that to Katsuragi.
"I thought it was unusual clothing for summer vacation" I continued.
"I see...thinking about it I suppose that's true".
"Yeah that's right. That, that" Ike said.
"So why're you going to school?".
The panicking appearance of Ike was still suspicious, but for now I've succeeded in changing the topic of the conversation.
"It's personal. Nothing to do with you guys" Katsuragi replies.
"This may be unnecessary. But isn't there something troubling you?".
"Why do you think so?".
"Both yesterday and today, you were carrying around that bag, right? It's a bit unnatural for you to go to school with that too. And you already had that bag in your hands when we met at the shop yesterday. It's been at least three times, hasn't it?" I asked him.
There's the fact that I did see it by coicidence, but it's not that hard to infer that from what I said.
"I have some business at the student council. That's all." Katsuragi tells me. Again, the name of an unexpected place appeared.
"Could it be the reason you were wearing your uniform yesterday was because you went to the student council room?".
"...that's right. But it seems they were out".
"If I recall, up until yesterday they were renovating the room and it was unusuable". Katsuragi made a slightly surprised face and proceeded to ask me how I knew that."
"I happen to have some ties with the student council president".
"So you were acquaintances with that student council president?".
"I wonder if you could call him my acquaintance but...it's something like that anyways" I replied.
"Ahh, I see. Horikita of Class D is the student council president's little sister huh?". The smart Katsuragi quickly reached that conclusion on his own and was convinced.
"If that's the case, it would be a lot better if you accompanied me. If time allows, would you please accompany me?" Katsuragi requested as such from me. And with this, I can more or less understand what Katsuragi is aiming at.
"That's a coincidence. I also have some business with the student council right now".
"So that's why you're also wearing your uniform?". Of course, that was only so I could figure out Katsuragi's aim but with this I'll be able to get to the bottom of this.
Nodding once, Katsuragi began heading towards the school, towards the student council room.
"Excuse me". Katsuragi, with a clear voice, said that as he knocked on the door to the student council room.
Student council president Horikita Manabu and Secretary Tachibana came out to welcome us. The older Horikita immediately noticed my presence.
"It seems the unexpected but welcome visitors came together". I lightly bowed to return the greeting. Secretary Tachibana, on the other hand, had an extremely disgusted expression on her face.
"Today I came here because I have a request to make. Basically, I heard that student requests go through the student council and that is why I've come".
"It seems you came by both yesterday and the day before yesterday. We were absent due to the renovations. I apologize".
"No. It is currently the summer vacation. The fault lies with the side pushing the matter. But I am glad I was able to meet you today. Depending on the situation, I had been thinking to go directly to your dormitory" Katsuragi said.
In the middle of the summer vacation, why did Katsuragi decide to stop by this place. And what exactly are his intentions in being here. That is finally being revealed.
"In this school, during the period of enrollment, we are forbidden to contact the outside without express permission. I would like to inquire further into that and so I have come here".
"From the sound of it, you've naturally been looking through the school regulations? Extreme, unavoidable reasons as the exception, contact is strictly forbidden".
Exactly as the older Horikita said, only in unavoidable circumstances is this permitted. Severe illness or injuries are the only times when permission is granted.
"Yes. But in regards to individual cases, how would I be best advised to deal with it. I would like to deliver a package and a message card to my family outside the school grounds. Of course, I'm not expecting to hear a reply from my family" Katsuragi said.
In other words, a unilateral communication.
"It's the same thing. Even if this is unilateral, it still is forbidden". Those words were returned to Katsuragi professionally. But Katsuragi too, wouldn't even be here if this was enough to make him back down.
"In regards to contact with the outside, I have heard that it strictly includes shipping of packages too. However, as long as I don't send information in letters, wouldn't that be considered not breaking the rules?" Katsuragi asked.
"There's no change in the fact that it is prohibited by the rules. That is a rule that has not changed since the founding of this school. But, it's not prohibited for no reason. When the school was first founded, the rules were not as strict as they are now".
The older Horikita looked at Secretary Tachibana, then slightly nodded while smiling.
"It is as he says. Originally, the package shipping that Katsuragi-kun hoped for was permitted. However, there were several students that broke their promise. They hid letters inside the packages without permission. Such a thing happened and now it is absolutely prohibited" Tachibana said.
And that's how it is, the older Horikita drilled an absolute rejection into Katsuragi. But, Katsuragi is not the type to back down here. Even though it's for the 1st years, this man is still the leader of Class A. He immediately reassessed the situation and rebuilds his approach.
"Then once again I must ask you. Please allow me to apply for the shipping of the package directly at the shop. I will not lay a single finger on the package, I will only pay for its cost. If so, there can be no room for fraud" Katsuragi said.
"But even so it's still against the rules.....".
"Against the rules? This school is ability-based, if need be I've heard you can do anything with enough points. Buying test scores or trading between students, there are many uses for points. Am I wrong?" Katsuragi continued.
It seems to Katsuragi, the value of the birthday present he wishes to send is great.
"If that is the case, the situation will change slightly". The older Horikita, having calmly listened to what he had to say, slightly changed his attitude.
"Before we go into the details of the points, can you let me know who it is you're sending it to?" he asks.
"It's to my twin sister. Since we don't have any parents, I'm the only one who can celebrate her birthday" Katsuragi said.
This was an outcome completely contrary to our scummy theories about romance and what not. Of all things, it was to a sibling.
"I'm going to correct you on one point but the point system is not an almighty one. Indeed the action you mentioned earlier is possible. But, that is only because 'it is not stated in the rules'. What is currently listed in the school regulations as being prohibited, won't easily be altered just like that".
It was a slightly difficult to understand statement, but it probably means something similar. For instance, let's use test scores as an example. A while ago, I used points to buy Sudou his test scores. That in itself is not 'illegal'. It just means points were used to buy test scores. But let's suppose that same Sudou broke the school regulations on his own by cheating to get a passing score on his test and in the case that cheating were to be revealed. It would be difficult then to erase the fact that he had 'cheated'.
"The rules of the school are there to be upheld".
"That's funny, if that is the case then the rules of this school are full of loopholes".
"There's nothing strange about that. It just means that all the school is doing is making rules that allow for a way out".
And in response to Katsuragi's question, the student council president responded in a way that made it seem as though it were obvious.
".............".
Even for the smart Katsuragi, it seems his opponent this time around is too much. In regards to their ability alone, the difference between them is too large. This man, who for 3 years at this school, was not only in Class A but also carried out the duties of the student council president, had no weaknesses.
"You're saying even if I use my points, there's nothing I can do?" Katsuragi asked.
"There's nothing you can do. If this is something the school expressly prohibits, it will not be allowed even with the use of points".
Exactly as the older Horikita had said earlier, it means the point system is not almighty. I'm sure Katsuragi was determined to spend a large sum to do so but if that sole remaining option of his is cut off, it meant the end of the line for him.
"If you're finished, please leave".
"I see.....I understand, please excuse me". Katsuragi glanced at me just once, but when I gestured that I'd be staying behind to him, he quietly left.
"You're not going back?".
"What you were saying earlier, it's about when the act of breaking the rules comes to light, wasn't it?".
In the middle of that, I said that as though backing up Katsuragi.
"What do you mean by that?".
The older Horikita's gaze is now directed at me.
"Do you remember, a while ago, Sudou from our class had a fight with some students from Class C?". The older Horikita nods as though it were natural. It did cause a huge uproar back then after all.
"Back then the Class C students made an appeal to the school and it turned into a case where it led to discussions for punishment. But, right now, Katsuragi did not break any regulations. He only thought to ask for an act that would have led to an act of breaking the regulations. And the only ones who know about that would be me and Katsuragi as well as you two of the student council. In that case, as long as you overlook this act of breaking the regulations it would be fine".
This strangely worded phrase, I'm sure if it's the two of them they would naturally understand its meaning.
For instance, even if you commit a traffic rule violation and happen to be accosted by a police officer. If you bribe that officer and successfully get him to overlook your violation, you will not be a target for punishment and your violation would be forgiven. That's what it meant.
"And also, the usually difficult processing of such shipping. If it's you guys, it would be a simple task, wouldn't it?".
"I see. You're saying to resolve everything without first clearing it with the school, is that right?".
Katsuragi had righteously tried to secure permission from the school. But if that doesn't work, all he has to do is make sure the school never hears word of this. But it may be an idea the honorable Katsuragi would not be able to think of.
"Being able to talk about overlooking school rule violations so boldly, what a scary delinquent!". Only Secretary Tachibana turned to point that out to me.
"How did you come to that conclusion?".
"This school forbids acts of violence. But you, in your first meeting with me, showed no signs of holding back. That is proof enough that as long as the school does not find out, anything can be passed off".
Even if it's the student council president, he shouldn't be able to raise his hand in public like that.
"That's right. If one is to contact the outside anyways, there is no other method besides that. But, Katsuragi did not realize that fact. In that instant, he lost his only remaining option".
"Don't you think of helping him out now?".
"No. I'm not the type to simply help violate school regulations for that man's sake".
"You're rather strict".
"If you really feel that way, you should have told Katsuragi of this method before he left the room. But you didn't do that".
Ahh. It really is troublesome to deal with someone smart like him. He's seeing through me completely. It seems he's realized I didn't want to carelessly tell Katsuragi that and put him on his guard.
"I'm done cooling off, I'm going back".
"I could tell Tachibana to prepare some tea for you now?".
"I'll pass. I don't know what you're going to put in it".
"W-what a rude 1st year!" Tachibana said.
And when I moved to leave the room, for some reason the older Horikita also stood up to escort me out.
"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear what Katsuragi had to say today. So even if you move behind the scenes from here on out, I won't try to investigate. You can do as you please" he told me.
"I don't really feel like doing anything of that sort though".
"That in itself is fine too. I'm just letting you know I won't be getting involved, that's all".
I was able to read information from the older Horikita's eyes to a frustrating degree. In other words he's telling me he won't touch this matter, so go ahead and deceive the school well, is that he wants to say.
I decided to leave the student council room to escape from that gaze. He must have also seen through the fact that I was looking into making new suggestions to Katsuragi too.
"He's a formidable one, this student council president".