After the student council president uttered those words, Hikaru Hashima fell silent.
He pondered the meaning of the phrase and the purpose of Manabu Horikita's visit.
Following the revelation of the school's hidden rules, Hikaru Hashima was well aware that the student council president, the man before him, held far greater influence than ordinary students.
"Hmm..." After a moment of thought, Hikaru Hashima responded seriously, "Senpai Horikita, are you planning to invite me to join the student council?"
"This school has existed for over ten years, and you're the first to uncover the hidden rules on the very first day and use the S-system to negotiate with a teacher."
"Such talent is enough to justify my invitation. By joining the student council, you'll gain a perspective entirely different from that of your classmates," Manabu Horikita fixed his gaze on Hikaru Hashima. "Even in future class competitions, you can count on the student council's support."
"It's a very tempting invitation, but before that, I have a question."
Hikaru Hashima wasn't swayed by the flattering words and met Manabu Horikita's piercing gaze, asking word for word, "Is it you, Senpai Horikita, inviting me to join the student council, or is it the administration's will?"
"..."
Manabu Horikita suddenly realized he might have underestimated this young student. His insight far exceeded expectations.
"Why do you ask that? I'd like to hear your perspective."
Instead of directly answering Hikaru Hashima's question, he chose to pose his own.
"It's simple," Hikaru Hashima shrugged and explained slowly, "Since this school claims to be merit-based, the student council, which controls the student body, must possess considerable power."
"That power can extend to all aspects of daily school life and even influence class competitions."
"And then?"
Manabu Horikita crossed his arms, waiting for the rest of his analysis.
"But ultimately, the student council's power isn't unlimited. What grants it this power are the school's rules, and above the rules is the school administration or the board of directors."
"Since you say I'm the first in over ten years to uncover the school's hidden rules, the administration must have been immediately informed when our Class B transferred the points."
"In my view, if the administration designed a puzzle, they should naturally grant some reward to the person who solves it. That aligns with the logic of a school."
"I see."
Manabu Horikita nodded slightly after listening to the young man's explanation, then retorted, "So you think I'm sent by the administration to give you a reward, and that reward is an invitation to join the student council?"
"Yes."
Hikaru Hashima nodded. This was the answer he had arrived at as quickly as possible. After all, the student council president wouldn't go out of his way to find a first-year student. If it was the administration's will, the invitation was a plausible explanation.
"Did I guess correctly?"
"Unfortunately, despite your insightful analysis, you're wrong."
Manabu Horikita fixed his gaze on the young man's face and replied, "It was my decision to invite you to join the student council, not the administration's."
"..."
"In that case, if I'm wrong, Senpai Horikita, could you enlighten me?"
Hikaru Hashima met Manabu Horikita's gaze without hesitation.
"Alright, I'll tell you a bit more. The student council's power does indeed come from the administration, but the student council president's power doesn't stop there."
"The administration did decide to reward you for your excellent performance, but it was my intention to invite you to join the student council."
"The administration's initial reward was to add 100 points to Class B's evaluation and transfer personal points to you, but I withheld them." Manabu Horikita adjusted his glasses, his tone calm. "That's the answer you were waiting for."
"I see."
Hikaru Hashima nodded. After quickly assessing the risk of offending the student council president, he spoke again.
"Then, Senpai Horikita, could you give me the initial reward?"
A cold glint flashed briefly in Manabu Horikita's eyes, and he asked in a frosty tone, "You don't want to join the student council?"
"No, if I have more free time, I'd rather spend it on myself than on my classmates."
"Very well, I'll give you the reward today."
Manabu Horikita shot several deep glances at Hikaru Hashima before turning to leave without hesitation.
But at that moment, the young man called out from behind him, "Senpai Horikita, what should I do if I want to join the student council?"
"..."
Manabu Horikita paused for a moment, then turned back to glance at Hikaru Hashima.
"You're more greedy than I thought, but that's not a bad thing in this school."
"I can't help it, I desire many things, and I don't resist temptation easily, so I've gotten used to thinking this way."
"If you want to join the student council, you can write an application and submit it to the student council secretariat."
After saying this, Manabu Horikita strode away, leaving Hikaru Hashima lost in thought.
"The student council?"
He rubbed his chin and murmured, "I feel like Senpai Horikita's attitude is strange. If he really wanted to invite me to join the student council, why test me?"
"If I had chosen to join the student council, could he have really withheld the reward?"
Unable to find an answer, Hikaru Hashima shook his head and whispered softly, "It seems I still don't know enough about this school. I'll have to keep this doubt for now."
He then bought a bottle of water from the vending machine, took a few sips, and returned to the track to continue running, as he hadn't yet completed his hour of exercise.
On the other side, back in the student council activity room, Manabu Horikita was greeted by a girl with purple hair styled in two adorable buns.
"President, did you finish your morning workout early?"
"Yes."
Manabu Horikita handed his towel to the girl and picked up his backpack from the table. He, too, needed to return to the dorm for a shower.
"Did you meet the student Hashima you mentioned yesterday?"
The girl with purple hair was named Akane Tachibana. Like Manabu Horikita, she was a third-year student in Class A and currently held the position of student council secretary.
"I met him."
"What do you think of him?" Akane Tachibana's expression showed a hint of concern. "Can he rival Nagumo?"
"Heh," Manabu Horikita let out a small laugh and looked at the girl beside him. "Do you think Nagumo could have uncovered the school's hidden rules on the first day?"
"That..."
"I only exchanged a few words with him, but I confirmed his talent," Manabu Horikita paused, the young man's words seeming to echo in his mind. "If he were to face Nagumo... It's not impossible for him to win."
"Really?"
Akane Tachibana's face immediately showed surprise. The student Nagumo they were discussing had rallied all the second-year students and possessed considerable resources, to the point that Manabu Horikita, as student council president, had to take him seriously.
"Let's wait and see, Tachibana."
"Don't forget to monitor the secretariat's membership applications. If you see his file, notify me immediately."
"Yes, President."