The final bell rang out throughout the classroom, signaling the end of the school day. I gathered my belongings and stood up, walking over towards the group.

Seeing me approach, everyone gained a smile, "What are we doing before the club fair?" I asked.

Hirata answered my question, "We were just going to go by Pallet Cafe for a little." He said with a smile.

"Sounds great!" I exclaimed.

"Ayanokouji, you're coming to the club fair with us, right?" Sato questioned.

I gave a nervous smile and scratched my neck, "About that...." I mumbled.

"No way you're going with her!" Karuizawa complained.

"You're ditching us an awful lot for her.." Matsuhita said, a teasing smirk on her face.

I waved my hands around, "It's not like that!" I exclaimed, "I just already made plans with her." I explained.

Sato pouted and Karuizawa crossed her arms, "You better not make it a habit!" Karuizawa exclaimed.

I chuckled lightly and answered, "I'll make it up to you all by paying for one drink for everyone." I declared.

Hirata nodded and the girls gained a mischievous look in their eyes.

That was a bad idea...

Hirata let out a smile, "Let's get going!" He said.

Our group left the classroom, chatting about random things. On the way out I had said goodbye to Kushida and Nene.

The walk there was pleasant, the girls teased eachother behind Hirata and I as we walked. I could make out what they were saying but it's better to pretend I couldn't.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Hirata asked, a curious look on his face.

I scratched my cheek and gave a nervous smile, "Probably nothing we're supposed to hear." I answered.

Hirata gave a small laugh before answering, "You're probably right. It's only been a day but it's clear they like to gossip." He chuckled.

"Yeah, let's just hope we aren't the subject." I joked, nudging his shoulder.

He just laughed and we continued walking, the girls still behind us talking about various things, mainly clothes or Hirata and I.

"So, what's happening with you and Horikita?" He asked, a teasing smile on his face but curiosity looming in his eyes.

"Not you too!" I laughed, "But really, there's nothing going on between us; I just find her interesting." I explained.

He gave me a sketpical look, "You know, when guys say they find a girl interesting, it usually means they like them." He explained.

I gave a small shrug, "Way too early for that, maybe in the future." I said.

"What about you and Karuizawa? I've been seeing how she looks at you!" I teased him, partly looking for information but also maintaining my facade.

Hirata gave a nervous chuckle, "Karuizawa and I are just friends, but she is a fun person to be around!" Hirata explained.

I nodded and we continued our walk, making small talk until the girls eventually rejoined our conversation, making it more lively.

As we reached Pallet Cafe Karuizawa immediately took charge, ordering exactly the drink she wanted and wondering off to find a table for us. The rest of the girls eventually followed, ordering their drinks and finding Karuizawa. Hirata and I had, surprisingly, both got a black coffee. Hirata went to sit with the girls while I waited for the drinks, I had already payed and now, just had to wait.

The drinks arrived and I carried them to the table, everyone eventually grabbed their own coffee or drink and they started making more small talk.

"So, Ayanokouji," Matsuhita started, leaning forward, "What made you want to join student council?" She asked.

The rest of the groups ears seemingly perked up at this, "I was wondering about that too!" Karuizawa exclaimed before I could answer.

I gave a small smile and answered, "I was in student council at my last school and I think it's a good idea to see how the school handles things." I started, "And I'm sure the upperclassmen here are gonna teach me a lot of things!" I exclaimed.

Hirata nodded hearing my answer, "That makes sense, I'm sure the upperclassmen here will teach you a lot!" He smiled.

Karuizawa looked at Sato and Matsuhita then glanced at me, the other girls eyes followed and almost simultaneously they gain a smirk on their faces.

"Now, what's happening with you and Horikita?" Karuizawa asked, the girls nodding in agreement.

I let out a nervous laugh before answering, "There's nothing happening!" I defended myself.

"Really? Then how come you were playing chess with her at lunch instead of reviewing notes like you told me?" Karuizawa questioned.

"I revised my notes before that! I just had spare time after." I said, a defensive tone in my voice.

Karuizawa rolled her eyes in a playful manner, "Just don't forget about us when you have to do all the student council stuff, okay?"

I gave a brief smile before answering, "I won't," I promised, giving another smile.

The small talk continued and everyone was laughing and having a good time. This group will truly allow me to learn more of human interactions and the emotions involved in them.

Every person here has some sort of secret and that was made clear to me in these past two days. I was only left to wonder when these secrets will be revealed.

As the time for the club fair approached, I excused myself from the group. "I should get going, I still have to change." I said, standing up.

Karuizawa rolled her eyes again in the same playful manner, "You better say hello if you see us!" She demanded.

Walking away from the table I laughed, "I will!" I called out.

On the walk back to the dorms I had decided to test the quality of my headphones, in my time at the mansion Matsuo had allowed me to listen to music and I had enjoyed some of it.

I had found an album called 'A Crow Looked At Me' by Mount Eerie in my time with Matsuo. The story behind the album was what many would consider heart breaking.

(This album was released in what would be y2 but it doesn't really matter)

The entirety of the album was recorded in the room his wife died in, she had died of pancreatic cancer. He had recorded many of the songs using instruments that his wife had used, many critics have described the album as one of the most depressing albums they had ever listened to but that it also held a certain beauty to it.

I clicked shuffle on the album and the song that had played was 'My Chasm'.

'I am a container of stories about you'

'And I bring you up repeatedly, uninvited to'

'Do the people around me want to keep hearing about my dead wife?'

'Or does the room go silent when I mention you?'

'Shining alive, I live with your absence'

'And it's been two months since you died'

'I'll speak to your absence and carry our stories around my whole life'

'But when I'm in public, I don't know what's that look in their eyes'

'I now wield the power to transform a grocery store isle into a canyon of pity or confusion'

As I approached the dorm building I had taken out my headphones, missing the last part of the song. Yet the weight of the song still lingered. If I had the ability to truly be empathetic then I would also find this song to be very emotional. Some of the lines had also stood out to me.

One of these were, 'And I bring you up repeatedly, uninvited to'. I believe this shows the involuntary nature of human memories, many people have to live with memories they would rather forget. The memories are uninvited and most of the time they hold a sense of lingering pain or sorrow.

Shaking these thoughts from my mind I opened the door and walked in. I quickly changed into a white hoodie with a red jacket, it was one of the outfits Karuizawa and the rest of the girls made me get.

Hearing the sound of a notification I opened up my phone and read the text.

(Horikita) 'Meet me at the dorm lobby in 5'

(Ayanokouji) 'I might be a little late'

(Horikita) 'You better not be, I'm doing you a favor by even going with you'

(Ayanokouji) 'Yes ma'am'

There was little to no chance that I was going to be late but I still wanted to see Horikitas reaction to it. I wanted to see how she views our current relationship, whether she believes she's still superior to me or if she views me as an equal. It's quite clear to see that she doesn't view me as an equal but someone still below her.

I'll fix that tonight.

I headed down to the lobby and waited for Horikita. I heard the faint ding of the elevator and turned to meet her, she exited the elevator and walked to me, the same aloof look on her face.

"You look nice. Now let's go." She said, not even bothering with greetings.

Did she just compliment me?

"Thanks!" I said giving a smile.

As we walked towards the gymnasium Horikita had noticed the streets were empty and spoke out, "When we're alone you can drop the facade, It's distasteful." Horikita said.

Hearing her words I allowed my small smile to drop and my eyes to return to their normal state. "Thanks, it's a breath of fresh air." I told her.

I was being truthful in that sense, while I have no difficulties in maintaining my persona it is nice to let it drop every now and then.

She glanced at me, her expression neutral, "It's unnerving seeing how quickly you switch from an energetic airhead to a cold and apathetic person." She said.

I didn't give a reply, there was no real way to respond to her statement.

As we continued our journey she spoke out again, "Is it not tiring?" She questioned.

I shrugged, "It's more tedious than anything. I've only spent a day using it so I can't say whether or not it's truly tiring."

We spent the rest of the walk in silence, not a word was spoken but glances were exchanged. As we neared the gymnasium I put a smile back on my face and regained the look others were accustomed to.

Entering the gymnasium, I saw that there was booths lining every wall and rows of them were throughout the gymnasium.

"There's a lot!" I exclaimed, looking towards Horikita.

She nodded but seemed more anxious and on edge for some reason. I couldn't imagine why as there was no reason to have any sort of unease here unless she suddenly developed social anxiety.

"Let's walk around, are there any other clubs you're interested in?" Horikita asked.

As we started walking throughout the gymnasium I answered, "I want to see if there's a piano around but I wouldn't join the music club." I told her.

"You can play the piano?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not too good but I know how to play!" I laughed.

She seemed somewhat interested but didn't probe any further. We turned a corner into a new area and I was met with what I was looking for, a piano.

"You said you can play, I expect you to play." Horikita said, slightly nudging me closer to the piano.

As the student that was playing stepped off, finishing his piece, I looked towards the girl with chocolate brown hair who was running the booth. "Am I allowed to play?" I asked.

She gave me a smile, "Of course you can! I'm Nazuna Asahina, it's nice to meet you!" She answered with an outstretched hand.

I smiled and shook her hand, "Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, it's nice to meet you." I said.

I stepped up to the instrument, feeling the familiar smooth feeling of the keys under my fingers. Taking a seat, I considered which piece to play. After a moments consideration I had decided on "Clair De Lune" by Debussy-a piece that balanced simplicity with elegance. It was one of the pieces I preferred to play back in that place.

I began to play, starting with the gentle, flowing arpeggios in D-flat major. The soft, entrancing notes filled the air, creating a calming atmosphere for those around me. My fingers moved fluidly over the keys, the melody resonating with a delicate yet poignant beauty.

The music gradually built up, my left hand providing a steady, rippling accompaniment to the more active right hand, creating a melody. As I reached the middle section, the dynamics increased, bringing a sense of emotional depth and intensity to the people in the crowd. The higher notes sang out clearly, while the lower chords added a rich, resonant foundation.

I quickly opened my eyes and glanced around the crowd, Horikita was watching with a certain intrigue in her eyes, one of familiarity for some reason; Asahina was looking at me like she found a diamond amongst horse manure.

I closed my eyes once again and continued playing, the piece transitioned back to its original gentle theme, the notes flowing seamlessly from one to the next. As I approached the final section, the music became more introspective once again. The delicate chords and arpeggios created a sense of closure, a gentle farewell to the beautiful piece. I let the final notes linger in the air a small time longer, allowing the sound to fade naturally.

There was a brief moment of silence before the students around the booth applauded. Asahina practically sprinted up to me as I stood back up.

"You're amazing! Join the music club!" She pleaded.

I let out an awkward laugh, "Sorry but I plan to join student council!" I rejected.

She heaved a heavy sigh, "So much talent..." She muttered.

Horikita and I continued walking and we reached the back of the gymnasium, the farthest from the stage. "You didn't say you could play like that." She said.

"I thought I'd be rusty...?" I lied.

She just shook her head, clearly seeing through my lies.

"You seemed like you recognized the piece, have you heard it before?" I asked.

She hesitated for a second, "Yeah, my... brother  played it a lot." She muttered.

Family is a touchy subject?

The microphone clicked on, stopping me from speaking. A short, lilac haired girl took the stage.

"Thank you all for waiting, first-year students. We will now begin the club fair. A representative from each club will explain their function. My name is Tachibana Akane, I'm the current student council secretary, and the club fair's organizer. It's a pleasure meeting all of you." Tachibana announced the start of the club fair and walked off the stage.

Various representatives of different clubs come up one after another. The only notable representatives were Aashina and the representative of the literature club. The rest of them were just various sports or niche hobbies that someone had made a club for.

The last person to walk up to the microphone was a slender man with black hair, crimson eyes, and glasses. He stared out at the crowd, not speaking at all.

Seeing Horikita frozen by my side I nudged her, "You okay?" I asked, a concerned look on my face.

She didn't answer, her eyes glued onto the man on her stage. The two had an uncanny resemblance and based off of Horikitas earlier reaction to speaking about her brother I was led to one thought.

Her brother?

Eventually the students in the crowd began taunting the man.

"Do your best!"

"Did you forget your lines!"

"Where are the note cards!"

The man did not react to these taunts, rather, he just continued staring out at the crowd, analyzing every student. The atmosphere of the room lost the energetic atmosphere from earlier and it became one of unease and discomfort. The man's eyes met Horikitas and his piercing gaze got even sharper.

I stepped in front of Horikita, shielding her from his gaze. His eyes slightly widened but he didn't let it linger and just continued glancing over the crowd.

Eventually the crowd completely stopped any sort of movement and noise.

"My name is Horikita Manabu. I am the student council president. The student council is looking to recruit potential candidates among the first-year students to replace the graduating third years. Although no special qualifications are required for candidacy, we humbly ask that those considering application not be involved in any clubs. We generally do not accept students involved elsewhere."

The atmosphere got even worse hearing the man they were all taunting was the student council president.

"Furthermore, we in the student council do not wish to appoint anyone who posses a naive outlook. Not only would such a person not be elected, but he or she would also sully the sanctity of this school. It is the student councils right and duty to enforce and amend the rules, but the school expects more than the yet. We gladly welcome those of you who understand." He continued, his voice low but his words still rung out throughout the gymnasium.

He walked off the stage but the crowd still stayed silent, not a person was moving throughout the entirety of the gymnasium. Tachibana walked back on the stage in an attempt to erase the tension that the existence known as Horikita Manabu created.

"Thank you all for coming. The club representatives will now be at their stands taking applications. Please go find them and apply!" Tachibana said.

"You okay?" I asked Horikita again, nudging her shoulder.

She seemed to slightly snap out of her daze and spoke, "...Yeah... I'll wait outside while you apply." She said, slowly walking towards the exit.

I made my way through the crowd, greeting familiar faces but not stopping to talk. As I arrived at the student council booth I saw Ichinose and a bald man, if I remember correctly I saw him in Class A during the entrance ceremony.

"Hey Ayanokouji!" Ichinose greeted with a wave.

I have her a smile, "Hello, Ichinose!" Turning my attention to the other student I stuck my hand out. "I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Class 1-D, it's nice to meet you." I greeted.

He shook my hand, "Katsuragu Kohei, Class 1-A." He greeted, a calm look on his face.

All of us looked towards the booth then back at it eachother, "I'll go first!" I exclaimed, walking towards the booth.

Horikita Manabu was sat down, clipboards by his side and the same stern expression on his face. Seeing me approach he stood up and handed me a clipboard. He held his other hand out towards me.

"I'm Horikita Manabu, fill this out and I'll call you in at a separate date for an interview." He said.

I grabbed the clipboard with my left hand and reciprocated his hand shake, making sure it was firm but not overwhelmingly so, "I'm Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Class 1-D." I greeted, a calm look on my face.

His eyes slightly widened hearing my class, he simply nodded and sat back down. I filled out the application with eloquent handwriting. The questions were about my motivations, qualifications, ideas to improve the school, and what I would do in certain situations. As I completed it, I handed it back to the elder Horikita.

As I turned to walk away he called out, "Ayanokouji; What is your relationship with my sister?" He questioned.

I gave him a small smirk, "You can say we're acquaintances for now. She's going to teach me how to cook though." I told him.

His eyes widened at this and he nodded, signaling I could leave. I walked back to Ichinose and Katsuragi.

"Was he scary?" Ichinose asked, a nervous look on her face.

I chuckled a little before answering, "I wouldn't say scary, just disciplined." I answered.

Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief and walked to booth, "Wish me luck!" She exclaimed.

"Good luck!" Katsuragi and I called out.

Katsuragi looked towards me and spoke out, "What was the application like?" He asked.

I shrugged, "Just the normal questions about your motivation and what not." I answered.

I started walking away, "I'll see you around!" I said with a wave.

'Ding'

(Horikita) 'Meet at the dorm rooftops'

(Ayanokouji) 'Got it'

I turned off my phone and headed to the dorms.

As I arrived at the rooftops I pushed open the door and saw Horikita, sitting on the same bench as yesterday.

I walked towards Horikita, taking off my red jacket and handing it to her. "Here, you'll get cold otherwise." I said.

She took the jacket with a small thank you.

I walked towards the railing and stared off into the sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I asked.

Horikita nodded, "Yeah.. it's a nice view." She said, her nerves slowly dissipating as she returned to her normal state.

"Ayanokouji, can I ask you something?" She asked, her voice breaking the silence.

I nodded, "What is it?" I asked.

She hesitated, as if she was debating what words to use, "At the club fair, you saw how everyone was affected by my brother... but you seemed unfazed. You even stood up to him. How?" She questioned, her gaze trained on my face.

"I've seen worse. I don't think anyone could stun me with just a gaze." I answered.

She seemed shocked by this, "You're something else..." She muttered.

I turned to face her, "Horikita." I spoke out.

She looked up again to meet my eyes, "Yes?" She asked.

"Have you ever heard of the Banach-Tarski Paradox?" I asked.

Horikita looked at me with a puzzled expression, clearly unfamiliar with the term, "No I haven't. What is it?" she asked, curiosity in her voice.

I turned back to the setting sun, gathering my thoughts, "The Banach-Taraki Paradox is a theorem in set-theatric geometry," I began. "It states that it's possible to take a solid ball, divide it into a finite number of non-overlapping pieces, and then reassemble those pieces into two solid balls identical to the original."

Horikitas eyes widened in a mixture of confusion and disbelief, "That's impossible... How can you get two identical balls from one?" She questioned.

I nodded, her skepticism is to be expected, "It sounds impossible, but it's mathematically proven. The catch is that the pieces you divide the ball into are not 'normal' pieces-they're so bizarre and intricate that they defy our intuitive understanding of shape and volume. This Paradox relies on the Axiom Of Choice, a principle in set theory that allows for the selection of elements from different sets, even when they is no specific rule for making those choices." I explained.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to grasp the concept, "So... it's a matter of perspective and understanding abstract principles?" She asked.

I nodded, "Exactly." I replied, "Just as with the Banach-Tarski Paradox, many situations in life and this school won't be as straightforward as you may think. Your brother exerts his influence with a mixture of his presence and authority, which can be overwhelming to some people. If you view things differently rather than at face value then you're able to navigate situations like those much easier." I told her.

Horikita nodded slowly, trying to understanding and absorb my words, "So, you're saying by understanding these abstract principles and Paradoxes, you can handle complex and intimidating situations?" She asked.

"Yes, it's about seeing beyond the surface, recognizing the deeper structures at play, and using that knowledge to your advantage. In the same way the Banach-Tarski Paradox challenges our perspectives of reality, understanding the deeper dynamics in life allows you see through the influence of others." I explained.

She looked up at me, the gears in her head turning and a look of respect of her face, "I see.. I'll take my leave, you've given me a lot to think about." She said, walking towards the door.

"Goodnight, Horikita." I said my farewells.

"Goodnight." She said.

The reasoning behind all the effort and truth I'm putting into Horikita is quite simple. I am forcing her to evolve at a rapid rate so she can deal with whatever special challenges or difficulties this school will throw at us. I am molding her to be an ideal class leader, all so I don't have to work as hard.

Do not disappoint me, Horikita Suzune...

AN

Word count: 4073

Sorry for taking a little longer than I hoped to get it out, at least the chapters the longest I've ever wrote.

Questions?

Comments?

Critique?

Suggestions?