After his conversation with Chisa Shiina, Yu Suzuki enjoyed a rare period of calm for the next few days.
During this time, he managed to put his once-disrupted life back in order.
The work for the student council was proceeding in an orderly fashion, and he hadn’t missed a single music club practice.
If there was anything left unsettled, it would probably be the issue of accommodations for the school trip.
He had been racking his brains trying to get Chisa Shiina to withdraw the arrangements, but every time he brought it up, she would brush him off, saying she was busy at the moment.
He even considered handling it through the student council, but Amane Jinguu seemed quite delighted to see things developing this way.
So all Yu Suzuki could do was watch helplessly, a little exasperated.
After finishing his work for the day, Yu Suzuki stared blankly at the clock.
He found himself thinking again about what Chisa Shiina had said, and couldn’t help but glance over at Amane Jinguu.
The girl before him was seated at her computer, diligently reviewing all sorts of tasks.
The evening sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting interwoven patterns of light and shadow across her, and her flawless profile looked serene.
Such a beautiful girl—if only she were always like this.
When Amane Jinguu was in work mode, all of her usual playfulness vanished. The words she spoke were simple, efficient, and strictly work-related.
Of course, that changed once work was over.
Just as Yu Suzuki was observing her, Amane Jinguu tapped the “Enter” key, finishing her work.
Noticing this, he quickly looked away, but clearly, she’d caught him in the act.
“Yu-kun, you’ve been staring at me. Are you thinking something indecent?”
“No, not at all! I was just lost in thought, that’s all.”
“It’s fine, Yu. You don’t have to explain. I’m quite confident in my looks, after all. It’s only natural for a teenage boy to have all sorts of thoughts.”
“I really was just thinking…”
Yu Suzuki tried his best to explain, but Amane Jinguu simply smiled and took a sip of her tea.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. What were you thinking about? It must have something to do with me, right?”
“Uh… I heard some rumors.” Yu Suzuki replied obliquely.
“Is it about my middle school days?” Amane Jinguu seemed to have expected this.
“Something like that… I have to say, Senpai, you’re pretty famous—both for good and bad things.”
Yu Suzuki answered her question directly, showing no signs of backing down.
“That’s normal. Even gods are criticized; I’m not so blind to myself.”
“So, Senpai, is it true that you ‘pester’ people?” Seeing how she put it, Yu Suzuki decided to ask what was really on his mind.
“‘Pester’ sounds a bit harsh, but I do like making friends with interesting and talented people. Of course, I know that I’m often called a ruthless, scheming demon who bullies others all over the place.”
Amane Jinguu deliberately put on an innocent face, as if she were a misunderstood, kind-hearted girl.
But her next words completely betrayed that act:
“Naturally, I haven’t changed my mind at all. If someone doesn’t like it, they’ll just have to endure it.”
“That’s very much your style.” Yu Suzuki used formal speech—it really did sound like something this perfect young lady would say.
Yet, there was something he’d been curious about these past few days, something he hadn’t been able to figure out. Since he had the chance, he asked outright:
“So, Senpai, I’m really curious. What’s your reason for doing all this?”
That question made Amane Jinguu pause to think, and she stayed silent for quite some time. It was the first time Yu Suzuki had seen her like this.
“Hmm… If I had to say, it’s probably because I want to see every talented person reach their full potential.”
“Eh?”
Yu Suzuki was surprised. He’d imagined countless reasons—he even thought maybe she did it to make others submit to her.
But the answer he heard was completely different, though it did make sense.
“Whatever the case, your approach is still a little…”
“A bit too much? Maybe. But I think only when someone feels a sense of crisis can they bring out their true potential—like how an antelope runs for its life to escape a cheetah.”
“But sometimes they don’t make it out at all…” Yu Suzuki said, thinking of Aoi Hasegawa. He continued, “So, is that why Senpai Hasegawa…”
“No, her situation’s a little different. Didn’t you ask her yourself?” Amane Jinguu cut him off, explaining.
“No, I thought it was better not to poke at old wounds.”
Yu Suzuki tapped his fingers on the table unconsciously. Thinking of Aoi Hasegawa’s current state, it didn’t seem worth asking.
“Yu-kun, you’re really considerate.”
“If she doesn’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. But, more importantly, I have another question. Senpai, your method only works if people cooperate, right?”
“Yes. Most people aren’t willing to give up on things they’ve worked on for years.”
“But there are always a few exceptions…”
“True, those types are troublesome, but I find them especially interesting. From the way you’re asking, you probably know who I’m talking about, don’t you?”
A knowing smile played on Amane Jinguu’s lips. She didn’t say any names, but she threw the question right back at him.
Yu Suzuki nodded silently. This matched exactly what Chisa Shiina had told him before.
“Well, there’s nothing you can do. Not everyone wants to achieve fame and success.”
“Yes, so it’s frustrating for me, too. But now there’s a breakthrough—and that’s you, Yu-kun.”
“I really don’t want to be your guinea pig, Senpai…” Yu Suzuki complained.
“Is that so? But you seem to be enjoying yourself. Besides, it’s not like I’ve done anything too outrageous to you, have I?” Amane Jinguu smiled lightly.
“Not really, except for occasionally making things very awkward for me.”
“Then do you want to end our agreement? If you want, I’ll set you free right away.”
Amane Jinguu asked with a gentle smile, as if she really meant to look for that contract.
“No, no, no! If you end it now, Chisa will probably lock me up the moment you’re done.” Yu Suzuki hurriedly stopped her.
“What’s so bad about that? If you move into the Shiina household, maybe you’ll end up living as freely as my father does.”
“I told you, I want to be the one who conquers everything.”
“Really?” Amane Jinguu placed a sheet of paper in front of her, thinking aloud:
“Looks like I have two samples to observe…” she murmured quietly.
Yu Suzuki only caught part of what she said, and asked, “What?”
“Nothing. Speaking of which, I’m really curious, Yu-kun—why not just ‘conquer’ Chisa directly?”
“Because Chisa is too strong.”
Such a self-deprecating line made Amane Jinguu laugh out loud again.
“As I thought, you really are an interesting person. I’m genuinely curious about your future.”
At that moment, the student council room door was knocked, and a member of the Executive Committee walked in.
“Excuse me, is Auditor Suzuki here?”
Auditor was Yu Suzuki’s position in the student council. In a way, Amane Jinguu had granted him considerable authority.
“I’m here,” Yu Suzuki replied.
“Oh, this is about the Music Club’s request for a performance venue. We spoke with you about it before. Just to confirm—Auditor Suzuki, your group will be performing an ensemble, right?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, I’ll note that down. As for the venue, you’ll need to go inspect the arrangements yourself.”
“No problem, I’ll call the club president right away.”
Without delay, Yu Suzuki explained the situation to Amane Jinguu and left with the Executive Committee member.
After he left, Amane Jinguu leaned back in the president’s chair, deep in thought, murmuring to herself:
“An ensemble, with those two? Did he study music too? He didn’t seem like it before, and I couldn’t find anything… Is he just cramming at the last minute…?”
Then, the president shook her head.
“Whatever, I’ll just check it out myself when the time comes.”