COTE: Sōsuke Aizen, The Poet Chapter 43 43

The student council room after school was filled with its usual heavy, stagnant atmosphere.

Miyabi Nagumo, the newly appointed student council president, lounged arrogantly behind his spacious desk, while the two second-years he had brought in as followers—whom I had already ntally categorized as "Mob A" and "Mob B"—sat at the desks beside him.

They were technically working, flipping through docunts and moving their pens around.

But their processing speed was painfully slow, like turtles crawling along, and every few minutes they would stop to chat and laugh uselessly.

anwhile, first-year secretary Honami Ichinose and I, the vice president, worked silently without pause.

(...They're technically working, I guess, but why have they been staring at the sa docunt for the last several dozen minutes? I could finish that in five seconds. Seriously incompetent.)

Internally sighing dramatically, I continued clearing mountains of paperwork at terrifying speed.

Then—

As if cutting straight through the stale atmosphere, a confident knock echoed through the room.

Without even waiting for a response, the heavy door swung open.

"—Pardon the intrusion. So this is going to be my new playground from today onward?"

The one who entered was a beautiful girl with long silver hair that shimred in the evening sunlight pouring through the windows. Wearing a fearless smile and walking with complete confidence, the second-year Class B student entered the room.

Fuuka Kiryuuin.

The instant Nagumo saw her, the smug smile vanished from his face.

And Kiriyama, the vice president, clenched his pen so hard it looked like it might snap.

"...Kiryuuin. What do you want?"

Nagumo's voice was probing, unable to fully conceal his displeasure.

"Don't screw around, Kiryuuin…! You don't even cooperate with your class's special exams, so why the hell are you stepping into the student council room?! Get out imdiately!"

Despite being in the sa class, Kiryuuin pursued only her own interests and never contributed to the class's victories, so Kiriyama openly glared at her with fury.

But Kiryuuin acted as though the two of them were no more significant than pebbles on the roadside.

Without even glancing at Nagumo or Kiriyama, she walked straight toward my desk.

"Sousuke Aizen. I ca as promised. ...So, how exactly do you intend to entertain ?"

At those words, Nagumo and the two mob followers frowned simultaneously.

I calmly placed my pen down and rose gracefully to welco her.

(Good, good, she actually ca! With her here, Nagumo and his lackeys should calm down a bit. Welco aboard!)

"—Welco... to my student council."

(Translation: Welco to the student council! Glad to have you here!)

"'Your' student council...?!"

A thick vein bulged on Nagumo's forehead.

"Don't screw with , Aizen! The student council isn't your personal property! More importantly, only the president has the authority to appoint council mbers!"

Kiriyama slamd his desk and stood up, shouting furiously.

But Kiryuuin rely shrugged and turned a mocking gaze toward Nagumo.

"Oh? How strange. Nagumo, didn't you loudly proclaim in front of the entire school that 'the student council welcos anyone who wishes to join, and its doors will always remain open'? Surely the president himself wouldn't go back on his own words so quickly?"

"Ghk...!"

Nagumo froze after being struck right where it hurt.

It was true—he had publicly made that declaration to show off his supposed magnanimity. If he rejected Kiryuuin now due to personal feelings, it would damage his image.

(Nice assist, Kiryuuin-senpai! Nicely done. Ti for to finish this off and lock in her mbership. 'She wanted to join, so I approved it. What's the problem?')

Keeping a perfectly composed expression, I addressed Nagumo and the others.

"—Your permission was never required to begin with. I have acknowledged her right to stand upon this board. No further justification exists."

(Translation: She said she wanted to join, so I approved it. There's no problem, right?)

"You little... Aizen...! I'm telling you that you don't have the authority to approve anything!!"

Nagumo finally stood up and shouted at .

"Know your place, first-year!!!"

Nagumo was now on the verge of exploding, and Kiriyama was practically foaming with rage.

The student council room had beco a complete battlefield.

"M-Maybe everyone should calm down! Nagumo-senpai, Kiriyama-senpai! If Kiryuuin-senpai joins us, we'll have more manpower, right?! And Aizen-kun, you shouldn't provoke the upperclassn either!"

(Ichinoseee! I'm really sorry!! I honestly am trying not to provoke him unnecessarily... but whenever I deal with Nagumo, my roasting ability reaches peak condition sohow!)

In the end, thanks to Ichinose desperately diating, Nagumo had no choice but to reluctantly accept Kiryuuin into the student council.

"—Now then. Since you've descended onto the ga board, you can't simply remain a spectator. As a beginning, sweep away this mountain of paper with your talents, Kiryuuin."

(Translation: Could you handle these docunts, Kiryuuin-senpai?)

"Ahahahaha! I see. So this is a challenge for to prove my brilliance by clearing this tedious mountain of paper? Very well, I graciously accept this stage."

While Kiryuuin's interpretation wasn't quite as accurate as Hiyori's translations, her naturally confident personality caused her to take my words as a positive challenge to display her talents.

Laughing boldly, she accepted the stack of docunts.

(Oh? She interpreted that super positively and got motivated!)

After the storm settled, I sat beside Kiryuuin and began teaching her the practical work of the student council.

(Yep, this is truly "fighting poison with poison." Nagumo and Kiriyama are so irritated by Kiryuuin's presence that they don't even have the ntal space to ss with anymore.)

Smirking internally, I observed her work from the corner of my eye.

And then—

I was surprised.

After being shown the process only once, Kiryuuin flawlessly handled complicated approval forms and budget docunts at incredible speed without making a single mistake.

(Amazing...! I already forgot their nas, but compared to those two useless Nagumo followers fumbling around over there, Kiryuuin-senpai on her first day is several tis more competent already! She may be a free spirit, but she actually does things properly. We recruited an insanely valuable person!)

Thanks to her excellent work, the student council's tasks finished much earlier than usual that day.

"—Today's farce ends here. Rest your wings, Ichinose, Kiryuuin."

(Translation: That's it for today's work. Good job, Ichinose and Kiryuuin-senpai.)

"Yep! Good work!"

"Indeed. Most of the work was rather dull, but spending ti with you two wasn't unpleasant."

While Ichinose politely bowed and said, "Excuse us," Kiryuuin and I left the student council room without even bothering to say goodbye to Nagumo and the others.

Walking down the hallway, I spoke to Ichinose.

"—Now then, let us return to our castle. We must continue forging the sharp blades that will pierce the enemy's throat together with our comrades."

(Translation: Let's hurry back to the classroom and join the study group and exam preparation!)

Then Kiryuuin, walking beside us, tilted her head curiously.

"Oh? Aizen, Ichinose. Aren't you going to hold a 'welco party' for ? After all, I went out of my way to join your student council."

"Ah...!"

Ichinose suddenly looked genuinely apologetic and clasped her hands together.

"S-Sorry, Kiryuuin-senpai! We actually have an important study session for our class's special exam after this... We really don't have ti today!"

"I see. Preparing for the Paper Shuffle, huh? How diligent of you."

Rather than complaining, Kiryuuin rely laughed softly.

"Then after that is fine. Forget those boring people—how about just the three of us go out for a small dinner together?"

(Ooh, a dinner invitation. Looks like Kiryuuin-senpai likes us too. Ichinose has been working hard, so maybe I should treat everyone to sothing good! And while we're at it, let's invite Hiyori too!)

Internally nodding, I answered her proposal.

"—The conversations of the stars require no mundane servants. I shall personally prepare the finest banquet upon this board."

(Translation: Let's eat at my room instead of eating out. I'll cook for everyone.)

"Umm...? Does that an Aizen-kun is going to cook for us in his room?"

With Hiyori absent, Ichinose tilted her head while trying desperately to interpret my words.

"Ahahahaha! I see, your cooking? Now that sounds interesting. I'll gladly look forward to it."

Kiryuuin laughed loudly and accepted the proposal.

"Oh! Then can we invite Hiyori-chan too? She's been helping with the study sessions every day too..."

"Shiina Hiyori... the adorable girl who was with you yesterday? Of course. I don't mind."

And thus, after the study session ended that evening, a small welco party and dinner for the four of us was arranged in my room.

By the ti night had fully fallen, Ichinose, Hiyori, and Kiryuuin had all gathered in my dorm room.

"Oh? This room is surprisingly clean and relaxing for a boy's room."

Dressed casually, Kiryuuin looked around the room with impressed curiosity.

"Excuse us, Sousuke-kun!"

"Aizen-kun, we're intruding~!"

I imdiately put on an apron and headed for the kitchen.

"Sousuke-kun, I'll help too. Should I wash the vegetables?"

Hiyori naturally tied on an apron and quietly stood beside .

"Yeah, thanks."

"Leave it to ."

While Hiyori and I worked together in the kitchen to the pleasant rhythm of chopping sounds, Ichinose and Kiryuuin chatted at the dining table about what had happened in the student council earlier.

"Still, Ichinose. Why does soone as straightforward as you continue staying in a corrupted student council under Nagumo? Surely quitting is also an option."

Swirling the water in her glass, Kiryuuin asked calmly.

"...You may be right that the current student council isn't in a healthy state with Nagumo-senpai controlling everything. But because of that, soone has to keep working from the inside for the students' sake. Aizen-kun always finishes his work first too... so I'm not alone."

"I see. It's naive in a way, but I don't dislike that about you."

Looking into Ichinose's honest eyes, Kiryuuin smiled with satisfaction.

(Alright! While those two are getting along nicely, it's ti to unleash Aizen-spec cooking skills at full power and prepare an ultimate dinner! The nu: homade roast beef salad, rich carbonara pasta, and for the main dish, beef stew slowly simred in red wine!)

Soon, the rich aroma of gourt food spread throughout the room.

Before long, dishes worthy of a luxury restaurant filled the dining table.

"Hehe, Aizen-kun and Hiyori-chan's cooking is incredible! Kiryuuin-senpai, hurry and eat before it gets cold!"

"Then I shall gladly partake."

Kiryuuin picked up her fork and took a bite of the roast beef.

The mont she did—

Her sharp, cool eyes widened to their absolute limit.

"Wha...?! What is this?!"

She gasped in astonishnt and stared at as though seeing sothing unbelievable.

"The flavor of the at is perfectly sealed inside...! The balance of acidity and sweetness in the sauce is exquisite! And the stew at lts in the mouth like snow...! Aizen, are you really a high school student?! This surpasses even first-class hotel chefs!"

(Yessss!! Even the always composed Kiryuuin-senpai is shocked and impressed! Aizen-spec truly is unbeatable!!)

Internally celebrating, I calmly sipped water while outwardly maintaining my composed expression.

"Amazing... Aizen, you truly are an interesting man. Not only intelligence and physical ability, but cooking skill of this level as well...? ...Tell , would it be alright if I occasionally ca here again for als?"

Brushing back her silver hair, Kiryuuin smiled in an unusually good mood.

And then—

(Hm? Hiyori's hand stopped moving.)

I noticed that the girl beside had frozen while holding her fork, her head lowered slightly.

(Is she full already? Or was the stew too rich?)

Kiryuuin glanced briefly at Hiyori before grinning mischievously and adding:

"...Of course, Shiina and Ichinose would be invited too. If I monopolized such exquisite food alone, I'd probably be punished by heaven."

"...!"

The mont Hiyori heard that, she imdiately lifted her face again, her smile blooming brightly like a flower.

"Y-Yes! Let's all eat together again soti, Kiryuuin-senpai!"

(Oh, so she just wanted everyone to eat together. Hiyori really is such a thoughtful girl.)

Relieved by Hiyori's smile, I continued eating.

After dinner, Hiyori happily stood up and said, "I'll prepare so tea," before serving everyone fresh black tea.

As the elegant sweetness of Darjeeling tea filled the room, we chatted casually about the student council, school life, and other trivial things.

"Still, the unity of your Class A is impressive. In this school dominated by Nagumo, I truly look forward to seeing how your class overturns the board."

Sipping her tea, Kiryuuin narrowed her eyes in satisfaction.

I placed my teacup gently onto the saucer, slowly looked around at the three gathered before , and quietly spoke.

"—There is no need to overturn the board from the beginning. The very path I walk shall beco the new law itself. ...For the throne has always existed beside ."

"Oh honestly, Sousuke-kun. ...What he ans is, 'Let's all continue working together and overco every challenge from now on too,' Kiryuuin-senpai."

"Ahahahaha! So you're his personal translator, then! Shiina, you're quite entertaining too!"

My supre fashionable poetry was perfectly neutralized by Hiyori's flawless translations and Kiryuuin's hearty laughter, and so the warm dinner gathering continued peacefully late into the night.