"Sure. I’ll pamper you after we’re done here."

Haruko’s lips stretched into a satisfied smile, and her mood shot up instantly. The next Club President was surprised at how the girl suddenly became energetic, sparing her from Haruko’s scrutiny of her slightly modified ‘item list’.

But well, I already stepped away at that point and moved towards Komoe, who was sorting out the envelopes at the far end. The moment she sensed my approach, her head snapped up. Her wide, innocent yet desire-filled eyes locked onto me almost instantly.

"R-Ruki!" She blurted, loud enough that half the room turned. She immediately ducked, hiding from their gazes while her cheeks flushed crimson.

Once she recovered, the girl hastily shoved a stack of envelopes, with one of them a little thicker, into my hand before pushing the glasses up her nose.

"Here are the ones you have to distribute. Shouko-senpai gave you the list, right? The thick envelope contains smaller denominations that you can distribute to those who will be asking for an additional budget that Sister Shizu and Sister Haruko didn’t approve."

"Mhm. I got it." I nodded before sneakily squeezing her hand. The gesture instantly energized her as she beamed a beautiful smile.

"Good. I wish to keep you here with me but... we’re too busy. So..."

As she trailed her there, Komoe fidgeted slightly before lowering her voice to a whisper. "I’ll settle for a kiss."

This girl. Her usual shyness had given way to her boldness in these stolen moments.

I glanced around us. Taking the opportunity that the attention was already minimal, I tilted Komoe’s chin up and kissed the girl softly, just long enough for us not to be too conspicuous.

When her lips separated, the girl’s smile became even brighter.

"Later again," I promised before starting to move back to where the sickly manipulator was.

Komoe nodded eagerly before pushing me away with both hands, her face burning as she returned to organizing envelopes with renewed fervor.

Upon reaching the table and chair, I placed the envelopes on one side before glancing at Minami Shouko, who was looking at me incredulously. She’d been following me with her eyes, after all.

"Senpai, do you also need my greeting? You know, just an exercise to strengthen our bond." I teasingly asked.

"Exercise, my foot! Focus on your work... I’ll help you out with sorting the papers." Minami Shouko rolled her eyes before shuffling the documents efficiently, her fingers moving with practiced precision despite the amused quirk of her lips.

The moment I settled behind the desk, the first disgruntled club president, the Astronomy Club President, marched over with her arms crossed.

"Onoda-san, our planetarium exhibit requires specialized blacklight paint. The budget allocated won’t cover it. I modified the budget, adding its cost. President Asakura refused and she just handed the original budget and told me to wait for you."

Sure enough, Shizu had already arranged this role for me. Now it made me a little guilty that I came almost thirty minutes late.

I glanced at the Astronomy Club President’s revised budget with the neatly handwritten addition, focusing on the price of that specialized paint.

My brows furrowed slightly, "Why is it this expensive, senpai? 5,000 yen? A pint should be enough for the booth, right?"

The Astronomy Club President shook her head firmly, making her round glasses also fall off her nose. "We’re creating constellations across the entire ceiling, Onoda-san. The cheaper alternatives bleed under blacklight. This one maintains vibrancy for the full festival duration."

Minami Shouko leaned in to whisper, "Her club’s exhibit placed second last year. It’d be a shame to downgrade quality now."

Oh... So that’s the case. But still, it’s quite pricey. Even though Hayashi-sensei intentionally added a spare budget to be used on this kind of occasion, I can’t simply approve of it.

"It’s not about quality, senpai." I slightly shook my head at Minami Shouko’s words before facing the hopeful gaze of the Club President, "It’s an oversight if you only remembered this after the budget has already been approved."

Disappointment flashed over the Astronomy Club president’s face as she adjusted her glasses. "I-I know, it’s my fault... but Onoda-kun. Can you... at least add enough to buy a pint? I’ll make up for the rest from my wallet."

"Alright, an additional 2,000 yen." I acted troubled at first before eventually giving in. "But you owe our Student Council a private tour of your planetarium exhibit."

The Astronomy Club President’s entire demeanor brightened, her shoulders lifting as she clutched the revised budget sheet with both hands. "T-thank you, Onoda-san! I’ll make sure it’s worth your while!" She bowed deeply, her round glasses nearly slipping off again in her enthusiasm.

Minami Shouko handed me the paper bill discreetly under the table before I slid it into the Astronomy Club’s envelope. The Club President clutched it with both hands before she started signing on the paper for the record. Once she was done, she bowed deeply again before scurrying off with renewed energy.

The moment she was out of earshot, Minami Shouko leaned towards me with a smirk, "That was cruel, making her think you’d deny her request."

"Was it? The paint is still expensive," I shrugged while sorting through the next set of envelopes. "Besides, she’ll work twice as hard now to prove it’s worth the extra funds."

"... I can’t say you’re wrong. You’re really good at this, huh?"

"Not exactly. I bet if you’re the one here in my seat, you’ll do this better. If you can manipulate me to play your game, it’ll be easy for you to deal with them." I countered while gesturing at the remaining Club Presidents waiting on the side.

Minami Shouko let out a sigh, "Sure, sure. Stop with your silver tongue. It won’t work with me. Besides, you’re the most suited for that seat. That’s why the President reserved it for you. Don’t disappoint her."

"Of course. I’ll never disappoint my girl."

"Showoff." She rolled her eyes again before gesturing for the next Club President to step forward.

With this, I spent the next few minutes handing out budgets to those on the list and dealing with the complaints and the president’s asking for an additional budget that they boldly added today.

Like with the Astrology Club President, Minami Shouko became my source of information about the clubs that I didn’t know much about. With her help, I navigated through their complaints and requests, prioritizing those who had valid reasons and those who had already invested time and effort into their projects. Some of them were even willing to compromise if I gave them additional budget, while others were just trying their luck.

Of course, I didn’t just approve everything. If their reasoning was weak, I’d reject them outright. However, I made sure to cushion the blow with a compliment about their enthusiasm. Those who were persistent got a playful challenge like ’Convince me in ten seconds why your club deserves this more than the others.’

Most stumbled, but a few managed to surprise me with their quick thinking.

Suzuki Yumika was among those who waited until the end. When the last of the club presidents had left, she approached with a hesitant smile, clutching her envelope tightly. "Onoda-kun, uhm we’re going to shop after this. Are you free?"

Her question was more like asking if I could accompany her now and hand her my promised sponsorship money.

Yeah. She’s not here to complain or try her luck. Since I already promised her, she really waited until the end of the line before approaching me.

I smiled at her before gently shaking my head, "Unfortunately, I’m not so free today, senpai. But I’ll give you half of what I promised. Tomorrow, I’ll visit your club to check on you. That’s when I’ll hand over the rest."

"Eh? You said... you want to accompany me..." Suzuki’s voice cracked slightly as she fiddled with her envelope, the hopeful light in her eyes dimming. The subtle slump of her shoulders betrayed her disappointment better than words ever could. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Huh? Is she looking forward to it?

Yeah. Right. It’s possible. After all, with my current appearance, I slipped into the top five on the list of attractive male students that the girls in our school secretly polled last week. Unlike the first one, which only included all those in Year 1, this time, even those from Years 2 and 3 were included.

I chuckled before reaching out to pat Suzuki-senpai’s head. "I apologize, senpai. I didn’t actually mean it. I’m just making sure you’re not lying to me."

Her eyes widened in confusion before narrowing with realization, "I... I see."

Looking at the disappointment twisting Suzuki-senpai’s lips, I sighed internally. Her reaction was more transparent than she realized. So much for the girl who was too confident in herself just because she got featured in a magazine.

But then again, I’m still the one at fault. I’m still underestimating my charm.

"You’re the worst, Onoda-kun."

I heard Minami Shouko playfully whisper behind me.