"President, please approve our next expedition." Politely, Saori placed a set of papers on top of the table, then took a step back to create space between herself and the table.
The constant scratching sound that was echoing through the air stopped right at this moment. The president's hand had stopped moving after finishing what seemed to be a record of some sort.
But from this far away, Saori couldn't make out what the words were.
"...Saori. This kind of formality doesn't suit you."
"..."
Hearing the President's words regarding her, Saori couldn't help but feel cold sweat trickle down her back.
Perhaps she had chosen the wrong words at this moment... would her application be rejected?
But the other members were looking forward to it too... Saori doesn't want to be the bringer of bad news to them.
The President, seemingly noticing Saori's fear, sighed, which caused Saori to flinch in response.
"Rejected. Request it in another form." After glancing at the papers Saori had placed on her table, the President turned her attention back to her written reports.
Seeing this, Saori clenched her fist slightly behind her.
'Rejected... but not out of options...' The question is, how should she request it? Directly? Isn't that too informal and straightforward?
Wouldn't it paint her in a bad light in the President's eyes?
Her heartbeat quickened, but she did not speak for a while.
For quite some time, only the sound of pen against paper echoed through the air, and the occasional pages being flipped.
The President never took her eyes away from her papers, almost as if Saori wasn't standing right in the same room as her.
And Saori still hasn't built up enough courage nor idea to apply for another... expedition.
It was at this moment, when Saori was about to give up and exit the room, that the President's voice caught her off guard.
"Your personality is not this reserved, I know. I've been with you much longer than you could remember."
"Is it really that hard to bow your head for the sake of your family?"
The words struck Saori deeply, painting her dilemma for all the world to see.
The President continued, "For the sake of family, you'd sacrifice everything in your arsenal, including yourself."
"Even so, you failed. It was within my expectations that you failed." As she said that, a memory of the day they met Kasuka floated in Saori's mind, and a certain voice caught her attention from back then.
"I'll look forward to her future. Take good care of her, Saori... Though I'm sure it wouldn't be long before you show me how incompetent you can be."
"..."
"I am not here to criticize you, Saori. You came here at your own accord, after all." The President said, her mask-covered face still hidden from the public. "If I scare you off anytime you come to me, I won't be able to achieve my goals."
"I am simply wondering why you changed your behavior. Your previous self was already good enough as she was. Did her death impact you that much?"
Saori clenched her teeth and gave her response, "...I know I am incompetent, I know that already. If it were anyone other than me, they would've saved her."
"...I was never fit to be the leader."
She could barely keep the tears from escaping her eyes, biting her lips hard enough for blood to almost bleed through.
"...But it's my responsibility as the eldest." Her voice turned low and murky, revealing the thoughts that had been swirling inside her head for a while with no outlet to take them.
'...Mental health is at risk. Hm, in that case-'
"Saori."
"..."
"Request it again."
"..."
"I will not repeat myself, request it in a way that you would convince your team members."
Saori loosened her grip, the blood began flowing in her knuckles again, and her lips had a small scar that would've punctured her skin had she bit harder.
"...We will be exploring the Arius District, searching for her traces."
Behind the mask, the President smiled. "Accepted. Come here, Saori."
Saori followed the order and arrived in front of the President, who pointed behind her at the bookshelves.
"Take anything you want. For today, I will turn a blind eye to the things you took." After saying that, the President turned her attention back to her papers, completely ignoring the shocked expression of Saori that would make the rest of the Arius Squad laugh.
"You- Ah, huh?" Saori couldn't even initiate a comprehensible sentence; she was in a state of extreme emotion right now.
Never mind you, every single person who tried to steal from the President's Office had been beaten so badly that their faces became unrecognizable.
With that kind of example, there's no way anyone else would want to become the next victim.
Due to this incident, everyone turned curious as to what kind of documents were hidden inside the President's office, but none dared to let their curiosity get the best of them.
Until now, that is.
"...Thank you." Silently muttering her thanks to the President, Saori hesitantly made her way to the bookshelves. As she was within an arm's reach, she turned her head slightly to look at the adult working in her own chair.
Seeing no sudden movement to prevent her from taking anything, Saori let out a sigh of relief... before the President's voice caused another heart attack to occur.
"Take the yellow file on the third row. Knowing you, you'd need it for your 'expedition'." After saying her piece, the President stood and walked towards the exit, her movement confident without any missteps.
"..." After her heart calmed down, Saori exhaled a lungful of air through her mouth, turning back around to grab the yellow file the President had specifically pointed out.
From the cover, it was nothing special.
A plain yellow cover with little to no protection. But as she opened the first page...
Student Record: Karumi Kasuka
A smile tugged at her lips.
---
Advanced Chapters are out in the Discord Server!
https://discord.gg/2SBVe7SN2b