A week had passed since Ishigami visited the high school student council... During that time, Ishigami had been frequently helping out with the disciplinary committee's work. Having successfully retired from his club activities at the end of last month, Ishigami was spending his free time with the disciplinary committee... Originally, the disciplinary committee was short-handed, and Ishigami's excellent paperwork skills also played a part, earning him the trust of the other committee members and allowing him to freely enter and leave the disciplinary committee's classroom as a helper. Today, as he was processing documents with materials in hand, Iino Miko approached him...
"Today's meeting will focus on sorting out the equipment needed for the school sports festival, which is just three months away."
I looked up at that statement.
"Iino, isn't that the job of the organizing committee?"
"Ah, it seems Ishigami doesn't know. The organizing committee is only in charge of preparing for the sports festival, and the disciplinary committee is in charge of checking the equipment."
"The disciplinary committee...?"
Ishigami's confusion is understandable. After all, when he was a first-year high school student, the student council was in charge of checking the equipment for the sports festival.
(Now that I think about it, I remember Iino's gaze towards the chairman was strangely intense starting the day after the equipment check... what was that all about?)
I-Iino-san... I-I was so scared!
You... you piece of trash!
Damn it! I can't argue with that...
Ishigami had no way of knowing that something like this had happened.
"Well, I can understand why Ishigami thinks it's strange, because this kind of thing is supposed to be the student council's job."
"Oh, so that's it... Then why?"
Ishigami questions the words of the Great Buddha.
"Basically, it seems like the student council is using their busy schedule as an excuse to dump work on me..."
"That's also..."
The only student council Ishigami knew was the one led by Shirogane Miyuki, the one he himself had belonged to. Having watched Shirogane Miyuki sincerely engage with the students and diligently and wholeheartedly participate in school events, Ishigami considered the middle school student council to be one or two levels lower in status.
"Then I'll help too."
Ishigami's statement caused a stir in the classroom.
"Are you really sure about this, Ishigami-kun?"
"Thank you, Ishigami-senpai!"
"Is Ishigami really okay with this?"
Unlike the other disciplinary committee members who were excited, Iino asked with a apologetic expression.
"Oh, it's fine. You'll need a man's help, right?"
"Yes, but..."
"Miko-chan, Ishigami is saying this for us, so let's go along with it."
"Okay, then we'll divide the members, including Ishigami."
Once the members were assigned, each group headed to their respective posts.
Ishigami was put in charge of the gym storage room, while the other members were Iino Miko, Osaragi Kobachi, and a second-year male member of the disciplinary committee.
"Cough, it's really dusty..."
Iino puts a handkerchief to her mouth and grimaces.
"It can't be helped, Miko-chan. This place is basically just a storage room because it only holds equipment for the sports festival..."
"I wish I'd brought a mask."
"Well, there's no other way. Let's just quickly check and get going, seniors."
Prompted by their juniors, each of them began checking the equipment.
"Hmm? Hey, Great Buddha, what's this?"
"Huh? ...Oh, that's a portable battery that we use for announcements at the school sports festival."
"Is it really okay to leave something like that in a place like this?"
"Well, it's not that dusty, so it should be fine, right? It looks like it can still be used if you charge it, but we'll have to check that later."
"Okay, a portable battery, then..."
"What's wrong, Ishigami?"
"No, it's nothing. Let's just get this over with."
After checking the remaining equipment in about 30 minutes, everyone was finally released from the warehouse.
"Phew... It's a relief that most of the equipment was usable as is, Miko-chan?"
"Yes, it looks like we won't need to submit a new application for this equipment, so that's a relief."
"Okay, so we'll disband here for today! Thanks for all your hard work, seniors!"
The younger guy said only that and then ran off.
"That kid is just..."
"Now, now, Miko-chan. And Ishigami... thanks for today, too."
"Oh, no, I'm glad I was able to be of some help. I gained something from it too... "
"Huh? What?"
"No, it's nothing. Well, you both did a great job."
"Yes, good work."
"Oh, good work."
Ishigami turns his back on the two and starts walking away.
"..."
(The battery, huh? Well, then the only thing left is...)
Ishigami's idea will only take shape after the summer holidays.