Crammed into the Beautification Committee's grand conference hall with over twenty students, Naoki did her best to shrink into the corner alongside Hanatemari, trying to minimize her presence.
"Where's Chairwoman Miharu-taki?"
"She's off collecting overdue casino management fees. You know, from that casino wrecker."
"Oh right, that girl—Yumemi Midari, wasn't it? She won the management rights to a bunch of casinos through gambling, but she doesn't actually run them or pay the fees. Arrogant as hell, but clearly not without skill—takes some guts to wreck that many casinos."
Hearing a familiar name crop up, Naoki instinctively pricked up her ears.
The committee members hadn't forced them to kneel in repentance or anything since bringing them in, so Naoki took a few quiet steps closer to the group, trying to listen more clearly.
"Yeah, I heard her family's loaded, but she still refuses to pay up. Wonder if the Chairwoman will manage to collect."
Just then, a stern-faced woman with neatly cut shoulder-length black hair stood up.
"Topics that shouldn't be discussed ought not to be discussed—especially not in front of outsiders. Watch your words."
"S-sorry, Vice-Chairwoman Hahazaki…"
The Beautification Committee members—who usually strutted around enforcing rules like arrogant peacocks—instantly clammed up under the reprimand. The room gradually fell silent.
Naoki: …
As expected, the hierarchy within the student council departments was brutally rigid.
Or rather, the whole school functioned like a miniature society.
"Hey, Kaguro… have you noticed that woman hasn't changed her expression once? Keeping a poker face that long has to be exhausting."
"Uh, let's not talk… She might yell at us too," Kaguro replied nervously, clearly still shaken by Hahazaki's earlier outburst.
They waited for over twenty minutes. Just as the rest of the students began fidgeting, visibly struggling with the tension, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed, and the large doors finally opened.
"Chairwoman Miharu-taki, welcome back."
A cluster of Beautification Committee members rushed to greet her, blocking Naoki's line of sight entirely.
"Were you able to retrieve the overdue fees?"
A male voice responded, "Of course! The Chairwoman just beautifully won a gambling match against Yumemi Midari and recovered the debt."
"You wouldn't believe how outrageous that girl was—she even brought a few delinquents with her. We were almost ready to resort to force."
"But then she challenged the Chairwoman to a gamble, tried to cheat, and ended up getting played by her own tricks."
"What's going on over here?" A clear, composed female voice rang out. Even without seeing her, Naoki could tell what kind of person she was.
Each word was enunciated precisely, with steady rhythm and crisp tone—an indication of an exacting personality. And the fact that she remained calm despite being surrounded by subordinates revealed her commanding presence within the committee.
The crowd parted, finally revealing Naoki's latest mission target—Sakura Miharu-taki.
Anyone laying eyes on her for the first time would immediately think: graceful and elegant.
Yes, Sakura's looks were certainly striking—but it was her dignified composure that left a lasting impression.
Grace like that isn't something money can buy—it's cultivated over time, often from childhood. That's why nouveau riche imitators always fall short of the old-money elite.
And Sakura Miharu-taki exuded the unmistakable air of a highborn lady. One glance was enough to know—this girl came from serious pedigree.
Maybe it was because Naoki had been staring, but Sakura's gaze soon shifted from the center of the room to meet hers.
Startled, Naoki instinctively dropped her eyes. But remembering her mission, she quickly looked up again—and found Sakura still watching her.
Meeting that poised expression head-on was… stifling. It was like being a grade schooler caught under a teacher's watchful eye—every instinct told her to look away.
"Host!"
The voice of the system suddenly echoed in her mind. Naoki flinched but responded mentally.
Naoki: "What is it?"
System: "What do you mean, 'what is it'? Have you forgotten your mission? You're supposed to be gathering intel on the target—so why are you hiding?"
Ugh, this system really was too diligent. Was it earning performance points based on her progress? Probably. Definitely.
Scolded into focus, Naoki's nerves settled. She began carefully observing Sakura Miharu-taki.
High ponytail, immaculately neat—clearly the kind of person who lived by rules and order. A model student. The leader type.
Everyone at the academy had to wear a uniform, so Naoki's gaze quickly fell to Sakura's wristwatch.
That brand—she'd seen it in some luxury magazine before. Swiss, if she remembered correctly. A single watch from that line cost tens of millions.
The realization hit her like a brick: I am painfully poor.
System: "Is that all you've realized? Your poverty?"
Naoki: "Huh? System, why are you chiming in again?"
System: "I told you to observe her. So—what did you actually learn?"
Naoki paused, then answered in her head: "She's really rich."
System: "… And how does that affect your strategy?"
Naoki thought hard. Right. Sakura was from an elite background, and filthy rich. That meant using gambling as a pretext to approach her wouldn't work—she had no reason to care about money.
Naoki didn't have the kind of capital that could make someone like her flinch. Plus, while social classes weren't totally immutable, people usually stuck to their own circles.
A regular student like Naoki had no overlap with the student council elite. The gulf between them was just too vast.
"You're telling me you all caused this mess just because you wanted to ask her out?" one of the committee members asked, incredulous after hearing the female students' explanation.
A barrage of skeptical stares landed on Naoki, but fortunately, she was deep in thought about Sakura's traits and didn't embarrass herself under the scrutiny.
She's pretty, sure—but not that pretty, right?
At first, the committee thought they were breaking up a fight. When they saw Naoki and Hanatemari surrounded, they assumed it was bullying—especially since a crowd of girls had caused the disturbance. It screamed group harassment.
But no one had any injuries, which proved things hadn't escalated.
Hanatemari tried her best to explain their innocence. Apparently, these girls just wanted to invite Naoki out for coffee or something.
"Chairwoman, how should we handle this?" someone asked.
After a moment, Sakura replied, "Since there were no serious consequences, there's no need to deduct points. However—"
"You clearly harassed Utsugi. She made it clear she wasn't interested, yet you persisted, which led to this disruption." Her gaze swept over the girls, and each of them instinctively looked down.
"Therefore, your punishment is to clean the school for a week. Consider it a contribution to the Beautification Committee. Any objections?"
Silence. No one dared to protest. They were already lucky to escape without disciplinary points.
Naoki raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Naoki: "System, system—she's really… proper."
This could've easily been blown out of proportion. The Beautification Committee could've exaggerated the offense and come down hard on the girls.
After all, wielding authority often brings pleasure. That's why bullying the "livestock" and mocking the weak was so common at this school.
But Sakura Miharu-taki didn't overstep her power. Nor did she get cold feet just because there were too many offenders to punish.
Punishing people—even justly—usually breeds resentment. You might hold the power today, but if you ever fall from grace, those you've crossed will be the first to kick you while you're down.
That's why most people tend to play the peacemaker—to avoid future blowback.
As things wrapped up, Naoki realized she hadn't even exchanged a single word with Sakura. She wasn't even sure if the girl had remembered her full name.
Determined, she stepped forward and said earnestly, "Chairwoman Miharu-taki, thank you so much."
Sakura glanced at her briefly, then looked away. "No need to thank me. It's simply my duty."
And with that, she turned and walked off with several committee members, as if there were more pressing matters to attend to.
Naoki: …
Naoki: "System, that beauty pill you gave me—was it a scam? My looks aren't bad now, right? Not stunning, maybe, but still solid!"
Naoki: "So why didn't she give me a second glance?"
She'd hoped to use this chance to ask her out for a meal or something, but judging by Sakura's reaction, she clearly didn't consider Naoki worth her time.
System: "And why do you think that is?"
System: "The charm buff you rely on works like a hormonal spike—it excites people in the short term. But those with strong mental discipline can resist it. Understand?"
Naoki thought it through. Material conditions shape consciousness. Consciousness, in turn, affects behavior.
So someone with a powerful mind could override physical impulses. And if she hadn't even used a charm card—only her natural beauty—then it made sense.
Plenty of people get excited at the sight of a beautiful woman when they're single. But once they're in love, the reaction dulls—or disappears entirely.
Such people are often described as "faithful."
From everything she'd seen, Sakura Miharu-taki was meticulous and rule-abiding.
If she already had a fiancé, then of course she wouldn't entertain flirtation from anyone else.
That realization sent a chill down Naoki's spine. Good thing she hadn't tried a direct approach—she would've come off as a frivolous girl, instantly disliked.
That would've been game over.
Damn, this one's going to be really hard to win over.
No gambling.
No flirting.
So how can she get closer to her?