After school, on the way to the station.
Iroha was walking while chatting and laughing with her two best friends, discussing the latest lip gloss and weekend outing plans. She enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by others, enjoyed her position as the center of attention.
Suddenly, she felt a gaze from behind, following like a shadow.
Not the type of adoring gaze she usually received, but rather a kind of... gaze observing prey, so calm it made hair stand on end.
Without changing her expression, she glanced behind through her phone screen's reflection.
A male student, wearing a Sobu High uniform with the topmost button tightly fastened, was following them at a not-too-distant distance. His expression was strange; not shy, not lewd either, just pure observation without emotion.
Iroha's heart pounded.
(Stalker? Or...)
Her best friend also noticed: "Iroha-chan, that guy behind, is he looking at you? He feels so strange."
Iroha began calculating quickly in her head.
(Judging from his appearance, he doesn't look like a delinquent. Could it be... a love confession?)
She quickly entered "service mode," putting on her reliable sweet smile, ready to play the drama of "Confused Junior."
She stopped her steps, turned around, and proactively approached that student.
"Um... Senpai?" She tilted her head, her voice sweet to the point of nausea. "Sorry, you keep following us, is there something?"
Her best friends also put on expressions as if watching an interesting show.
Darius stopped his steps and returned her gaze. He was completely unaffected by that carefully calculated "cute" tactic. He only stared at her calmly, then posed a question that made Iroha's brain instantly crash.
"Do you want to dominate the world?"
"...Huh?"
The smile on Iroha's face froze. The two best friends beside her also exchanged glances, doubting their own hearing.
Was this a new approach method? So bad!
Darius ignored their reaction and continued talking himself: "I've observed you long enough. From your walking posture, the angle of your smile, to the frequency your eyes unconsciously glance at the reactions of guys around when you talk with friends."
His speaking rhythm wasn't fast, but every word was like a scalpel dissecting Iroha with precision.
"You're thirsty for attention, enjoy the feeling of being noticed. But you're very lazy, don't want to work too hard. So you use 'cuteness' as a weapon, using whining and weakness to manipulate others to serve you."
The color in Iroha's face faded bit by bit. She felt as if her clothes had been stripped bare, standing naked in front of this person, with all her pretense and cunning clearly visible.
"You have ambition, but lack methods and execution power."
Darius gave his final conclusion, then he extended his hand.
"Let's make a deal."
"...What... deal?" Iroha's voice sounded dry.
"The Student Council election, we will help you win. We will clean up all your competitors and smooth the path for you." Darius's tone as if stating something already decided.
"In return, after you become president, you must provide political asylum for 'SCP-Sobu High Branch,' and approve all our activity proposals and budget funding. Simply put, the Service Club will become the highest power institution behind the Student Council."
Iroha's brain, after being momentarily dead, began spinning wildly.
(This person... crazy. A madman with clear logic and extraordinarily strong mobility. And that "SCP Branch" behind him, must be a gathering of madmen. Dangerous. Must stay away.)
That was her first reaction.
But... Become Student Council President?
That thought like a poisonous seed, grew rapidly in her heart. Initially she only registered because instigated by friends, never once thought to actually compete. Too troublesome, having to write speeches, seek votes everywhere, not to mention competing with popular people like Hayato.
But if... there was this group of madmen attacking in front, cleaning up all the troublesome matters, and she only needed to appear at the last moment as the winner...
This idea was too tempting. Use these madmen to achieve her own goals, and after becoming president, kick them far away. Perfect.
Iroha's face bloomed again with a sweet smile, but this time her smile contained a bit of cunning.
"Sure." She agreed frankly, her voice returning to her usual coquettish tone. "But, is Senpai really that amazing? I'm really looking forward to it~"
She winked, as if the person who panicked earlier wasn't her.
Darius stared at her expressionlessly.
[Wild Succubus successfully captured, initial taming procedure begins.]
He withdrew his hand and turned to leave.
"Tomorrow after school, come to the club room in the special building. We'll hold the first strategy meeting."
Watching Darius's departing back, the smile at the corner of Iroha's lips became even more proud.
(A group of useful fools.)
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
The next day, after school.
Iroha came to that legendary club room with a mood like inspecting "tools." She tidied her uniform skirt, took a deep breath, then opened the door with her most perfect smile.
"I'm he... re..."
The smile on her face froze inch by inch after seeing the scene inside the club room.
Inside the room, that ice beauty named Yukinoshita Yukino was expressionlessly sanding a 1.2-meter-long wooden stick; the stick's end was already made very sharp.
The bun-haired girl named Yuigahama Yui was wearing protective goggles and thick gloves, carefully using tweezers to pinch an unknown pitch-black charcoal-like object, while muttering: "Anti-matter core energy stable, ready for charge loading..."
Meanwhile that madman from yesterday, Darius, was standing in front of a giant blackboard.
That blackboard was full of complex tree diagrams and character relationship networks. In the center was Iroha's photo, with a large red circle drawn using marker. From her photo emerged several arrows pointing to other candidates like Hayato. Beside each arrow were written words she didn't understand, but felt very terrifying:
[Physical Sweeping]
[Mental Contamination]
[Public Opinion Annihilation]
[Genetic Modification]
Darius heard the door opening sound, he turned and saw Iroha stiff at the door. He pushed his non-existent glasses, and showed a "friendly" smile.
"You've arrived, our Queen. The coronation ceremony, begins now."
Iroha stared at this room full of strange people and the blackboard writing methods of death for her future "political rivals." Her legs went weak, she almost fell prostrate.
She felt she didn't come to use madmen. Rather... a rabbit that fell into a mental hospital hole.