The next day, Ren received a letter — this time from the Student Council, sealed with even more wax and unnecessary ribbon.
Aya peeked over his shoulder. "Oof. That's the seal of President Haruka. You're in trouble."
"Who's Haruka?"
"The girl who governs this school like a mildly polite dictator. Rumor says she once expelled someone for misusing a semicolon."
When Ren arrived at the council room, he was greeted by Haruka Minami: a short, serious girl in pristine uniform and twin buns, surrounded by stacks of paperwork and three phones ringing nonstop.
"Ren Kisaragi," she said without looking up, "you're a problem."
"Thanks. I try."
She finally looked at him. "You've won three challenges in a row. Your profile says 'average in all categories.' You're clearly a fraud."
Ren sat down. "Fraud? Or just humble?"
Haruka narrowed her eyes. "I'm placing you on the Challenge Watchlist. That means every move you make is monitored. One slip, and we test your GPA by throwing you into a spontaneous rocket science quiz. Understood?"
Ren stood, gave a mock salute. "Yes, Commander Buns."
"Excuse me?"
"Nothing."