We meet the other players.

She took a deep breath, and left the infirmary. What else was there to do? She couldn't abandon her duties. She couldn't stall for time without risking drawing suspicion. All she could do was hope. Hope that no one noticed. Hope that she made it through the day. What else was there to do? She swallowed her fears as best she could, and went to the student council.

Within the student council room waiting for her arrival were two enigmatic figures. These figures were often gossiped about in the halls, and were somewhat akin to celebrities, although neither could compare to the attention and respect Kaguya Fortuna commanded. Their names; Chanceox and Shukufuku.

The interest people took in them was in part association to the council; Kaguya Fortuna had been the president for over a decade now, and with the departure of the other members to fulfill their ambitions, those two filled in the gaps.

The student council itself was not so much an authority figure, but an organizer for the miscellaneous events and clubs scattered throughout the school. For the most part, the appeal came from perceived status; hence, the members of the council ended up becoming fairly popular. However, connections are only half of the equation. As individuals, they had their own reasons for garnering attention.

For Chanceox, it's his charisma that draws eyes and ears. Many of the people who attempt to befriend Kaguya end up befriending Chanceox instead. Even among the best the country has to offer, he keeps his cool demeanor intact. In the right circumstances, he can make even the gloomiest of loners open their shell. Such a thing happened with Shukufuku.

Despite standing at an impressive 198cm, she was often found hunched over as though she was hiding from something. Her hair always concealed the left side of her face, only her eye showing. She dressed in a black gown that made her figure meld into a dark blob. And yet, her and Chanceox have become best of friends. Somehow, the two can go on and on about the events of the day, laughing all the while. Over their time in and out the council, Shukufuku has grown to be less afraid of the remainder of the student body.

At this moment, unaware of Kaguya's internal strife, the pair are enjoying a conversion that would likely sound like utter nonsense to an outsider.

Kaguya arrived at the doors and took another deep breath before opening it. She needed to appear composed. As she walked in she was greeted by the familiar sight of what had become two of her closest friends discussing a matter she had no attachment to. More specifically, Chanceox explaining something to Shukufufu. They stopped temporarily to greet her.

"Oh hey Kaguya, thought you'd show up soon," Chanceox said. Shukufuku responded, "Hello Kaguya, welcome back."

Kaguya replied, "Hello and good afternoon. I apologize for making you wait. Now then, I have to make up for lost time, so I'm going to have to ask you to not bother me. Is that alright?" She usually didn't mind the two referring to her to settle a debate or merely get a third opinion, but today, she needed to have as little attention on her as possible. She felt bad for asking them to do this for her, but she was just too afraid of taking that risk.

Luckily, they both agreed. Shukufuku nodded in agreement and Chanceox remarked "Need to focus, do we? Lucky you, this ain't discussion, it's storytime. Feel free to drown us out."

Internally, Kaguya breathed a sigh of relief. Now that she knew they weren't going to be an issue, it was time for the next problem; the work. She didn't want to keep Father waiting, so she had to hurry and get everything sorted out. She sat down and began.