Marcus, Caroline, and Kevin turned to look at Daisy.
Daisy took a long breath, steadied herself, and moved forward. She opened the council room door and stepped inside first.
The room was dim, curtains drawn tight, the lights switched off. It was larger than a classroom—structured and purposeful rather than cluttered.
A long meeting table occupied the left side of the room, with chairs arranged along both sides and enough space around it for people to move freely. Several posters lay spread across the tabletop, marked with sketches and color samples, as if they'd been left mid-discussion. Near the front, a projector sat positioned opposite the whiteboard, angled toward it, ready for presentations.
Against the right wall stood a waist-high shelf that functioned like a counter—books and files stored inside, a coffee machine and a few small appliances arranged neatly on top. A compact fridge stood beside it, humming softly in the quiet.
Along the side wall, tall windows stretched between sections of the room, their heavy curtains pulled shut. Beneath them, a cluster of bean bags was scattered casually, softening the otherwise formal layout.
At the far end of the room, lockers lined part of the wall. Just before them sat a small seating area: a sofa with a low tea table in front and single chairs placed to its left and right.
At the front, a whiteboard filled with names faced the room, likely listing the current members of the student council.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Daisy called, peering into the shadows.
Kevin reached for the switch and turned on the lights. All four of them scanned the room instinctively.
"Wow, they even have a fridge and a coffee machine," Daisy began, impressed. "This looks—"
"Is it morning or night?"
The voice came from the far end of the room.
A figure stirred on one of the sofas, lowering a poster that had been draped over his face. He sat up slowly, blinking, then yawned.
"Who are you guys?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.
"Hi, I'm Daisy, and they're my friends," Daisy said, stepping forward but maintaining a cautious distance. "We saw the poster about volunteers and wanted to check it out."
Kevin moved to stand slightly beside her. Marcus and Caroline, meanwhile, continued observing the room without much reaction.
"Freshers?" the senior asked, leaning back into the sofa.
"Yes," Daisy replied, excitement creeping into her voice.
"That explains the dumbness," he sighed.
Daisy's smile faded instantly. Kevin's expression sharpened, his eyes locking onto the senior. Marcus's attention shifted from the room to him. No one spoke.
"There are timings," the senior continued flatly. "Come after five. Turn off the lights and leave."
"We will," Caroline said calmly, still studying the posters on the table. "But before that, could you tell us why you need volunteers?"
"Didn't you hear me?" he replied, irritated. "After five."
"Does this coffee machine work?" Caroline asked casually, walking toward it.
The senior fell silent, his lips flattening into a straight line as he stared at her.
Marcus smiled faintly, pretending to inspect a notice board.
Daisy moved closer to Caroline, nervous but oddly encouraged.
Kevin walked toward Marcus, throwing him a questioning look. Marcus answered with a slight curve of his lips—as if to say it's fine.
"Oh, it's on," Caroline continued, examining the machine. "Senior, would you like some coffee? Since you just woke up, it might help activate your brain."
She still didn't look at him.
"Do you have water here?" she added, finally glancing in his direction.
"What are you doing?" the senior asked, baffled.
"I'm someone on the run," Caroline said lightly, folding her hands behind her back as she approached him with an awkward smile. "It's dangerous for me to walk alone, so I convinced my friends to come with me—to check about joining the council."
"Then why don't you just go back to class?" he said, rubbing the back of his head, clearly uninterested. "It's still class time."
Marcus, Kevin, and Daisy all turned fully toward him now, listening closely.
"I'm scared," Caroline said quietly, eyes lowered, fingers tightening around the straps of her bag. "Classes end at five. That means I'll be targeted the moment I step out. Just thinking about it is stressing me out."
She lifted both hands to her head, fingers pressing into her temples as if the weight of the thought had finally caught up to her.
Daisy immediately stepped beside her and held her hand.
"I heard joining here might help," Caroline continued, gripping her own arm. "But I can't come after five. I'm scared I'll run into them again before I even get a chance to apply. So I came now. I know there are timings—but I just wanted to know the requirements, or maybe get contact information of a senior who could help me enroll."
She looked like she might break if anyone touched her.
"This is the first day," the senior said slowly, folding his arms. "And you expect me to believe someone is already targeting you?"
It became clear—to all of them—that the council knew more than it let on and chose silence.
Caroline bit her lip, holding back tears. "This morning, a guy followed me from Catenburg to the classroom. In the afternoon, when I went out for lunch, he met me again. I tried to run, but he stopped me. "A staff member nearby stepped in and chased him away—but before he left, he warned me. He said he'd come back with friends."
She glanced briefly at the others. "That's why I asked them to accompany me this time."
Daisy squeezed Caroline's shoulder. Marcus and Kevin's fingers curled unconsciously.
The senior studied them carefully. "What did he do?"
Caroline drew a slow breath, standing still, her expression tightening for just a second.
"At first it was only following and staring from a distance," she said. "Then he came closer—started talking, flirting—and then he…"
Her voice broke. Tears slid down her cheeks.
Marcus rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms.
"Okay. You don't have to continue," the senior said, turning his head away and pointing. "There are tissues near the coffee machine."
Caroline turned into Marcus's shoulder, hiding her face. After a few seconds, she steadied herself.
The room stayed silent.
Daisy handed her tissues. Caroline wiped her eyes and looked back up.
"I'm sorry, senior," she said softly. "You had to see a crybaby the moment you woke up."
"That's fine," he replied. "Sit."
They all pulled out chairs and sat down.
"For starters," he said, rubbing his face, "volunteers aren't permanent council members. KITS has multiple events throughout the year. We bring in volunteers when we need extra hands. Once the event ends, you're out."
He continued, more serious now. "Freshers can't join the council directly. To be eligible, two things matter: good grades—and staying out of trouble."
"Can we become volunteers?" Daisy asked.
"I'm not in charge of selections," he replied. "That's Chester. He'll be here after five."
"Thank you for explaining," Caroline said. "May we know your name?"
The senior leaned back.
"Denzel."