Class B's Class Leader Election

Teacher Hoshinomiya began the usual freshman welcome speech, full of enthusiasm and bright hopes for the future. She introduced the school's first-rate facilities, strong faculty, and grand goal of "cultivating top talents capable of shouldering the nation's future." Everything seemed bright and full of promise.

"...However," Teacher Hoshinomiya said, shifting her tone. Her smile remained sweet, but there seemed to be a hint of barely perceptible mischief in her eyes. "At Kōdo Ikusei High School, if you want to truly grow and gain access to resources, simply sitting in a classroom and listening to lectures won't be enough."

She raised a finger and gave it a gentle wag. "Our school operates on the principle of 'Survival of the Fittest.' Everything here revolves around Points."

"Points?" A murmur immediately rippled through the students. The freshmen all looked curious. Toudou Shizuya also made a point of showing some interest.

"That's right, Points!" Teacher Hoshinomiya nodded emphatically. "They're the 'currency' that's crucial to your life at school, your studies, and even your future academic prospects. You can use them to buy all kinds of goods and services at the school store, exchange them for special course resources, and even... affect your graduation evaluations." Her tone was a little mysterious.

"Then, Teacher, how do we earn Points?" A boy in the front row (Bystander A) couldn't help raising his hand to ask.

"Good question!" Teacher Hoshinomiya gave him an approving look, but didn't answer directly. "As for how to earn Points... you'll have to explore and work hard yourselves. The school encourages healthy competition and cooperation. Remember, your class's overall performance directly affects the base Points everyone receives each month!" She had skillfully introduced the keyword "class" without explaining the specific rules.

"Also," she added, her smile fading just a little as her tone grew somewhat more serious, "the school has strict School Rules. Serious violations will result in a large deduction of Points at best, and at worst..." She paused deliberately to build the tension. "...could lead to expulsion."

"Expulsion?!" The students gasped. Amakura Asako instinctively hunched her shoulders, and Morita Ken stopped midway through adjusting his glasses.

"So everyone, be sure to follow the rules and work hard!" Teacher Hoshinomiya instantly returned to her bright, sunny smile, as if her warning had been an illusion. "All right, enough serious talk! Next, we need to choose our Class B leader as soon as possible to lead everyone forward! Would anyone like to nominate themselves or someone else?"

The Class Leader election began.

After a brief silence, the expected voice rang out.

"I nominate Ichinose Honami!" A girl (Bystander B) was the first to raise her hand, her voice brimming with trust and admiration. "Earlier, by the Notice Board, Ichinose was so kind and helped everyone find their way. She seems really dependable!"

"I nominate Ichinose too!" Kobashi Yume immediately chimed in, her voice full of energy. "Honami is so reassuring just to look at!"

"I agree!"

"I support Ichinose!"

There was almost no suspense. Nominations came one after another, quickly forming a clear consensus. Ichinose Honami stood up, looking a little embarrassed. With a warm, sincere smile, she gave a small bow to those around her. "Thank you so much for your trust. If you're willing to give me this opportunity, I'll do everything I can to serve our Class B family, and work hard and grow together with all of you!"

Her voice was clear and pleasant, her manner neither humble nor arrogant, and she was incredibly inspiring. Her A-Rank Leadership Charisma and Team Cohesion Building skills seemed to flow naturally from her, making people instinctively trust and feel close to her. Toudou Shizuya could clearly feel the whole classroom grow warmer and more united as she stood up to speak.

[Target: Ichinose Honami]

[Skill Tree Refresh: Leadership Charisma (Affinity) A-Rank (Active)... Team Cohesion Building A-Rank (Active)... Empathy and Compassion A-Rank (Active)...]

Just then, Kanzaki Ryuji also stood up and adjusted his meticulous glasses. His voice was calm and orderly. "I second the nomination. Ichinose is indeed the most suitable candidate. Her affinity and ability to bring people together are vital to the class. If Ichinose is elected, I'd be glad to help handle specific class affairs and financial planning."

[Target: Kanzaki Ryuji]

[Skill Tree Refresh: Rational Analysis and Decision Making B-Rank (Active)... Financial Planning and Management B-Rank (Active)...]

Kanzaki's endorsement was like the final stamp of approval on an election that had never been in doubt. Shiranami Chihiro also voiced her support quietly, while Amakura Asako nodded repeatedly. The other students had no objections either.

"Looks like everyone's in complete agreement!" Teacher Hoshinomiya clapped happily. "Then I hereby announce that Ichinose Honami will be Class B's Class Leader! Kanzaki Ryuji will be the Vice Class Leader! Congratulations to you both!"

Warm applause filled the classroom. Ichinose bowed to everyone again in thanks, while Kanzaki gave a slight nod. Sunlight streamed through the windows and fell on Ichinose Honami, as if bathing her in a warm glow. Class B's core leadership had been established on the very first day of school, in a way that seemed almost inevitable.

Toudou Shizuya clapped lightly along with everyone else, a warm smile on his face and a gaze as calm as still water. His eyes lingered briefly on Ichinose, and his thoughts had already locked onto the most central, most radiant skill in her skill tree—[Leadership Charisma (Affinity): A-Rank].

[Enter the Virtual Training Ground to simulate learning the target skill: Leadership Charisma (Affinity)?]

Confirm!

His consciousness switched instantly.

The cold black plane disappeared, replaced by a... chaotic, noisy virtual classroom.

The desks and chairs were askew. Several blurry student projections were arguing heatedly, faces flushed. One person slapped a desk, another folded his arms and sneered, while someone else looked utterly dejected. The air was thick with tension. Scenario information: [Simulation Scene: Internal Class Conflict Eruption (Trigger: Unequal Activity Fund Allocation). Training objective: resolve the dispute, reunite the group, and gain majority support.]

Toudou Shizuya found himself standing at the lectern, at the center of the storm. Countless angry, questioning, disappointed eyes were fixed on him. The immense pressure bore down on him like a tangible force.

He took a deep breath and tried to imitate Ichinose's warm yet resolute smile. Then he tried to speak. "Everyone, please calm down and listen to me..."