Akasaka arrived at the Student Council building.
Honestly, this school was ridiculous.
The Student Council had an entire building to itself. They sure had money... No wonder—the government funded the school.
I had just arrived downstairs when I ran into two familiar faces. I greeted them without thinking.
"Hey, Little Angel and Bald Head Strong."
When Ichinose heard my voice, she puffed out her adorable cheeks.
"Akasaka, you can't just give people random nicknames!"
Akasaka yawned and replied indifferently,
"I was complimenting you, Ichinose Little Angel."
Ichinose's cheeks turned rosy. She pretended to be angry and turned her head away, but she was still adorable.
Looks really were everything!
Beside her, Katsuragi Kohei raised an eyebrow.
"If 'angel' means Ichinose, then does 'Bald Head Strong' mean me?"
"Besides, are we even that close? You give me a nickname the first time we meet."
Akasaka walked over with his hands clasped behind his head. "Sakayanagi told me about you. You're Katsuragi Kohei from Year 1 Class A, right? I'm Akasaka Ryunosuke from Year 1 Class D."
"Oh? So you're Akasaka. I've heard a lot about you." Katsuragi Kohei held out his hand to shake mine.
I shook it, then asked curiously,
"What? Am I famous?"
Katsuragi Kohei was about to say something when Ichinose came over with a grin and interrupted him.
"Akasaka, you're so modest. Everyone in the first year knows about you now."
Ichinose wagged her finger as she spoke.
Katsuragi Kohei nodded in agreement.
"That's true. After all, you got into the Student Council on your second day at school. And it seems like you were the one who dragged our Class A down with you."
"Even Class B has your fingerprints all over it. I heard you helped them rise to Class A."
"Our former Class A owes it all to you. We dropped to Class B in the first month, and we all hate you for it."
Katsuragi Kohei said it half-jokingly.
Akasaka gave an awkward but polite smile.
"Uh, well, I didn't realize I was so famous."
"Obviously! Don't you know what you've done?"
Katsuragi Kohei replied sourly.
It was impossible not to hate that man.
Thanks to him, our former Class A had dropped straight to Class B. Even the homeroom teacher's salary had been cut in half.
The teachers probably hated him most of all. Their salaries were determined by their class's ranking.
The higher the class ranking, the higher the salary.
Going from a monthly salary of 2.4 million to 1.2 million couldn't have felt good.
The teachers from the former Class A probably wanted to tear Akasaka limb from limb and boil him into soup.
Akasaka looked a little worried now. "Your teachers aren't going to retaliate against me, are they?"
Katsuragi Kohei pushed up his nonexistent glasses.
"You should be glad we live in a society governed by the rule of law. In the past, the teachers might've secretly taken you out. You've made a lot of enemies, after all."
Akasaka looked a little awkward and quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, what are you two here for? Why are you standing outside the Student Council?"
Only then did the two remember why they had come.
"We're here to apply."
"Apply?" Akasaka tilted his head in confusion. "Wasn't the Student Council already full? Why are they recruiting again?"
Soon, the door opened, and Katsuragi Kohei and Ichinose went inside, along with Akasaka Ryunosuke.
Before Katsuragi Kohei and Ichinose could say anything, Akasaka strode up to the Student Council President and demanded loudly,
"Hey, what's going on? Why are you recruiting again? Didn't you say the Student Council had enough people?"
Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses. "It's like this: I've granted you paid leave. Someone will need to take over your duties while you're away, so I decided to recruit another member."
Akasaka pointed at himself. "What about me?"
Horikita Manabu cleared his throat, signaling that there were other people nearby and that they couldn't discuss certain things.
Akasaka understood and decided to find a chance to speak with the President alone.
The two interviews began as well.
Senpai Tachibana poured tea for them. They thanked her, then began their interviews at the same time.
From the moment Ichinose walked in, Miyabi Nagumo stared at her without looking away once.
The corners of Miyabi Nagumo's mouth gradually curled up, and he marveled to himself,
What a beauty!
Her figure, her looks, her personality—everything about her was top-notch.
I wonder what she'd taste like?
Miyabi Nagumo had set his sights on the girl named Ichinose Honami.
The interviews soon ended, and Katsuragi Kohei was selected for the Student Council.
Ichinose, on the other hand, was rejected. The reason given was that she was too gentle to be suited for the Student Council.
In truth, Horikita Manabu was protecting Ichinose. He knew exactly what his Vice President, Miyabi Nagumo, was like. Sometimes, Nagumo even flirted with Tachibana Akane.
As the leader of the current Class A, Ichinose Honami was someone he had to protect.
After all, Miyabi Nagumo already had a monopoly on the entire second year. If he managed to infiltrate the first year as well, the students would be in danger.
Ichinose had no idea the Student Council President was protecting her. When she was rejected, she felt a little down.
Then Ichinose left the Student Council, looking dejected.
Miyabi Nagumo followed close behind, hoping to take advantage of her vulnerability.
He was mainly after her body. He didn't care whether she was a class leader or not.
He just wanted to win over the beauty and find out how delicious she was.
Horikita Manabu saw what Miyabi Nagumo was planning and signaled to Akasaka with a glance.
Akasaka nodded to show he understood, then hurried after them.
Outside.
Ichinose kicked a small stone by the roadside until she reached a tree. She leaned her forehead against its trunk, looking utterly dejected.
"Did I... really not get in?"
Miyabi Nagumo took the opportunity to come up behind Ichinose. His rich, magnetic voice reached Little Angel's ears.
"Hey, pretty girl. What are you doing here? Playing Red Light, Green Light?"
Miyabi Nagumo walked over with his hands in his pockets.
Ichinose Kyo Ken was the Vice President. She quickly bowed to him.
"Hello, Vice President!"
Miyabi Nagumo waved his hand, signaling that she didn't need to do that.
"I don't like beating around the bush. You don't have to be so formal around me."
Ichinose nervously lifted her head. Now that Miyabi Nagumo could see her face up close, he instinctively tipped up Ichinose's chin. His gaze was full of hungry intent.
"Do you want to join the Student Council? If you become my girlfriend, I'll arrange it for you."
Ichinose slapped away Miyabi Nagumo's hand and stepped back warily.
"I'm sorry, Vice President Nagumo. I'm not that kind of person."
"If that's what it takes to join the Student Council, then I'll give up."
She turned to leave.
Miyabi Nagumo seized Ichinose's wrist and proposed again.
"Won't you at least think about it? There are plenty of benefits to being my girlfriend."
"I could even use my authority to find out what the first-year exam will cover ahead of time."
"Even if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your class."
Those words struck Ichinose right where she was most vulnerable...
Before you continue