Classroom of the Elite: After the Intelligence Refresh, They All Want to Win Me Over! Chapter 32

The group included girls who were close to Kushida, such as Inogashira Kokoro, as well as a few boys who were regulars, like Yamauchi Haruki and Kanji Ike.

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was in the group too.

But what surprised him was that Wang Meiyu wasn't in it.

From what he remembered, Inogashira Kokoro and Wang Meiyu were inseparable friends.

Kushida also often went out of her way to chat with them, and the three of them seemed to get along very well.

Girls' friendships really were more complicated than he'd expected.

Just then, Kushida Kikyou sent two messages to the group:

"Thanks so much for voting for me, everyone~"

"By the way, I'm planning to go to karaoke after school today. Anyone who's free should come along!"

At the same time, Kushida's clear voice rang out from the other side of the classroom. "You've all got to come!" She was smiling as she waved to a few classmates.

(Our Class D is visibly getting better. We've even started forming little cliques.)

Shimizu Akira silently rolled his eyes.

Class D currently had two leaders, so it was only natural that they each had their own little circle.

Another message popped up in the group.

Kanji Ike was already clamoring to pick songs, while Yamauchi Haruki egged Kushida on to sing the latest hit love song.

"I'll have to pass..."

Before Shimizu Akira could finish typing his refusal, he suddenly caught a faint scent of jasmine.

He whipped around and saw that Kushida had somehow appeared behind him.

"Shimizu, you should come too~ It's more fun with a crowd." She tilted her head slightly.

"Sorry, I have plans tonight!" Shimizu Akira shook his head, declining her invitation.

He didn't have time to go sing karaoke with her.

Classes B and C still hadn't contacted him. Making big deals with other classes was what he needed to focus on.

"...I see?" Kushida's smile froze for an instant. "That's too bad."

Shimizu Akira wasn't making an excuse to get out of it. He really did have something else to take care of.

He planned to stop by the Student Council.

The idea had first come from a hint dropped by Sato-bucho of the Boxing Club: "You should drop by the Student Council more often."

As a senior from Class 3-A, Sato-bucho's words often held hidden meaning. His understated hints were all the more worth pondering.

As he walked down the corridor, Shimizu Akira couldn't help thinking about the special status of student councils in Japan.

Unlike what he'd expected, the Student Council here wielded real power. It handled all kinds of disputes between students and, in certain matters, even had more authority than the homeroom teachers.

For example, if students got into a fight or caused trouble, the Student Council had full responsibility for dealing with it.

As homeroom teachers, they could only stay by their own students' sides and put in a few words on their behalf.

Based on what he'd seen the night before, Horikita Manabu seemed like a strict, by-the-book type. Shimizu Akira was a little worried whether he would agree to his request.

When he arrived at the Student Council Office, he saw that several people were already waiting outside.

The blue-haired girl standing in front of him had an air about her that reminded Shimizu Akira of a sharp-edged weapon. But before he could think about it further, the line suddenly began moving faster.

It wasn't long before the blue-haired girl's turn came.

Standing outside the office, Shimizu Akira could faintly hear an intense argument inside. "An act of violence!" "Does it only count if it's caught on camera?" "A lot of people have already been hurt!" "You're just going to ignore this? What kind of normal school is this?"

Just a few minutes later, the office door was flung open.

The blue-haired girl strode out with a dark expression and slammed the door shut with a bang. The notice board on the wall trembled slightly.

"Next!"

A voice full of authority rang out from inside the Student Council Room.

Only then did Shimizu Akira tear his gaze away from the blue-haired girl in the corridor. He straightened his collar and gently pushed open the Student Council's door.

Several Student Council members were busy at their respective stations.

At the chairman's seat at the far end of the room sat a composed man wearing silver-framed glasses.

It was Horikita Manabu, the Student Council President whom he'd met briefly the previous evening.

He deliberately scanned every corner of the room but still didn't spot the Vice President. According to the rumors, Vice President Nagumo was a blond.

(Looks like he isn't at the Student Council today.)

Shimizu Akira's attention was drawn by the voice.

A purple-haired girl with her hair tied up in a fluffy bun stood beside the Student Council President, looking at him with a somewhat distant expression.

"Of course."

The lock clicked softly.

The moment he turned around, Shimizu Akira recognized her. She had to be the Student Council Secretary from the rumors, Tachibana Akane.

"Hello. What brings you to the Student Council today?" Tachibana Akane asked, closing the file in her hands.

"I'd like the Student Council to act as a third-party guarantor, to ensure that a transaction between me and students from another class goes smoothly." Shimizu Akira looked straight at Horikita Manabu, his tone direct and decisive.

The unexpected request clearly caught Tachibana Akane off guard. Her eyes widened slightly. "A... guarantor?"

Horikita Manabu remained as composed as ever. "Let's discuss it in the meeting room, Shimizu."

After saying this, the president turned and headed toward the Student Council's meeting room.

Tachibana Akane stopped in her tracks. She turned around. "Shimizu... Have you met the president before?"

Noticing the probing in her question, Shimizu Akira thought it over briefly before meeting her gaze frankly. "You could say that. I sit next to his younger sister, Horikita Suzune. We've met once."

"So that's how it is..." Tachibana Akane murmured, falling into thought for a moment. "The president has a younger sister..."

A moment later, her usual cool expression returned. "Sorry to keep you. Please come with me."

Shimizu Akira walked into the meeting room and calmly took a seat opposite Horikita Manabu.

The room fell briefly silent. The only sound was the steady ticking of the second hand on the wall clock.

"I'm curious." Horikita Manabu suddenly broke the silence. "Why did you come to the Student Council?"

Shimizu Akira looked up slightly. "I plan to sell information to other classes and lease out the rights to use my equipment. Since the transactions involve large sums, I need to ensure both sides honor their contracts. Simply put, I need a guarantor that no one would dare to cheat."

"So you plan to make a deal with Ryuen Kakeru of Class 1-C, but you're worried he'll break the agreement, use violence, and refuse to pay the points, so you came to the Student Council for help?" Horikita Manabu's gaze seemed to brush past his profile. His tone sounded more certain than inquisitive.

"Strictly speaking, I'm just worried he'll try to get out of paying the points." Shimizu Akira paused. "As for violence... I'm not particularly concerned about that. President, can you accept my request? After all, points should be able to buy anything at this school."

"I can..." Horikita Manabu tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. "The Student Council can conceal your identity and provide an appropriate formal contract and a guarantee of fulfillment. We'll ensure that both sides honor the transaction, on the condition that five percent of your earnings be deducted in Private Points. That portion will be paid to the School Administration, much like taxes in society."

Shimizu Akira agreed without hesitation. "That's acceptable."

057 Actually, Class C Was the Weakest, and Ryuen Kakeru Was a Competent Leader.

The president was only charging a five-percent fee, and all of it would go to the school. Shimizu Akira felt that he was treating him especially generously.

Although this was a high school that focused on developing students' independence, the president's arrangement seemed downright generous compared to the cuts of twenty percent or more commonly charged in society.

(At this rate, can the president really accumulate any Private Points?)

Shimizu Akira couldn't help but wonder.

The president's abilities were beyond question, but he didn't seem particularly interested in points.

Compared with the Student Council Vice President, Miyabi Nagumo, the two were worlds apart. Miyabi Nagumo collected a fixed percentage of points from all four classes.

When it came to self-interest, Shimizu Akira thought the president was nowhere near as shrewd as Miyabi Nagumo.

He even privately suspected that Horikita Manabu's Private Points reserves might be smaller than Miyabi Nagumo's.

But in terms of prestige and popularity, Miyabi Nagumo paled in comparison to Horikita Manabu. After all, Horikita Manabu was the most famous Student Council President since the school was founded.

Taking advantage of the moment, Shimizu Akira asked, "President, what do you think of Vice President Miyabi Nagumo?"

"...You're interested in what's going on with the second-years?" Horikita Manabu glanced at him, somewhat surprised. After a moment's thought, he replied, "I personally selected him. There's no question about his ability. It's just..." The president's voice paused. "Our ideals have been growing further and further apart. His attention is on the third-years now. As a first-year, you don't need to concern yourself with this too much. I'll handle it."

"I see." Shimizu Akira nodded slightly. The president's unspoken meaning was exactly the same as what their teacher, Chabashira Sae, had said.

It seemed that the Student Council Vice President really wasn't interested in first-year affairs. Since even Horikita Manabu had said as much, Shimizu Akira could finally put his mind at ease.

Just then, Tachibana Akane came over carrying two cups of black tea.

Shimizu Akira politely stood to thank her, then took a small sip of the amber-colored tea.

"You're planning to sell classified information, aren't you?"

"I knew I couldn't fool you."

Horikita Manabu picked up his teacup and took a small sip before continuing. "Now that you know some of these secrets, what do you think of the school's class system?"

Shimizu Akira considered it briefly. "I think the idea behind this kind of class placement is quite original and fair."

After a pause, he added, "This is the first school I've seen that doesn't judge students solely by their academic performance. There's a lot of thought behind the competition between the four classes."

"But..." Horikita Manabu picked up on his hesitation, fixing him with a sharp gaze.

Shimizu Akira decided to speak frankly. "The standards are too vague. In Class D, there are several students who, in my opinion, are every bit as good as the ones in Class A, yet they've all been placed at the bottom." He furrowed his brow slightly. "Does the school place too much weight on a student's 'dark history'? By that standard, isn't Class C actually the weakest overall?"

He'd been holding these thoughts in for a long time.

Ever since enrolling, he'd had no one suitable to share them with. Now, face-to-face with this trustworthy Student Council President, he could finally get them off his chest.

(Hirata Yosuke's leadership, Kushida Kikyou's social skills, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's unfathomable abilities... They're all unquestionably top talents.)

He couldn't understand why students like them had been placed in Class D.

(When you think about it, Class D isn't the one that should be worried. Class C is.)

From that perspective, Class D was surely not the weakest, but the most "uneven." It was full of students who excelled in particular areas but had obvious weaknesses.

By contrast, Class C might actually have the most mediocre overall ability.

What puzzled him was that Class C had undeniably earned 490 Class Points in the first month of school.

That was hardly the performance of the weakest class.

Shimizu Akira recalled what he'd seen at the entrance ceremony. There had even been a foreign student in that class.

(What if I were in Class C...?)

Just imagining it gave him a headache.

So how exactly had Ryuen Kakeru managed it? One had to admit that the boy who had used force to threaten a senior in the cafeteria did have some real ability.

Setting his methods aside, he was certainly a competent leader.

In an environment where strength was everything, any method that effectively solved problems was a good one.

A flicker of surprise crossed Horikita Manabu's eyes. After a moment of silence, he showed a rare hint of approval. "...That's a good point."

The Student Council President rarely looked confused, but now he did. "Actually, even I haven't completely grasped the essence of the class-placement system."

He acknowledged, "Your analysis of the strengths of Class D and Class C is accurate. From a certain perspective, Class C is indeed the weakest overall."

Then Horikita Manabu's tone turned steady again. "But the class system is still reasonable in most cases. Although Class D's students are individually better than Class C's, there are too many problem students for them to unite. That cuts both ways."

He paused meaningfully. "Still, in terms of overall strength, Class D is the weakest. But it's also the class most likely to overcome the odds and defeat a stronger opponent."

Shimizu Akira found that rather interesting.

What was this supposed to be? Quiet until it suddenly burst into brilliance?

After all, students with uneven abilities could truly shine in their own fields. They might not just outmatch Class B—even Class A might not be able to beat them.

The problem was that these students were often troublemakers. They didn't follow orders and just did whatever they wanted.

Like his classmate, Kouenji Rokusuke.

Although the president's words sounded inspiring, Shimizu Akira remained unmoved.

He felt that the Student Council President had slipped him a pep talk without even realizing it.