In Classroom of the Elite, Ichinose You Will Regret It

"Then please do your best for the coming year. After all, learning to get along with different kinds of people is a required course for entering society, isn't it?"

Kanzaki Ryuji said from the side, sounding somewhat gleeful at Uesugi Gen's misfortune.

"That may be true in theory, but actually getting along with them is a completely different matter."

Based on the personality of the Student Council President that Uesugi Gen had observed, it was likely that his plan to slack off in the student council for the next year would fall through.

Since that was the case.

"You two go ahead; I want to go and get to know this Student Council President."

Uesugi Gen said to Shibata and Kanzaki, who were beside him.

"Alright, then we'll head off first."

In any case, I should go and pay my respects to the Student Council President—Horikita Manabu.

"President, was that girl just now your sister?"

Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane were walking back to the student council office, one after the other.

Having worked together for three years, Tachibana naturally knew from Horikita's occasional remarks that he had a younger sister.

Although Horikita had appeared to be looking at the entire grade earlier, his attention had actually been fixed on a certain spot in Class D.

"Did you notice her, that child?"

A hint of helplessness and doting affection appeared on Horikita Manabu's face.

"Yes, she is a very beautiful girl. She must be just as excellent as you, President."

Tachibana recalled the girl's appearance and nodded repeatedly while clutching her folder.

"No, although I don't want to say it, that child still has a long way to go."

Despite doting on his sister, the serious-minded Horikita Manabu still gave a negative answer.

As her older brother, he was well aware of the significant flaws in his sister's personality, which was why he hadn't felt too surprised when he learned she had been placed in Class D.

It seems Suzune has persisted in her headstrong ways over these past three years without any change. I wonder if she will be able to handle the intense competition at Kōiku in the future.

Horikita Manabu worried silently about his sister while responding to Tachibana.

Before they knew it, the two had returned to the student council office.

Click!

Horikita Manabu turned the doorknob and opened the door to the student council.

"Yo, have the two seniors returned from their date?"

A bright, cheerful voice came from a corner of the student council room.

As the two turned their gaze, they saw a boy leisurely flipping through some student council documents.

The youth had messy, layered hair that was cut casually; he didn't bother to style it, letting it fall naturally in a way that was just right. The Kōiku uniform sat on his slender yet not overly rugged frame, and the collar of his white undershirt was unbuttoned, hanging slightly open. His black eyes looked bright beneath his brows, and paired with his somewhat pale yet healthy complexion, one couldn't help but sigh at what a handsome youth he was.

Hearing Uesugi Gen say they had been on a date, Tachibana's face flushed slightly, but she still stepped forward to stop him.

"This student, this is the student—"

"Tachibana, he is not an unrelated person. This is a new member of the student council."

Tachibana Akane was stopped by Horikita Manabu's hand just as she stepped forward.

Tachibana looked at Horikita with some confusion; she was the secretary of the student council, so how could she not know if someone had joined?

Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses calmly and explained to Tachibana.

"Last night, the school administration sent me a notice to vacate a vice-president seat in the student council for a first-year student."

Horikita Manabu once again scrutinized the boy with a sharp gaze.

"I am correct, am I not? Uesugi Gen from Class B of the first year."

Upon hearing Horikita's words, Tachibana wore an expression of disbelief.

"How is that possible? The school has always granted the student council a high degree of autonomy. A first-year student being parachuted in as vice-president is something that has never happened since the school was founded."

Facing the doubt raised by Tachibana, Uesugi Gen remained indifferent, continuing to flip through the budget application forms for the various clubs at Kōiku, and said casually, "Records like that are bound to be broken eventually. But President, could you speak a bit faster next time? A speech like yours is enough to get you cursed by the students."

"Anyway, that's how it is. I am the newly joined vice-president of the student council. Seniors, please take care of me."

Although he said words like "please take care of me," Uesugi Gen had no intention of standing up, remaining seated as he looked through the documents.

Kōiku really is filthy rich. Even a random club has such a huge figure; did I lose out by only asking for 30 million last time?

"I'm telling you, as a first-year student, you should at least stand up when talking to your seniors."

Tachibana said to Uesugi Gen with some dissatisfaction.

Horikita Manabu looked at Uesugi Gen, who showed no intention of standing up to answer him, but he didn't seem to mind.

Instead, he pulled over a chair and sat directly across from Uesugi Gen, crossing his hands in front of his chin and adopting the pose of Commander Gendo.

He spoke in a resolute, iron-clad voice, "You were parachuted in by the school, and as the source of the student council's authority, I cannot oppose you."

"However, the student council of Advanced Nurturing High School manages all sorts of matters, big and small. If you lack the talent to handle these affairs,"

"Then as the student council president of Advanced Nurturing High School, even if it goes against the school's wishes, I will ensure that you cannot interfere in any student council business during my tenure!"

Slap—that was fast.

Uesugi Gen tossed the documents back to their original spot, retrieved the voice recorder hidden within them, and arrived at Horikita Manabu's side in an instant, shaking his hands with a beaming smile.

"President, I recorded that."

"It's a deal, no backing out."

Horikita Manabu remained silent for two seconds.

Had he just been set up by this freshman right in front of him?

Tachibana Akane, who was present, stared at Uesugi Gen's maneuver in stunned silence.

The president... had actually been played by a freshman.

Facing Horikita Manabu's awkward silence, Uesugi Gen had no intention of giving him a chance to go back on his word and immediately made his escape.

"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. Remember our agreement, President Horikita."

"Goodbye!"

After saying this at lightning speed, Uesugi Gen opened the office door with a jaunty step.

And then, He collided head-on with Ichinose.

"Hello... hm?"

"Hahaha... gah?"

Thud—

It is common knowledge that the nose is the most forward-protruding part of the human body, and it is also common knowledge that girls are generally a bit shorter than boys.

Therefore...

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, take it easy."

Uesugi Gen watched the cotton swab growing larger and larger, a sense of dread welling up inside him.

"I'm so sorry, Uesugi-kun, I didn't expect anyone to come out so suddenly."

Ichinose held the medicine-soaked cotton swab, dabbing at Uesugi Gen's nose bit by bit, her voice filled with apology.

"Forget it, consider it a lesson learned. Sometimes getting too carried away isn't a good thing."

Uesugi Gen wanted to touch his nose, but he didn't dare.

"President Horikita, I got injured right at the door of the student council. This counts as a work-related injury, right? The student council will compensate me with points, won't they?"

"There is no such thing."

"So, you are here to apply to join the student council, and you are also a student from Class B of the first year."

Horikita Manabu looked at Ichinose's file in his hand while simultaneously observing the boy who had just tricked him without leaving a trace.

"Yes, I hope to better help more of my classmates by joining the student council."

Sitting next to Uesugi Gen, Ichinose, who had her hands nervously placed on her thighs, nodded heavily.

"I see. You also served on the student council in middle school and have very rich experience. Your classmates and teachers in middle school also spoke highly of you."

Listening to Horikita Manabu's words, Uesugi Gen nodded repeatedly from the side.

Mm-hmm, yes, she is very excellent.

And then...

"I'm sorry, you have been rejected."

"Nani? Say that again!"

Uesugi Gen's voice echoed throughout the entire student council room, and he stood up, staring directly at Horikita Manabu.

"Uesugi-kun, don't be like this, sit down quickly."

Ichinose, sitting beside him, hurriedly grabbed Uesugi Gen's hand, trying to get him to sit down, though she couldn't hide the disappointment in her eyes.

"Although it wasn't explicitly stated, to avoid an imbalance of power, in principle, only one student per class can join the student council. Class B of the first year already has you as the vice president, so..."

"Ha, what kind of bullshit reason is that? You're the one playing office romance yourself."

"Tachibana is with me because the student council president has too much work and needs an assistant to help share the load."

"Well, I'm a student council vice president too, and I also need someone to share the load. In short, Ichinose must—"

"That's enough, Uesugi!"

A voice cut through their intense confrontation.

Ichinose grabbed Uesugi Gen's hand to stop him from continuing.

She then bowed to Horikita Manabu and the other, saying in a calm tone, "I'm sorry for causing you both trouble."

With that, she pulled Uesugi Gen by the hand and left in silence.

Horikita Manabu watched their retreating figures and let out a quiet sigh.

Within the student council, Nagumo Miyabi, who served as the other vice president alongside Uesugi Gen, held philosophies that were fundamentally at odds with Horikita Manabu's. Furthermore, Nagumo Miyabi had already begun consolidating resources among the second-year students, and his next target would likely be the student council itself.

Therefore, to protect the first-year students from falling into Nagumo Miyabi's clutches, Horikita Manabu had chosen to reject Ichinose's application.

As for Uesugi Gen, based solely on how he had trapped him with a voice recorder, Horikita Manabu concluded that this first-year freshman was no simple character.

Although he lacked concrete evidence, his three years of understanding the school administration allowed him to vaguely guess the reason behind Uesugi Gen's sudden appointment as vice president.

He wasn't worried about that aspect; the only thing he needed to consider was whether Uesugi Gen might lean toward Nagumo's side because of this incident.

On the street, Ichinose and Uesugi Gen were walking one after the other.

"Seriously, didn't you say you wanted to join the student council to help your classmates? We could have just pushed a little harder and that guy Horikita Manabu would have relented, yet you just gave up."

Watching Ichinose, who kept walking forward in silence, Uesugi Gen spoke up.

"Because I didn't want... I didn't want to see Uesugi-kun ruin his relationship with the student council seniors on my account."