"Then please do your best over the next year. After all, learning to get along with different people is part of preparing to enter society, isn't it?"
Kanzaki Ryuji said from beside him, sounding rather amused.
"That's true, but getting along with people is another matter."
Judging by the Student Council President's personality, as Uesugi Gen had observed it,
his hopes of slacking off in the Student Council over the next year were probably doomed.
If that was the case—
"You two go ahead. I want to go introduce myself to the Student Council President first."
Uesugi Gen said to Shibata and Kanzaki beside him.
"All right, then we'll go on ahead."
In any case, he'd go pay a visit first: the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.
"President, was that girl just now your little sister?"
Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane walked one behind the other on their way back to the Student Council room.
Having worked with him for three years, Tachibana Akane had naturally learned from Horikita Manabu's casual remarks that he had a younger sister.
Horikita Manabu had seemed to be looking at the students from every year just now, but his attention had actually been fixed on a certain spot in Class D.
"Did you notice that girl?"
A helpless yet affectionate look appeared on Horikita Manabu's face.
"Mhm. She's a very pretty girl. I'm sure she's as impressive as you, President."
Remembering the girl's features, Tachibana Akane nodded repeatedly, holding her folder.
"No. I hate to say it, but she still has a long way to go."
Although he doted on his younger sister, the serious-minded Horikita Manabu still gave a negative answer.
As her older brother, he knew all too well how many flaws she had in her personality. That was why he hadn't been all that surprised when she was assigned to Class D.
So Suzune had stuck to her own ways over the past three years without changing much. He wondered whether she'd be able to handle the fierce competition at Kōiku.
Horikita Manabu answered Tachibana Akane while secretly worrying about his younger sister.
Before they knew it, they had returned to the Student Council room.
Click!
Horikita Manabu turned the doorknob and opened the Student Council room door.
"Hey, did you two just get back from a date, senpai?"
A cheerful voice came from a corner of the Student Council room.
They looked over and saw a boy leisurely leafing through some Student Council documents.
The boy had a casually cut mop of tousled hair, which fell naturally and just so without much effort. Advanced Nurturing High School's uniform fit his tall, slender frame without making him look bulky. The collar of his white undershirt was unbuttoned and hung slightly open. His dark eyes looked bright beneath his brows, and his fair but healthy-looking complexion made people exclaim in admiration: what a handsome young man.
Hearing Uesugi Gen say that the two of them had gone out on a date, Tachibana Akane blushed faintly, but still stepped forward to stop him.
"Um, this is the Student—"
"Tachibana, he isn't some outsider. He's a new member of the Student Council."
Horikita Manabu stopped Tachibana Akane with one hand before she could approach.
Tachibana Akane looked at Horikita Manabu in confusion. She was the Student Council secretary. How could someone have joined the Student Council without her knowing?
Horikita Manabu calmly adjusted his glasses and explained to Tachibana Akane,
"The school sent me a notice last night, telling me to make room for a Vice President of the Student Council and give the position to a first-year student."
Horikita Manabu looked the boy over again, his gaze sharp.
"I'm right, aren't I? You're Uesugi Gen from Class 1-B."
When Tachibana Akane heard Horikita Manabu, an incredulous look appeared on her face.
"How is that possible? The school has always granted the Student Council a high degree of autonomy. Having a first-year student suddenly dropped in as Vice President is unprecedented."
Faced with Tachibana Akane's objection, Uesugi Gen didn't seem bothered. He continued looking through the club budget proposals for Kōiku, speaking casually as he did.
"Give it enough time and there'll always be a precedent. But, President, could you make your point a little faster next time? A speech like yours is liable to get you cursed by the students."
"In any case, that's the situation. I'm the newly appointed Vice President of the Student Council. I look forward to working with you, senpai."
Although he said the words "I look forward to working with you," Uesugi Gen made no move to stand. He remained seated, looking through the documents.
Kōiku really was rolling in money. Even a random club had that much funding. Had he shortchanged himself by asking for only thirty million last time?
"I'm talking to you. The least you could do when speaking to your senpai is stand up."
Tachibana Akane said to Uesugi Gen, sounding displeased.
Horikita Manabu saw that Uesugi Gen had no intention of standing to reply to him, but he didn't mind.
Instead, he pulled over a chair and sat down directly across from Uesugi Gen, interlacing his fingers in front of his chin in a pose like Commander Ikari.
In a firm voice, he said,
"The school appointed you from above. As the source of the Student Council's authority, I can't oppose its decision."
"But the Student Council of Advanced Nurturing High School manages all sorts of matters at this school. If you don't have the ability to handle them—"
"Then, as President of the Student Council of Advanced Nurturing High School, even if it goes against the school's wishes, I'll make sure you can't interfere in any Student Council business during my term!"
In the blink of an eye—
Uesugi Gen tossed the documents in his hands back where they belonged, retrieved the recording pen hidden among them, and moved to Horikita Manabu's side. Grinning broadly, he clasped Horikita Manabu's hands.
"Senpai, I recorded that."
"It's a promise. No taking it back."
Horikita Manabu fell silent for two seconds.
Had he just been set up by the first-year in front of him?
Tachibana Akane stared at Uesugi Gen's maneuver, dumbfounded.
The President... had actually been tricked by a first-year.
Faced with Horikita Manabu's awkward silence, Uesugi Gen had no intention of giving him a chance to take it back. He made a quick getaway.
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. Remember our agreement, Horikita-senpai."
"See you!"
After rattling off the words at top speed, Uesugi Gen strode away briskly and opened the office door.
And then—
He ran straight into Ichinose.
"Hello... Hm?"
"Ha ha ha... Gah?"
Thump—
Everyone knew that the nose was the most forward-facing part of the human body. It was also common knowledge that girls were generally a little shorter than boys.
So...
"Ow, ow, ow! Be gentler."
Uesugi Gen watched the cotton swab grow larger and larger before his eyes, and a sense of dread welled up inside him.
"I'm really sorry, Uesugi-kun. I didn't expect anyone to come out just then."
Holding a cotton swab dipped in medicine, Ichinose carefully dabbed at Uesugi Gen's nose and apologized profusely.
"It's fine. Let it be a lesson. Getting carried away isn't always a good thing."
Uesugi Gen wanted to touch his nose, but he didn't dare.
"Horikita-senpai, I got hurt at the entrance to the Student Council room. That counts as a work injury, right? The Student Council will compensate me with points, won't it?"
"There's no such thing."
"So you're applying to join the Student Council, and you're also a student in Class 1-B."
Horikita Manabu looked over Ichinose's file while discreetly observing the boy who had just set him up.
"Yes. I hope to help more of my fellow students by joining the Student Council."
Seated beside Uesugi Gen, Ichinose nodded firmly, her hands resting tensely on her thighs.
"I see. You served on the Student Council in middle school, so you have plenty of experience. Your classmates and teachers there had nothing but praise for you."
As Horikita Manabu spoke, Uesugi Gen nodded along repeatedly.
Mhm, that's right. She's excellent.
And then—
"I'm sorry, but your application has been rejected."
"What? Say that again!"
Uesugi Gen's voice rang throughout the Student Council room. He stood up and stared straight at Horikita Manabu.
"Uesugi-kun, don't do that. Sit down."
Ichinose hurriedly grabbed Uesugi Gen's hand, trying to get him to sit down, though disappointment still showed in her eyes.
"He didn't say so outright, but to prevent an imbalance of power, the general rule is that only one student from each class can join the Student Council. Since you're already the Vice President from Class 1-B, then..."
"Ha! What kind of bullshit excuse is that? You're the one having an office romance."
"Tachibana works with me because the Student Council President has too much to do and needs an assistant to share the workload."
"Well, I'm the Vice President of the Student Council, too. I need someone to share the workload. Anyway, Ichinose has to—"
"That's enough, Uesugi-kun!"
A voice cut through their heated argument.
Ichinose held on to Uesugi Gen's hand and stopped him.
Then she bowed to the two senpai and said calmly,
"I'm sorry for troubling you both, senpai."
Then she took Uesugi Gen by the hand and quietly left.
Horikita Manabu watched them walk away and sighed to himself.
Within the Student Council, Miyabi Nagumo, another Vice President alongside Uesugi Gen, had ideas that clashed sharply with Horikita Manabu's. Miyabi Nagumo had also begun consolidating the second-years' resources, and the Student Council would probably be next.
That was why Horikita Manabu had refused Ichinose's application: to keep the first-years from falling prey to Miyabi Nagumo.
As for Uesugi Gen, Horikita Manabu had already concluded that the first-year wouldn't be simple, just from the way he'd used a recording pen to catch him out.
He had no concrete evidence, but based on what he'd learned about the school over the past three years, he could vaguely guess why Uesugi Gen had been appointed Vice President of the Student Council from above.
So that didn't worry him much. The only thing he had to consider was whether Uesugi Gen would side with Nagumo over this.
On the street, Ichinose and Uesugi Gen walked one behind the other.
"Honestly, didn't you say you wanted to join the Student Council to help your fellow students? If you'd just held out a little longer, Horikita Manabu would've given in, but you gave up anyway."
Seeing Ichinose keep walking in silence, Uesugi Gen spoke up.
"Because I didn't want to... I didn't want to see you damage your relationship with the Student Council senpai because of me, Uesugi-kun."
Before you continue