The Dignified Disciplinary Committee Chair

The first thing the Disciplinary Committee President, Ise Yuri, said upon seeing Akimoto Yoichi was to label him a "teddy bear."

Was this an insult? Or a compliment?

Akimoto Yoichi looked at the imposing girl before him, unable to discern her true meaning.

That said, Akimoto Yoichi, who was currently sitting on the ground while wearing a large dog mascot costume, did look rather cute.

If one were to ignore the aggressive choice of words, from the perspective of a girl who meant no harm, it might not have been a mockery at all.

"U-um, President Ise, I am Suzuran Ayano, a disciplinary committee member from Class 1-A. Hello, President."

Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward, Suzuran Ayano immediately stepped forward.

As a fellow member of the Disciplinary Committee, she felt like the filling in a sandwich.

To her left was her senior, and to her right was her close male friend; she was the person who least wanted the situation to escalate further.

"This is Akimoto Yoichi, who is running for vice president in this student council election. This is Kuroo Maya, also from Class A, and this is Nishida Yuki, from Class B."

"Is there something you need, President? We have been busy with student council election activities all day."

"As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, I can guarantee that we are acting in full compliance with school regulations."

Watching Suzuran Ayano try so hard to explain and defuse the awkwardness, Akimoto Yoichi remained silent, sitting where he was without standing up.

Ise Yuri, however, showed no reaction; she held her hands up to her chest, fiddling with the braid hanging beside her face.

Facing Ayano, she only gave a cold, haughty nod and said, "Yes, I know you, Suzuran. I also know them. We in the Disciplinary Committee are not like that bunch in the student council, idling away their time playing at elections and doing nothing."

This remark was clearly pointed, her gaze sweeping with disdain over the student council election flyers the group had placed to the side.

Hearing this, Akimoto Yoichi and Nishida Yuki exchanged a glance, each reading the other's thoughts.

It seemed the relationship between the Izuki Academy student council and the Disciplinary Committee was not very harmonious.

Generally, the student council is responsible for organizing and maintaining management and activities within the academy, and the Disciplinary Committee is a branch of the student council.

However, the Disciplinary Committee possesses significant authority, managing campus discipline and maintaining campus security. They usually conduct patrols and inspections on campus to ensure students follow school rules and regulations.

Therefore, even though the Disciplinary Committee belongs to the student council, the nature of their existence means that even the student council cannot necessarily control them.

In more extreme cases, the Disciplinary Committee members will keep a close watch on the student council.

They criticize and condemn the actions of the student council president or vice president and others, even reporting them in campus news.

Just looking at the Disciplinary Committee President, Ise Yuri, before them, it was easy to see that the relationship between the student council and the Disciplinary Committee was poor.

"So, Disciplinary Committee President, what brings you here? Did you realize we are the future student council president and vice president, so you came to give us a warning in advance?"

Nishida Yuki was not as polite as Suzuran Ayano; she looked at Ise Yuri with a smile and said.

"Nishida! You can't talk to a senior like that!" Ayano tried to stop her, looking at Ise Yuri in a panic.

"Oh? If you were to become student council president, perhaps things would be more interesting." Ise Yuri was unexpectedly not annoyed.

Her gaze shifted from Nishida Yuki to the face of Akimoto Yoichi, who had not spoken a word from the beginning.

Watching him squeeze the sports drink in his hand, she gave a smirk.

She then took a bottle of black tea from her pocket and, under Akimoto Yoichi's bewildered gaze, handed it to him.

"If you're sweating a lot, it's better to drink black tea or green tea. Jasmine tea is fine, too."

"You really are an idiot, drinking sports drinks. That stuff is just overhyped."

"If you can't even handle this much, you won't be able to become vice president."

For a moment, Akimoto Yoichi couldn't tell if she was mocking him or helping him.

It should be... well-intentioned, right?

"Th-thank you." Akimoto Yoichi took the black tea and took a sip.

Seeing Akimoto Yoichi finish his drink, Ise Yuri nodded with satisfaction.

Yet, the strange atmosphere still left everyone confused, and Ayano couldn't help but voice her doubt.

"Senior Ise, what is it that you came here for? Just as I said before, we shouldn't have done anything that violates school regulations."

"No, you have violated the school regulations." Ise Yuri displayed the aura of a Disciplinary Committee President once again.

"Oh? Which rule? I can have the rule changed." Nishida Yuki was not joking.

Akimoto and Ayano both knew that this crazy woman would actually do it.

"The mascot costume, of course," Ise Yuri said.

Ayano was about to explain, but Ise Yuri hadn't finished speaking.

"If it were during club activities, wearing a mascot costume to promote your election wouldn't be a problem."

"In fact, you have been doing this for the past few days, and we in the Disciplinary Committee haven't stopped you."

"However, when not during activity hours, you are supposed to wear your school uniform correctly, yet you violated this rule during the break."

From behind Ise Yuri, a disciplinary committee member pulled out a tablet.

The tablet screen was playing a circulating video, which was exactly the footage of Akimoto Yoichi walking through the hallway in his mascot costume during the break.

Akimoto Yoichi understood immediately.

"We were just testing to see if the mascot costumes were comfortable, so we took a walk outside. Some of these costumes make it a bit difficult to move around," Akimoto Yoichi explained.

"Oh? Is that so?" Ise Yuri nodded in understanding. "Please be mindful in the future. You are not allowed to be improperly dressed during class breaks. Please save the mascot costumes for when you are conducting your election activities. If you understand, please say 'I understand' to me."

"I understand," Akimoto Yoichi echoed.

Seeing Akimoto Yoichi respond so smoothly, the disciplinary committee members standing nearby, who had been somewhat tense, were quite surprised.

No matter how you looked at it, Akimoto Yoichi didn't seem like the type of person who would be this easy to talk to.

Could it be that he was really just as their committee chair had thought?

"Very good, then there is no issue."

Ise Yuri nodded with satisfaction. She lifted her chin with a hint of pride, revealing small dimples on her cheeks.

"..."

This was a classic case of all bark and no bite.

Akimoto Yoichi and the others had initially thought the disciplinary committee members were here to pick a fight, but who knew they were just offering a reminder, with no intention of punishing them or continuing to pester them.

It was over just like that?

"Uh, Ise-senpai, did you come all this way just to say that?" Ayano couldn't help but ask.

Glancing at Ayano, Ise Yuri nodded and said, "That's right, though I also wanted to see this Akimoto-kun with my own eyes up close."

Then, she looked at the Akimoto Yoichi standing before her.

Her gaze lingered for a moment on the yellow hair atop Akimoto Yoichi's head, and Ise Yuri stood before him with her hands on her hips.

Her lively eyes, framed by long lashes, shimmered with a captivating brilliance. Her tight legs, wrapped in black pantyhose, accentuated her model-like figure, and her silhouette, backlit by the sun, possessed an even more moving quality.

"There are many bad rumors about you, Akimoto-kun, but I am not the type of person to judge others by their appearance. I have seen plenty of people who look more honest than you but are far worse."

"However, for the sake of the school's atmosphere, I will be keeping a close eye on your every move. As long as you commit any act that violates school rules, I, as the disciplinary committee chair, will absolutely not show you any mercy."

"If you understand, say 'I understand'!"

In Akimoto Yoichi's view, this disciplinary committee chair only had any real presence when she said, "say 'I understand'!"