Rock, Paper, Scissors

"Want some?" Uesugi Hara took a bag of sunflower seeds out of his desk.

"Thanks." Morishita Ai didn't hesitate, reaching over to grab a handful.

Uesugi Hara turned to Kamuro Masumi beside him. "Kamuro, want some too?"

"Uesugi! Is it really okay for you two to do this?" Kamuro Masumi watched them crack sunflower seeds as if no one else were around, her expression complicated. The supporters of Katsuragi and Sakayanagi up front were on the verge of an argument, while these two had gone and started their own little "snack party" off to the side.

"What's wrong with it?" Uesugi Hara cracked another seed and pointed at the people arguing up front. "Look how heated they are. They're not going to stop anytime soon, and joining in won't help. We might as well snack and watch the show."

Morishita Ai nodded along. A small pile of shells had already gathered in her hand, and her voice was flat. "Yeah. Saves our energy."

Kamuro Masumi: "..."

It kind of made sense, but something still felt off.

She hesitated for two seconds, then couldn't resist reaching for a handful of seeds herself. "Then I'll have some too."

At the podium, Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze happened to sweep over the back corner of the classroom. There she saw Uesugi Hara, Morishita Ai, and Kamuro Masumi huddled together, sunflower seeds in hand. They were cracking them and chatting quietly, treating the "leadership dispute" up front as nothing more than background noise.

The corner of her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. She turned to Katsuragi, her tone still gentle. "Katsuragi, why don't we ask the classmates who haven't shared their opinions yet?"

Katsuragi followed her gaze and immediately spotted the three "slackers." His brows knit together, a few dark lines seeming to appear in his mind. Of all times, they were still snacking on sunflower seeds?

But he pushed down his exasperation and went along with Sakayanagi's suggestion. "Should we ask Uesugi for his opinion? We should. After all, he was the one who first brought up the concept of Conduct Points. Without his reminder, our class might not have such a big lead in points this month. Uesugi, what do you think about who should lead the class?"

Everyone's gaze shot to the back of the classroom. Even the classmates who'd been arguing quietly fell silent, all turning to look at Uesugi Hara, who was still cracking sunflower seeds.

Uesugi Hara's heart gave a thump. So much for watching the show. Now it was his turn to take the stage.

Without changing his expression, he gathered the shells into a trash bag. Then he stood, turned to face the window, and clasped his hands behind his back. He raised his chin slightly and gazed into the distance, saying nothing for a long while, looking every bit the deep thinker.

The only sound in the classroom was Morishita Ai cracking another sunflower seed.

Everyone waited for him to speak. Even Sakayanagi Arisu raised an eyebrow, curious to see what he was up to.

With his back to the others, Uesugi Hara thought to himself, This should buy me a few seconds... Now what can I say to avoid taking sides and get out of this mess?

Come on, brain. Get moving!

A gentle breeze passed through, ruffling the boy's hair and stirring the curtains by the window. It lent his earlier "deep thoughts" a touch of poetic atmosphere.

"Uesugi Hara, what's so interesting outside?" Morishita Ai tilted her head and followed his gaze. All she saw were students moving around below and the sports field in the distance.

"Our homeroom teacher, Mashima, is fair-minded and well-versed in class affairs. I believe that matters within the class, great or small, should all be brought to him for consultation before we act. This will surely help us fill in the gaps and achieve greater things." Uesugi Hara suddenly spoke, his voice unhurried.

"What are you babbling about? Speak normally," Kamuro Masumi said with a frown.

Uesugi Hara ignored her. It was only natural that Kamuro couldn't understand something like this with her brain capacity.

He turned his gaze from the window to Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Uesugi, we're asking for your opinion. Changing the subject won't do," Sakayanagi Arisu said, meeting his eyes with an amused smile that suggested she'd seen right through him.

Katsuragi stood nearby. He didn't think Uesugi Hara's words were completely useless, but for now, he was more interested in hearing his honest thoughts about the "leader."

Seeing that he couldn't wriggle out of it, Uesugi Hara rubbed his nose and offered, quietly, "How about... you two play rock-paper-scissors? Whoever wins gets their way. If anyone else wants to compete, they can join in too."

The moment he said it, all the "gravitas" he'd built up vanished.

Everyone froze, then looked at him in dismay. So that whole deep-thinker act had been fake?

"Ahem." Uesugi Hara cleared his throat and hurried to smooth things over. "I was just joking. The mood in class was too tense, so I wanted to lighten it up."

"Oh? Then, Uesugi, can you tell us your true opinion about who should lead the class?" Sakayanagi Arisu was still smiling.

Uesugi Hara dropped his joking expression and looked at the two people at the front of the classroom. His tone grew more serious. "Personally, I support Katsuragi. Everyone has seen how hard he's worked over the past month. As for Sakayanagi, aside from making an impression at the start of the school year, she hasn't really stood out this month."

At his words, Sakayanagi Arisu's brows drew together slightly, and her fingers tightened around her cane.

Seeing this, Uesugi Hara changed tack. "But that doesn't mean we should dismiss Sakayanagi's abilities."

"Then, Uesugi, do you have a way to choose the right leader?"

"Really, everyone's arguing because they want someone to lead Class A to graduation, right?" Uesugi Hara looked around. Only after seeing everyone nod did he continue. "Both Katsuragi and Sakayanagi have plenty of supporters, which shows that people recognize their abilities. Forcing a choice could just damage the harmony in class. How about... making them both class leaders?"

He paused, then added, "One could be class president and the other vice president. Working together is better than going it alone."

Katsuragi lowered his head and considered it for a moment, then looked up at Sakayanagi. "I think that could work. Instead of wasting our energy arguing among ourselves, we should work together for the class. Sakayanagi, what do you think?"

"Hehe. Since Katsuragi is willing to compromise, I can take a step back too." Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled, but then turned to Uesugi Hara with a playful glint in her eyes. "But... who should be class president?"

In an instant, everyone's gaze focused on Uesugi Hara once again. He'd come up with the idea, so it was only natural that he settle the question of who would be president and who would be vice president.

"Rock-paper-scissors," Uesugi Hara answered without a second thought.

Everyone: "..." So all that seriousness had just been a setup? After going around in circles, he still wanted them to play rock-paper-scissors? Kamuro Masumi was so exasperated she put a hand to her forehead. She felt like an idiot for having expected him to come up with a solution.

"Both of them are capable, so forcing a decision about who's better would be difficult, and they won't reach an agreement anytime soon." Uesugi Hara met everyone's exasperated looks and calmly added,

"Of course, if anyone has a more reliable way, feel free to suggest it. But I should point out that the midterm exams are coming up soon. Instead of wasting time arguing over who gets which position, we should settle it and focus on studying. Otherwise, someone could end up failing and getting expelled."

Without waiting for anyone to respond, he sat back down. This time, instead of sunflower seeds, he pulled a bag of potato chips from his desk, clearly intending to sit back and watch the show.

He'd just opened the bag when a fair hand quietly reached out in front of him. The fingertips still had a few sunflower seed crumbs on them. It was Morishita Ai.

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow and passed the bag of chips over to her. "Here. Time for a change of taste."

Morishita Ai took a few without hesitation, then pushed the sunflower seeds she hadn't finished over to him. "Trade."

Uesugi Hara: "..." They were mine to begin with. Never mind. I won't argue with a kid.

Up at the podium.

Katsuragi and Sakayanagi Arisu stood facing each other. Katsuragi's brows were furrowed; he still seemed a little uneasy about deciding their positions with "rock-paper-scissors." Sakayanagi Arisu, however, suddenly smiled, a sly glint in her eyes. "Rock-paper-scissors? But Katsuragi, I've always been very lucky."

"Let's do it. One round decides it." Katsuragi took a deep breath and raised his fist, his tone decisive. Better to settle it quickly than keep agonizing over it.

The classmates below watched in disbelief, their faces full of question marks.

Kamuro Masumi's mouth fell open. "They're actually going to play rock-paper-scissors? That's way too hasty!"

Morishita Ai also stopped what she was doing, a rare look of surprise in her eyes. She clearly hadn't expected them to take this "ridiculous" suggestion seriously.

Even a few of the classmates who'd supported Katsuragi couldn't help muttering, "I... Is this really how Class A does things?"

Uesugi Hara, on the other hand, watched with great interest, munching on chips as he quietly said to Morishita Ai, "See? I told you it'd work. Quick and easy."

Morishita Ai glanced at him. "How did you know they'd go along with rock-paper-scissors?"

"Secret." Uesugi Hara crunched on a chip, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

"I'll show you my legs." Morishita Ai offered the "bargaining chip" without changing her expression or even blinking.

Uesugi Hara almost choked on a chip. "Uh, Morishita, I'm not a pervert. Don't try that on me."

"I'll let you see Kamuro Masumi's too," Morishita Ai added, glancing at Kamuro Masumi beside her.

Kamuro Masumi: "..." Never mind. She wanted to know too.

Uesugi Hara coughed twice and rubbed his nose, promptly giving in. "All right... deal."

He lowered his voice and explained, "First, rock-paper-scissors is the fastest way for Sakayanagi to get the top position. She knows Katsuragi's personality, and she knows the class would rather settle things quickly and focus on studying. Rock-paper-scissors means no arguing, and she can chalk the result up to luck. Even if she loses, she won't lose face. She'll have plenty of chances to force Katsuragi to step down later."

"Second, Katsuragi is too honest. If Sakayanagi is the first to agree to 'deciding it with rock-paper-scissors,' he'll hesitate, but he definitely won't refuse. After all, what he wants most is to avoid conflict within the class."

After explaining, Uesugi Hara didn't forget to add, "And look how confident Sakayanagi was when she smiled just now. She was probably certain she'd win."

Kamuro Masumi, who'd been listening beside them, was dumbfounded. Then she frowned. "If you figured all that out, why did you still let them play?"

"What else?" Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. "Should I have let them argue until the exams? Besides, watching them play rock-paper-scissors is more fun than watching them debate, isn't it?"

Kamuro Masumi: "..." So he really had done it just to watch the show.

Under the entire class's gaze, the two people at the front raised their hands at the same time, completing this ridiculous yet momentous game of rock-paper-scissors.

Sakayanagi Arisu threw scissors, her slender fingers moving briskly. It suited the aggression she concealed beneath her gentle exterior. Katsuragi Kohei, meanwhile, threw paper.

The air fell silent for two seconds. Katsuragi looked at his own hand, then at Sakayanagi's scissors. After a brief pause, he accepted defeat with a calm expression. "I lost. Then congratulations, Sakayanagi."

"You're too kind, Katsuragi." Sakayanagi Arisu lowered her hand, her smile still graceful, though there was a hint of pride in her eyes. "I'll be counting on you to help with class affairs from now on. The vice president's role is important too."

A low murmur immediately spread through the classroom. Some were surprised, some thought it was only natural, and others quietly sighed in relief. At least they wouldn't have to keep worrying about who would lead the class.

Kamuro Masumi leaned toward Uesugi Hara and muttered, "You really called it. Sakayanagi won."

Uesugi Hara munched on a chip and said casually, "She'd already figured out what to throw. Of course she won."

Morishita Ai turned to look at him. "You knew she'd throw scissors?"

"I guessed." Uesugi Hara shrugged. "Paper and rock would be too cautious. They don't suit her desire to win quickly. Scissors is the most aggressive move, and the one most likely to catch Katsuragi off guard. Look at his reaction. He clearly didn't expect her to throw scissors."

"Oh."