Rock Paper Scissors

"Want some?" Uesugi Hara pulled a bag of sunflower seeds from his desk.

"Thanks." Morishita Ai didn't stand on ceremony, reaching out to grab a handful.

Uesugi Hara turned his head to look at Kamuro Masumi beside him. "Kamuro, do you want some too?"

"Uesugi! Are you two really okay with this?" Kamuro Masumi watched them cracking seeds as if no one else were around, her expression complex—the supporters of Katsuragi and Sakayanagi up front were on the verge of a shouting match, yet these two had started a "snack session" right on the sidelines.

"What's wrong with it?" Uesugi Hara cracked another seed and pointed at the arguing crowd. "Look at how heated they are; they won't stop anytime soon. It's useless for us to jump in, so we might as well watch the show while we snack."

Morishita Ai nodded in agreement, a small pile of shells already forming in her hand, her tone flat. "Mm, saves energy."

Kamuro Masumi: "..."

It sounded somewhat logical, yet she felt like something was off.

She hesitated for two seconds, but ultimately couldn't resist, reaching out to grab a handful of seeds. "Fine, I'll have some too."

At the front of the classroom, Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze inadvertently swept over the corner in the back, only to see Uesugi Hara, Morishita Ai, and Kamuro Masumi huddled together, seeds in hand, "crunching" away while whispering to each other, treating the "leadership struggle" ahead as nothing more than a backdrop.

The corner of her mouth twitched imperceptibly, and she turned to look at Katsuragi, her tone remaining gentle. "Katsuragi-kun, why don't we ask the students who haven't expressed their opinions yet?"

Katsuragi followed her gaze and immediately spotted the three "slackers," his brows knitting together as a few black lines crossed his mind. At a time like this, they still had the heart to eat sunflower seeds?

But he suppressed his frustration and followed Sakayanagi's lead. "Uesugi-kun's opinion? It is indeed worth asking. After all, the concept of conduct points was something he first proposed. If not for his reminder, our class might not be leading by so many points this month. Uesugi-kun, what is your take on the class leadership?"

The surrounding gazes "whooshed" toward the back row. Even those who were whispering stopped, all eyes fixed on Uesugi Hara, who was still cracking seeds.

Uesugi Hara's heart skipped a beat. The show was over; it was his turn on stage.

He calmly swept the shells into a trash bag, stood up, turned to face the window, clasped his hands behind his back, and tilted his head slightly, gazing into the distance. He didn't say a word for a long time, maintaining a profound air.

In the classroom, one could still hear the sound of Morishita Ai "crunching" on seeds.

Everyone waited for him to speak, and even Sakayanagi Arisu raised an eyebrow, curious about what trick he was going to pull.

With his back to the crowd, Uesugi Hara muttered to himself: This pose should buy me a few seconds... What should I say to avoid taking sides while still brushing this off?

Brain, work faster!

At that moment, a gentle breeze blew through, stirring the fringe on the boy's forehead and the curtains by the window, giving his "profound" demeanor a touch of atmosphere.

"Uesugi Hara, what's so interesting outside the window?" Morishita Ai tilted her head, following his gaze, but saw only students walking below and the distant track.

"Class teacher Mashima is gentle in temperament and well-versed in class affairs. I believe that in matters of the class, regardless of size, we should consult him before acting; this will surely remedy omissions and provide greater benefits." Uesugi Hara spoke suddenly, his tone slow and leisurely.

"What are you mumbling about? Speak like a normal person," Kamuro Masumi frowned from the side.

Uesugi Hara ignored her; it was normal for someone with Kamuro's brain capacity not to understand.

He withdrew his gaze from the window and turned to look at Sakayanagi Arisu.

"Uesugi-kun, we are asking for your opinion. Changing the subject isn't very nice, you know." Sakayanagi Arisu met his gaze with a half-smile, her tone carrying a hint of exposure.

Katsuragi stood to the side; he didn't think Uesugi Hara's words were entirely useless, but he wanted to hear his true thoughts on the "leader" issue.

Seeing he couldn't bluff his way out, Uesugi Hara rubbed his nose and suggested in a low voice, "How about... you guys play rock-paper-scissors? Whoever wins, we listen to them. If others want to compete, they can join in too."

As soon as these words left his mouth, the "class" he had just built up vanished instantly.

Everyone was stunned, then speechless. After all that, the profound act you just put on was all fake?

"Ahem," Uesugi Hara cleared his throat, rushing to remedy the situation. "I was just joking. The atmosphere in the class was too heavy, so I was just trying to liven things up."

"Oh? Then can Uesugi-kun tell us your true thoughts on the class leadership now?" Sakayanagi Arisu continued to smile.

Uesugi Hara dropped the joking expression, looked at the two on the podium, and spoke with a more serious tone. "Personally, I support Katsuragi-kun. After all, everyone has witnessed his efforts over the past month. As for Sakayanagi-san, aside from her performance at the start of the term, she hasn't really shown anything eye-catching this month."

Sakayanagi Arisu's brows furrowed slightly at these words, and her fingertips tightened around her cane.

Seeing this, Uesugi Hara shifted his tone. "But we cannot deny Sakayanagi-san's ability because of that."

"Then what way does Uesugi-kun suggest we choose a truly suitable leader?"

"Actually, everyone is arguing because they hope someone can lead Class A to graduation successfully, right?" Uesugi Hara looked at the crowd, and seeing them nod, he continued, "Now that both Katsuragi and Sakayanagi have many supporters, it shows that both their abilities are recognized. Forcing a choice will only hurt the class's harmony. Why not... let them both be class representatives?"

He paused slightly and added, "One head representative, one deputy. Working together is better than fighting alone."

Katsuragi pondered for a moment, then looked up at Sakayanagi. "I think it's feasible. Instead of wasting energy on internal strife, we should join forces for the class. Sakayanagi, what do you think?"

"Hehe, since Katsuragi-kun has stepped back, I can naturally take a step back as well." Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled, but her gaze suddenly shifted to Uesugi Hara, carrying a hint of playfulness. "It's just... who should take the position of head representative?"

Instantly, everyone's eyes focused on Uesugi Hara again—he was the one who suggested the idea, so naturally, he had to be the one to resolve the "head vs. deputy" dispute.

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

Everyone: "..." So all that seriousness earlier was just a setup, and after going in a circle, you still want them to play rock-paper-scissors? Kamuro Masumi even clutched her forehead, feeling like a fool for having expected a real solution from him.

"Both are capable people; it's hard to rank them, and you won't reach a conclusion anytime soon." Uesugi Hara met their speechless gazes and added calmly, "Of course, if anyone has a more reliable method, feel free to suggest it. But I must remind you—there isn't much time left before the midterm exams. Instead of wasting time on the head and deputy positions, it's better to decide quickly and focus your energy on studying, so no one gets expelled for failing grades."

After speaking, he didn't wait for their reaction and sat back down. This time, he didn't pull sunflower seeds from his desk, but a bag of potato chips, clearly prepared to watch the show in peace.

Just as he opened the bag, a fair little hand reached out toward him, the fingertips still dusted with sunflower seed shells—it was Morishita Ai.

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow, passed the bag of chips toward her, and smiled. "Here, change of pace."

Morishita Ai did not stand on ceremony, reaching out to grab a few pieces before pushing her unfinished sunflower seeds toward him. "Trade for this."

Uesugi Hara: "..." These were mine to begin with. Forget it, no point in bickering with a child.

On the stage.

On the stage, Katsuragi and Sakayanagi Arisu stood facing each other. Katsuragi frowned, clearly still feeling awkward about "deciding the position by rock-paper-scissors"; Sakayanagi Arisu, however, suddenly smiled, a cunning light flashing in her eyes. "Shall we play rock-paper-scissors? But Katsuragi-kun, my luck has always been very good, you know."

"Let's do it, one round decides the winner." Katsuragi took a deep breath, raised his hand into a fist, and spoke with finality—rather than agonizing over it, it was better to settle it quickly.

The crowd below the stage watched in a daze, their faces full of "???" expressions:

Kamuro Masumi opened her mouth wide. "They're actually going to play rock-paper-scissors? This is too reckless!"

Morishita Ai also stopped what she was doing, a rare look of surprise in her eyes; clearly, she hadn't expected the two of them to actually adopt this "absurd" suggestion.

Even the few students who had previously supported Katsuragi couldn't help but whisper: "Is... is this really the style of Class A?"

Uesugi Hara, however, watched with great interest, munching on potato chips while whispering to Morishita Ai, "I told you this trick would work. It saves time and effort."

Morishita Ai glanced at him. "How did you know they would resort to rock-paper-scissors?"

"Secret." Uesugi Hara chewed his chips, deliberately keeping her in suspense.

"I'll let you see my legs." Morishita Ai threw out the "bargaining chip" expressionlessly, her gaze not even flickering.

Uesugi Hara nearly choked on a chip. "Uh, Morishita-san, I'm not a pervert, don't pull that stuff."

"I'll let you see Kamuro Masumi's too," Morishita Ai added, her gaze sweeping toward Kamuro Masumi nearby.

Kamuro Masumi: "..." Forget it, she wanted to know too.

Uesugi Hara coughed twice, rubbed his nose, and decisively compromised. "This... deal."

He lowered his voice and explained: "First, for Sakayanagi, rock-paper-scissors is the fastest way to climb to the top—she knows Katsuragi's personality and knows that the class prefers to settle things quickly to prepare for exams. Rock-paper-scissors requires no arguing, and she can use 'luck' as an excuse; even if she loses, she doesn't lose face, and there will be plenty of ways to force Katsuragi to step down later."

"Second, Katsuragi's personality is too honest. As long as Sakayanagi is the first to agree to 'decide the winner by rock-paper-scissors,' he will hesitate, but he certainly won't refuse. After all, the last thing he wants to see is internal strife in the class."

After finishing, Uesugi Hara didn't forget to add: "And look, look at how confident Sakayanagi's smile was just now. I bet she was already certain she would win."

Kamuro Masumi, listening from the side, was stunned for a moment before frowning: "Since you saw all that, why did you let them play rock-paper-scissors?"

"What else?" Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. "Do you want them to argue until the exam? Besides, watching them play rock-paper-scissors is more interesting than watching them debate, isn't it?"

Kamuro Masumi: "..." So you were just in it for the show.

Under the gaze of the entire class, the two on stage raised their hands simultaneously, completing this absurd yet highly decisive game of rock-paper-scissors.

Sakayanagi Arisu threw scissors; her fingertips were slender and her movement was sharp, truly fitting the aggression she usually hid beneath her gentle exterior. As for Katsuragi Kohei, he had extended paper.

The air went quiet for two seconds. Katsuragi looked at his own hand, then at Sakayanagi's scissors, and after a moment of silence, he calmly relaxed his hand. "I lost. Then, congratulations to Sakayanagi-san."

"You are too kind, Katsuragi-kun." Sakayanagi Arisu withdrew her hand, her smile remaining elegant, though a hint of triumph appeared in her eyes. "I will need your support in class affairs moving forward; after all, the duties of the vice-representative are also very important."

A low murmur of discussion erupted below the stage—some found it unexpected, some found it a matter of course, and others quietly breathed a sigh of relief, glad they finally didn't have to worry about the leadership issue anymore.

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

Uesugi Hara chewed his chips and said nonchalantly: "She even calculated what she would throw, how could she not win?"

Morishita Ai turned to look at him: "You saw that she would throw scissors?"

"Guessed it." Uesugi Hara shrugged. "After all, paper and rock are too conservative and don't fit her desire for a quick victory. Scissors are the most aggressive and the best way to catch Katsuragi off guard—look at Katsuragi's reaction; he clearly didn't expect her to throw scissors."

"Oh."