Acting Chairman

After seeing Karuizawa off, Lezheng looked at the chocolates on the table and could no longer suppress his smile.

"Hahaha, looks like I've still got my charm."

At his previous school, whenever a gift-giving holiday like this came around, he received enough presents to make the other boys jealous.

Once someone became outstanding enough, they would never lack attention from the opposite sex. That went for both men and women.

About half an hour later, Lezheng was eating chocolates when he heard another knock at the door.

"Lezheng, I made these chocolates myself." Shiina handed him a gift box.

"Thank you, Shiina. Come on in." Lezheng took it.

"Lezheng, are you eating chocolates someone else gave you?" Shiina walked over to the table and sat down.

"Yes. They put their hearts into them, after all. I can't let them go to waste."

"Do you have any other plans this afternoon?" Shiina asked.

"No plans."

"Want to see a movie? There's a new one out."

"Sure. I haven't been to the movies in ages either."

At two that afternoon, Lezheng and Shiina walked into the movie theater and began choosing a film. Since it was Valentine's Day, all the popular films showing were romances.

"Let's watch this one."

Lezheng chose a film called Flipped. At a time like this, he certainly wasn't going to pick a movie that didn't suit the occasion.

There were a lot of people, and the theater was almost full. Their seats were in the third row from the back.

This film was different from other romances. Its ending had no embrace, no kiss, and no wedding. The male and female leads simply gazed quietly at a little plane tree. They didn't get together, either, but started over instead.

The two had set out at three thirty that afternoon, and it was already past five when the movie ended. Snow was falling as they stood at the theater entrance.

"Lezheng, close your eyes and hold out your hands." Shiina was being mysterious.

"Is there a prize for watching the movie, too?" Lezheng obediently did as she asked.

Without his eyes to observe, his other senses became very sensitive. Lezheng could feel some kind of fabric being slipped over his hands.

"You can open your eyes now."

At her words, Lezheng opened his eyes and looked at his hands. He was now wearing a pair of warm, cream-colored gloves. "Shiina" was embroidered in red thread on the left palm, and "Hiyori" on the right.

"I really like them." Lezheng stroked the gloves.

"The scarf will take a few more days to finish." Shiina put on her gloves and scarf.

"I don't know how to make anything else, but how about coming over to my place? I'll make you a bowl of egg fried rice."

"Sure." Shiina nodded.

They shared an umbrella on the way back to the dorms. Lezheng held it as he walked close beside Shiina, and they quietly discussed the movie they had just watched. The streetlights cast their shadows across the snow.

"Hello, everyone on the Student Council. I'm the school's new Acting Chairman, Tsunenari Tsukishiro." Tsukishiro introduced himself with a smile.

"Hello, Chairman Tsukishiro. I'm the Student Council President, Lezheng Youyan." Lezheng returned his greeting.

Lezheng had been wondering why the school's paperwork had suddenly gone through. It turned out they now had an Acting Chairman. His first impression of Tsukishiro was of a scholarly middle-aged man.

Ever since the Mixed Training Camp, Miyabi Nagumo had somehow seemed like a different person, but Lezheng felt he was probably up to no good.

"Carry on with your work. I just came to introduce myself." Tsukishiro left with a genial smile.

"Take care," Lezheng called after him.

After the regular meeting ended, Ichinose deliberately stayed until last. It was worth mentioning that she now held the same position Tachibana had before her: Student Council secretary, which made her Lezheng's deputy.

"Lezheng, I feel so much pressure." Ichinose slumped over the desk.

"It's all right. You can ask me about anything you don't understand. Believe in yourself. You're the famous Ichinose, after all." Lezheng encouraged her.

"Famous? Don't say that." Ichinose hurriedly waved her hands.

"Let's head back together. I'm locking up." Lezheng put on his gloves and shouldered his schoolbag.

The continuous snowfall had begun to accumulate on the ground, and there were snowmen students had built along both sides of the path.

"I feel like the next Special Exam is coming soon."

"Why do you say that?" Ichinose asked curiously.

"New officials always want to achieve something when they take office. Take me, for example. My proposal to reassign students to different classes was rejected." Lezheng sighed.

"Huh? Why would you want to reshuffle the classes?"

"The school had the same reaction. It's because I think the current balance of strength between the classes is unfair."

"I suppose you're right. Besides you, Class A has Sakayanagi and Katsuragi."

"Our three classes are all right. The main problem is Class D. They don't have anyone who can lead the entire class."

"Ayanokoji in Class D is no ordinary student," Ichinose reminded Lezheng.

"But he won't step into the spotlight. I've been wanting to see what the White Room's genius can do."

They chatted like this all the way back to the dorms.

The day after Lezheng's conversation with Ichinose, the school issued an urgent notice to the entire first year that a Special Exam was about to begin.

"This Special Exam is very sudden, and only the first years will take part. The rules are simple: each student has three praise votes and three criticism votes. The student who receives the most praise votes within their class will receive a voucher exempting them from expulsion once. It will remain valid throughout their time at this school."

"The student with the most criticism votes will be expelled immediately. If two students receive the same number of criticism votes, another vote will be held until one student is expelled."

Mr. Mashima looked somewhat angry. It seemed this Acting Chairman wasn't what he appeared to be.

"In addition, each student has one extra praise vote. This vote can only be cast for a student from another class."

"Sir, can we use Private Points to avoid the punishment?" Katsuragi asked.

"Yes. That is also the only way. You can use the remaining time to discuss it among yourselves." Mr. Mashima left.

"Lezheng, what do you think would be the safest way to vote?" Katsuragi came over.

"Whoever needs the praise votes will have to take the criticism votes too," Lezheng answered.

"Vote for me," came Sakayanagi's voice.

Lezheng and Sakayanagi exchanged a look, and he understood her concern. This Chairman Tsukishiro might be her father's enemy. She needed a voucher to protect herself so she could remain at this school.

Under the direction of the central figures in their respective cliques, everyone cast all their praise votes and criticism votes for Sakayanagi.

Thirty praise votes wouldn't make any waves in either Class B or Class C. All of Class B's praise votes would go to Ryuuen, and Class C's would certainly all go to Ichinose. That left only Class D to stir up trouble in.

Yamauchi was ruled out first, since Sakayanagi could make a move against him in this Special Exam. That meant choosing another piece of dead weight.

According to the information Karuizawa had passed along earlier, Yamauchi and Ike in Class D were both completely useless, so the choice was settled. He would go win Ryuuen over later. Ichinose was a bit too much of a bleeding heart, so he wouldn't approach her.

Then it's decided. You're the one, Kanji Ike.