SLAM!
—That was the sound of the door closing as Ryūen left.
Manabu Horikita paid no mind to his rudeness. He leaned back in his chair, straightening his posture, and closed his eyes, pondering whether this course of action was truly worth it.
Just as he and Ryūen had discussed, Nagumo now controlled nearly all the voting power of the second-years and half of the third-years.
If left unchecked, by the time he stepped down next semester, Miyabi Nagumo would undoubtedly be his successor and would rule the Student Council with an iron fist.
In his view, Nagumo had no deficiencies in terms of ability. While his personal conduct was somewhat libertine, it was nothing too serious. The only problem was this:
Miyabi Nagumo championed individual heroism, placing personal strength above the collective. When leading a group, he was the type who completely ignored advice. It was foreseeable that as long as he controlled the Student Council, he would inevitably become a dictator.
To avoid leaving a mess for his successors, once Manabu Horikita realized this, he had been searching for a candidate who could one day keep Miyabi Nagumo in check, even considering replacing his chosen successor.
His first move was selecting the leader of Class 2-B, Ikuto Kiriyama. After confirming that Kiriyama lacked the necessary ability, he placed his hopes on the first-year students. The results were gratifying, yet also lamentable:
Class A's Arisu Sakayanagi: a genius intellect, belligerent, and looks down on everyone—the same type as Nagumo.
Class A's Kōhei Katsuragi: mature and steady, which was both a strength and a weakness. He lacked malleability.
Class B's Honami Ichinose: a social butterfly, naive in character, with high potential for growth. Unfortunately, he didn't have enough time to wait for her to mature.
Class C's Hiyori Shiina: possessed extremely high analytical and reasoning abilities, but was an escapist.
Class D's Kiyotaka Ayanokōji: a hidden powerhouse who scored a perfect 50 on all entrance exams. A glimpse of his true ability was revealed during the last deliberation, but unfortunately, he lacked motivation.
Class D's Rokusuke Kōenji, heir to the Kōenji Conglomerate. His ability was unquestionable, but he was a libertarian through and through.
There wasn't a single one to whom he could confidently entrust the position of Student Council President.
After much deliberation, Manabu Horikita ultimately considered Hiyori Shiina's opinion and recruited Ryūen into the Student Council.
Although making Kakeru Ryūen, a delinquent leader, the Head of the Disciplinary Committee was certainly an unconventional idea, beyond the realm of normal comprehension.
Then again, tossing a catfish like him into the fish bucket would certainly introduce more uncertainty into the future.
As for how this farce would end, Manabu Horikita decided he would wait and see.
...
——————————————
Meanwhile—
In the library, Hiyori Shiina watched as a girl who had come seeking guidance departed.
Just as she was about to return her attention to the novel in front of her, she heard footsteps approach, followed by a boy's rather abrupt complaint: "Hey, hey, Katsuragi-san, it's already full in here."
"Yahiko, you must be quiet in the library."
The speaker was one of Class A's leaders, Kōhei Katsuragi. His bald head was so conspicuous that it was hard not to recognize him.
Following behind him was a green-haired boy with a buzz cut, holding his textbooks with a disgruntled expression. His name was Yahiko Totsuka.
The two of them seemed to be looking for seats to study. Katsuragi glanced around, nodded when his eyes met Hiyori Shiina's, and then led Yahiko Totsuka past them.
As they passed the area where the Class C boys were sitting, Yahiko curled his lip and said casually, "If you ask me, the guys from Class C and D should just transfer out already. What a waste of public resources…"
"Say that again, you bastard!"
Daichi Ishizaki shot up from his seat, startling Yahiko Totsuka so much he shuddered. The shout drew the gazes of nearly everyone in the library.
Seemingly having lost face, Yahiko Totsuka stiffened his neck, crossed his arms to feign composure, and looked at the powerfully built Ishizaki. "Was I wrong? Not long after school started, you all engaged in group violence. You people..."
Katsuragi turned and raised a hand to stop him. "That's enough, Yahiko."
At the same time, noticing the commotion behind her, Hiyori Shiina quickly stood up and moved forward.
Within the girl's body, Symon mentally peeked out and said cheerfully, "I'm really curious how this school selects its students. I've only ever seen gods like this—who can start a team fight on a whim—on TV."
A hint of amusement flashed in Hiyori's violet eyes. She didn't rush to reply, instead intercepting Ishizaki, who was clenching his fists and about to go "reason" with Yahiko Totsuka. In a soft yet firm voice, she stopped him, "Ishizaki-kun, you can't fight."
"But he went too far," Daichi Ishizaki said through clenched teeth.
"That's still not allowed." Hiyori Shiina shook her head, her bangs swaying. She persuaded him in a gentle tone, "The midterm exams are coming up soon. If you get suspended, you won't be able to take them, and that means direct expulsion, you know."
"Tch!" Ishizaki clicked his tongue and sat back down in his seat.
After stopping her impulsive classmate, Hiyori looked at Yahiko Totsuka, who was giving her an awkward smile, then shifted her gaze to Katsuragi. After a moment's thought, she said softly, "Katsuragi-kun, it would be best to refrain from deliberate provocations."
"..."
Across from her, Katsuragi fell silent for a moment upon hearing her words, then said seriously, "I'll be more careful."
Yahiko, now snapping back to his senses, realized his big bro had taken the blame for him and quickly tried to correct the situation. "I'm very sorry! It had nothing to do with Katsuragi-san just now. I said it myself."
"Is that so..."
Hiyori Shiina's eyes flickered for an instant. Without continuing the conversation, she returned to her seat with peace of mind. Seeing this, Katsuragi also led Yahiko away from the area. The faint sound of their low conversation could still be heard.
At the same time, Symon spoke up in her mind with a laugh. "Hiyori, I haven't offended you in the past, have I?"
"Why would you think that, Mr. Ghost?"
Symon teased, "That attempt to sow discord just now was a bit too natural. I'm a little scared now. You're not allowed to pull that kind of trick on me in the future."
"Ara, you noticed~"
The girl giggled to herself and changed the subject. "Katsuragi-kun is a good person, isn't he? To protect his subordinate, he was willing to accept blame that wasn't his."
"That Yahiko is certainly worth the effort."
Symon gave his assessment with a smile: "He runs his mouth but he can listen to reason. He lashes out wildly but knows how to protect his master. You could call him a good dog—much better than those people in your class who can't read the situation."
"Your assessment is a bit too sharp, Mr. Ghost."
"..."
You were the one who tested him, you know. How did I end up being the bad guy? Young lady, I suspect you're a bit too black-bellied—Symon didn't dare say that out loud.
...
_____
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