First Day of School
March 1, Sunday.
On the first day back, Kūjō Ryō woke up early.
But someone was awake even earlier.
A message from Mafuyu Kirisu.
"After the school leadership finishes their opening speech, the student council president election ceremony will begin. Is your speech ready?"
"I wasn't planning to run."
The thought struck him like lightning.
If he became student council president, the position would come with enormous power and attention. Add tenfold charm on top of that, and what beautiful girl in school could possibly escape his grasp?
His heart started pounding.
Originally, he had no intention of running. Partly because it sounded like a hassle, partly because he didn't think he had a good chance. But now?
Now he had reason. And he had confidence.
He even pictured the scene after he won.
This classmate, you probably don't want to get publicly criticized for breaking school rules, right?
And this classmate who skips class all the time… if you want to "buy" a student council position for credits, what exactly are you planning to pay with?
He shook the evil fantasy out of his head and started writing seriously.
It took only a few minutes to produce a speech that was extremely short, yet explosively bold.
"Done."
After washing up, Ryō put on his uniform, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed out.
He had plenty of time, so he didn't take the bus or ride a bike.
He chose to walk.
Why?
Everyone knows the first day of school is a special day. A day when "fateful encounters" happen.
At least, that's how it works in novels, movies, galgames, and anime. Those scenes were everywhere.
Ryō believed that the longer the commute, the higher the chance of running into a beautiful girl.
So he walked, so he could fully make use of his tenfold charm.
With anticipation in his chest, he strolled along, enjoying the scenery.
Then, without warning, a pink luxury sedan rolled up beside him, matching his walking speed.
Ryō stopped.
The sedan stopped too.
Don't tell me…
His heart lifted.
Is it finally happening?
A pure, adorable rich heiress falling in love at first sight, rolling down the window, and inviting him in?
The window slowly lowered.
But instead of a cute schoolgirl, a professional-looking woman in her thirties appeared.
She slid him a business card and winked.
"Handsome boy, here's my card. If you're short on cash, come find me and we can talk about life."
Then the car drove off, leaving Ryō standing there in the wind.
"…Huh?"
What do you take me for?
Do I look like the kind of guy who sells himself?
Fuming, Ryō tossed the card straight into a nearby trash can.
So much for anime.
How could the first day of school really come with some beautiful, scripted encounter?
Even as he complained, he secretly hoped the universe would slap him in the face.
If he could run into a few top-tier beauties on the rest of the way, that would be perfect.
Unfortunately, reality stayed stubbornly ordinary.
Sure, several girls confessed and asked for his contact info, but their looks were average. Nothing that made his heart truly race.
He didn't run into a spatial quake.
No angels, demons, dragon girls, or elves fell out of the sky.
Not even the classic scene of a white beret getting blown away by the wind.
When he reached the classroom, he was still suffering from the "happy trouble" of tenfold charm.
"Kūjō-kun, do you have a girlfriend?"
"You guess."
"Kūjō-kun, you're the most handsome boy I've ever seen. Your eyes look like they have stars in them."
"Thanks."
"Kūjō-kun, can we add each other? I want to ask you about studying."
"Sure, but I might not have much time."
Ryō had just taken out his phone when the class bell rang right on cue.
"We have class. Let's talk later!"
The girls quickly returned to their seats.
"Whew…"
Ryō exhaled.
Having too much charm really was its own kind of problem.
On the way to school, he'd already noticed the head-turning was intense.
Not just girls.
Even some guys kept looking back at him without thinking.
In the classroom, it got even more ridiculous. The moment he sat down, several girls surrounded him, asking questions nonstop, friend requests coming one after another.
Only when the bell rang did it finally quiet down.
Then came the crisp sound of footsteps.
A tall, slender figure walked into the room and stopped at the podium.
"Hello, everyone. I'm your homeroom teacher for Class 2-A, Mafuyu Kirisu. I'll be in your care this year."
Her clear, pleasant voice carried a hint of strictness.
The classroom instantly erupted.
"Wow…"
"She's so beautiful!"
Hearing the girls' admiration, Ryō felt smug inside.
Of course she is.
That's my woman.
Sitting in his seat, he openly admired Mafuyu Kirisu's beauty without restraint.
Her pale pink hair fell to her waist, accented by two neat braids. Her porcelain-cool face was framed by straight bangs resting at her brows. Her blue-green eyes were like a frozen lake, calm and unreadable as they swept across the room.
A sharp, dark suit emphasized her tall figure. Black stockings wrapped her long legs, and red heels made her look even more mature compared to the students.
On top of that, she had the polished aura of someone who'd been working as a teacher for years.
Ryō couldn't help praising her in his head again and again.
Mafuyu's gaze continued across the class. For a split second, as if she'd seen something, her expression slipped out of composure.
But she immediately regained her usual dignified seriousness.
At the back, by the window, Ryō raised his eyebrows at her.
Mafuyu held herself rigid, pretending she hadn't seen a thing.
To avoid exposing herself again, she stopped scanning the back rows altogether and focused on the students in front.
She checked her watch.
There was still some time before the opening ceremony.
Mafuyu cleared her throat, and once the room quieted, she said sternly, "Even though Class A's entrance scores are excellent, I still want to emphasize…"
The bell rang again.
She glanced outside. "The opening ceremony is about to begin. Everyone, head to the gymnasium."
Chairs scraped the floor. The classroom filled with noisy movement as students stood up.
Ryō rose unhurriedly. His finger flicked across his phone screen as he exited the notes app that contained only a few cold lines.
During this time, he had already memorized his campaign speech perfectly.
Now, it was time to perform.