『』『』『』『』『』
"What a pain."
On her way to the student council room, Kushida felt another wave of vertigo wash over her, brought on by her so-called childhood friend. According to the man himself, he had planned to go and cause trouble for the second years.
Of course, Kushida had not asked too many questions about it. She was actively trying not to involve herself in whatever he was doing.
But that effort was completely pointless and ended up in vain regardless.
Based on what President Manabu had just told her over the phone.
— "Kushida... anything involving Kumagawa will involve you, with or without your consent. With his personality, he will drag you into the mess, and as far as I was concerned, it was unavoidable. That's why it would be better for you to stay close to him. At the very least, you may be able to prevent the situation from spiraling completely out of control."
...Is what he said.
Indeed.
Now that she thought about it, what made her believe that she could simply avoid being involved in a problem Kumagawa would cause? She had already been dragged into his mess more than once due to her own circumstances. This was the situation she wanted to avoid the most.
But that was nothing more than her stubbornness.
In the face of reality, the problem named Kumagawa could not simply be avoided, especially when that problem liked to stick to her.
Still, regardless of the situation, she could not turn back now. It was already far too late, and there was no point pretending that she knew nothing about it.
Soon enough, she arrived in front of the dreary double doors of the student council room. Looking at them again, they felt excessive for a place meant for students. Still, it was not surprising for a school funded by the government.
She raised her hand and knocked on the door twice.
Knock. Knock.
A moment later, the door slowly swung open from the inside, revealing a familiar face and a familiar double-buns hairstyle.
"You're here, Kushida-san."
"Hello, Tachibana-senpai." Said Kushida with a genuine smile.
Tachibana Akane, the student council secretary, was the one who opened the door. Seeing her face, the negative thoughts filling Kushida's mind about Kumagawa were slowly washed away by her tired and frustrated expression.
It reminded her of a saying, 'birds of a feather flock together'. Looking at Tachibana's current state, Kushida felt a sense of companionship. There was also the fact that her looks were somewhat cute, which is a small bonus.
"What's wrong, Tachibana-senpai?" Even though Kushida had her guesses about what caused that expression, she decided to ask anyway.
"Do you even need to ask...?"
"Ahaha..."
They had grown closer recently, to the point where it no longer felt strange for Kushida to speak casually toward an upperclassman, just like she would with her own classmates. That change came partly from their shared circumstances involving Kumagawa, but it was mostly due to Kushida's easygoing and approachable attitude, which made Tachibana feel closer to her.
In that sense, Kushida ought to feel thankful toward Kumagawa. However, many of his actions were often detrimental to her, which quickly erased any sense of gratitude.
"Whatever he does or says, it always gives me a sense of vertigo and the urge to punch him. But as his respected upperclassman, I should preserve my dignity as much as possible," she said proudly.
"..."
Unfortunately.
She didn't have a shred of dignity in her current state of appearance. Still, to preserve the little dignity she had as an upperclassman, Kushida thought it would be best not to say anything at this moment.
"Speaking of Kumagawa-kun, what do you think of him, Kushida-san?"
"...What do I think of him? What's with the sudden question?"
"It's nothing. It's just that, like me, you also seem to get harassed by him a lot, so I was wondering what made you stick with him despite the constant harassment, and what you think about him."
She didn't expect Tachibana to suddenly throw out that kind of question. But now that she thought about it, no one had ever really asked what she thought of him. Most people were more surprised by the claim that she and Kumagawa were childhood friends.
Of course, that was just a big lie she and Kumagawa had made up.
Kushida thought for a moment.
"He's weird, and frankly annoying," she replied, not bothering to choose her words and simply stating what was on her mind. "It's not just because he does all sorts of things that annoy me, but... his mentality, if I had to put it more accurately is just... abnormal."
A minus, to be exact.
But Kushida did not say that out loud. She did not feel like explaining it to Tachibana.
It was a simple yet strangely abnormal concept. She herself did not fully understand the whole concept of plus and minus the way Kumagawa explained it, nor did she know how to put it into words. Still, instinctively, she understood what it meant.
"For example?"
"Don't you remember the whole door thing during the summer break, senpai?" she said, pointing at the already repaired door. The door had been reinforced even further, with additional metal brackets securing the hinges and joints in place. "Apparently, Horikita-senpai told him to wait until you arrived. With an instruction like that, most people would have just waited quietly. But that guy did not wait. The moment he saw the door was locked, he decided it was not meant to stay that way. He broke it open without hesitation, completely destroying it. It was so natural that it felt like locked doors existed only to be broken, not opened. What else can you call that but abnormal?"
"Well... that's true. I completely agree with you."
"It would've been pretty weird if you disagreed with me though, senpai..."
"But Kushida-san, going back to what I said earlier, if he really harasses you and annoys you with his actions almost all the time, then I would think you would stay away from him. You probably would not go along with his antics. But instead, you seem closer to him."
"..."
Even Tachibana Akane, who had not spent that much time with her, noticed the abnormality and contradiction in Kushida's relationship with Kumagawa.
And yet, even Kushida herself wondered why she had never created any distance between them.
Was it because she could express herself freely when she was with him?
Kushida realized just how tiring and mentally draining it was to keep up the facade of a friendly and perfect student in front of others at school.
To maintain that image, she even prepared a mental to-do list whenever she spent time with her group of friends. After confirming who would be there, she planned possible actions, conversation topics, phrasing, and even specific lines she had to say. All of it was to make sure no weaknesses slipped out for others to exploit or use against her.
By doing so, she believed she could avoid mistakes. At the same time, she felt it left no room for rumors that could damage her good girl image, especially after going to such lengths to protect it.
With Kumagawa, however, she felt that she did not have to sacrifice her individuality.
She could freely express what was on her mind. Even if those thoughts were mostly negative and often directed at him, they were still her own, spoken without restraint.
"Well, even though he is kind of annoying sometimes, he is still my classmate. Besides, he can be funny at times. I just wish he could restrain himself a little, ahaha..."
That was what Kushida said.
Even though the person she was talking to was a senior she admired and was somewhat close to, she was not the type to openly share what she truly thought or felt. She preferred to keep those things hidden.
"Is that so...?" Tachibana tilted her head, clearly unconvinced by Kushida's answer. She felt that something was off, but it was not her place to stubbornly meddle in someone else's private life or opinions.
"Ah, Kushida, you arrived?"
The door to the student council president's room swung open, revealing the student council president himself.
The layout of the student council area was somewhat unique. The president's office was separated from the main room where the other members worked, giving him his own private space within the student council room.
How nice.
"You should head inside first. He has already been here for a while," Manabu said in a slightly tired tone.
It was obvious who had reduced the student council president to his current state.
Following her advice, Kushida entered the student council president's private office.
It was not a large room, but there was little furniture, so it did not feel cramped. From the look of it, Horikita Manabu seemed to be a minimalist. A large wooden desk stood at the back of the room, while a sofa and a low table were placed in the center for guests. A few bookshelves lined the walls, filled mostly with academic books that intellectual types would usually read.
He seemed like someone who carried out his duties seriously and to the best of his ability—not like a typical high school student serving on a student council.
『Hey, Kushida-chan, what are you doing here, in this dreary, cage-like, boring room of the student council president? 』
"Why don't you tell me what I am doing here?" She asked back.
『Hmm, I do not really know what you are talking about. But just so we do not start on the wrong foot. Hello, my beloved childhood friend from the age of three, Kushida-chan. I was just thinking that I wanted to go and see you too. Good afternoon. To go out of your way to come to this dreadful student council just to see me, you really love your childhood friend that much, don't you? 』
He laughed, cheerfully and refreshingly.
In quite a delightful manner.
And, in reality, in quite an unpleasant manner.
It was unpleasant enough that it would not be strange for a random person to hit him in the face. In fact, it was almost a miracle that Kushida, the one constantly dragged into his problems, had not already done so herself.
Putting that aside.
"So? What kind of stupid and reckless plan did you come up with this time that made Horikita-senpai tell me to stay by your side just to keep the situation under control?"
『Hey, hey, what kind of hideous lie did you tell my beloved childhood friend Kushida-chan, Manabu-senpai? 』
He looked at Manabu as if he were deeply hurt by the attempt to ruin his reputation. As if he had any reputation to protect in the first place.
"You told me you wanted to hold some kind of meeting with all the club vice presidents in the school, along with one or two members from each club. So what kind of trouble are you planning now?" Manabu asked.
Naturally, the student council president did not place much trust in his own vice president. That alone made Kushida wonder whether appointing Kumagawa to that position had been a mistake on Horikita Manabu's part.
『What are you talking about, Manabu-senpai? It's purely for the peace of the academy and its future, of course. To make that happen, I need to meet each future club president directly., right? 』
He spoke it smoothly, yet it was by far the most questionable statement both of them had heard from him so far.
But judging from how vague his words were and how dubious he was acting, it seemed Kumagawa wouldn't reveal what he was planning by gathering the vice presidents of each club in the school.
Manabu let out a quiet sigh.
"As you can see, I will leave it to you, Kushida."
"E-eh!?"
Hearing that, Kushida's eyebrow twitched. Even for her, it was difficult to maintain her usual expression when the president casually pushed the problem onto her.
Even though she had already been told to stay by Kumagawa's side to prevent things from spiraling out of control, and even if it was partly for her own safety, it still felt unreasonable to hand the responsibility to her so easily.
"I'm sorry to say this, Kushida, but given your circumstances, it is unavoidable if it involves Kumagawa. At the very least, it would be better for you to be present while he carries out whatever he is planning." Manabu said.
"Th-that's... isn't there someone else who could do it? Perhaps another student council member?"
"There is," he said.
Hearing that, Kushida caught sight of light and hope at the end of the tunnel. However, that hope was abruptly crushed by a sudden meteor that fall from the sky and sealed the tunnel shut.
"But even so, I want you to take the role. Besides, it is also a good opportunity for you to interact more with the upperclassmen. Don't forget, with Kumagawa as vice president, you will be joining the student council next year whether you like it or not."
"...Understood."
Although she accepted it, she could not shake the reluctance that followed. No matter how careful she tried to be, once Kumagawa and his abnormal way of doing things were involved, she would inevitably be dragged into the mess.
And the president had just thrown her into it without hesitation.
What an awful student council president.
But what was truly awful was—
『I know this might be inconvenient for you, Kushida-chan, though calling it inconvenient might be an exaggeration, and since Manabu-senpai had already decided to push you into this anyway, I suppose I should say I am glad I dragged you into my problem a little earlier, because in the end, this was bound to happen. 』
At those words, her jaw tightened.
If that sarcasm was meant to include her as well, then his personality was truly awful. At the very least, he could stop directing it at someone who had already been dragged into his mess.
『Well then, Kushida-chan, before we waste any more of our precious time, come along with me and let's head to the broadcasting room. We can call all our respected club Vice Presidents to the meeting room. Since I am still not used to this academy, I barely know where anything is, let alone the broadcasting room. I don't even know my right from my left.』
With that, after finishing up all the discussion and after handling a few more matters with Horikita Manabu, they started off on their trip to the broadcasting room.
"...Now that I think about it, 'vice president' isn't exactly a title that suits you, huh."
『Kushida-chan, you didn't even have to say that for me to already know. 』
Kumagawa-kun responded immediately.
Title aside, it was true that the person known as Kumagawa Misogi was particularly unsuited for the position of Student Council Vice President—overall, it was strange to apply the word "suitable" to Kumagawa-kun at all, wasn't it?
After all, what could possibly "suit" him, and what could possibly be "right" for him?
As far as she could tell, Kumagawa was lacking something far more than suitability, and that was a lust for power. Despite being someone who "stood above others", the lust for power that he should naturally have was rather flimsy for him.
It was possible that this could be absolutely normal for him—for a person like Kumagawa-kun, this could be absolutely normal for him.
The word for ruling, despite its undeniable negative image, was written with the kanji for "support" and "distribution"—in that sense, a ruler could be someone who "distributed their support" to their subjects, making it tinged with a sense of devotion.
For Horikita Manabu, the student council president of this academy, he certainly was one that "distributed his support"—surprisingly, he showed quite the devotion to the academy.
As for Kumagawa, he was quite lacking in that attitude.
When it came to the desire to devote himself to this academy, then he had absolutely none of it—although, considering he's only a first year for several months, it might be even more absurd if he did hold any feelings of affection for the academy. But Kumagawa would probably never understand something like the feelings of desire to keep the academy at peace.
And because of that, when he took the position of Student Council Vice President, she had not expected anything from him. And yet, unexpectedly, Kumagawa did properly complete his duties.
He did his work in an unpleasant, indescribable manner that could really only be described as "completed", and it was a very unpleasant manner from the point of view of future student council member, but even so, even if the work couldn't be considered splendid, she couldn't deny that Kumagawa-kun was truly a hardworking person.
"Anyway, you told me you were going to cause trouble for the second years, right? Is this what that was about?"
『Eh? Is that true?』
Kumagawa tilted his head.
She was fairly certain she had heard that directly from him. Or was he really just going through life, speaking irresponsibly without thinking at all, this guy?
『Even though I have no recollection of saying anything like that, if that really was what I planned before, then as vice president, I should stick to my words, right? 』
Kumagawa said it lightly, almost jokingly. Unfortunately for Kushida, those words sounded nothing but ominous.
But ominus aside.
They had been walking for a few minutes after leaving the student council room. Although the main school building was massive for a high school, the broadcasting room was located nearby, likely for the convenience of the student council, staff, and teachers.
Interestingly, the school had several types of broadcasting systems.
This was something Kushida had learned after spending time with the student council.
Since the school itself was enormous, practically the size of a small island, its facilities had been divided into multiple parts.
First was the local broadcasting system. It only worked within the main school building and its immediate surroundings. It was usually used to call specific students, club members, or for routine school matters. This was the broadcast Kumagawa planned to use.
Then there was the large-scale broadcasting system that covered the entire island, including all school grounds. This one was reserved strictly for emergencies.
Natural disasters, man-made disasters, large accidents, security threats, or situations that required immediate action from all students and staff fell under its use. Because of that, activating it required strict authorization and could not be done casually.
There were other systems as well, but those were irrelevant for now.
"So Kumagawa-kun, how do you plan to make sure all the clubs attend your meeting?"
『Don't worry and rest assured, Kushida-chan. Even I do not spend all day sleeping stylishly in class, you know.』
"Well, of course, something that uncool couldn't have been stylish at all, besides, you have been sleeping in class?"
What a bold move, Kushida thought.
"Then what are you planning to do?"
『I will issue an order to suspend their club funding if they don't attend. 』
"..."
It was an oppressive decree.
A tyrannical act that reminded her of a dictator.
"But would the school even allow that? Isn't that basically an abuse of power?"
The student council certainly held considerable authority over the students. They had influence over budgets, events, and club activities. Even so, Kushida knew there were clear limits.
Unilaterally freezing club funding simply because they refused to attend a meeting should crossed a clear line, since funding was allocated under school regulation and jurisdiction, not personal whims.
While the student council could adjust budgets under proper procedures, using funding as leverage without justification would be seen as overreach, no different from abusing one's position. Even the student council could not arbitrarily punish clubs without formal grounds.
『You see, Kushida-chan, the difference between using power and abusing it's not the power itself, it's whether you actually exercise it. If I really halt their funding, then that would be abuse of power. But if I don't, then you can't really call it abuse, can you? 』
"....."
『Once they fear the possibility of their funding being halted, they will definitely come. It is as simple as that. 』
What was he even saying?
Wasn't that just as bad?
Subjectively, from her own perspective, even if his logic was technically twisted rather than outright wrong, it didn't change the fact that he was still using force. No matter how much he tried to sugarcoat it, it was still a forced coercion, in other word, blackmail.
There's no way you can justified that distorted way of thinking.
Should she point that out to Kumagawa? No. In a situation like this, a single remark from her would only invite ten more unpleasant remarks in return.
For now, she should focus on her own problem.
And as she pondered, she and Kumagawa arrived at the broadcasting room. It took only a few minutes to walk there from the student council room. She still did not really see the appeal of such a massive school building or the small island campus. But in the end, if it was meant to support a unique school life, then perhaps it was unavoidable.
By the way, Kumagawa already had the key to the broadcasting room given to him by the president—It was the master key. The student council, or more precisely the student council president, held the master keys to many utility rooms around the school, including club facilities.
Because of that, seeing Kumagawa entrusted with it made Kushida anxious. Even though he had been told to return it after use, the anxiety did not fade.
As someone who knew Kumagawa Misogi firsthand, it honestly pained her just thinking that he might do something stupid. Constantly worrying about what kind of trouble he would cause was unpleasant, but she suspected that was exactly what the president had anticipated.
To make sure Kumagawa did not do anything stupid.
Those were her thoughts.
But contrary to those unpleasant thoughts, Kumagawa just casually inserted the key into the keyhole, casually unlocking the door, and casually opening it. He went through each step normally, without doing anything unnecessary.
".....?"
『What's wrong Kushida-chan? 』
"N-nothing, Kumagawa-kun. You can go ahead and head inside."
Seeing him act with a proper conduct, without resorting to some senseless act of vandalism, was strangely relieving, perhaps it was even refreshing. It was not that she felt uncomfortable seeing him behave normally, but because of that unexpected action, Kushida felt a faint sense of betrayal instead.
Kumagawa stepped inside, with Kushida following behind him. For someone who claimed he was unsuited to rule over others, he walked into the broadcasting room as if he owned the place. Then again, since the broadcasting room was usually used only by the student council, in that sense, it was not entirely wrong to say that he did.
『By the way, Kushida-chan, does anyone manage this place? It looks strangely clean for a room that does not get used very often. 』
Normally, that kind of comment would have been pointless since there were cleaning staff assigned to the broadcasting room. In fact, it would have been strange if there were not, especially in a government-funded school. The students were expected to be provided with clean facilities and a proper environment.
Even so, in these circumstances, his comment did not feel entirely off considering the state of the broadcasting room.
That said, the phrase "strangely clean" was not exactly the right way to put it.
The room was spotless.
It could even be described as shining.
It was a strange kind of cleanliness. Even the ceramic floor, which normally would not reflect light, gleamed enough to show a faint reflection of oneself.
It felt unnatural.
As if she were standing on a mirror.
"I did hear a rumor about a strange student who was a clean freak to an unnatural degree. If I remember correctly, she was a second-year. I can't remember which class she's in, but I do remember her name."
While she had heard the rumor before, this was the first time she had seen the byproduct of that clean freak nature.
『Who is this amazing enigma that would clean the floor to this degree? 』
Kumagawa-kun said it in a serious tone.
So that was how he was going to play it this time.... No, well, Kushida would not have minded playing along. But she honestly was not sure they had the time for that.
If she let her guard down, the day might end before she realized it, and there was still work left to do. No matter how much she wanted to leave this situation, that alone was not enough reason to abandon him. If the day ended like this, she feared she would not have enough time to keep an eye on him later.
And that would put her safety at risk.
Kushida thought for a moment, trying to find the right name in her mind.
After a while, a face and a name surfaced.
"Shimizuya Seika. That's her name. She was a member of the broadcasting committee."
Shimizuya Seika.
She was a member of the broadcasting committee, and she was considered rather unique among the second-years. Kushida had never met her personally, but she had heard that she was quite shy.
But that was not the important part.
While she was not as bad as Kumagawa, Shimizuya Seika was apparently avoided by the people in her class. It was not that she was bullied, but she was deliberately avoided by the rest of her class.
The reason is because there was something about her that felt inherently strange.
But because of her shy nature, people barely know anything about her.
In other words, there was something wrong with her.
『Huh? Since when did we have a broadcasting committee?』
"..."
She wanted to point out that it would be a problem if the Student Council Vice President himself did not know that much. but in this case, her duties were "Student Council Vice President observation", after all.
It was not an official job description that the Advanced Nurturing High School student council had formally created. However, according to the current Student Council President, it was an exceedingly important job.
Still, to be fair, if Kushida herself had not paid attention, even she might not have known the school had something like a broadcasting committee. That was how obscure they were.
Strictly speaking, the broadcasting committee did not have much to do. They only received commissions from the staff or the student council to make announcements, but more often than not, those announcements ended up being handled directly by the student council or the teachers instead.
Their main responsibility was simply to keep the broadcasting room usable.
In other words, it was a club suited for lazy people.
Unlike other clubs that could receive incentives based on performance in tournaments or events, the broadcasting committee had none of that. Their funding was fixed, and it was not much.
But in this school, points were points. Points were money. And points were life.
No matter how small the amount, as long as one could earn points without doing much work, it was still worth it.
Truly, it was a club for lazy people.
『Anyway, this.... Shimizuya Seika, is she the advisor? 』
"Close. She's the manager."
She gave him the correct answer before they could veer too far off topic.
『Manager...』
Kumagawa-kun repeated the title to himself, then fell silent. Even though the answer had already been given, his expression remained serious.
Seeing him make that kind of face almost made her think he was being serious. Although she could not tell what was going on inside his head, she would not have been surprised if he was actually indulging in some perverted delusion behind that look.
Of course, she hated that thought.
"Ah, Kumagawa-kun, are you perhaps the type of person that doesn't understand what a manager does? Someone who doesn't get what it means to support people that are working hard—someone who doesn't see the point of cheer squads or cheerleaders?"
『No, surprisingly, I do have some appreciation for managers. After all, back in middle school, I had a close friend whose specialty was 'managing'. 』
"..."
It had to be a close friend from one of his delusions.
She vaguely remembered him mentioning someone like that before. Even if that person were real and living peacefully somewhere in the world, Kushida still preferred to think it was nothing more than one of his delusions.
How pitiful. To only grow close to people inside his own delusions....
『But, well, it's a bit unexpected for that kind of weirdo to pass the entrance exam to such a prestigious school. 』
"I don't think you're in any position to say something like that, Kumagawa-kun...."
『What kind of follow-up is that? 』
Kumagawa-kun looked genuinely amazed.
However, as if he'd actually been pleased by the insult of "he was not in any position to say such things", he did not press the matter any further.
What a difficult person.
『Oh well. 』 Kumagawa said lightly. 『In any case, shouldn't we start calling our respected upperclassmen? 』
Kumagawa-kun smiled dubiously.
『』『』『』『』『』
After announcing something tyrannical and oppressive through deliberately vague wording, to force every club vice president in the school to attend a meeting along with two additional members, Kumagawa used one of the many rooms in the school to hold the meeting.
The room was neither too big nor too small. Judging by the comfortable seats and the air conditioner installed inside, it was clearly designed with the comfort of students in mind. But still, it was far too comfortable even with that in mind.
State of the room aside, the requirement to bring two members made it feel less like a meeting and more like each club Vice President was arriving with an entourage.
And Kumagawa, the one who had convened this gathering, sat calmly at the head of the table, while Kushida stood beside him, almost as if she were part of his own entourage.
She never thought she would end up acting like a personal manager for a dubious boy like him. But then again, she supposed one never really knew where life would take them.
"Kumagawa-kun, do you actually have some kind of strategy for gathering all the club vice presidents and holding a meeting like this?" she asked.
『Well, it's not some grand strategy worth making a fuss over. I'm sure you've already guessed most of it yourself, Kushida-chan. 』
"Have I?"
She honestly had no idea.
『Then let me ask you this instead. What do you think is the most important thing in this school? What do you think decides a student's future for the next three years? 』
Rather than answering her question, Kumagawa threw one back at her.
If she stayed silent, it would look like she did not know the answer, and for some reason, that felt like losing—though it wasn't really a matter of winning or losing. Still, if she was going to answer, she did not want to sound foolish, so she thought carefully before opening her mouth.
"Is it...reputation?" she said.
『Hahaha, that's a very you answer. 』
Kumagawa laughed, as if mocking her response.
Naturally, she wanted to complain. From her perspective, it was a perfectly reasonable answer. When asked what mattered most, the first thing that came to her mind was 'reputation'.
If someone had a good reputation, they should gain the trust of others.
That much was obvious.
As someone who liked to stand out and be at the center of attention, it was only natural that she thought that way.
She had always believed that people who acted in secret did so because they had something to hide. And yet, in many stories, heroes fought while concealing their true identities. It almost felt like an unspoken rule. When not acting as heroes, they lived dull, ordinary lives, like lamps in broad daylight.
Why was that?
She believed heroes deserved proper recognition.
If their actions were worthy of praise, then they should receive that praise.
And if someone received praise, then they should be trusted.
『It's not a bad answer, but it's not the one I'm looking for. 』
"So you're saying I'm wrong?"
『Hey, hey, don't jump to conclusions. I never said you were wrong. It's just that this isn't a question with a clear right or wrong. 』
"...Then what is it?" She asked.
『Have you ever heard the phrase "reputation makes the world go round"? 』
"Reputation...? I'm pretty sure that's not how the saying goes."
『Right? There's no such saying as "reputation makes the world go round". There's only "money makes the world go round". And since money is what makes everything move, only the strong players should come. Well, it would be a bit mean to call the others weak, but it might be even more presumptuous to call them players. That's why I only gathered the important ones. 』
He spoke those words in a brazen manner, well it was less brazen and more openly arrogant. Kushida simply saw it as another episode of a first year standing at the peak of his impertinence.
Even so, she still could not understand where this was leading.
So, she simply listened to Kumagawa-kun's words. She simply stayed quiet and listened.
Part of it was because she wanted to understand what he was planning. But it also felt as if he was trying to tell her something else. If that was the case, she could not afford to miss a single word it.
That was the exchange between her and Kumagawa.
And yet, in response to her attentiveness, Kumagawa simply laughed.
『Ahaha, it's not something you need to listen to so attentively. You'll be disappointed if you concentrate so hard—the point is, the strongest people don't actually make things move. That's why an all star lineup isn't necessarily the strongest, since they can't always be moved. In the end, what matters is who can be moved. 』
Creak.
As if answering his impertinent words, the door to the room opened inward from the outside. From the timing alone, it was clear these were the people Kumagawa had referred to as the important players.
Students began entering the room one by one. Boys and girls alike wore visibly unpleasant expressions. No, not just some of them, judging by their faces, it seemed every single one of them was displeased.
From their expression alone, the possibilities made Kushida uncomfortable.
But she didn't want to turn away from unpleasant possibilities just because the pessimism would bum her out—she wanted to think and know of everything she could, so that she could deal with the worst-case scenario.
Kumagawa-kun then stood up.
『Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen of the mob characters, greetings. 』
"..."
Of course, no one responded to such a greeting.
『Hahaha, don't look at me like that. I'm not trying to make things awkward on purpose. I was planning to say something comforting, but I'm not very good at that kind of thing. So instead, just imagine I said something warm and meaningful. 』
Perhaps this was Kumagawa Misogi's way of joking, an attempt to keep the atmosphere from becoming too heavy. If that were the case, one could even say he had a decent sense of consideration.
But the one who created this tense atmosphere in the first place was Kumagawa Misogi himself.
It was a clear hostile environment.
He really should have been ashamed of creating such a state in this room, in that very short amount of time.
But setting that aside.
It was still impressive that he had managed to gather all the club Vice Presidents in one place with such a sudden and forceful announcement. She supposed that even a bad reputation had its uses.
The room was filled with the Vice Presidents of every club in the school. Each of them was accompanied by one or two students, almost like an entourage. Because of that, the room ended up packed with thirty or more students from different classes.
Given the size of the room, it did feel a little cramped, but with the clever use of space, there was still enough room for others to move around.
A very large gathering.
And all of them were second years.
It seemed Kumagawa had already anticipated this turn of events.
The thing about clubs in this school is that the vice president position is usually held by second-years, while the president position is held by third-years. In that sense, when the third years finally graduated, their positions would be succeeded by the vice presidents, who would then appoint new vice presidents to fill the vacant positions.
It worked almost like a family inheritance.
From that perspective, Kumagawa, who had become the vice president of the student council as a first year, was the strange one.
In any case, everyone gathered here could be considered the future presidents of their respective clubs.
"Are you done with the greetings? We don't have much time to spare, so do you actually have any business with us, Vice President Kumagawa?"
One of the club vice presidents from an athletic branch spoke up, not bothering to hide the irritation in her voice. From the looks of it, she was already aware of Kumagawa's existence. It would have been stranger if she were not. Even so, it was clear that this was their first time meeting face to face.
『Business, huh... I do have one request to make. Please forget your hatred toward me for just a moment, and listen to what I have to say. 』
From the head table, Kumagawa demonstrated the narrowness of his dignity.
『First of all, it seems everyone managed to gather here. Those from the athletic side, and those from the non athletic side. Huhuhu. The future of this academy looks brighter than what I had expected. 』
There was no such thing as an "athletic branch" or a "non athletic branch". Still, considering how many clubs existed in this school, the distinction was oddly fitting.
That said, his tone was far too cheeky for a first year.
『And to make that future even brighter, I have decided to disband all the unnecessary clubs in this school. 』
To put it point-blank.
Without thinking, or considering, he tossed those words out with a simple smile.
Even though those words were very much the kind that were "thrown out", it wasn't as if they were delivered with any particular aggression or hostility. That, in itself, was the problem.
So then, as the older ones—how would they react?
That, of course, went without saying...
"Hey, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?! If you waste any more of our time, we're just going to leave!" Angrily said one of the Vice President in the room.
Naturally, no one else in the room looked pleased either. Every face carried some form of displeasure.
Kumagawa glanced at the Vice President for a brief moment. Then he slowly turned his gaze toward Kushida and said,
『Kushida-chan, Kushida-chan, what's the name of that person who disagreed with my considerate proposal? What was his name again? Something about pawn. 』
In a near-whisper.
Of course, the face of that club vice president grew even more unpleasant after hearing that.
Even if Kumagawa had lowered his voice, in a cramped room filled with this many students, there was no way it would not be heard. The atmosphere only worsened because of it.
'Can you not talk and insult someone while standing right in front of them?'
That was what Kushida wanted to say. In the end, she chose to keep those thoughts to herself.
Still, Kushida, acting as the "Student Council Vice President observer", answered without that much of a thought.
"It's Keima Koma-senpai, right?" Kushida said. She even smiled as she looked cheerfully at the very person Kumagawa had just insulted. "If I remember correctly, you're the vice president of the International Chess Club, and a second year from Class B."
Because of the recent student council reorganization, and the position she was more or less destined to join in the future, Kushida had forced herself to memorize the names of every club president and vice president in the school, along with several other important students.
Keima Koma was no exception.
Besides, with such a distinctive name, he was hard to forget.
『Right, right. Koma-senpai. Mr. Knight Pawn. 』
Kumagawa nodded lightly, as if he had finally remembered.
『Anyway, Koma-senpai, because of your inappropriate reaction to my considerate proposal, I've decided to just disband all non-athletic clubs in this school and redirect your unused funds to the athletic clubs instead. 』
Naturally, a remark like that was met with immediate and fierce opposition from everyone else in the room.
"That's not funny. Stop joking around."
"What a waste of time. Are you serious right now?"
"Even if you're in the student council, you don't have that kind of authority. You can't just unilaterally disband our clubs or reallocate our budgets on a whim. That would be a clear abuse of power, and there's no way the school would ever allow it."
The strongest backlash, unsurprisingly, came from the non-athletic clubs.
『That's a reasonable argument. Unfortunately, I couldn't care less about what you people think, or what you believe is allowed. If I remember correctly, none of the non-athletic clubs, chess, shogi, calligraphy, light music, have achieved anything noteworthy in the past three years. Meanwhile, the athletic clubs have at least managed to win one or two competitions. Given that difference, even if I can't disband all of the non-atlethic clubs, it doesn't seem strange to me to disband one or two underperforming ones, right? 』
He didn't even hesitate or mince his words.
But it is true that for the past three years, most non-athletic clubs had produced mediocre results at best, bordering on incompetence, despite belonging to an elite, government-funded school.
"What did you say!?"
『History accumulates with regards to not just the future, but also the past. The values of yesterday will differ from the values of today or tomorrow. It's like when a tragic war breaks out, and you realize for the first time the value of the casual peace you've had. Or perhaps like how the bloody wars of the past have become the subject of entertainment because of the smiling peace that has come. Or how the Japanese sword, a weapon used for murder, is now beloved as a work of art. Or how the inadequacy of the non-athletic clubs makes the athletic clubs appear competent by comparison. 』
Kushida, who stood quietly like a statue as usual, appeared impressed by the vice president's conclusion which sounds like a zen dialogue. Or at least, she pretended to be, but the last comparison didn't really hit home with her.
『So in that sense, your sacrifice for the sake of the athletic clubs will one day be remembered as a beloved act for the peace and bright future of this school. Isn't that wonderful? 』
He also added,
『Ah, and it's even more wonderful for the athletic clubs. They can now squander their budget funds far more freely. 』
Kumagawa-kun said.
With a lighthearted tone.
She wondered why he was being so lighthearted, but perhaps it was to keep the atmosphere from growing too heavy—in that sense, you could say his attempt was fruitless.
"...Are we really sure no one from the athletic clubs was involved? Or rather, colluding with the student council?"
Those were dangerous words, coming from the non-atlethic side.
Worse still, they were directed straight at the athletic clubs, so it did have a pretty disastrous effect.
"Hah? Us?" One of the vice presidents from the athletic side raised her voice. "Are you seriously accusing us of colluding with the student council just to cover for your own incompetence?"
As expected, the resentment between the athletic and non-athletic clubs quickly surfaced.
It was a well-known fact in this school that joining a club granted students bonus points every month, separate from class points.
You could think of it as a stable pocket money.
However, there was a clear difference in how many points were given. Clubs that produced results or contributed usually received more funding.
In that sense, the disparity between athletic and non-athletic clubs was quite significan, since bonus points were usually calculated based on how much funding a club had.
In other words, the greater a club's funding, the more stable and generous the rewards for its members. It was also the most stable source of points aside from class points.
Because of that disparity, resentment had long existed between athletic and non-athletic clubs.
The room grew chaotic as accusations were thrown out from both sides. The air felt ready to turn explosive. Even though it had already exploded, it still looked like it could blow up even more violently.
What felt strange to Kushida was how easily they were provoked.
How should she put it, it felt unnatural how quickly the situation worsened in such a short amount of time. In fact, she was almost impressed by how Kumagawa had managed to provoke nearly an entire class worth of students in just a few minutes.
Even so, no matter how she looked at it, it was still abnormal.
But that thought did not stay in her mind for long as she turned her gaze toward the main instigator.
"Kumagawa-kun.... Don't you feel bad creating this kind of situation?" Kushida said as she looked at the chaotic scene unfolding before her.
It was a mess.
Calling it a disaster would not have been an exaggeration.
Without even standing up from his seat, Kumagawa simply replied,
『Bad? Why would I feel bad? How could I possibly feel bad about something I have absolutely no involvement in? 』
"No.... involvement...?"
The implications were astounding.
Kushida genuinely wondered what kind of nonsense the piece of trash sitting in front of her was talking about. But this was not the time to get infuriated over Kumagawa-kun's shameless, it's-not-my-fault attitude.
"Anyway, what are you going to do about this?" Kushida asked.
Abuse was being thrown around from all sides.
It was against the rules to use any physical violence, but it was not against the rules to use verbal violence. As long as the verbal abuse did not cross a clear line or get formally reported, it was generally overlooked. In that sense, if the abused person considered it abuse, then it was reasonable to throw out another verbal abuse in return.
This school was surprisingly lenient when it came to that kind of "abuse".
『Why are you asking me? Isn't that your job as my assistant to figure it out? Don't just stand there like a statue and get to work already! 』
"...."
For a moment, she really wanted to punch him in the face.
Those were her honest thoughts.
And yet, she was strangely calm.
Calm about everything happening in this room.
Of course, she had been tense at the beginning. Anyone would be. But after reaching this point, she found herself oddly relaxed. She wondered if it was because she had spent so much time around Kumagawa lately, or if it was simply because this kind of situation was not new to her.
Either way, it was something she should politely, or perhaps diplomatically, keep to herself.
"Then... how about you use another one of your oppressive decrees to force everyone to calm down? Just say something like you'll suspend their funding if they don't stop. That should calm things down, right?" Kushida suggested.
『That would be against the rules, of course. No matter how you frame it, it still counts as 'abuse of power'. So it clearly violates the school regulations. 』
Kumagawa-kun curtly rejected her idea.
No, it was more accurate to say he crushed it.
『Honestly, how could you come up with such a cowardly method? Do you really think the school would accept it if you solve the situation like that? You should really learn a little more kindness. 』
"..."
And who was this supposed to be for, she wondered.
Who did he think she was doing this for?
In the first place, wasn't he the one who had started this whole thing by threatening to halt the clubs' funding?
But there was no point in getting angry here.
Kumagawa-kun was simply that kind of hopeless person.
If she failed to act like an adult now, time would only continue to pass by. No matter what, for the sake of her own peace, and for the future of this academy, for the sake of her peaceful days at this Advanced Nurturing High School, she needed to stay calm.
『Anyway, what should we do about this? 』Kumagawa muttered.
As if thinking up a plan in his head, he looked over the verbal chaos unfolding in front of him. If that was the case, it didn't exactly sound good. Kumagawa-kun seemed like the type who would start throwing things and leave the moment he lost interest and motivation.
『All right... then I'll go with that. 』
"Eh?"
『I've thought of a way. No matter what, it's impossible to calm those animals down properly. But if the goal is just to calm them down somehow, and it doesn't have to be a sure-win strategy, then I do have an idea. 』
"You've thought of a way... But what kind of way? If possible, I'd like to hear it before you actually do it..."
She wanted to hear and verify it before he went ahead with it.
It was not impossible that Kumagawa-kun had come up with yet another misconception, or another stupid idea like before. No, rather, the chances of that happening were quite high.
But Kumagawa-kun only said, 『That's something you can look forward to seeing directly very soon, 』 while putting on airs. 『If I tell you now, you'll probably just stop me. 』
"Eh? So it's something I would stop?"
So he did not want to explain it because he did not want to be stopped.
But did that not just mean it was going to be something stupid, since she would try to stop it?
Because what he was saying was pretty absurd.
"Then, at least, with that idea of yours, at least tell me how much confidence you have to calm those people down. In terms of probability, how much?"
『In terms of probability? I can't do such calculation of probability. But what I can say for sure is that it's not a very reliable strategy. 』
"....."
That sounded concerning.
But then, what was she supposed to do now?
From what she could tell, it was already far too late to stop whatever Kumagawa was about to do. In that sense, she had failed miserably at the task Horikita-senpai had entrusted to her, since the situation had already spiraled out of control.
Though even if it had not been too late, Kushida realized she probably would not have stopped him anyway. She herself had no idea how to calm down a situation this messy.
Even if this was not her first time dealing with something like this, speaking from experience, situations like these were almost impossible to resolve cleanly.
That was why Kushida found herself wondering what kind of plan Kumagawa was actually about to use.
On what he's about to do.
Surprisingly, he stood up from his seat and walked straight into the middle of the two sides. Right into the center of the verbal war between them.
Clap! Clap!
He clapped his hands loudly, hard enough to made a weird sounds.
'Isn't that painful?' Kushida thought, wincing at the sudden action.
As far as she remembered, Kumagawa still had that self-inflicted wound on his palm. Clapping that hard should have hurt. Yet he showed no sign of pain at all, which made Kushida feel strangely uneasy
Putting that aside, his action did have an immediate effect. Both sides fell silent, if only for a moment.
There was also the fact that he had deliberately placed himself right in the middle of them.
『Now listen carefully, you useless bunch of mob characters. 』
"What did you just say, you bastard?!"
Once again, one of the upperclassmen was instantly provoked by Kumagawa's words. It was almost unnatural how easily it happened. To the point it felt almost magical, a truly rotten kind of magic.
『Sheesh. I don't really know what made you all act like this, but it's obvious that one of the two sides is in the wrong here. But since this is my first time dealing with something like this, I don't really know how to decide these things. So why don't we just have all the non-athletic clubs leave the meeting, and pretend as if this whole thing never happened? 』
Without a hint of hesitation, he continued.
『For now, let's just move forward toward the future and peace of this school, along with the school funding, with only the athletic clubs, shall we? 』
With a wry smile, he said those things.
Not to mention, he had the gall to smile wryly like that.
He really did the most unpleasant things.
So, after he did those unpleasant things, Kumagawa continued as such.
『Then you people from the non-athletic clubs should leave quickly. This place isn't meant for you. Ah, if it's difficult to go alone, why don't you leave together with your friends? The exit is over there, in case you've already forgotten. :) 』
"....."
"....."
"....."
Those words of provocation came from the worst Minus to ever exist.
Kumagawa Misogi.
The type who could hurt people as easily as ordinary people breathed through their lungs. The type who only felt satisfaction after smashing a game cartridge he could not clear, and felt joy while breaking the controller against the TV screen.
That was the first year known as Kumagawa Misogi.
And for someone who could easily break people's hearts using nothing but words, it was even easier for him to forcibly draw out the darkness inside others with those same words.
So, in response to that blatant provocation, a chair suddenly flew toward Kumagawa from somewhere in the room, moving with considerable speed and force.
Swoosh!
And, needless to say, judging by its momentum, a considerable amount of hatred had clearly been poured into it as well.
『Gah! 』
"Kya—ghk!"
The chair, thrown with the clear intention of harming Kumagawa, failed to hit its intended target—or rather, it hit an unintended one, dragging an innocent person down along with him.
The girl who had been unintentionally struck by the chair staggered back. Fortunately, despite the amount of hatred behind it, the injury did not seem severe. At worst, it would leave a swollen bruise on her forehead. That much was a small mercy, considering she was from the runners club.
It would have been far worse if her legs had been injured.
That said, it did nothing to improve the situation.
The one who should drew the most concern was Kumagawa, who had collapsed onto the floor after being struck in the face by the chair.
He crumpled to the floor in an unsightly manner, with his upper body beginning to twist in a way that was impossible for normal muscles—in a position that was hard to tell whether he was facing up or facing down.
How he had ended up in that position, no one knew. But the fact remained that someone had just thrown a chair at another student.
That was clearly crossing the line of what the school would tolerate.
"K-Kumagawa-kun!" Kushida rushed to his side.
『Aghh... It, it hurts....』
Now it was not just his hand. Even his face was injured.
What kind of misfortune did one need to suffer such a series of injuries in less than three days? Granted, one of them had been self-inflicted, so one could argue he had brought that upon himself. Still, having a chair thrown directly at his face was another matter entirely.
Kushida didn't know what to say.
"Did you just throw a chair at our runner? What the hell is wrong with you!?" one of the upperclassmen shouted, sounding far more concerned about their own club member than the person who had taken the full impact head-on.
How sad.
"You bastard! Look what you did!"
"Don't try to pin this on us!"
The athletic side and the non-athletic side immediately began shouting over one another. Before long, the shouting escalated further, and some of them even started throwing punches. Most of those swinging fists were boys, while some of the girls grabbed at each other's hair.
A few girls though rushed out of the room, probably to call a teacher.
By that point, Kushida had already dragged Kumagawa out from the center of that chaos.
It had been a while since she had seen a situation like this, so she was not quite sure how to feel about it.
And yet, her heart was beating rapidly.
『Ooh...』went Kumagawa-kun.
He seemed to be slowly pulling himself together in a strangely languid manner.
Considering he had just been struck in the face by a chair, it was only natural that he would not spring back to life full of energy. Still, it almost felt as if he was being far too casual about it. It was even questionable whether he truly cared that he had been hit at all.
『It seems I need to eat more chocolate, since I have quite a headache after regaining consciousness. I suppose I need more serotonin. 』
"What do you mean serotonin? Isn't the reason for your headache the fact that you were hit directly in the face by a flying chair?"
It made no sense to her.
"Anyway, what are you planning to do about this situation!?"
It was fair to say that everything had turned into a complete mess. It was like throwing a bomb into a house that was already on fire, only making the flames spread even further.
『What do you mean, Kushida-chan? Didn't I already say that I had an idea? And that it wasn't a very reliable one. In fact, it wasn't even close to a sure-win strategy. 』
"Then why would you even do it...?"
『Well, it was still an idea, wasn't it? And ideas need to be tested to see whether they work or fail. In this case, it just happened to fail rather badly, so I don't really know what to say. 』
"..."
She fell silent.
『But still, I did intend to dodge it. To think I failed halfway through... life really is scary. 』
"Hey!"
Suddenly, someone who had been pushed aside by the chaos turned toward Kumagawa, wearing a conflicted expression.
"What the hell did you just cause!?"
『Me? What did I do? 』
"Wha... what do you mean, 'what did I do'!? Why did things end up like this!? This is your fault!" he shouted.
It couldn't really be said that finding another person to blame was a good thing. Still, from his perspective, it was probably the most obvious conclusion.
『Hey, hey, how did this suddenly become my fault? I didn't do anything to anyone, right? I didn't insult anyone, I didn't grab anyone's hair, I didn't punch anyone, and I definitely didn't throw a chair at someone's face. 』
He spoke as he listed each point, one by one.
『In fact, I'm the one who had a chair fly straight into my face. So how did this suddenly become my fault? 』
With that, Kumagawa stood up from the floor.
『No matter how you look at it... 』
At that moment, the door was suddenly thrown open, and several teachers and staff members rushed into the room.
『This time, it's not really my fault. 』
『END』
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Here you go peasants, another chapter.
Anyway, that's it for today's chapter.
Hope you enjoyed it.
[Thanks for reading!]