"Poor Azu-chan…"
Vote Breakdown
The academy's hired staff tallied the votes on election day, with results posted the next. As a confidence vote, Azusa only needed a majority of valid votes to become student council president.
"Congrats, Nakajo-san."
"Well-deserved result."
Azusa was officially recognized as president. But…
"Miyuki-san, don't mind it. They're just invalid votes."
"Tatsuya-kun's quite popular, huh?"
Total votes: 554. Valid votes: 130.
"Shiba got 220 votes, and Tatsuya-kun 204."
"Don't feel down, Azu-chan. They're invalid votes."
"But if they'd officially run, I'd have lost…"
"Nakajo-senpai, I wasn't even eligible to run."
"Neither Onii-sama nor I actually ran."
Miyuki stayed calm while comforting Azusa, but her mood soured when Azusa felt better.
"I accept some voted for me by mistake. But why are votes like 'Queen,' 'Your Majesty,' or 'Snow Queen' counted for me?!"
"Well… they wrote 'Queen Miyuki-sama,' 'Her Majesty Shiba Miyuki,' or 'Snow Queen Miyuki-sama.' Where else could we put them?"
"What?! Do people think I'm some pervert with those tastes?!"
"No one thinks that, I'm sure."
After that display, no one would dare joke about it, Mayumi and Mari thought.
"Show me those ballots! I'll find out who voted!"
"That's not allowed. How would you even—"
Mari's common-sense argument held no sway here. Miyuki, face red with anger moments ago, instantly teared up and clung to Tatsuya.
"Onii-sama!"
"Don't be unreasonable. Anonymous votes can't be traced—it's against the rules."
"But I need to find those flirty cats eyeing Onii-sama and punish those who think of me like this…"
Tatsuya's votes were equally colorful.
"Impressive, right? 'His Majesty Shiba,' 'Beast Tatsuya-sama,' and such."
"There was 'Steel Prince Shiba Tatsuya' too."
"Seniors, stop egging Miyuki on. Unless you'll take responsibility for calming her."
Mari and Mayumi stopped joking under Tatsuya's sharp glare. They genuinely believed he could kill with a look.
"Besides, no matter what the masses think of Miyuki, she's my adorable princess."
"Onii-sama!"
The student council room's tense air, ripe for a magic war, turned sickeningly sweet in an instant.
Later, after Tatsuya and the others left, Katsuto visited the student council room.
"Rare to see you here, Juumonji."
Mari, unbothered by her own outsider status, served Katsuto tea. He nodded lightly, sipping without comment on her presence.
"What's up?"
"Just wanted to see Saegusa's last day as president."
"Really? Thanks."
"Ever the serious one, Juumonji."
Katsuto brushed off Mayumi and Mari's teasing with ease.
"So… Tatsuya-kun reminds me of you, Juumonji."
"Shiba?"
Mari shrugged at Katsuto's questioning glance. Both deflected attacks (verbal jabs) effortlessly, but Tatsuya did it deliberately, while Katsuto was natural. She didn't say that, though, shifting topics.
"Speaking of Shiba, yesterday was intense."
"Definitely…"
"From below, I couldn't tell, but was Shiba restraining his sister?"
Mari's abrupt topic change raised brief suspicion, but curiosity pulled them in.
"It looked like Tatsuya-kun caught all the psions Miyuki unleashed and pushed them back into her. What do you think, Mayumi?"
"I saw the same, but even unconsciously, can siblings manipulate each other's psions that easily?"
"Shiba's skilled in ancient magic. Maybe that's part of it?"
Knowing Tatsuya was Yakumo's disciple, they nodded at Katsuto's theory.
"But that psion volume—it's not normal for a magician."
"Didn't Tatsuya-kun say he's not from the Ten Master Clans?"
"Yeah, he didn't seem to be lying."
Katsuto's question, asked directly at the Nine Schools Competition afterparty, left him puzzled.
"Both Shiba siblings are hard to explain…"
"Let's stop. Prying into their lineage is against the rules."
"Saegusa? But aren't you curious?"
Mayumi's quick retreat surprised Mari and Katsuto, who understood the social norm but expected her to be the most curious.
"Saegusa, do you know something?"
"I don't. If I did, I'd tell you."
"Right…"
The day before their retirement, the academy's top three discussed a Course 2 junior. No one else would've imagined it, and only they knew.
As the new regime began, the trio puzzled over Tatsuya whenever they saw him, sparking rumors that he secretly controlled the academy. This added to Tatsuya's headaches and Miyuki's bad moods, but that's a story for another time.
Next, the Chaos Arc begins, with a few original episodes.
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
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