Amid the low murmurs of their classmates, Shuichi Hayashi quickly pieced together why Eri Fei had been elected academic representative.
Three girls had run for the position. Despite Eri's reserved demeanor, old-fashioned ponytail, and oversized glasses that hid half her face, her striking beauty still shone through. Add to that her top-ranking score on the Teitan entrance exam, and it was no surprise the class had voted for her over the other two, far less remarkable candidates.
Next up was the election for class president.
Six students had initially run, but after one round of voting, only Shuichi Hayashi and Yukiko Fujimine remained, tied with equal votes.
"The class president's role is crucial," Ms. Murakami said, clapping her hands. "Don't grumble—let's vote again."
Another round, and the votes for Shuichi and Yukiko were still dead even.
Yukiko, with her beauty and bubbly personality, was a favorite among the boys, who made up most of her voters—including Kogoro Mori, who claimed he voted for her because he knew Shuichi didn't want the role.
Shuichi's support, conversely, came mostly from the girls. Perhaps it was his role in solving the gymnasium case yesterday, combined with his good looks, that had unexpectedly made the quiet boy a hit among the female classmates.
"Let's try one more time," Ms. Murakami said, exasperated.
The third vote came in, and with thirty-two students in the class, Shuichi and Yukiko each claimed exactly half.
"How are the votes tied again?" Ms. Murakami groaned, staring at the tally marks on the blackboard.
Shuichi had no interest in being class president. To him, it was a childish role with little authority and a heap of busywork. Seeing Ms. Murakami's frustration, he started to raise his hand to withdraw, but Eri grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare quit!"
"You know I don't want this," Shuichi began. "If it weren't for Kogoro—"
"I don't care!" Eri cut him off. "You can't lose to her!"
Lose to her? Shuichi blinked, confused. Kogoro leaned in, whispering, "Shuichi, the three of us are a team. Eri and I got elected—you can't bail now."
"What good is that now?" Eri huffed, glaring at Kogoro. "Traitor!"
In her eyes, if Kogoro hadn't voted for Yukiko all three times, Shuichi would've won already.
Yukiko, seated beside Shuichi, overheard their exchange. Unaware that Kogoro had submitted Shuichi's candidacy without his consent, she assumed he was pretending to be "gentlemanly" by considering withdrawal.
"Tch, I don't need your pity!" Yukiko scoffed, tossing her head. Then, as if struck by inspiration, she raised her hand.
"Yes, Yukiko?" Ms. Murakami asked.
"Since our votes are tied, let's settle it another way," Yukiko said, standing up. "Lin-kun's good at deduction, right? How about a challenge? This weekend, you hide something somewhere in the school, give us a clue, and on Monday, whoever finds it first becomes class president."
The class erupted in cheers, egging Ms. Murakami on to agree.
What a terrible idea! Making me come to school on the weekend for extra work? Ms. Murakami groaned inwardly. But with the entire class rallying behind Yukiko's plan, and her own lack of experience handling students fresh out of teacher training, she relented with a strained smile. "Fine, I'll… work overtime this weekend!"
Yukiko beamed, thrilled her plan had been approved. She tilted her chin up, her azure eyes brimming with confidence as she looked at Shuichi. "I'm not losing to you in this class president race!"
You've practically driven the teacher to a breakdown… Shuichi stared at her, dumbfounded. Having been a worker himself in his past life, he could hear the resentment in Ms. Murakami's voice. He figured if he suggested an alternative that didn't involve overtime, she'd probably appoint him class president on the spot.
After the class meeting, the judo club canceled practice, and the library was closing early that Friday. With nowhere else to go, Kogoro and Eri joined Shuichi to walk home.
As the trio chatted, they passed a street corner, and Shuichi glanced at a convex traffic mirror. Installed to help drivers spot oncoming vehicles or pedestrians, it reflected something unexpected—a figure trailing them that shouldn't have been there.
Shuichi stopped abruptly. Kogoro frowned. "What's up, Shuichi?"
"There's a rat following us," Shuichi said, his expression odd.
"A rat?" Eri, startled, grabbed Shuichi's arm and hid behind him, thinking he meant a literal rodent.
"Where?" Kogoro scanned the area, then spotted someone behind them. "Yukiko? You're heading this way too?"
Yukiko Fujimine? Eri peeked at the mirror and saw the "rat" Shuichi meant.
She let go of Shuichi and turned, frowning. "Why are you taking this route?"
Yukiko tilted her head, tapping her fair chin with a slender finger, her expression playfully innocent. "I'm just going home, obviously."
"Your house isn't in this direction," Eri said, calling her out.
"Can't I take the scenic route for a walk?" Yukiko shot back. "Or did the government ban me from this street?"
Eri was left speechless, fuming as she turned away, ignoring her.
Shuichi and Kogoro stood by, baffled, watching the two girls' heated exchange.
"When did they start hating each other?" Kogoro whispered.
"How should I know?" Shuichi replied, equally puzzled. "Maybe… they're both on their periods?"
(End of Chapter)