"Pass the ball, Maki! I'm open!" shouted a player on Toshigawa Academy's soccer team.
"Here you go, upperclassman," said Maki, his cleats scraping against the turf as he sent the ball curving toward the goal. The leather thudded softly against his foot and spun through the air. His teammate jumped, the sun glinting off his forehead, and headed the ball into the net with a loud smack.
"Not bad. Nice pass, rookie," said the soccer player with a grin, his voice breathy from the sprint.
In Class 1T…
The room buzzed with conversation, chairs scraping, pencil cases clattering, and laughter echoing off the beige walls. Someone crumpled a piece of paper and tossed it across the room. The smell of leftover cafeteria curry and fresh whiteboard markers lingered faintly in the air.
"Good morning, everyone," said Hayami-sensei, stepping in with the force of a cold gust. Her heels clicked sharply against the tile, and her eyes swept the room like a hawk's.
"Good morning, Sensei," the students replied, their voices dipping with sudden respect. The classroom fell quiet, save for a few rustling papers.
"I don't have time to give you all a lecture on your behavior, but just to jog your memories—you are the top of your grade. You should represent your class better than this," she said firmly, her eyes narrowing.
"Now then, for this homeroom session, I would like you to select your class representatives. You can vote for whoever you deem worthy—just write their name on a piece of paper and place it in this box. After that, I will count the votes. The person with the highest number of votes will become the class representative, and they will choose their assistant. Get started on the voting."
The students shuffled, reaching into their bags for pens. The faint scratching of pencil against paper filled the silence as each student scribbled down a name. The voting box sat on the desk like an unspoken pressure.
"Okay, now that all of you have voted, I will check to see who has received the most votes," said Hayami-sensei, lifting the box with a practiced hand.
After a minute of sorting, she looked up. "It seems that Rie Morioka has received six votes, which is the highest. So, she will be your class representative."
"Th-Thank you, everyone, for voting for me," said Rie, her voice barely above a whisper. She clutched the edge of her desk, her knuckles white, cheeks flushed pink.
"Okay, Miss Morioka, choose who you would like to assist you in your duties," Hayami-sensei instructed.
Rie's eyes flitted nervously around the room, avoiding direct stares. Her breath hitched when her gaze met Shino's—he was staring blankly out the window, a distant look in his eyes as sunlight bathed the side of his face.
"I would like to be assisted by Katsuragi. Is that alright, Teacher?" she asked, her voice still timid.
"Huh? N-N-No, why me?! I can't do that kind of work—speaking up for my class, making suggestions to the school board—I just can't!" Shino blurted out, his hands waving defensively in front of him.
His heart pounded in his chest. I don't know how to lead. I've never stood in front of a group, much less spoken for one. What if I mess up? What if they all laugh? His mind raced with anxious thoughts, and the back of his neck felt clammy with sweat.
"I see. Perfect choice, Rie," said Hayami-sensei, completely unmoved by his protest.
"But, Hayami-sensei, I don't want to—"
"Huh? What was that? Speak up, I couldn't hear you," she cut in, her voice like ice.
Shino gulped. "W-What I said was… I'm happy to become her assistant!" he said quickly, his shoulders stiff as a board.
"That's what I thought," she replied, cool as ever.
"She's so scary…" Shino thought, his spine tingling under her gaze.
"School isn't just about getting good grades and aiming for your goals. It's also about character development, confidence, the ability to stand up for yourself, and applying the knowledge you gain from experience. Being Rie's assistant will help you grow as a person in the long run, so stop complaining," said Hayami-sensei.
"Yes, Sensei… I understand," he muttered, though his voice still trembled.
"Alright then. Rie Morioka, assisted by Shino Katsuragi, will be your class representatives this year. Any objections?" she asked.
"No," the class answered in unison, some with faint smirks or curious glances toward the newly appointed pair.
"Good. You two should take some time to get to know each other so that you feel comfortable working together—it's going to be a long year," she added.
I finally got the chance to be near Katsuragi. I can finally thank him for what he did that day. I'll be able to be friends with him… and eventually, he'll notice me—wait, what am I saying?! Rie's face turned bright red, and she clutched her notebook tighter.
How am I going to manage all this and training? I won't have any free time at all… and I'm not even good at speaking up. I'm going to embarrass myself, I know it, Shino sulked, slouching slightly in his chair.
Just as Hayami-sensei opened her mouth to begin the lesson, a sudden buzz from the loudspeaker interrupted.
Over the intercom…
"Good afternoon, everyone. Sachiko Takahashi and Tetsuo Kawaguchi, please report to the student council room. I repeat, Sachiko Takahashi and Tetsuo Kawaguchi, please report to the student council room," announced Hitomi's crisp, formal voice.
Hayami-sensei's eye twitched. That girl… couldn't she have waited until the school bell rang?
"You both have my permission to leave the class and go to the student council room. You scored the highest points on the entrance exam, so I expect that you won't loiter or skip homeroom after you're done," she said with a stern nod.
"Yes, Teacher. You have our word. Let's go, Kawaguchi," said Sachiko, already walking toward the door.
In the Student Council Room…
Sunlight streamed through the wide windows of the council room, illuminating the polished wood table and organized stacks of paperwork. A kettle whistled softly in the corner. Hitomi set out two cups on saucers, pouring tea with a graceful hand.
"I'm glad you came, Tetsuo Kawaguchi. Please, both of you, sit down," she said, gesturing to the chairs with a pleasant smile.
Tetsuo remained standing for a moment, his expression unreadable. The aroma of green tea lingered in the air.
"What do you want with me?" he asked bluntly.
"Straight to the point, I see. I like that about you. Well then, let me enlighten you," said Hitomi, lacing her fingers together.
"I explained to your classmates that the former student council members have graduated, and—"
"I wasn't listening," Tetsuo interrupted.
"Huh? Excuse me?" Hitomi raised an eyebrow.
"The information you gave had nothing to do with me, so I ignored it. It didn't apply to me anyway," he said, flat and firm.
Hitomi blinked, briefly taken aback. Her smile faded, then returned, thinner.
"Anyway, the reason I called you here is to ask you to join the student council as our secretary. If you join, you'll receive several benefits. The school heads will extend your scholarship, covering your education for both your second and third year. So, what do you say?" asked Hitomi, her voice smooth as silk.
"Sorry, but I won't join the student council," Tetsuo replied without hesitation.
"I see… May I ask why?" she asked.
"Firstly, even though you're the student council president, you're quite a conniving person. Using the fact that I'm on a scholarship to try and manipulate me into accepting your proposal… it might have worked on someone else, but not me. This was the norm where I was from," he said coldly, staring her down.
"Secondly, my sister gave me a calling. It would be rude of me to abandon her wishes. That's all."
He stood up without another word. "It's about time for me to take my leave. I don't want to keep my teacher waiting. See you," said Tetsuo as he stepped out, the door clicking shut behind him.
Hitomi watched the door for a moment, then smirked.
"That boy is a strange one… but I can't say I'm not intrigued by his opinion of me."
"I already told you he was going to reject your proposal," Sachiko said, taking a small sip of her tea.
She glanced toward the door, then added, "You're too blunt, Kawaguchi… You could stand to be a little more tactful sometimes."
There was no answer.
Tetsuo was already gone.