Youkoso Jitsuryoku Shijou Shugi no Kyoushitsu e - Volume 20 - Chapter 2.2

2.2

“Oh~ How I wish I could’ve seen it—Horikita-senpai prostrating herself to Kushida-senpai.”

“Don't mention it again. It was a fatal mistake.”

Holding her head, Horikita shook with anger as she remembered what happened a few minutes ago.

“Kushida took advantage of you, even though you brought it on yourself.”

“I underestimated her need for approval.”

Amasawa and I saw how happy Kushida’s face looked when she left.

“I was forced to prostrate myself.”

“...Still, in the end, Kushida-san said yes, and it was her decision. She has the self-discipline to say no if she really didn't want to. You know that, don't you?”

“It was impressive that she saw that far ahead, though.”

On the outside, she’d smile at everyone, but on the inside, as Horikita said, Kushida’s actions were based on her own interests.

That situation was a perfect opportunity for Kushida to show her true side, and there was no need for her to be shy. Kushida could’ve rejected the offer after seeing Horikita get down on her knees, but she ultimately decided to accept it only because it was actually beneficial for her to join the student council.

“I know she’ll hate working for me with all her heart, but that's not what’s important. Joining the student council will definitely increase her cohesive power. It’ll also be a great stepping stone for her to regain her position in the class, considering she was previously backed into a corner and isolated.”

“You intend to use Kushida to the fullest.”

“Of course. I made the choice to keep her. We have to show enough results to convince everyone in the class. She even made me prostrate myself.”

It seemed that the act of prostrating herself still lingered in her mind. Yet, it couldn’t be helped, as it was a mistake created by her own strategy.

If Horikita hadn’t prostrated herself in that situation, Kushida wouldn’t have joined her.

“You should’ve found another way to fight rather than prostrating.”

“Don't mention it again. I'll make the most of it going forward...”

The damage was done, but it was a start. Not everyone could be a student council member.

By making Kushida serve on the student council, we could make her feel like she was needed in the class and keep her from feeling like she was cut off. She knew this as well.

However, she didn’t like the fact that Horikita was leading her into a situation where she would end under her administration. Her childish feelings were getting in the way.

“Now your class will dominate the student council for two years. That's a definite advantage.”

“As long as Student Council President Nagumo approves.”

“He said it himself. ‘You’re free to bring anyone from your own class.’”

“Yeah, but that definitely included the nuance of, 'If you've got the guts to, then go for it.’”

“Then you’ll just have to show him you’ve got the guts.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

Horikita may have worn a wary expression, but what she said and what she did were the exact opposite.

She didn’t hesitate to bring Kushida into her ranks in order to get as close to Class A as possible, and she even prostrated herself to do so. What else would you call this but guts?

“I think it was probably the best way to recruit Kushida.”

“I think it was the best way to recruit her as well.”

Amasawa showed interest by overreacting and nodding behind us.

“...Are you still going to follow me? The freak show’s over.”

“I'm interested to see who you’ll recruit from the first years, Horikita-senpai.”

“You and I aren’t the kind of people who’d chat casually with each other, are we?”

“Why not? We've had a few conflicts, but only during the special exams. Aside from that, shouldn't senpais and kouhais get along better?”

Horikita raised her eyebrows slightly, but gave in, perhaps because she couldn't force her away.

“How about putting Amasawa on the student council? Her ratings in the OAA are also perfect.”

“Amasawa-san isn’t suitable for the student council even if she doesn’t have any problems in the OAA.”

“What? You could at least invite me, couldn't you? I might be open to it.”

“I'll pass.”

It seemed that Amasawa wasn’t part of Horikita's plan for the student council.

Indeed, Amasawa probably isn’t suitable for the student council, which would require taking serious actions.

“Since you're rejecting the idea, do you have any others in mind?”

“There are several candidates, but I wonder if… he’s still in school.”

The fact that the word 'he' was mentioned suggested that the first-year student in question was a male student.

Horikita looked around the first-year school building but didn’t seem to find the person she was looking for.

She looked from Class A to Class D then sighed.

“Maybe he’s already left.”

Horikita complained a little, saying that she spent too much time talking with Kushida and Amasawa.

“But I can't give up right away,” she said to us. “I'll ask his classmates directly. Wait here.”

With those words, she stepped into the first year’s Class A.

Amasawa and I looked at each other and waited for Horikita to come back.

“So, was your purpose to talk to me?”

“Hmm? Oh, are you asking about the reason why I came to the second-year building? Are you curious?”

“You're sticking around, and you’re not leaving. I can’t say that I don’t care.”

“To be honest, I came to see how Kushida-senpai was doing. You know, we had a little bit of forced contact at the festival, so I was just wondering how things were going. And Takuya was also a nuisance to me, so...”

“It seemed like you were teasing Kushida a lot, though.”

Amasawa stuck out her tongue a little and smiled.

“I'm the only one who can tease Kushida-senpai so blatantly. I wanted to check how mentally strong she is.”

“I see. I thought that you were just making strong and aggressive declarations, but I guess you were just doing your homework.”

“I think it was a miscalculation on Kushida's part to have the White Room students get involved, but in the end, it helped her come out of her shell. I guess it all worked out for the best.”

Amasawa had a cute little smile on her face.

“I have to be at least a little useful.”

“Your reason for seeing Kushida makes sense, but it doesn’t answer why you’re following her around.”

“Simple curiosity. Ayanokōji-senpai is concerned about Horikita-senpai. Since she’s going to be the student council president, I thought I'd observe her charms up close. She seems to be a serious person, but she's also interesting and a bit unique. I really thought it’d be okay to join the student council for a little bit.”

“Then you should’ve been more serious. Horikita knows that you're a capable person, so she may not have rejected you.”

“It's okay, it's okay. There's no point in joining the student council now.”

No point in joining now? Even though it was already nearing the end of the second term, Amasawa was still a first-year. With Yagami leaving, there was still enough time for her to serve as a replacement in the student council.

Suddenly, I thought back to the conversation I had with Amasawa before the school trip.

“What are you going to do? You haven’t given up on the idea yet, have you?”

Amasawa's eyes became sharp when I implicated something in a roundabout way.

“As expected of you, Ayanokōji-senpai. You noticed my subtle wording.”

“You said you didn't want to cause any trouble, and that I was the only one you would give special treatment to.”

It wasn’t so difficult to connect the circumstances of Yagami's expulsion to the student council.

“However, you didn't give me any sort of hint when I went after Yagami, did you? That's not your style.”

“You're right. I wanted to see if you truly were someone worth worshiping.”

“It's up to you what you want to do. You’re free to retract your previous statement and turn your vengeance against me.”

“This isn’t just me being generous, but also something born out of a lot of overwhelming emotions.”

Horikita, who had been talking with the first-year students for a while, cut us off with a satisfied look on her face.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let's move.”

Horikita started to walk, but her steps were a little faster than usual.

“Who were you going to meet here?”

“I don't think you know him. A student named Ishigami-kun.”

“Ishigami?”

I was sure that it was the Ishigami I pictured in my mind. There were no other first-year students with the same surname.

“Horikita-senpai must be impressive to have an eye for Ishigami-kun, isn't she?”

Amasawa, who was also a first-year student and a classmate, was acquainted with him and naturally recognized him, so she immediately reacted.

“Is he a good student? Is he a leader of the class or something?”

I decided to feign ignorance and asked Horikita and Amasawa about Ishigami.

“He’s different from a leader. He might be more like Class A’s strategist.”

Unlike most of the other students, Amasawa's attitude does not make me feel uncomfortable.

She wasn’t making it clear to me whether or not she knew of Ishigami’s prior knowledge of my identity. Since she had nothing to hide now, it was possible that she didn’t know anything, but it was dangerous to assume.

“What’s your connection to him, Horikita?”

I didn’t expect Horikita to mention Ishigami’s name, so I asked her about it. 

“I've known him for a little while… He’s academically sound as far as the OAA is concerned, and his classmates seem to trust him a lot. I think he’s one of the best. He was in the classroom a few minutes ago, and I think I might be able to catch up with him now.”

That was why she was walking so fast. I wondered for a moment if it would be a good idea to follow Horikita to Ishigami, but there was no point in worrying too much.

We don’t have any strange connection with each other, but it was possible that one of us would try to make unexpected contact or be assigned to the same group by chance, for example, in some special exam.

Trying to avoid him by force would be an act against the natural order of things. As we reached the hallway leading to the entrance, we noticed a small group of boys chatting in a small circle.

Horikita immediately noticed Ishigami among them and approached him.

“Ishigami-kun.”

Ishigami turned around when his name was called and gave Horikita and me a silent stare.

Although this was an unexpected first meeting, Ishigami didn’t show any signs of agitation.

On the contrary, it was as if he was oblivious to my presence.

This might not be surprising if you understand that in a small school, it’d be inevitable that we’d run into each other at some point. The other first-year students, though they knew Amasawa, seemed to be a bit nervous about my and Horikita’s presence with us both being second-year students.

“Can I help you?”

“I've come to ask you a favor. I'd like to ask you to join the student council if you don't mind.”

“...”

Ishigami, silenced by the request, turned to his friends.

“Sorry, go ahead. I'll catch up with you soon.”

I wonder if they had plans to hang out together after this.

“I'm sorry. I don't mean to take up too much of your time.”

“It's fine, Horikita-senpai. But why me?”

Ishigami used honorifics for upperclassmen. He didn’t seem to use the same kind of sass he used when he spoke with me.

“I have very little interaction with first-year students. You’re one of the few I’ve spoken with. Additionally, you’re in Class A and excel academically in the OAA. You shouldn’t be surprised that I’ve asked you to join.”

As Horikita said, he was undoubtedly a person likely to be approached by the student council for their talents.

“I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in joining.”

Without even thinking about the offer, Ishigami refused her without hesitation.

“Would it be bothersome if I asked you to at least consider it?”

“I have no interest in club activities nor in joining the student council. Please look elsewhere.” Saying this, Ishigami turned his back on us and walked away.

For a moment, Horikita seemed to consider stopping him, but she realized that she couldn’t force him to join the student council since he seemed to have no interest in the subject.

“You’re not going to make any progress with him.”

“I thought he was a good candidate, but I guess I'll have to give up on him.”

“There are a lot of other good students in Class A.”

“I'd like to think so, but I don't know... I think that motivated students would’ve applied to join the student council at an early stage, like Ichinose-san last year and Yagami-kun this year, right? Basically, students don't want to be involved in the student council if they haven’t taken any action by this time of year.”

Certainly. He would’ve taken action during Nagumo’s presidency if it was something he was interested in.

“So... what happens next?”

“The only thing left to do is to pull someone from Class 1-D.”

“Class D? That's an unexpected choice.”

The student council's usual approach was to select students from classes A and B, which have a high percentage of capable and serious students. But she dared to choose from Class D?

“For Class D, the addition of a student council member would be a morale boost. Certainly, the students of that class would see this as a positive thing. It's just a matter of making them aware of its advantages.”

“Why don't you invite someone like Housen-kun? It might be interesting.”

Amasawa recommended making an offer to an outlandish person as if she wanted to cause chaos within the student council.

“I don't think he’d want to do it. And even if he wanted to, I wouldn't even consider it with his current record of behavior. He would need to create a good track record over the next six months and a year.”

She rejected the playful proposal, stating that he didn’t meet the minimum requirements.

Returning to Class 1-D, Horikita looked around at the remaining students in the classroom. One of the students immediately noticed us, got up from their chair, and approached us.

“Welcome, Horikita-senpai, Ayanokōji-senpai, and Amasawa-san.”

It was Nanase Tsubasa, who appeared out of place in the first year’s Class D, where there were many poorly behaved students.

“Yoo-hoo!”

“It’s a bit unexpected to see Amasawa-san with the two of you.”

Nanase looked back and forth between me and Amasawa.

“It seems that most of the students have already left.”

“There are fewer of my classmates here than usual. Normally, more of them would be lingering behind.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. One of our classmates has a birthday and we’re going to celebrate it at Keyaki Mall. I've been invited to the party afterward... Why are you here in the first-year building?”

That was a sensible question.

“Takuya Yagami-kun has left the school and there’s a vacancy in the student council. I’m here to find someone to fill that vacancy.”

“You're recruiting members for the student council?”

“I'm going to be the next student council president, and this is my first task.”

Nanase nodded her head in admiration and looked around Class D.

“Can a Class D student even apply for a council position?”

“Of course you can! I'm from Class D to begin with, so there's no reason for me to refuse.”

“In that case... could you please let me help you?!”

“...You’d like to join, Nanase-san?”

“Yes. If you don't have any issues with someone like me, I'd be happy to help the student council.”

“I don't know what kind of decision Student Council President Nagumo will make, though.”

She replied saying that she wouldn’t have the final say.

Horikita may not remember the details of Nanase's OAA, so I chimed in.

“It's okay, isn't it? Nanase has a good academic rating in the OAA and she’s serious, so I think she’s suitable for the student council.”

“Yes, she does seem like a good fit for the position.”

It was also an easy solution given that she’d been turned down by Ishigami.

“Okay, Nanase. Can we count on you to help out with the student council?”

“Of course!”

I had my doubts about Nanase's true motive, but that's one thing, and this is another.

If she could contribute to the student council, there was no reason to refuse her.

“So you have no problem with Nanase-chan joining the student council, right?”

“Yes. Unlike you.”

“Are you making fun of me?”

“I think highly of your abilities. It's just that your frank attitude, way of thinking, and personality aren’t suited for the student council.”

Horikita nodded her head in satisfaction at this most welcome addition to the group.

“Umm, what should I do from tomorrow onwards?”

“I don't think there’ll be any problems, but first, I’ll talk to Student Council President Nagumo tomorrow. I'll contact you after that’s done and you’ve been accepted into the student council.”

Horikita exchanged contact information with Nanase. Afterward, Nanase smiled happily.

“I'm glad to have more contacts as well!”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to hearing from you!”

Nanase sent us off with a smile, and we left Class D.

“We’ve gathered the members. All we have to do now is wait for an answer from Student Council President Nagumo.”

“Well then, I think I'll go home too. See you later, you two!”

Amasawa came and left like a storm, and we both watched her leave.

“As usual, I can't seem to figure out what's on her mind.”

“Yeah.”

“Thanks for your hard work.”

“Well, I was with you, but I didn't do anything after all. You made it easy on me.”

“That's not true. At least in Kushida-san’s case, your words seemed to have influenced her. I'm happy to report that you did your job.”

I assumed she was referring to the time I convinced Kushida to accept the deal.

“I'm sure I won't get any compliments from Nagumo, but I'm so happy to hear this that it almost brings tears to my eyes.”

“What's that? Oh, by the way, I'm having a study session at a cafe in Keyaki Mall after this. Do you want to come and see? Your girlfriend will be there, too.”

“A study group. Well, I'll just come by for a bit.”

“Eh?”

Horikita seemed surprised by my answer to her invitation.

“What is it?”

“No, I figured that you’d refuse like usual. Is Karuizawa-san’s presence that much of an influence?”

That wasn’t the case, but there was no way of stopping her from seeing it that way.

“I guess so. I’m concerned about whether she's learning properly or not.” I answered and decided to go to the café with Horikita.