Duties

How could one even begin to resolve the problems set before Arata? It's one thing to worry about the girls that liked him. It's another when his friends also had all these other things tying them together.

"Are you all right?" Yogi asked him, as they were sitting in class. "You're-"

"Doing the face again." At this point, it was becoming a bit of a broken record for the boy.

"Look." Yogi leaned in to whisper. "I know about what I said before, but don't worry too much about it. It's not like I'd get mad at you if you didn't want to do it."

"No no, it's fine." Considering how tied it was to the rest of his dealings. There was no way Arata would, or could, let that go without a try. "I'll try my best." Afterwards, class resumed as always. However, during the later break period, there was one thing that he had to do different.

"Off to see Misao and Misei again?" Yuki asked as he got up from his seat.

"Right." He answered. "With the student council elections coming up, they've been asking for a lot more help lately." As the duel secretary and treasurer, it was already his duty to help them out. Though as a friend, he would've helped out regardless.

So Arata set out for the student council room where those two would most likely be at. With everything coming up, they were spending more and more time there instead of hanging out with friends. While that might have sounded like hard work, he was certain Misei was happy with that arrangement.

Unsurprisingly, he saw Misao first. The girl was just exiting the room to head towards the staff room. Some paperwork was needed to be done.

"Misei's just inside." She said to him when their eyes met. "Just go on in and I'll meet you later." Before she was able to make her leave, he stopped her. This was the first time he was able to get her alone after leaning the truth about Yogi.

"Could I ask you a question first?" He said, to which she accepted. "What would you do if another boy liked you?"

"Sounds to me that you know of one." She responded. "I won't ask who it is, but I'd say that I like someone else right now." It was kind of expected, but not the answer he was hoping to hear. "Anyway, I really need to get going. If you want to talk more about it, you can just message me." Misao left, leaving him to do only one thing left to do.

That being to enter the student council room. It was something that he had done daily since the start of the year with these elections nearing. However, this time was a little different.

The difference being that Misei was changing out of her gym clothes to something more appropriate of her position. He caught her at a bad time, or good depending on how you look at it. The girl was simply stripped down to her underwear, with a lot of her fair skin showing off to anyone seeing her. That someone being Arata.

They froze, neither one of them saying anything. Too speechless caused by their surprise to this moment. That was when Arata remembered that he was the one that had to do something.

"S-sorry." Was the only word he could mutter out as he promptly left the room and shut the door behind him. The boy stood right next to it, trying to contain his beating heart. It was rather a challenge considering how the images of Misei's near nude body continued to flash in his mind.

Why didn't Misao warn him about that? No, what was he thinking? Of course she wouldn't warn him. That girl must've wanted that moment to happen so now he would know what they girl looked like with a little less clothing. So that he might even imagine that girl wearing…

No, this wasn't the time to be thinking of thoughts like that.

"Arata?" He heard the student president calling his name. "You can… Come in now." Her voice was shaken due to what had transpired. Cautiously, he opened the door to see her dressed as what he was used to seeing her wear. That was when he finally truly entered the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the two together alone.

"H-Hi." This was extremely awkward, as he wasn't sure how to act after something like that occurred. "Is there… Anything you need me to do?"

"I do." She replied, her tone of voice betraying her internal feelings. He wondered just what she was thinking about that incident. Hopefully she didn't view him as a pervert, since that was a complete accident. However, was she embarrassed about him seeing her like that, or was she hoping for something else going on in his mind?

Either way, she explained to him what they needed to do for today. The elections coming up in a couple of weeks, and along with it the debates. So they needed to set up posters for the advertisement of the event.

Seemed easy enough, and the two of them left the room with all the posters in hand. Misao had left earlier to handle all the paperwork relating to this event, so they were going to be without her for today. Another thing that girl had set up, since it should've been Arata's responsibility as secretary to take care of paperwork.

The first place they went to was the main board where all students would check for details. He started stabling up the schedules while she setup the sign up list on the table positioned in front of it. Already while they were working, a pair of first year girls approached them.

"What is this all about?" One of them asked.

"It's for the upcoming student council elections." Misei answered them. "We're accepting those that wish to nominate themselves or someone else." Of course, it was the president position that was most noted across the four major positions. Looking over the list, it was no surprise that Misei and Misao had already nominated themselves for their current positions. Though Arata's current positions were going to be open game for anyone else since he was stepping down from his unelected spots.

"I don't know anyone else that wants to run." The other girl said. "But if you're trying to stay president, then I'd pick you to do it again." She said.

"Thank you." Misei gave a respectfully bow towards them. "Any and all support is welcomed." Arata was in the background of this conversation, as he was still busy with rearranging all the posters, or taking down the ones that were outdated. This allowed him to observe the way she talked with those two girls. There was a bit of a manner of formality she had with everyone when she talked in her official capacity as president. Maybe it was because those two girls were younger than her, kind of like how she talked with Ichiri even when they weren't at school.

However, she didn't act that way with him. If that little incident eariler was proof, there was that bit of vulnerability coming from her. Yet at the same time, she had walls up between them, trying to protect herself. This might seem weird to be analyzing her so heavily in this moment, however when he's the one trying to figure out his feelings. That type of thinking is necessary for him.

Soon those girls left them back to their work. And soon after that, Arata had finished up putting up the big lettering advertising what they were setting up to do. That only left them with waiting until some students that were interesting in running for the positions to show up.

"You know, I wonder if anyone's even going to run for the student president and vice president roles." Arata spoke up to fill the empty air. "With how good you two are at the jobs, I think most students are going to want the same things for next year."

"You really think so?" She smiled at the compliment of her abilities. "Thank you." Misei took a hold of his hand, which sent his heart racing once more.

"W-what are you d-doing." He asked while darting his eyes back and forth. "We're at school right now."

"I know, but since you haven't accept or rejected me. I just want to make sure that you consider what I can be." She told him, nearly unable to hide her anxiety of being caught.

Too bad for them they were.

"I'm back." Misao announced her presence, sending the two of them off their chairs in opposite directions. "And I see that the two of you were busy." She commented with them now sitting on the ground.

"It's not what you think." Arata replied, putting a hand over his mouth to cover his blushing face.

"Anyway." Misei regained her composure, standing back up on her feet. "I take it everything has now been submitted?" That was the case, so now the elections were ready to begin. Just in time too, since the first person interested in one of the roles had came up to them. Unfortunately, it was someone they all knew personally.

"I have finally arrived." Ichiri came up to the table with bravado.

"Hey Ichiri." Arata greeted her without any concern. "You here to sign up for the treasurer role?" He asked first, since this girl was one that had skipped a grade. Perhaps she'd like to take a position that was suited for her mind. "Or do you want to be the secretary?" It could be possible that she could do a lot of extra work. Though he only asked because it was the other position he held and would like to get rid of.

"No." She replied to him. Which caused a lot of bewilderment among all of them. "I'm here to run for student president."