Chapter 10: Student Council Issues and a Rainy Day with Video Games (Parts 1-2)

Chapter 10, Part 1

— They posted the grades!

A rather loud girl rushes into our classroom to give us the news before heading off to other classes.

Another day has begun.

I'm surprised by how quickly these days have passed, and also by how fast the teachers grade everything…

It's only been two days since we finished our midterm exams, and we've spent them working and training.

I really feel exhausted; I shouldn't be staying up so late… It's obvious when you see how my dark circles are becoming more noticeable.

Kenji, who's sitting next to me, seems worried about his grades.

— Tch, Uraseku-chan, I feel like I messed up…

— Is that anything new? — I reply sarcastically.

— But support me, man!

Did he just call me "Uraseku-chan"? He should try harder if he wants to give me a decent nickname.

But leaving that aside, I really feel like I didn't do well in the midterms either.

— I also feel like I did poorly, Kenji-chan.

— K-Kenji-chan? At least try if you want to give me a nickname…

We're both thinking the same thing…

Kenji and I head down to the first floor to check our grades.

Once downstairs, we meet up with Miru-chan, Hiroki, Makoto, and other students and classmates.

There are some really small kids in this school; three of them look like they're in eighth grade…

— I want to see your grades!

That shout echoed inside me; of course, it was Kibō.

The diamond shines, and Kibō emerges from it.

Upon coming out and seeing the grade board, he's surprised.

Makoto and Miru-chan seem amazed, but Hiroki looks shocked, angry, and disappointed all at once.

I wondered why, and when I looked at the grade board, I was surprised too…

— Damn, I almost failed… but that's not the case for you! Well done, Uraseku-chan! — Kenji says to me, very cheerfully.

— Well done, senpai! — Miru-chan says happily.

— I expected nothing less from a student council member; you're in twelfth place in the entire school! — Makoto says proudly.

W-What?! Twelfth place?!

How?!

— Ha, well, I didn't expect that either… — I respond calmly, but inside, there's a huge roller coaster of emotions and questions.

I really didn't see that coming.

I'm not surprised to see Makoto in second place, but who is this Kuroda Yoshihiro at the top?

But I quickly realize who it is.

A serious-looking guy with curly red hair, wearing black gloves and a strand covering his right eye, is next to me checking his grades.

— That's… Kuroda-san?

Hiroki slams his fist against the wall, crying out in frustration.

— For once in my life… I was so sure… what went wrong? — He says quietly.

— D-Don't feel bad, Sakamoto-kun.

Miru-chan tries to comfort him, but Makoto doesn't seem to want that.

— Feel bad. If you don't recover that grade, you won't be able to go on the school trip.

I start laughing at Hiroki along with Kibō, which makes Hiroki even angrier, as if he wants to hit me.

He grabs me by the shirt and clenches his fist.

At that moment, before anything happens, Miru-chan pulls out a money jar with a label that says, "One punch costs 1,000 yen."

I smile slightly as I see how he freezes.

— Come on, Hiroki, if you hit me, you'll have to put money in the jar.

He lets go of me, very annoyed, and turns away.

This time, teasing him didn't feel as satisfying; I feel some empathy.

Kibō and I stand there, looking at the situation blankly and rather uncomfortably, when suddenly, I feel someone gently tugging at my shirt.

When I turn around, I see a blond kid with messy bangs and red glasses.

Wait, he's in third year, but he looks like he's Neko-chan's age!

— E-Eh?

— The president said you're in the student council, but I've never seen you there. — He says very seriously.

His voice is pretty sweet.

He seems like a loli, but since he's a boy, would he be… a lolo?

— W-Well…

— Speaking of the student council. — Makoto says, butting into our conversation. — We still haven't decided where to go because not all the council members have shown up. Guess who's been missing…

Makoto, furious, gets right in front of me, very close to my face.

— M-Mercy!

I slowly back away, not taking more than three steps before I fall to the ground, terrified as he approaches me.

— Stop, enough! Aaahhh!

He grabs me by my sweater and drags me to the student council room.

— D-Don't scream and walk; they'll think I'm doing something bad!

My screams were loud enough to shatter my vocal cords.

I'm really surprised there aren't any teachers nearby to see the mess we're making.

Kibō follows me, laughing, while Miru-chan and Hiroki watch me go with the other classmates and students, leaving them behind.

— W-Well… I should go too. Goodbye, Sakamoto-kun. I can help you study for the makeup exam if you want.

— No need, you better take a break from all the studying…

— W-Well, see you later.

They say goodbye, leaving Hiroki completely alone. It seems Chikara doesn't come out to keep him company.

I have to admit, I feel a bit sorry for him being alone…

Anyway, I couldn't escape. Like it or not, today I was going to the student council.

Chapter 10, Part 2

The moment has arrived. As I enter the student council room, I feel like someone privileged.

I didn't know this room was somewhat extravagant.

Apparently, this room belongs to the student body, and the school administration has no authority here.

Everyone takes their seats, which are marked with a plaque bearing our names and the positions we hold at the tables.

— We've gathered to discuss something important.

That was Fujisaki Makoto, the student council president; I know he doesn't need much introduction.

The guy with the curly red hair isn't saying anything.

That's Kuroda Yoshihiro, the vice president of the student council.

— It's something we can't keep delaying.

Sakurai Miru, the student council secretary, also doesn't need much introduction.

— I'm worried we don't have enough funds.

Nakajima Mizaki, the student council treasurer. A seemingly shy girl with long brown hair and glasses.

— W-What?! D-Does this mean cuts to the clubs?

Mori Yui, the representative of the school clubs. Apparently, she's a bit shy too, with short brown hair and a childlike appearance. There seem to be more lolis…

— We've already canceled the school festival; there's no need for further cuts.

Kobayashi Sora, the student representative. He's the guy I ran into in the hallway, blonde, apparently outgoing, with messy hair in the front.

— Y-Yes, I made sure to let everyone know!

Oda Nanami, in charge of communications. She seems very shy; I think she's a girl? Why are there so many shy people? Well, I guess I'm included…

— What does it matter? My team is more than ready for anything.

Ono Ryu, leader of community services. Seems pretty normal, neither shy nor outgoing, with straight red hair, and someone who does seem to be his age.

— Hey, why am I in event planning?

Rasec Nerfe Zaid Sador, event organizer… Huh?!

— I figured you'd be someone fit for the position.

Only Makoto would think I'm responsible…

And what made him think I'd be a good event organizer?!

— I thought you put him in that position because no one else wanted it… — Sora says quietly to Makoto.

— It was the same with Oda-san in communications. — adds Ryu.

— H-Hey! — Nanami says timidly.

So that's it…

— Hey! Let's not give a bad impression to the new member, please. — Miru-chan says firmly to everyone.

This situation is heating up in a way I didn't anticipate.

It's really getting hot… I wish I had something to drink…

Everyone turns to look at me, and I start to feel uncomfortable and shy.

— Umh… E-Excuse me? Could I have some berry tea, please?

At that, everyone looks at me disappointedly. I really don't know what's going on.

Mori-chan, the club representative, turns to me with a smile and says:

— I guess you're really good at calming the situation!

— Not really, he just ignored us. — Makoto responds.

Ignored? Why does he say that when I don't even know what's being discussed…? Wait, I see why they say that…

— By the way, why don't you introduce yourself?

— H-Huh, alright?

Being around so many strangers really makes me nervous. I thought I had overcome my shyness, maybe I thought that because I don't interact with many people…

I stand up and proceed to introduce myself very seriously.

— I'm Rasec Nerfe Zaid Sador. It's a pleasure. My first names are the two I said first, and my last names are the last two. My Japanese is a bit poor because I haven't lived in this country for long, and apparently, I'm the head of event planning… A-anyway, it's a pleasure.

With that said, I sit back down.

— Hey, you were supposed to introduce yourself, not read your biography.

— Hey!

Sora, that small blonde guy, is really bold to say that kind of thing to someone he's just met.

— Alright, in that case, it's time for you all to introduce yourselves to the new student council member!

Each one stands up to introduce themselves.

— I'll start! I'm Ono Ryu. If you have any issues with trash and order at the school, don't hesitate to count on me, Zeido-san.

He seems quite trustworthy.

— I'm Kobayashi Sora. It looks like I'm your senpai! Nice to meet you.

My senpai? It would be weird to call someone who looks younger than me senpai.

— I'm Nakajima Mizaki. Count on me if you need anything involving advanced mathematics. It's a pleasure, Zeido-kun!

She really seems very smart and cute… Focus!

— W-Well… I'm Mori Yui. If you have problems with the club you're in, please let me know. It's a pleasure, Zeido-senpai!

Her bow was almost ninety degrees, and she's very cute… Stop!

— E-Eh… W-Well…! I-I'm Oda Nanami. If you need to get a message to the school, count on me! Zeido-san!

She seems shy… or is it a he? It would be rude to ask if she's a girl or a boy… If she is a girl, I have to say she's very cute…

The student with the curly red hair seems reluctant to introduce himself.

— Hey, you need to introduce yourself! — Makoto says.

— Fine…

He finally stands up and, as serious as ever, begins his introduction.

— I'm Kuroda Yoshihiro. It's a pleasure, Zeido-kun.

With that, he sits down. His introduction was really different from the others…

…

— W-Well… We'd better start planning our trip…

It's about time.

— As you all know, the trip is in a week, and we haven't even decided where to go yet. Plus, Rasec is just finding out he's the event organizer…

— H-Huh?

Mori-chan comes over and serves me some iced tea.

— D-Does this mean I have to plan everything?!

I respond quite annoyed and confused by something I'm just learning about.

— W-We'll all be here to help you, Uraseku-senpai.

— I-I see.

Hearing that Miru-chan will help me calms me down.

— Alright, we'll all help plan this. We should consider a place with a lot of cultural richness.

— And also somewhere warm. A day at a beach would be nice.

— How about Hawaii?

— I'm afraid we don't have enough funds for that.

— It has to be a place with excellent water, I suppose.

— W-What about somewhere in this country?

— No way, I already know almost all of Japan…

— B-But where?

Warm, culturally rich, moderately priced, with excellent water, and above all, great culinary wealth…

— I'd prefer a place that no other school would think to go…

Without a doubt… I know a country we could go to…

At that moment, I remember what Seji-sensei told me.

"Don't you know? The second Sunday of November is National Pupusa Day in El Salvador…"

Recalling this, I start to laugh slowly while looking down.

Everyone turns to look at me; it seems I've caught their attention.

— Heh, hehehe…

— Huh? D-Do you have an idea?

Hearing Makoto ask, my laughter intensifies.

— Hahaha.

I stand up and start laughing maniacally as if I were a homicidal maniac!

Well… that happened in my mind; I really just stood up.

— We should go to El Salvador…

Upon hearing this, everyone is stunned.

— What's that? — asks Sora.

— During this season, it's cool in some areas and warm in others. It's definitely a country with great cultural richness, relatively cheap, the sea waves are perfect for surfing, and it's a place no other school would think of going. It's brilliant!

With that said, everyone pulls out their phones and starts searching for information about the country I mentioned.

— Is it unsafe or something? — Sora asks expressionlessly.

— I just found it! It's a pretty small country. — says Mori-chan.

— It doesn't seem to be a dangerous place according to many people. — Mizaki-san says.

— There are really nice places to see! And the waves are truly amazing! — says Sora, quite excited.

— Compared to other places, it's not that expensive. — says Nanami-san.

Well, if they know where to go, it wouldn't be that costly.

— Given its size, I'm not surprised that very few people know about this country. — says Makoto, quite interested in the country.

— Well done, Zeido-senpai! How did you think of such a place so quickly? — Mori-chan asks me.

It seems I should get used to cute girls calling me "senpai."

— That's because I'm Salvadoran by birth.

— I've always wanted to visit your country, Uraseku-senpai! — Miru-chan says cheerfully.

— Does that mean you'll choose this country?

I ask everyone seriously.

— Sounds good to me. — Kuroda-san responds.

— He actually spoke! — everyone says, surprised.

Are they so desperate that they chose the first country I mentioned? Whatever…

I glance at Kuroda-san, the vice president.

That tuft of hair always covers his eye, and he seems to adjust a white glove that he wears all the time.

Since I came here, for some reason, he's caught my attention.

It seems like he's hiding something.

Well, I'm not nosy; I guess everyone should just focus on their own tasks.