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“Be the President of Student Council!”

What a big word coming from my blondie teacher. She announced it straight to my face together with her triumphant smile, and an intense stare by her pair of cerulean eyes. In addition, she also pointed her finger as if she just won a grand competition.

“No, I mean why?”

“The round table of the councillors have decide that you should be part of student council. Be the president! You see, we’re already few weeks into the new semester and no student has nominated anyone for the position.”

I felt like my eyes just twitched. Seeing my reaction, Ms. Claire swiftly crossed her arms.

“—Any sort of rejection is unacceptable.”

Surely heaving a frustrated sigh was unavoidable. I turned my head to give an annoyed look to Girl A. She seemed to have made a wry laugh while her eyes cued an innocent look.

In this school, teachers have practically the veto power to assume the student council’s members. Although students can announce any candidacy of their like, if no one does so, teachers have no choice but to choose the candidate themselves.

This is highly prestigious school, most students will only focus on studying. Perhaps doing the student council’s work will merit them nothing except taking away their precious study time. It’s not all bad fruits coming from being in student council, they will be rewarded handsomely too. For example, a huge benefit you can get is a direct letter of recommendation from the school. The letter from the school will help you to open up your path to a brighter future.

“I told you she’d abuse her power,” I said in whisper.

“Sorry, I didn’t anticipate this,” replied Girl A as she scratched the back of her head.

“Is there something you wanna say?” intervened Ms. Claire.

“N-no… nothing.”

“Good, follow me.”

We, the two students and the teacher walked out of the office. Turning left, we went through a long glassed-built hallway. Outside scenery was viewable through the transparent bridge. From up here, we could see the tennis court and next to it, the basketball court. Far behind those courts, there was a football field.

Aside from my home, the architectural aspect of this school was also outstanding. There were four blocks of building connected by these transparent bridges to which we were heading to block D. It’s the most eastern block as well the closest to teacher’s office. Each block has their own lift too. Not many high schools were offered the elevator services. It’s thanks to the government’s commitment to inject a huge sum of budget into this school. We also sometimes get sponsors by companies. Due to that, many renovations were underway.

When we arrived at the uppermost floor of the building D which we took a lift, Ms. Claire opened an isolated wooden door and immediately, the air between the door’s gaps rushed in. The air was cold, colder than in the hallway.

We were just few weeks into the spring.

The school ought to be more efficient on energy usage. God, I guess they have too much money in the reserve.

Though how’s the school gonna manage its budget was none of my concern, we stumbled upon a view to which a white-haired girl was quietly reading a pocket book on the president’s chair. The rear of her shone a frame of evening daylight through a window.

“Yo Alice!” greeted Ms. Claire casually.

Heard, the girl didn’t promptly reply. Instead, she steadily raised her head and gave the teacher a blank look. After a few moments, she finally spoke,

“Is it wrong that I wonder if western people never learn about mannerism?”

Sharp and unfiltered.

What a scary statement towards a teacher!

However, it didn’t bother Ms. Claire a bit. She carved a huge smile in return.

“Don’t be so negative. You’re also from the west!”

“Untrue, although it’s undeniable I’m half but unlike you, I have been staying in Japan since I was born. You came directly after you graduated and started working here. I guess you haven’t got used to living in this country.”

“Your way of living is too much for me, I tell you. Forget about it,” replied Ms. Claire after waving the topic away.

“—Anyway, remember when I told you I’ll bring more people into the council?”

“Is he…?” the girl asked with a doubt.

Lifting her hand and firmly grabbed my right shoulder, Ms. Clair announced,

“This guy… is SADIST.”

Huh?!

“Oy, why is that the first thing you told her?!”

“You’ve had many cases in the school. When I asked all the involved, it somehow led to you being an unbelievable piece of jerk. Well, I can’t disclose what you did in details here… but in anyway, it’s your thing right? Being schadenfreude.”

Schadenfreude. It’s not an easy word to just spurt randomly. If I do take pleasure by seeing others’ misfortune, there’s some screws loose with my head. Even if the teachers acknowledged my problem, what can they do about it?

Or

What are they gonna do?

“To be clear I have to tell you. It’s not a disease.”

Ms. Claire maintained her positive expression.

“Is that what you think?”

“Think? Think whatever you want, it doesn’t matter to me.”

From positivity into an absolute affirmation, she grasped her waist and announced,

“Impeccable, I will now appoint you as the president of the student council for this year!”

This blondie never listens. . .

“Please wait a minute.”

We heard Alice’s unsatisfied voice from a distance.

“—Teacher, are you pulling a farce here? Disease or not, I’ve also heard few nasty things about him. Making him the president is the worst decision you can make right now.”

“—I faithfully reject.”

Great. The event turned out to be better than I thought. From what I’d seen now, Alice was a very straightforward girl. She didn’t give a damn about others’ ridiculous opinions and she will raise her voice in order to correct things that appear wrong. Be it a teacher as her opponent, she seemed the type of girl who would not back down until she gets what she wants.

I would thank God for this odd encounter. But before I even managed to butt in, she immediately continued,

“—His appointment would possibly cause a bad reputation to the school. Schadenfreude you say? That’s just something wrong with his personality, his psychology to be precise.”

So she said with a straight face. Despite her argument only pointed out the truth, my heart just couldn’t tank the frustration of being blatantly insulted. I felt like something had already ticked inside my head.

“Are you worried or something?”

Her fingers holding the pocket book somewhat twitched. While maintaining her calm expression, she gave me a sharp stare.

“… of what, if I may ask?”

“Of losing your place. Your lovely high prestigious school’s name. You look like a very mannered girl who only knows how to follow orders, believing that it’s the right things to do. What’s good of appointing some boring, down-to-earth person as your president? Nothing will change, or I would say, you will not change.”

The pocket book she’s holding was snapped close.

“I’m just saying for the benefits—“

“Ah… the classic benefits of everyone? That’s just a convenient way to replace ‘I’.”

“What—“

“Don’t try to play dumb woman, I’m the Main Character here.”

Heard, or rather, once she had looked at my face, her eyes were slightly widened as well as her mouth was slightly hung open. After that, she muttered,

“I see… that’s the face you’d make. It’s clear as a day, you double-faced wolf.”

I didn’t know what my face looked like but one thing for sure, I intended to belittle the girl until something happens. Something? Yes, like… her crying?

I took a very deep breath.

“Forget what I said,” I cued a resigning gesture as I averted my eyes away.

Girl A, who was watching us conversed had finally made a move. She gently held my hand then asked Ms. Claire, “Teacher, I will be joining student council too, right?”

The teacher nodded as a confirmation. She then lightly petted my back before insisting that I must become the president.

“Consider this as your punishment, work your ass and help the whole school to move forward.”

Being the president as a punishment…? This setup is worse than our conventional politics.

“Teacher…” Alice voiced out as her forehead contracted, “…no matter what I say…?”

“Yes, no matter what you say, I stand still with my decision. I can’t let the seat stays empty, this school is full of problematic kids you see. Us, teachers can’t really handle all of your problems.”

Wait, is she trying to say that I will have to solve the students’ problem in teachers’ stead?

Alice heaved a heavy resigning sigh.

“Then, I won’t dispute anymore.”

“Very well. Alice, you’ll be the vice-president. I’m expecting a lot from you. I’ve e-mailed your further details how can you start.”

Everyone knew well how hard Alice wanted to scream her objection but she held it back splendidly. The teacher’s order went by just only with Alice’s frustrated eyebrows. Satisfied with the result, Ms. Claire finally left the room, leaving only the three of us. The situation couldn’t get any awkward. However, Alice tried to sooth the mood by walking towards us, or to be specific, Girl A.

“Why are you wearing the uniform such a slutty way? It’s unbefitting.”

In contrast to Girl A, Alice wore her uniform orderly. Her tie was tied neatly and her skirt didn’t look so short. Her silky white skin and slender body really invoked her beauty.

Uhh… come to think of it, this girl is kind cute.

“You really do speak up your mind, don’t you?” Girl A replied with a chuckle.

“I only say the truth, I’m not fond of lying or cover up. At least I do it as sincere as I can get. Unlike this fella over there, speaking up for the purpose of bringing them down. What’s with that ‘main character?’ setting, are you implying others are just mob character? Or perhaps you’re just fantasizing?”

“I told you don’t mind it. Just talking to myself.”

Nevertheless, I really do think I’m the main character here. If Ms. Clair never mentioned your name in the conversation, I would have branded you just Girl B. You should be thankful I decided to use your name in the narration.

I walked towards the chair where Alice was sitting before. Prior be able to take a seat, Alice stopped me,

“Wait.”

“Huh, what is it?”

“You can’t take the seat yet. I haven’t approved you for being the president yet.”

“What are you talking about? You heard Ms. Claire didn’t you? Unfortunately, I had no choice but to swallow this hard reality.”

“You have a point but…” she approached me, resting one hand on her waist and the other directing a smartphone’s screen at me, “—You have first to pass the trials.”