After the exam topics for each class were announced, everyone threw themselves into intense, orderly practice and preparation.
Kaoru, however, was quite idle.
These past few days, he finally showed his face among the upperclassmen to campaign for votes.
Moreover, the Student Council planned to act decisively before Spring Break, holding the general election next week.
Nagumo Miyabi was eager to counterattack, trying to win people over with his old methods.
But Kaoru kept a close watch on his actions and falsely accused him of attempting to buy votes with Personal points.
Damn it, he hadn't even made a move yet!
And yet you, who were also cozying up to the upperclassmen, had the nerve to falsely accuse him?
On one hand, Nagumo Miyabi didn't want to lose his authority in the Student Council.
On the other hand, he was already deeply mired in the troubles of the second year.
Not only were other classes showing signs of rebellion, but even his own base was in turmoil.
Lately, he had been overly suspicious, convinced that everyone around him was out to harm him.
This led to rifts with his classmates, and combined with Asahina Nazuna's influence on him, there was basically no chance of recovery.
Taking advantage of this year's exams, Nagumo Miyabi specifically targeted a group of traitors, forcing Tonokawa Sosuke to seek help from Kaoru.
However, Kaoru had no solutions either.
Iijima Ryota had accidentally been exposed, leaving him with only pawns that existed in Nagumo Miyabi's imagination.
Whenever he thought about these messy matters, Kaoru couldn't help but sigh.
He really wanted to impress everyone by declaring, "Stop fighting, I've got plenty of money—just give me a smile!"
Perhaps it was precisely to prevent such situations that the school kept everyone confined on campus, cutting off contact with the outside world.
Kaoru recalled Sakayanagi Narumori mentioning that every student had been carefully considered by the school, with an admission list finalized even before the entrance exams.
He was curious about their criteria.
Though it seemed mysterious, Kaoru felt most students were actually quite ordinary.
If he had to describe it, it was like mixing students from different circles and backgrounds, then forcing them to live and study under the same set of rules.
For example, Class C first-year students, led by Ryuen Kakeru, came across as particularly delinquent.
These students wouldn't have been able to get into schools with high academic standards and originally had no chance of encountering Class A students—yet now they shared the same stage.
Even without mentioning Class A, the internal dynamics were interesting in their own right.
In a familiar spot, Kaoru could already see a familiar figure.
"Good afternoon, Shiina-san."
The girl, who had been buried in her book, lifted her delicate face and smiled at him.
"It's been a while since you last came."
Carrying his novel, Kaoru sat down beside Shiina Hiyori, leaving just enough space between them to be considered presumptuous—after all, the girl usually didn't sit so close to anyone.
But he was a presumptuous guy, and Shiina had grown accustomed to his boldness.
"I remember coming once or twice every month, don't I?"
Kaoru usually visited her occasionally, sometimes spotting Ichinose Honami and Yamamura Miki chatting with her.
Shiina felt a bit embarrassed.
oticing he was holding a novel by Yukio Mishima, she wondered why he'd taken a liking to that style.
He had always been into lewd things—or rather, "critically artistic" novels—and would sometimes pretentiously pull out passages to discuss with her, making her puff her cheeks in irritation.
This presumptuous guy could really be too much at times.
"Was the chocolate good?" Kaoru asked.
He'd given the chocolate to Shiina a few days prior but hadn't managed to sneak into her room.
"It was delicious."
Remembering his chocolate, Shiina's cheeks flushed slightly.
The guy had claimed he made it himself—she wondered if that was true.
Kaoru gazed at her earlobes.
Her crystal-clear skin seemed to hide faint red traces, soft and rosy, making him want to take a bite.
Shiina's ears turned even redder.
Though still somewhat naive about matters between boys and girls, she knew Kaoru had been stealing glances at her—subtly at first, then more openly later.
She used to discuss novels with Kaoru every time, but ever since he started bringing up those "critical arts," she'd felt too shy to continue.
"Aren't you preparing for the exams, Shiina-san?"
Kaoru had no reservations, especially since they weren't opponents in this particular test.
"I can't contribute much to the projects our class is preparing."
Shiina replied, "But if Class D wants to compete with us in written exams, I'll have no problem handling that."
In other words, Ryuen Kakeru had no intention of focusing on written exams at all.
Kaoru was about to continue when she asked, "Are you worried, Kaoru-kun, that Ryūen-kun might clash with Class D students?"
From exam day until now, Class C of first year had been frequently harassing Class D of first year, with conflicts nearly breaking out multiple times, though Class C always backed down in the end.
Shiina Hiyori was fully aware of what her own class had been doing.
"If any disputes escalate to the Student Council, it would become troublesome for both sides."
Kaoru invoked his Student Council identity, which somewhat justified his involvement in these matters.
"I'll convey this to Ryuen-kun."
Though Shiina Hiyori found it slightly strange, she didn't dwell on it further.
After reading together for a while, Kaoru suddenly closed his book, his face contemplative.
"Shiina-san, have you ever thought about writing a novel?"
"Huh?"
"Like writing down the stories in your heart and sharing them with everyone."
His explanation was unnecessary - Shiina Hiyori was just surprised by his sudden suggestion.
Then, the girl's heart skipped a beat as an inexplicable warmth flowed through her body, making her immediately think of her father.
"Why bring this up suddenly?"
"I've always felt the Student Council has almost no presence. Besides distributing club funds and acting as referees, everyone seems uninterested in our Student Council."
"Isn't that how it is in most schools?"
"It's different here. We're special - even during sports festivals and cultural festivals, the school intervenes, reducing the Student Council to mere errand runners."
"So, are you planning to reform the Student Council?"
Kaoru nodded with satisfaction, thinking Shiina Hiyori was quite perceptive to follow his train of thought.
"I plan to have the Student Council publish a school magazine to increase our presence. Would you like to write your own novel, Shiina-san?"
Shiina Hiyori barely blinked, clenching her small fists as her heart raced wildly.
Writing her own story?
"Although the school has a student forum, nobody usually engages with it seriously, and there's little communication between different grades. What do you think about having a student story club?"
Actually, Kaoru was thinking of something like a campus wall, but that would be tricky since the school fears inter-grade communication might lead to exam information leaks.
After experiencing a year here, Kaoru felt the school's worries were unnecessary - if students wanted to leak information, no amount of school precautions could completely prevent it.
Since that's the case, he might as well use reform as an excuse to recruit Shiina Hiyori.
Every literature girl has a restless heart.
"Story club?"
Shiina Hiyori looked somewhat confused.
Kaoru nodded: "Everyone could publish their own content on it. More prestigious schools all have their own campus publications. Actually, our school's literature club wanted to start one too."
Sure enough, Shiina Hiyori's eyes sparkled brightly as she looked at him.
This school magazine could only attract this particular girl - after all, Kaoru had decided to become president, so it was only reasonable for him to recruit some beautiful girls as his subordinates.
Maybe he could even teach her to write some lewd things... ah, no, critically artistic content.
---------
Read 50 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator