"Please don't get mad, Izufusa. It was just a joke..."

Shizuku offered an apology by justifying our previous actions. Meanwhile, I applied quite a bit of soy sauce to my food.

After doing that, I opened the chopsticks and took out a piece of sushi ultimately eating it rapidly.

"Didn't you hear what I just said? I said for you two to leave me alone. Seat somewhere else..."

Well, I just had to ask him something, since he's so cynical from the start.

"Why?"

His eyebrows twitched violently yet minimally.

Pausing his chopsticks on the right edge of his frontal plate, Izufusa lashed out.

"Why? Because I want to be left alone and I want to enjoy my meal in solitude. In the first place, I have nothing to talk to you two about. Secondly, didn't you two already confirm that there are no eye-witnesses in our class? What is this, are you two stalking me or something...?"

No doubt we were stalking him. I wanted to hide this factor, but Shizuku decided that it was the correct move to adopt an honest stance.

"We are really sorry! We didn't mean to stalk you, it's just..."

Meekly, Shizuku glanced at me while prompting me to take a stance instead of enjoying my meal. Izufusa was noticeably angry about Shizuku admitting this and didn't hesitate to show that he was impatient.

"So you do admit it?!"

"Wait, calm down. We have a valid reason for stalking you."

His look grew even more distrustful than ever. Because I was implying that stalking was valid in the first place.

"No... You two had a valid reason to seek our attention earlier, but not anymore. As soon as we told you that we didn't see Yulia during the festival, that was the end of it..."

So stubborn...

Then...

"Well, true. But, out of all your classmates, you were the one who looked into the picture the most, weren't you?"

He stopped digesting his mouth food for an instance before sharpening his glare at me and replying tenaciously.

"...As the class representative, I have the duty to make sure that my class could really help out, so I looked into my brain for a couple of seconds to see if I had seen Yulia. Nothing wrong there..."

He's not bad. He did add a reasonable reason for his supposed action. But once you realize how often he can use the fact that he is the class representative as an excuse for everything, it gets silly.

This needed to stop.

"Don't lie to me, Izufusa..."

"I am not lying, Kyoko."

"I don't recall giving you the permission to call me by my first na--"

"Er, wait, wait, Yukishiro..."

Before I could snap at Izufusa for being an authentic prick, Shizuku put a stop to me by grabbing my right wrist, which I didn't like.

"I'm not waiting. He's getting it."

"I'm getting what?"

No longer confident in his speech and back to his cynical mood, Izufusa questioned the obvious.

"I'll accuse you of several things if you don't cooperate with us."

I was expecting him to react nervously, but he mildly laughed before speaking to me once again.

"Haha! I so damn knew it. You faked everything. Nice. It must've felt nice to fool everyone."

"Wait, we didn't fool your class! Yukishiro's just extremely temporal, that's all..."

So he didn't believe it. Well, it was to be expected, to be fair. He never really acted in a way that bought our argument in the first place.

"Whatever. They might be good people, but I am not a good person, in my personal opinion. It takes someone who knows how to see the black in white to see the white in black and vice versa. I never believed you two in the first place. Get lost already."

This prick is asking for it, so I'll just advance this.

"I'll accuse you of raping me. I'll get your fingerprints on my uniform which will then lead authorities to believe that you are indeed connected. In the odd case that you think I will give u--"

"Stop. I wouldn't do that."

How weird... He wasn't acting nervous at all. Unlike the guard earlier who got easily nervous and frustrated in the face of accusations, Izufusa simply upheld his right hand in front to stop my track of talk.

"It doesn't matter what you say, they will believe me~~"

"You didn't understand jackshit of what I've just said, huh?"

"Excuse me?"

I was slightly perplexed because I am fairly sure that I know what the hell is going on and I'm ready to jump on this raw deal, forcefully.

"I said that I wouldn't rape you. There is no hypothetical time or place that I would rape you. Same for you, Shizuku."

...?

What the hell is this...

"Let me put more bluntly. You could accuse me of raping you and you, and I would not give a shit. You two are not worthy of me going that far."

"........." x2.

For some reason, we were this close to proving him wrong by literally jumping on him and trapping his fingerprints on our uniform.

However, he quickly justified himself.

"I'm not denying that I would do the action of raping, but just not you two. In the first place, raping someone means that you have to take an interest in their bodies. Like, look at you two. Beyond average-sized boobs and thick tights. Whew, congratulations, you grabbed the attention of all the male population in this school... NOT. I am gay."

This, I did not expect.

My eyes widened so hard to the point where I had to put my right hand on my forehead.

Izufusa wasn't done, nonetheless.

In a refined manner, he grabbed his chopsticks once more, picked up a piece of chicken, and almost fully took it to his mouth. By almost, I'm referring to how he had just one last unnecessary saying before enjoying his piece.

"And besides, heh, if I had raped you, your ass would be so devasted that you wouldn't be able to take a seat, just like you are right now."

[https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/810323018014261321/812442450677071872/Izufusa_4.png]

"I am so fucking done with this prick, I swear to God!"

Rushedly, I erupted from my seat and slammed my own two hands on the table.

I then felt Shizuku's left hand on my shoulder, continuously tapping it. With a condensing tone, she offered her condolences for the situation.

"You tried, you tried. We had no way of knowing that he was gay."

"Even so, it's downright insulting, this prick's lines, every single one of them!"

"I seriously can't disagree with that... Can't you apologize, Izufusa?"

Still not on my seat, I glared at Izufusa madly.

It's been a while since I've felt this insulted. I'm not homophobic, but this is seriously inconvenient!

"No way. Weren't you two that stalked me in the first place? This is all retribution. Can't handle equal treatment? Hypocrisy much?"

"What part of this is---"

"Okay fine, we are sorry. Yukishiro, please say you are sorry..."

"Huh?! I am not going to apologize! This fucker mentioned me as examples of rape!"

"Um, weren't you the one who used yourself as a hypothetical example of rape in the first place though?"

I want to stab his eyeballs with this fork.

"Wait! Wait! Just calm down, don't listen to him right now..."

"Hmph."

Shizuku kept on trying to calm me down but this was all backfiring.

I was not going to apologize and thus, I got back on my seat furiously eating the food.

"But, well, even I have to admit that I've been rude thus far. So, given that you've apologized, Shizuku, I will apologize to you, Shizuku. Not her..."

"Ah, great for you, gay prick."

Clown. Like hell I need to apologize.

And then, just as I was about to grab another piece of food, Izufusa spoke to me in a far serious tone.

"You are not going to get what you want if you keep talking to me like that. Respect my orientation at least."

Oh? He's willing to talk? Well, I'll just lie to his face and pretend. So, I immediately put a smile on my face, only to get abruptly interrupted by Izufusa in the process rudely.

"Okay, stop... That's creepy right there. It's clear you are holding a grudge against me, but the moment I say I have what you possibly are searching for, you just put a fake face on. Stop that."

........

"He's right, you know? You do that a lot..."

"Seriously, Shizuku?! Don't defend his point!"

"Yukishiro, I'll tell you something in addition to what I've just said..."

Said so Izufusa, pausing his chopsticks on the edge of his plate yet again.

"I do believe in the rumors. But, this doesn't mean that I hold an absurd amount of bias towards you people. I won't just label you two as absolute degenerates that deserve to get banished to the depths of Elysium."

"Meaning?"

Perhaps impatient, I just had to know what exactly he was implying.

"Simply put, you two seem interesting individuals. You two have no qualms about lying and faking reactions to get what you want. Manipulative and persuasive. Truth to be told, I find that fascinating to a certain extent."

"Will you tell your class about this? You are the class representative, after all?"

I am not sure if Shizuku said that to Izufusa in order to know his plan of action or if she wanted us to know whether we should take immediate action.

"Under normal circumstances, I would, but... That would be tiring. Also, counterproductive?"

What?

"How is that counterproductive though? By telling your class about us, if you are the class representative, then the likelihood of them believing you are high."

Naturally, I'm just tempting him to follow the path where he tells his class about his own interpretation of the story. Because then, I would be dead set on screwing this guy.

"It is counterproductive. My class has a well-developed sense of trust. If they were aware that two lying manipulators just used them for their own gain, a part of them would be broken. And I don't want that... Furthermore... Aren't you two looking for an eye-witness? Well, look no further, because you got one."

That was fast. So he's just going to agree with us like that? What an unpredictable chain of events, I dare say.

Alerted by the good news, Shizuku clasped her hands and prematurely spoke.

"Great! Could you come with us when you are done eating? All you have to do is tell Yuka-sensei what exactly you saw and---"

Predictably, Shizuku got interrupted.

"Hold your horses, Shizuku. While it is true that I do recall seeing Yulia in one of the last days of the festival, we need to discuss terms."

And here it comes...

This is why I like to make threats. Negotiations are often demanding and to my utter dislike, I hate being used for the gain of others.

With his chopsticks, he pointed at the two of us respectfully, before speaking his mind.

"I want your votes and not only that, the votes of every single one of your classmates on me."

?

We were both so puzzled, me and Shizuku, to the point of encountering our faces side by side at the exact same time.

"Did I make myself clear?"

"Uh... What are you talking about?"

I didn't want to make myself look stupid, so I allowed Shizuku to lead the conversation.

"Hm? Wasn't I clear? I demand your entire class's votes for me. You know, when the student council presidential election comes in November."

November? What the hell, we are in April so why is this guy talking about something that's going to happen in a grand total of seven months from now on?

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Don't even get me started on this "election" thing. I have no clue, but I can't allow myself to not knowing what he's referring to.

"That's new... I never heard of it. How does it work?"

Struck with shock and disbelief, Izufusa dropped his chopsticks. He looked at us with a distrustful glare but after witnessing our clueless expressions, he swiftly came to the conclusion that we had no literal way of knowing what he was talking about in the first place.

Accidentally, or rather, intentionally, I allowed my expression to grow clueless just to speed up the process.

"Huh...?! Seriously, really? I can tell you two aren't lying, but how the hell...?"

The answer was pretty clear. Our program's system was partial to the school's system. It was evident that we weren't actually treated as students from this school to the core.

He must hate us, that principal. How fun.

"We weren't treated the same way as the other students were... Right at the beginning, we were told that we couldn't interact with the other students, verbally."

"Yeah, I've heard of such rumors, but the presidential election is such a big event that I thought that it had arrived all the way to block F too."

Maybe we weren't told such information in order to not diverge our focus from the program itself.

That would make sense because the program is indeed tasking.

"I'm sorry, we just have no idea. Right, Yukishiro?"

I've thought of lying here, but from the way this conversation was progressing, he would most likely tell us if I told him the honest truth.

As such, I dropped my defensive stance.

"Indeed, that's the case. If it isn't much to ask, could you tell us more about it, since it involves the terms, apparently?"

Reaching out to his glass of water afar, he took two gulps and put down the glass lastly.

"It's not hard to understand, really. It works as basic elections. However, the election votes are open all year. Take this into consideration: You can have an excellent image from January all the way to October, but something bad happens, and it ruins your image. Your votes will be ruined because your image has plumped."

Unlike average elections that have a specific short time-gap for people to vote, it was possible to vote early, apparently. Even though the results would only be distributed accordingly in November. Plus, such votes can easily be ruined over time, depending on the behavior of the person who you voted for.

"Wait, are you able to take back your vote or something like that?"

Shizuku asked the question that was my question too.

If you couldn't take back your vote, you were essentially rooting for an extremely rotten individual, should the individual have done something to deserve such an image.

"Of course, that's the whole bliss of the system. Except not... There are two kinds of votes. There is the "basic" vote, where you just vote for the person. Then, there is the "absolute" vote, which means that if you choose that sort of vote, you cannot take it back and it will go through."

.............

I can see where this is going.

Likewise, Shizuku must've realized.

"It shouldn't surprise you but I'm aiming for the absolute vote. Anyways, you can't just vote for someone. For example, I can't vote for any of you."

"And why is that? I'm curious."

This time, I was the one who asked that.

"See this?"

Izufusa pointed at the left side of his white uniform shirt which had a pin saying "C.R". The pin was something that was on my mind from the beginning, but I thought it was just something of his own fashion.

"This means "Class Representative". The grand "privilege" of being one is that you are officially in the line of candidates for the presidency. If you are not, then you won't even get voted. This is the school's way of making the students root for someone."

No wonder we couldn't get voted for then. Not like I was interested in it, but it does explain it.

"And you want to be the student body president, Izufusa?"

Curious, I asked him another question to which he responded with supreme confidence.

"Absolutely. I don't think anyone on their sane mind wouldn't want to be the student body president..."

"Why? What's so great about it? Isn't it just more responsibility? Sounds boring to me..."

Peculiarly speaking, Shizuku voiced her own take, assuming that it was a boring task. Izufusa was about to snap, but he quickly recalled that we knew nothing about this theme except for the information he had given us just now.

"My God... Look, this isn't an average school and I mean this. Here is the main reason as to why anyone would want to be the president: You can change the school to your liking and implement your own system. Hell, this class system is the president's system! He changed this school to a damn modern monarchy!!"

That was not excitement, but bitter rage coming from Izufusa who was grinning his teeth nonstop.

"You don't like it?"

"I hate it. Out of all the years I've been in this school, this has to be the most ridiculous system so far. The current system is the literal definition of dog-eat-dog-world. Surely, by coming to our block, you must've realized the differences, right? Although I've never been to block F, I can't even begin to fathom what it must be like..."

"It's aesthetically terrible and has only two floors. But, what's so bad about it? Most schools are like that."

Don't get me wrong, I still dislike the block and find it mediocre beyond repair.

"Well, at first you wouldn't find it THAT bad, but once you start to think about what the other blocks have... You really will see yourself in a swamp."

"Oh come on, it's just a block."

"I get where you are coming from, Shizuku, but if you were to spend YEARS in the same block with the same conditions while the other blocks have better conditions, you will naturally desire to ascend and enjoy the good life. But noooooo. Instead of all of us having the same equal treatment, only the top dogs have. Ridiculous..."

I think I find his complaints reasonable enough.

By looking at the facts for a quick second, his argument starts to make sense. Classes last from 8 am to 1 pm, with one hour of lunch. Then, at 2 pm classes resume all the way to 7 pm. In total, that's a brutal total of 10 hours. 10 hours in five days is 50 hours. Two days of rest surely are pleasant, even though we don't get that, but this is about the rest of the classes. Furthermore, 4 weeks in school terms, by counting out the weekend is the equivalent of 20 days which is equal to 200 hours per month. Half a year is 6 months. If a single month in school terms means 200 hours, then by multiplying it by six, it's a grand total of 12000 hours. A full year goes to the cruel conclusion of 24000 hours. Of course, February is an exception but even then, there's not much of a difference. Vacations too. But what's truly important to think about here is one simple thing.

Hypothetically speaking, over a full year, you wouldn't mind if you were to stay inside the same block every time. After all, it IS where you need to be. Just like everyone else. If everyone else does it, you just go along with it. Not much of a choice. Until you start to realize that there are others who do the same as you, that being; going to their respective blocks to have class BUT on different and superior terms.

At first, this won't bother you, presumably. But, after you go to the same block over and over and start to witness its conditions. And, by assuming that Izufusa knows that the other blocks have better conditions and such, you would start to surrender to the desire of going to a superior and far prestigious place to have classes.

It sounds ridiculous because a classroom is all you need to learn what the teacher has to teach you, but if others can do the exact same in a better place, you start to feel inferior. Unwanted. It's as if you are welcomed to a ground that is below those who are above you just due to a letter. Should I have been in Izufusa's position, I would be ridiculously mad.

Though... There is just one thing that I'm nonetheless curious about, so I'll ask again.

"Izufusa, you said years as if you have been here in this school for years, but aren't you a first-year like us?"

As far as I'm concerned he had to be exaggerating when he borderline shouted years because, in high school, there are only three years. And I don't think he would use the words "years" that excessively if he had been here for two or three years, even if that's actually valid.

"Ah, haha..."

? Why did he just laugh so exasperatedly?

"What's so funny?"

I'm glad Shizuku was the one who said that because I wasn't clearly sure whether he was mocking me or not. Considering his spree of rude acts, I was pondering throwing his plates at his face and kicking his knees. Then I would make him kneel and grab the knife on his side to pierce his eardrums. Perhaps cut his tongue too just to make sure he doesn't use me as an example anymore.

"It's not funny, it's sad. It was an exhausted laugh meant to express my feelings to your question. I am 14 years old. But I've been here ever since 10 years old."

"What? Have you repeated a year previously?"

"That's not everything, Shizuku. He's implying that this school allows you to enter at the age of 10 or below."

There is a lot that I don't know about this school system and I'm learning it through someone who is apparently younger than I am.

"In essence, although this is somewhat common nowadays, as long as you have the academic abilities, you can be admitted here, regardless of your age."

Really now.

"Aren't you quite smart then, Izufusa?"

Expressing her genuine shock, Shizuku tapped the border of her lips with the edge of her right fingertips.

"I seriously thought so at first! I mean, if you got admitted to a high-school at the age of 10, wouldn't you think so?"

"Most likely."

If you are admitted to a high-school at the age of 10, then your first priority shouldn't be admiring your own skills, but wonder why the hell there is a school that is willing to skip so many steps? And why it does that.

"It was all fun at first, but I fastly discovered that this school doesn't work on the usual 1st, 2nd, 3rd-year methodology that all schools are used to."

"Confusing. How do you graduate then?"

I thought that our program was aligned with a graduation methodology that is universally standard. That was why I never bothered to even question it because I just thought that was the case all this time.

Yet, you are telling me that it's a different matter for them? I can't deny my inner interest, even if this has absolutely nothing to do with the task at hand. I just need to understand his circumstance better.

There's no guarantee that the program's exams won't intertwine with the school's methodologies and ideologies soon enough. Getting caught in-between without knowing the other side would be massively disadvantageous. Plus, it's not every day that a student is willing to tell us this much information. From an emotional perspective, I definitely understand how it must feel to be wanted and to hear your own personal take on the system.

"You can only graduate by being in block A......"

Oh, what?

"Then, just get in there."

I said that. I was well aware that this was the same as taunting him because if that's all it takes, then he would've already done it.

"Easy for you to say..."

"What's up?"

Undoubtedly curious, Shizuku asked Izufusa, who was looking gloomy.

"There is a mountain of conditions to get there. And you have to stay a whole year inside block A without moving back down a block. Think of it like this... You are the boss of a company, but there are employees who also have an equal chance of becoming the boss and if you aren't up to the task, someone else can just take your place..."

He was having trouble explaining himself and since I understood the basic idea of what he was trying to say for us to hopefully grasp, I lent a hand by projecting an idea.

"Somewhat like promotion and so on?"

"Yes, exactly!"

Towards me, he pointed with his two chopsticks, spontaneously and continued.

"It's necessary to maintain an absurd level of high academics and so on. Ahh, there's too much to explain, but you get the basic point, right?! Anyone would want to change it! It happened this year, for fuck's sake! In the previous year, all you had to do was to get to block C or above! I was on block D, working my way up, hoping that I would be able to graduate, but then, when the new student body president was elected, a wave of elitism started and my path was wrecked. Everything got so hard... Being a student is so demanding under this system... It's so stressful."

He was continuously scratching his hair.

Under my own understanding, "getting" to a certain block should be the same as being a student who is admitted to that block. I am admitted to block F due to block F's standards. Izufusa is admitted to block E due to block E's standards. Meaning that in order to get admitted to a certain block, you would have to match such standards. I'm well aware that I know absolutely nothing about these standards.

I don't need to, anyway. According to Izufusa, unless you are admitted to block A and manage to stay there a whole year, you won't graduate.

Why should I care? All I have to do is follow my program and I'm out of here in three years. Izufusa is here for four years already. Does this mean that there is no limit to how long someone can stay here? Without any consequences? I wonder. I had a lot of questions, but Izufusa was deadset on getting his point to a conclusive stage, so he spoke after a long breath.

"I've explained my circumstance. I will be your witness if you manage to get your whole class to give me absolute votes."

"Uh... There are... a few issues, so to say."

Inevitably, the time had come for us to tell Izufusa the truth.

I followed Shizuku and administered the cold truth.

"Believe it or not, all the boys from our class are not in this school."

"Ridiculous."

"I wouldn't believe this too, but you are free to consult our teacher on this. I think that this information is utterly unbelievable, but our teacher wouldn't lie to you."

He might think we are just manipulating him into wasting time and giving him a sense of false hope since now we know that he wants to be the president. But that's actually not the intention even if I wouldn't mind that outcome for fun. His existence is currently important, so I'll give him more additional information.

"But wait, there is just a bit more. The boys might be away, but there are a total of nine other girls."

"Nine other girls? So there are eleven in total?"

"That's correct."

"That will do. If you get their absolute vote, then I will cooperate. But I want your whole class's absolute votes. This means that once the boys return, it's up to you two to get their votes for me."

He wasn't kidding about that evil talk. This is corruption, even if his aim is perhaps noble.

But the real question is, will our class's votes make a difference? And, wouldn't the fact that literally criminals voted for you ruin your image? Unless the voters aren't revealed, but that would just be dumb. He didn't think this through at all.

This means that I can take advantage of the fact that he is eager to get this done as soon as possible. Right now, questioning his goal is out of the question. If anything, he has to gain a sense of hope.

First things first...

"How will we give our absolute vote though?"

"It's simple."

Finally done with all of his dishes, Izufusa placed the chopsticks in the middle of the frontal plate indicating that he was done eating. In addition to that, he reached for his schoolbag that was on his left side. Inside it laid something that would be crystal clear knowledge to us a few seconds later.

Golden framed papers evenly distributed to the two of us.

Essentially, it was a message of consent and had two places for the student to sign. In the basic vote area or below, the absolute vote area. Each of the areas contained warnings and their consequences should the student who signed up not be aware of what each vote implies.

Moreover, it explicitly was stated that you could only vote for one person alone.

With this in mind, it was imperial to realize that I could not vote for anyone else.

Izufusa made sure we got something else after he extended a pen to us.

"If you don't sign in the absolute vote area now, I will not cooperate with you ever. I'm sorry it had to be this way."

"You're horrible."

"Die."

Displaying synergy, Shizuku and I said our honest opinions.

"W-What did you expect?! I'm desperate..."

Understatement.

Though I could not demonstrate hesitation and I told Shizuku the plan here. It was straightforward.

"Shizuku, let's sign up."

"No other choice, right?"

As of now, there was no consequence for us.

But before signing up with the pen, I said something back to Izufusa.

"If we both sign this, then you will come with us and present witness as soon as we are done. Deal?"

"That's not what we agreed. I want every vote of your class. You said there were nine more. Plus, the boys, who are supposedly not present... You have one week to get the girls' votes."

This is the part where his desire will be put to the test.

"It has to be today. Our task has to be achieved today."

"No deal then."

Beginning to retract the papers, Izufusa was ready to cancel everything.

"Are you sure? By cooperating with us, you are already guaranteed two absolute votes. Furthermore, we will achieve the girls' votes in less than a week."

"...So what?"

The thing about deals is that if a person is really desperate, the person won't turn a blind eye on the benefits and will slowly turn a blind eye on the consequences if benefits become visible and if the downfall just is flat out invisible on the surface.

"11 absolute votes. I know almost nothing about this school's system, but getting someone to give their absolute vote to someone who only wants to make the system better without proposing actual ways of innovating the system, seems impossible to me."

"Are you implying that I don't have ways of innovating the system?"

"Yeah, frankly. It's easy to talk, but when it comes to changing a system or simply put better, create a better one, it takes a lot of intelligence and it doesn't take a fool to realize that if someone is from block E and if there are students from block A, who have better analyzing abilities and overall keen intellect than the rest that the student from block E is the inferior choice."

He was about to speak, but I just had to speak louder and more fiercely to portray my point fearlessly.

"You are probably thinking that relying on your class is an option, but are you, friends, with any of them?"

"......."

Right from the start I entered his classroom, he was hellbent on not interacting with someone and as someone who used to hate interaction and still somewhat does, it's not difficult to detect someone who has no friends in general.

Would you eat alone in the deepest corner if you had any friends? Possibly. But the likelihood of that is low. And he hasn't once spoken anything great about being the class representative outside of being a candidate which is a benefit partial to the class itself to him.

"You can't just walk to them and ask for an absolute vote, can you? Their fates would be ridding on you. The moment they realize that they start to evaluate you. Judge you. Think of you in an objective way. Once they do, what will they see? A cynical loner who is mad at someone else's system."

"What's wrong with that..."

"Oh, nothing. It's just, we won't think of you in an objective way. Nor will we judge you. Frankly, our class operates on a different system. I'm offering you partiality. Are you going to deny my partiality?"

"..."

Showing contrast to his impulsive decision of denying the deal I had made, he gave some thought before replying.

His eyes were serious now. How perfect. He realizes that earning votes is actually intensive psychological warfare that revolves around your image. If your image isn't that great in the first place, then you are already back against a wall.

That is if your image is an issue. To us, it isn't.

"Elaborate more."

Joining his town palms and intertwining all of his fingers accordingly, Izufusa looked at me in particular, becoming the judge of the upcoming opinion. Packed with a sense of brutal honesty, I went forward.

"We don't really give a fuck about who is the president or not. Your circumstances, the circumstances of the other classes do not apply to us. I said that we were operating under a different system. We have a different method of graduation. This means that you could become the president as far as we are concerned. Do you get it now? Weeeee dooooooooooon't caaaaaaaaaareeeeee."

I made absolutely sure to toggle my head four times from below to the right to the right to the left and to the left to the upper area just so he could get inside his brain the truth here.

Well, the part that I want him to understand, that is...

"If you are wondering how we are going to achieve the girls' votes, don't worry, we got that covered. Do you have more of those papers?"

Did Shizuku have already some plan in mind or was she just saying that to Izufusa to gain his trust? It worked regardless because he gave a semi-positive answer.

"Yes, why?"

"Lend us nine papers. We will get their signatures in no time. Less than a week, as we have told you. All we have to do is give you their signatures, right? What do you say?"

"For now, yes. Absolute votes cannot be retracted. As soon as I have your absolute votes written down, all I have to do is to give my teacher the two papers and your votes will be registered for the election in November. Naturally, once November comes, each voter will have to present testimony just to verify if the vote is genuine or not."

There's the loophole.

But, if it's that simple on the surface, surely there are other methods of knowing.

"Also, don't think about faking their signatures. It won't work... Many have tried and got exposed. It's a ridiculous fate to go through."

So he fears such fate.

That's good to know.

"We won't do that, Izufusa. Shizuku and I will get their votes. So, do we have a deal or not? I'm losing my patience here, honestly."

This is taking so damn long... I need to hear what he has to say regarding the part where he saw Yulia. I'm doing this for a very particular reason. It's all just a part of a big puzzle, to the point where this event seems atomically small in comparison.

I wish you could read my mind right now.

"Deal. But be prepared for the consequences in case you don't cooperate thoroughly."

"Rest assured, we are harmless."

Shaking his hand as a sign of finishing a deal, I along with Shizuku had earned Izufusa's cooperation at last.