It was the second week of May, and Satoshi's mundane high school life had been going smoothly. He even managed to wake up on time nowadays, motivated by the chance to walk to school with Shizuka and Jin. But even now, he wouldn’t admit that he liked Shizuka.

“Why does your narration always come back to that?”

“Well, isn't it true? You keep denying it, but you definitely like that girl.”

“Well, yeah, but not in a romantic way. It’s more like... seeing something cute every morning that gives you a positive vibe for the rest of the day.”

“But doesn’t that mean—”

“No, it doesn’t! Besides, I lost the ability to fall in love a long time ago.”

“Oh, come on, thinking about *her* every morning won’t help.”

“Well, you started it.”

“Okay, okay, my bad.”

“Oh wow, the 'baka' author admitting he’s wrong. That’s new.”

“Don’t give me that look.”

“Whatever, I should get going.”

After our usual banter, Satoshi continued his daily routine—breakfast, walking with Jin and Shizuka, and meeting his friends at the school entrance. But the most important event of the day was yet to come.

***Back in the classroom***

“So, Satoshi, what do you think about today's big event?”

“Oh, you mean the student congress and the presidential debate?”

“Obviously! What else would I be asking about?”

“Just messing with you, Akira. Haha.”

“Stop that!”

“Oh, Akira, why are you always so serious?” Ryo chimed in.

“That’s just how I am,” Akira replied flatly.

“Well, Ryo, Akira's always like that. Don't stress over it.”

“I think it’s a bit unfair for us first-years to choose who to vote for,” Satoshi said.

“Why’s that?” Akira asked.

“Well, the debates are held twice, right? Once in February and once in May. Since the election is at the end of May, the first-years barely know the candidates by the time the second debate comes around. So whoever performs best in May usually has an advantage with first-year votes.”

“Yeah, and?”

“The catch is, if someone did terribly in February but turned things around in May, the first-years won’t even know about their failure. They’ll just see the great performance and think they have better ideas.”

“Huh, I hadn’t thought about that,” Ryo said, looking intrigued.

“And the second- and third-years? They might sympathize with the candidate for their comeback,” Satoshi continued.

“Makes sense,” both Akira and Ryo agreed.

“But a good debate alone doesn’t win elections. You need a solid campaign strategy overall,” Satoshi added.

“Wow, Satoshi, you really analyze things deeply, don't you?” Ryo commented.

“Well, of course! A lawyer has to see all sides of a situation,” Akira teased.

“It's nothing special. I just try to look at things from different angles. Sometimes I see a few hidden layers—that’s all.”

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“Don’t sell yourself short,” Akira said. “Not everyone thinks that critically about why the debates are scheduled when they are.”

“Actually, Arata-senpai and I talked about this once, and he had similar thoughts.”

“Arata-senpai, the national debate champion?”

“Yeah, so it’s nothing special,” Satoshi shrugged.

“Still, it’s impressive to think on his level.”

“Besides, didn't you say he likes you because you catch on quickly?”

“Well, yeah, but thinking this much should be normal if I want to be a successful lawyer.”

“Hmm, that’s your view, I guess.”

“Anyway, you know the candidates for student council president, right?”

“Obviously! There are only three.”

“Care to name them?”

“Mai Minamoto, third year. Shinji Tanaka and Sakura Ando, second years.”

“And their running mates?”

“Yumi Sasaki, third year, with Mai. Gendo Ikari with Shinji, and Mayuri Saito with Sakura.”

“Good memory,” Akira said.

“Well, Mai-san was vice president last year, and Yumi was on the disciplinary committee. Shinji was the general affairs secretary, and Gendo was on the ethics committee. Sakura was the treasurer, and Mayuri was the cultural secretary.”

“You’re definitely looking forward to this debate,” Akira smirked.

“Well, they’ve been campaigning hard for a month. You’d remember this stuff too.”

As the day went on, classes passed quickly, and soon it was time for the student congress and presidential debate. The students filed into the auditorium—some excited, others just wanting to get it over with.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” the principal began. “As you know, the student council plays a critical role in our school’s functioning. Unlike other schools, we give our council a lot of autonomy. That’s why being part of the council is a prestigious opportunity. I hope you’ll listen carefully to the candidates and vote wisely…”

After a long but important speech from the principal, the candidates took the stage. The speeches from the second-years received mixed reactions—some students liked the innovative ideas, while others found them impractical.

Finally, it was Mai Minamoto’s turn. The atmosphere in the room shifted; the second- and third-years sat up straight. It was clear who the frontrunner was.

“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Mai Minamoto, a third-year and the former vice president of the student council. Before I begin, I want to thank you all for being here and for listening to my wonderful kohais. Although their ideas are admirable, they lack the practical experience needed to implement them. My dear kohais are still a bit green, and I believe my experience is crucial for the council’s success.

While I’m not perfect, my past tenure has taught me a lot. As some of you may remember, I introduced the suggestion box initiative last year, which allowed us to better understand the student body's needs. I don’t promise grand changes, but I do promise to continue improving our school’s day-to-day functioning, as I’ve done since my first year days as the general affairs secretary and my second year days as vice president.”

A loud round of applause erupted in the auditorium. With just her opening speech, Mai had made it clear who she was, what she had accomplished, and what people could expect from her.

“Don’t you think the result is already settled?” Akira whispered to Satoshi.

“Well, the debate hasn’t even started, and she’s already won over the audience. The election’s a mere formality now—we already have our next president.”

As the debate proceeded, as expected, Mai dominated effortlessly. It was clear to everyone who the next student council president would be.