The room was filled with silence. Tachibana's expression resembled that of a goldfish. To her, Manabu's offer was insane, and the president himself knew that too. But this was his last hope.
Meanwhile, Kiyotaka was sitting in his chair with his usual stoic expression, taking the time to piece everything together with all the information he had been given.
It was obvious to him now; the fact that Manabu wanted him to become the second vice president meant that he was meant to beat Nagumo to the student council president position, or at least keep him in check.
"Second vice-president? You're having trouble with Nagumo, so you want me to become the president instead of him, while also keeping him at arm's length as the first vice-president. You're in some trouble, aren't you, president Horikita?"
Manabu sighed, something he had been doing frequently during this meeting. "Yes, I am in some trouble, and I need your help, Ayanokouji."
"Haah, the student council president struggling with one of his kouhais, and asking for help from a first year student, how comical," Kiyotaka mused.
"I understand that this situation that I'm in is unfavourable, but I really do need your help. Please consider the deal."
"Before that, I would like the details of your situation with Nagumo. Why do you need me to become the president instead of him?"
"Nagumo will create a meritocracy, a system which focuses on individuality rather than solidarity. This change goes against the traditions of this institution, and will result in many expulsions. He is already designing an app to evaluate and rank students. This is against the traditions of this institution, and the ideals that I have been trying to build over the last two years," explained Manabu.
"So he's that kind of guy... Alright, I'll be your guardian angel to fix up this mess you created. But I do have some conditions if I am to go through with this. One, I am going to be given an information network of sorts that will allow me to keep tabs on Nagumo. Two, at the end of each month, including this month, I am to be paid 150,000 private points for my work as the second vice president. And lastly, if possible, I would like to be able to find my own secretary."
"That's fine. We can sign a contract if you'd like." Without thinking, Manabu instantly accepted Kiyotaka's demands.
"Yes, let's do that."
After he finished writing the contract, Manabu slid it in front of Kiyotaka, showing him the conditions and what was written.
The contract was as follows:
If Horikita Manabu meets the following conditions, the student named Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is to join the student council as the second vice-president:
150,000 private points will be transferred to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's account at the end of each month
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka will be permitted access to the student council's information network
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka will be permitted to hire a secretary of his choosing
After signing the contract, Kiyotaka stood up out of his chair and headed for the door, preparing to leave. But, he remembered one more thing he intended to ask the elder Horikita about.
"Horikita Suzune, is she your little sister, president?" asked Kiyotaka, turning his head back to look at Manabu.
"She is, why do you ask?"
"While I've only interacted with her a few times, her attitude is quite... unfriendly. Do you have any part in that?"
"Ayanokouji, these are family matters, and I would prefer to keep them private," said Manabu, a slightly grim and pained expression visible on his face.
"I apologise then, president Horikita, because I'm going to be meddling in your family matters. Expect change from your little sister the next time you see her."
With that, Kiyotaka walked out of the room, finished with all he aimed for in this meeting: a position on the student council, a reliable information network, and a confirmation that Horikita Suzune and her brother have a rocky relationship.
The vice-president position would provide Kiyotaka with large amounts of influence over not just the first-years, but the whole school. With the student council's information network, he wouldn't have to hesitate to remove Chabashira Sae from her teaching position if she ever crossed him. Although there was no guarantee that the council's network could rival the one of a teacher's, the former was definitely reliable enough. It even contained information about his account balance, which only Class D students and Chabashira Sae should know had reached 0.
Horikita Suzune was a complex topic. While he did intend to use her to cement his place in Manabu's good books, changing his little sister's attitude may be a lot harder than he imagined. The president's grim look almost appeared as if it was an expression of regret, which would mean that he had, at some point, tried to help his little sister with her attitude, but failed in the end. While Kiyotaka didn't know the method Manabu had used, it was very unlikely that he could just emulate it and hope for it to work if even her own older brother couldn't get rid of her superiority complex in that fashion. He would have to start anew, which would be challenging, but not something beyond him.
Regardless, if Kiyotaka was able to break down the pathetic wall that was her perceived superiority, then she could become incredibly useful to him. Maybe he could even build a worthwhile relationship with the president if he could rebuild the shaky bonds between the Horikita siblings. That would make his interactions with his bitchy classmate worth it to some degree at least.
............
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka POV
Surprisingly, when I walked outside of the council room, I saw Hirata, Matsushita, and Karuizawa waiting for me, despite it already being around 6pm.
"What are you three doing out here? I didn't ask for you to wait for me, I thought you would all just go back to your dorms after I left."
Karuizawa had no doubt stayed because Hirata had done so, but I saw no reason for him and Matsushita to wait for me in the first place.
"We just wanted to wait for you. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?" asked Matsushita, Hirata nodding his head behind her, confirming her statement.
"I guess not."
As we were walking back to the dorm rooms, Matsushita and Karuizawa repeatedly questioned me about what happened between me and the student council president.
"You'll see tomorrow," was all I said, which gained confused reactions from the three accompanying me.
After finally reaching the dorms, we entered the elevator and engaged in small talk.
"Hey, Matsushita, could I borrow some points? I'll pay you back of course." So far, I had found my point-less life incredibly uncomfortable- I would like to eat breakfast again, after all.
"Sure, Ayanokouji-kun. How much do you need?"
"10,000 should be fine for now. I'll pay you back once I get enough to do so."
I gave my contact to Matsushita so she could send me the points, and also took the opportunity to exchange numbers with Karuizawa and Hirata.
After we finished sharing contact information, the elevator had already reached floor 4, where my room was. As I was about to step out of the now open doors, I had two alerts from my phone. I turned the device on to check my notifications, and saw that both Matsushita and Hirata had sent me 10,000 private points.
"Hirata, why'd you send me 10,000 points as well? I would have been fine with the points Matsushita sent me."
"Um, I just thought that 10,000 points wouldn't really be enough to buy any of the good tasting cafeteria options, so I gave you some as well," answered Hirata.
"I see. I guess I can just pay you back as well. Alright, this is my floor, see you all tomorrow," I said, waving to them on my way out of the elevator.
Opening the door to my room, I instantly hurried towards my bed and collapsed on top of it.
Today was as tiring, or if not, even more so, than yesterday. But it was necessary to drain myself like this. All the pieces have been placed, and I'm now going to test my abilities against the outside world even further. I highly doubt anyone can beat me, but it's worth a shot to do this if I truly want to change. The contradiction that exists within me; the desire to win, but also the wish of seeing that man lose, will be eliminated if there is someone capable of beating me.
So far, I have only spotted a few candidates. First was Matsushita Chiaki. While I don't know the true extent of her abilities, there is a chance that she is capable of a lot, and, if I am able to nurture her skills, then maybe she can beat me.
Second is Horikita Suzune. I don't have too much hope for the younger Horikita, I haven't seen what she can do, after all. But the president seems fond of her, so there's a chance she has a lot of potential.
Kiryuuin Fuuka is also a highly worthy candidate. Her mindset is similar to mine; looking at others as people who can interest you. Still, I don't know anything about her skillset, and I can only hope that she is highly competent.
The last two are the president, and Nagumo. The president is a no-go. He's obviously disturbed by Nagumo's advances and challenges, so I can't try and do anything with him. On the other hand, if Nagumo is truly as capable as the president Horikita makes him out to be, then maybe he can be the most entertaining one of the bunch.
Of course, there are still three other classes in the first year, and there could definitely be other incredibly capable students in them. For now, though, I'll play the waiting game, and challenge them during special exams. There is no need to attack when there are so many unknown variables. Yes, the best option is to sit back and observe, reacting when necessary.
In the end, this school is really only a game for me- a beta test, if you will. While I do value the friends I've made so far, these relationships are really just side missions that help me reach my ultimate goal: change.
Change is a thing that is usually feared by humans, the bigger the change, means the bigger loss of control. This image of losing control makes people feel powerless and worried.
But I am a living contradiction of this commonly known fact. I yearn for change. My desperation to just let go of my past increases every single day. On one hand, I feel that I am becoming weak. To want change, which, in my case, is to lose, is stupid and signs that I am slowly deteriorating. But on the other hand, the one influenced by my last year or so away from the White Room, I feel... happier? Is that the right word?
Regardless, there is always a chance that this desperation for change that I have falls apart, and I revert back to the monster that lies within me. But, whether that will happen in the near future...
Who knows?
A/n: There will probably be more POV changes in the future for the sake of convenience. Just wanted let you know and ask if you find it annoying or unfitting in the story.