After returning, Airi's friends gathered around her to know what was the matter behind Clara calling her. But Airi kept quiet and moved towards the blackboard without responding to them. She picked up the chalk to write on the blackboard, and while she did, the entire class gave their attention to her.
"So, Miss Celestine called me to her office to let me and all of you know that she has decided to make me the representative of this class. And as the class representative automatically becomes the candidate of the student council election for the president post, so I will be standing in this upcoming election, which will probably hold in March, which is 2 months ahead of now. So if anyone else wants to compete, please state your name here, " she tapped the chalk in her hand on the blackboard.
"Then that's all. I will note down all the names to submit those to Miss Celestine after school today." As she was done talking, she returned to her seat.
Emma came towards Airi running, "Are you seriously taking part in the election?"
Airi glanced at Emma before saying, "I didn't actually want to… but not that I am opposed to the idea of it. Furthermore, Miss Celestine made me the class representative, so there is nothing I can do."
Hazel unexpectedly commented in favor of Airi. "Yeah, isn't that better, guys? I mean, think about someone strong in their ideals like Airi as the President. That sure would come out better than being Rena the President once again."
Dew agreed with Hazel too. "I am going to give my full support to our Airi."
"As if this is going to be easy…"
All the four of them turned towards the source of the voice. To their surprise, it was Maria.
"What do you mean by that?" Airi asked her to explain herself. And in response to it, Maria returned her weird smile, weird enough to raise blood to anyone's brains. "Do you think my sister kept up being the president just like that? With her works? If you think so, then I am sorry for you, but that is not the case at all."
"Then what is it?" Airi asked her again.
"Publicity, fame, and followers." Maria started those in a single breath. "Rena has all of those, she has the charm to draw people towards her, always pretending to be a swan, without any dirt on her. People worship her. And for that, she even occasionally bribes them, though she would name that as 'little gifts'. You think you could break that?"
This much Airi could guess, yet hearing it clear and loud from Maria hit her on a different level. It is not impossible to break through the wall Rena had built to protect her position, but that would be hard to do. Really hard.
But she felt a sudden urge to change the supremacy Rena was having all over these years by dominating them when Miss Catherine told her to stand for the student council election. And honestly, she wanted to do it, and do it successfully.
"Then all I need to do is to win over them, right? Thanks for the advice."
Maria looked at her with eyes big with shock, as she never expected that all the talk she did just now would encourage Airi more, instead of being dispirited. Whereas Airi was feeling determined to assure Rena's downfall.
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The next weekend morning, Airi asked for some money from her mother.
"Eh? Do you want to buy something? Then let me take you to the mall." Sara suggested her daughter to tag along.
"Well, that would be wonderful, if you are not busy, that is."
"Of course I am not, my girl! Let's head to shopping after breakfast, hum?"
"Yeah!" Airi beamed with joy.
After having done with their breakfast, both mother and daughter went for shopping to buy a lot of stuff. A pretty school bag, some simple hair accessories, and some other beauty stuff.
"You are considering beauty products hum?" Sara raised a question to her daughter.
"Yeah… It's just… wanted to try decking up a bit while going outside and all. You know, high school people like you a lot when you are all pretty and stuff." Airi plainly replied to her mother.
"Yeah yeah, sure. It's necessary to be approachable to befriend someone." Sara thought her daughter was beginning to have an interest in some boys and so she was paying attention to it.
Little did she know, Airi was planning to make herself look pretty and buying beautiful and expensive stuff to make the classmates of hers flock around her. By observing the annoying pair of sisters, this much was very clear to her that people in Sandra High are suckers for wealthy people. As long as you have wealth to show off, you would get them supporting you, wagging their tails behind you. So Airi decided to do whatever she needed to gain the most support from the students. No matter what, Rena needs to step down.
------
The next Sunday, Airi went to school with the new things she bought with her mother. And the things she bought surely belonged to expensive brands, which didn't go unnoticed by her classmates and her friends.
Emma was a daughter of a wealthy family, so she knew how expensive different brands are. So she immediately recognized the bag Airi brought. "Airi! You bought a new bag!"
Airi smiled softly as she replied, "Yeah, I was planning to buy one so, Maa got me this."
"But isn't that expensive? I remember you told us that your family isn't that rich…"
"But they can buy their daughter something good once in a while. Furthermore, this would help me increase in fame." Airi felt self-satisfied thinking about her strategy.
"Yeah, sure, this would make those flock around you, but… don't you turn out like Maria or Rena." Dew tried to warn Airi.
"She won't, Dew! Our Airi is a lot cooler than Rena. A girl like her would make a perfect student council president." Emma brushed off Dew's words and ushered Airi to take her seat. Soon, some girls came forward to Airi to talk to her.
"Airi, did you buy this new?"
"It's so pretty! Where did you buy the bag from?"
"Your hair bands are also looking beautiful. It suits you!"
"Where do you go shopping most of the time?"
Airi was internally feeling too happy to see her plan work this easily. Just change in the attire, and that affected that much. Now if she could manage to implement her ideals and bring out the true colors of their beloved Rena.
Airi talked for a while with the other girls until the bell rang. And after the classes, those girls suggested her to go along with them to a cafe. Airi pondered for a while, but she agreed to go anyway. She wanted her friends to go with her. But those three had some works to do, so they denied it.
The girls went to a cafe a bit further from their school. It was a beautiful-looking cafe. And also, the decors and surroundings appeared to be expensive enough.
Airi wondered if she would've enough money with her today. Yet, she hoped that a menu in the cafe would not go that expensive.
"Let's go sit on that large table. We would be able to take a seat together then." a girl suggested to all of them. And everyone agreed to that. But when they took a seat, another person suddenly joined them, and Airi wasn't expecting that person to show up.
"Oh, there you are, Maria! You are late." a girl beside Airi exclaimed.
"Yeah, something came up Scarlett. I am glad you guys didn't forget me after getting a new friend." Maria said those while taking a seat herself.
"Never! How can we forget you?" Then all of a sudden, those girls went silent, giving awkward looks to both Airi and Maria. A while later, the girl Scarlett looked over Airi and asked with a low voice, "Airi, I am sorry, I know you and Maria are on a bit bad terms, but I hope you didn't mind Maria being with us, right? Maria, that is okay with you too, right?"
Maria smiled at everyone. "Of course. I would love to make things right between us. We started on a wrong foot so, let's start all over again, okay Airi Arne?"
Maria extended her hands towards Airi in hope of a handshake. But Airi didn't take that hand. "Let's see how good you behave, then I would think about it."
Once again, Maria felt anger crawling up to her every limb, but she tried to suppress it. "Just because I want to befriend you to gain advantage against my sister, otherwise…" but Maria kept that thought to herself.
The other girls hurriedly tried to change the topic. "Let's place our orders. Waiter!" And others started talking on different topics.