The classroom buzzed with its usual chaos—students chatting, tossing crumpled paper, and counting down the minutes until the next break. I leaned back in my chair, half-listening to the commotion, when Saori suddenly stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor.
"Everyone, I have an announcement!" she declared, her voice clear and commanding.
That caught their attention. The chatter died down as heads turned, all eyes locking on her. Even I raised an eyebrow, curious about what she was up to this time.
"I, Saori Dolorez, am officially running for Student Council President!"
The silence that followed was like the calm before a storm. Then, as if on cue, the room erupted.
"Wait, really? That's awesome!" one girl said, clapping her hands together.
"Finally, someone who might actually take this school seriously!" another chimed in.
"She'd look amazing on stage during events," a guy added, grinning.
The compliments poured in, and Saori soaked them up with a confident smile.
"I believe this school deserves better," she continued, her tone steady and determined. "It needs a leader who's committed to solving real problems, not someone who treats everything like a joke."
A ripple of agreement spread through the crowd.
"Yeah, she's right!"
"We've had enough of Riser slacking off!"
I chuckled to myself, leaning my chair back until it balanced on two legs. "She's really doing this, huh?"
Saori's eyes flicked toward me, her expression sharp. "And as for you, Riser Nafutori—consider this a declaration of war."
"War?" I repeated, tilting my head as I feigned surprise. "Isn't that a bit dramatic?"
She ignored the comment, turning back to the rest of the class. "If you believe in a better future for this school, I hope you'll support my campaign."
More cheers erupted, and I couldn't help but smile. The energy in the room was infectious, and Saori looked like she was already on the campaign trail.
As the excitement died down, a few students approached her, offering their support.
"You've totally got this, Saori!"
"Yeah, Riser's had his fun. It's time for someone with a real plan."
"Thanks, everyone," Saori said, her voice warm but resolute. "I won't let you down."
Meanwhile, I stayed put, perfectly relaxed. If she thought this was going to bother me, she was wrong.
"Hey, Riser," one of the guys next to me whispered, nudging my arm. "You worried?"
"About what?" I asked, looking genuinely confused.
"Saori running against you, obviously. She's got the whole class hyped up!"
I shrugged, letting my chair drop back onto all four legs. "She's welcome to try. I'm thinking of stepping down anyway."
That earned me a few shocked looks, but I just smiled, leaning back again as the buzz around Saori grew louder.
...….
The energy in the room hadn't quite died down yet. Students were still buzzing about Saori's announcement, offering her advice or cheering her on. A couple of them turned to me, probably expecting some grand reaction, but I just sat there, completely at ease.
"Hey, Riser," one of the girls finally said, leaning on her desk. "Why don't you want to run again? Don't you care about being Student Council President?"
"Hmm," I mused, tilting my head. "It's not that I don't care, but if you all think Saori's more qualified, why not give her a shot?"
That answer earned me a mix of confused looks and whispers. I could feel Saori's glare burning a hole in the side of my head.
"So, you're just… okay with losing?" she asked, her voice sharp.
"Losing? I mean, I don't think about it that way." I shrugged. "If the students think you're the better choice, then you should lead. Simple as that."
Her expression darkened. "You really don't take anything seriously, do you?"
"I take plenty of things seriously," I said, grinning. "Just not in the way you do, apparently."
Saori scoffed, crossing her arms. "You're useless, Nafutori. Completely useless."
A few students around us exchanged uneasy glances. One of the guys spoke up. "C'mon, Saori. You don't have to go that far. Focus on your campaign if you really want to win."
"Yeah," a girl chimed in. "Riser's like this all the time. He's not worried, but he's also not stopping you from trying. Just do your thing, and we'll decide who's best."
I nodded, gesturing toward them. "Exactly. No need to stress over me."
Saori's frustration was written all over her face, but she didn't argue further. Instead, she sat down abruptly, muttering something under her breath.
Saori's POV
That afternoon, I locked myself in my room with a notebook, a stack of papers, and an endless supply of determination.
"This is it," I whispered, flipping to a fresh page. "If I'm going to take Riser Nafutori down, I need to be prepared for anything."
I started sketching out plans, listing all the things I'd noticed about how he operated.
Step One: Call out his lack of organization.
Step Two: Highlight his inability to take problems seriously.
Step Three: Emphasize how I'll bring actual order to the school.
But it wasn't enough. I frowned, tapping my pen against the page.
What if they still side with him anyway?
I scribbled out a few contingency plans. Maybe I could appeal to the teachers, get them to support my vision of structure and efficiency. Or perhaps I could organize a big campaign event—something flashy to prove I had what it took to lead.
"His carefree attitude might work on them now," I muttered, "but when they see what real leadership looks like, they'll understand."
I didn't care how much they liked him. I didn't care if he was their precious golden boy.
This school deserves better.
Riser's POV
I didn't think about Saori much after school, but when I got home and flopped onto my couch, she crept back into my thoughts.
"She's a little intense, huh?" I muttered to myself, tossing a pillow into the air and catching it lazily.
It wasn't like I didn't get where she was coming from. Saori wanted structure. Order. Solutions that made sense on paper. But that's not what this school needed—it never had been.
I closed my eyes, thinking back to when I first became president. The halls used to be dull, the students dragging their feet from one class to the next. Rules piled on top of more rules. It was suffocating.
So, yeah, maybe my methods were a little unconventional. Maybe they didn't always make sense to people like Saori. But they worked.
She was going to drive herself crazy trying to outdo me, though. I could see it already—the late nights, the endless plans, the frustration when things didn't go the way she expected.
I wasn't worried. Not because I was cocky, but because I knew the students. They didn't want more rules or stricter schedules. They wanted to feel like they mattered, like their voices were heard.
"She's gonna get hurt if she keeps going at this pace," I said quietly, tossing the pillow aside. "But I guess she'll figure it out eventually."
I shrugged, letting the thought drift away. There wasn't much else to do but wait and see how this all played out.
...
After a quiet dinner, I plopped onto the couch, remote in hand, ready to find something mindless to watch. Before I could even hit the power button, the door to the living room flew open.
"Onii-chan!"
Hana Nafutori, my little sister, stormed in like a whirlwind, throwing herself onto the couch beside me. Her hair was still tied up in one of those ridiculously perfect buns she always wore, and she smelled faintly of whatever overpriced perfume she'd bought that week.
"What's up, Hana?" I asked, glancing over as she curled up next to me like a cat.
"What's up?" she repeated, poking my cheek. "You've been ignoring me all week! How's my big brother supposed to survive without my attention, huh?"
I laughed. "Ignoring you? You were yelling at me this morning about eating your pudding."
"Because you did eat my pudding!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "I had my name on it and everything!"
"Okay, but in my defense, I was hungry, and it looked lonely in the fridge."
Her glare was almost identical to Saori's, and it took all my willpower not to laugh.
"You're hopeless," she muttered, leaning her head on my shoulder. "Good thing I'm here to take care of you."
"Yeah, because I'd definitely starve without your constant scolding," I teased.
Before she could respond, the doorbell rang.
Hana immediately perked up, narrowing her eyes at the sound. "Who's that?"
"No idea," I said, standing up.
"I'll get it!" she declared, already halfway to the door.
The second she opened it, a nervous-looking boy stood on the other side, clutching a small bouquet of flowers.
"U-uh… H-Hana-chan…" he stammered, his cheeks red as tomatoes.
Hana blinked, then tilted her head like a confused puppy. "Do I… know you?"
"I-I'm in Class 1-B!" he said quickly. "We have gym together on Tuesdays, and I just… I think you're amazing, and I wanted to tell you—"
"Oh," she interrupted, her voice suddenly ice-cold. "You're that guy."
"W-wait, what do you mean—"
"Listen, uh… whatever your name is," she said, placing a hand on her hip. "I don't date guys who look like they can't even run a mile without passing out. Maybe work on that before you come to me, okay?"
His face fell, and he looked like he might cry on the spot. "I… I just thought—"
"Thought what? That you had a chance?" she said, rolling her eyes. "Not happening. Bye."
And with that, she slammed the door in his face.
I sighed, opening the door before the poor guy could leave. "Hey, kid. Don't let her get to you."
He sniffled, blinking up at me. "H-huh?"
"Come on in. You look like you could use some tea," I said, stepping aside.
He hesitated, glancing back at the door before reluctantly shuffling in.
An hour later, we were sitting in the living room, cups of tea on the table, controllers in hand.
"You're pretty good at this," I said, nodding at the screen as he nailed another combo.
"R-really?" he asked, his face lighting up.
"Yeah, but don't let it go to your head," I teased, smirking as I countered his next move.
For the first time since he'd arrived, he laughed. It was quiet, but it was there.
As he left, he turned back to me with a small smile. "Thanks, President Nafutori. You're… uh… really cool."
"Anytime, kid," I said, waving him off.
As soon as the door closed, Hana appeared in the hallway, glaring at me.
"Why did you invite him in?" she demanded.
"Because he looked like he needed it," I said, shrugging.
"You're too nice for your own good, Onii-chan," she grumbled, crossing her arms. "Guys like that don't deserve your time."
"Maybe not," I said, ruffling her hair. "But that's not for you to decide, is it?"
She swatted my hand away, huffing indignantly.
"Oh, by the way," I said casually, grabbing my tea. "Someone's running against me for Student Council President."
Hana froze, her expression unreadable. "Who?"
"Some girl named Saori Dolorez," I said with a laugh. "She's got the whole class hyped up. Pretty funny, huh?"
Hana forced a laugh, nodding along. "Yeah… hilarious."
Hana's POV
As soon as I left the room, my fake smile dropped.
"Some bitch is trying to take Onii-chan's spot?" I muttered under my breath, storming up the stairs.
My fists clenched as I reached my room. "Who does she think she is? My brother's the best thing this school has, and I won't let some wannabe princess ruin it."
I threw myself onto my bed, grabbing my phone. "If she thinks this is going to be easy, she's dead wrong."