Student Council President Election #5
Student Council President Election #5
And so, we threw ourselves into the election campaign. We gave speech after speech and handed out flyers, pushing our vision of unity and solidarity, doing our best to earn their trust.
And all the while, I kept chewing over what the student council president had said to me.
Mental fortitude.
"Mental fortitude, huh."
A crucial thing. He isn't just some psycho lunatic. Eccentric, sure, but a man who lives by his own conviction.
I hadn’t seen him since that day, but in my heart, I acknowledged him as an older-brother figure. The student council president was a man worthy of my respect. Like he said, just because we have superhuman bodies and can carve up monsters, that doesn’t mean our minds have transcended humanity.
Look at those ancient high monks he mentioned—the ones who attained enlightenment through grueling asceticism. Their minds would be far more superhuman.
Obviously, superior physical stamina does give you an edge in mental fortitude. The state of the body often dictates the state of the mind. But that alone doesn't make you a superhuman in the truest sense.
To overcome trauma, to stop yourself from mentally breaking during a fight—you need to train your mental fortitude. That must be the path to true strength.
"Kuhh...! The day of the election is finally here!"
The long-awaited election day had arrived.
"If I win, I'm treating everyone to a big, hearty bowl of Asura-balteukma Jjamppong! Woo Yu-ri, Lee Si-hoo, Kim Geun-cheol—all of you, look forward to it!"
"Hey...!"
"Gah!"
"Save me!"
Leona announced this with great excitement, but everyone recoiled at the word 'Jjamppong.' Even Yu-ri can't handle spicy food.
"Oh, Geun-cheol! I have sacrificed my hair! I will not accept defeat-ou!"
Brian, who had been diligently breakdancing and drawing aggro this whole time, came over to cheer us on. That blond, big-nosed bastard. As bizarre as he is, he really does have a great personality.
"Your hair. I accept it. And as I have received a man's hair, I shall achieve the greatest of results! Brian!"
"Oh yes! That's all I ask! A man's hair holds that kind of value-ou! Besides, watashi, being white, the possibility of hair loss is takai...! Noooooo!"
Brian, who'd been speaking with such magnanimity, arms crossed, suddenly clutched his head and started convulsing!
"Mental fortitude! Get a grip on your mental fortitude, Brian!"
"Oh...! Ke-Ken! Watashi no head. Will you take a look?!"
"Got it!"
—Fwoosh!
Instantly, Ken adjusted his glasses and leapt over.
"Hmm! The condition has improved! As expected, the hair follicles of a superhuman are strong! It appears it wasn't permanent hair loss after all!"
"Fantastic!"
Brian, who'd been in despair, was revived by Ken's treatment. Lately, this bastard seems to be having no small amount of worry over his hair.
—Swish.
"Ah, Instructor!"
"Everyone take your seats. As you know, first period today will be the election. Leona and your close associates? Head to the broadcast room. The election will start immediately after the campaign broadcast."
"Understood!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
We got up right away.
"Good luck!"
"We're rooting for you!"
"Become the president for us!"
A roar of cheers erupted.
We gave them an energetic wave.
"Shall we go then?"
"Let's move."
I took Leona, Yu-ri, and Si-hoo out into the hallway. As we passed the Mage Class, a cheer erupted from there, too. I waved back at them and headed for the broadcast room.
"Oh."
The other candidate was already here.
The Noncombat Class presidential candidate was huddled with his staff, looking over some documents and talking among themselves. Probably doing last-minute speech prep—something Leona had also done perfectly.
She'd already practiced her speech to death.
"They're thorough in their preparations, too. But we cannot lose."
"You've got this, Leona. I'll be watching."
"Yeah. Do your best, Leona."
Si-hoo and I gave her a boost, and Leona straightened her clothes. Then the pre-election speeches began. They went in order of arrival, so we were last.
One by one, they sat in front of the camera setup and declared their ambitions.
"We, as Noncombat Class students, plan to bridge the gap between corporate entities and school coursework..."
Step by step.
I listened to and analyzed those guys' speeches, which sounded like corporate drones giving a presentation.
"Why do they sound so timid?"
Yu-ri's opinion.
"Yeah. For a superhuman academy, you'd think they'd speak with more force."
"That's Leona's specialty. Her style's similar to Geun-cheol's, you know. Super aggressive."
"Well, if Kim Geun-cheol were to cultivate some refinement, he'd end up speaking like me... Ah, they're done. Now, let's go!"
"Yeah!"
We swapped in immediately and took our stand.
"Hello! I'm Leona Kainus, the school's number one worker!"
And Leona began to speak.
* * *
The broadcast ended and the election began.
"I am seriously so nervous...!"
Leona was fidgeting, her whole body trembling, hands unable to stay still. One moment she'd be kneading Yu-ri's shoulders, the next she'd be stabbing my back with her fingers held straight, chopping like a Zealot.
"Shoo! Shoo-shoo! Shoo-shoo-shoo! Agh, Kim Geun-cheol! I'm way too nervous!"
"You're gonna poke a hole through my back, Leona!"
"Guess what I'm writing!"
The back-stabbing had somehow turned into her writing letters on my back with her finger. Just how nervous is she to be this restless? This was a new side of Leona I was seeing.
—Scribble scribble.
But what the hell?
"What are you writing?"
"I'm still writing it. There, done. Now guess."
"Is this... 'ghost'?"
"Correct."
"Why the hell a ghost?! Why are you writing weird stuff on someone's back?!"
I shot up and frantically brushed off my back! Writing 'ghost' on a person's back—what an utterly ridiculous thing to do...!
"Yu-ri, try calming Leona down."
"She's acting exactly the same as usual."
"Haah, geez. To think someone of her caliber would get this nervous. Oh, right. Then let's take a picture. Everyone, over here!"
—Scramble!
Leona whipped out her phone and struck a selfie pose. We immediately crowded behind her, squeezing ourselves into the frame.
—Click.
We checked the photo.
All four of us—well-framed and looking great.
"Heh heh heh, what we have here is a picture full of future power players. Leona. Send it over, pronto."
"Yes! I'll send it to everyone!"
And now.
All that's left is to just wait.
Our own votes were already cast. We'd all dropped our Leona ballots into the off-campus student ballot box. The election's in full swing now, so I figure we'll get the results in about an hour.
It shouldn't take much longer than that.
—Ring-ring.
Right then, Leona's phone rang.
"Ah, yes. Instructor."
"Ah, come on back now. You can wait here for the vote count."
"Finally...! I'll be right there! Everyone! Let's head back to the classroom, quickly!"
"Guess the vote count's starting."
We went straight back to the classroom.
"Waaaaaah!"
Our friends welcomed us like we were returning war heroes.
* * *
A broadcast streamed across the whole school.
Some upperclassmen I didn’t recognize were counting the ballots. There weren’t that many votes, so it was wrapping up fast, and at last, the Chairwoman appeared.
"Everyone! The results are in! Both candidates put up a splendid fight! And, of course, with competition comes a winner and a loser, but it means little! You're both outstanding talents! Now, I'll announce it!"
Finally...!
"The next student council president is...! Leona Kainus! It is she!"
—Waaaaaaaaaah!
—Ooooooooooh!
—I knew it!
The roar of cheers burst out instantly.
"I hope you will all follow your new student council president well! That is all!"
We charged at Leona and hoisted her up in a victory toss. Everyone in the classroom joined the procession.
"Agh! The ceiling! I'm hitting the ceiling! Hoo-hoo-hoo!"
Leona, laughing in sheer joy, kept taking breakfalls against the ceiling, bouncing up and down. Yes. We'd won. Now we were the center of power!
"Phew, thank you! Everyone! I've become the student council president thanks to all of you! I'm going to handle all the school's annoying chores from now on!"
"Yeah!"
"Then I'll announce my cabinet right away! Kim Geun-cheol! He is our vice president! And Woo Yu-ri and Lee Si-hoo will also have their respective roles!"
Standing at the teacher's podium, Leona announced her cabinet. I watched the scene unfold, seated with Si-hoo and Yu-ri.
"But being on the student council means we'll have some annoying chores ourselves, right?"
"How annoying could it possibly be? It's nothing, Yu-ri."
"Well, if you say so, I'm relieved."
Even as she said that, Yu-ri was smiling.
"The student council, huh. This is a first for me. Ah, Geun-cheol. Just because you're VP now, don't go doing weird stuff again, okay?"
"This bastard's definitely gonna throw an armband on and start strutting around."
"What do you mean, weird stuff? I wouldn't do that."
Absolutely no way.
"So you lot are taking over the student council now."
"Ah, Instructor?"
The instructor had approached us while we were talking.
"I expect good things. Well, with Leona at the helm, there's probably nothing to worry about, though. And Kim Geun-cheol? As vice president, I hope you'll carry yourself with a little more gravitas."
"Instructor, a man who carries more weight than me is hard to find."
"That's rich, coming from the guy who speaks with the most levity in the world."
"Heh heh heh, I'll do a good job."
From the look on her face, the instructor seemed satisfied, too.
"Woo Yu-ri. Back at the start of the semester, the other kids had a tough time approaching you, you know. But you've really developed a great personality and mesh well with your friends. I'm pleased."
"Oh, uh... yeah. Well. I guess so."
Yu-ri answered, looking a little embarrassed.
"And Lee Si-hoo. You've just been consistently excellent. Keep up the good work."
"Yes, Instructor."
As we listened to these well-wishes, Leona's victory speech came to an end.
"Alright, everyone! There's still one thing left to do! That is, of course, to inherit the Student Council Room! We've been given some special time off, so why don't we go tidy the place up a bit!"
"Hey, the Student Council Room, huh."
Honestly, I had no real idea what that room was even for, and I doubted I'd ever really have a reason to be there. But having one would probably be convenient.
We could stash some odds and ends there, pull them out when we need them. It's basically a storage room.
"Let's go!"
And so, with a fully elated Leona at the lead, we charged straight for the Student Council Room.
"So this is it. Now, to commemorate my presidency, I shall open the door."
The moment Leona opened the Student Council Room door.
—Swoosh.
"Huh?"
From deep within the darkness-swallowed room.
—Hmmmmm.
Multiple crimson points of light glowed into existence.
"What the—!"
