The fifth day in Gehenna dawned. Unlike my leisurely days at Trinity, where I was continually burdened and overwhelmed by work in addition to my duties as a student, I now felt a strange itchiness in my body.
If it were about spending time with my loved ones, it would be one thing, but simply wasting time doing nothing was rather far from my taste.
Perhaps it was due to inertia from a faith I never really had, or maybe it was the training that had become a habit, along with the unique drive for education ingrained in me as a Korean, making it hard to escape from studying.
Hmm… Considering how I had practically cut myself off from the games I’d once enjoyed before being possessed by this body, I wondered if I had become just a tad too diligent.
Maybe that’s why I kept helping out with the student council’s tasks. Since I had initially planned to wear a maid outfit and assist Hina alongside Aco, there was little hesitation on my part.
In the meantime, one piece of good news arrived.
Our teacher, who had developed a full-scale offensive on my behalf, had successfully defeated the horde in Millennium.
I’ve heard that Aris, eager to place first in raid contributions, influenced Neru, creating an absurd synergy… Truly, it seems those two are just like that.
In fact, as someone who’s tackled two of Decagramaton’s prophets, I had a decent idea of how formidable the horde could be. To be honest, I had really passed that burden onto the teacher because I could clearly see the potential suffering waiting for them there.
However, considering that their military strength isn’t weak, my presence would have undoubtedly made the full-scale battle far smoother. I won’t deny that fact.
But you see, as much as I had taken on a significant portion of what the teacher should have endured, I still had something to say.
Last year, when I was running around, barely escaping death, where on earth were you, teacher?
…In truth, this is a rather spoiled complaint. It’s hard to imagine a teacher who would willingly sacrifice themselves for Kivotos, right?
Of course, I know the original teacher was passionate enough to jump into a war zone filled with bullets for the students, and they generally don’t get angry easily, truly a saint… but who knows?
If the teacher in this world line turned out to be a 39-year-old pervert with hypnosis abilities, what in the world would have happened? Imagining it sends chills down my spine.
Anyway, the teacher, who took on my burdens without a moment’s rest, expressed their desire to cross over to Gehenna. Out of a minimum of courtesy and respect for them, I couldn’t help but come out to greet them.
The moment I saw that perfectly uninjured, handsome face, which looked like they were living in their own little world as usual, irritation surged up within me uncontrollably.
If I had been here not as a student but in my teacher’s capacity, I sometimes wonder how it would be. However, there’s no guarantee that Kivotos would be in a better situation than it is now…
From Kivotos’ perspective, it might even be better that I’m not the teacher. I have no confidence in handling things as well as the original teacher.
Leading the seemingly unscathed teacher, whose condition appeared surprisingly good given the ordeal, I headed towards the student council building. Although only about three days remained in Gehenna, unlike our Trinity students, the teacher would eventually return here.
That’s just the teacher’s fate named “Relationship Story.”
…Right? That sounds right.
As we walked side by side, I decided to briefly summarize what had happened in the teacher’s absence.
There wasn’t much of significance to report, mainly that Makoto’s ambitions targeting the student council were still alive and well.
However, the teacher’s reaction to hearing about Makoto’s ambitions was beyond my expectations. He suddenly burst into laughter.
“…Um, teacher. Why are you laughing all of a sudden?”
I directly inquired about the reason.
What funny thought made you laugh? I’d like to join in, too.
“Ah, well, it’s not particularly a big deal. With that level of passion, I thought it might be okay to just let the student council president hat sit on her.”
“Wow——oh…?”
The response I received was somewhat shocking. No, saying it was shocking doesn’t quite capture it.
To be honest, I began to think our teacher had gone a bit crazy.
“Teacher, did you actually hear what I said? Huh? Makoto occasionally shows some sharp sides, but… it’s fair to say she fundamentally lacks the capability to be a proper student council president!”
Compared to Rin, whose aim is merely to maintain the status quo, Makoto is indeed more likely to harm the student council and Kivotos.
Even if I sat Cherry in the position of the Red Winter, she might do better than Makoto…
Hmm. Would she do well?
That was a hard part to be sure.
“Mika, I want to ask you something.”
“…Huh?”
“Is the position of student council president one where you can wield power as you please?”
“That… um… uh…”
I tried to answer “yes,” but paused for thought.
Ultimately, I concluded that the answer was “no.”
The reason my perception was molded so strongly was that the missing student council president had acted brazenly like a dictatorship while constantly intervening in other academies.
If you ask whether the position of president can act so freely, the answer would indeed be “no.”
Why do the student council members even exist? Just to execute the commands given by the president?
They too have the authority to get involved in the big and small matters of the student council. It’s just that the missing president was so capable that everyone relied on her and focused on their own tasks.
So now the student council is still wandering around like lost children, searching endlessly for their president. The superhuman who made all choices for them has vanished.
In short, even if Makoto somehow climbed to the position of student council president, it’s impossible for her to lead Kivotos to destruction.
Instead, the student council members would likely be alarmed by Makoto’s baffling actions and intervene at every turn.
“…I see. If Makoto-chan is placed in an environment that is 180 degrees different from the Manma Battle, she might end up learning something. Right? Is that what you wanted to say, teacher?”
“In a way, yes. In fact, I said it half-jokingly.”
Thinking it over, unexpectedly, it could turn out not to be such a bad outcome.
With Hina’s troublesome leadership of the Manma Battle now absent, Gehenna might flourish in a better direction. Plus, with Makoto’s antics restricted by the student council members, she wouldn’t be able to cause problems.
…But I wouldn’t want to take that risk.
As soon as Makoto vanished, what if someone popped up from nowhere, going off the rail and taking the role of leader, causing a ruckus within the well-established ties with Trinity…
Or God forbid, if the student council members were somehow inspired by Makoto and started supporting her; I’d rather not even think about what might happen.
All of a sudden, I found myself relating to Rin’s feelings, to the point I could empathize a hundred times over.
Yeah. It’s only natural to seek to maintain stability in a reliable situation.
“So, Mika, are you really not interested in the position of student council president? I heard you have the ability and foundation to sit in that chair.”
“…Huh? Who told you that?”
“Rin, Yuuka, Himari, Aru, Hoshino… about this many?”
“Wow——oh…? Why are there so many?”
“That just shows how strong an impression you’ve left on many people. You’ve proved your abilities while leading Trinity. Oh, and Yuukino and Kaya too.”
So even hearing the teacher say this, I remained steadfast. I was perfectly satisfied with my role as the T-party host.
…No, wait. In fact, I’m rather dissatisfied. That I want to escape from all the work, even though I have a highly competent secretary like Hanako by my side.
I was a person who desired regression not maintenance.
In such a situation, would I voluntarily want to take on an even busier and more demanding role?
Haha. Am I crazy to think like that?
“…Listen, teacher. I would never, no matter how I pleaded, do the student council president thing.”
“Well, just looking at how you passed this job onto me, I figured you’d say something like that.”
…What’s this? Is there really a perspective that I’m taking a trivial task off her plate?
“Haha, it’s just a joke, so please don’t take it like that…?”
Looks like that’s the case. Seems I’ve become quite the narrow-minded adult.
“Anyway, even if I took the position of president, I’ve only got a bit over half a year until graduation. Even thinking of holding the student council in that time seems pointless. Moreover, I haven’t found a successor to fill my gap in Trinity yet; there’s no way I’d handle the student council.”
“…It looks like you’ve got your share of challenges.”
“What place isn’t tough? Everyone’s living carrying their own problems.”
That’s why people like you and me have to work harder, I decided not to add that part. Few understand it and even fewer practice it like the teacher does in Kivotos.
Because of those doing their best from their own positions, Kivotos somehow manages to keep rolling onward despite all its problems.
Even though I keep saying I want to retire, want an impeachment, and want to throw it all away, I’m not one to simply abandon the responsibilities I’ve taken on.
…Just that, I’m not being given the opportunity to do so.
If the day ever came when I was to assume the student council president seat, it would mean an undeniably serious situation or that I had caused some ridiculous accident that needed to be addressed.
In other words, there will absolutely never be a day when I sit in the student council president’s position, no matter what.
Absolutely.
