The external evaluation of the Student Council without Sorasaki Hina is consistent.
It’s not weak, but it’s a group that can’t fulfill its reputation.
The most common thought from those opposing a Student Council without Hina is, “Seems doable?”
And it’s hard to deny that reality reflects this.
Essentially, Iori, the second-in-command of the Student Council, isn’t weak, nor is she lacking in brains. However, unfortunately, she has a rather narrow view, which is a fatal flaw for a commander.
Aco, the capable rear support officer and the true second-in-command of the Student Council, sometimes ends up doing strange things due to her overly ambitious attitude.
Moreover, considering that her own combat power is relatively unmatched in Kivotos, it’s only natural to feel disappointed when compared to Hina, who doesn’t lag behind in intelligence.
It’s obvious that a commander leading troops on the front lines has a greater influence than a commander merely giving orders from the rear, especially if both possess equal command capabilities.
Chinatsu is still just a newcomer in the Student Council, and her influence in the field is close to zero. As a health officer belonging to the Medical Department, all she can do is handle paperwork and care for the injured.
However, looking at it like this, a Student Council without Hina isn’t all that simple either. To beat the Student Council, you need at least equal power and excellent strategy.
For example, the combination of the Abydos Countermeasure Committee and the Teacher.
As evidence, Iori easily crushed the forces of the Manma Battle, and this was evident just by looking at how she hardly broke a sweat.
It’s truly unfortunate for that pervy Gd.
“So, what exactly does that Gd mean?”
“Of course…”
“Of course?”
“It’s not a good thing☆”
“I already know that without explanation…”
The Teacher seemed a bit downcast after hearing my answer. Maybe she was about to say something, but then backed off, who knows.
But, Teacher, I think not knowing is actually better for both of us.
Anyway. The reason the conversation suddenly shifted to the Student Council without Hina is that this Council serves as the key to enhancing the power of these misfits.
Of course, I too belong to the same category as Hina… let’s just say I’m a Crack that suppresses enemies with overwhelming strength. But that doesn’t mean I have a talent for commanding a group.
On the other hand, the Teacher is a type that focuses all her command ability. Being an ordinary person without any Halo, she reached the maximum level in her abilities as a commander, in exchange for being at the bottom in terms of combat power.
So, if the Teacher can grab hold of the mid-level executives in the Student Council and provide some tactical training, there’s a bit of hope that their overall abilities will be enhanced.
Well, I doubt that carelessly learning the Teacher’s tactics will result in some sort of negative effect.
For that reason, I sent the Teacher down along with Iori.
“Stay at least 5 meters apart while walking… Wait a moment! I said keep your distance?! Why are you stepping one foot closer?!”
I thought it would be fun to observe them from a closer distance, but right now there’s something more important to attend to.
“So, Chinatsu-chan, I’ll be heading off now!”
“Ah, yes. Aco Administrative Officer is inside.”
“Thanks for letting me know☆”
Honestly, that was information I didn’t necessarily need, but no need to say that out loud.
I headed straight to Aco and casually perched myself on her desk.
“…What are you doing?”
“Just watching you.”
“What’s there to see…”
As Aco started fiddling nervously, I subtly peeked at the papers in front of her and blinked in surprise.
The text is upside down. It’s truly a topsy-turvy world.
“That’s a draft for the Student Council’s summer vacation training plan. We need to submit it for approval to the Manma Battle, but I can only imagine how many times it’ll take… Ugh, just imagining it is dreadful…!”
“Umm… Good luck.”
“Mika-san, you need to help a bit.”
“Me?”
“Come on, you’re good at charming people like Makoto, so I thought you could do something about it. You can, right?”
“Uh, Aco-chan. Did you have that kind of image of me?”
I found it a little amusing when Aco looked at me in disbelief.
“What image do you think I have? It’s not surprising that someone with a double-digit number of lovers might find that easy.”
“…”
Well, it’s tough to argue with that. But I have my own side to this.
No matter how many lovers I might have, there isn’t a single one I decided to pursue.
And charm Makoto? Are you out of your mind, Aco?
“I can’t do that to Hina-chan… or any of our husbands.”
“I didn’t say you should go that far! I’m just asking you to handle this one well. I also don’t want to see you and that person together.”
“…”
I didn’t see it that way, Aco…
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s just that casually talking about playing with people’s feelings is a bit…”
“Wait a moment! Hold on! I was just saying that out of frustration! I wasn’t seriously asking you to do it!”
“Uh-huh. I’ll believe you, Aco-chan.”
“You’re not looking like you believe me at all?! I’m serious! Is this some new form of bullying?!”
It’s not bullying, but from any angle, it feels like you were serious…
Still, asking me to charm Makoto is crossing the line. That’s something we shouldn’t do to each other.
I might trust you since it isn’t you. Let’s end this topic here.
Heueng… Do you want to know what real bullying is?
“Hmm?”
Throwing off my shoes, I naturally pushed the papers in front of Aco aside. Once I curled up my legs and turned my body around to occupy that space, Aco’s eyes widened in shock.
After crossing my legs and leaning forward, I nudged Aco’s chin with my fingertips and deliberately, very slowly, traced my lips with my tongue.
“Uh, Mika-san…? Isn’t this a bit… I mean, I’m not saying I truly hate it, but this doesn’t seem right…!”
“Shh.”
My face gradually approached Aco’s, and she ended up closing her eyes entirely.
Really now, asking me to charm someone. Such a reaction from that person is simply too cute!
However, Aco, I’m not going to give you what you want. This is just some friendly teasing.
“Aco-chan, I have a question…”
“What is it?”
Upon hearing Aco’s immediate response, I couldn’t help but stifle a giggle. I wasn’t going to ask something like that.
“About the Onsen development, you were the one who secretly planned it, right?”
“…”
Aco, who had slowly opened her eyes, shot me a look as if she was stunned, but I didn’t back down. After all, that was the plan all along.
“What kind of tactic did you use? I heard Makoto-chan caused a scene in Red Winter, and Hina-chan had to go sort it out…”
“It was a coincidence.”
“Really now.”
I could tell just from her voice. This was definitely, absolutely not a coincidence.
I’m curious about where Aco’s big picture begins and ends. Hmm.
“Are you saying it was really a coincidence?”
“W-What’s with that tone? Do you not believe me? That’s a bit insulting!”
“Hmm, well… who knows?”
If it really was a coincidence, I’d have to go crazy with laughter.
For evidence, Aco had been avoiding eye contact with me ever since.
“Was the schedule set to the Onsen Development Department?”
“No, it was to Chairperson Makoto… ugh?!”
“Hehe. Aco-chan, you’re really easy to read.”
So, planning it to line up with when Makoto goes to Red Winter, that checks out.
“Ugh, do you even realize how annoying you are?”
“Yes… when it comes to Aco-chan, that might just be part of my charm~?”
“…Seriously, don’t say things that make me genuinely annoyed.”
“Is it irritating because you can’t deny it?”
“If you know so well, then just stop saying it!”
Ah, seriously. This is why I can’t help but tease Aco. I usually tease Himari and Aco, since their reactions are so delicious. It couldn’t possibly be this delightful.
“You’re seriously adorable.”
“Ugh…”
Gently holding Aco’s cheek, I slowly began to visualize the situation in my head.
First of all, it seems likely that Makoto went to Red Winter on her own accord. Somehow, Aco found out about it, and she called the Onsen Development Department to match Makoto’s departure schedule.
It might sound unreasonable for Trinity students to go on a field trip while wandering around the Gehenna campus, but I could see Makoto doing that.
Then the question is…
“Did Hina-chan leaving her post happen unintentionally?”
“Y-Yes?! How could I possibly dare to do that to the Chairperson!”
“It was intentional.”
Honestly, so easy.
This isn’t about Aco being dumb or me being smart. It’s just that I’ve got the upper hand to the extent that I can toy with Aco’s psychology.
Isn’t it said that the one who falls for the other first is the loser? If I were to brag, I’d say that the only one who truly fell for me first was Haruna. Even then, it turned out in my favor.
“Ugh…”
“Aco-chan, in situations like these, keeping your mouth shut seems better. Of course, there are ways to get you to speak up even then.”
“How…”
“Hmm. Wanna know? Well, that’s…☆”
“No, never mind! Don’t tell me! I’ll just live without knowing…”
“Seeing that reaction makes me want to tell you even more. Yeah, that’s it.”
“Gyaaah…!”
As for how to dig up Aco’s secrets, I’ll keep that to myself. I assure you it’s not in a bad way.
However, if anything I’ve learned from this is that this incident is the result of a blend of coincidence and Aco’s scheming.
Hmm. By the way, it’s particularly maddening that Red Winter, with its madness, fits neatly in the hands of Kivotos’ academy students.
Hina, you better not suffer too much over there…
