Where in the world did it all go wrong?

“Mika-nim.”

Was it when I tried to cozy up to Kaya?

She might deny it, but since we have some level of familiarity now, I guess it’s only natural she’d pull some adorable stunt like this.

Maybe that was the starting point?

“Mika-nim…”

Or was it when I showed off my slick problem-solving skills in front of Kaya?

It might sound ridiculous, but I gotta admit, I’m pretty good at my job.

You know, I tackle tasks without procrastinating like a champ. If you look at how much of my day goes to cleaning up after others’ messes and then coming back to tackle more the next day, my sense of responsibility is off the charts, right?

Of course, I’m not saying I’m some upstanding citizen or anything wild like that.

The moment I’m given a chance for a holiday, I’d throw away all hesitation and dash off without a second thought. That’s just who I am.

When retirement comes knocking, I’m probably the first to raise my hand and wave it around like mad. Am I diligent? Diligent, my foot!

Wow, seriously, I don’t think there’s a joke that could top this.

…Hmm. After some calm reflection, it could be that I’ve been too soft with Kaya, and now it’s all come back to bite me.

It feels weird to say this, but I’ve been playing the role of Kaya’s emotional dumpster purely because she’s got my heart.

I was firmly convinced that having a competent, somewhat diligent public servant friend would pay off.

But if I had known that friend would hit me in the back of the head like this, would I have been that lenient?

Inside my heart, a tiny child is shouting, “Is that really a valid excuse? All the reasons you just listed are just excuses!”

“Student Council President.”

“N-no way…!!!”

A cursed, terrible word spewed out of Kaya’s mouth.

I shot her a displeased look and lightly tapped the ground with my toes, letting out a small sigh.

“Kaya-chan, I really think that’s not the case. Kivotos is vast; there’s no way I’m the only talent among all these people. That’s just nonsense, right?”

“Imagine there’s a guaranteed winning lottery ticket right in front of you, Mika-na. Instead of waiting for an unverified ticket to come rolling in, isn’t it obvious to grab the guaranteed one? That’s how I see it.”

“Even so, I wouldn’t say I’m on that level of guaranteed winning ticket… Objectively speaking, if we compare the missing Student Council President’s level to mine—”

“Mika-nim, in what way are you less than that person?”

“…Huh?”

Just as I was trying to counter Kaya’s analogy, she lobbed a fastball at me at high speed.

What do you mean, I’m worse than the Student Council President? That’s crossing the line, Kaya! If Rin heard that, she wouldn’t even know where to start rebutting such nonsense.

“Mika-nim’s drive is just as strong as the Student Council President’s, who directed everyone with authority. If anything, you could even say that, in some aspects, you’re ahead of her.”

“That’s way too generous.”

“No! It’s not that, Mika-nim. This is entirely about your subjective view of yourself being unobjective. In reality, when it comes to decisiveness, you’re one step ahead of the Student Council President, and when you commit, you always bring forth the best results.”

“I lack responsibility…”

“…Hmph. Did you just say responsibility? As someone who knows that it was that very Student Council President who threw Kivotos into chaos for several weeks, I must point out that Mika-nim far surpasses her qualifications in that regard.”

After saying that, Kaya added, “By the way, I remember you telling me directly before… something about how hosting duties weren’t your choice, right?”

Caught off guard, I momentarily found myself speechless. Kaya stepped closer, reducing the distance between us.

Her unique eyes met mine, conveying just how sincere she was about this matter.

“Without someone like you leading the current Student Council, they’re just a bunch of incompetent sheep unable to do anything on their own… So all I can do is hope that you make the right decision.”

Kaya urged me for a decision and then dropped a weighty statement.

“The Student Council… Kivotos needs a superhuman like you at the helm.”

It’s not just between people, but also between groups; the importance of momentum is so obvious it could make one’s mouth dry explaining it.

The force behind Kaya was truly impressive. The way she approached me head-on, as if making a decisive move for the country, stirred something deep inside me.

However, even after hearing all of that, my thoughts remained unchanged.

“Kaya-chan, everyone has a role that suits them.”

“Yes, you’ve struck the core perfectly. I can confidently say that the position that suits you best is right here, as the head of the Student Council. Sincerely.”

“Haha… really, I can’t deal with this. But you know, the time left until I graduate is…”

“Yes, half a year. When you consider the time it actually takes to seize the Student Council President position, you’d have only about four months to sit there.”

“Four months? I’d wager it’s more like three.”

The moment I would quit this position, I’d have to finish up the Eden Treaty first.

Even if I handed the T-party hosting over to Seiya or Kaya-chan, finding a successor for my current seat isn’t just a choice; it’s a must. Plus, I have to train them properly.

Thinking back to when I got this position without knowing anything, I realize that I could adapt solely because Nagisa and Seiya were carrying so much on their shoulders.

Right now, those two are already scouting successors, and once one is established, training begins… It would be ridiculous to pile more burdens onto that.

So saying I’m becoming the Student Council President is practically impossible.

“If Mika-nim finishes honestly this year and graduates, then yes, that would be true.”

Oh—what?

“I don’t want to! I absolutely refuse! Kaya-chan, do you even know how absurd this is? Right?”

“Just so you know, in the early days of the Student Council, there was someone who held that position for over three years. So, according to regulations, it’s perfectly possible. If the entire Student Council judges that there’s no one to take that position or if a crisis hits that requires maintaining the current system…”

“No, that’s not the issue… That’s basically asking me to sacrifice over a year! Kaya-chan, are you trying to make me the Student Council’s paper-pushing slave?”

Kaya tilted her head. It seemed like this mischievous goat had no problems with trying to push me into hell.

“Mika-nim wouldn’t find it that difficult… Plus, it’s the fastest shortcut to achieving your goals. The moment you sit at the very top of that grand Student Council building, you know the power that will be bestowed upon you.”

Well, yeah, I know.

I can’t possibly ignore that as the Student Council President, I’d have authority that could extend to meddling in other academies to a degree.

At least when it comes to smaller institutes under Trinity and Millennium, they would struggle to refuse the Student Council’s initiatives.

The Student Council, with Rin in charge but lacking a President, might have been less prominent in action, but that doesn’t mean the power of the Student Council was any less formidable.

You could say it functions somewhat like a UN, but when you ask what the UN can enforce against a major power, they’d have nothing to say.

Compared to that, the Student Council holds its ground against even major academies. The very fact of holding the Sanctum Tower serves as a deterrent.

Reflecting back, I understand the lengths they went to hide the fact that they lost authority over the Sanctum Tower when the Student Council President went missing.

To rise to the position of the Student Council President, harnessing the immense power attached to it?

To be perfectly honest, the thought does not excite me in the slightest.

I don’t know how much I could actually do in that role, but running Trinity is stressful enough; now you want me to broaden that scope to all of Kivotos?

I can’t fathom making such a choice unless I completely lost my mind.

“Ugh… Kaya-chan, I’m going to state this clearly.”

“That’s not something I’m particularly fond of hearing…”

After listening to me, Kaya pouted and shut her eyes.

Whether she actually closed them or just usually has them open, it’s hard to tell, but somehow I felt like she had closed them.

“I have no interest in being the Student Council President. I really don’t have the ability for it either. I’m genuinely flattered that you think so highly of me, and to be honest, I agree with you on some level. But…”

No matter how I think about it, I don’t want to live a busier life than I already do. Not for the sake of my lovers who need me, and certainly not for myself, whom I cherish more than anything.

“…You don’t need to say more. I clearly understand your intentions.”

Kaya smiled softly, nodding her head.

Fortunately, it looked like Kaya had resolved to respect my wishes.

“So, I’d like to use this opportunity to assert that, in my opinion, the only true superhuman suited for the position of Student Council President is you, Mika-nim. So, you can bet that I, Shiranuichi Kaya, will do my utmost to make sure you take that position.”

“Wow—What?!”

Why on earth are you not respecting my wishes at all…?