First Day Back: Making the Teacher "Say It"
Kaguya Shinomiya walked onto the stage with flawless elegance. Her perfect beauty instantly drew the attention of teachers and students alike.
"Students, teachers, and the school leaders seated in the back."
"My name is Kaguya Shinomiya. I'm not here to beg for votes. I'm here to announce a correction project."
"If I become student council president, I will transform this school into a place worthy of the Shinomiya name."
"Specifically."
"First. All club budgets will be tied directly to results at national competitions. The weak will be cut."
"Second. Useless art electives will be abolished, and replaced with quantitative finance and classical rhetoric."
"Third. Exams will adopt an elimination system. The bottom five percent will be forced…"
"The vote is in your hands."
"Choose me, and you will gain a future worthy of the Shinomiya name."
"Oppose me, and you will remain defective products, eliminated by the era."
With that, she gently placed the microphone back on the stand and returned to her seat.
A silence stretched so tight it felt like it could snap.
Then the gym erupted into noisy discussion.
Supporters. Opponents. Comparisons with Kūjō Ryō. The voices piled over each other.
The election continued. After Kaguya Shinomiya, three more candidates gave speeches, but their presence and impact were nowhere near the level of Ryō and Kaguya.
In fact, many students barely listened. Most were already thinking about only one question.
Between Kūjō Ryō and Kaguya Shinomiya, who was the better choice?
After the speeches ended, students returned to their classrooms and pulled out their phones to vote.
A few boys in Ryō's class grinned and gave him a thumbs up, even shoving their screens in his face. The display clearly read:
Voted for Kūjō Ryō.
"Voted, voted! You're hilarious, bro!""Even if it was a joke, that took guts!"
Ryō responded politely. "Much appreciated. Truly appreciated."
The girls voted for him too, and conveniently used "showing the screen" as an excuse to lean in close like they were trying to steal a little advantage for themselves.
Ryō thanked them again and again. After finally surviving another wave of enthusiastic "screen proof," he let out a small breath and checked the results.
He opened the school app's election page and looked at the live rankings.
"Whoa."
He did not expect his lead to be this big.
Kaguya Shinomiya, in second place, only had about sixty percent of his votes. Third place had less than half of Kaguya's.
If this trend continued, then it was basically locked.
Most students were here to attend classes, join clubs, and enjoy high school. The ones who truly wanted the kind of future Kaguya promised were already grinding like machines.
Anyone who hated that kind of pressure absolutely did not want Kaguya elected.
And honestly, her approach was too extreme.
If she won, clubs would be forced to disband, electives would disappear, and lower-ranking students would suffer most.
So why was Ryō winning?
Because this election worked just like national politics. On paper there were five choices, but in reality there were only two.
People chose the option they remembered. They chose the name they could picture.
Ryō's outrageous line got him attention. His tenfold charm ensured nobody forgot him. That was what let him stand as the "other choice" against Kaguya.
The voting period ended.
Their homeroom teacher, Mafuyu Kirisu, came by, gave a quick instruction, and returned to the staff office.
"A few boys, come help carry the textbooks."
Including Ryō, ten boys stood and followed.
The boys were unusually energetic, clearly wanting to look good in front of a beautiful teacher. Everyone grabbed stacks of books.
By the time it was Ryō's turn, there was nothing left.
He walked back empty-handed, eyes flickering. After the last boy left the office, he quietly closed the door.
Then he walked up to Mafuyu Kirisu and spoke in a low voice, the kind that sounded like trouble.
"Kirisu-sensei."
Mafuyu paused. "What is it, Kūjō?"
Ryō smiled brightly. "You look amazing today."
Mafuyu stiffened for a fraction of a second, then immediately returned to her usual icy teacher mode.
"This is school. Watch your behavior."
Ryō did not back down. He simply leaned closer, voice playful.
"Then one fair trade."
Mafuyu narrowed her eyes. "Trade?"
Ryō pointed at her phone and the election page still open on her screen.
"If you want me to keep acting like the perfect model student at school, then you have to say it properly."
Mafuyu frowned. "Say what properly?"
Ryō grinned. "Say my name."
A beat of silence.
Mafuyu stared at him, then realized what he was doing. He was pushing boundaries, but not crossing them. It was a provocation, nothing more.
"…Kūjō Ryō," she said, crisp and controlled.
Ryō's smile widened like he had won a duel. "Nice."
Mafuyu tapped the desk lightly, expression severe.
"That's all you're getting. And listen carefully."
"At school, you call me Sensei. No more weird games. And do not spread rumors."
Ryō nodded readily. "Fine. Deal."
He turned to leave, still wearing that shamelessly pleased smile.
He washed his hands, waited a moment, and returned to class late on purpose, making it look like he had just been to the restroom.
Then the system notification appeared.
[First day of school. Others are still calling her "Teacher," but you already made her say your name properly. Reward: Points +1. Total Points: 6]