Akira then placed the notebook on the table, stood up, and was about to go to the restroom.
But as he stood, his gaze inadvertently swept over her glasses.
'Hmm? The image isn't distorted?'
'Could they be decorative glasses...?!'
The difference between decorative glasses and regular glasses was quite obvious.
If a person with normal vision wore myopia glasses, the lenses would blur their vision, making it impossible to see clearly through the frames.
But his vision was unobstructed—these glasses were probably just for decoration.
'Could it be... glasses that seal away one's beauty?!'
Countless works he'd seen in his previous life flashed through Akira's mind.
—The examples were too numerous to list one by one.
In school-themed stories, girls wearing plain decorative glasses were almost always a standard trope to hide their true beauty or special identity.
'For example, taking off her glasses turns her into a beautiful girl, or she's actually a dual personality, or the daughter of some conglomerate...'
'Class D is really full of hidden talents... too many people pretending to be weak.'
He couldn't help but make a mental list:
—Ayanokoji, needless to say, his ability to play dumb was truly top-tier. Sometimes he acted like a complete idiot.
—Sakura, wearing decorative glasses, a hidden master.
—Even Matsushita from Karuizawa's gyaru group was suspicious. On the surface, she seemed like a follower, but her diligence in taking notes during class was no less than a top student.
Even stranger, he recently kept catching her secretly observing himself and Ayanokoji nearby...
He wondered what she was thinking.
'Especially this Matsushita... could she be suppressing her abilities?'
Akira stroked his chin, lost in thought.
That elusive way of observing, and the occasional sharp glint in her eyes, suggested her strength might not be inferior to Ayanokoji and Koenji.
'Indeed, Class D is still too deep...'
When Akira returned from the restroom, his phone suddenly vibrated.
He swiped the screen and found that his homeroom teacher, Chabashira, had transferred 25,000 personal points.
The transfer note contained only a few short words: {Class Funds}.
'She's really quick...'
Tapping his finger on the screen, he unhesitatingly accepted the transfer.
After all, this was a condition agreed upon long ago—the class funds this time should rightfully be borne by the other party.
'It seems the campaign period has come to an end...'
After Akira returned to his seat, he noticed that the crowd that had gathered around Hirata and Kushida had largely dispersed.
He subtly glanced over—the two small circles that had previously held a dozen people now only had a few loyal fans still chatting enthusiastically.
Hirata's group was mainly girls, with several girls blushing as they asked him questions. Kushida's surroundings were mostly boys, some even eagerly holding her notebook for her.
Their popularity was evenly matched, which perfectly aligned with his memory.
At this moment, Kushida, with her characteristic sweet smile, walked over. "~ May I bother you two for a moment?"
She blinked her watery eyes and pleaded. "Shimizu-kun, Horikita-san, please! Could you transfer the class funds to me? Your two votes are also very important support for me."
"No problem," Akira nodded readily, then changed the subject. "However, I've suddenly thought of a question. I wonder if Kushida-san can answer it?"
"Mm! Of course!" Kushida clasped her hands in front of her, tilted her head slightly, and showed an expectant expression. "What do you want to ask?"
"What specific rights does the vice class president have in the class? Or rather... did Chabashira-sensei promise you two any special treatment after being elected class officers?"
This question had been lingering in his mind for a long time.
Why were these two so actively raising class funds? They wouldn't get a single point in the end.
Kushida's smile seemed to freeze for a moment, but quickly returned to normal.
"Well..." She lightly tapped her chin, feigning thought. "Actually, Chabashira-sensei didn't give any special benefits. It's just that I feel, since Chabashira-sensei chose me as vice class president, I should serve everyone well~"
Akira narrowed his eyes.
'That's enough! I shouldn't have asked her!'
'But her tone doesn't sound like she's lying.'
'She gave you the position of vice class president, and you're willing to work so hard? What a good workhorse!'
Subsequently, he transferred the 25,000 points in full.
To him, it didn't matter who received these points, nor who became class president.
They were just the points Chabashira had just sent him.
After all, the truly important one million points were already safely in his pocket.
"Thank you so much, Shimizu-kun! I will definitely live up to your expectations and lead Class D well!" Kushida took out her phone, looked at the transfer from Akira, and also couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Then, she looked toward Horikita.
"I'm not going to vote for you."
Horikita's answer was crisp and decisive, completely within Akira's expectations.
In fact, since the first day of school, Horikita's dislike for Kushida had been evident.
More precisely, this independent-minded girl maintained an equal degree of aloofness from all her classmates.
And Kushida's repeated attempts to strike up conversations only intensified Horikita's aversion to her—like a vampire forced to accept sunlight, only to crave the shelter of darkness even more.
However, this time Horikita glanced at Akira, and when she spoke again, although her tone was still stiff, her voice had softened considerably. "...I plan to vote for Hirata-kun. He's more suitable for the class president position than you."
Although Horikita's words were still direct to the point of being harsh, at least—this was the first time she'd frankly expressed her opinion to a classmate.
Akira subtly raised an eyebrow.
'It seems yesterday's scolding still had some effect...'
Kushida smiled and nodded. "Of course, I completely respect Horikita-san's choice! Hirata-kun is indeed very excellent too~"
Her gaze shifted between the two of them, finally resting on Horikita's slightly tense face. "However, if you change your mind later, you can come find me anytime!"
These words were impeccable, showing both generosity and leaving herself an escape route.
"You could learn some emotional intelligence from Kushida-san in the future."
"...I could never learn that level of fake smile in my life."