Rays crept through the window as the sun rose on the horizon. In front of me, there were tons of paper that I had been memorizing and several electronic devices I was disassembling and reorganizing for the future.

Usually, such a workload wouldn't accumulate, but I had to spend a whole day going through the bureaucracy of the Student Council and arranging what would be my office while Vice-President. Such errands made me realize the importance of a Secretary... I made a mental note to search for someone to fill the position.

The next day, I went out to visit almost every store that sells any kind of electronic. Some provided me with exactly what I wanted and made my job much easier, but it wasn't possible to find everything, so I'll have to search a little deeper next time.

While I was off, President Horikita was dumping stacks of documents in my new room. Not wanting to let it pile up, I spent the night reading all the information those papers had. When my stomach grumbled, I realized that I was so distracted I had forgotten to eat.

Standing up, I grabbed my phone, ID card, and a flash drive. Uncerimiosly, I walked out of the room and locked the door. Despite the fact that there were other rooms available for purchase, the floor was devoid of anyone else, so I didn't bother with the possibility of being seen. Going down to the lower floors unnoticed can be tricky, but at a time like this, it's not really a problem. Almost everyone is asleep.

Inside the elevator, I decided to go to the nearest cafeteria and reflected on what I should do next along the way.

Soon my head start against Nagumo will end, and his first move will probably be to secure Class 1-A, 1-C, and, depending on how well-informed he is,  he'll turn my Class against me using private points and information warfare.

Luckily for me, current Class 1-A is divided into two factions, and I've classified Sakayanagi Arisu as a potential ally, given who her father is. And, even if she is not, I can always support her adversary, Katsuragi Kohei, and try to lessen the damage.

Class 1-B is where I have the strongest foothold at the moment, so I can't see how Nagumo would manage to bring Ichinose to his side. They have more than 1300 Class Points, and an impressive advantage over the Class closer to them. Nonetheless, it would still be good to talk with the Representative from Class B. She is probably still going through the process of joining the Council.

Ryuuen's Class is where things get sensitive, however. Suppose I fail to get an absolute upper hand in the matter concerning Karuizawa. In that case, he'll be free to make an alliance with Nagumo, and things will become unnecessarily difficult from there... So, today, I'll be making my final move to bring Kinoshita Minori to my side, where she is supposed to be. 

The dilemma concerning Class D, on the other hand, is quite simple. 

'They are not worthy of the effort.' I concluded.

It would be too tiring to buy their votes one by one, given how divided the Class is at the moment. On top of that, the leader of Class 2-A would have enough resources to double or triple whatever it is I can offer. 

'No, I'll just let Nagumo go through that trouble and try to slow him down.'

That doesn't mean I can completely ignore Class D, however. With Horikita's fall, a new leader will have to be placed in her former position, so I made a mental note to address that problem at another time.

Entering the cafeteria, I noticed the place wasn't as empty as I thought. There were quite a few students scattered throughout the tables, but what caught my eye was a girl with strawberry-blonde hair sitting completely alone. The sight was certainly unusual.

Since she hadn't noticed my presence, I kept walking and went to choose what would be my breakfast this morning. 

After grabbing my plate with pancakes and juice, I headed to the girl's table and called her name. Perhaps this was a good opportunity to confirm Class B's status.

"Ichinose. May I sit here?" I called in a low voice, not wanting to startle her.

"Uh... Ayanokouji-kun...? Um. Yes, go ahead..." She yawned.

Ichinose looked groggy, which was quite the contrast to her usual upbeat personality. She took a moment to rub her eyes and stretch her back, trying to steady her mind.

"He-he. Sorry. I'm not used to waking up this early, but..." She started, giving an apologetic look.

"You have a lot of work to do." I finished.

"That's right! I'm sure Ayanokouji-kun's paperwork is worse than mine, though. Is that why you are awake now?"

"...Something like that."

 She nodded. "Congratulations, by the way. And thanks for recommending me. I don't know how to repay you..."

"It's okay. As I see it, No one is more suitable for the Council than Ichinose." I declared before taking a bite from the pancake.

"Perhaps, but I've come to the conclusion that you don't do anything without proper reason. I wonder what that would be..."

The Ichinose Honami I met at the beginning of the semester would've offered her Classe's cooperation without a second thought in a moment like this, but now, she's making me ask for it.

It's a little development in her character that must be accounted for.

'She doesn't want her kindness to be mistaken for weakness.'

"I'd like to have Class B's support for the Presidency, If possible." I answered, looking straight into her eyes.

I didn't think she would deny the request for even a second, but I wondered if she would set other conditions.

"You have it! Don't worry about it." She raised her hands. "A lot of my classmates will be asking questions, however. Questions I can't answer." She sighed.

"I can justify the support by saying you recommended me, that you are a friend, and good things will come from the alliance, but..." She trailed off in the end.

"They don't trust me, and the more skeptical ones will want something more substantial." 

"They will follow my instructions, but that's how it is."

"If it helps, we can nullify the third term of our contract." I proposed.

Ichinose looked surprised and stopped to think for a second.

"The favor? Are you sure?" she raised an eyebrow.

"I am. Since I have a good alliance with you, the unity of Class B is also in my best interest."

In truth, the "favor" is more of a psychological artifice than anything else. I could hardly complain to the school that a student refused to give me a "favor", but such a term can be used to transfer influence, induce relief and build trust.

From what I know of Class B, Kanzaki Ryuji is the Representative of a more pragmatic section, and he probably felt "chained" after the contract was signed. Now I can "unchain" him without really giving anything.

"I see..." Ichinose looked unconvinced; She wasn't taking anything at face value. After a few moments, she looked at me in realization and smiled. "I see. Tell me Ayanokouji Kiyotaka-kun, how would you feel about transferring to the new Class A?" She intertwined her fingers in front of her face and pushed her elbows to the top of the table. Her expression transformed into a scheming one. Or, at least, that's how she perceives it.

"It's too early to make any decision like that." I smiled. Or, that's what I think I did. "It would be unwise to spend 20 Million points when we still don't fully understand the S-System."

 "I agree, but you wouldn't be accumulating Private Points for no reason. And I can see that your relationship with Class D is not the best." she started. "I would support you with all I have if you chose us. Not even Kanzaki-kun would have the heart to complain about it."

"Anyone would be lucky to be part of your class. I will certainly consider it if that time comes."

My noncommital answer seemed to satisfy Ichinose, as she responded with a smile.

"Great! That's all I can ask." she beamed.

We spent the rest of the breakfast idly talking about less sensitive subjects, such as the heat of summer, matters concerning the Student Council, and the inevitable end of school break in little more than a week.

Since my minor concern with present Class B has been appeased, I started considering the best way to approach the upperclassmen.

As long as I prove myself capable, many within the 2nd years would show little resistance in standing up against Nagumo. Apparently, the Representative from the former Class A, Ikuto Kiriyama, is on his last breath against Nagumo's crusade of utter domination. But even if, on the surface, it seems that approaching him is an easy task, the reality is much different.

It can be argued that he needs me as much as I need him, so I will have to wait for the right moment to ensure that I'll enter the negotiation table with the upper hand without giving too much for his support if anything at all.

If I want to succeed in my final objective while in this school, this is an election that I must win. But I can't do so by giving up so much of the power that I'm planning to build for the future.

And then there is the matter with Horikita Manabu. It's pretty clear that he'll only be making an effort to bring the third years to my side once he gets something out of me. I could ignore his authority and approach the 3rd year classes individually, but Horikita Manabu knows the Seniors like the back of his hand, and there is no way of knowing how great his influence really is. 

My best option is to deal with Manabu directly, either by convincing him or forcing his hand. Fortunately, I still have some time to make the right decision.

A beep from my phone got me out of my musing. Taking the device out of my pocket, I looked at the message I had just received.

[Your reservation (code H000127) has been confirmed for today.   The time of reservation is 6:30 pm. Please, inform in advan-....]

'It seems another part of my planning for today is going smoothly.' I thought.

Turning off my phone, I finished my plate and stood from the table. After giving Ichinose my goodbyes, I left the cafeteria and went on my way.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

It was after mid-day that I had finally decided to initiate contact with whom would be a central part of my plan against Class C. By that time, I had already done some exercises and showered. Now, I was at the Keyaki Mall buying some casual clothes - a long overdue task - when my phone started vibrating again, which was happening quite often lately.

Just earlier, I received a message from Ryuuen warning me about his next move.

Such action is quite puzzling in my opinion, but, unfortunately for him, I am not someone who will fall for such tricks, so I pointedly ignored him.

The message I've now received, however, came from someone else, and this, I can't push aside.

.

. 

[Okay. Where should I meet you?]

.

The response was positive, as I knew it would be. In our last encounter, I pointed out it was in her best interest to hear what I had to say.

Looking at her message, I considered the best way to answer it.

My choice of place for the meeting is not somewhere everyone would know about. Some areas within the complex are restricted to those who have the means to obtain clearance, so I typed a detailed description of where she should go.

[At the upmost floor, head to the eastern of the mall and find the corridor by the side of the jewelry store (M011A). Someone will lead you from there.]

[6:30 pm is the time.] 

With that out the way, I returned to the matter at hand and kept looking for clothes. 

The store I was on at the moment was focused on Winter Wear, and I was looking at the jackets.

These are not pieces of cloth that I would be using in the near future, but it made sense to buy them now. In a few months, they will surely become a necessity.

"Winter is coming." I whispered.

The many different options in front of my eyes made me indecisive. There are many things that the White Room does not teach, and 'fashion' is certainly one of them.

I can tell, of course, the difference between well-dressed from the opposite, but there are certain conventions that I don't have the sensibility to pick out.

As I was about to touch a black jeans jacket, a melodic voice interrupted me from behind.

"Why don't you try that camel overcoat?" the voice suggested. "It would look great on you." I could feel the smile in her voice.

Turning back, I saw the beauty of Class D standing elegantly with her hands behind her back. Her brown hair was neatly arranged, as usual, and her bright blue eyes were staring expectantly at me.

"Matsushita... I was wondering how much more I would have to wait before you revealed yourself." I commented and moved to pick the suggested coat.

"Oh? I had no idea you thought so much about me." She teased.

"You are just not as subtle as you think." I said bluntly.

She could've been worse, though. Analyzing her methods, I assume she did something similar in the past. That may be the reason she is in Class D.

"Or maybe you're really good at dealing with stalkers. Any past experiences?" She prodded.

And that's her motive for following me whenever she had the chance. For some reason, she is curious about me. Although I don't particularly see a problem with that, it raises a question: "How can I use her curiosity to my advantage?".

"Are you a stalker now? Maybe I should report you to the school." I blatantly avoided her question.

"Hm. I'm a beautiful stalker, though. That means I'm allowed." she innocently said.

'Self-confident. Noted.'  I thought. It seemed that even within Class D, I overlooked some individuals.

"Is that so? Would you like to test that theory?" I challenged, closing the distance.

"heh. How about I give you some fashion tips, and we forget about it?" she smiled and rushed to look at the male clothes.

Yes... Matsushita Chiaki is definitely smarter than she pretends to be. Quite an interesting development, I must say.

"Let me see... This. And this. Thi- no... Perhaps another color.  This! and this..." Matsushita kept mumbling as she picked every garment she deemed appropriate. "Oh yes. You'll look really hot in this."

Only after she had piled up more than 20 pieces of clothing was she satisfied enough to slow down.

"I appreciate your enthusiasm but isn't this too much? It'll be quite expensive if I buy everything." I noted.

She laughed. "Well... Maybe I went a little overboard, but I don't think you have a problem with points at the moment." She gave me a knowing look.

"And what reasons did I give to make you believe that?" I inquired.

"For once? The last few days, you've been going up a down buying things no Class-D student should afford." she started. "That, along with the quarrel you had with Horikita-san, that I accidentally overhead, makes a curious girl create all sorts of theories."

"Care to share what would that theory be?"

"You've been holding back publicly while leading the Class behind everyone's back." Matsushita bluntly stated.

I suppose that reaching such a conclusion with so little information is an impressive accomplishment. Only Hirata managed to do something similar, and he is in a far better position.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Horikita is the leader of Class D." I played dumb, interested to see how far can she go with this.

She laughed again. "Oh, please. When we questioned Horikita-san after the Island Exam, she was stuttering more than Inogashira-san in her introduction." she remarked snarkily. "Anyone with half a brain could see she had little to no involvement in our victory, so, considering how little contact she has with anyone other than you, the conclusion is obvious." 

"Let's hypothesize that what you're saying is true." I proposed. "What do you want from me?"

With her following answer, I'll get a good grasp of who Matsushita is.

'Will she ask for points in exchange for her silence?' 

Or maybe she'll threaten to expose me if I don't help Class D reach Class A... 

'Perhaps she just feels joy at exercising power over someone else.'

'What does she want?' I wondered.

"I want to be your friend." she sweetly revealed.

"...My friend? ...Why?" Her answer caught me off guard. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting.

"heh. Didn't think I would surprise you that much." she teased. "I believe having friends can be very useful. We can help each other if the need arrives, and you proved yourself very capable. Why wouldn't I want your friendship?" she shot back.

Her reasoning makes sense from a logical point of view, and I can't find a way to rebut what she said.

"What about Class A? Won't you ask me to help you get there?"

"It wouldn't be fair to ask that when I'm not willing to work for it, right? No, I'd rather not go through that trouble." she crossed her arms. "I do admit that some excitement now and then wouldn't hurt, though."

That's it, then. Matsushita wants to avoid getting involved in the class competition, but she often gets bored by the lack of action.

If I establish a relationship with her, I'll be able to use her as another source of information within the circle of girls. Besides that, her particular set of skills can also be helpful depending on the situation.

Seeing no downsides to the request, I made my decision.

"Alright. Allow me to be your friend from now on." I extended my right arm for a handshake.

"Let's get along, shall we?" she softly shook my hand with a bright smile.

I nodded. "You helped a lot with the clothes, so I will pay for whatever you want to buy as thanks."

"Really? You'll do that?" Her face lit up as her blue eyes reflected gold.

"Yes. Let's start the friendship on the right foot... Just make sure not to go overboard." I warned.

"Alright! Come with me, the female section is on the other side." She grabbed my hand again and started dragging me.

"Just go ahead, I have to take care of these." I pointed at the table with a pile of garments. I didn't even know how many trips would be necessary to take everything to the cashier.

"Leave it here. We can ask one of the workers to pick it up." She said. "Besides, I'd like to hear your opinion on shoes." 

I sighed, letting her take me to the opposite side of the store, wondering if this was the downside I was searching for.

In the middle of the store, a beep came out of my pocket, so I pulled off my phone to look at the message.

.

.

[It's a date. See'ya later.]

.

Satisfied, I put my phone back in my pocket and thought that things couldn't be going any better.