Chapter 8: The Academy's Savior

The arrival of June 10th. The General Student Assembly.

As the formal discussions dragged on, the time for general student requests began.

"Now, moving on to the next agenda item—Class 2-B, Miyake Ramu-san."

Called by name, Miyake headed up to the stage. The students, bored out of their minds up until now, were suddenly overflowing with curiosity at the sudden appearance of a gyaru.

"Um... I'm Miyake Ramu from Class 2-B."

Through the microphone, her voice carried to the entire student body.

"What I wanna propose this time is—'A revision of the scholarship system'."

A slight murmur rippled through the gym.

A revision of the scholarship system—normally, this was an issue for the academy administration, not the student council. More accurately, it was a matter for the school's board of directors, which caused the complexions of the teachers to change much faster than those of the students.

But the real shock was yet to come.

"To be blunt... someone suspected me of doin' sugar datin'."

That instant, a massive uproar erupted in the gym.

Then it suddenly went dead silent, everyone straining their ears for Miyake's next words.

"But, there were people who proved that wasn't true."

She declared it clearly, without a shred of hesitation.

"It was Sawa Ryogo-kun and the others from the Disciplinary Committee. They proved I wasn't sugar datin'. And on top of that, they told a gyaru like me that they 'believed in me'."

At that moment, a portion of the gazes gathered on me.

...Well, yeah, that's true, but did you really have to drop my name?

I shot Fuyutsuki a deadpan glare. She was facing the stage with a cool expression, but—the ones who had drafted Miyake's speech were Miyake herself and none other than Fuyutsuki.

There was no need to deliberately bring up my name, so she must have added it in on purpose.

Moreover, shrewdly omitting her and Mio's names from the speech left me so exasperated all I could think was, "You played me, didn't you?"

"But, I think it couldn't be helped that I was suspected. I'm just a gyaru, and I know to some extent how the people around me look at me."

Rather than sounding pessimistic, it echoed with a soul-shaking strength.

"I thought Seigyo Academy was a broad-minded school that accepted even a gyaru like me. But the tuition is high, and the baseline to get a scholarship is pretty strict. My mom and I work together, so we got a decent income, which means we can't get the scholarship."

The microphone picked up the sound of Miyake quietly taking a breath.

"Most of the money we make goes to payin' off the debt my late dad left behind, so to be blunt, we're always scraping by. —And with gettin' slapped with the label of a sugar dater on top of all that... I thought about quittin' school."

With her laying it all out like that, nobody could say a word.

"That's when the people on the Disciplinary Committee told me they wanted to do somethin' about it. I'll hand it over to President Sawa-kun from here—"

...In this atmosphere, me?

My heart was pounding like crazy. Everyone around was focusing on me, and honestly, standing in front of this many people was a first in my life.

Suddenly, I caught sight of Mio in my field of vision.

Mio was pumping her fists in front of her chest, sending me a look that said, "Do your best, Ryo-chan!"

Fuyutsuki was also staring quietly at me.

Her expression was—as always, deadpan, but I could somehow feel something radiating from it. Probably something akin to expectations and trust in me.

...Though, Fuyutsuki is the one who backed me into this corner in the first place.

Thinking that, I quietly made my way up to the stage.

"I am the Disciplinary Committee President, Sawa Ryogo. I will now supplement Miyake-san's proposal—"

...Good grief.

Of course, the star of the show this time was Miyake, but I completely felt like Fuyutsuki had hoisted me onto a pedestal.

Besides, remembering everything that happened leading up to standing on this stage today left me with an indescribable feeling—

†　†　†

"—Haaah!? You mean Miyake Ramu found out about everything!?"

Unable to hide his shock, Student Council Vice President Ashiya yelled out. Beside him, President Kurumizawa's eyes were wide as saucers.

The week before the General Student Assembly—I was visiting the student council room by myself.

It was to somehow 'do something' about Fuyutsuki's claim that, "Our President, Sawa-kun, will do something about it."

"Yeah, we really messed up. She figured out the Disciplinary Committee was investigating her... So we told her the complete truth and apologized for hurting her."

I said with a wry smile, but Ashiya's concerns lay elsewhere.

"Don't tell me... you dropped the student council's name!?"

"Well, yeah. I told her everything starting from the email the student council received—"

"Dammit!"

Ashiya roared.

"We on the student council have zero involvement in this incident! The Disciplinary Committee acted on their own accord! That was the agreement, was it not!?"

"No, no, we can't have that now, can we? The fact remains that you invaded a single student's privacy all to revise the school rules."

"There is no such fact!"

"If anything, we even have the recorded audio data as proof, you know?"

I pulled out my smartphone and played the recording—

"Therefore, I would like to request the cooperation of the Disciplinary Committee. Calling it an investigation might be an overstatement, but... for example, checking on her behavior during her commute home, or keeping an eye out for any unusual actions."

"Simply put... you want us to keep an eye on Miyake?"

"Yes... you could phrase it that way... —However, I must ask that this be conducted under the guise of an independent activity by the Disciplinary Committee."

The color rapidly drained from Ashiya's face.

"Where did you get this recording...!?"

"Well, people always warn me about being forgetful, so just in case, I recorded the conversation so I wouldn't forget a single word—"

—Though I said that, the actual circumstances were slightly different.

This recording was actually made by Fuyutsuki. The day before the President brought the request to me, Fuyutsuki handled it once and told her to consult me again. It seems she had decided to record it at that stage.

And the next day. While the three of us—Mio, Fuyutsuki, and I—were present, when the President relayed the contents of the request, Fuyutsuki had secretly recorded it.

Thinking back on it now—

"President, please sit here."

At that time, Fuyutsuki kindly pulled out a folding chair... no, the reason she guided the President there was because she had planted her smartphone near that seat to pick up the audio clearly.

...Seriously, she's like a demon.

I couldn't help but wonder if the scariest person in our committee wasn't Mio, but Fuyutsuki. The fact that I'm the biggest pacifist of the group is somewhat of a comical joke, but—

Regardless, thanks to this audio data, the upcoming negotiations were going to go smoothly.

"So anyway, we're all in the same boat. I don't know what Miyake is planning right now, but this is a pretty massive problem, don't you think?"

Ashiya bit his lip in frustration and clamped his mouth shut.

With that, I immediately pressed the attack.

"You've nearly driven a single student to voluntary withdrawal over fabricated allegations. Do you intend to push all of that responsibility onto the Disciplinary Committee alone?"

"No, listen, that's..."

"Of course, the responsibility falls on us too. But if we just leave it alone, this problem will only spread, you know? What if it blows up on social media? It could become a credibility issue for all of Seigyo Academy, couldn't it?"

"P-President...!"

Panicked, Ashiya pleaded with President Kurumizawa for help.

The President, dignified as expected, wasn't as panicked as Ashiya. However, her expression was filled with regret.

"...It is entirely my responsibility."

"President...!"

"Ashiya-kun... It all started with that single email, but we used Miyake-san as an excuse to force the school to approve the draft of the Romance Ban rule. That was wrong from the very beginning..."

She was absolutely right.

—A Romance Ban rule to protect students from relationship troubles.

Even if there was a just cause behind it, sacrificing someone to achieve a goal is fundamentally wrong.

"Case by case" is a well-worn phrase, but they shouldn't have lumped it all together under the umbrella of 'relationship problems.' They should have calmly separated the two from the start—Miyake's sugar dating allegations, and the Romance Ban rule.

"The student council must sincerely apologize to Miyake-san..."

The moment the President said that, I opened my mouth, seizing the opportunity.

"Do you really think you'll be forgiven with just that?"

The President was visibly shaken.

"Eh? ...No, I do not believe I will be forgiven. But as a matter of moral obligation..."

"I don't think something so formal even counts as an apology, though?"

"Then, what should I do...?"

Alright—I unleashed the words I had prepared.

"President, your father is... one of the directors of Seigyo Academy, right?"

"Eh? Yes, he is?"

"Then it's simple. There's only one method that will satisfy Miyake and benefit the other students at the same time. If the student council's reputation goes up in the process, it's a win-win for everyone."

"Win-win? What kind of method is that?"

I pulled out the documents I brought and laid them on the desk.

It was Seigyo Academy's admissions brochure. Fuyutsuki had made me take it before I came here.

"I heard straight from Miyake that her family is struggling financially, but she can't receive a scholarship."

"Eh? Why is that? We have a proper system in place..."

"It's a loophole in the system. There's an income requirement for scholarship approval. You submit your total household income, right?"

"Yes, that is true, but..."

"But in Miyake's household, they have a decent amount of income, pushing them over the threshold to receive a scholarship. Even though they're struggling just to survive while paying off her father's debt, they were rejected because 'your income is this high.'"

"Ah..."

It seemed the President finally realized it.

"Seigyo Academy was originally an all-girls school for rich young ladies, so to a certain extent, it attracts people wealthier than middle-class families like mine. Going co-ed broadened the gates a bit, but it just means this scholarship system still hasn't adjusted to the reality of the common folk."

"In other words, what you want to say, Sawa-kun, is..."

"Exactly—a revision of the scholarship system."

I pointed to the scholarship section of the admissions brochure.

"Please raise the income threshold. That way, even families in tough financial situations can receive scholarships. It will save students like Miyake who work part-time to support their families, and the school's academic deviation value will go up. It's full of benefits."

"I see..."

"While you're at it, if you set up a scholarship repayment exemption system for students advancing to national, public, or famous private universities, wouldn't it attract highly motivated students who want to enroll in Seigyo Academy?"

Once I finished outlining my proposal, Ashiya interjected.

"As if such a convenient story exists! Furthermore, the possibility of that—"

"That's why I'm talking about the 'possibilities' you love so much, Ashiya-senpai."

I cut him off calmly.

"Of course, I don't know if this system will work out perfectly. But I want to bet on a positive possibility. If this system reform succeeds, at the very least, there will be no more students causing problems for financial reasons. Rumors about sugar dating won't circulate around the school anymore, right? And even then, if there's a student who looks like they might cause problems—"

I flashed the armband strapped to my arm.

"We on the Disciplinary Committee will enforce public morals."

In that instant, I could tell Ashiya gulped hard.

After a brief silence, the President let a soft smile float onto her face.

"...If that is the case, then I am relieved."

"President...!"

"Ashiya-kun... The Disciplinary Committee President is saying this not only to protect Miyake-san and the students, but to protect the student council as well. If we do not accept this proposal, there will be more lingering resentment than there is now, and a future where no one is saved will be the only thing waiting for us."

"Kh..."

The President stood up.

"I will discuss this matter with my father. No, I will persuade him no matter what."

"Please do."

As if the tension had melted away, the President and I exchanged smiles.

"Disciplinary Committee President, may I trust your words that you will enforce public morals?"

...Will I be okay? I mean, I have Fuyutsuki and Mio with me.

"Ah~yes, well~"

"? ...Why are your eyes darting around?"

"No, I just remembered something~ Well, I'll do my best."

Ashiya immediately shouted.

"President! Something is suspicious about him! As I thought, this man cannot be trusted!"

"Ashiya-kun!"

Uncharacteristically, the President raised her voice.

"The Disciplinary Committee President swore to us! That he would fulfill his duties for everyone's sake!"

"Yeeeesss~I'll do my beeeeessst~"

"Look! Did you see his attitude just now!? He's completely making a fool of you!"

"Ashiya-kun!"

—And with all of that happening, we wedged a new agenda item in for the General Student Assembly.

Since I said it, I'd have to see it through—but I couldn't deny that I had a little anxiety about the Disciplinary Committee itself. ...No, I have a lot of anxiety.

After all, it wasn't that long ago that we were playing 'guess the panty color' games…

†　†　†

Right after the incident at the student council, I received a report from President Kurumizawa.

Her father, one of the directors, was apparently very enthusiastic about the idea, and he was going to lay the groundwork here and there to get it approved at the next board meeting.

One major revolution began moving behind the scenes.

And the day before the General Student Assembly.

Several representatives of the board of directors were convinced, and approval for the new scholarship system supposedly surpassed the majority.

All that was left was for it to be officially decided at the board meeting; once the stamp of approval was given, the revision of the scholarship system would be complete.

—In other words.

Today's General Student Assembly was a milestone to officially present this to the public, a stage prepared specifically for Miyake Ramu.

The proposal of a single gyaru moved the future of the entire academy.

Miyake was no longer 'just a gyaru.' For the students who were struggling but living earnestly—she had become a 'savior' standing at the vanguard.

By the way, if you ask who lost out the most from this proposal—

"Ryo-chan! You looked so cool at the assembly!"

The instant I opened the door to the Disciplinary Committee Room, Mio tackled me in a flying hug.

"Mio! If anyone sees us like this, everything we worked for will be overturned in a second!"

"It's a celebratory hug, so it's totally safe~!"

"To anyone else, it's completely out of bounds!"

—That's right.

If you ask who lost out the most in this incident, it was none other than me. As the Disciplinary Committee President, and as Sawa Ryogo, I was now forced to take responsibility for those statements.

Having declared something of that magnitude, the eyes of those around me would become even stricter from now on.

Though, I'm the one who created this situation in the first place—

"You truly looked cool. However, when you stepped down from the stage, your legs were trembling like a newborn fawn's. That was hilarious."

I glared at Fuyutsuki, who spouted such heartless words while wearing a faint smile.

"Seriously, you made me take the brunt of everything from start to finish..."

"I am the Vice President and Sawa-kun's assistant, so I have decided not to step out of line."

"You really take everything to the extreme, don't you."

I fired off as much sarcasm as I could, but Fuyutsuki merely chuckled in amusement.

"...Good grief."

Exasperated, I found myself starting to laugh, too.

"But, the Romance Ban didn't come up at all, did it?"

Mio murmured softly.

"Well, the student council probably had their hands full with everything else. But, romance is banned within the Disciplinary Committee."

"Eh!? Why!?"

"Isn't it obvious? Thanks to the speech someone wrote for Miyake, the Disciplinary Committee's stock has skyrocketed. Conversely, it means we're in a position where everyone's watching us now. Especially me!"

"It's not 'thanks to,' it's 'the fault of'..."

Mio let out a wry 'Ahahaha'.

"You didn't need to put my name out there, did you?"

"I merely proposed, 'How about doing this?'"

Fuyutsuki smiled a mischievous 'Fufu'.

"However, this has certainly strengthened the Disciplinary Committee's presence within the school—Segawa-san, make sure you do not come within a five-meter radius of Sawa-kun."

"Why only me!?"

"Because you are the most suspicious, Segawa-san."

"Hey... look who's talking."

I couldn't help but retort, but Fuyutsuki laughed happily—then suddenly hugged me tight.

"Wai—what are you doing, Fuyutsuki-san!"

Mio panicked.

"This is training. To ensure Sawa-kun does not get overly excited by girls any more than he already does."

Saying that, Fuyutsuki pressed her self-reported F-cup boobs against me.

"You do not get excited over something like this anymore, correct, Sawa-kun."

...No, I definitely do.

Or rather, don't casually stroke my thigh. In front of Mio, no less.

"I told you to quit messing around...!"

"That's right! I'm the only one allowed to hug Ryo-chan!"

Fuyutsuki asked, looking mystified.

"Why is that."

"Whaddya mean why!? What if Ryo-chan stops getting excited when he's with me!?"

...It's fine, there's no need to worry about that.

It's just that—lately, the type of heart-pounding has been leaning more towards pure terror, so having her get jealous in a normal way like this actually made me happy, and genuinely made my heart pound.

Feeling somewhat relieved, I grabbed Fuyutsuki's shoulders and peeled her off me.

"Anyway, Miyake's proposal passed, so we're just waiting for the board's approval. I guess this case is officially closed?"

"...I suppose so."

Fuyutsuki placed a hand on her chin, as if deeply pondering something. Was there still something to be concerned about?

"Then, since we have the opportunity, shall we have a wrap party."

"Eh...!?"

Mio and I were taken aback by Fuyutsuki's unexpected suggestion.

"...What is it, the two of you."

"Ah, no... I just didn't expect a suggestion like that to come from you."

"Yeah... I was just a little surprised, that's all..."

Fuyutsuki scoffed and looked away.

"...Are we going. Or not."

Mio and I exchanged glances and nodded deeply.

†　†　†

—After school on the weekend, the three of us headed to a certain place.

It was the family restaurant where Miyake worked, and she came out to serve us.

"I'm throwin' in some freebies today! The manager even said it was cool to give ya the employee discount!"

Miyake's expression was bright.

Miyake's mother had apparently felt conflicted at first about her daughter being suspected, but it seemed she was now deeply grateful to us on the Disciplinary Committee.

Hearing that, I felt the weight in my chest finally lift completely.

Amidst a fun atmosphere, we reflected on the incident, acknowledged the areas where we needed to improve, and discussed what the three of us would do moving forward.

—However, what bothered me the entire time was Fuyutsuki.

Just what exactly is Fuyutsuki Niina trying to achieve in this Disciplinary Committee?

She was the driving force behind this entire resolution, yet she didn't speak of it proudly. While propping me up as the President, she took on the role of a tactician, and seemed intent on continuing to do so.

—What is Fuyutsuki's goal?

I just couldn't stop wondering about it.