Chapter 54: Club Budget
"Ronan, I have a task for you."
"Please, go ahead, President."
After school, Kaguya Shinomiya and Chika Fujiwara were both occupied with their respective club activities.
Originally, Ronan was planning to attend his astronomy club—which, truthfully, wasn't much different from just lazing around—but he was suddenly called to the student council office by Miyuki Shirogane.
"It's about the student council's responsibility to allocate activity funds to the school's various clubs. These funds come from donations provided by the OB Association (Alumni Association)," Shirogane explained while pulling out a form from his desk drawer.
The donations from the OB Association were primarily used as student council funds, club activity expenses, and also covered school trip costs for each grade level.
Since most graduates of Shuchiin Academy went on to become top talents in their respective fields, the donation amounts were relatively generous.
"Let me take a look."
Ronan picked up the form and scanned it quickly. It listed the total amount available for distribution and the expenses each club had incurred in the previous quarter.
"There's a total of ten million yen in activity funds, and the baseball club alone is getting three million?"
"Well, it's a sports club, after all."
At Shuchiin Academy, aside from ranking students by family status, there was another clear hierarchy—the club activity pyramid.
At the top were the athletic clubs. Below them was the table tennis club. The third tier consisted of cultural clubs, followed by the "Going Home Club" (students who went straight home after school). And at the very bottom… the manga club.
This hierarchy directly correlated with a student's popularity. Even a benchwarmer from a sports club would be more admired than the president of a cultural club.
And as a side note—since athletes were generally well-liked, the boys in sports clubs almost always had girlfriends.
"The manga club ranks even lower than the 'Going Home Club'? Just how much does Japan look down on otakus?"
"Yeah… the situation is pretty dire."
"So, back to the point—what exactly is the task you have for me, President?" Ronan asked.
"I need you to handle the allocation of club funds," Miyuki Shirogane explained. "I used to do it myself since we didn't have a treasurer in the student council before. But now that you're here, I figured this would be the perfect job for you."
"I see. No problem. Is there anything specific I should keep in mind when distributing the funds?"
"Try to save as much as possible," Shirogane said. "The economy isn't doing great, and donations have been decreasing year by year. We'll need to adjust each club's budget accordingly."
"Oh… So does that mean we can pocket the extra funds?"
"…What kind of question is that? Of course not!" Shirogane sighed, rubbing his forehead in frustration. "Every time we distribute club funds, it turns into a major headache for me."
"Because of the Club Union?"
"Yeah, pretty much. There are a few people over there we really can't afford to upset…"
"Got it. Leave this matter to me."
Ronan took the paperwork and tucked it away.
"But to ensure fairness in the budget distribution, I'll need to visit each club and assess their needs."
"Then I'll leave it in your hands," Shirogane said.
---
On the Rooftop
This was the unofficial clubroom where Ronan and Momo held their astronomy club activities—or, more accurately, where they lazed around together.
"Budget, huh?"
After hearing Ronan's explanation, Momo barely reacted. She remained sprawled on an air cushion, playing on her phone.
"Just keep it the same as last year. It's not like we actually need much funding."
"The economy's rough right now. Can I just cut your budget in half?"
"Nope," Momo replied casually. "Sure, I mostly just hang out up here and do nothing, but the budget still serves a purpose. We occasionally need to buy telescopes and models for astronomy-related activities."
"Wait… Our club actually has real activities?"
"Of course we do. Otherwise, the school wouldn't approve our existence."
"…Alright, fine. I won't change your budget for now."
Ronan jotted down the astronomy club's allocated funds on a blank sheet of paper.
...
Inside the Kendo Club Dojo
Dressed in a traditional kendo uniform, the club captain stood before Ronan with an expressionless face, gripping a shinai in his hands.
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"I'm here to assess the Kendo Club's situation before deciding on the budget allocation," Ronan replied nonchalantly.
"Club funds? Isn't that usually handled by Shirogane?"
"I'm the student council treasurer now, so this falls under my jurisdiction."
"Tch, I can't believe someone like you made it into the student council."
"Okay, insulting a student council member—Kendo Club's budget is getting cut by 50%."
"Hey!! Are you serious!?"
"Completely serious," Ronan said, watching the furious kendo captain with a calm expression.
"Then do your job properly! What kind of nonsense is cutting our budget over a petty excuse!?"
"Fine, I'll give you another reason—because you're the Kendo Club captain, your club's budget has to be reduced."
"That's not a reason!!"
"Still not satisfied? Man, you're really picky."
Ignoring the captain's increasingly enraged expression, Ronan casually dug a finger into his ear and continued,
"Alright, then. I just don't like your spiky hair—so your budget gets slashed in half."
"You've got to be kidding me! You just want to cut our funds!"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"Why the hell should we take a budget cut!? Our Kendo Club has won the national high school championship two years in a row! What possible reason do you have!?"
"Because I'm the treasurer. My word is final."
"What?"
"I said, the calculation!"
"What the hell are you even talking about?"
"Fine, seeing how pissed off you are, I'll give you a more reasonable explanation."
Setting down the paperwork, Ronan locked eyes with the furious Kendo Club captain.
"I think the overall skill level of your club is subpar, and some members are clearly just coasting. That's why I'm cutting your budget."
"And what makes you think that!?"
"If even the club captain can't beat the treasurer, what does that say about your club?"
"Oh? Is that so?" The captain sneered. "Then why don't we settle this with a match?"
"Been waiting for you to say that."
After taking off his shoes, Ronan followed the Kendo Club captain into the dojo. Several club members were practicing with shinai inside.
The captain donned his protective gear with the help of his teammates, and a section of the dojo was cleared for their match.
"Do you need armor?" the captain asked, eyeing Ronan, who was still in his school uniform.
"Not necessary."
Ronan casually grabbed a shinai from the rack and gave it a couple of experimental swings. From his grip alone, it was obvious—he was a total amateur.
"Just so you know, I recently earned my 3rd Dan in kendo," the captain said, frowning. "Are you sure you don't want any protection?"
"Doesn't matter. If you injure me, your club won't get a single yen of funding."
"..."
What kind of despicable person was this?
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