Natsume Sonoko, age twelve, stood at the pinnacle of Thermal Abilities—an utterly adorable girl crowned with the title of Temperature Control.
She had risen like a comet, shattering the barriers between Level 4 and Level 5 in just half a semester.
The source of countless urban legends, both true and false, and a frequent topic of discussion, her fame alone far outstripped that of some smug, pigtailed Judgment member.
Basking in such a dazzling aura, even if she herself was rather lazy and oblivious, she could still be called the uncrowned queen of Tokiwadai Middle School's first-year students.
"Wanting to dissolve the cliques in the name of the student council… while it has a certain legitimacy, essentially means directly opposing the will of Tokiwadai's Board of Directors."
"That's an even greater challenge than facing the pressure from the Shokuhou Clique head-on. Shokuhou-senpai may seem strong-willed, but she's actually quite reasonable."
Natsume Sonoko couldn't help but take a few more glances at the older girl with sheep-horn braids beside her, thinking to herself how truly brave she was.
The existence of cliques was something tacitly permitted by Tokiwadai's Board of Directors—it wasn't something that would disappear just by taking down the largest clique.
The Board, which wouldn't even compromise on uniform regulations, was even less likely to concede on a major issue like the cliques. Natsume-san found herself recalling the letter of suggestions she'd sent to the school's board chairman that day.
If her goal were simply to win the student council election, her chances would be quite high—after all, the student council's status had long been weakened. But after actively inviting the Shokuhou Clique and then declaring her intent to dissolve all cliques, the difficulty of winning shot straight up.
Though, such a declaration was probably still semi-confidential, and wouldn't be formally announced until the election began.
"If it's a student council with real authority, it doesn't sound much different from the largest clique," Natsume-san remarked.
She lacked a thorough understanding of such political matters, but she knew that Gaouin Tsukasa-senpai's idea was to centralize the student council's power, which also served as a blow to a certain Mental Out.
Then again, maybe it wasn't necessarily about targeting Mental Out. Because where there was a chance of victory, there was also a chance of defeat—and the chance of defeat was even quite significant.
"They are two entirely different things."
"A clique would never consider students outside its own group, while the student council exists to care for the interests of all students. It's an organization born from the collective will. That is their fundamental difference."
"A weak student council means it cannot communicate with Tokiwadai's Board of Directors as equals, and can't even intervene when the school issues regulations that affect the student body."
Gaouin Tsukasa looked directly at the young girl before her, speaking with utmost seriousness.
To achieve her goal of revitalizing the student council, Gaouin Tsukasa was even willing to dissolve the clique she herself had formed, taking the Shokuhou Clique down with her.
And after dismantling the largest clique, it would be necessary to reform the student council election system, abolishing clique-based elections. That would inevitably lead to a direct confrontation with Tokiwadai's Board of Directors.
"But if Shokuhou-senpai wins, it wouldn't be a bad thing for the student council either, right?"
Raising an eyebrow, Natsume-san keenly noticed something unusual.
There was a curious saying in this world: if you can't beat them, join them.
The Gaouin-senpai before her had never mentioned the outcome if the Shokuhou Clique were to win, but Natsume-san could guess a little, and it seemed the difference might not be all that great.
"If the largest clique also holds the position of student council president, that is indeed a possible option. At the very least, while Shokuhou-san is serving as president, the student council's authority would see some recovery."
Gaouin Tsukasa paused briefly, her expression slightly awkward, before continuing after a moment.
"Judging by the current influence of the Shokuhou Clique, it already functions as a shadow student council. Combining the two could directly create a student council with real power. And after Shokuhou-san graduates, the student council would inherit some of the Shokuhou Clique's prestige, though dissolving the cliques outright would become much harder to achieve."
Gaouin-senpai went on.
Although this scenario was quite different from her own victory, it was still a favorable situation. Pulling the Shokuhou Clique over to the student council's side would be a major victory.
In the era when the three major powers stood opposed, having one clique win the presidency wouldn't have triggered such a change.
But the current Shokuhou Clique already overshadowed all others. Even without dissolving the other cliques, Shokuhou Misaki could wield the student council's true power.
This way, as long as Shokuhou Misaki agreed to the challenge, everything would move toward a predictable outcome: a significant increase in the student council's authority.
This was probably Gaouin Tsukasa-senpai's two-pronged plan. Even if she failed to win the presidency, she would remain the student council vice-president, while the student council itself would be transformed.
'If Shokuhou-senpai really becomes student council president, even if she herself has no intention of seeking more power, those around her like Hokaze-senpai would instinctively suppress other cliques to uphold Shokuhou-senpai's authority.'
'Not only could they legitimately pressure all cliques, but the student council could gradually assimilate the Shokuhou Clique—or be assimilated by it, which amounts to the same thing.'
'So, whether she wins or loses, it only benefits the student council. One way is fast-acting, the other is a roundabout path to salvation.'
'As expected of an upperclassman.'
A flood of realizations rushed through Natsume Sonoko's mind, leaving her feeling somewhat dazed.
Truth be told, she didn't particularly dislike the idea of a strong student council. It was certainly better than a domineering Board of Directors.
With the student council taking the forefront, the Espers wouldn't stand out as much, and any issues could be negotiated with the Board through the student council.
"But as for supporting the election, I'm afraid…"
A hint of hesitation surfaced on Natsume Sonoko's face as she found herself stuck in an awkward position again, caught between two sides. But she soon knew her answer.
The potential changes in the Tokiwadai student council overlapped in her mind with the image of a certain fair-skinned, pleasantly plump senpai.
In the end, Natsume-san's heart leaned a little more toward Shokuhou-senpai.
Dissolving the cliques to increase the student council's power would benefit many, including clique-less students like Natsume-san.
The only one it truly disadvantaged was the largest clique. Because of Shokuhou-senpai, a certain bun-haired girl couldn't support Gaouin Tsukasa-senpai.
Yet, she truly longed for a student council that could negotiate directly with the Board of Directors. She'd long wanted to wear her own clothes outside of school.
Having realized that similar outcomes would result regardless of who won, having Shokuhou-senpai as president seemed an excellent choice. And her senpai would surely care about her requests.
"But I won't tell Shokuhou-senpai about today's conversation either."
After a pause, the bun-haired girl spoke hesitantly. The girl opposite had specifically sought her support, seemingly unaware of her relationship with Shokuhou-senpai.
But keeping someone's important secret was part of a lady's basic courtesy. Natsume Sonoko also appreciated the other party's trust.
The class bell rang abruptly, not leaving the two much time for further conversation.
The bun-haired girl hurriedly bid farewell and quickly walked toward her designated classroom.
"Gaouin-sama, has the negotiation with the Eighth Ranked failed?"
Watching the bun-haired girl's retreating figure, a girl in maid attire appeared silently behind the senior, her face expressionless as she performed her duties.
To enter Tokiwadai Middle School as a maid, serving as Gaouin Tsukasa's personal attendant, she likely held a Field Work status—though it was unclear which year she was from at Ryouran Maid School.
"Failed? No. Now it's truly become a fair competition with the Shokuhou Clique for the first-year votes. Before the formal challenge, we mustn't fall too far behind."
"Moreover, the previous rumors can now be confirmed as false. The relationship between the Eighth and Fifth Ranked isn't bad at all."
Letting out just a small sigh, Gaouin-senpai regained her composure.
"Perhaps we could invite that Temperature Control to join the Election Administration Committee, to oversee the election process. It's work Judgment members are good at, and members are usually selected from among clique-less students."
"Doing so could also prevent the Shokuhou Clique from attempting any cheating, and neutralize the Eighth's influence," the maid suggested.
This was part of the existing election rules and wouldn't be considered a violation.
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T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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