The Council Recruitment (1)

After looking around for 15 minutes, Hana had almost given up because she still couldn't find the council president anywhere. But fortunately when she tried to check the library as a last resort, she finally found him. The boy who has the darkest aura in the whole school.

On one of the long couches near the window, a boy looked so relaxed playing a game on his handphone. Though the opposite of the shooter game he was playing, his tired eyes seemed to radiate such an acutely bored expression. Accompanied by the sunlight that filtered through the window, he looked like a tree that was photosynthesizing.

"Rei." Hana called. He had his earphone, but there was no way he didn't hear that. "Rei!" She called again, but he still didn't glance at her.

If she wanted to, Hana could just grab his handphone to get his attention. But since they just had a fight last week, Hana decided to speak carefully today. "You haven't had lunch yet, have you? I brought some bread." Hana said while placing the plastic bag on his lap.

And after a moment of silence, the boy finally took off one of his earphones. "You need something? You're speaking nicely today." He said.

"...No, I'm not."

"Sure." He sneered, and Hana could only purse her lips sullenly. Hana was actually one of a handful of people who are brave enough to talk back to the council president. But again, she's not here to fight today, so she tried to hold it in.

"What's that in your hand?" Rei asked again while taking out one of the breads.

"This… is the list of the new recruits for the council." She said. She looked at the paper for a bit, and then looked at Rei again. "Do you want to take a look?"

"Not really."

"...Okay."

"...You're really speaking nicely today." Rei suddenly replied in a suspicious tone. "I thought you were gonna rub it on my face."

"I'm considering it."

"If not that, what are you here for?"

"We'll have the briefing later after school. You should come."

"And why is that?"

"Hello? You're the president."

"Just the president." He corrected.

"Just come. Please?"

Seeing Hana plead again, Rei furrowed his brows a little confused. "But why? It was never my job and you will just scold me after being bad at it." He said.

"I won't--"

"God knows you will." He cut her. "So why?"

"Well…" Feeling like she's being seen through, she started avoiding Rei's eyes nervously. "I mean, Hazel asked for a new member. So maybe you could pick them directly."

"What?" Didn't expect the turn of the topic, Rei raised his eyebrows again. "I already told you to not mind him. He just wants to slack off."

"But he had a hard time last year. Don't you think it's better if he gets a new member? At least one?"

Rei was silent for a while as she wasn't wrong either. But then he suddenly put on a suspicious look again. "But why do you care though? You don't usually care for him either."

"...I do care for him. Not like you." Hana said. Rei was still suspicious, but he can't really deny that.

"Well, still no." Rei still didn't change his mind. "Even if he needs one, later. Not now."

"..." Hana looked disappointed, but she just sighed. She already expected that as it wasn't the first time they're talking about it.

Rei almost sneered 'that was quick' or something. But he also didn't want to make things worse. So he just leaned back to the sofa again.

"Rather than me, shouldn't you worry about Fio?" He said. "Ruining the briefing is like one of his hobbies."

"Urgh, and you have to remind me of that."

===============================

"..." Alisa was actually almost bored because Mary was unusually quiet today, busy staring at her phone. But when she tried feeding her lunch, somehow she found it cute when Mary just opened her mouth happily.

"What?" Asked Mary when she noticed that Alisa was smiling by herself.

"Nothing." She answered with a chuckle.

"But why haven't they sent the message yet?" Complained Mary back at her phone. "I definitely heard the briefing will take place today. So they should send the invitations by now, right?"

"Yeah. But it seems like the others haven't got it too though." Alisa added while looking around her class. Because if anybody already got the council invitation, there's no way they wouldn't know.

"But actually I'm a bit surprised you want to be a member of the council, you know." Said Alisa to Mary again. "You always tell me that the Council is like a dictator and all. So I thought you don't like them that much."

"That's, well, different things." Mary forcedly replied. "Also, I need the handkerchief. So at least I have to become a member first. I will, right?"

"If you really want to, I hope so." Alisa replied.

As someone who is a beta--and never got called to the punishment building, Mary actually has a good chance of getting the invitation. But in their class, people who are also beta are relatively higher than other classes. So maybe that's why she became wary of it. Since the council only picked like 4-5 people per class.

Tring Tring. And finally the message came.

Hi, with this you are one of the students who will become a member of the Student Council. So please come to auditorium no. 4 after school.

"YES!" Mary exclaimed and immediately stood up. "I'll buy you pizza tonight."

"Sure. Congratulations." Alisa replied while laughing to see Mary looked so happy.

Alisa started looking towards her other classmates as well, and other than Mary, there were also 3 more people who has the same excited reaction after checking their phone.

"Do we only got 4?" She muttered.

"Him. Hal also got the invitation!" Gino replied while pointing at the boy behind his desk. Even though the said person quickly brushed Gino's hand away because he wanted to sleep again. Since the first time Alisa and Mary knew him, the boy with the rumpled hair just always looks sleepy.

After that, everyone started chatting again to talk about the result which was somehow expected--that their class will got a full quota to get 5 new council members.

But then a girl that sat behind Alisa's desk poked her back. "Your phone's screen also blipped earlier, you know." Said the girl. Since Alisa put it in her desk drawer, she was able to see it from behind.

"Me?" Alisa confusedly replied. "Eyy, we already got 5 though. And there's no way they'll pick me…"

"..."

"Look! She got it too!" The girl immediately shrieked when she peeked Alisa's phone.

"What? Really?!" Shouted Mary who immediately snatched Alisa's handphone.

"Wait, b-but…"