Class Cabinet

A leader? In an environment where people walked at their own pace, whether it was uphill or downhill, there was a need for someone who could place everything in harmony, especially in this phase - ahead of us was an undiscovered realm of possibilities consisting of supernatural circumstances. Anyone could easily go astray when uncovering something riveting and frightening. In this case, it may be hunger for power or lack of motivation.

Whatever it might be, the leader position carried great responsibilities as always. In truth, I didn't want to take it. My Leadership score spoke for itself. It needed refinement.

"I have chosen some candidates. Any guesses?" Nakano-sensei scanned the room.

Everybody was deep in thought for a moment until a boy spoke.

"Isn't it obvious, sensei? One of our classmates is ranked number one in all first-years."

Immediately, many of my classmates took a glance at me, suggesting that I would take on the leadership position. Well, I expected that they would nominate me. Who wouldn't select a top prospect? Still, I had to decline the offer. Someone definitely had a higher Leadership score than me.

"He is unquestionably one of my candidates. Any other guesses?"

She kept everything suspenseful, not giving anything away. The class fell into silence once again. I would give out an answer if I knew who led our class in the Leadership category. I was inclined to check it out when a girl voiced her answer.

"Sensei, I think Ichinose Yui is also perfect for the position! She leads the Leadership category in our class, and she is ranked third in class ranking too!" she enthusiastically said.

Ichinose led that category? Well, she certainly came to mind when I thought of a leader who would be gentle and serious at the same time. Her straightforward and outspoken character would be great attributes for leading a community.

"Correct. She is also one of my candidates. I have one more in mind though. This should be an easy guess as well."

I imagined it would be the one who ranked second in our class. Again, I forgot to check the class ranking, so I knew next to nothing. But I remembered there was a name that appeared in one of the categories I checked. I put my bet on that person.

Seconds later, the same girl before answered the question. "From what you have selected, sensei, the most reasonable choice is Azuma Hiyori. She is ranked second in our class and eighth in all first-years!"

"It seems you have done extensive research. Both Nakahara's answers are correct. These three performed excellently in the provisional exam, so it is only right to induct all of them into the class cabinet."

"So all three of them will be our representatives, sensei?" Nakahara asked.

That would actually be a good idea. More manpower would cover more flaws. A leader always needs their right-hand men, especially inexperienced ones.

"Exactly. Based on the Pseudo-Grade evaluation of leadership, I will appoint Ichinose Yui as class president, for she stands the highest with a score of 86. Hinode and Azuma will each take on the vice president role."

Everyone nodded with approval. I was glad that they supported us and not having any malice toward the decision.

"If you don't have any more questions, I will dismiss today's class."

"Wait, sensei!" Nakahara raised her voice again. "I want to know more about the dorm system."

"Right, about dormitories. Three apartments for three years. For the special classes, they live elsewhere. Each class claims two consecutive floors, and they are randomized, including your rooms. Apparently, our class occupies the 6th and 7th floors. Also, homeroom teachers who don't have a residence here will inhabit the unoccupied room of their respective class, including myself."

25 was an odd number, so the 26th room was for teachers who didn't have a home in HOS. It was understandable not to have a home here; buying or renting one must cost a fortune.

"The dormitory is not far from the school. You could choose to walk or take the bus. A map of the area is on the last page of the booklet that I gave you in case you are inclined to wander around. Any more questions?"

Nakahara and others shook their heads. I had some questions but I liked untangling everything myself.

"Well, I will take my leave. Stay in the class until the bell rings, alright?" she looked over the room.

She exited seconds later. There was an abundance of information that I was still trying to take in. Not that I was slow or anything, I only wanted to interpret what Nakano-sensei told us as crystalline as possible.

"I'm so proud of you, Hiryu-kun!" Saki exclaimed quietly.

"Thanks. I didn't expect that either."

"What!? You are the most elite swordsman that I know. I thought that you would achieve A-Grade or higher."

"I don't know about that. What about you, Saki? I forgot to check your score."

"It… it was disappointing, but I kinda expected that result. I need to train a lot more before reaching your level," she chuckled ruefully.

Saki was the type of person who took matters seriously, especially when she was passionate about it, like her cooking. She was determined to become an excellent Repulsor, so I understood that a low rating would diminish her confidence. That trait of hers was exactly a double-edged sword. It could boost your confidence tremendously, but it also could backfire on you with the same force.

"Still, the training with me wasn't in vain. I would be impressed if you're ranked in the top ten of our class," I tried to console her.

"Really? I am 8th among our classmates, but I wish I could've done a better job. After two years of training, my Combat Prowess score is only 69."

"Saki, the ratings are based on the provisional exam. It will change. You just have to decide which way it will go. Getting dejected at this stage would only stall your progress."

"Thanks, Hiryu-kun. It seems that I gotta push harder."

Everyone would think the same way. The school set up a competitive environment for students to strive for self-improvement. You either continue the momentum or hinder yourself.

I let out a sigh and looked over the classroom. People began talking to each other and having discussions. The class only had 25 students, but the chattering noises got increasingly amplified. I found it to be incredible that they could spark up a conversation with ease.

"Hey! I heard there's a mall right behind the school. Let's go there later!" one girl hollered.

Even though the class seemed scarce, it still overwhelmed me. I was too comfortable living in a hollow shell where silence and peace echoed. I didn't light a fire but kept it dark and gloomy. Now that I found myself in a vibrant place, my husk would no longer be vacant.

"Hey, Hiryu-kun. What should we do after school? Any suggestions?" Saki was gradually gathering her lighthearted spirit back.

These were hard questions. Nakano-sensei dismissed the class relatively early. Perhaps it was the first day of school, so they let the students off sooner than normal. It gave us time to explore this mini-city. But where should we go? I gazed the distant land, forcing my brain to think of something, but nothing came across my mind.

"I'm following you today."

"This place is super big, you know? I don't know where to go," Saki was just as clueless.

"I thought girls love going to the mall to shop. Don't you want to go there?"

"I'm not really in the mood right now. I think I'll go to the dorm and unwind myself."

"That's fine by me. I want to complete reading these materials sensei gave us as fast as possible."

It was still daytime, but nothing was better than relaxing inside and being idle. You couldn't go wrong with a book on the side and some snacks to eat for the rest of the day.

"Why don't we research together then? I didn't even bother looking at the leaderboard just now because I was frustrated about my score."

"It's a burden, huh?" I sighed.

"Yeah, it really is," Saki let out a wry smile. A competitive environment is a setback for some people, after all. It depends on how a person envisions it to be. It could be an infinite ladder that never leads you to the top. It could be small steps that would take forever to reach the end. But once you reach the peak, a sense of appreciation and victory would overwhelm your emotions.