Even the Student Council Has Its Holes! ~I Reincarnated but My Science Grades Are Still Hopeless~
Mizunoe Ume is a genius—at humanities, anyway. Perfect scores in Japanese and social studies, literary awards under his belt, top of the year. There's just one problem: his math and science grades are so catastrophically bad that he's one makeup exam away from being held back. And to make matters worse, he's been reincarnated—with memories of a past life where he was *also* hopeless at science. No cheat skills. No second chances. Just the same weaknesses, carried over intact.
Enter Hiratsuka-se
Even the Student Council Has Its Holes! ~I Reincarnated but My Science Grades Are Still Hopeless~ - Science Failing Grades, Knocking on the Student Council's Door
"...Huh?"
Mizunoe Ume stared at the answer sheet in his hands like he was trying to bore a hole through it.
Private Fujinari Academy High School, Class 1-3. The day midterm exams from the second semester were handed back. Outside the window, past the Aoba-dai residential district spreading across the northeast of Kagamihara City, the greenery of the Isozaki Hills stood out sharp and clear. The October sky was high and cloudless. And yet, inside Ume's heart, it was nothing but overcast.
"Japanese, 98. Social studies, 96... Well, same as always."
Ume nodded smugly, sweeping back his short black hair. He had a bit of a cowlick problem—his personal cross to bear—but this morning he'd fought it desperately with water. Navy blazer, white shirt, a necktie knotted a little loose. There was always a paperback in his pocket. On his left wrist, an old watch he'd won as a prize in a humanities mock exam. No fake glasses today.
"Humanities? Flawless. As expected of me."
That's right—when it came to humanities subjects, Ume was a genius. Perfect scores on every Japanese mock exam. He'd won a few literary awards, too. Even after enrolling here at Fujinari, his humanities grades had always been top of the year. Tell him not to get a big head, but facts were facts.
But.
"...Math, 21. Science, 18."
Ume's deep brown eyes turned into dead fish eyes.
"Huh? 21? 18? Hold on. I studied, right? I didn't, but still, I studied a little, right? No—I didn't. Not at all. But even so, isn't this a little harsh?"
From the surrounding desks came whispers.
"Mizunoe's amazing at Japanese, but his science scores are just completely hopeless."
"How did he even get in? Our school's deviation score is 58, you know."
"The humanities genius, and for sciences... yikes."
I can hear you. I can hear all of it.
Ume clicked his tongue internally. No—it was the truth, so he couldn't argue. Not being able to argue was the most infuriating part.
Suddenly, a hazy image surfaced in his mind.
—It was the same in my past life.
Ume had memories of a previous life. Fragmented ones. He couldn't recall what he'd done in that life, or why he'd been reincarnated—none of the details. But one thing he remembered clearly.
In his past life, too, he'd been completely hopeless at science.
The memory of getting a single-digit score on a math test and being scolded by his parents. The memory of botching a science experiment and nearly blowing up the classroom. And the memory of being abnormally good at only humanities subjects, with everyone calling him "weird."
"...Reincarnating and still dragging my weak points along with me? Seriously, give me a break."
Ume smiled wryly. He'd finally reincarnated into another world, and he had no cheat abilities—just his weaknesses carried over intact from his past life. What was even the point of reincarnating?
No, wait.
Ume looked at the answer sheet again. Math, 21. Science, 18.
And then he started calculating in his head.
"Let's see—the requirement to advance to the next year is an average of 60 or above across all subjects. My strong subjects are Japanese and social studies, 98 and 96. My weak ones are math and science, 21 and 18. Then English was... 72, I think. Health and PE, 65. Home economics, 70. Art was... wait, what was that again?"
Ume counted on his fingers.
"98 plus 96 plus 21 plus 18 plus 72 plus 65 plus 70... divide that by 7..."
His fingers stopped.
"...62.8. Huh? That's above 60."
Ume let out a breath of relief.
"What, I'm fine. Thank god, thank god."
But the next moment, he remembered.
"...Oh. Math and science have makeup exams if you fail."
And if you don't score at least 60 on the makeup, that subject gets recalculated as a zero. Meaning, if math and science became zeros, his average would be—
"98 plus 96 plus 0 plus 0 plus 72 plus 65 plus 70... divided by 7 is 57.2. ...Oh. That's a fail."
Ume slumped onto his desk.
"It's over... My high school life is over in one year..."
Through the classroom window, the streets of Kagamihara City were visible. On the roof of the commercial building "Arietta" in front of the station, a large clock stood out. Every morning, Ume climbed the cherry-tree-lined slope called Gakuen-zaka on his way to school. How many more times would he climb it? No—how many more times before he couldn't climb it at all?
"Held back... held back, huh... What do I tell my parents..."
Ume's parents thought highly of his humanities talent. So they'd mostly turned a blind eye to his terrible science grades. But surely even they wouldn't forgive him being held back.
Ume heaved a deep sigh.
That was when it happened.
"Mizunoe."
A low voice came from the classroom entrance.
Ume looked up to find the head of the grade, Hiratsuka Toshimi, standing there. A man in his forties. Also a Japanese teacher. And, as always, he had an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
"...Sir, you can't smoke that on school grounds."
"I'm not smoking. Just holding it."
Hiratsuka said this and pinched the cigarette with his fingers.
"Come to the staff room after school. We need to talk."
"...Is this about me being held back?"
"Well, something like that."
That was all Hiratsuka said before briskly leaving the classroom.
Ume stayed slumped over his desk, unable to move for a while.
After school.
Before heading to the staff room, Ume stopped in front of his shoe locker. Changing shoes was a hassle. No—it wasn't a hassle. He just wanted to run from reality.
"...Guess I'll go."
Ume headed to the staff room in his indoor shoes.
He knocked on the staff room door.
"Excuse me. Mizunoe, Class 1-3."
"Come in."
Ume opened the door to find Hiratsuka at his desk by the window. Red pen in hand—he'd apparently been grading tests. The cigarette was now tucked behind his ear.
"Sit."
Ume sat in the chair across from Hiratsuka.
Hiratsuka stared at Ume's face.
"Your humanities grades really are something. Japanese 98, social studies 96. Top of the year."
"...Thank you."
"But your sciences are a disaster. Math 21, science 18. At this rate, even with a makeup exam, scoring 60 is basically impossible."
Ume stayed silent. There was no room to argue.
"The requirement to advance is an average of 60 across all subjects. With your current grades, if math and science get treated as zeros on the makeup, your average is 57.2. You fail."
"...You calculate fast, sir."
"Of course. I'm a Japanese teacher, but I can do that much math."
Hiratsuka took the cigarette from behind his ear and set it on the desk.
"So, Mizunoe. I have a proposal for you."
"...A proposal?"
"Join the student council."
Ume blinked.
"...Huh? The student council?"
"That's right. Join the student council, and by internal rule, you get bonus points on your internal assessment. Depending on activity hours, up to plus five points."
"Five points on my internal assessment... Does that affect whether I advance?"
"It does. Advancement is judged not just on test scores but on internal assessment too. In your case, five points could give you a fighting chance to barely advance even if you stumble a bit on the makeup."
Ume thought for a moment.
"...But isn't the student council a lot of work? I don't think I'm cut out for that kind of thing."
"You'll be fine. You're a humanities genius. Writing minutes and organizing documents should be a piece of cake."
"No, that's not the issue..."
"Besides, the student council members are quite the colorful bunch. Your straight-man instincts will come in handy."
"Straight-man instincts? What's that supposed to mean? I'm just an ordinary high school student."
Hiratsuka chuckled.
"Does an ordinary high school student get perfect scores on every Japanese mock exam?"
"...Well, that's just talent."
"You've got a big head, don't you."
"It's a fact."
Hiratsuka leaned back in his chair.
"Anyway. In short—join the student council, or repeat a year. Pick one."
"...That's a threat, isn't it."
"It's not a threat. It's a choice."
Ume heaved a deep sigh.
"...Fine. I'll join. I'll join the student council."
"Good. Then here—the key to the student council room."
Hiratsuka pulled a key from his pocket and handed it to Ume.
"Student council meetings are after school on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Today's Friday. Which means it's a meeting day. Go now."
"Now? I need to mentally prepare..."
"While you're mentally preparing, life ends."
"...That's deep, sir."
"Of course. I'm a Japanese teacher."
Hiratsuka stood and clapped Ume on the shoulder.
"Well, do your best. The student council is quite... intense."
"Intense?"
"I'm a student council alumnus myself. I know exactly how intense the current members are."
That was all Hiratsuka said before leaving the staff room.
Ume was left alone.
"...Intense? What's intense about it?"
Ume stared at the key in his hand.
The student council room was at the east end of the third floor of the main building. At the very end of the hallway.
As he climbed the stairs, Ume ran a simulation in his head.
"The student council members—the president is Kotobuki-senpai, the treasurer is Terui-senpai, and publicity is... who was it again? And the general affairs..."
Ume tilted his head.
"Well, I'll find out when I meet them."
He walked down the third-floor hallway. The closer he got to the east end, the fewer signs of people there were.
"...Is the student council room really down this way?"
Ume pressed on despite his unease.
And then, the end of the hallway.
"Here it is."
A plate reading "Student Council" hung on the door.
Ume swallowed hard.
"...Alright."
Knock knock knock, knock.
The sound of knocking echoed through the quiet hallway.
...No answer.
"Huh? Nobody's here?"
Ume knocked again.
Knock knock knock, knock.
Still no answer.
"...Excuse me."
Ume timidly opened the student council room door.
Inside, it was dead silent.
"Nobody... here?"
Ume looked around the student council room.
The room was about forty square meters. Two reception sets, a six-person conference table. Through the window, the cherry trees in the courtyard were visible. An old refrigerator sat in the corner—what was inside, you couldn't tell from the outside. The archive was packed with thirty years' worth of meeting minutes and club activity files.
"...It's more normal than I expected."
Ume felt relieved.
"What, it's not as intense as Hiratsuka-sensei made it sound."
Ume approached the conference table.
Several documents were scattered across it.
"...Meeting minutes? And a budget proposal? And this is... a cultural festival proposal?"
Ume picked up the documents.
"Huh, so this is the kind of work the student council does."
He flipped through them.
"...Hm? This handwriting is really beautiful. Who wrote this?"
The characters in the minutes were as elegant as calligraphy models.
"Maybe President Kotobuki-senpai? Or Treasurer Terui-senpai?"
Ume put the documents back on the table.
Just then, he heard footsteps from the hallway.
Pat pat pat...
Light footsteps, almost a jog.
"...Someone's coming."
Ume instinctively straightened his back.
The door opened.
"Sorry, I'm late! The staff meeting ran long today and—huh?"
Standing there was a girl with long black hair.
Kotobuki Hisako. Student council president. Second-year, Class 1.
At 168 centimeters, she was quite tall for a girl. Her long black hair hung straight and impeccably maintained. Piercing black eyes. A star in both academics and athletics, she belonged to the kendo club and had competed at nationals. Third in her year. Fair and kind to everyone—the leader of the student council.
And the first thing Ume thought when he saw her was—
(...She's really beautiful.)
But the next moment, Hisako's expression changed.
The color drained from her face—and then, all at once, she turned bright red.
"U-um, you must be... the new, a-assistant secretary, M-Mizunoe-kun...?"
Hisako's voice nearly faded to nothing by the end.
"Y-yes. I'm Mizunoe Ume, Class 1-3. I'll be
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