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~ - Psycho Cutting Board Yokai's Smile
The student council room after school was quiet.
The western sun slanting through the windows dyed the stacks of papers piled on the long table orange. The cherry trees in the courtyard had lost all their leaves, and only the bare branches swayed in the wind.
Mizunoe Ume was organizing documents alone.
"...Seriously, there's way too much of this."
Ume looked at the mountain of papers spread across the desk and heaved a deep sigh. His short black hair was sticking up a little today, too. The bedhead he'd desperately tamed with water that morning had already reverted to its original state by the afternoon. He'd rolled up the sleeves of his navy blazer, and the old wristwatch on his left wrist ticked away.
A week had passed since the meeting at the Kotobuki Cafeteria.
That day on the way home, talking with Hisako in front of the bookstore. Her smile, dyed in the sunset. And the one thing her little sister Sakura had said.
("Take care of my sister, okay?"...huh.)
Every time Ume remembered those words, a ticklish, restless feeling welled up deep in his chest. But he'd stopped thinking about it any further. No—he couldn't think about it. His head was already full just dealing with his failing science grades; he had no room for anything else.
"...Well, whatever. Anyway, I've gotta get through these documents."
Ume steeled himself and picked up a stack of papers.
Today was Tuesday. A day with no regular meeting. But Hisako had asked him to "help organize the archive and make clean copies of this week's minutes." She had kendo club practice, so she'd be a little late.
(The president's in kendo club, huh. She said she competed at nationals. ...That's amazing, really.)
Ume remembered the calluses from the bamboo sword on Hisako's palm.
Knock knock knock, knock.
—Just then, a knock with a distinctive rhythm echoed through the room.
"...Hm? The president? She's early."
Ume set down the papers, stood up, and headed for the door.
"Come in—"
The moment he opened the door, Ume froze.
The person standing there was not Hisako.
Soft, fluffy brown hair swayed gently around her shoulders. The ends flipped up slightly, giving her a somehow gentle impression. Her large brown eyes narrowed into crescent moons the moment they found Ume. She was about five feet one—a full head shorter than him. Her navy blazer was neatly fastened with the girls' ribbon, and she wore comfortable-looking loafers.
"Oh my, hello there."
Her voice was like a rolling bell.
"Uh... ah, hello."
Ume couldn't help but flinch back.
(Wh-who is this? This person. She's crazy cute, but... no, that's not the point.)
"You must be Mizunoe Ume-kun."
Arisu tilted her head and gazed up at Ume's face.
"Y-yes. That's me, but..."
"How do you do. I'm Terui Arisu, the student council treasurer. Class 2-2. Pleased to meet you."
Arisu gave a polite bow.
Her bearing was exactly that of a proper young lady. Her back was straight, her fingertips elegant. Her voice was soft, her smile flawless. Everything about her radiated good breeding.
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Mizunoe Ume, Class 1-3. I'm the secretary's assistant."
Ume hurriedly bowed back.
(Huh... so this is Terui-senpai, the treasurer. I'd heard rumors, but she's really beautiful. Total ojou-sama vibe.)
That was Ume's honest impression.
"My, the secretary's assistant. I've heard so much about you. They say you got a perfect score on the Japanese mock exam? How impressive."
Arisu smiled happily.
"No, that was just luck. Pure luck."
Ume scratched his head, embarrassed.
"No need to be modest. Having a talent for the humanities is a wonderful thing."
"...I appreciate you saying that."
Ume puffed his chest out just a little.
(That's right. My humanities talent deserves honest praise. ...Even if my sciences are a total disaster.)
Ume told himself that inwardly.
"So, what should I do today? The president told me to help with organizing documents."
Arisu looked around the room.
"Ah, yes. Actually, I'm sorting these stacks of papers by year and putting them away in the archive. The president has kendo practice, so she'll be a bit late."
"Oh, is that so. Then I'll help too. With two of us, it'll go faster."
Arisu smiled brightly.
"That'd be a huge help. Thanks."
—That was when it happened.
Looking at Arisu's smile, Ume suddenly felt a certain something off.
(...What is it?)
The smile was perfect. Kind, soft, approachable.
But.
(...Are her eyes not smiling?)
Ume couldn't believe his own senses.
No, it had to be his imagination. It had to be. Someone this cute, this polite, this ladylike—there was no way only her eyes weren't smiling.
"Mizunoe-kun?"
"Eh!? Ah, sorry! I was spacing out."
Ume hurriedly grabbed a stack of papers.
"Fufu, it's fine. Shall we begin, then?"
Arisu said that and lined up beside Ume.
—And she was awfully close.
(Close close close! Why is she this close!?)
Ume screamed internally.
Close enough that Arisu's shoulder might brush his arm. A sweet scent drifted faintly. Shampoo, maybe. Or fabric softener. Either way, it smelled nice.
"...Um, Terui-senpai."
"What is it?"
Arisu tilted her head and looked up at Ume's face.
"...Aren't you a little close?"
"Oh my, am I? I think this is perfectly normal."
Arisu said with a blank look.
(Normal? This is normal? Is my sense of normal off?)
Ume started organizing documents, confused.
—For a while, the two of them worked in silence.
Arisu's efficiency was astonishing. She checked the dates on documents, sorted them by year, attached sticky notes, and filed them in the correct places in the archive. There wasn't a single wasted motion in the whole process.
"Terui-senpai, you're really efficient."
Ume said, impressed.
"You think so? It's just practice. The treasurer's job lives and dies by numbers and documents."
Arisu smiled while cradling a stack of papers.
"Is being treasurer really something where you have to be good at math and stuff?"
"I suppose so. Being fast at calculations helps. But the most important thing is managing the money properly. The student council budget is precious money that supports everyone's club activities. I can't handle it carelessly."
Arisu's voice was serious.
(...This person is genuinely diligent. She takes pride in her work as treasurer.)
Ume revised his opinion of Arisu, just a little.
"...Ah, but."
Arisu suddenly lowered her voice.
"Yes?"
"The truth is, looking at numbers makes me hungry. So after treasurer work, I always get a big meal at the cafeteria."
Arisu smiled mischievously.
"...Looking at numbers makes you hungry?"
"Yes. Don't numbers kind of look like calories? When I see '123,' I start craving a 123-calorie pudding."
"...No, I don't get it."
Ume couldn't help but retort.
"Oh my, you think so? I thought people would relate."
Arisu said, looking a little disappointed.
"No, is there anyone who relates to that?"
"There is. Tan says 'I totally get it~.'"
"...Tan—you mean Otori Tan-senpai from public relations?"
"Yes. Tan understands me very well. Though he keeps touching me, so I end up kicking him away."
Arisu said with a completely straight face.
"...You kick him away."
Ume gave a dry laugh.
(This person says some pretty intense things despite her appearance...)
"Ah, but don't worry. I won't do that to you, Ume-kun."
Arisu stared intently at Ume's face.
"...Uh-huh."
"After all, you're someone I can have good communication with. It's been a long time since I've hit it off this well with someone I just met."
Arisu smiled happily.
"...Is that so."
Ume nodded vaguely.
(Good communication? I think we just had a normal conversation...)
Ume tilted his head.
—But at this moment, Ume still didn't know.
Just how rare "good communication" was for Arisu.
And just how much past was hidden behind her smile.
—Around the time they reached a stopping point, Ume realized he was thirsty.
"Terui-senpai, I'm gonna go grab a drink. Want anything?"
"My, how thoughtful. I'll come with you, then. I was just thinking it was time for a break."
Arisu stood up and smoothed her skirt.
"Let's go, then."
The two left the student council room and started walking down the hallway.
The third floor of the main building after school was quiet. Footsteps of students heading to club activities echoed in the distance. Sunlight poured through the hallway windows, casting long shadows on the floor.
"By the way, Ume-kun. Have you gotten used to the student council yet?"
Arisu asked as she walked beside him.
"Slowly but surely. Still, there's a lot I don't understand."
"The president is kind, so you can ask her anything. ...Ah, but the president always turns bright red when she talks to you. I wonder why?"
Arisu tilted her head.
"...Who knows why."
Ume's eyes darted around.
(Don't ask me. I want to know too. More importantly, this person noticed the president's suspicious behavior?)
"Well, I think the president is just bad with boys. Don't hold it against her."
Arisu giggled.
"Uh-huh..."
—That was when it happened.
"Oh, Mizunoe!"
A voice suddenly came from behind.
Turning around, Ume saw a familiar male student standing there. A first-year from a different class. His name was... Tanaka, maybe? No, Sato? Anyway, they weren't particularly close.
"I heard you got a 98 on the Japanese test last time! That's awesome!"
The male student said this while slinging his arm around Ume's shoulder.
—Physical contact.
"Ah, yeah. Well, Japanese is my strong suit."
Ume replied with a slightly bewildered laugh.
"Man, I wish I had humanities talent. You gotta teach me how to study sometime!"
The male student patted Ume's shoulder.
—In that instant.
The air changed.
The atmosphere surrounding Arisu, who had been standing beside Ume, transformed completely.
The soft, gentle, ladylike air from before vanished.
In its place, something unfathomable, cold, and sharp overflowed from Arisu's entire body.
"...Excuse me, you there."
Arisu's voice echoed low and quiet through the hallway.
"Huh?"
The male student looked toward Arisu.
In that moment, Arisu's eyes narrowed sharply.
Her large brown eyes pierced through the male student like a blade.
"Did you just do something to Ume-kun?"
Arisu stepped forward.
"Uh... no, I didn't do anything..."
The male student, pushed back by Arisu's intensity, took a step backward.
"Nothing? You put your arm around his shoulder and patted him. And you call that nothing?"
Arisu smiled.
—But that smile was completely different from the one before.
Her eyes weren't smiling.
Only her lips curved into an arc.
"Ah, no, this is, um, a display of affection, or..."
The male student faltered.
"A display of affection? Oh my, is that so. Are you and Ume-kun friends, then?"
Arisu tilted her head.
"No, not really friends..."
"Then why are you casually touching him when you're not even close? Come on, won't you tell me?"
Arisu stepped closer, and closer still, to the male student.
"Ah... no... I mean..."
Sweat appeared on the male student's forehead.
Ume stood frozen in place.
(Wh-what...? What's happening...?)
Ume couldn't keep up.
Arisu, who had been so gentle just moments ago, had suddenly transformed into a different person.
"...Fine."
Arisu said quietly.
"Huh?"
"If you won't tell me, that's fine. But you know—"
Arisu smiled sweetly.
"—If you ever casually touch Ume-kun again, I won't let it slide."
—The next instant.
Arisu's right leg swung up, supple yet merciless.
The target: the male student's groin.
Thwack!!
A dull sound echoed through the hallway.
"Guh...!?"
The male student let out a silent scream and crumpled to the floor. He clutched his groin with both hands, doubling over on the ground. His face was pale, and cold sweat poured from his brow.
"Ah... ah... ah..."
The male student trembled violently, making sounds that weren't quite words.
Ume was frozen.
(...Huh?)
What just ha
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