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~ - The Rooftop Sunset and an Unreachable Feeling
The student council room after school. The western sun slanting through the windows dyed the long table orange. The cherry trees in the courtyard had lost all their leaves, and their bare branches swayed in the wind.
Mizunoe Ume picked up the stack of documents on the desk. 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 natural state by the afternoon. He rolled up the sleeves of his navy blazer, and the old wristwatch on his left wrist ticked away.
(...Will she come today?)
Ume stole a glance at the corner of the room.
Arisu's seat. Her soft, fluffy brown hair swayed gently around her shoulders. Her large brown eyes were fixed solely on the computer screen. Not once had their eyes met since he'd entered the room.
Knock-knock-knock, knock.
When Ume knocked and opened the door, Arisu was already there. Her back straight, she was silently working on the treasurer's duties. Her profile was that of the usual refined young lady.
"...Good morning."
Ume called out softly.
Arisu's fingers stopped for just a moment.
"...Good morning."
She answered. But Arisu didn't look up. Her gaze stayed locked on the computer screen. Her voice was far flatter than it had been until yesterday.
(So it's still...)
Ume felt a sharp pain deep in his chest.
The words he'd let slip that day in the archive room.
Psycho cutting-board monster.
In that instant, Arisu's smile had vanished. Cold fingers had reached for Ume's neck. Those eyes hadn't been laughing.
"...Um, Terui-senpai."
Ume called out once more.
"About yesterday—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say something like that..."
"Please focus on your work."
Arisu's voice was cold.
"I'm doing the treasurer's work right now. Could you please not talk to me?"
Ume was at a loss for words.
(Focus on... work...)
Those words stabbed deep into Ume's chest.
"...Understood."
Ume sat down at his own seat.
A heavy silence spread through the room.
Only the ticking of the clock's second hand seemed unnaturally loud.
—Just a few days ago, Arisu had been smiling at Ume.
"We achieved good communication, didn't we?"
Back then, Arisu had smiled with genuine happiness.
(I destroyed that smile.)
Ume bit his lip.
He'd done something irreversible.
That's what he thought.
A few days later.
Ume was walking down the hallway alone.
The after-school hallway had few people. The footsteps of students heading to club activities echoed in the distance. The light streaming through the windows cast long shadows across the floor.
(Will Arisu-san come today?)
Ume murmured in his heart.
Since that day, Arisu hadn't met his eyes once. There was no conversation beyond work. All necessary communication went through Komaro or Hisako.
(It's like there's an invisible wall between us.)
Ume sighed.
—That was when it happened.
"Hey, you."
A voice came from behind.
Ume turned around.
Standing there was a girl he didn't recognize. Shoulder-length black hair. Navy blazer. She looked like she might be a year above him. Her eyes were slightly sharp.
"...Me?"
Ume tilted his head.
"You're Mizunoe Ume, right? I hear you're close with Terui Arisu?"
The girl stared at Ume intently.
"Close, well... we're in the same student council."
"You seem to be getting friendly with Terui Arisu, but you should stop."
The girl's voice suddenly dropped.
"...What?"
Ume couldn't help but ask back.
"That girl is seriously dangerous."
The girl looked him straight in the eye.
"In middle school, she put a senpai in the hospital."
Ume's mind went blank.
The hospital.
Arisu had done that to a senpai.
"...W-why are you telling me this?"
Ume couldn't stop his voice from trembling.
"Just a warning. You seem like a decent person."
With that, the girl turned on her heel.
"W-wait! What are you to Arisu-san?"
Ume called out to the girl's back.
"...A classmate from middle school."
The girl said it without turning around.
"See you. Be careful."
And just like that, she disappeared down the hallway.
Ume stood frozen in place.
(Put a senpai in the hospital...)
The girl's words repeated over and over in his head.
(Arisu-san did that?)
Ume pictured Arisu's face.
Soft, fluffy brown hair. Large brown eyes. A gentle smile that bloomed softly.
(But that time, she reached for my neck.)
Those cold fingers.
Those eyes that weren't laughing.
(She was serious.)
Ume clenched his fist.
He wanted to believe.
That Arisu was kind at heart.
But.
The girl's words drove into Ume's heart like a cold wedge.
(What in the world did Arisu-san do?)
Ume repeated the unanswerable question in his heart.
Around the same time.
In the student council room, the regular meeting was being held.
Hisako, Ume, Arisu, and Komaro sat around the long table. Komaro had tucked her small frame neatly into her chair, taking the minutes.
"Now then, regarding this week's budget proposal..."
Hisako began handing out the materials.
The president, with her long black hair straightened and flowing, was dignified. Her tall frame—five foot six—was held with a straight back, the form of kendo ingrained in her posture. Fair and kind to everyone, she was the pillar of the student council.
But today's Hisako was somehow off.
"...Huh? These materials are out of order."
Ume looked at the handout and tilted his head.
The pages were in reverse order.
"Eh? Ah, s-sorry! I've just been a little short on sleep..."
Hisako hurriedly began collecting the papers.
Her face was faintly red.
"President, are you okay? Your face is red."
Ume peered at Hisako's face with concern.
"I-I'm fine! It's just a little hot!"
Hisako fanned her face with her hand.
(The president is acting strange...)
Ume thought.
Hisako's hands were trembling slightly.
"Um, so, about last week's minutes..."
Hisako picked up the minutes.
"...Huh? The date on this is from last year."
Hisako checked the date on the minutes over and over.
"President, that's last year's minutes. This year's are over here."
Komaro said so in a small voice.
"Eh!? Ah, r-right, of course! I'm sorry!"
Hisako grew even more flustered.
"President, are you really okay today? You seem to be making a lot of mistakes..."
Ume watched Hisako closely.
"I-I'm fine! I was just lost in thought!"
Hisako forced a smile.
But that smile was clearly stiff.
(Lost in thought...?)
Ume tilted his head inwardly.
—Yesterday, Hisako had overheard a certain rumor in the hallway.
"President, did you know? Terui-san and Mizunoe-kun were organizing documents alone together the other day."
"Eh, seriously? Are those two close?"
"I heard they were talking really happily."
The moment Hisako heard that rumor, something stirred deep in her chest.
(Ume-kun and Arisu-san, alone together...)
Hisako pictured Ume's face.
(Talking happily...?)
Imagining Ume and Arisu laughing together made something tighten deep in her chest.
(Why am I so shaken up...)
Hisako was bewildered by her own feelings.
(It shouldn't matter to me who Ume-kun gets close to.)
She tried to think that.
But.
(Ume-kun's smile...)
Hisako remembered Ume's smile.
That day, on the way back from Kotobuki Dining Hall.
In front of the bookstore, the two of them had talked about books.
"I never thought I'd be able to talk about books with you, President."
Ume's smile—that slightly embarrassed smile.
(Did Arisu-san see that smile too?)
Hisako's heart was churning like waves.
"...President?"
Ume's voice brought Hisako back to herself.
"Eh? Ah, w-what?"
"I mean, you've been spaced out this whole time. Are you really okay?"
Ume peered at Hisako's face with concern.
"I-I'm fine! You're the one worrying too much, Ume-kun!"
Hisako waved her hands hurriedly.
(I have to pull myself together. I'm the president.)
Hisako told herself in her heart.
But the stirring in her chest wouldn't settle.
After the meeting ended.
Ume was alone, cleaning up the student council room.
(The president really was strange today.)
Ume was thinking about Hisako.
(Did I do something?)
Ume looked back on his own actions.
(...Could it be the president heard that rumor too?)
Ume remembered organizing documents with Arisu.
(That time, I was alone with Arisu-san.)
(Did the president see that and think something?)
Ume remembered Hisako's stiff smile.
(Did I cause the president to act like that?)
A heavy guilt pressed down on Ume's chest.
"...What am I even doing?"
Ume murmured softly.
He was dragging everyone around him into his mess.
He'd hurt Arisu, shaken Hisako, and even made Komaro worry.
(I just want to advance to the next grade.)
Ume bit his lip.
After school.
Ume went up to the rooftop alone.
When he opened the rooftop door, a cold wind rushed through.
The sky was dyed orange.
The setting sun cast the cityscape of Kagamihara in red.
Ume walked close to the fence and gazed at the sunset.
"...I just want to advance to the next grade."
Ume murmured.
"Why does everything have to get so complicated?"
The wind stirred Ume's hair.
The setting sun stretched his shadow long.
(Arisu-san is avoiding me.)
(I'm worrying the president.)
(What am I doing?)
Ume gripped the fence tightly.
The coldness of the iron seeped into his palms.
"...Haah."
Ume let out a deep sigh.
—That was when it happened.
"Ume-kun, so this is where you were."
A voice came from behind.
Ume turned around.
Hisako stood at the rooftop entrance.
She held a small package in her hands.
"President... why are you here?"
Ume's eyes widened in surprise.
"I saw you heading up to the rooftop alone."
Hisako smiled, looking a little embarrassed.
"...What's that?"
Ume looked at the package in Hisako's hands.
"Ah, this? It's a bento. I bought it at the cafeteria."
Hisako lifted the package slightly.
"You didn't eat lunch, did you, Ume-kun? I thought you might be hungry."
With that, Hisako held the package out to Ume.
"...President, for me?"
Ume took the package.
It was still faintly warm.
"Yeah. ...I'm sorry for always making you worry about me for no reason, Ume-kun."
Hisako looked down.
"...You don't have anything to apologize for, President."
Ume shook his head.
"I'm the one who keeps worrying you. ...You were spaced out today too. That's my fault, isn't it?"
Ume looked at Hisako's face.
"That's not it! It's not your fault, Ume-kun!"
Hisako hurriedly looked up.
"I was just getting shaken up on my own. ...You didn't do anything wrong."
Hisako's voice was trembling slightly.
"...President."
Ume called Hisako's name.
"I was wondering if I'd done something to you, President."
Ume said it honestly.
"...No. You didn't do anything, Ume-kun. ...I was just going around in circles by myself."
Hisako gazed at the sunset.
"...You see, I heard you talking happily with Arisu-san."
Hisako's voice was small.
"And then somehow, something deep in my chest started stirring. ...I couldn't understand why I was feeling that way."
Hisako placed a hand over her heart.
"...President."
Ume watched Hisako's profile.
Her white skin, lit by the setting sun.
Her long black hair swayed in the wind.
(The president is struggling too.)
Ume thought.
(It's not just me. Everyone is carrying something.)
"...You haven't done anything wrong, President."
Ume said quietly.
"I'm just spinning my wheels on my own. ...Causing trouble for both Arisu-san and you."
Ume leaned against the fence.
"I wonder if I've done something irreversible."
Ume's voice dissolved into the evening wind.
"...Ume-kun."
Hisako stood beside Ume.
Their shadows stretched long across the rooftop floor.
"It hurts me to see you blaming yourself, Ume-kun."
Hisako looked up at Ume's face.
"You're always thinking about everyone around you. ...But sometimes, I want you to think about yourself too."
Hisako's eyes caught the sunset, sparkling.
"...President."
Ume gazed into Hisako's eyes.
(This p
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