Chapter 16: FOR WHAT?!
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Fun fact: an ice cube's only purpose is to float in a pool of their own, and their brethren's own blood until they die.

"Well, then. Today I would like to have a small strategy meeting," Sol says, setting her cup of tea onto the table. "Ah... before that, though. I don't believe I've given you a proper explanation of the Association, have I? Then I'll do that first. I should explain the student council to start with, but I believe that should be similar to other schools. They typically serve as an executive body for school policy on the student level. Is that correct?"

"Yeah, as far as I know." I never served on the student council or some kind of committee in school, so I didn't know about their inner working. All I know is that they're involved in sports and culture festivals to some degree.

"I believe some serve legislative functions as well, but that is not the case at Vincennes. I referred to what happened yesterday as a vote, but in a way, it is the legislative process. That is to say, at Vincennes, the executive and legislative bodies are clearly separated. That is where the Association comes in. Their most important duty is to oversee the holding of votes. It serves well enough for votes on daily matters, but the Grande Vote is something rather different. That is because the candidates are the heads of both Associations. There would be a great deal of room for foul play. Because of that, the Blue Lily and Red Rose societies direct the vote in tandem." This all seemed like a lot of trouble to go through for a vote, but whatever. Who am I to judge? "The administration of elections is their main duty, but in reality, they assist the student council as well. Do you have any questions regarding these points?"

"No." Please just move on. 

"Then let us discuss strategy. The first item of our agenda is our lack of committee members."

"Yes, that does seem like a problem..." I say, pretending to contribute to the conversation.

"Naturally, I have not lost heart. But we must accept that a lack of staff will hurt us greatly in the fight to come. Seraph, did you notice the laptops in the Blue Lily society's room?"

I nod.

"The Associations have homepages as well. They aren't on the internet, but you can access them from the school network. They require a great deal of maintenance, which requires a large staff, as well. What's more, this year, we must rally public interest as much as we can... We can't have members substitute, as one must be voted in to be a member. And I'm certain that a re-election would not be allowed..." She trailed off, and we sat in silence for a few minutes. "I have little confidence, but we can't give up without even trying. We'll just have to speak with each member individually." Is she talking about the ones who resigned without hesitation? That's never going to work without telling them something they don't already know. "Putting that aside, we'll need to expand your social circle, Seraph."

. . .

"...What?"

"In order to pass the Premier Judgement, more than anything, they will need to know you as a person, after all." She must've seen the absolute despair that befell my face because she just dug my grave even deeper in an attempt to cheer me up. "Don't worry. I'm certain everyone will accept you, Seraph."

. . .

I'm so fucked.


April 11. Lunchtime. I'm silently shaming myself at my desk in class. Almost an entire week has passed since I've been told to expand my social circle. As you may have already guessed, I've made zero new acquaintances, let alone friends. I could barely pass by anyone without them stumbling out of my way or just straight-up running away (usually screaming). I quickly gave up hope.

"Keep fighting, Seraph."

"Kuu."

There was always Painmangeur to cheer me up when I was ashamed of my meagre, non-existent friend circle. Seeing that bright, gentle smile cheering me on always put me in a better mood. Sapphire was there, too, I guess. Sapphire had claimed to have an interest in men, and as such, wanted to know more about me. She wasn't lying about it. Sometimes she would approach me directly, and other times I caught her watching me from afar. That part was a little creepy. 

"How am I supposed to make friends when no one will even give me the time of day, Miss Sapphire?" 

"Let me think..." She thinks. "You could bake them some delicious bread, perhaps... You do love bread, don't you, Seraph?"

"Yeah, I like it..." Bread was the food I hate the most in my life. It was very cheap, and I could function an entire day on it. I have no idea how.

"Then I'll call you Painmangeur Junior. Senior is right here, of course."

"Kuu." Painmangeur is very prideful about the fact he now has a disciple. Such a smart creature. Such a cute creature.

"If you wish, I'll bring you more another time," Sapphire proposes.

"Yes, please, I'd like that." I immediately take her up on her offer. I don't have any reason to refuse, after all. She's such a sweetheart.

"Did you enjoy the baguette I made last time? I could make you a batard next time."

"A baguette with butter inside? Yes, please." I don't know what I said wrong, but Sapphire and Painmangeur both giggled at me when I said that. 

"You're very amusing, Seraph. I truly enjoy your sense of humour," she says, still giggling. I think I may have misheard her. She turned to leave the classroom, her long, platinum hair trailing out behind her. She must've said batard. Not buttered. Tabby showed up not long after.

"Looks like it's a hard fight, Seph." I don't know why, but Tabby recently started calling me 'Seph' on occasion. At first, I thought she had just forgotten my name, but she still calls me Seraph sometimes. She had been approaching me all week for what she called 'follow-up interviews,' so I've gotten used to her presence. "Well, just be patient. These girls are all hothouse flowers. They've hardly interacted with a guy before in their lives."

"Sure..." That was totally the reason they've been avoiding me; a lack of interaction with men. It's not like my physical appearance had anything to do with it.

"You're a pretty smooth operator yourself, though."

"...What?" What is she saying?

"Oh, you know what I mean," she says with a knowing grin. "Getting all friendly with Bijou Bleu,1 'Blue Jewel.' Sapphire's titlelike that."

"...Who?"

"Oh, come on. You didn't know? It's Sapphire." 

"That's her title?"

"Can I assume you don't know what those words mean, either?"

"I know what it means. It's... fitting." And also uninspired. Who came up with that? 'Her name is Sapphire and her eyes are blue like sapphires and a sapphire is a blue gem, so let's call her blue gem but in French,' and then they somehow mistranslate it into blue jewel, because I don't think anyone in this school can actually speak French; or something like that, I don't know.

"I know, right?" Tabby says, agreeing with me. "Our school turns out beauties like no other." I'm inclined to agree with her. Every girl in this school is so gorgeous that I'm pretty sure that being prettier than any model is a prerequisite for attendance. "Getting on good terms with Sapphire is a pretty good strategy, I reckon."

"Strategy?" What?

"Huh? It wasn't intentional?"

"Huh?"

"What I'm saying is, she has a title, and a certain amount of influence that goes with it - even more than she realises. So I figured you made a beeline for Sapphire... Was I wrong?"

…Huh?

"Oh, yeah, that's totally what happened," I tell her. "You're absolutely right. I'm kind of a genius like that, ya know?"

"Yeah..." Tabby stared at me blankly. I don't think she believed me. "Sure you are..." She didn't believe me. 

"Whew..." Sol let out a long, dejected sigh as she entered the classroom and walked down to take her seat next to me. "It's hopeless."

"No good?" I ask. Judging from her expression, the answer was obvious. But I've learned to ask, anyway. Her sigh was just loud enough so that the people she wanted to hear it had heard it. I think this meant that she wanted someone to comment on it. I'm learning.

"...No good," she confirms. "I couldn't sway a single one of them." She had been working on convincing the ex-society members. As I predicted, it was a total failure. But since I predicted it, it's a win in my book. "How are things going with you?" she asks.

I shake my head solemnly. I practice conversation and elaborate on my point. "In one class, there's even a girl who hides her face in a book whenever I pass by." 

"Really? What class was it?" Tabby asked, curious.

"I don't know. It just happens every time I pass by it." 

"That's a little surprising," Tabby contemplates, holding her chin between her thumb and her index finger. It was a habit I noticed she had whenever she'd dive deep into thought. Whenever she was deep into her own thoughts, she'd bring her finger up between her lips. "I wouldn't think they'd actually hide like that..."

"It isn't a problem," Sol speaks up. "I've got an idea. Have you ever heard the term 'infolunteers,' Seraph?"

"No, but I assume it's a portmanteau of the words' informal' and 'volunteer.'"

"Woah, you're right!" Tabby says, surprised by my basic reasoning. 

"Yes," Sol continues speaking. "I was so concerned with the official elections that I didn't even think of it... Even if they're not official society members, people can still support us." Isn't that what I've been failing to do? "So we'll begin solicitations first thing after classes today. Understand?"

"Oh, sorry," Tabby says. "I mentioned it before, but I can't help. I mean, I've come ta like you personally, Seph, but officially speaking, I need to be neutral and impartial. Fair and balanced. I can't take sides." 

"I understand." Sol is speaking for some reason, even though Tabby was addressing me. I still have a lot to do when it comes to conversation. "But you could report on it, couldn't you? Tell them we're recruiting supporters."

"Aye, of course! 'Don't let your right hand know what your left hand is doing' doesn't conflict with my journalistic principles. But I'm going to write everything; the good stuff and the bad stuff." 

"Of course," Sol says in understanding.


"Listen, Chloe." After speaking with Seraph, Sapphire had returned to her classroom and struck up a conversation with her friend.

"Yeah?"

The sudden question caught Chloe off guard. "What do you think of Seraph?" She earnestly asks her.

"Wah?! Oh, ah..."

"Is something wrong?"

"Oh, n-no... ahaha..." Chloe lightly laughs it off. 

"I've had so few opportunities to interact with boys..." Sapphire says. "Seraph doesn't appear to be a bad person when I speak to him, but I don't have any standard to judge him by."

"I... I see..."

"Chloe, have you interacted with Seraph yet?"

"Oh, m-me? I, um, well, ahh... Seraph's just..." Chloe begins to stutter over every single one of her words. It's quite uncharacteristic of her to do so, and Sapphire notices. She decides to stay quiet about it, though. "Ah, w-well... about him... I haven't spoken with him yet, so I don't... know, I guess..." 

"I see..."

"Ah, b-but... I feel like... it's just a feeling, you know? It has absolutely no basis whatsoever, so..."

"Yes?" Sapphire pushes her on.

"I-I do think he might not be a bad person. That's just the feeling I get... ahaha..."

Sapphire nods her head in agreement. "I think you're right. Oh, I know. If you haven't spoken to him yet, why don't I take this opportunity to introduce you?"

"Oh... m-me? I-I'm... Well... I'm not..."

"You don't want to?" Sapphire asks her, who had fallen silent. "The chairwoman encouraged him to make girlfriends. Boyfriends and girlfriends... I know so little of the meaning of those words, as well. If it refers to friendship, then I can imagine. And it is always better to have more friends."

"... I'll... pass."

"That's a shame." Sapphire couldn't manage to hide her slight disappointment


The bell rang, signifying the end of the school day. "...well, then," Sol turns to me. "Let's get going, Seraph."

"Right." To battle it is. We left the classroom, and Tabby ambushed us right outside.

"You're putting what you talked about at lunch into practice, right? Could I have an interview about it?"

"Please do," Sol permits. Tabby has joined the party.

"Where are you going to attack first?" Tabby asks Sol.

"Class B. Now that I'm rounding up for infolunteers, I know just who to recruit first."

"Who? Bijou Bleu, right?"

"No, not her." 

"Oh? Who is it, then? I don't recall you mentioning any other good prospects..." Tabby trailed off, placing her chin in between her thumb and finger.

"Well, you'll see it soon enough. I haven't actually spoken to her before, so I can't ensure that it will go well." As they spoke, we arrived at class B. I know this class.

"This is the class with the girl who always hides her face when I pass," I inform the group.

"I see," So says Sol. "Well, I hope it isn't her, then." Sol opens the classroom door and walks in as if she owned the place. As I did, I heard the whispers of various voices all around us, awed by her presence. It seems she's more famous than I realised. The moment stepped into the room, the girl hid her face behind the notebook again. Sol walked purposefully, passing through the gap between the desks. Her destination was... the girl who was hiding her face. Great.

"Oh, Sol. Salutations." Sapphire was sitting next to the girl, so she greeted Sol as she made her way to the desk.

“Salutations,” Sol responds. She stood right in front of the hiding girl's desk. She must've known she was being approached, but the girl hid behind her notebook even further. Her hands and shoulders started to tremble. It doesn't look like it was out of fear, though.

"Chloe..." Sol addressed the girl. 

"What?" I immediately recognise that name and can't contain my surprise. 

"What is it?" Sol asks me, surprised by my surprise.

"Uh... No, i-it's nothing." I don't know why I'm so flustered. It's not like the name 'Chloe' is uncommon. This Chloe could be any Chloe! Despite knowing this, my heart rate starts to increase. Chloe began trembling even more. Sol and Sapphire both looked suspicious, while Tabby looked curious. I was beginning to get excited. While feeling the girls' eyes sharply fixed on me, my own eyes were fixed on this Chloe person. My heart starts racing faster in disbelief. Her notebook was open, and her face was completely hidden, but she couldn't hide her hair. Those characteristic wavy pigtails. Her honey-brown hair. It had to be her. I don't know any human above the age of eight that does their hair in pigtails. "Miss Chloe?"

The moment I hesitantly spoke up, Chloe threw down her notebook and sent her chair clattering as she stood up. It is the Chloe I know! Oh, frabjous day! The dewy emerald eyes of hers only proved it - wait, why are her eyes dewy? Her brows knitted tightly. She ground her teeth. What does that look mean? She muttered something under her breath. Then she screamed it.

"YOU TRAITOR!"

Her open hand flew through the air and smacked my cheek. Hard. I didn't avoid it because... I guess not even my reflexes were expecting it. It was such a merciless blow. For what reason did she slap me like that? 

"Oh-ho!" I heard Tabby squeal in delight, followed by the shuttering of her camera. She was being relentless with the thing. Chloe glared at me, half in horror and half in anger.

"...What?" I only manage to utter out a one-word question. Chloe turned on her heel and ran out of the room.

"A scoop! What a scoop!" Tabby ran off after Chloe's departing form. The room quickly devolved into background noise.

"WOAH!"

"Did you see? Did you? Did you? Violence! Actual violence!"

"Oh dear, oh dear..."

I regather my composure somewhat and ask again. This time, loudly, so Chloe could hear me. "FOR WHAT?!" I yell at the doorway where Chloe had left through. I dash to the door and yell out to Chloe. "FOR WHAT?!" No response. She's already gone. "NAH, FOR WHAT?!" I ask the void. I turn back and ask Sol. "FOR WHAT?!" She stared back at me blankly in dead silence.

"I had assumed he was not a bad person... but perhaps I was wrong?" Even the usually placid Sapphire looks distressed, and tears welled up in her eyes. Painmangeur looked beyond betrayed. All that was left of the explosive activity just earlier was a wave of lingering anger and a lot of icy gazes, all of which was directed straight at me. I can only whimper in confusion.

"For... for what..."

 

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