The final day of the first year of the battle of representation

I came in early to class, I wanted to wish Mary good luck as soon as I could before the day began.

So, I sat in my seat and waited. Mary surprisingly arrived soon after that, she usually isn’t this early, I think?

“H-“, before I could even get a word out. My mind screamed at me to stop.

I looked at her, and she was a nervous mess. I tried again, but not a word would come out. I decided to let her be for now.

Slowly, the class filled up, and Mary was still busy looking at her own sheet to notice anything or anyone.

I looked towards Hinata, she had Kuroki near him. It looked like they were practising amongst themselves. I’m really jealous… I wish I could do that with Mary.

I look towards Mary again, and sigh.

“H-“, the teacher suddenly entered the class. Did he just kick the door in? Why is no one questioning this?

He walked to the middle of the class with a smile on his face.

“Alright! Class”, the teacher slammed down his hands on the desk yet again. He really seemed to enjoy this. I’m back at school again, for the main event apparently.

“It’s been a day, the participants are ready!”, he gestured and screamed as he had an imaginary mic which totally worked. Why do I feel like I’m at a wrestling match?

“Alright… first…”, he pointed towards Mary and then suddenly towards Hinata, he kept doing that over and over again while murmuring something.

This went on for a while before his hands stood on Mary, after which he let a big smile, “MARY!”, he screamed.

 

“Take the stage!”, he gestured towards the teacher’s desk and stood beside.

“Good luck!”, I whispered.

My words were finally able to escape my mouth successfully.

But it didn’t seem like she heard me, or even if she did, she chose to ignore me.

Mary took an audible gulp, picked up some pieces of paper and walked in front of the whole class. Her hands were shaking, I do not like this.

She looked at the class, and then at her paper and then the class again. Not a single word came out of her mouth.

“We don’t have all day.”, the teacher remarked and smile. I really wish this was actually a wrestling match.

Mary looked at him and then back at the class again, “Hello…”, our eyes met. I smiled as best as I could and whispered, “Good luck! You can do this!”, she smiled in return. I guess she’s very good at lip reading. 

Mary took a deep breath. Closed her eyes and started, “Hello. I’m here to ask you to vote for me. Not because I am the best or even the most worthy.”, she took a deep breath, “If anything, I think either of us will do a fantastic job.”, she looked towards Hinata.

“No… I want you to vote for me because and just because I want it that badly.”, she added.

I could hear some scoffs. Especially from Kuro. I don’t think she’s reading from the paper she took with her.

“In that honest selfishness… I think I represent the class the best.”, she took another deep breath and came back to her seat.

I started to clap, but no one except Mary’s group of friends followed.

She let out a soft smile as she approached me and I returned the biggest smile I could muster back at her. Her smile got slightly bigger as she sat down.

“Well…”, the teacher got up, “That was something… now for the main event”, he opened up his arms, “Give a round of applause! For Hinata!”

Talk about bias.

Hinata stood up and stood where Mary was standing few moments ago.

“Hello, class.”, she smiled. “The main purpose of us having a class representative isn’t power. It is to represent our class during the school council meetings. It is to be your voice, and believe me when I saw this.”, she stopped for a moment before look at almost everyone at class. Idk how she did that, but it felt like she was talking to you personally.

“I will be your voice!”, she exclaimed. “The event you select for our renowned school fair, I will make sure it’ll pass no matter what you choose! If you have any problems with the school, I will make a case to the student council and help you out!”

She smiled while catching her breath, “I’m not the best student this class has to offer, but that is only because the best student focuses on study and study alone. Our class representative has to focus on every activity our class participates in.”

That was a low blow. I look towards Mary, who’s clearly frowning.

“So…”, she stopped for dramatic flair. “I ask you, vote for who you think is the best!”, wait did she just use my own words?

The entire class erupted in a round of applause. “Bravo! Bravo!”, the teacher exclaimed.

“That was excellent!”, he added while gesturing Hinata to sit down, which she did while smiling.

The teacher clapped his hands once. “Alright, I’ll go out for a second and let you guys discuss it amongst yourselves!”, he then left the room. I expected him to kick the door out but thankfully or rather sadly, he didn’t.

A second didn’t even pass before Kuro slammed his desk, “Alright!”, he stood up. Someone’s clearly taken inspiration.

“So, we clearly know who the winner is right?”, he added while looking around him.

“If you’re so keen at representing the class, why didn’t you stand for the election?”, the words came out of my mouth as soon as I heard him say that.

“It’s because they don’t allow the third best to enter.”, Kuroki chimed in and laughed.

“HA HA”, Kuro mocked. I feel like it’s not good in-between the three of us, if that wasn’t obvious enough.

Before Kuroki could get another word in, Hinata stepped in by nodding a no with her head.

“I… fine.”, Kuroki almost puffed up his mouth.

“Done?”, smirked Kuro. “I was helping you guys out anyway jeez.”, he murmured enough to let the entire class know. “Let’s finish this!”

I look towards Mary, who’s now looking down.

“Are you alright?”, I ask her.

She jolted up, “Oh, yes… I’m fine.”, she smiled. But I did not like this smile of hers.

Alright, fine. I stood up, “Wait!”, I let out the loudest voice I could muster.

With everyone’s eyes on me. This was the perfect opportunity for me but I didn’t know what to say except begging them to vote for Mary but I doubt that would work.

Kuro laughed, “What are you doing? We’re still waiting like you commanded!”

I ignore his taunts, “I think… no I support Mary. I believe…”, I gulp down, “ I believe that the one who represents out class needs to be as authentic to themselves as possible.”

The funny thing is, I do believe in that.

“We wouldn’t want our representative to lie to us now, would we?”, I sit down as soon as I say that. I probably made it worse, I don’t know why I even did that.

I look towards Mary, who’s still looking down, causing me to sigh, internally. Don’t want her to hear it.

The teacher came in right after that, makes me wonder if he was right outside the gate hearing away. This school has just got its third stalker… that I know of.

“Alright… I don’t quite remember what just happened…”, the teacher put his hand on his forehead and rubbed it. He looked at the class with a questioning look on his face before asking, “What are we doing? What chapter…”

Hinata raised her hand, “We were going to vote for the class elections, sir.”

“Right… Right…”, the teacher sighed, “Alright, pass this pieces of paper and write a name without making a fuss.”, he passed on a piece of paper to the people sitting in front of the class who then passed it to the ones behind them after taking one and so on.

Is the teacher alright? Did he actually have a wrestling match and hit his head a little too hard? Am I going to have an amnesia buddy?

The piece of paper was soon in front of me, with no one to pass it off sitting behind me, it looked like I was stuck with it. I know what to do, to be fair. “Mary.”, I wrote it down, with my best handwriting, hopefully no one confuses it and says it’s Hinata.

The teacher came around with a box and asked us to drop the paper in it, and then we went back to his desk, “Alright, I will start calling the names.”

“Hinata. Hinata. Hinata. Hinata…. Hinata.”, what was that? Ten? It’s not looking good.

“Mary…”, Alright, finally!, “Hinata. Hinata. Hinata…”, it was good while it lasted. I look towards Mary who seemed to have accepted her face. Maybe I should’ve I tried harder yesterday. No I should’ve tried harder yesterday…

The class vote ended, Mary got four votes, and Hinata got twenty-eight.

“Your new class representative is Hinata…”, the teacher rubbed his forehead again. “Alright… you guys can handle it from now on.”, he said before leaving the class in a hurry.

Hinata took his place as soon as she could, “Thank you for voting me in.”, she smiled as the class gave a round of applause. With Kuroki applauding the hardest. She then looked towards Mary, “I’m sure that my friends will help me correct me if I ever do anything wrong.”

Hopefully Mary’s looking up now… no, what was I even thinking. She’s getting consoled by three of her friends as she still looked down.

The rest of the day went normally, I couldn’t talk to Mary… I want to but the day passed way too fast after that arc.

The final bell rang, Mary got up and started to walk away. I got up too, I ran behind her. I wanted her to know this, even if it didn’t matter.

“Mary…”, she looked behind. “You know… I voted for you!”, She smiled, “I know…”, she replied before going down the stairs.

I sigh… rather audibly this time and slump my shoulders. That could’ve gone better. That really could’ve gone better.

I look up and find Mary looking at me with half of her face hidden behind the staircase wall.

“Hey…”, what is she doing here. “Thank you...”, she ran away after saying that. I tried to stop her but she was way too fast.

I really didn’t do anything, if anything, it stings even more now. I really should’ve been more active but am I even allowed to be active in a world that’s not mine.

Why does my heart sting so much? If my heart isn’t even here.