Minus One

—

5.0

—

His sudden request to join the team caught me off guard, lingering as a surprise in the back of my mind. I hadn't expected someone to approach me so directly, wanting to join.

“You want to join our team? I suppose word has already spread about my win,” I said, grinning sarcastically.

“Everyone's talking about it,” Ryo affirmed, his excitement contagious throughout his words. His genuine joy made me feel warm and fuzzy.

“That's great, but why me?” I inquired, genuinely curious about his motives.

“It's simple. I heard about your plan to bring summer travels to the school. I think it's awesome,” he beamingly explained.

“Summer travels would be amazing. Do you have any ideas for a vacation location?”

“The Bahamas,” he exclaimed as his eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

“The Bahamas? That's ambitious,” I replied, a hint of surprise in my tone. I couldn't help but think about the logistical difficulties that such a trip would entail even though I found the idea intriguing.

“I've always wanted to go there. The crystal-clear ocean, beautiful sun, delicious food, and vibrant culture—it's all so fascinating,” Ryo gushed.

As we reached the entrance to the library, our conversation came to a halt. Ryo led me to a nearby desk, where we both set down our books.

“Thank you so much, Marcus.”

“You're welcome,” I said, dabbing at the sweat that had gathered on my forehead.

“And about my request?” Ryo prompted.

“I'll need some time to think about it, but I'll get back to you soon. How about you give me your number?” I recommended.

“Of course,” Ryo said, and he gave his contact details right away. With a wave goodbye, I left the library, mulling over our conversation.

As I checked the time on my phone, I debated whether to call Hazel and share the encounter or simply send her a text. Opting for the latter, I quickly composed a message before returning to the dorms.

However, my path was soon interrupted by the sight of Haku-senpai conversing with another student. Despite my attempt to walk past them unnoticed, Haku-senpai called out to me, stopping me in my tracks.

“President,” I nodded at him.

“Marcus. Congratulations on your victory in the in-class voting,” Haku-senpai greeted me with a warm smile.

“Thank you,” I replied, reciprocating the gesture.

I quickly glanced at the girl next to him and noticed her visibly annoyed expression.

“I assume your strategy paid off well,” Haku-senpai remarked.

“It did,” I confirmed.

Then Haku-senpai turned back to the girl, gesturing towards me.

“Shayna, I'm not sure you've had the pleasure of meeting Marcus.”

“I've heard about him,” Shayna said sharply, her tone dripping with disdain. I couldn't understand why, but it was obvious that she felt some resentment towards me. Deciding it was best to avoid any potential confrontation, I kept my distance.

“Can you not talk like that?” Haku-senpai gave her a reproachful look.

Shayna dismissed him with little regard for his criticism, prompting Haku-senpai to redirect his attention back to me.

“Don't mind her; she's just a bit grumpy. Anyway, sorry for taking up your time. We'll catch up later.”

“No problem,” I answered, anxious to get out of the predicament. With a brief farewell, I continued on my way, not looking back as I walked away.

I noticed that Hazel had sent me a message on my phone, asking to meet by the fountain. I quickly sent her a reply, agreeing to meet her there once I had dropped off my belongings in my room.

—

5.1

—

As I approached the fountain, the setting sun cast a warm glow over the surroundings, bringing tranquilly air to the scene. Hazel sat on one of the wooden benches, engrossed in her phone, her figure outlined by the fading light. She wore a simple blue sports tracksuit, a departure from her usual polished appearance.

“Hey,” I said to her as I sat down next to her, the wooden bench creaking slightly beneath my weight.

“You took your sweet time,” she remarked, tearing her gaze away from her phone to acknowledge my presence.

“Sorry about that,” I apologised while stroking my hair.

But before I could say anything more, Hazel interjected abruptly.

“Before you say anything, I just wanted to say that this was a mistake.”

Her words surprised me, and I furrowed my brows in confusion.

“A mistake? What do you mean?”

“Me joining your team was a mistake,” she said, her voice stern.

“But why? I thought you were onboard with the idea.” I was having trouble understanding her abrupt change of heart.

“After some reflection, I realised I only joined on impulse, swayed by the persuasive scenario you and Diya concocted,” she said.

She had seen through our strategy, a simple manipulation tactic designed to add a bit of compulsion to her decision. In all honesty, even though I knew it was wrong, I needed her on my team.

“I'm sorry if I misled you, but my reasons for wanting you on the team were sincere. You truly are the best fit for the position,” I countered, attempting to get her to change her mind.

“It's not about being the best fit. I don't want to settle for second place. The reminder that I'm not the president but merely the runner-up is something I'd rather not contend with,” she admitted, her voice laced with frustration.

“So you're saying you don't want to be second in command?” I tried to understand her point of view by asking for an explanation. Hazel paused, averting my gaze as she wrestled with her thoughts.

“It's something you wouldn't understand, but I want out of the team,” she declared clearly.

Her words struck me like a punch, leaving me speechless.

“Damn,” I mumbled under my breath as a wave of disappointment and resignation swept through me.

“Sorry,” I said, drawing her attention with my serious tone. “If that's your decision, then I respect it. I'll inform Nomura-sensei,” I continued, rising from the bench and preparing to leave.

But before I could walk any further, I was stopped in my tracks by Hazel's voice.

“Wait,” she called out.

I turned to face her, waiting for her to speak.

“Are you not going to try to convince me any further?” She asked, looking into my eyes. I paused, contemplating her words, before responding.

“No, I won't. It's your decision, and I won't force or stop you. While part of me wants to convince you otherwise, I know it wouldn't be right. Hazel, wish me luck, and I'm here if you ever need someone to compete against. Thanks,” I said, giving her a brief nod before turning to leave.

“Now, everything is left to me,” I murmured to myself.

—

5.2

—

As I scrolled through my phone on that Wednesday morning, Hazel's unexpected message caught my eye. It wasn't a reversal of her decision from the previous day, but rather the information she had promised to provide.

Despite her decision not to be involved in the election, I was grateful for her gesture. I could at least see where I was going with this now. I used the opportunity to message Ryo after our Japanese lesson to set up a meeting during the break at the green area. With one class left before our rendezvous, I had time to prepare.

Hazel, meanwhile, maintained her usual calm and stoic self. She didn't appear to be acting differently as a result of her decision not to participate in the election.

During lunchtime, I made my way to the green area, selecting a secluded spot for our meeting. Not too long after, Ryo arrived, waving enthusiastically as he took a seat across from me.

“Hello, Marcus,” he said with a smile.

“Ryo, thanks for coming,” I replied.

“It's cool,” he said, projecting confidence in his manner.

“Now then, as you probably guessed, I called you here because of the student council election. Since you're interested in joining, consider this your interview,” I explained.

“An interview? That's cool. I'm definitely ready for this,” he declared.

“Let's start with the basics. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and why you want to be my secretary?” I began.

“Of course, Marcus. I'm a passionate and dedicated student who believes in making positive changes in our school. I've seen your leadership qualities and vision, and I want to support you in any way I can,” Ryo replied.

I paused to internalise his response before proceeding with the next question.

“That's great to hear. Teamwork is essential in this role. Can you share any experiences or skills you have that would make you an effective secretary?” I was curious to hear about Ryo's practical abilities.

“Certainly, Marcus. I've been involved in various clubs where I've honed my organisational and communication skills,” Ryo explained.

“What clubs, if I may ask?” I investigated further.

“Well, the Model Congress Club, Film Production Club, and Drama Club,” Ryo answered, as he waved his finger with each mention. “I'm detail-oriented and efficient in managing tasks, which I believe are crucial for a secretary's role. Plus, I'm always willing to learn and adapt to new challenges,” he assertively said.

“It's good to know you're adaptable. Communication is key in a student council. How would you handle communication between council members and me as the president?” I asked, shifting the focus to his approach to communication.

“I understand the importance of clear and effective communication. I would ensure that all council members are well-informed about our decisions and plans. I'll maintain open channels for feedback and suggestions and keep you updated on any developments promptly,” Ryo emphasised.

“Alright Ryo, let's talk about your vision for our student council. What specific ideas or initiatives do you think we should pursue during our term if I'm elected president?” I asked, curious about Ryo's strategic outlook.

“Well, Marcus, I believe we should focus on improving extracurricular activities and fostering a sense of unity among students. Additionally, I think it's crucial to plan exciting school vacation trips to engage and reward our fellow students. These are just a few ideas, but I'm open to hearing your thoughts and collaborating on our agenda,” Ryo shared while scratching the top of his head.

“Those are good starting points. Finally, Ryo, before we conclude this interview, can you share any personal values or principles that guide your approach to leadership and teamwork?”

“Absolutely, Marcus. Integrity, honesty, and inclusivity are fundamental to me. I believe in leading by example and ensuring that everyone's voice is heard and respected. I'm here to support your vision for the council and contribute positively to our school community,” Ryo affirmed.

It was perfect. Everything. His values aligned closely with mine, and they were pretty much what I wanted to hear.

“Oh, there is one more thing. Did you know about Cohen from Class 3?”

“Cohen? I do, and on that issue, well, I tried to keep out of class politics before, but since I am now also involved in the election, I had to stay informed. I do not approve of what Cohen is doing, as it is breeding severe distrust among the classes, but they are aware of the consequences it would bring on them as well,” Ryo said, exhibiting a levelheaded comprehension of the situation.

“What action is your class taking against it?” Curious about Ryo's point of view, I asked.

“Well, our class representative, Tomiko, has not revealed that to anyone at the moment,” Ryo disclosed.

“I do, and that is not going to stop me. It's just some friendly competition in which there is a winner and loser, although I would love to be on the winning side,” Ryo chuckled.

“Alright then. I am through with the interview now,” I concluded.

“Great. How did I do?” Ryo asked.

“Well, you will have to give me some time to mull it over and discuss it with my Vice President,” I replied.

“Vice President?” I noticed his demeanour change but he quickly reverted back to his usual composure. “That's cool. I will be awaiting your feedback on that. Thanks, Marcus.” He got to his feet, casually extended his arms aloft and turned to leave.

I reached under the table and retrieved my phone, where I had discreetly recorded the interview for later reference. I tapped the edge of my phone absentmindedly on the table.

“Now, what next?” I said, tapping the edge of my phone absentmindedly on the table while I mulled over the options and considered the next steps.

—

5.3

—

After classes ended for the day, I was packing up my things when Jaden came up to me.

“Hey Marcus. Can we talk outside?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said, dropping what I was doing to follow Jaden out of the classroom to a quieter spot at the end of the hall.

“First of all, I want to congratulate you on your win. Sorry I hadn't done that sooner,” Jaden began with a genuine tone.

“Thanks, it's cool,” I said, feeling grateful for his acknowledgement.

“Alright, what I came to discuss with you is regarding the building friction that Class 3 has created,” Jaden continued, getting straight to the point. “This is now spilling over and affecting basic interaction between students in our year.”

“This just started yesterday. Things are already that bad, huh?” I remarked.

“Yes, they are. Cohen is basically now barring all contact with other classes. Some clubs are trying to be neutral grounds for everyone, but it's proving difficult,” Jaden said, painting a dismal image of the situation.

“You want me to do something about it?” With a burden of responsibility resting heavy on my shoulders, I asked.

“If possible. Do you have any ideas, Marcus?” Jaden inquired.

“At the moment, I do not. And let me be straight with you, Jaden, I don't see any way to fully solve this except Cohen himself stops his forceful approach,” I said, acknowledging the gravity of the situation we were in. “Besides, I have a lot to think about. I want to inform you that I don't have a Vice President.”

“Still? I thought you would have gotten that already,” Jaden said, sounding worried.

“Well, I had, but stuff happened, and that fell through,” I said, sounding a little frustrated. “Jaden, why not be my Vice President?”

“I know that you are overwhelmed right now, Marcus, but I am still not budging on that. Leadership positions aren't for me,” Jaden said, firmly refusing.

“It was worth a shot,” I said, respecting his choice.

“Sorry, I can't be of more help,” Jaden said with a note of remorse in his voice.

“I did bring this upon myself so I will handle everything. By the way, do you know anyone I can recommend to become a member of my election team?” I asked.

“I think I have someone.” We were startled to hear a new voice interrupt us as a newcomer quietly joined our conversation.

“Hazel?” I exclaimed, surprised to see her there.

“Hey you two,” She said, approaching us with a slight grin.

“Hazel, what are you doing here? And did I hear that you might have a candidate in mind?” Jaden asked, and his interest peaked at the same moment as mine.

“Yes, I do, but it would take some time, though,” Hazel replied, her words laced with a hint of mystery.

“I know that I said I wanted out, but I want to ask you a question first.” With a serious expression, she turned to face me.

“A question?” I echoed, intrigued by her sudden inquiry. “Sure, what is it?”

“Why do you want to become student council president?” Her question was straightforward yet loaded, causing me to pause and consider my reasons.

“Marcus, answer me honestly. Why do 'you' want to become student council president?” She persisted, her gaze unwavering.

That emphasis. Perhaps it's best to express my thoughts as they are, unfiltered. That's what she desires, after all. Very well, Hazel, here's my genuine perspective.

“Well, at first, it was because of the competition that came with it, then it was about beating you. But now, I'm not too sure. The truth is that at this point, I don't have a definite reason. I could say that it is because I want to leave my mark at this school, but that is not my driving factor. I think that someone can do something without knowing the real reason why they do that thing at the time, but as time goes on, they discover that reason within themselves. I want to do that. I want to discover the reason I am still doing this.”

“What if the reason does not exist, and you get bored of all this?” Hazel challenged my determination with a legitimate concern.

“That is a valid concern. That's why I make this whole process as fun and engaging as I can,” I explained and having spoken my truth, I awaited Hazel's response.

“Alright then. I want to retract my statement about not wanting to be your Vice President. So, if you have me back, I am here to begin service,” Hazel said, extending her hand towards me.

“What convinced you to come back?” Startled by her sudden change of heart, but yet appreciative, I inquired.

“I had some time to think about what you said after our conversation that day. Plus, I had a very nagging friend disturbing me,” she laughed, alluding to Diya's persuasiveness.

“I didn't tell Diya to do that,” I interjected hastily, but Hazel just laughed, her amusement evident in the twinkle of her eyes.

“I know. She can be a pain at times.” She said, her laughter turning into a warm smile “So, are we good?”

Hazel shook her extended arm slightly, bringing it back to my attention. I smiled back at her and firmly clasped her hand in mine, sealing our agreement.

“Yes, we are,” I said, feeling a wave of relief pass over me.

“I know I have caused you so much trouble by just leaving, so I am going to put in extra effort for this,” Hazel stated with conviction in her voice.

“Alright then, let's start with this,” I gave her my phone in response. “I recorded the interview I had with Ryo, a member of Class 2. He said he wanted to be our secretary. Do you know anything about him?”

“Ryo?” Hazel repeated it, giving it some thought. “The only thing I know about him is that he's one of the top students in their class.”

“I see,” I said, taking note of her statement in my head.

“Want me to ask Diya?” Hazel offered.

“No, first listen to the interview and tell me what you think,” I suggested.

“Alright then,” she accepted, taking the earphones from me and inserting them into her ears so she could hear the recording.

After a few minutes, she removed the earphones and handed back the phone.

“Initial thoughts are that he is good and seems like a perfect fit.”

It seems she came to the same conclusion as me.

“However, I noticed something strange. He mentioned that he has seen your leadership qualities and vision. Did that ever happen?” She asked.

“You picked up on it too. The thing is that the interview was completely impromptu, and the questions I asked were the basic ones most people would ask. As you can see, his answers were perfect, there was no stuttering, no reflection, no internalisation. It was as if he knew I was going to do this and had crafted the perfect response,” I said, weighing my own thoughts on the matter.

“Cohen was another interesting topic. Even though you didn't ask or tell him about the stipulations he had placed, he was already aware of them,” Hazel added.

This was an important observation. The text I had received from Hazel a few days before was about what Tomiko thought about the situation. Tomiko's response was clear and simple—she would handle Cohen by herself and had not informed the class about it.

It's possible that between the time Hazel spoke with Tomiko and the time I interviewed Ryo, Tomiko could have shared her plans. However, I doubt that was the case because Ryo explicitly stated that Tomiko had not revealed a plan to counter Cohen at the moment.

“So, what do you think?” I turned to Hazel to get her perspective.

“Don't accept his offer. I will find someone else in Class 2,” she firmly declared.

“Are you sure?” I asked, wanting to be sure we were making the right decision despite my already deciding that that should be the best course of action.

“Yes, I am. Just give me some time; like I said, I have someone in mind,” Hazel said as she placed her hand on her cheek.

“Thank you,” I said gratefully and with a welcoming smile.

“As for Class 3, we'll handle that later. Anyways, I have to go now. I'll keep in contact,” Hazel said as she started to walk away.

It was a weight off my shoulders to have Hazel back as my vice president, and knowing that she was the one in that position gave me confidence because I knew that she was the best choice for the role.

—

5.4

—

On January 26, 2024, Hazel sent me a text instructing me to meet her at the indoor swimming pool around 4 pm. When I arrived, I noticed that the pool was bustling with people, perhaps from the swimming club. Among the splashing and noise, Hazel walked up to me.

“Our target is the guy over there by the skimmer,” she said, gesturing towards a figure with blond hair and a noticeably athletic build. “His name is Sullivan Kramer, from Class 2.”

I looked in the direction she indicated, observing Sullivan's easygoing stance against the pool’s wall. His assured manner suggested a certain level of self-assurance but maybe I was reading into him a little too quickly.

“Any other information on him?” I wanted to know more about our prospective recruit, so I asked.

“As you can see, he's part of the swimming club,” Hazel remarked as she watched Sullivan's movements with a shrewd gaze. “And from what I've heard, he's quite insightful.”

Navigating around the edge of the pool, we came up to Sullivan, following her lead. Sullivan, engrossed in his own thoughts, seemed unaware of our arrival as he relaxed against the pool wall.

"Excuse me, Sullivan?" Hazel's voice cut through the din of the pool area, drawing his attention.

“Uh?” Sullivan responded with a slightly surprised expression on his face.

“I'm Hazel, and this is Marcus,” She introduced us with a smooth stance and Sullivan seemed taken aback by our sudden approach.

“This is unexpected,” he said in a curious tone.

“Yes, it is. We need just a bit of your time,” Hazel answered, her shoulders squared and head held high, her posture expressing her determination. Sullivan acknowledged with a nod before gracefully swimming to the ladder and emerging from the pool. He picked up a towel from a nearby chair and started to dry himself off, his movements deliberate and composed.

“I am listening,” Sullivan remarked, turning to face us with a curious tone in his voice.

“Alright, I'll be straight to the point. We want you to join our election team,” I replied, pausing to gauge his reaction. Sullivan's brows sprang upward, revealing his surprise at our proposition.

“I feel honoured, but why me?” he asked, his expression a mixture of intrigue and inquiry.

“You've been co-captain of the swimming club for the past year, haven't you? That's impressive and makes you a good fit to be our secretary,” Hazel said in a strong and assured tone. Sullivan acknowledged the truth in her remarks with a thoughtful nod.

“I see you've done your research, and despite that, you came to me. Seems like I'm a good fit for you all,” Sullivan said, and his deduction was not wrong. “I'll think about it. I would have gotten your numbers, but I don't have anything to write it on at the moment.”

“It's okay. You can just come to our class when you are ready,” Hazel said with a sense of warmth and friendliness.

With that, we left Sullivan to continue his day and exited the aquatic centre. I gave Hazel a hopeful look as we strolled together.

“That went well, didn’t it?” I was curious to hear her opinion of the exchange. But rather than return the favour, Hazel let out a sigh, her expression thoughtful and contemplative. It seemed the gravity of the situation weighed heavily on her mind as we embarked on the waiting game that lay ahead.