A Suspicious Meeting 2

Heeheehee! The turnout for the Pandemonium Society's reelection vote this year was the lowest it's ever been! Don't be too impressed, Great Leader.

(Makoto sure is running her mouth. Well, I guess I'll let this power struggle play out.)

I see you don't understand. Allow me to illuminate you.

Politics is a mobocracy! Therefore, the fewer students that are engaged in politics, the more powerful we become!

Our 3.8% voter turnout is a symbol of the Pandemonium Society's absolute power!

That sounds like a load of rubbish to me, Chair Makoto. Your approach to power is that of an amateur!

Tomoe, report the turnout for the Red Winter general election!

The voter turnout for our last election was 300%, Great Leader.

Th-Three hundred?!

Now do you understand? The bigger, the better!

You could never outdo Red Winter Academy with such paltry tactics!

H-How can this be?! How do I fight against those numbers?

... *sigh*

H-How dare they underestimate me? I am the great, the one and only Makoto!

Yeah, yeah. Can we go back now?

Absolutely not! I, the Chair of the Pandemonium Society, can't turn tail and run after such abject humiliation. I won't be defeated!

...Huh?

Wh-What in the world....?

So. You've seen it.

G-Great Leader...!

It's a self-portrait. The artist truly captured the intimidating power of my authority.

Isn't it incredible? I know, the wonder and awe rising up in your soul must be almost unbearable.

Th-That's not really how I would put it...

(In what universe is that a painting of her?!)

(To begin with, it's not even the same gender...)

W-Well! You have bad taste in art!

You call yourself the leader of Gehenna? With such poor understanding of propaganda?

I truly worry for Gehenna's future.

Say that to me again. I dare you.

Hey, hey. No one wins if we fight here.

And, President Cherino, please calm down. Your approach is narrow-minded.

And you shouldn't react so pettily to mere conversation, Chair.

See, I'm completely unphased by you calling me narrow-minded.

Okay, okay. Allow me to offer you a gift, since this exchange meeting is for our schools to establish friendly relations.

What is your motto, Chair? Tell me the philosophy behind your beliefs.

What do you mean? My motto?

Makoto's motto... It'd probably be...

Oh. She said something after she stole pudding from the refrigerator once.

The pudding?

Heeheehee. What about it? I ate it.

Were you looking for an apology?

I mean, that's your business, but...

You're just...so shameless.

Heeheehee. Let me take this opportunity to teach you something, Iroha. Self-reflection? Regret? Those things only hold you back.

The chair of the Pandemonium Society would never stoop so low.

I, Makoto...

...have zero regrets!

....Okay. Sure. If you say so.

...I have underestimated you.

There is nothing more serious than pudding. I respect your fearlessness in so brazenly attacking our most precious resource, Chair Makoto.

Allow me to answer you in kind!

Tomoe, summon the most skilled master in all of Red Winter!

Yes, Great Leader!

I'll gift you something on par with your unrelenting motto!

(I don't understand either of them...)

...What is this?

The Pandemonium Society held an exchange meeting with Red Winter recently. Their president sent this...gift they created in honor of the event.

It's supposed to be Chair Makoto... I think.

...

Ta-da! It's your favorite mascot, Ibuki!

Heehee! Hi, hi! Ibuki hopes Ibuki's pudding is safe and sound!

?!

I-Ibuki... You see...

Well... Um...

What? Wh-Where's... Where's Ibuki's PUDDING?!

How come Ibuki can't have it? D-Did Ibuki do something wrong? Was Ibuki a bad girl?

No, Ibuki. You're not the one who was bad.

I-Ibuki! I'm sorry! I didn't know it was yours...and I... Regret! Self-reflection! AHHH!

I'm the bad person! I've wronged you! I have so many regrets!

*sigh*