The Monday Morning Dictatorship

【POV: Mari】

The courtyard of Tensaku High was submerged under the artificial shadow of its transparent solar-paneled roof. Tech these days is doing a decent job, I'll give it that. The light was perfectly filtered, stripped of UV rays. Totally chill.

But that was only overhead; down on the ground, the air was thick enough to choke on. Hundreds of students are standing in rank and file, as silent as convicts awaiting a Supreme Court verdict.

The source of that overwhelming pressure was perched on the podium—Student Council President, Tachibana Arisa. Just look at her: that sharp short-cut hair was a perfect match for those razor-keen eyes. I held a genuine respect for the sheer authority she radiates—an aura strong enough to make any delinquent instinctively tuck their tail.

Still... I couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. Tachibana Arisa's reign only has until the end of the year. Once she steps down, that throne will be mine for the taking. Better brace yourselves; the dictatorship of Amano Mari is fast approaching.

Arisa-senpai's voice boomed over the speakers. 「Effective this week, the school has decided to bestow improved efficiency upon the lunch lines by annexing 40% of the self-catered seating area. We shall call it... a humanitarian reorganization of space, wouldn't you agree?」

A buzz of murmurs broke out below. Standing right behind Arisa-senpai, I puffed out my chest with unconcealed pride. Of course—that was my design masterpiece.

「Perhaps some of you are under the delusion that the "self-catered" area is a free lounge to meditate over instant noodles and snacks, don't you?」 She smirked. 「If you plan on using "self-sufficiency" as a pretext to occupy space while staring at your screens, then please, take that independence right back home. Wake up 15 minutes earlier and make a proper bento. If that's beyond you, then start getting used to how the real world works.」

Preach, sister. An empire can't let a bunch of dunderheads drag down its evolution. Seeing the sea of shocked faces below, I couldn't help but add a little flair. I extended my hand and gave the crowd a blunt thumbs-down, my face clearly saying: "See that? Salty yet?"

Next, Yamada Ren—the Student Council Treasurer—stepped up to take Arisa-senpai's place. He pushed up his smart glasses and flicked his tablet open with a decisive snap.

「Moving on to the weekly fiscal report.」 He let out a sigh that screamed he was done with everyone's nonsense. 「First, the good news: the Baseball Club is receiving a 5% budget increase. Good job on not wasting your resources for once.」

「Conversely...」 His tone flattened into a note of pure fatigue. 「Tea Club, we're cutting 20% of your electricity. I don't know about boiling water non-stop from 15:00 to 18:00, but it has certainly helped the school's utility bill find its limit. If you want to sit around and chat in the AC, bring a manual fan next time. And the Psychology Club...」

Another dramatic sigh. 「10% of your printing fund has evaporated. I truly cannot justify printing hundreds of "Which Cake Suits Your Personality?" quizzes on premium glossy paper. It's 2041, ever heard of Google Form?」

I watched as the color drained from a few faces in the crowd. Me, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud right behind him.

Ren stepped back. Arisa-senpai took the stage once more. 「Last point on the agenda. And it's a heavy one. It appears some students are using unauthorized software to tamper with their smart glasses. You're modding the OS to disable the warning LEDs and the shutter clicks.」

Ugh, here we go again. A few students started looking around guiltily, their faces practically screaming "guilty as charged."

「Whether you use these mods to cheat on exams, leak documents, or...」 Arisa-senpai's voice dropped an octave. 「...creeping on people. This is a major violation of both school regulations and personal privacy laws.」

Arisa-senpai turned to me with a nod. 「Vice President Amano will be overseeing the enforcement of this issue. Mari-chan, you're up.」

With a smirk, I stepped up, straightened my collar and leaned into the mic. 「Morning, citizens. Since Arisa-senpai has established the stakes, I'll be brief.」 I wore my most "benevolent" smile. 「From this moment on, if anyone activates their camera without a physical signal... I will know.」

A wave of uneasy whispering broke out. "How could she possibly know?"

I pressed a finger to my lips. 「My monitoring tech is... top secret.」

I scanned the sea of faces, stopping naturally on a familiar duo. Tetsu was nudging Riku, clearly accusing him of some perverted mischief. And look at Riku, his eyes bugging out as he tried to argue back. What a bunch of idiots.

But, back to business. 「Don't test me. Unless, of course, you want your transcript suspended and being invited to the Student Council office for tea... and an interrogation that'll make you pray for amnesia.」

I could practically feel the frantic factory resets happening in some pockets.

Wonderful. Authority really does taste like pure cotton candy.

「Excellent.」 I stepped back and gave a loud clap. 「Assembly's over! Have a fun week at school!」