For the next week, the world actually let me be, no drama or chaos to speak of. It was so… peaceful, that the last few weeks might as well have been a fever dream I'd finally woken up from. Tiara-san and Sakurai-kun spent the week prepping for the sports festival, the council's last biggest task.

And, without further ado, the weekend arrived.

Sunday found me at the Nagoya Athletics Stadium with Yanami and Komari. We'd taken a train from Toyohashi Station, switched to the subway, and after a dozen or so minutes, emerged into the track meet stadium. Today was a big day—Yakishio was competing in the Toukai High School Track and Field Championships—the Inter-High qualifiers for nationals. Earlier that morning, she'd crushed the 1500-meter preliminaries with the fastest time. All she had to do now was finish in the top six.

With that, she'd make nationals.

The stands weren't too crowded. Komari sat between Yanami and me, clasping her hands together very worriedly. "Y-Yakishio's gonna be okay, right…?"

"She'll be fine," said an unbothered Yanami, dunking a handful of popcorn into her mouth. "Lemon-chan's fast."

"E-everyone here is fast, though…" Komari squeaked. It was a tragically valid point. Her logic was cut short, however, by the sound of the footsteps descending the stairwell. Komari jolted upright, looking past me toward the entrance. Following her gaze, I spotted a very… unexpected guest.

They scanned the stadium seats, jumping from face to face before locking onto us. Her eyes widening in recognition, they—or she, I should say—broke into a wide grin and frantically waved a hand over her head.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm late, huh?"

It was none other than our beloved Literature Club alumna—the one and only Koto Tsukinoki.

For a second, it felt just like old times.

"S-senpai!" Komari spared no moment before she bolted, practically bouncing herself into Tsukinoki-senpai's personal space as she grabbed her hands. Yanami and I followed after her, but before we could join them—

"Hey, guys."

—Familiar Face #2 emerged from the stairway behind her.

Tamaki-senpai, our former club president, smiled. "Long time no see, huh?"

Once the usual "how've you beens" were out of the way, Tamaki-senpai dropped into the seat beside me, the two of us watching the girls descend into excited squeals and chatter.

"So, how's uni?" I asked.

He let out a dramatic groan. "I'm barely keeping up, man. No one told me that I'd be drowning in work this early. All I've been doing the entire year is lab after report after lab. And this is only the first year."

"I guess that means you don't really have time for anime and light novels, huh?"

"Who said that?" he shot back, a grin breaking through. "I'm telling you, living alone is the absolute pinnacle of freedom. I just call it "self-responsibility," though. Check this out—anime? I just watch while working on reports. Manga and light novels? Easy, just don't sleep!" His eyes lit up, fists tightening with excitement. "You can hang posters and banners anywhere! Walls, doors, hell—even the ceiling's fine! No one to complain! Want a body pillow? Go for it!"

"And your girlfriend's okay with all that?"

His eyes glazed over.

"Dude," he said, in a tone a bit too serious. "Koto's room makes mine look minimalist. Imagine this—you open the door, only to find walls of half-naked guys surrounding you. Two of them in each poster, always just like, staring into each other's souls. And she's always got BL drama CDs on in the background, like she runs a yaoi café or something."

Huh. They got a love nest. That's one way to flex, I guess.

"Guess things are going pretty well."

"More or less," he said. "So, what about you, Nukumizu?"

"What about me?"

Tamaki-senpai leaned in closer. "Why are you still… you? How have you seriously not made any progress with anyone? Wait, don't tell me—the rumored new first year maybe?"

"No progress with no one, thank you. Nobody even remembers I'm a guy." I laughed it off, but then blinked and asked back, "Wait, you know about the new club member?"

"Yup. She's quite the talent, I heard. She's not coming today?"

Oh, she's a talent, alright. Of a kind.

Speaking of which, didn't she say she'd be here before finals? I scanned the stands and, right on cue, saw our 'talent' appear at the top of the stairs.

"Presideeeent! Sorry I'm laaate!" Shiratama-san hurried over, waving.

"You're fine. The race hasn't started yet."

…

……Yeah, Shiratama-san does not do fast.

Several eons later, she skidded to a stop in front of me, hand pressed to her chest as she heaved in and out.

"Hehe, I ran as soon as I got here 'cause I wanted to say hi to you earlier," she said, beaming. Then she blinked wide, noticing Tamaki-senpai. "Oh! You must be Tamaki-san, right? Nice to meet you! I'm Riko Shiratama."

"Yeah, nice to meet you too. I'm Tamaki; I was in the lit club until last year. And over there's Tsukinoki—"

Her hands shot out and caught his. Hands. Clasping.

"Wha—?!"

"Oh, did you maybe drop your keys? Here you go!" She placed them into his palm.

"Oh, uh… Guess I did. Thanks."

"Phew, that was a close one! You're lucky I'm not a bad girl!" She beamed at him all innocently, still holding his hand captive. "If I were, I might've just snuck into your house, you know?"

"Haha, well…" A grin twitched across his face. "I think a girl like you would probably be more than welcome…"

Trust me when I say he did not just hear himself say that. The grin slipped out anyway, and he attempted—and failed—to shove it back in. Miserably.

{{image:"images/makeine-v8/image6.jpg"}}

I could only stare, stunned.

"So"—Tsukinoki-senpai abruptly wedged herself between them—"you're Shiratama-san? Nice to meet you. I'm one of the alumni—"

"Wow, you must be Tsukinoki-san! I've heard so much about you!" Shiratama-san released Tamaki-senpai's hand and gave a perfect and polite bow.

"Oh, but I doubt anything you heard was actually good…"

"No, really! You're even prettier than people say! All you Lit Club senpais are. Makes me a little nervous."

"R-really…?" And—there went Tsukinoki-senpai. Man down.

The air hung awkwardly silent.

Shiratama-san tilted her head curiously. "Is something wrong? Why don't we all sit down and talk?"

◇

After a quick stop in the restroom, I slipped back into the stands right as the girls' 400-meter final was about to kick off. Yakishio's race was still twenty minutes out, but even I was starting to feel nervous, somehow…

Anyway, I was making my way back to my seat when an arm materialized from the void and slung itself around my shoulders.

"Yo, Nukumizu-kun!"

"Oh, hey."

The arm, I identified, belonged to Tsukinoki-senpai, who had apparently been… lying in wait the moment I exited the bathroom. Which, upon a half-second of reflection, might not be an exaggeration.

"I heard," she began, her glasses doing that ominous glinting thing. "You've been up to something with Basori-chan lately, huh?"

"Uh, well. I'm just helping with the election a bit."

"So, you planning to join the student council if she wins?"

"I am not." I wriggled free from under her arm. "You were vice president in your second year, right? What were the elections like?"

"Kinda rough. Our president was great at being unreliable. She roped me into it but barely did anything for the campaign."

"Oof. You had to handle all the prep work yourself?"

Tsukinoki-senpai shook her head. "Nope. I didn't do a single thing either. My entire contribution was the support speech."

"The heck? You're telling me you guys won on just a speech?"

"Yep, believe it or not. I even remember being surrounded by a bunch of teachers after my speech. Ah, memories."

…What the hell did you even do? I decided some questions were better left unasked.

She leaned back, a nostalgic look on her face. "Now that I think about it, I wonder why the president even asked me to join. My grades were awful. And the teachers didn't exactly like me all that much either."

"Uh-huh…"

She then (of course) refused to elaborate and let the air hang in silence. Instead, she slid her gaze toward the track. I followed it just in time to watch the poor soul in last place stagger across the finish line for the 400-meter.

Even on the same field, there are both winners—and losers.

I stared on absentmindedly.

"So, what do you plan to do, Nukumizu-kun? After the election?"

"…Huh?" I swear I said this already? I wasn't joining the council. I puzzled over what she meant, but she ended up just melting into a smile instead.

"Sorry, that was a weird question. C'mon, let's head back to the others."

"Oh, yeah, it's almost time."

The two of us began to walk back. At least, we were walking back, up until her hand suddenly swooped in and absolutely annihilated my hair.

"Hey, c'mon! Stop that!"

"Things are only gonna get harder from here, Nukumizu-kun. Hang in there."

No thanks. They're already plenty hard.

I slumped under her relentless hair-ruffling, resigning myself to my unending fate.

◇

Soon came the reason we were all here for: the girls' 1500-meter final. Yakishio stood poised in lane five as her name boomed through the stadium speakers, raising a hand and giving a calm bow in acknowledgement. She carried herself with an air of maturity, one that wasn't there the day she'd raced me. There was a clear difference—I could see it.

Silence fell over the crowd.

We held our breaths.

…Huh, Shiratama-san smells really good today. Did she switch perfumes again…?

"On your marks."

The announcement snapped me out of my thoughts, blaring through the speakers. Everyone on the track shifted, leaning forward into their starting positions.

Silence.

Then—BANG.

Yakishio surged ahead at the crack of the pistol.

Her lead was instant. Cheers erupted from the benched members of the Tsuwabuki track team in the front row. Yanami and the Lit Club girls were on their feet, shouting with them. Beside me, Komari had her hands clasped tightly to her chest, her lips pressed into a thin, worried line. She watched in silence.

There was no strategy, no positioning, only her. Her, whose pace only grew faster and faster. Yakishio devoured the track as if she herself had owned it, pulling further and further away from the other runners.

"I'll take nationals."

That's what she'd said back then, that day in the infirmary.

Yakishio.

Clumsy. Awkward. And—surprisingly fragile—considering how tough she always looked. But all that was exactly why I'm able to say this with absolute certainty:

She's the strongest person I know.

Final lap. The gap between her and second place was crazy wide. The only thing left in front of her was the finish line. Before I knew it, I too was on my feet, shouting her name at the top of my lungs. The win was obvious, but I couldn't stop this weird rush of feelings. Beside me, Komari jumped up too, cheering with a bright, shaky voice.

Yakishio blasted across the finish line a solid ten seconds ahead. She slowed, looking vaguely annoyed about the whole thing, but managed a sharp, triumphant pump of her left fist towards our rows.

"Sh-sh-she did it! Amazing!" Komari squealed, lunging herself in my general direction. I had my arms open, but of course, her internal panic system engaged at the last second and caused her to swerve and latch onto… Yanami instead. Yup. Of course. Should've seen that one coming. I was left embracing the profoundly empty air, my arms hanging uselessly as I stood and watched the two of them bounce up and down together.

Tamaki-senpai clapped me on the shoulder, grinning. "If you ever need a chest to dive into, mine's open."

"I thought about it, but I'll pass."

We laughed like morons, still buzzing in our high-strung mood, when—

"My chest's free too, you know." Shiratama-san spread her arms wide in front of us.

…For real?

Unfortunately, that one second I spent processing my sheer dumb luck cost me dearly—Tsukinoki-senpai had swooped in from behind, scooping Shiratama-san up like a princess. "Come with me! Big sis will fill that hole in your heart!"

"W-whoa! Tsukinoki-san, you're so strong! Um—where exactly are we going, though?"

…And just like that, Shiratama-san was whisked away.

Welp. Guess now I know what happened to all the girls who tried to hit on Tamaki-senpai.

Before I could catch my breath, a small figure came running over. Asagumo-san.

"She did it! Lemon-san's so amazing!" she yelled, her forehead gleaming in the sunlight as she punched the air.

"You came too, Asagumo-san? Yakishio was incredible, huh?"

Too choked up to speak, she only nodded rapidly before immediately pivoting and dashing off again.

…Restless as always. Wait, if she's here, then that means—

Asagumo-san ran back to a very emotional Ayano, who was dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief. I get it man, I really do, but right in front of her? I cringed on her behalf.

While we were overrun with emotions, the boys' 1500-meter had already begun. The meet was almost over. With Tsuwabuki's runners all done, all that was left was to collect our sweet awards.

I sank back onto the bench, my heart still thumping an irregular rhythm against my ribs. Yakishio had done it. Exactly what she said she would. She'd crushed her competition and secured her ticket to nationals by sheer force of will.

Maybe that bold declaration of hers wasn't so crazy after all.

"Wow, Lemon-chan was faaast!" Yanami plopped down beside me, a bag of popcorn in hand, grinning her usual carefree grin.

"Fast doesn't even begin to cover it. Hell, that time could've made the podium at last year's nationals."

"Oooh, that's our Lemon-chan." She happily shoved another handful into her mouth. "So, how many more wins does she need before nationals?"

…I stared at her, and clear, glossy eyes stared back.

"…That was her getting to nationals. She just qualified."

"Huh…" She crunched thoughtfully. "Wait, huh?! You mean that was the finals?! Wow, Lemon-chan's insanely fast!"

"Yup. She's amazing," I said with a patient smile, effortlessly slipping into my role as designated Yanami Caretaker.

That day, at the Toukai High School Track and Field Championships, second-year Lemon Yakishio of Tsuwabaki High secured first place in the girls' 1500-meter final.

And with it, her spot at nationals.

◇

Monday sort of melted past me, the whole day stuck in that weird limbo kind of state where my body was at school, but my brain was still somewhere back in Sunday. Even after the final bell rang, I still had the leftover buzz under my skin, leaving me with a strangely light gait in my step.

I found myself staring up at Sakurai-kun's campaign poster tacked on a wall in the hallway. There he was, frozen in a picture-perfect, heartthrob smile, one hand extended as if reaching toward the students. Some girls were even taking pictures.

Yeah… Sakurai-kun really is popular, huh…

My eyes drifted to the policy statement next to the poster. It was a neat list of promises: an open student council, reform of the club system, you know, the usual stuff.

…Uh, hang on. Something crazy's written at the bottom.

"Heh! And that's checkmate!"

Yanami materialized out of basically thin air, brushing her hair back in a dramatic flourish. She jabbed a finger at the bottom of the page, a smug grin plastered across her face. "I came up with that last point myself. Well? Makes you wanna vote for him too, doesn't it, Nukumizu-kun?"

Thank goodness. Sakurai-kun's still sane.

I followed her finger. "The student council website will feature the daily cafeteria menu!"

"Do you even use the cafeteria, Yanami-san? You always bring a bento."

"So shallow, Nukumizu-kun. So shallow." She fished a crust of bread from her pocket and brandished it under my nose. "Think about it. What do you think happens when you look at the cafeteria menu while eating your bento?"

"You'll probably spill your food. You drop things a lot."

"I do not spill, thank you! Ugh. The point is—if you look at the menu while you eat, you're basically eating both your bento and the daily special at the same time. Two meals worth of satisfaction from just one! It's the ultimate diet plan!" Beaming, she munched triumphantly on the bread crust in her hand.

Well. If you discarded all known laws of physics and nutrition, her logic was technically bulletproof. For Yanami, stopping at one meal was already a miracle.

I humored her with a noncommittal nod and turned my attention to the statement pinned next to Sakurai's—Tiara-san's. Hers was full of comparatively more serious proposals: increased budgets for club activities, more transparency in student council work, that kind of thing. Oh, by the way, I never want to be caught editing one of her policy statements again. Cutting down the words themselves was fine—that wasn't the hard part. The hard part was trying to stop Tiara-san from dueling me to the death over every single sentence.

As I let out a sigh remembering that whole ordeal, Yanami poked my cheek with her bread crust. "Hey, what about Basori-san's poster? Didn't she make one?"

…Oh. Now that she mentioned it, what did happen to Tiara-san's poster?

I pulled out my phone. Right on cue, a new message from Tiara-san slid onto the screen.

—Can you come to the usual place?

◇

I arrived at the designated spot—Faction Tiara headquarters. Or, as the rest of the world humbly dubbed it: "that stone table in the courtyard." I showed up on time, 'cause, you know, she called me, but there was no Tiara where there would have been Tiara. Weird. She's normally the type to ambush you outta nowhere.

And then, a figure emerged from the breezeway.

It was Chikapyon (Season 2 Ver., to be specific) from this season's anime Borderline Gals. My eyes locked instantly, as always, on her signature vertically-striped thigh-high socks—the very pattern that has never failed to capture my heart. I still get chills remembering Episode 9, Operation Absolute Territory, where it was finally revealed they were made from one hundred percent cotton—

…

………Chikapyon?

No. No way. Please. Don't tell me I finally lost it.

I scrubbed at my eyes desperately, but the hallucination refused to dissipate. There she was, in Tsuwabuki High uniform, skirt shortened just enough to showcase that sacred strip of skin between its hem and the tops of those vertically-striped thigh highs I knew all too well. Absolute Territory^[1]. Her hair fell straight and sleek, tied into modest knots just above her ears from which little tufts jutted outward; twintails^[2].

As this apparition stopped in front of me, my brain began to register some slight discrepancies. The eyebrows seemed a shade heavier than Chikaypon's. And on the side of her neck—there was a…

Mole.

…Tiara-san. What in the ever-loving hell are you doing?

"U-um, sorry to keep you waiting, Nukumizu-san." She wilted under my stunned gaze in shame, cheeks burning a brilliant red.

"O-oh… Nah, I just got here."

She began fidgeting, the tip of her shoe tracing nervous little circles on the pavement. "D-don't you notice anything… different?"

"Uh… different how?"

Notice something? Oh no, I couldn't possibly notice how you're fully dressed up.

Of course, I wouldn't dare point that out aloud.

"L-look, at… this," she said, red rising on her cheeks as she patted the tufts of hair sticking out from below with the palms of her hand. "See? See?"

"……"

What the hell am I witnessing?

For lack of any better response, I decided to simply… watch. If the (sort of) oh-so-serious Tiara-san—for whatever crazy reason—is showing me a sight like this, not burning it into my head would just be rude.

"Nukumizu-san… come on… say something…"

Her momentum was evaporating, the blush now spreading down to her neck. I let the silence hang, morbidly curious to see how far she'd take it, until her flush palede and she started to tremble.

"Tiara-san, maybe that's enou—"

"Nukumizu-san! Say something already!" she finally snapped.

"Well, uh, I—I'm completely lost here…"

She pressed closer, invading my personal space. "B-but you said you liked this character, right?!"

…Well, yes, I do like Chikapyon, but what does that have to do with you cosplayi—

"Hello and sorry to interrupt! Newspaper club here!" A girl bounded over, camera swinging from her neck. She bowed with a cheerful smile. (On an unrelated side note, her skirt was scandalously short.) "Basori-san, you still haven't had your election poster photo taken, right?"

"Huh? No, but I already submitted one to the teacher."

"That was from last year's council inauguration photo! According to the rules, it has to be taken within the last three months."

Huh. Didn't know the rules were that detailed.

"My apologies." Tiara-san immediately bowed her head. "I'll come by another day for a proper shoot."

"Nope, sensei wants it today. Come on, let's go." The cheerful newspaper club girl seized Tiara-san's arm with a grin as wide as a salesperson's.

"H-hold on! Not while I'm dressed like this—"

"No time. Posters have to go to print today. The teacher's been waiting, you know."

"Wait! I—I can't—"

…And Tiara-san was dragged off.

She threw me a desperate glance over her shoulder, but rules are rules. Nothing I could do. Sorry, Tiara-san.

Left behind in the courtyard, I tilted my head up at the still-bright sky.

So, in the end… What was the point of the cosplay?

◇

Tucked away near the station on the north side of Tokiwa Street Arcade was an old-fashioned café, residing on the second floor of a building likely older than me. It was well-established with a calm atmosphere, tending to draw in customers on the older side.

Two days after the Great Chikapyon Incident, I now found myself sitting across from its main perpetrator. A very miserable Tiara Basori-san was currently performing a dramatic impression of a puddle of despair, her face planted firmly in the crook of her arms, folded against the wooden table. A low, guttural moan seeped from her lips, seeming to come from the very depths of her soul.

"It's not what it looks like… It's really not…" she moaned. She was back to her usual, sensible hairstyle, unfortunately. Tragic.

"C'mon, look at it. You were totally in character, right? You looked like you were having fun," I said, holding up my phone. On the screen gleamed her official election poster—Candidate for Student Council President, Tiara Basori—frozen in the unmistakable Chikapyon pose, both index fingers spinning in circles.

"It was on instinct! They told me to do a pose, and I accidentally did the one that I'd been practicing… and—don't look at that photo here!" She shot upright, arms flailing. Good to see her spirit was intact.

She finally seemed to process our surroundings, eyes flicking around the unfamiliar setting of the café suspiciously. "…More importantly, why exactly did you bring me here?"

"You said you wanted to get away from school, remember? And since you never replied to me, I went ahead and took the liberty." I slid a glass of red grape juice toward her. She picked it up, scrutinizing it.

"…It's not coffee."

"No. You're not really a coffee person, are you?"

"How do you know that?"

"Remember the board game café? You pretty much drowned it in sugar and milk before drinking it. And all in one gulp." I lifted my own glass of grape juice. "Anyway, sweet stuff's better when you're tired, in my opinion. Usually I order coffee too, but today just felt like a juice day."

Tiara-san studied the drink for a long moment, then took a gentle sip through the straw.

"Delicious…"

"Right? They use grapes from a winery in Azumino."

Some of the tension finally left her shoulders. I moved to drink as well when her narrowed eyes cut toward me, and she murmured something under her breath.

"…You really are used to this."

"Huh? Used to what?"

"You have this… suspiciously smooth routine for dealing with vulnerable girls. Bring them to a quiet and isolated café, trap them with something sweet… then win them over…"

Now that's an unfair accusation. "I just used to come here with my parents when I was a kid."

"I see. And then you started using it to lure girls."

The audacity. For the record, she was the first girl I've ever brought here besides Kaju. Well, on a different note, I guess that she's back to normal now. Time to get to the point.

"So," I began, leaning forward, "why exactly were you dressed like that the other day?"

Tiara-san did a spectacular spit-take with her grape juice.

"Pfft!" A fine mist of Azumino grapes filled the air between us. She pressed a handkerchief to her lips, eyes wide and watery. "Do I… really need to explain that?"

"I mean, it's related to the election too."

"Um, that's… kind of…" She fumbled, clearly searching for an escape route. Don't wanna fess up, eh?

I sighed and whipped out the election photo.

"Alright, fine! I was seducing you, seducing!" she blurted, lurching forward. "I was attempting to seduce you into being my nominator!" Gasping for air, she desperately chugged down the last of her grape juice.

Wait. So… I was being seduced in public? I… I had no idea.

"Let me get this straight. Your plan was… to show up in that outfit and go, 'Please support me, nyaa~'?"

"Yes! Well, minus the 'nyaa'!" Now that the cat was out of the bag, she smacked the empty glass down on the table with finality. "Since it's come to this, let me ask you again properly."

She straightened her back, her face becoming solemn, eyes unwavering on mine. She cleared her throat.

"Won't you please reconsider? I want your support, Nukumizu-san."

….Why go this far?

I hesitated, choosing my words carefully. "Why me? You'd definitely get more votes if you asked a teacher instead."

"Perhaps. But I'm asking you."

We're just going in circles. What am I supposed to say? And so, I made my resolve and lifted my chin to refuse—but she beat me to it.

"Do you know how I was appointed vice president?"

"Shikiya-san recommended you, right?"

Tiara-san nodded, gaze sinking to the empty glass. "We'd never even spoken properly before that. Why would she want someone like me? Why make me vice president? I was too scared to ever ask."

She continued.

"My first real interaction with the senpais was back when I volunteered to help the student council. I was… not particularly useful, even back then, to be honest."

"Nah, that's not tr—"

Tiara-san slowly shook her head. "You know this already, but—I'm stubborn. I cause conflict. I always have been. In fact, I argued so much the president had to mediate. So when President Houkobaru asked me to be her nominator in last year's election, I could've sworn she was joking."

She cupped the glass of water in her hands, watching its surface ripple.

"In hindsight, it may have been sympathy. I guess they felt sorry for me, constantly fighting with people. So they wanted me where they could keep an eye on me." She looked up. "That's why—I want to win. To stay with everyone as equals—as real friends. Not because of their sympathy. Because I earned it."

"Then," I paused. "Why me?"

"The president and the others care about you so much. To me, it seems like… you have something I lack."

Her unwavering gaze pinned me down. I offered a weak smile. "You're exaggerating."

"I'm not."

Her tone left no room for argument.

"Last year, when I gave President Houkobaru's support speech, my legs were shaking so badly I thought I'd collapse."

"Oh yeah, right. You gave one too, huh?"

"…You were there, Nukumizu-san."

Oh. Was I?

Tiara-san cleared her throat and pressed on. "For a year now, people have called me arrogant. They say I hide behind the president's authority, acting all high and mighty. And now I'm the candidate. Now, I stand in the same position where the president stood. And honestly—I'm terrified. I can't help it." She placed a hand on her chest, and took a deep, steadying breath. "So I need your words. Even if they're just polite and only for show—if I have that, I think—surely, I can stand there with confidence. So please—"

Her gaze was unwavering.

"—for now, just this once. Won't you support me? Only me?"

Silence swallowed her heartfelt plea. Unsure what to say, I was left only staring.

"…Sorry. That was a lot."

"No, it's fine…"

Another awkward silence stretched between us until she forced a smile at the passing waiter. "My treat. Let's order coffee."

"Huh? You hate coffee."

"I do. But if you like it, I should gradually get used to it."

Why would my coffee preferences have any bearing on your life…?

"By the way"—Tiara-san took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her bag—"I had the school newspaper printed. The election analysis is surprisingly thorough." She spread the paper out on the table.

"They did an election analysis?" I asked.

"Apparently they conducted a poll. Look here."

She tapped a slender finger against a pie chart. Color divided the approval ratings. Sakurai-kun held 45% of the projected vote, she had 30%, and 25% were undecided. The chart went pretty deep, breaking things down by grade and gender. Not surprisingly, Sakurai-kun had solid support from the first- and third-year girls, plus the second-year boys. Tiara-san was holding her own with the first-year boys, to her credit. But for now, I couldn't say the numbers gave her much of an edge.

Seeing her face harden, I lifted the sheet. "Don't take this too seriously. The newspaper's half full of gossip anyway. Calling Sakurai-kun the enemy of women, for example. You don't get lower than that." I mean, he was our rival, but that was just a cheap shot.

Her face twisted in a complicated grimace.

"What's wrong?"

"…I believe the enemy of women refers to you, Nukumizu-san."

"Wha—?! Me? I've never even had a girlfriend, let alone two!"

"Yes, I know. You prefer men, after all."

"That is untrue," I retorted, my polite speech reflex kicking in. Tiara-san calmly pulled out a notebook. "…What are you doing now?"

"Sorry. I keep a record of matters that require consideration so I can revisit them later when I'm sane."

So you… aren't sane right now? Could've fooled me, considering the whole monologue you just did.

She muttered as she scribbled. "Let's see… Nukumizu-san… men, women… doesn't really matter… just anyone…"

Please stop glancing up at me as you write that. And that's not it, either. Still, I swallowed my protests; interrupting whatever therapeutic process this was seemed unwise.

To distract myself, I went back and reread the gossip about "my" supposed womanizing—and man, they really wrote whatever the hell they wanted, huh? Apparently I chase tons of girls without dating any. A total piece of crap, they called me. Oh, and then there was this "second-year beauty Ms A." Huh, that's definitely Anna Yanami, right? Wow, they messed with her story even more than mine… though, why is some of it actually pretty close to the truth…?

—Clack. She shut her notebook with a brisk smile. "All right. Thank you for waiting. I'm fine now." She hesitantly took a sip of the freshly arrived coffee.

"Black's okay?"

"…Surprisingly, yes. But I'll add a little sugar." I watched, amused, as she stirred it in.

I took a sip of my own drink. "…Damn, this is crazy good. What'd you even order?"

"Kilimanjaro. It said The King of Coffee on the menu."

That's an expensive one. She is paying, right?

As I, now deeply suspicious thanks to someone, sipped my coffee, Tiara-san glanced at her watch. "It's almost six."

Huh? She has a curfew?

"The school newspaper releases its second issue online at six," she said, pulling out her phone.

"Oh, the one that said 'read online for the rest'?"

"I'm not really sure how it works, but apparently, you can read the rest if you pay. They said the annual plan was the better deal, so I bought that one." Uh, you probably shouldn't sign up to things you don't understand…

Tiara-san stared intently at the smartphone for a second.

"Nukumizu-san! Look!" She suddenly turned the screen to me.

"Er… Vice President Basori's cosplay release will be paywalled for—'"

"Not that! This!"

The latest survey results. Sakurai-kun had a slight increase from last time—50. But Tiara-san had… jumped all the way to 45!

She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "That's a tremendous leap! Maybe people saw the sincerity in my policy statement?"

"Could be. Mind showing me the breakdown?" I compared them to the earlier chart. "Let's see. You've gained a massive increase in male support. The female votes… actually dropped. Oh. I see what happened…" The truth dawned on me, though I hesitated to say it aloud.

Tiara-san leaned in closer. "What? No need to hold back."

"Guess your cosplay poster was… a hit."

Her whole body jolted.

"M-my outfit…? That helped?"

…I mean. All's well that ends well, you know?

I borrowed Tiara-san's phone and skimmed through the article. "Oh, they have a forum on their site."

"A forum? What are they saying?"

"Uh, just a second…" I subtly angled the screen away from her. High school forums are a lawless wasteland of anonymous takes; it was for her own good.

> "Why's she even cosplaying?"

> "Nope. Just… nope."

> "Classic. Campaigning with sex appeal."

Yeah, that was about what I expected. The poster's dynamic, low-angle shot of a flustered Tiara-san was quite… impactful, but perhaps a bit too much for the stoic students of Tsuwabuki. I definitely couldn't let her see this—

> "Absolute Territory! Absolutely have my vote!"

> "Chikapyon, Chikapyon!"

> "Chikapyon-pyon!"

…Yep. Absolutely, definitively, could not show her this.

"What's wrong?"

"Better if you don't."

"I already paraded myself before the entire school—I can handle a forum too," she declared, snatching the phone back from my hand. She read, her eyes narrowing. She stared at the screen for a long moment.

"…Some of these I expected, though some less so."

"Well, the chants are references to Episode 8 of Season 1, the baseball episode—"

"I know. I watched all twelve episodes of Borderline Gals before I dressed like that."

I see. She should go watch Season 2 too, then.

"What does 'I'm right on the borderline, too—pyon!'^[3] mean?"

"Dunno. Don't google it." Looks like Tsuwabuki houses more of my kind than I'd thought. Nice to know.

At any rate, Tiara-san seemed to be taking the forum's… enthusiasm… in stride. Which is great, but what I'm more worried about right now is the state the votes are looking at. She was only five votes behind Sakurai; but there are also five remaining undecided votes. So at this rate, even if she swept all the undecideds, the best she could hope for was a tie.

Therefore, to win, she would need to steal votes directly from Sakurai-kun somehow.

"They're discussing Sakurai-kun on the forum too. Most of his supporters seem to be girls."

"Don't trust the genders listed in their bios," I warned. That was rule number one of the internet.

I thought about the Sakurai faction. The Literature Club was already thin enough on people as it was. If he won, Yanami would be whisked away as vice president. With Komari's writing pace having slowed down recently, we couldn't afford to lose any more manpower…

Tiara-san, who had been silently looking at the screen, let out a long breath. "Until last week, I didn't think I had any chance of winning. But now… it looks like I can put up a fight."

She looked at me, her eyes dead serious. "I want to win. I want to become student council president by my own ability, and not out of sympathy. I won't ask you to join the council. So please—lend me your support as my nominator."

Her becoming vice president was definitely not out of pity. The president, Shikiya-san, and Sakurai-kun—I know they all believed in Tiara-san. But I'm sure, as much as they believed in her, they were just as worried about her. And that doubt was probably what kept Tiara-san from fully believing in herself.

I drained my lukewarm coffee and set the cup down, choosing my words. "…I don't play to lose." Tiara-san nodded silently. "So if I agree to be your nominator, I'll have one condition."

Her face flushed. "Wh-what?! You don't mean—"

"Not what you're thinking," I said, swiftly derailing that explicit^[4] train of thought. I pulled up the infamous election poster on my phone. "For your candidate speech on Monday, you wear this."

"If that's all—Wait, what?!" Eyes wide, she drew in a breath. "…O-oh. I see what you mean."

"You do?"

Tiara-san nodded deeply, a look of profound understanding on her face.

"…Exhibitionism."

"No. Not that." This girl's hopeless.

"According to the poll," I explained, "you're getting the most support from the first-years—especially the boys. Right? We need to double down on that." Man, I feel like a parent.

"But what about my support from the girls? Those votes tanked, didn't they?"

"Mainly in the second-year girls. There's nothing you can do about that, though. You automatically set yourself up for criticism once you start to stand out. Whereas—show me the survey results again." Tiara-san pulled it up on her phone and placed it in the middle of the table. "Sakurai-kun's gains come almost entirely from the girls. In fact, his votes from the first and third-year boys are actually dropping right now."

We both leaned in, peering at the phone screen. "Sakurai-kun does objectively have cute features, but that doesn't easily translate into popularity with the guys. If anything, boys who find him attractive are more likely to vote for you out of denial."

"…That happens?"

The human psyche is a strange and mysterious place.

"So, if we want a chance at winning, we're gonna be going all-in on the male votes with Chikapyon outfit. It's the only way to turn this around now."

"Won't the girls despise me for it?"

"Meh. You're already unpopular with them."

"Guh!" She clutched her chest. It was a harsh truth, but sometimes you gotta embrace the cringe to secure the win.

"So, what'll it be?"

"…I-It's a promise, then." Her face flushed, she looked up from her phone. "If I do the speech in that outfit next Monday…"

"Yeah. I'll be your endorser, Tiara-san. I'll give your nomination speech."

I looked up from the phone as well—and found Tiara-san's face suddenly right in front of mine. We'd both been leaning in.

"Eep!" / "Woah!"

We jerked back in unison, and in our mutual embarrassment, awkwardly reached for our coffee cups.

"…Right. So it's settled, then."

"Y-Yes. Please."

Then, at the exact same time, we both tried to take a sip of coffee—only remember our cups were completely empty. We looked at each other over the rims of our barren vessels, and offered each other wry, embarrassed smiles before setting them down.

"What's wrong, Nukumizu-san? You're holding back your laughter."

"You too, Tiara-san. You don't have to hold it in."

Our eyes met, and the tension finally broke. We both burst out laughing.

After we'd finally recovered, Tiara-san wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. "Don't make me laugh so much. And, Nukumizu-san—"

"What?"

"Don't call me by my first name, okay?" she said, her tone oddly cheerful.

◇

Time has a funny way of slipping through your fingers. Everything after that was a blur, and before I knew it, I soon found myself on Sunday night—the eve of the election. I was slumped at my desk, my phone on speaker, as Tiara-san and I put the final touches on our preparations.

"So, that's both speeches done, right?"

"Yes. Excellent work, Nukumizu-san." Her polite voice carried clearly through the speaker, a stark contrast to the quiet giggle that escaped her only a moment later.

"What's so funny?"

"Well… it just struck me as amusing that the speech you struggled with the most was your own."

That was a direct hit to my fragile writer's ego. I could feel my soul wither a little. "Well, y'know—that's because it was the last part to finalize, okay? I had to make sure I wasn't repeating any of the stuff you were going to say, Basori-san."

"Oh? Not calling me by my first name today, are you?"

"Uh—well, that's…"

I ended the call with what was definitely not a flustered jab of my thumb. Leaning back in my chair, I let my pen clatter onto my notebook.

"Alright. All I gotta do now is neatly rewrite the draft, and we'll be good…"

Our strategy was pretty simple, actually. Tiara-san's greatest asset was in her experience: she had already served as vice president in her first-year. And therefore we based our plan around that: my job was to hammer home her existing achievements during my support speech, building a solid foundation from which she could then swoop in and present herself as the natural, rightful heir to Houkobaru's throne.

Speeches were to be given right after lunch tomorrow, and voting immediately after that. And that meant one thing—whoever made the stronger impression would win.

"Onii-sama, won't you take a break?"

A soft voice suddenly materialized by my ear, nearly making me jump. It was Kaju. When did she even get in here? She set a cup of chamomile tea on my desk, the gentle curl of steam carrying a sweet, soothing aroma.

"When did you even get in here?"

"Now, I wonder~" she hummed, playfully dodging the question. She drifted over to the window and drew the curtains, peering outside. "Oh, it's cloudy tonight. We can't see the moon."

"Yeah, forecast says rain." I leaned back in my chair, inhaling the calming scent.

I'd really gone and done it, hadn't I? You could ask me all day and I'd never be able to tell you how I got here, but I guess I ended up accepting the responsibility by default. I didn't so much choose to help as I gradually accepted my fate, but it happened. The way things are going, I might accidentally end up vice president too…

"I don't trust you, but I believe in you."

Komari's words echoed in my mind. No. That much I'd refuse. I would not be vice president. I am a man who can say no, believe it or not.

I set my cup back down with a clink, and Kaju turned, as if she'd been waiting for that very sound. "Onii-sama, are you joining the student council?"

"I don't plan to—wait, you know about the election?"

"Of course. Kaju knows everything about you, Onii-sama."

Was that supposed to be a joke? Because… that was not funny.

She plopped down onto my bed, smiling. Right, I guess it makes sense. Kaju already knew most of the council members, so they probably told her. "I'm not joining," I clarified. "I'm just helping since Basori-san's running for president."

"I see. That's a bit disappointing." She swung her legs lazily—still on my bed, by the way. "It would've been lovely if you helped organize my entrance ceremony next year, Onii-sama."

"First you'll need to pass the entrance exam, though," I teased.

Her cheeks puffed out in a pout, and she dramatically flopped backward, star fishing on my comforter. "Kaju is studying hard too. When Kaju gets in, we'll ride to Tsuwabuki together on Onii-sama's bike!"

"Riding double's illegal."

I'm only joking, of course. Kaju has been studying pretty hard lately. I barely saw her at Tsuwabuki anymore either.

I left her to roll around softly on the bed and tried to force my brain to focus on the speech. I booted up my laptop. Roughly twenty minutes later, I stretched with a loud sigh—the speech was finally done. Victory! Or at least, something resembling it.

…Wait a sec. Kaju's been pretty quiet.

I spun around. Kaju was fast asleep, hugging one of my pillows, her breathing deep and peaceful.

{{image:"images/makeine-v8/image7.jpg"}}

I draped a blanket over her and moved to close the curtains she'd left half-open. My gaze snagged on the windowpane, my reflection superimposed over the dark, misty street. The newspaper club's forum had only grown more active since we last looked at it. Tiara-san's cosplay was still flaming hot in controversy. The criticism from the female student body seemed to grow in direct proportion to her skyrocketing popularity among the boys.

She claimed she was not bothered. Which, of course, meant she absolutely was, considering that she'd felt the need to tell me in the first place. It got to her. Somewhere inside, those comments were hurting her.

A knot of unease tightened in my chest. Was pushing the Chikapyon outfit really the right move?

"We have to win." The words escaped beneath my breath.

As I peered out into the gloom, I noticed a black shape-shift outside the gate in my peripheral vision. A shadow. A moving shadow.

"…Huh." I leaned closer, squinting. The shadows were kinda shaped… like a person? Wait a sec.

The only person I knew who could achieve that level of stealth was—

My phone chose that exact moment to shatter the silence. Its ringtone, the sound of shattering glass, violently echoed through the room.

Incoming call: Shikiya-senpai.

◇

I hurried downstairs and opened the front door. Standing at the entrance to my house, I handed Shikiya-san a portable battery.

"Thanks… I'll… give it back… tomorrow…"

Oh yeah. That was it, by the way. The reason she called me out in front of my house. Her phone's battery was about to die, so she asked to borrow a power bank. Funny. I swear there was another girl who tried barging into my house for the same exact reason.^[5]

The faint glow from her phone's screen caught her face, faint and pale in the dark. I found myself staring, not really thinking, and before I knew it, the question slipped out.

"What were you even doing out here, anyway?"

"Lately… I've been practicing… taking buses and trains… so…"

That line's gotta be pulled straight from a manga with an ojou-sama.

"Right, you usually have someone pick you up partway to school, don't you?"

"Mm-hm… When I ride the bus… I end up… in places I don't know… so I avoid it…" Shikiya-san swayed lightly. "But… I can't… keep doing that… forever…"

Her words scattered softly into the night air, leaving a strange emotion lodged in my chest. Before my heart could grasp what it was, her gaze began to wander.

"Which way… to the tram stop…?"

"Oh—just head straight down this road to the main street."

"Got it… Sorry for… bothering you so late…"

She took a few steps forward, then paused, still facing away.

"Hey… about you and… Tiara-chan…" she murmured softly.

"What about her?"

No answer. Her hair stirred slightly despite the still air.

"No… It's… nothing…"

She started walking again. Her figure seemed to bleed into the dark, fragile as a floating shadow. As if she might dissipate into the wind.

I don't know what, but something about that made me move.

"—Let me walk you there." I stepped forward. "Just to the main road."

Shikiya-san stopped. Her head swiveled around to face me.

"…Okay."

We walked side by side, wordless. It wasn't far—only a short few minutes to National Route One—but her pace was a little slower than usual, and each footstep felt strangely heavy. I tried once again in vain to unravel the emotion tangled in my chest.

There was so much I wanted to say, and none of it would leave my throat.

The distant hum of cars from afar grew louder as we drew closer to the boulevard. Soon, the stone lantern at the corner came into view, its carved surface lit by a small orange flame. The inscription on the lamp read Jouyatou—The Evernight Lamp^[6].

Just beyond it, across the crosswalk, stood the tram stop. A sort of reluctance clawed at me, but we stopped anyway as we reached it.

Shikiya-san stopped by the lantern, staring at the flickering light.

"You know… I can… ride a bicycle too now…"

"…Really? Isn't that… kind of dangerous? You sure you shouldn't start with training wheels?"

She swayed happily despite my rude remark. "The things I can do… are increasing, little by little… It's fun…"

"That's great. I'm happy for you."

Each new thing she learned seemed to widen the distance between us.

Tomorrow, either Tiara-san or Sakurai-kun would be chosen as the next student council president. After the sports festival, the current student council would dissolve. Then Shikiya-san—and President Houkobaru too—would move on, preparing for their eventual path come spring.

"Graduation comes in the blink of an eye."

That's what Tsukinoki-senpai had said once. When I saw her last week, she already felt like someone from another world. She seemed… mature. I realized immediately that Koto Tsukinoki was no longer the same as the one I'd known at Tsuwabuki. Maybe she appeared the same outwardly, but I could tell. She had changed.

I felt a rising anxiety. Like everyone was growing up and leaving me behind. But… I guess that's how it goes for everyone. Ready or not, when the time comes—you have to move on. With or without courage. Even me, someday. Someday—I too, would change.

I surfaced from my thoughts to find Shikiya-senpai watching me intently.

"What's… wrong…?"

"I was just thinking—you've really grown up, Shikiya-senpai."

Shikiya-san tilted her head slightly, puzzled.

"I'm… still… just a kid… you know…?" Her hand lifted hesitantly toward me, reaching outward—

But stopped just shy of touching my face.

"You know… about tomorrow's election… Tiara-chan…"

Oh, right—the election. So that's why she came today. Yeah, that checks out. She's really close to Tiara-san, and with someone like Sakurai-kun running against her, the pressure was probably crazy.

She opened her mouth to say something, but hesitated. Which was kinda weird, actually. She usually knew what to say.

I waited with bated breath. "Senpai?"

"Um… I… the speech…" She trailed off again, swaying back and forth. A moment passed before she dropped her gaze, looking like a kicked puppy. "I think… Tiara-chan… really is avoiding me…"

"Nah, that's not—" The words died on my tongue. Now I was the one hesitating.

Tiara-san had been making sure to keep her distance from everyone on council. After all—she was making an effort. She, who was bathed in her senpais' shadows, wanted to escape; to stand out. She wanted to shine on her own.

"After council meetings end… Tiara-chan… goes home right away…"

"It's not that she's avoiding you, Shikiya-senpai—"

—It's that she's avoiding everyone.

But I knew that truth wouldn't be any comfort to the person in front of me.

"—She's probably just been busy. Lately, she's been helping me with my nomination speech."

Shikiya-san didn't really react to my words.

An oppressive silence settled between us. She stood there, unnervingly still, looking as though the surrounding darkness was swallowing her whole. A car sped down the highway, its headlights flashing across us, momentarily dragging her back from the void into reality.

"You… please… make sure Tiara-chan wins…"

Her voice was barely a whisper; so faint it seemed to vanish instantly into the night air. She rocked back on her heels, struggling to keep her balance.

"Senpai—watch out!"

I lunged forward, grabbing Shikiya-san's hand with all my strength and yanking her back—just as she stumbled onto the crosswalk against a pedestrian red light. She offered no resistance, collapsing straight into my chest. A massive truck rumbled past, its wind whipping at our clothes. It roared through the exact spot where she had been standing seconds before.

I held her tightly against me, steadying my shaking breath. Shikiya-san leaned limply against me, her emotionless white eyes gazing up at my face. She was unexpectedly small. Fragile. As if she might break if I just ever so slightly grazed her.

"Uh, senpai—"

"…It… hurts a little…"

I immediately loosened my grip, startled at how much strength I'd put into them. But even after I let go, she didn't pull away. She simply clung there quietly, face pressed against my chest. A faint, clean scent of sweat and shampoo filled my senses.

"Are you okay?"

"Nn… I'm fine…"

Still anchored to my chest, she grabbed my shirt between her fingers and looked up at me with those pale eyes of hers. I looked away, trying not to stare, and took a clumsy step back.

The signal had turned green.

"Senpai—it's green now."

Yet Shikiya-san made no move to go.

"Are you sure you're okay? Please be careful on your way home."

She shifted slightly. I knew it, she—

"…Punch." A soft thump landed on my chest.

"Uh… senpai?"

She didn't reply. Silently, she turned and began crossing toward the tram stop without another word. Halfway across, she glanced back at me once. Her lips moved, voice so faint the passing cars nearly drowned it out. But when her words finally reached my ears, thin as a whisper, I'm certain this is what she said:

—"Enemy of Women."

◇

Election morning arrived under a sky the color of a week-old bruise, heavy with clouds that hadn't decided whether they wanted to wake up yet. A dull, quiet dimness settled over the town below it, and the world seemed to feel kinda hushed and unreal. I'd gotten to school earlier than I ever had today, walking the empty path under the ginkgo trees. Silently, I rehearsed the campaign speech in my head with the hopes that I wouldn't royally mess it up when the time came. Fickle hopes.

I had three minutes total. I planned it out: start by fleshing out Tiara-san's character. Highlight her achievements in the middle. And then, wrap it up neatly to hand the stage over to her—all without sounding like some boastful idiot.

"…Crap, I'm getting nervous now."

How the heck did I let myself be talked into this? Man, I really should've just ran for the hills that day…

Hoping for a distraction, I let my gaze drift to the field. The track team was well into their morning practice. And there was Yakishio, already a blur on the far curve while most of her teammates were still yawning and touching their toes. Even among her own teammates, she was something else—good enough to qualify for nationals in both the 1500-meter and the 3000-meter.

"Guess someone's motivated today, huh?" Yanami-san's voice, entirely too cheerful for the gloomy morning, cut through my thoughts.

"Morning. You're up early yourself."

"Well, yeah. You're not the only one who's all fired up." She held out a plastic container crammed with pork cutlet sandwiches. "Here, have some." I'm pretty sure that those sandwiches were her sole source of nourishment for the past few weeks; you could probably track her movements by the bread crusts falling from her pockets.

We set off together down the tree-lined path, chewing in silence. For some reason, the knot in my stomach began to loosen as we walked. A trail of breadcrumbs marked our passage, immediately descended upon by a hopeful squadron of sparrows.

"By the way, you've got a nomination speech too, right? Will you be okay with the crowd?"

Yanami licked a dab of sauce from her thumb and winked. "'Course I will. I'm ready! Y'know the whole veggie trick? I'll just do that."

"Oh, right," I nodded in recognition. "'Think of the audience as potatoes or pumpkins.'"

Yanami grabbed another sandwich. "Yup, that one! Potatoes go great with butter, pumpkins make good stew, carrots taste fine raw—so if I just think of that…" She trailed off suddenly. "Uh-oh, now I'm drooling."

I expect no less from you, Yanami… thinking about other food while actively eating food. Though, I guess it is somewhat warranted this time. The sandwich is actually kinda good. The rich, savory pork fat and the thick sauce were perfectly balanced by the crisp shredded cabbage. Normally, fried food this early would be a hard sell, but—

"…This is really good." The words escaped before I could stop them.

"Right?" The corners of her lips quirked up into a smug grin. "Here, eat up, Nukumizu-kun. You need some more meat on those bones."

"But this is for good luck^[7], though. Shouldn't you be giving it to Sakurai-kun instead of me?" I asked, a vague, pricking irritation in my voice.

"Ohooo?" Her grin widened even further. "No way. Is someone jealous? 'Cause I've been hanging out with Sakurai-kun?"

"What? No," I denied, my voice flat.

"Don't worry, don't worry~," she sang, giving my shoulder a few deeply annoying pats. "No need to be jealous! After today, the election's over! We'll all go back to normal tomorrow. No point in getting all wound up."

"I mean, I guess you're right, but—wait, I told you, I'm not jealous."

"Geez, you're so stubborn about your feelings, Nukumizu-kun. You can always just admit it, you know?"

Ugh, annoying as ever. Still… I guess she's got a point.

Tiara-san wants her fellow council members to see her as herself, not just one of their friends. She wants to be recognized as an individual. But going after that recognition comes with the risk of upsetting all the relationships she already has.

"…Actually, maybe you're right, Yanami-san."

"Huh? What's that supposed to—"

Ah, great. My bad habit of thinking aloud had struck again. I stopped walking and turned to face her properly.

"When you spend a lot of time around someone, and they're always there by your side—sometimes there are certain things you kinda just stop noticing. You know what I mean, don't you?"

"W-well, yeah, I guess… I've been there." Yanami nodded stiffly, her neck creaking like a rusty hinge.

Good, we were on the same page.

"But if we're going to move forward, I think we need an opportunity to reaffirm our feelings—re-evaluate how we stand in our relationship. That's why I need to be honest about how I feel—"

"Wait wait WAIT! That is not something to discuss on our way to school!"

I blinked at her, confused. "But voting's this afternoon."

Yanami froze.

"…Nukumizu-kun. What are you talking about?"

"Basori-san. Who else?"

Blank stare.

"I mean, even if everyone just goes back to being normal friends after this, she always ends up going way overboard and missing literally everything else in the bigger picture, you get what I'm saying? It'd suck if things ended on bad blood with the council. We should—hey! What the heck, why are you kicking me?!"

She chomped into her sandwich without a word, then—suddenly—kicked my leg.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"See, that's your problem, Nukumizu-kun!" Yanami spun on her heel in a huff and stormed off toward the school building, leaving me blinking after her.

…The heck was that about?

Still rubbing my shin, I hobbled into the building—and nearly ran right into her 'cause she'd randomly stopped dead in front of the shoe lockers.

"Yanami-san, now what—"

"N-Nukumizu-san… g-good morning."

The voice came from in front of her. And standing there wasn't Chikapyon… but a special-edition Tiara Basori.

The striped thigh-highs were present and accounted for. The sacred strip of absolute territory was on full display. Twin half-up pigtails bobbing jauntily at the sides of her crimson face. There, she pointed both index fingers toward Yanami and struck the iconic Chikapyon pose.

"Y-Yanami-san! I'm sorry, but we're aiming for the win too…!"

Yanami, being menaced by the painfully awkward gesture, stared at her like she was watching a car accident in slow motion.

"Y-Yeah… sure. Good luck to us both."

…Yanami, don't look at me like that.

Trust me. I'm cringing too.

◇

Lunch break came—and subsequently left as fast as it arrived. The students who had been playing in the gym slowly trickled back to their classrooms. We waited for the gym to empty, the soft scrape of footsteps filling the air.

"All right." Standing on the stage of the now-quiet gym, President Houkobaru began. "Looks like all the candidates and their nominators are present. I'll go over the schedule."

Her gazes swept over the four of us—me, Tiara-san, Sakurai-kun, and Yanami—pausing on each face in turn.

"First up is Yanami-kun and candidate Hiroto. You have three minutes for your nomination speech. Hiroto, yours should be no longer than five. Then, Nukumizu-kun and Basori-kun, who will have the same amount of time. After the speeches, students are to return to their classrooms promptly to vote. I expect everyone to stick to the given time limits."

Satisfied, her lips curved into a faint, almost nostalgic smile.

"It's strange, seeing only familiar faces here. But I suppose that's just fate. Don't hold anything back. No regrets. Speak with everything you have—the students of Tsuwabuki will listen."

Before she could continue, a dim shadow emerged from behind her.

"Hibari….. Sensei is… calling for you…"

"Got it. I'll be right there."

The President's hair swished as she turned away, but Shikiya-san didn't follow. For a moment—though it seemed longer—she simply stared at Tiara-san. The silence grew dense, almost charged, until Shikiya-san spun on her heel and vanished without a word.

Left alone on the stage, I let out a long and deep breath.

Beside me, Tiara-san stood with both her hands clenched at her chest, a fine tremor running through her.

"Nervous?" I asked.

"Y-yes," she replied. "Soon the entire student body will be here, won't they? What about you, Nukumizu-san—are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm nervous too. But at least this time everything's legal. No risk of me getting arrested. It's a nice change of pace."

"…Nukumizu-san, are we talking about different things here?"

Whoops. Maybe I shouldn't have said that one out aloud. I've already retired from my life of crime, thank you very much.

"So"—I changed the subject—"you ready for your speech, Basori-san?"

She nodded, though her face was a little pale. "I'm accustomed to public speaking—it's part of being vice president. But… just thinking about going out there in this outfit, in front of the entire school…"

"But…?"

Gulp. I heard a swallow. The curve of her neck, pale except for the small mole at its base, shifted unsettlingly.

"I—I start to feel hot, and my heart races, and my whole body feels… strange. Is that… just nerves?"

…Tiara-san, I think you're trying to unlock a door that should really, really stay closed.

Please, for the love of all that is decent, keep it locked. Tight.

◇

It wasn't before long that the students began filing into the gym. The room began to fill with a low, gathering rumble of voices and shuffling feet. The four of us waited in the stage wing on the audience's right. Across from us, in the opposite wing, the student council president and Shikiya-san were speaking quietly with the teacher, going over last minute details.

As the low murmur of the gym swelled, my nerves decided to stage a full-scale revolt, apparently.

I took a deep breath. Then another. And another.

Unfortunately, it was like trying to put out a fire by blowing on it. I tried to reread my speech, but the words slid right off my eyes. Completely useless. I gave up and looked around instead.

Sakurai-kun and Yanami looked disgustingly calm. They were whispering to each other, trading casual small talk as if they were about to watch a movie, not deliver a speech in front of the entire damn school.

God, I need that kind of power.

…Aren't they standing a little close, though?

Nah. I shook my head. Paranoia. Definitely paranoia.

I turned to Tiara-san instead. She was tugging at the hem of her skirt, pinching the fabric between her fingers and pulling it down again and again.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just… way too short," she said, peering down at herself. "I'm starting to worry people will be able to see up from below the stage. I mean, it's about this length in the anime, so I think it should be fine, but…"

"No… the 2D world has supernatural skirt physics that prevents people from looking up them. The three dimensions we know do not come with the same safety features," I said. "I would be careful if I were you."

"…I'll go adjust it real quick." She slipped away backstage.

A deeply unworthy corner of my brain noted that if I'd kept my mouth shut, we could've scored an extra dozen votes from the guys for sure…

As I indulged that morally questionable thought, Sakurai-kun appeared beside me.

"Sorry for dragging you into all this," he said, his voice low. "This all started because of my selfishness."

"It's not your fault," I replied without much thought. "Anyone can run, for any reason. That's how it works."

He stared at me, his gaze uncomfortably direct.

"What?"

"Huh," he said. "So that's who you are^[8]."

Great. Even Sakurai-kun's saying it now…

Before I could remark any further, the doors to the gym slammed shut with a reverberating thud, signaling that the last of the students had arrived. It was time.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "But I'm planning to win this one."

With that, Sakurai-kun turned and walked back to Yanami's side, leaving me to ponder his infuriatingly cryptic declaration alone. Why was he apologizing?

I stood there in silence, still chewing the thought, when Tiara-san returned.

"Sorry for the wait. It's about to start, huh?"

"Yeah. Uh… Your skirt doesn't really look any longer than before, though… You sure it's fine?"

"I decided that a little bit of thrill—I mean, style—is necessary."

…Something tells me that that new door might already be creaking open.

Then, President Houkobaru's voice, calm and steady, cut through the speakers and the last whispers of the crowd. "Everyone, we will now begin the campaign speeches."

The gym, noisy only seconds before, fell into an instant silence.

"Up first is the nomination speech for presidential candidate Hiroto Sakurai, delivered by Anna Yanami from Class 2-C. You may begin."

◇

Nomination Speech for Student Council Presidential Candidate Hiroto Sakurai

—Anna Yanami

Stepping up to the podium at the center of the stage, Yanami grabbed the mic and began to fiddle with it. "Ahh, testing, testing."

After taking… way too long with the mic check, she cleared her throat and began.

"Uh, hey. I'm Anna Yanami. The guy running for president, Sakurai-kun, is my classmate, and… yep. That's pretty much our relationship."

It was an awfully laid-back opening. I can cut her slack though, given she was facing a gym of half-awake students. Like the opening of a rakugo^[9] performance, she had to break the ice with the crowd while still feeling out the rest of the room. Just as I imagined, she lobbed a few more easy jokes into the crowd, warming them up.

At last, her expression took a more serious turn.

All right. Enough preamble. Here it comes—

"This is kinda random, but guys… are you all team bread, or team rice?"

…I lied. The entire speech might just be preamble.

Ignoring the confused looks rolling across the gym, Yanami pressed on with her typical confidence.

"See, I'm more of a bread-for-breakfast and rice-for-lunch kinda girl. Bread gets the job done best in the morning 'cause it's quick and easy when you're in a rush. But come lunchtime, really, it's all about that bento box of white rice. So! If you wanna stick out those long afternoon classes and crawl your way through late evenings unscathed… Yes! You need THE POWER OF RICE!" she declared with tremendous conviction, sweeping her gaze across the crowd.

"By now, I think you all understand what I'm getting at."

Sorry. No clue.

I shot an uneasy glance at Sakurai-kun, worried about his image, only to find him watching her with an amused expression. This man's tolerance was… truly boundless.

Yanami cleared her throat again.

"That's right—Sakurai-kun IS the white rice! Rice kindly accepts any side dish. Be it stew or oden^[10], rice welcomes all!"

Her engine was roaring now. Leaving the rest of us somewhere on the roadside, the Yanami Theater rolled on.

"I might be spicy cod roe!^[11] And his friends might be fried chicken, or sesame salt! And still, he never plays favorites! He welcomes us all the same!" She gestured dramatically toward the wing of the stage, and right on cue, Sakurai-kun appeared from behind the curtain. "Sakurai-kun would never say something rude that carves into your heart like a chisel, unlike a certain Sesame Salt-kun! AND he actually listens when I talk! You could learn from him. Please learn from him."

I dunno who this Sesame Salt-kun guy is, but no way he deserved that. Also, Yanami, why are you looking at me?

She turned back to the crowd, eyes blazing. "The student council exists so that everyone can enjoy a better school life. But sometimes, we'll need your help too—to walk alongside us. And when that happens, Hiroto Sakurai, the great heaping bowl of white rice, will accept your feelings and savor them deliciously!"

SMACK! She slammed both palms down on the podium.

"No one will go hungry under his leadership! We'll make sure of it! Hiroto Sakurai! With your support, let's make Hiroto Sakurai our freshly steamed rice!"

{{image:"images/makeine-v8/image8.jpg"}}

A stunned silence held for a heartbeat. Then, propelled by her strange yet infectious passion, the students gradually began to break out in applause. It got louder. And louder.

And the moment Yanami raised a triumphant fist and stepped back from the podium—

The gymnasium erupted.

◇

Obviously, Yanami's speech had completely fired everyone up, but… what the hell did I just witness? If I hadn't eaten beforehand, I might've ended up falling under the spell myself…

As Yanami stepped down from the stage, she flashed a victorious grin and slapped a high-five with Sakurai-kun. I looked away from her smug expression and turned to Sakurai-kun instead, who, as always, wore that calm and unshakable smile.

However, his eyes were sharply fixed to the stage.

The gym, still buzzing in the energy from the Yanami Theater, fell silent as the President's clear voice sliced through the noise.

"—Next, we will hear the candidate's speech from Hiroto Sakurai of Class 2-C. You may begin."

◇

Student Council Presidential Candidate Speech

—Hiroto Sakurai

"Good afternoon," Sakurai-kun began, bowing politely before the microphone. "My name is Hiroto Sakurai, and I currently serve as your student council treasurer."

His voice was clear and composed—nothing like Yanami's from earlier. He didn't rush, instead letting his gaze sweep slowly across the gym, as though making eye contact with each and every student.

"That said, I don't usually stand in front of a crowd like this," he continued. "So I imagine many of you may not know who I am."

"We know youuuu!" A chorus of high-pitched fangirl voices screamed from somewhere in the audience.

Wow, Sakurai-kun. Here I thought we were friends.

"In the student council, I've always preferred working from behind the scenes. Supporting others rather than taking the spotlight. And so, while I can't claim any big achievements myself—I would like to share some of what the student council has accomplished up until now."

It was a conventionally earnest opening… And more straightforward than I expected, actually.

Since he was also a member of the council, it made sense he was highlighting their accomplishments. Digitizing facility reservations, revising event budgets, installing new lighting in the girls' athletic building. All simple projects, but all also highly effective. He'd chosen his examples well.

And yet, the longer I listened, the tighter something twisted in my chest.

Wait a sec…

"Nukumizu-san," Tiara-san whispered sharply, tugging at my sleeve. "Let me see your script."

"Yeah. Hang on."

Under our strategy, my nomination speech would highlight her past achievements, while she would focus on her future policies. I glanced down at my notes, reading what I planned to focus on.

Digitizing facility reservations.

Revising event budgets.

Installing new lighting in the girls' athletic building.

"…Isn't this—"

Tiara-san pressed her lips into a thin line and gave a small nod.

Exactly.

Sakurai-kun was listing her achievements.

—It was a targeted attack.

Technically, of course, these were student council initiatives, and Sakurai-kun had also stated outright that he only assisted. So he wasn't lying, and he wasn't misleading anyone either. But… if we repeated the same points now, not only would we sound like we were copying him.

We'd look like we were claiming credit for his achievements.

"…Damn it. I didn't think Sakurai-kun would play it like this."

"It's a valid tactic," Tiara-san said crisply, tightening her fist. "It was us who chose to use the order of our speeches to make an impact with my costume. Sakurai-kun only turned the disadvantage of going first into an advantage. That's all."

Her voice carried no resentment, only resolve.

"Okay. Forget the script. We can't use it anymore. Do what you're best at and improvise."

"That is absolutely not one of my skills!"

Noticing our commotion, Yanami blinked, glancing between us. "What's all the whispering about? Nukumizu, you're up next, you know." Right on cue, applause rose from the gym floor, signaling the end of his speech. Sakurai-kun bowed deeply to the audience and stepped off the stage.

Backstage, Tiara-san folded her arms and met him with narrowed eyes. "You really went and did it, didn't you, Sakurai-kun."

He smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, Basori-chan. I'll apologize as much as you want later, promise."

…Shouldn't I be the one getting that apology?

No. Priorities.

I looked down at my script again. And again. My eyes darted around the words over and over—but the more I read, the more everything just looked like a copy of what Sakurai-kun had said.

So this is it.

I have to stand in front of the entire school and… wing the whole speech. Huh.

President Houkobaru's calm, resonant voice echoed through the now-hushed gymnasium.

"And now, the nomination speech for candidate Tiara Basori, delivered by Kazuhiko Nukumizu from Class 2-C. Please give him your attention."

Well, there it was.

My turn had arrived.

◇

Nomination Speech for Student Council Presidential Candidate Tiara Basori

—Kazuhiko Nukumizu

…There's no turning back now.

I closed my eyes and drew in a slow, shaky breath. Okay. Almost ready. Just one more deep breath. One more, then I'd head out on stage.

"Nukumizu-san! They just called your name!"

"Ah—yeah. I'm… uh, warming up. Give me a sec—"

"You can warm up on stage!"

"W-wait, hold on—!"

A firm push hand struck me from between my shoulder blades and sent me stumbling forward. The gym immediately burst into view.

Hundreds of eyes from every corner of the gym snapped toward me at once. The sheer weight of their attention hit like a wall. I tried not to think about it and hurried up to the podium before my courage could evaporate completely, fumbling for the microphone switch with trembling figures.

Click.

"Uh, um… I'm Nukumizu," I said, my voice booming through the speakers. " I have had the, er… the honor of being appointed to serve as Basori-san's… nominator."

The words tangled in my throat. I forced an awkward cough, and the silence only thickened.

Gotta say, standing here alone was absolutely nothing like the club orientation back in April. The pressure was way different. Painfully so.

"Basori-san is, um… very serious. And, uh…"

The gym swallowed my voice.

Silence pressed down on me until it felt hard to breathe. Any speck of courage I had left immediately dissipated. Really, what was I expecting? This was the real world—the three dimensions. You don't awaken any hidden powers just because you're cornered. Feeling small and painfully aware of myself, I glanced toward the wing of the stage, where Tiara-san was watching. I braced myself for exasperation, or disappointment, or something in between—

—But none of that was there.

Instead, her eyes met mine with sharp focus. There was no impatience in them. Only trust… and strength.

"Won't you support me? Just this once?"

Her words from that day in the café resurfaced in my mind, as clear as if she were standing beside me.

Even now—even when I was stammering in front of the entire school, even when I was doing nothing but embarrassing myself—Tiara-san still believed in me.

In me.

I straightened before I could talk myself out of it. Then I lifted my head and faced the rows of expectant gazes.

"I… first met her right before last year's Tsuwabuki Festival."

I realized then: my resolve never mattered. My bravado never mattered. Because no matter how many of those things I tried to dress myself up with… at the end of the day, I was still just some nobody student.

So—

As Kazuhiko Nukumizu, just an ordinary guy. The only thing I could do was talk about her. About Tiara-san. The girl I hadn't even known for a full year.

"My first impression of her was that she was… extremely serious," I said. "I mean—yeah, she dressed up as a maid at the festival and even said 'nyaaa~' and stuff, but… overall, I swear she's actually a really serious person."

…The glare that came from backstage was no joke.

"Throughout this whole election, all kinds of rumors were posted in the school newspaper and on the newspaper club's website. Some were true. Some weren't. A lot of them were just nasty and insulting comments, but…"

Her face floated into my mind—the way she looked when those articles came out. She pretended it didn't bother her, but it definitely did. Even I could tell that much.

"To be… completely honest, some of what they said wasn't totally wrong," I said. "Yeah, she's stubborn. Inflexible. Pretty hard-headed. A little selfish, too."

The invisible pressure from backstage intensified sharply. I drew in a breath and pushed through it.

"—But that selfishness has never been for herself. It's always for someone else. Always. And… I think her decision to run this time is the first selfish thing she's ever done—for her own sake."

Maybe it would be better if Sakurai-kun became president.

I did have that thought at the start.

He was popular, capable, and respected… If I hadn't gotten involved in all this, I probably would've voted for him too.

"The reason I became her nominator," I said, lifting my head again, "was because I wanted to make that first selfish wish come true. Sure—compared to the current president, she might seem unreliable."

Except I am involved.

I was Tiara Basori's nominator.

"But Basori-san is still her own person. Basori-san has her own strengths. I truly believe that she can become a great student council president too. And if anyone here still thinks badly of her—"

…Then that's why I'm standing here.

Because if nobody else will—

"Give me your worst!" My voice rang out across the gym. "I'll out-compliment every insult you throw at her! I'll tell you exactly what I know about the clumsy, strong, earnest and genuinely kind Basori-san I've seen! And I'll keep talking until morning if I have to!"

I emptied everything in my lungs in one, long breath and stared out over the silent gym.

Silence.

The gym was frozen solid. Every student sat wordless, eyes wide.

Did I… just screw up royally…?

I slowly cranked my head backstage. Tiara-san stood there, her face blazing red, trembling from head to toe. Both her index fingers were raised in a Chikapyon pose.

What… the heck does that even mean?

—Suddenly, an icy chill crept up the back of my neck.

"I… also want to talk until morning…"

"Huh?!"

Before I could even react—

Bzzt.

A harsh pop tore through the gym, and the lights cut out all at once. Darkness swallowed everything. Confused voices burst from the audience in overlapping waves. For a moment, my vision blurred, and the world tilted strangely around me. A few seconds passed, and my eyes finally adjusted. I widened them in shock.

I was… standing backstage. Right where I was before the speech began.

Another sharp snap cracked through the air, and the gym's lights flared back on all at once. A low wave of murmurs spread through the room like ripples across water. At the center of the stage—standing in front of the podium—was Shikiya-san.

As she swayed slightly in front of the microphone, a shrill, high-pitched howl shrieked through the speakers, stabbing into everyone's ears. When the feedback finally faded, Shikiya-san slowly opened her mouth.

"Class 3-E… Yumeko Shikiya… player… substitution…"

In that instant, everyone in the room held their breath.

Then, the ceiling lights began flickering again, and somewhere in the crowd, a few girls let out small screams—.

◇

Support Speech for Student Council Presidential Candidate Tiara Basori

—Yumeko Shikiya

President Houkobaru clearly hadn't seen this coming, of course. From the opposite wing of the stage, she was shaking her head and motioning urgently for Shikiya-senpai to step down. Shikiya-senpai, however, ignored her completely and leaned into the mic.

"Student council presidential candidate… Tiara-chan… as you all know… has been serving as… vice president…"

I stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Beside me, Tiara-san grabbed my sleeve with alarming force.

"Why is Shikiya-senpai up there?!" she hissed.

"I have no idea…" I muttered.

As she continued to aggressively hound me for answers, Yanami flashed an enthusiastic thumbs up from beside us. Please stop. People are going to get the wrong idea.

I turned my attention back to the stage, still trying to placate Tiara-san. Shikiya-san had moved on, now talking about last April when Tiara-san had volunteered for campus clean-up.

"Tiara-chan… didn't get along… with the others…"

Yeah, I could definitely picture that. Back when I first met her, she was a little more… prickly than she is now, I'd say. I could only imagine how many people she'd clashed with back then.

"But… when I took a break for a while… she took care of… my precious flower bed… and kept it beautiful…"

Swaying slightly, Shikiya let her gaze drift into the empty space above. The students reflexively followed it, glancing upward—but of course, there was nothing there.

"I thought… they would all wither away… so I was… really happy…"

True, her words were flat in tone, but clumsy threads of emotion ran through them. They were clear enough that even I could tell—and Tiara-san certainly did. The seething tension in her shoulders slowly eased.

"…Shikiya-senpai has a habit of giving up… on things that are precious to her." Tiara-san muttered wistfully to herself. Perhaps noticing my gaze, she added in her usual brusque tone: "That's why the rest of us have to protect those things for her."

That flower bed story was from before Tiara-san had even joined the council. How had she understood Shikiya-san so deeply, back when she barely knew her at all?

"…Why do you think that?" I asked.

"You can tell just by looking. I'm the same way," she replied, holding my gaze for a moment before turning her gaze back to the podium.

Shikiya-san's soft, broken narration continued.

"That girl… even if someone talks badly about her… she still helps… without thinking twice…"

Gradually, her swaying grew more pronounced.

"Even if no one's watching… even if no one praises her… she still does… the things that help everyone…"

Suddenly, she froze.

Uh. Is she okay? Shouldn't someone give her some peach sugar water or something?

The entire student body watched anxiously, collectively holding their breaths. Then, slowly, Shikiya-san moved again.

"But… I wasn't… the first… to find her…"

I blinked. I'd always assumed Shikiya-san was the one who'd discovered Tiara-san and recommended her to the student council.

"Sakurai-kun told me… there's a really good kid… I should look at…"

"Huh?" Beside me, Tiara-san let out a small, shocked sound. She turned her gaze to Sakurai-kun, who scratched the bridge of his nose awkwardly.

"He said… she's hardworking… and kind… so he wanted to recommend her for the council…" Shikiya-san swayed cheerfully, a slight bounce to her rhythm. "When I finally met her… she was cute… serious… and a little bit of a pushover… and very kind…"

Her voice warmed as she talked about Tiara-san's good points, and the joy in it was impossible to miss. The subject of her praise, however, was beginning to fidget in deep discomfort.

"Her mole is cute… she smells like soap… her back is sensitive… it's adorable…"

Er, I feel like we're drifting a bit off-topic.

Tiara-san's shy smile vanished, her expression twisting.

"And her bra size… doesn't fit… it's cute." She paused. "But lately… I have this feeling… she's grown…"

Uh. Tiara-san's fists were trembling now, knuckles white.

Having apparently gotten that off her chest, Shikiya-san fell silent again, swaying gently on stage a little more. As the last seconds of her allotted time ticked away, she leaned back into the mic.

"Tiara-chan… is the kind of girl… who can become… someone who's there for others…"

Suddenly, her body lurched forward toward the podium. Gasps rippled through the crowd, but she managed to catch herself, gripping the microphone with both hands to stay upright.

"So please… everyone…" she said, her voice fading. "Vote for Tiara-chan… if you can…"

She drew in one last breath, mustering the very last ounce of her strength.

"But Sakurai-kun is… also a cute junior… so please… think carefully… and vote… with your hearts…"

The moment the words left her mouth, a brilliant shaft of sunlight slipped cleanly through the gym windows, falling over Shikiya-san like a spotlight.

As if that were the cue, applause erupted, shaking the gymnasium so loudly it made the speech moments ago seem like a fever dream.

◇

As soon as Shikiya-san got back to the opposite wing of the stage, President Houkobaru greeted her with a karate chop to the top of her head. It was kinda cute.

I glanced over at Tiara-san. She was hanging her head, her frame trembling.

"Honestly… every single one of them… seriously…!" she muttered through gritted teeth.

Uh-oh. She's about to blow.

"But I mean… it did kinda work out in the end anyway, right?" I offered. "And, uh, it's your turn next, by the way."

"Is there absolutely no limit to how selfish they can be?! Can't they all just stop?!"

Uh, I don't know what you want me to do about that.

"Thank you for waiting," President Houkobaru's voice echoed. "We will now continue with the presidential candidate speeches. Next up, Class 2-F—Tiara Basori. Please begin."

Tiara-san clearly had more to vent about, but at the sound of the president's announcement, her expression sharpened into focus. She pressed a hand firmly against her chest and drew in a deep breath.

"…Well, if that's how things are gonna be—I guess I'll just have to do things my own way too."

"Huh? You're all fired up now?"

She reached up, confidently flicking one of the small twin tufts of hair framing her face, and flashed me a bright, toothy grin.

"Here I go, Nukumizu-san."

◇

Student Council Presidential Candidate Speech

—Tiara Basori

A murmur rippled through the gym as Tiara-san stepped out from the wings of the stage. I kinda almost forgot, but she's literally cosplaying right now…

She stopped beside the podium, bowing deeply to the audience before stepping up to the microphone.

"My name is Tiara Basori, and I am running for the position of next student council president."

It was a pretty serious start, which was kinda weird, considering her appearance at the moment. As a result, the fluffy energy left in the wake of Shikiya-san's earlier stunt gradually began to settle.

"Much like Sakurai-kun earlier, I am also a member of the council, and I currently serve as its vice president. I'm sure I've had the pleasure of working with many of you during school events." She paused, gauging the atmosphere of the room before continuing in a gentle tone. "My original plan involved highlighting what I've accomplished with the student council over this past year… but it seems Sakurai-kun has already stolen that from me, hasn't he?"

She flashed a small smile, casting a playful glance toward Sakurai-kun in the wings. A few scattered laughs echoed from the audience in response.

Turning back to face the crowd, Tiara-san's tone grew solemn.

"Back in middle school, Tsuwabuki High was my dream school."

…She's going off-script. There wasn't anything that nostalgic in the speech we planned out.

"To me, the senpais who walked these halls were heroes and heroines. I dreamt of the day I would pass the entrance exam, of the day I could finally attend Tsuwabuki and share my high school life with them."

Her words felt kind of far away, like she wasn't really talking to the crowd in front of her, but to her past self instead.

"I wanted to become a part of Tsuwabuki's 'ordinary.' I wanted to study normally, sweat through club activities normally, and experience a normal high school life…" She paused briefly, expression hardening as she swept her gaze across the gym. "I thought that simply getting accepted would be enough for that. However… reality wasn't so kind."

Tiara-san hesitated for a second before continuing.

"My grades are, by no means, good. In fact, you could even say they were downright bad. Every semester, I barely managed to scrape by and avoid failing."

—The very secret she had once hid so desperately. It was her deepest insecurity.

"I'm terrible at sports, too. Even just casually speaking with friends, I'm constantly reminded of the gap between us. Almost immediately after enrolling, I was forced to face the harsh truth: I could never become the 'ordinary' student I so deeply idolized."

As she laid out her vulnerabilities, a refreshing look washed over her face, as if she had finally gotten rid of a burden.

"It was right around this time last year. I was volunteering in an activity organized by the Student Council, when some of the senpais reached out and asked me to join them. Though, it seems the one who actually put my name forward was Sakurai-kun over there." She flashed a mischievous grin before pressing on. "As for everything I've done since then… well, I'm sure many of you already know what happened after that."

Her joke hung in the air for a short second before her expression sharpened back into seriousness.

"If I'm being perfectly honest, I know I've caused many of you trouble. My immaturity has even hurt people."

To my surprise, Sakurai-kun had materialized right next to me. He looked like he wanted to say something, so I lightly nudged him with my elbow.

"All's well that ends well," I whispered. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he replied.

And that was that. We now stood shoulder-to-shoulder, watching quietly as Tiara-san poured her heart out.

"Through my work on the student council, I finally realized something. I might never become the hero or heroine I idolized as a child. But…" In a sudden burst of energy, Tiara-san yanked the microphone straight off its stand "I can be the one who supports them!"

She continued. "Yes! All of you students at Tsuwabuki—every single one of you sitting right here! You are the heroes and heroines I've always admired. The ones I always wanted to be!"

Her impassioned shout reverberated through the entire gym, raw and unbridled.

"I will build it! We, the student council, will build it! We'll create an environment where you can dedicate yourselves entirely to your studies, your clubs, everything!" she screamed into the mic, completely uncaring of the screeching feedback she was causing.

Struck by the sheer raw force of her emotion, the student body sat frozen, their eyes locked on her.

"Even so! I know my own lack of ability will still cause you trouble! I'm sure there will be times when you'll want to complain! When that happens—please, take it all out on me! I'll accept every last bit of it! Vent your frustrations on me! Don't hold back!"

I couldn't help but feel like she was really cracking open those new doors with that phrasing, but I firmly decided to ignore it.

Still… This was actually working pretty well. Tiara-san was practically throwing herself over the podium, but the students weren't put off by her intensity. Actually, if anything, the sheer unfiltered heat of her passion was pulling them in. The way things had unfolded so far had left everyone with unanswered questions they didn't know what to do with.

Her face flushed red, Tiara-san leaned even further over the podium.

"That's why… That's why…!"

Er. Isn't she getting a little too excited? If she gets too worked up, she might—

"I—?!"

Tiara-san's hands flew up to clamp over her nose in a hurry. The microphone slipped from her grasp, hitting the podium with a dull thud.

…No way.

Tiara-san's shoulders began to tremble violently. Uh, well, this means—

The venue buzzed with confused murmurs at the sudden interruption.

"Hey, what's wrong with Basori-san? Did she eat too much?"

Her cheeks bulging as she chewed on a snack, she wandered over to me, peering up at the stage with concern. Yanami. If you couldn't tell, we're literally in the middle of a school assembly.

Never mind that, this was bad. I wasn't entirely sure how bad, but it was definitely bad. I had to do something, fast. I frantically dug through my pockets for a tissue—but when I looked back up, Tiara-san had already stopped trembling.

Now, her eyes blazed with a fierce, unwavering resolve.

She steeled herself, pulling her hands away from her face as she snatched the microphone right back up—

—with blood still flowing freely down her nose.

"In short… every single one of you is my oshi^[12]!" she shouted. "So please…!"

It was a desperate cry, punctuated by a nosebleed. At that moment, Tiara-san sucked in a massive breath—

—and unleashed what would become the loudest voice of the day.

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"I'M BEGGING YOU! PLEASE! LET ME SUPPORT ALL OF YOU!"

Screech! The speakers wailed with a piercing howl of feedback. The sheer intensity of her declaration stunned the entire gym into absolute silence.

Tiara-san's ragged, panting breaths echoed through the air.

Then, inhaling one last time, she suddenly whipped around and jabbed an accusatory finger at Shikiya-senpai standing offstage.

"And Shikiya-senpai! Stop calling me by my first name in public!"

Wiping the blood from her nose with a swipe of her sleeve, Tiara-san turned to face the entire student body of Tsuwabuki High and gave her final roar:

"That is all! Tiara Basori, signing off!"

On that fateful day, Tiara Basori was officially appointed as the next student council president of Tsuwabuki High School.

And from that day forward, she would come to be known as—

—The Crimson Student Council President.

Translator Notes

1. Otherwise known as Zettai Ryouiki (絶対領域). I shouldn't have to explain what this means. Please Google 絶対領域 if you don't know, and make sure you are not in an environment where someone else can see you (work). ↑

2. I say twin tails because, to my knowledge, there is no equivalent way to write this in English. The difference is that twin tails more or less gather all the hair into two sections at the sides, while a two-sided updo leaves hair falling along the back. TLDR; it's Rin's hair from Fate/Stay Night. Check this link for examples. ↑

3. This one's a sexual innuendo. I localized it a bit to make it seem as sexual as possible but not quite sure if this is conveyed. It is a play on words with the title of the anime, Girigiri Out no Musumetachi. For context, the title implies that the girls are just barely within the limits of decency, i.e. the social standards set for girls. The message directly translates to (nonsensically) "My out is just barely—boing!" In this scenario, "out" is most likely referring to just barely climaxing, and the sound effect (boing, or pyon) is referring to well… the release. It is supposed to sound cutesy and give a sort of "moe" effect. God save me. ↑

4. Localized this, but the original term is pinku (ピンク), or pink misunderstanding. The term pinku in japanese is often used to refer to erotic/lewd stuff. Tiara has a "pink" brain. ↑

5. Chihaya did this in Volume 2 pretty sure. ↑

6. Jouyatou (常夜灯) - (lit. "eternal night light"). This normally isn't something that poetic. In general just refers to a nightlight / a lamp that is kept burning all night). The reason I worded it like this is because the special ones (which this one is) have the kanji inscribed on them for a poetic-(ish?) kind of purpose. ↑

7. There is a common superstition in Japan that eating pork cutlets (or chicken cutlets) will bring you good luck before doing something. This is because the word for cutlets in Japanese, katsu (カツ), sounds like the word "to win" in Japanese, katsu (勝つ). Foods like tonkatsu, torikatsu, and katsu sando (pork cutlet sandwich) are therefore considered "lucky foods" and conversely anything that contains katsu can be considered lucky. ↑

8. This is a variation of Yanami's catchphrase, which I've been translating as "That's your problem, Nukumizu-kun!" due to it normally having a negative nuance. It normally means something closer to "That's the kind of thing about you" and in this context, Sakurai is using it in a positive light as if to say that he's just that type of person. ↑

9. Rakugo (落語) - A traditional Japanese form of comedic storytelling. A lone performer (rakugoka) sits on a cushion and uses a paper fan and a hand towel as props. In this context, Nukumizu is talking about the prologue of a rakugo performance (known as the makura), where the storyteller tells a bunch of jokes and stuff to warm the audience up before starting the main story. ↑

10. Oden (おでん) - A popular Japanese winter dish with a bunch of ingredients. You can google them for more information. It's a common side dish for white rice, which Yanami is using here as a metaphor for Sakurai's nature. ↑

11. Mentaiko (明太子) - Spicy cod roe marinated in chilly peppers. It's a common topping/filling for white rice and onigiri. Yanami is basically comparing her bold personality (spicy) against the plain but dependable nature of white rice (Sakurai-kun). ↑

12. Oshi (推し) - one's favorite (member of an idol group, character in an anime, player in a team, etc.) I imagine most of you all are aware of this already, but I figured I'd mention it anyway. ↑