CH 172

Once a year, students flock to the plaza in front of the main gate, where they only gather on the first day of the new school term.

There, a bulletin board is set up where information regarding the school gets displayed.

The reason why so many students are crowded around the bulletin board is probably because the information that has just been posted was unexpected for them.

Sakuranaoka Academy’s Student Council Election.

At this very moment, the candidates running for the Student Council President election, the first round of the election, were being announced to the us.

An unexpected confrontation, which until today had only been disclosed to the Student Council members and a few others involved with them, was about to begin.

Facing Koizumi, the current Student Council Vice President, is Shiraishi, a promising first-year student.

Since everyone had assumed that Koizumi would take over as the next student council president, this information caused quite a stir in the school.

“…”

I also went to the bulletin board in front of the main gate and watched the scene from a more familiar place. If I had to describe that scene in one word, it would be shocking.

But the reactions differed from grade to grade more than I had imagined.

I guess it would be right to say that the senpais seemed more surprised and the kouhais looked at it expectantly.

Not to go so far as to call it a stereotype, but the senpais were probably more shocked because they had assumed that Koizumi would inevitably be the president.

However, they were said surprised a bit differently as if it were someone else’s problem.

The photos of the two candidates were boldly displayed on the wall, but at this point, there appeared to be a big difference between the two.

To put it simply, there is a big difference, look-wise.

Koizumi looked more nervous than ever, and his photo were full of a sense of seriousness, as usual.

In contrast, Shiraishi was photographed from a calculated angle that allowed her to make the most of her charm.

There are a lot of photos floating around these days that are concerned about looking good on SNS, but this one is completely outdone even after being taken from a Polaroid camera… But our vice president Koizumi…

With the student council room in the background, he stood straight with his neat uniform.

For better or worse, his expression was stiff and serious.

If it were a formal election, Koizumi’s serious impression would be a plus, but in an environment that consisted of students and on the top of it was their sense of fun, it could not be considered effective.

In this respect, Shiraishi’s photograph would not give students a bad impression.

The lawn in the background, combined with the sunlight, gave a cheerful impression.

Her smiling face should probably be a part of her calculations, but it was hard to tell.

The students must have had a similar impression to mine, and I think many of them favored Shiraishi for the impression in the photo.

“I wonder who that is?”

Kirasaka muttered, looking at the photo of Shiraishi.

“For some reason, after seeing Shiraishi’s true nature, it feels really deliberate.”

Said Shizuku, standing across from me.

…Yeah.

The Shiraishi we’ve seen all through our summer vacation is a different person.

The picture is so perfect that it oozes out those impressions.

Unlike those around me, I looked at the bulletin board with a wry smile.

Below it was a small description for the next student council members.

[Candidates for the next student council officers should come to the student council office this week.]

That sentence was written in an understated manner.

I don’t know if Hino-kun will still be on the Student Council next year, but even so, with the president leaving, there should be a shortage of people.

They probably want to reinforce the council not only from first-year students but also from second-year students.

“Minato-kun, aren’t you going to participate in the election?”

This was a question that had been asked many times by Shizuku.

No matter how many times it is asked, the answer will never change.

“…No comment.”

If there was a possibility that I would remain on the student council, it would be if Shiraishi became vice president and Koizumi became president.

But it’s not very likely to happen.

If Shiraishi is elected president, she will tend to focus on people with abilities.

Naturally, her ideal student council officers would be expected to have the appropriate abilities.

In other words, there is no place for a student like me who has nothing special to offer.

Koizumi is no exception.

However, I have spent a little time in the same surroundings with him as a member.

Even if you call it sympathy, but I think the only possibility left that I could continue to be a member.

Before that, unless I have a change of heart, it would be unthinkable for me even to think about it.

Having seen what we wanted to see, we turned on our heels and headed back inside the school.

On the way, I saw many students running in the opposite direction we were going, toward the bulletin board, and they all had smiles on their faces.

I wondered if the new school term and the student council election had made them excited.

As I was walking along the pathway leading to the schoolyard, I saw two figures.

They were each wearing a sash and each was addressing a group of students.

“Nice to meet you!”

“I am Momiji Shiraishi, hello.”

Seeing the two of them, I realized what was happening.

The whole ruckus about the student council elections that had begun before the summer break was now in full swing.

”Do you have any plans to help Koizumi or Shiraishi-san?”

Yuuto said with his arms folded behind his head, seemingly without much interest.

If they have something to discuss with me or something they need me to do, that’s fine, but there’s no need for me to come forward and help them.

They would think about it, and if they needed help, they would ask for it.

It can also be considered a nuisance, depending on the situation, to come forward and help.

I don’t want to be seen as intruding.

“Well, I’ll just go say hello.”

But, we aren’t strangers.

I can’t pick sides, but I can at least call out to the two of them as a show of support.

When I told the three of them in that sense, all three of them turned to me with smirks and expressions that made it hard for me to hold back my grin.

“You’re surprisingly good at taking care of people, Shinra-kun.”

“…Shut up.”

With some embarrassment, I walked over to the two who were working hard a little further ahead of me, just as I realized the reason for their smiles.

If this student council election is fought by themselves instead of relying on someone else, it would end with no regrets for the two of them.

President had hoped so too, and I wondered if Shiraishi could pick up even a sliver of that when she saw Koizumi on her summer vacation.

That what was I wondered it as I walked ahead.