CH 215

<TL> : Yep, I completely forgot about this… tehe

A bus with the Kikyo school emblem discreetly displayed on the door was parked in the visitors’ parking lot today.

There are already no students in the vehicle, and only the driver sat on the driver’s seat, looking bored.

Passing in front of it, I headed for the first vending machine that came into view.

I had seen the bus arriving from the student council office, and was on my way towards it to greet them when I caught a glimpse of the other person buying a drink from a vending machine.

The distance between us was not too far, and the other person could see me.

I was a little surprised, but I waited for her without running away.

“Hello…”

“Did Onii-san go out of his way to greet me and help me with the joint project?”

Sera, the student body president of Kikyo Jogakuin, crossed her arms and said slyly.

Let’s not mention the Oshiruko* hidden behind those crossed arms.

I have preferences, and Oshiruko is delicious!

I brushed off the sarcastic greeting and bought a cup of milk tea for myself as well.

“I’m sure it’s a hassle to go to another school everyday after school…”

“It’s a natural thing for me to do since I brought up this proposal.”

A thud and a slightly grating sound echoed throughout the area, and I picked up the can that came out and asked a question.

However, a model answer came back to me, which I thought was similar to Shiraishi’s, to which I indicated a nearby bench with my hand.

I opened the can and sat down on the edge of that bench, and Sera also shyly opened the Oshiruko that she hid with her arm and sat down.

The silence while we quenched our thirst with our drinks is drowned out by the clamor of the club’s activities.

From the outside, do we look like a couple enjoying their youth?

No, it is even possible that they do not see me because their attention would be taken away by the out of place uniform which was an alien scene, here in our school.

I’m going to cut the Minato nonsense series of “This is misdirection” and get down to business.

“…Have you been an acquaintance of President …for a long time?”

“…”

I mutter with a sip of my drink in my mouth.}

Even with a sideways glance, I could see Sera’s hands stiffen as she was sitting next to me.

The can is slightly warped and a gaze is directed at me that contains a different meaning than the eyes that were directed at me just a moment ago.

As when we first met, they were black eyes like emptiness, devoid of any emotion.

At that time, I dared to choose the word “acquaintance,” although I sensed from every word that President had also met Sera for the first time.

In order to make it easier to understand how this person, Sera, perceives the relationship between President and herself.

However, we live in a small town.

There are two high schools in town, but it is a small, almost rural town that cannot be said to be prosperous.

It would not be surprising if they had a chance to get to know each other before high school.

Moreover, when you are the student body president of two schools, you are bound to see the other’s name, even if you don’t want to.

Also, it may be inevitable that they will be the subject of comparisons.

Although this may only be an example, the name Sera was always listed a little below the president’s name in the mock exam that I received from Kirasaka.

It may be a leap of faith, but the rumor that Sera dropped out of Sakuranaoka Gakuen may have started as a rumor that was spread in the wrong direction by people who came to know the results of the mock test.

If we think of it that way, the rumor of the disagreement between President and Sera can be predicted in the same way.

It is only a prediction, and I do not believe that my thoughts are correct.

But, at least I did not come to the conclusion that the two were not connected in the slightest.

So I waited for Sera to open her mouth.

“That’s very abrupt, why are you asking me that question now?”

“I heard a little story from my sister. …I’m just curious. If you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

I answered without meeting her gaze, just looking ahead.

The only thing this person and I have in common is the existence of Kaede.

There was a fear that Sera’s impression of Kaede might change, but the other party has used a similar approach once.

This type of person is the type that values what’s in front of them.

She would not make assumptions about human nature based on stories and rumors.

In fact, the fact that she pointed out the difference between rumor and reality when she saw me is the best proof of this.

Then, it is a groundless fear that my words will change Kaede’s impression of me.

It would only lower my reputation for her, but it would have little negative effect on Kaede.

“I can guess what you would’ve heard …I don’t think someone like you is the type to believe rumors.”　

The words she uttered were mixed with a reaction that gave me a glimpse of an unexpected side of her.

As if to correct him, I replied without stopping the flow.

“I’m sure that in nine out of ten times, there are false rumors being spread. …However, this time I don’t believe that the rumors are rootless.”

A chilly breeze blew, and my hair ruffled over my eyes.

The time before the meeting is only a few minutes away, and the conversation continues while I check the time on the large clock mounted on the wall of the school building.

“President doesn’t like to lie, and I think this is the first time she’s met you face to face, but it looks like you’re different.”

“…”

The answer to my question was silence.

The gaze was removed, and the clamor of the surroundings became small and inaudible, as if it were a lie.

The whole place was enveloped in silence, as if the surroundings were a sign.

“I guess the best way to describe it would be …a one-sided one-sided longing.”

The smile on her face was as if she was reminiscing about her past.

Her smile, which I didn’t understand and memories that dredged up are unique to her, gave me a glimpse of a different side of her than the impression I had of her.

“They say hard work never betrays you. That’s one aspect that is true. People who put in a lot of time will develop the academic skills they need. And for the first time in my life, the confidence I thought I had in myself was completely shattered.”

Sera herself was probably aware that she was better than others when it came to studying.

That is probably why she had confidence and the feeling of not wanting to lose was stronger than the others.

Akane Hiiragi was the student of the same grade who appeared in front of her.

If only they had been in different grades, they would not have been compared, and they would not have had to compete in the same arena.

“That person has achieved a lot in individual competitions, …so even if I spent all my time studying, I wouldn’t be able to beat them. It wouldn’t be any different if it started out as rivalry and turned into admiration.”

“…Well, I hear similar stories all the time.”

You know, the ones that often come up when you watch TV, etc., about past episodes of celebrities.

I know, but I never thought I would actually hear it in person.

“I came to Sakuranaoka Gakuen with the slight hope that she might remember my existence and my name, even though I had never won against her.”

She stood up from the bench, and despite her words, her tone contained no negative emotion.

She sounded easygoing and even somewhat positive.

After placing a can of Oshiruko into the bin next to the vending machine, Sera dropped her gaze and turned around to face me.

I did the same, downing the contents of the can in one gulp, then I tossed the empty can back in.

The uniform was neatly arranged in accordance with the regulations, and the neatly dressed uniform made me think of her as serious and strict, but she may have a surprisingly positive and cheerful personality. As I was thinking this, I looked back at her and all I saw were dark eyes and distorted corners of her mouth.

“Hiiragi’s reaction of not knowing me at all and being uninterested made me feel like I was being gutted.”

“…”

Yes, she’s a scary person.

I’m pretty sure of it.

This one is a scary guy in a different sense than Kirasaka.

I feel a sense of relief that it was President, not me, who has been admired by someone so troublesome. Sera’s expression quickly returns to a tightened one.

“I am used to losing, so this time I will win.”

Her assurance exudes a confidence that is unwavering.

Neither evidence nor proof of victory was given, and neither victory nor defeat was clearly defined.

Before that, you are in the process of presenting the proposal to Sakuranaoka Gakuen, you know that, right?

She has no say in whether or not we will accept the joint cultural festival.

Even in such a situation, she was talking on the premise of competing, so she must have a certain amount of confidence in the meeting that is to follow.

“…First of all, you must consider if we’re even going to accept the proposal in the joint talks.”

“Of course, I have prepared a suitable card.”

Sera said and took out a notepad from her uniform’s chest pocket.

It is impossible to see from here whether there is enough written there for us to agree with it.

“The next thing is that the brass band has won many prizes in competitions and other events, and we would like to take advantage of the preferential treatment given to us by the municipal hall and other facilities to volunteer and carry out community activities together.”

Once she briefly explained that much, she looked at me for a moment as if she was trying to see what I had to say.

I made sure I didn’t say a word, and then her words continued.

“Therefore, it would not be a bad idea to make use of it when the school ground is a precious asset after school here with the club’s activities being involved…”

After speaking that much, she puts her notepad back in her pocket.

I don’t know if it’s all that she’s prepared for now, but it seems that she brought a good deal of conditions with her.

It is true that ours is mainly an athletic school and indoor club activities are not very active.

The grounds are always full of students in many club activities.

It is undeniable that we are in a situation where space is limited.

It would be attractive to rent it out or present a way to utilize it.

The talk of increasing the budget and actively cooperating with the local community also makes me feel that it would be a shame to reject the proposal in general, as it would include details that could be included in the students’ internal application.

The other side would probably want to focus on attracting new students, even if it means using the relationship between the two schools in the future.

Frankly speaking, the student cannot make the decision on this future.

Perhaps the other faculty member who accompanied them will bring up a similar story to Sudo-sensei and the others.

So as of today, they should make the joint project a definite plan.

Sera’s own motivation for the festival is a personal one, and even if it comes true, it will be a game of self-satisfaction.

I have no intention of approving or denying it.

I would like her to do as she pleases, but there is no way I can avoid taking advantage of that sentiment.

I just found out, just a few minutes ago, that there is an easy way to do this because this person is an emotional one on the inside.

“If we were to use that card to make the joint festival… a success, with your idea adopted, and the result is victory, then …you wanting some words of admiration are just an excuse.”

I’m going to show you a smile that is exactly the opposite one you started with, this time with a hint of mockery in it.

If this were Shizuku and the others, they would see through my mockery, but because she was from another school, she had a poker face.

I was waiting for her reaction, worrying that my expression might be blatant, but that worry was useless.

Immediately her expression changed to a grim one.

What Sera was saying was just a convenient way to clean up the reasons why she lost.

She must have been aware of it, but she must have been humiliated to have been pointed out by an ordinary student like me, and her voice was filled with anger that I had never felt before.

“I’m still your senior even if it’s by one year, so be careful what you say.”

“I’m sorry …,these are the only words that came to my mind.”

After taking the blame for her anger appropriately, I looked into Sera’s eyes.

But that was only for a short time, and Sera turned away as if to escape my gaze.

The direction of travel was the student guidance office, the wing where the room where this meeting will be held is located.

We must not end the conversation here.

A match is made with clear conditions for victory or defeat.

If you really want to beat Hiiragi Akane, you should make it a contest where the difference between the two is clear to the onlookers at the festival.

The most important thing is to make sure that Sera herself will not regret it later, just as our student council election did.

“Let’s have a match between the Student Council of Sakuranaoka Gakuen and the Student Council of Kikyo Jogakuin. …Winning is simple, let’s each set up a stall and compete on sales figures.”

The problem can be put to rest by the fact that it’s a festival after all, and the place is crowded with people who are trying to win or do something else.

I may get some criticism later from President, Miura, and others for bringing up the idea on my own, but I’ll take it in stride.

The worst that could happen is that Hino will be asked to share the responsibility as he was also a member of the group.

The most important thing to remember is that the festival is not a mere “Celebration”, it’s a “Festival” of youth and fun.

The moment Sera heard my words, she stopped walking.

I thought she was a person who tended to stick to the game, but …good, it seems that I was able to leave enough of an impression to stop her.

Today, for the first time in a real sense, my eyes and hers crossed.