CH 216

“Change brass band performance and chorus of Kikyo Jogakuin?”

After school on a Thursday near the weekend.

President asks back, like a tree spirit, the proposal told to her by the other side in the joint discussion about the festival held in the student guidance office.

No wonder.

Until the other day, the talks had only been a mere formality with no progress.

The proposal, put forward at this time with a deadline looming, was met with an unintentional reaction on our part.

“Yes, how about we hold the performance and chorus at your school, as it has been held in the school gymnasium in previous years?”

Our gazes meet for a moment with Sera, who smiles good-naturally and expresses her opinion matter-of-factually.

What comes to mind in my brain is our private exchange before we entered this room.

I am sure that a similar scene is floating in the brain of Sera, who is now speaking as if nothing has happened.

As if to drown it out, she removes her gaze and faces President again.

“As I said, wouldn’t it be natural for the two schools to come together in one place? Of course, as far as the movement of pupils from our school is concerned, there shouldn’t be any problem.” 

“…”

President also looked thoughtful as Sera folded her hands on the desk and leaned forward to speak.

It is natural to feel a sense of discomfort with a completely changed opponent whose facial expressions and words are not hesitant.

The form was presented at the same time as the draft, and it generally outlined the stage decorations and necessary supplies.

The items to be used for the performance and chorus are all things that a school would have, such as a general stand, music stand and chairs, which our high school also has.

Indeed, Kikyo Jogakuin is a cultural festival with no stalls.

Because the events are mainly cultural choruses and performances, it would be possible to hold them in one place if they were jointly organized.

And if, as Sera said, it is held at Sakuranaoka High School, it will be easier for us because we don’t have to think about transportation.

“The other day you said you wanted to use the main hall at Kikyo Jogakuin, didn’t you?”

“If we are going to hold a joint event, there is no point in stubbornly insisting on an idea that was rejected last time, so…”

Sera said.

The conversation had taken a turnaround or two, and to be honest, the situation was becoming incomprehensible.

The other party had only repeated vague responses, words and deeds and had denied our proposal, so we could not hide our bewilderment at the sudden offer.

The reason why I am able to calmly judge the current situation is because I asked Sera beforehand what the purpose of the joint project was.

But that’s because I know in advance about the advantages she’ll offer, but the presidents are different.

Seeing the President’s reaction, Sera is probably gloating on the inside.

She really has a bad character.

Was it because she was made painfully aware of the difference in talent, or was it because her admiration had changed in the wrong direction, that this approach turned her mindset into a twisted one that was okay as long as she was satisfied? 

Either way, if you look at it one way and superficially, I don’t even want to agree with it.

“Let me ask you one question. Is it safe to assume that the fact that you didn’t offer these conditions from the start means something?”

President asked.

Sera immediately nodded and took the conversation to the main topic.

“Yes, I would like to explain the advantages that our school can present in conjunction with the joint event. First of all…”

As Sera explained to me earlier, she explains the advantages of Sakuranaoka Gakuen in holding a joint cultural festival.

The increase in budget, the lending of the grounds, the collaboration of club activities, and the use of the city hall…

A number of convenient topics were raised for Sakuranaoka Gakuen, which had previously been negative about participating. 

Miura reacts to the budget increase, while Koizumi’s expression turns even more serious at the mention of the city hall and community activities.

Hino-kun reacted well like …Hino-kun.

No, he didn’t change his expression in particular, he just watched the conversation process and to be honest, he felt very alienated.

In his case, it is natural because what is required of him is not his intelligence but his body, so he is not an active player.

I don’t know why but I felt a mysterious healing effect from the sight of him sitting with his mouth wide open.

While the conversation is changing from the cultural festival to the benefits of each other afterwards, Shizuku tilts her body slightly to the right and brings her mouth close to my ear. 

A slight flowery aroma tickles my nostrils, and in a room with no unnecessary noise, even her breath could be heard.

“Did you have a talk with Sera-san?”

Shizuku mutters next to me as I was sitting at the end of the table.

Next to her, Kirasaka also turns her attention to us.

The situation progressed before I had time to share the information with the two of them.

They probably couldn’t ask even if they wanted to.

I nodded a little to relieve them, and muttered in a voice loud enough not to interrupt the discussion. 

“We got to talk …President and Sera are closer to each other than I expected. It just seems to have taken a turn for the worse.”

“A turn for the worse?”

Kirasaka tilts her head curiously.

Her fine, black hair shines against the light from the window. 

Many boys might faint in agony at this behavior which is contrary to her usual calm one.

“That’s someone who lost sight of her vision of beating President as long as she is satisfied…”

I don’t think Sera changed because she wanted to be like that.

In truth, she would have wanted to beat her in studies, which she considered herself to be better at than anything else.

But the barriers were so high that she gave up trying.

It was probably just at that time that a joint cultural festival was proposed.

She might be able to take advantage and defeat Hiiragi Akane.

The conditions for victory or defeat are opaque, only the evaluation of others, without regard to behavior or other factors.

The overwhelming difference in talent, where a person with talent in studies can still not win, has turned it into a distorted way of thinking.

Is this one of the agonies of a gifted person?

To me, who has nothing, Sera looks like a great enough student, but …I looked at her with a gaze akin to sympathy… 

Sera notices this gaze and her expression clouds over for a moment.

However, she returns her gaze to President as if nothing happened.

“Those conditions you mentioned regarding this joint, they have already been communicated to the teachers of our school, haven’t they?”

Preisdent looks up from the documents and asks Sera.

Sera immediately nods in reply to that question.

“Of course, the teacher in charge should have already spoken to them.”

Sera replies, and everyone falls silent.

If this condition is communicated to the faculty members of the school, there will be no reason to refuse the joint project.

No, the option of refusing shouldn’t even be an option anymore, considering the future relationships.

Rather, they may have created a situation in which Kikyo Jogakuin has the advantage.

Koizumi and the others quietly waited for President’s reaction.

For better or worse, the student council of Sakuranaoka Academy is dependent on Hiiragi Akane.

They rely on her judgement to decide the direction of things.

There is a need to change this situation before she leaves the student council in the future, but at present she is the only person they can rely on. 

Neither Shizuku nor Kirasaka can speak out about the decisions of the student council.

That is why everyone is conscious of President’s every move.

“…If that’s the case, then the joint proposal will definitely be finalized.”

“Thank you.”

Sera smiles and thanks President for her words with a sigh.

“Well then…”

“However, we refuse to allow you to perform at our school.”

Just as Sera began to proceed with the discussion to carry out things according to her own scenario, President announced.

Sera, who naturally would not have expected a denial, was astonished and kept her mouth shut.

“If I had to choose a venue other than Kikyo Jogakuin for the performance, I would choose the City Hall.”

<Changed ‘Municipal Hall’ to ‘City Hall’>

President took out a map of the town from the material and circled the shopping arcade, the City hall and Sakuranaoka Gakuen in red. 

The three buildings, arranged in a straight line, are equally spaced and within easy walking distance of each other.

“If you want to showcase the quality of Kikyo Jogakuin’s brass band and chorus, the City Hall is the best place to do it, not the school. And for the visitors, too. The mayor has even approached us himself about making it a town event, so I’m sure we’ll get the permission.”

“…”

“The Sakura Festival would be open to the public at 11am and I’ve been told that the Kikyo Festival usually starts at 10am, so I think that would be the best time to hold it, wouldn’t it?”

The best suggestion was put forward at the most inopportune time to Sera, who was trying to get the conversation flowing. 

This brings her back down from her elated position.

“I shall contact…”

Sera’s throat-stifled voice is heard, and she drops down from her floating position.

I am sure that she wanted to bring the situation to an advantage at once in the current situation.

Unconsciously or not, President suppressed it.

I heard Sera’s story before the talks, but I still wasn’t convinced.

I was not able to convince her to win by her own strength, even though she is proud of her studies, which she is good at.

There were words I said to Yuuto before.

I told him that you are the only one who thinks the event is fun.

It’s just self-satisfaction, that’s what I told him.

I felt similar, although not the same for Sera.

This is her self-satisfaction.

I’m not a person who could be so nice as to step into someone else’s high school without permission and let them bask in the afterglow of a self-satisfying victory.

If Sera is concerned about winning, then she should create a place where victory and defeat are linked.

She should make it clear who wins and who loses.

“May I…?”

“Hmm? What is it Shinra?”

President immediately spoke to me as I raised my hand modestly.

Eyes were drawn to me by students from both schools.

I got up from my seat and spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“…Would you like to set up a stall with the student councils of both of our schools? Then the students of Kikyo Jogakuin can come to our school and enjoy the cultural festival even after their own performance is over.”

Essentially, people are reluctant to visit a cultural festival they have no connection to, but if their own student council has a stall, they should all be able to come without hesitation.

This will attract visitors, and a lively cultural festival should make a good impression on junior high school students.

Shizuku and Kirasaka nodded their heads in agreement with my opinion, and Koizumi and the others did not react badly either.

President also seemed to be thinking about something, but the fact that no negative opinions were expressed seemed to indicate that there was no problem.

The only thing that could be said to be wrong is that the girl facing me was giving me a sharp look.

I raise the corner of my mouth at her and said.

“…A battle of sales might not be such a bad idea.”

I’m not motivated by the festival.

I just don’t like being taken advantage of.

And I hate it even more when people think it’s a one-sided victory.

Shizuku and Kirasaka know very well that I am not a person who would voluntarily make such a statement.

The student council officers, including the president, must have come to understand this in no small measure either.

That Shinra rather dislikes this kind of event.

The look that was directed at me seemed to be filled with a sense of probing the intent of my words.

“Don’t you like it? This kind of competition.”

“…Good, I’ll get permission here as well regarding the City hall and the stalls.”

The Thursday talks came to an end with Sera’s quietly muttered words.

As the students on the other side left the room one after another, I looked at Sera, who was the last to leave, before returning a gaze to the room.

There, the student council, Shizuku, Kirasaka and others were standing as if demanding an explanation.

I hope they won’t get …angry, but how do I explain it to them?

Again, I decided to sit down in my seat, and I decided to accept the stares directed at me from all of them and give an explanation, including the remarks and the circumstances regarding Sera.