Coming through these halls in the morning has been a nerve-wracking experience ever since those rumors began, but today might just be the worst of it all.
There's a chance that, thanks to that interview, people will look at the both of us as liars trying to defame Jennifer Swift for the election. If that's how it turns out, then we might just be worse off than when we started.
But I think Scarlet took that risk because she had faith in my speech.
If we combine it with the interview, then we might just be able to convince enough people.
It's a huge gamble, but so was running in the first place.
Playing it safe stopped being an option a long time ago.
"Gosh, walking through these halls is so nerve-wracking…"
Scarlet echoes my thoughts as she rubs her arms while walking alongside me.
The weather report did say it'd be kind of chilly today so it's no surprise, but it must be extra hard on her since her clothes don't cover up her arms or shoulders at all. Thankfully I decided to wear a windbreaker so I don't really have to worry about all of that.
"You too, huh?"
"Of course me too! Walking through crowds when you're popular is really scary, especially for me. I mean, I'm the kind of girl who gets anxious about falling over when I look up at the sky and realize that the earth is moving."
That's oddly specific. Does that actually happen to her?
"If it's any consolation, they'll probably be laughing at me too hard to even remember you."
"No way, it's been a hot minute since you hit rock bottom. I still have a ways to go."
"Ouch, dude."
"'The Hero Sunchester High Deserves.' Pfft…"
"Oh shut up…"
"Ahahaha. I'll let you have it, it's pretty funny."
"Speak for yourself. You're not the one on the poster."
Her laughter continues as we walk through the hall.
Strangely enough, it's hard for me to tell how other people are reacting to us.
I don't know if it's because I'm trying to ignore them or if the conversation is just that fun.
Still, just walking like this and talking to her…
Who knew that something this small could feel so good?
"So, what'd you think of my mom's car? Pretty cool huh?"
"Well, I'm not much of a car guy."
"Huh, thought all guys were into that stuff."
"Well I am, but… unless you're driving a Tesla or something they all pollute the earth the same, right?"
"You're such a loser…"
What? I'm right aren't I?!
Ah great, looks like that turned her off from the conversation.
Great going Chase. Real smooth stuff there.
"Ah geez, why is it so cold today…?"
She starts rubbing her arms a bit more forcefully.
Looking at her like this makes me feel kinda bad.
"Uh, are you okay? You don't look too good. Here, I'll give you my jacket."
"You'll give me your…? H-huh?! No way! W-why would I…"
"Here."
I already took it off long before her complaints began.
My shirt on its own covers more skin than what she's wearing right now so it should be fine.
"Uugh…"
She looks away and reluctantly accepts it.
"T-thanks…"
"Geez, you should be more honest about stuff like this. If you get sick then who am I gonna copy notes from when I skip class?"
"What kind of class president skips classes?!"
"Ah, right…"
It was only a joke, but I guess if I win this election then I can't very well just do that kind of stuff anymore.
The responsibilities of a class president…
To think that something like that might be on my shoulders after first period.
Haaa, I'm getting nervous again…
"Wow Sig, get a load of these two lovebirds."
"Tch… Kimochi warui…"
On our way to the classroom, we run into the two guys who made Friday's operation such a huge success.
Actually, I have no idea where Sig ran off to when it began but…
"Hey you guys. Go on Scarlet, say hello."
"W-w-w-w-we're not lovebirds!"
"Uwaaaah, Scarlet-chan's tsundere meter is off the charts today, Nick-kun."
"Heh, don't say that so loudly. Bitches can get real grumpy when they're in heat."
"…"
Uh…
"Youuuuu stupidddddd…"
"Nick-kun, I think you should make a run for it."
"Oh relax dude. There's nothing she could do that'd make me want to…"
"COCKROOOOOOAAAAACH!"
"OUUUUCHHHHHHHHH!!! GODDAMMIT!!!!"
This is the second time I've seen her get violent with Nick, but it's still as terrifying as the first.
"Why'd you hit me?!"
"Who's the bitch in heat here? You're the one acting like a middle-schooler in love whenever Leyla walks by!"
"L-love?! I-I am not! Not with that thot!"
"Hmmmm? Oh really? Then why don't you prove it and reject her then?"
"T-that's…"
"Hmph. Yeah I thought so."
"Tch… I knew I shouldn't have opened up to you. I'm never trusting a thot like you again."
"Oh whatever, you deserved it."
Are they on good or bad terms? I can't tell anymore.
That aside…
"Hey Nick, is that…?"
I point to the box he's carrying, and he nods.
"Yep. It's Monday so I brought donuts for the four of us."
"Donuts? That is sooo unhealthy! I can't eat anything with that much sugar so early in the morning!"
"You're such a drama queen. Don't worry about it, you don't have to eat a whole donut. Just share half of it with your boyf-"
"Huh?!"
"N-nevermind."
Wow, that punch must've hurt. Nick of all people is actually beginning to respect her now.
The four of us continue walking on our way to the classroom.
"Hey Chase-dono, do you think you're ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be."
Actually, can we just call this off? My nerves are killing me.
I'd been worried about the car ride the entire time, but it just dawned on me that I'll be giving that speech to a bunch of kids who want nothing more than to see me fail.
Ahahahaha, high school sucks…
"Don't worry about Chase, man. Dude's like Light Yagami right now. When he's done, Thotifer won't even know what hit her. Right Chase?"
"Y-yeah…"
Not that I even know who "Light Yagami" is, but I'll just play along for now.
"I was just wondering… what if we do win? What happens then?"
"What happens? Well…"
Nick ponders for a moment.
"I've got it! We can install a video game console in the classroom!"
"W-what?"
Scarlet looks completely lost.
"No dude. Think bigger desu. We could get a giant plasma TV and broadcast anime in between classes! And maybe we could use it for presentations sometimes…"
"That's actually a pretty good idea dude."
Is it…?
"What do you think, Scarlet-san?"
"Huh?"
The two of them look back at her.
"Uhm…"
Apparently she's taking their question somewhat seriously because she's thinking kind of hard about it.
"I'm fine with the TV if we can watch Clint Eastwood movies after school."
"Ahhh, Scarlet's a Clint Eastwood fan huh? You've got some heavy competition there, Chase."
"Competition?"
"Nick, I swear to god…"
"R-relax! It's just a joke! A joke!"
"Haaa, honestly…"
Scarlet sighs.
I don't know much about Clint Eastwood, but if we're just going off what I saw of him in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly", I don't think I'd have much on him if we were comparing ourselves directly.
That aside…
"I can't afford a Plasma TV, you guys. Hell I can't even afford an Uber to the city from home. Scarlet's the one who got me to school today."
"O-oh, right… My bad, Chase-dono."
Sig's apology signals the end of our walk as we finally arrive through the doors of our destination.
"…"
Our arrival hushes the entire room.
The moment we made our appearances known, everyone in the classroom went quiet.
They're all looking at us from the corners of their eyes.
It's such a creepy, surreal experience, and it's happening in my homeroom of all places…
"I'll just walk Scarlet to her seat, okay?"
"Sure man. If she changes her mind about the donuts, she knows where to find us."
"I won't…"
She mutters those words and begins walking over to her seat with myself at her side.
Despite her desk only being a couple feet away from the door, the walk felt like an eternity.
The fact that everyone's eyes were on us just made every small action feel that much more meaningful.
Like we're both being judged on our every move.
"…"
We eventually arrive at her usual seat, but it doesn't look like Jennifer has made it yet.
It's just Scarlet's seat, and…
"Good morning, chicken."
Momoka.
Like always, she's looking down at another one of her novels.
No, it's not a novel. This time she seems to be reading a play by Shakespeare.
"Uh, I don't think you're allowed to call me a chicken now that I'm this far in."
"Really? What makes you say that?"
"Well, I don't think a chicken would go this far knowing things could end up blowing up in its face."
"Hmmm, maybe not but… Have you ever heard of the chicken game?"
"Uh, I don't think I have."
She tucks her hair behind one of her ears.
"Two drivers are set on a straight path towards a cliff. The first person to hit the brake or swerve is the loser, or the "chicken". He goes home having to acknowledge that he's a coward, but he gets to keep his life. However, continuing forward without braking means that you'll be driving straight to your demise. In this scenario it's true that you aren't a chicken. Yes. Because at that point, you aren't anything. You aren't even alive. After all, you decided to drive yourself off a cliff just to prove a point."
She sighs.
"Chase, I won't tell you to hit the brake. But…"
"But?"
"You have one last chance to abandon this before it's too late. If you throw the election then she probably won't go as hard on you after she wins."
"…"
I wanted to respond, but…
Jennifer's actions from last week are still on my mind.
Momo's warning had suddenly made sense after that confrontation.
This is the kind of woman who could destroy me if I gave her even a hint of an opening.
"Hey Momo, I get where you're coming from, but Chase doesn't need this right now."
Scarlet cuts in.
"You're the one who's most at fault for this, Scarlet. I don't think you get a say here."
"Seriously? Why are you being so petty about this?"
"There's nothing petty about this. It's a real problem and you're enabling it because you're holding on to some fantasy that there's going to be a happily ever after."
"Uh, no? This is the right way to go about this. Stop pretending that you're his friend doing him a favor. You're so fake it hurts to even look at you."
"Wow, nice comeback. Did you get it from a Drake song?"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Not again…
"Umm, you two, listen…"
"I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm disappointed in how you've been writing off my warnings as something I'm doing for Jennifer's campaign. You're delusional if you think she needs that kind of help to win today."
"You… you're awful, Momo."
Scarlet looked as if she wanted to retort with something harsh, but she ends up lowering her head.
"Oh don't play the victim card here."
"What do you even want from me? What should I do then? Just give up? Just watch the bullying get out of hand? This is the only way for Chase to get his life in this stupid school back! This is the only way…"
Scarlet…
"It's the only way I can pay Chase back for everything he's done for me."
She's clenching her fist and looking down at her feet.
Ah dammit.
All she's doing is trying her best to help me.
You should have noticed it too, Momo.
So why are you pushing this so far…?
"Haaa… I guess that's how love works."
Momo sighs.
It doesn't look like she's too pleased, but at the very least she's given up on drilling Scarlet.
"So then, Lysander."
She looks up at me.
"You heard her. She says that this is her way of paying you back. That being publicly humiliated by Jen is your reward for being so kind to her."
"…"
"How does it feel?"
Yeah, I'll admit it's kind of scary.
That woman is on another level from me. There's no way I can beat her.
Not a chance in hell.
Chase Masters is inferior to Jennifer Swift.
That is a fact no one in this school can refute.
But, that isn't relevant to this election.
"Hey Momo."
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I have a warning of my own for you."
"A warning…?"
If Momo thinks that Jennifer's the only one with a few tricks up her sleeve, then she's got another thing coming.
A playful grin stretches across my face.
"Tell Jennifer… The 'Fated Ones' doesn't play fair either."
"Chase…"
Scarlet's voice barely escapes her lips.
Hearing her mutter my name like that makes me feel like somebody she can depend on.
I might be a little late though, apparently she's always seen me that way.
It's just that I refused to see it.
With a smile still plastered across my face, I place my palm gently on her head.
"You'll be smiling when everything's done, I promise. Just sit back and enjoy the show."
I leave her with those words and head back over to meet the other two goons.
"…"
Yeah.
That should be fine.
Making Scarlet feel guilty about all of this is the last thing I want.
So at the very least, I need to act confident.
Except.
Now that I've left, it's hard not to notice that my classmates have only now started to speak among themselves.
Were they…
All listening to us the entire time?
….
… (゜д゜)
That's embarrassing!
Ah dammit! Why did I do that?!
Now I really do sound like an edgy teen who thinks he's a super hero!
Haa, kill me now…
…
Oh whatever.
I've been embarrassing myself for the past week. This shouldn't make much of a difference.
"Yo, Romeo!"
Nick sure likes rubbing things in, doesn't he?
"No, I think the name's Lysander now."
I accept the donut that he was holding out for me.
"Momo-chan and Scar-chan are still at odds, huh…?"
Yeah, there's a lot going on over there.
At this point I'm wondering if it's even possible for them to ever make up.
"Man, quit fawning over that waifu-bait book nerd and let's talk about how Chase put her in her place."
"Waifu-b…?! Momo is more than just waifu-bait you uncultured plebeian!"
"Yeah sure, keep orbiting dude. I'm sure you'll know the real her from there."
"Ugh…"
He scratches his head.
"Still though… Chase-dono was so cool back there. I'm really glad he's one of us."
"Yeah, no kidding. Seeing him stand up to Thotifer two weeks ago sold me on him immediately. To think he'd actually be trying to take her down after…"
"Guys, I'm really not all that. I'd never do anything like this if I didn't have any help. You know that, right?"
"…"
"…"
"Chase…"
"Chase-dono…"
As I was about to take a bite from my donut, I feel my body being forcefully pulled into my two friends.
"Woah!"
I'm being hugged?
"You've changed so much man. We're real glad for you. Honest."
"Yeah. This situation might be bad, but at least Chase-dono became a better man from it."
"Yeah, and a better girl too."
"Seriously. I miss Beatrice-chan already…"
"You guys…"
Before the conversation could continue, the sound of the school bell goes off.
It's the signal of the war's start.
Aside from the sound of the bell, there's a chilling silence in the classroom.
No one is speaking.
They're all eagerly anticipating the end.
The end of the bell's screeching.
"…"
"…"
The piercing rattle eventually ceases.
And once it does, the door to the classroom swings open.
In comes our homeroom teacher, who seems perked up and ready to oversee this whole thing…
Alongside the antagonist of this story;
Jennifer Swift.