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[-Continuation-]
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[-Hachiman's POV-]
So it's finally come to this, huh?
I looked at Ms. Hiratsuka from the corner of my eyes, though just for a second, and I stopped.
I bit back a sigh, remembering how I already suggested to her to patch up the 'loophole' I stumbled upon in the Student Body Election Rules.
But no, she had waved it off like a pesky fly, saying it was too much hassle, and whatnot.
The pieces were falling into place, setting the stage for what promised to be an intriguing - and potentially frustrating - new [Mission] of our club's saga.
….
.
The newcomer, Isshiki Iroha, sat fidgeting in her chair, her eyes darting nervously around the room.
Since one of us, Yui Yuigahama, seems to be acquainted with the new her…
The introductions were short and skipped for the most part, keeping to a brief name exchange program… but it didn't last long, and we dove straight into the issue at hand.
Ms. Hiratsuka, Senior Meguri, and the girl in question, Isshiki Iroha, began each of them explaining the situation in bits and pieces.
Don't ask me why.
Yukinoshita, who had been listening quietly, adopted her usual composed expression, hands folded neatly in her lap, face, a study in neutrality.
But after spending enough time with her, I could spot the subtle shift in her demeanor once the core issue, the Presidential Elections, was laid bare.
The slight narrowing of her eyes, the almost unnoticeable slump of her shoulders.
It was clear that Yukinoshita had little to no interest in this matter. It wasn't irritation, just utter disregardlessness. The kind of thing that makes you want to look at anything else in the room.
Clearing my throat, I decided to cut through their clutter.
"Right, let me sum this up." I said, my voice slicing through the murmur of conversation. All eyes drawn to me and turned to Isshiki, who seemed to shrink under my gaze.
"So, you…." I gestured towards her with a lazy flick of my wrist. "The lill junior, right here…. is a candidate in the student council president election?"
"Hum-uhm." Isshiki's head bobbed , her lack of enthusiasm palpable as she mumbled. "That's... that's right, Senior."
"But." I continued, warming to my role as the storyteller of this little drama. "The decision wasn't exactly voluntary, and someone else entered her name."
Isshiki's fingers twisted together anxiously.
"Yeah." She mumbled, her tone a mix of frustration and embarrassment. "Someone submitted my candidacy behind my back."
I couldn't help but take a jab, shooting over at Ms. Hiratsuka with a smirk. "And to top it off, this mystery nominator managed to rustle up thirty supporters for our reluctant candidate here, all without her knowledge or consent."
Yuigahama blinked, her tone half-surprised, half-nervous. "Thirty people? Wow… that's a lot. How did they manage that?"
I choose to ignore her surprise.
"This wouldn't have happened if only some teacher hadn't been so lazy..." I let the sarcasm slip, the words practically rolling off my tongue as I casually threw them into the air, though they were clearly directed at someone.
Yeah, maybe all of this could have been avoided if Ms. Hiratsuka wasn't too preoccupied with fine-tuning her coffee-to-cigarette routine to notice some glaringly obvious loopholes...
The response from her was immediate, and exactly what I had expected.
Ms. Hiratsuka was already rolling up her sleeves, her eyes narrowing with a flicker of annoyance, and – was that a hint of amusement?
"Hikigaya." She growled. "It sounds like you are asking for a practical demonstration on how quickly a fist can reach a face."
I folded my arms defensively, meeting her gaze without flinching.
"It's not like I am wrong. Why do adults always resort to brute force when they know they are in the wrong? No sense of growth whatsoever." My tone oozed irritation, but I kept my voice low enough to imply I knew exactly how far I could push her.
As we engaged in our heated back-and-forth, I noticed the confused expressions on everyone else's faces.
Isshiki looked like she was trying to melt into her chair, Yuigahama's face was a picture of utter confusion, and even Yukinoshita's careful demeanor cracked for a moment as she raised a brow.
Senior Meguri, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the spectacle…
Aside from her, though, everyone else was utterly lost.
Deciding to save the rest from our verbal sparring, I turned to explain.
"Right, let me explain." I began, my voice cutting through the fog of confusion.
"A few weeks ago, just before our field trip, the school's bulletin board was covered in notices, including one about the upcoming student council elections."
"And I read through the rules... because, well, I was bored." I scratched the back of my neck, trying to make it sound less strange.
Yukinoshita's eyes, sharp as cut glass, seemed to bore right through my flimsy explanation.
"Hmm…" She drawled, a blend of amusement and skepticism in her voice. "So, people read a 35-page 'boring' rulebook to stave off boredom? How very... believable only considering it is you."
Caught in the spotlight of her scrutiny, I felt a bead of sweat form at my temple.
"Well, maybe that wasn't the whole truth." I muttered, meaningfully glancing toward her.
Our eyes met for a fleeting moment.
"There might have been someone I thought... might be interested in running for the position, and I wanted to be prepared, you know, to support them? Just in case."
I didn't need to say it outright. The brief widening of Yukinoshita's eyes signaled that she had picked up on my meaning.
"Anyway." Before she could say anything, I pressed on, eager to pull myself out of the mess I had created.
"As I said, I kind of stumbled upon the exact loophole in the rules. Being the upstanding student I am, I brought it to the attention of our teacher. You know, the one who is supposed to be a responsible adult." I jerked my thumb towards Ms. Hiratsuka, who looked about as thrilled as a cat in a bathtub.
I shot another accusatory look at Ms. Hiratsuka. "But she was too busy with 'other things' to be bothered with such a 'trivial' matter. Now that I think about it. She said something along the lines of."
Assuming a clumsy imitation of Ms. Hiratsuka's voice, I added -
"You are quite the comedian, Hikigaya. As if something like that would ever happen."
Ms. Hiratsuka's eyes narrowed in return, and her arms uncrossed as she took a step forward, clearly not about to let me have the last word.
"Now hold on just a minute, Hikigaya." She interjected, her voice unyielding. "You are conveniently omitting some crucial details. Your little visit to my office wasn't exactly as 'untwisted' as you are making it out to be."
She cleared her throat theatrically. "The reason I found it funny was because of you. Yeah, right! It's because of you that I said what I did. Hmm, what did you say now? Oh, right…! If I recall correctly, you were like this…"
She began as if it were now her turn to perfectly mimic my own monotone.
"Ms. Hiratsuka, I believe I am being targeted. You see, lately, I have made quite a few... enemies - I mean friends. I can sense with my [Foresight] skill that someone's going to use this loophole against me. You must eliminate it immediately!"
"Haehhaaa..!" - "tee-hee"
The room burst into a symphony of laughter.
Yuigahama's giggles echoed off the walls, Isshiki's awkward snicker added to the mix, and Yukinoshita's already soft expression cracked as she let out a small, amused smile.
As for Senior Meguri, she had been enjoying the show from the start. What more is there to say about her?
"That is why I found your whole act so entertaining." Ms. Hiratsuka concluded with a victory smirk, looking entirely too pleased with herself.
I felt a flush creeping up my neck, but I wasn't about to back down. I shot back. "That may be true, but it doesn't excuse your negligence."
"Sigh..." Ms. Hiratsuka's expression softened, a weary sigh escaping her lips. "Look, I did try, okay? But it's not as simple as you might think. There are protocols, procedures… you need to go through, and it is a pain, but I still gave it a shot."
Her voice took on a frustrated edge. "And I did make some progress. The rules will change eventually, just not this year. Those old fossils on the board refused to budge since this year's election circular is already out. So, for now, we are stuck with it."
Hmm… looks like she isn't slaking off…. My bad.
A pang of guilt hit me as I realized I might have misjudged her efforts. The room seemed to close in, apologetic gazes boring at her from all sides.
"Alright, alright." I conceded, raising my hands in surrender. "I may have been... hasty in my judgement."
But something still nags at the back of my mind. I turned to Isshiki, narrowing my eyes as I watched the now relaxed expression. "There's still one thing that doesn't quite add up."
I said, my tone thoughtful. "You really can't think of anyone who might have planned this? No one you have recently annoyed? Or someone who might benefit from seeing you in this situation?"
Isshiki fidgeted under my gaze, her fingers twisting together again as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I... I don't think so. I try to get along with everyone, you know?"
Yuigahama piped up, her voice gentle. "Maybe it wasn't meant as a prank or to cause trouble? What if someone thought they were doing you a favor?"
"Indeed. There are all kinds of people in this world…." Yukinoshita added.
I felt a headache brewing behind my eyes.
"Right." I said, keen to change the subject. "Regardless, we are dealing with the aftermath now. Isshiki, your goal is to avoid winning this election, correct?"
Isshiki gave a small nod, her expression strained.
I continued. "...but the worst part is, the only one running in the election is Isshiki so…"
"So that means a vote of confidence." Yukinoshita finished my words.
I nodded, completing the thought. "Her becoming the president is pretty much set in stone…"
My voice trailed off as I felt a surge of annoyance.
This whole situation reeked of unnecessary complications.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I continued, unable to keep the irritation from my tone.
"And the main problem doesn't end here, because this junior has a pride that needs to be saved. Losing a vote of confidence would tarnish that."
"Hw-hhw…" Isshiki squirmed in her seat, her cheeks flushing slightly as she said, her voice small and uncertain. "I wouldn't call it pride, but... reputation maybe?"
Ugh, so self-centered. It's exactly because of that personality that you were forced into this situation, you know?
I caught Yukinoshita's eye, noticing the subtle tightening of her jaw. When she spoke, her voice had dropped to a near-whisper, cold as ice.
"Even as a prank." She said, each word precisely enunciated. "This isn't something to laugh at."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. Yuigahama, sensing the tension, nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"But, um, isn't there a way to just... withdraw her candidacy?" She asked, looking around the room hopefully.
Ms. Hiratsuka shook her head, her expression grim. "Unfortunately, as I said, it is not that simple. Once a candidate has been nominated and accepted, there is a formal process for withdrawal. It requires a compelling reason - and 'I don't want to do it' doesn't quite cut it in the eyes of the school administration."
After watching Ms. Hiratsuka, Senior Meguri nodded in affirmation.
"Welp, that's a dead end."
I leaned back in my chair, my mind already racing through potential solutions and their likely outcomes.
….
.
[To be continued…]
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