The election period at Kikou Academy had begun.
As a candidate myself, I’d made sure to study the election rules inside and out.
The campaign would last thirteen days, excluding weekends. Spanning three weeks in total, it was a fairly long stretch, but perhaps that was appropriate given we were selecting the Student Council officers who would eventually lead the world of business and politics. During these thirteen days, the presidential candidates were free to conduct their campaigns and vie for the votes of the entire student body.
On the first day, it was custom for the presidential candidates to display their handmade posters and announce their platforms. Flyers were also commonly used in conjunction. The specific areas where posters could be displayed and flyers distributed were all predetermined.
When I arrived at the academy that morning, a massive crowd of students had already gathered on the first floor of the school building.
I knew exactly what they were looking for: the posters put up by the candidates.
"Oh, Tomonari and Konohana-san."
"Good morning, you two!"
Taisho and Asahi-san noticed us.
Hinako and I offered our greetings and approached them.
"That's quite a crowd," I remarked.
"Well, look at the candidates this year," Taisho replied, turning his gaze back toward the posters.
There were three candidates for Student Council President.
Two of them were Mirei Tennoji and Narika Miyakojima.
Both were famous enough within Kikou Academy to stand on equal footing with Hinako. Tennoji-san’s family business rivaled the Konohana Group in scale, and Narika’s family was the largest in their industry; on top of that, her recent achievements within the academy had been the talk of the school.
Since I had consulted for both of them on their poster designs, there wasn't much reason for me to inspect them now, but seeing the work they’d poured their hearts into attracting so much attention felt deeply moving.
(...They’ve both come a long way since those early drafts.)
I felt a surge of pride knowing their hard work was paying off.
The first draft Tennoji-san showed me was a gaudy, cluttered mess, resembling a supermarket’s weekly circular. I’m certainly glad we revised it.
The poster Narika first made was plagued by her over-cautious nature; the supplementary notes were so dense they practically buried her main points. I’m very glad we revised that one as well.
Because I’d worked as a consultant during the Management Game, they had both come to me for advice. Honestly, I wasn't an expert on electioneering either, so I’d done my own research to provide them with the most objective advice I could. It looked like the results weren't half bad.
As I stood at the back of the crowd, nodding with my arms crossed—
"Tomonari-san!"
Tennoji-san called out to me loudly as she approached.
"Thanks to you, I have a truly wonderful poster!"
"No, I didn't really do anything that great..."
"Please, do not be so modest! This elegant poster is a brilliant piece that perfectly captures my radiant individuality!"
Tennoji-san beamed as she looked at her display.
Hinako might be known as the "Perfect Young Lady," but Tennoji-san was just as peerless in her own way. She had only one flaw... her "be a lady" instinct had no off-switch. That was the root of her blonde ringlets and her specific way of speaking.
Her initial poster draft had been as flashy as humanly possible, but I felt it would be a waste to stifle that personality. Instead, I’d steered the aesthetic toward something more dignified. I’d aimed for a look that wouldn't feel out of place hanging in the high-class cafe we’d visited during the first half of the Management Game.
"Um, Tennoji-san! Good luck!"
"I’m voting for you, Tennoji-san!"
The surrounding students cheered for her.
"Thank you very much. I shall be delivering speeches starting tomorrow, so please, do come and listen!"
After giving a proper thanks, Tennoji-san departed. Her golden curls seemed to shimmer in the morning sun as she turned, leaving the students staring after her in a trance.
"Itsuki!"
Hearing my name called again, I turned around.
Narika was heading my way.
"Thank you for staying so late to help me yesterday! Thanks to you, the posters and flyers are a huge hit!"
"I'm glad to hear it."
"It was the same during the Management Game, but your ideas never cease to amaze me, Itsuki. I never expected my calligraphy skills to be useful in a situation like this."
Narika looked at her own poster with an impressed air.
Since I’d leaned into individuality for Tennoji-san, I’d looked for a way to do the same for Narika. Then I remembered her mastery of calligraphy. I’d checked with our homeroom teacher, Fukushima-sensei, to see if there were any restrictions on the medium used for the posters. Once he confirmed there were none, I suggested she write hers with a brush and ink.
The result was a poster that stood out from everything else.
The students were mesmerized by her campaign promises, written in such expert, flowing hand.
"Miyakojima-san! I’m rooting for you!"
"Onesama! I’ll definitely vote for you!"
The students cheered for Narika.
"Thank you. I... I'll do my best to live up to your expectations!"
She fumbled her words slightly, but Narika no longer seemed to shrink from the public eye as she once had.
Once Narika left, the air settled—if only for a moment.
Then, the gaze of everyone nearby shifted toward me in unison.
"Ugh."
I knew what it was.
The question they were asking was written clearly in their eyes.
—Whose side are you actually on?
I still hadn't found an answer to that myself.
Holding my stomach against a sudden pang of gastric pain, I headed for class.
"Haaaaaaah..."
"You’re really wearing your heart on your sleeve today, Tomonari."
As I sat sighing in the classroom, Taisho and Asahi-san came over.
"There are two candidates for Vice President, counting you, right?"
"That seems to be the case. I don't know anything about the other person yet since no information has been released."
"There’s a bit of a rumor going around, though. I heard it’s a first-year," Asahi-san added.
"Wait, really?"
That rumor hadn't reached me yet.
A first-year running for Vice President... they were certainly ambitious.
I couldn't afford to be complacent just because they were younger. In fact, that first-year had likely entered this academy through the front door, unlike me. On paper, they were almost certainly more capable than I was.
"Anyway, since there are two of you, you’ll need to actually win the vote, Tomonari. That means choosing which faction to join is a huge deal."
"...Yeah."
That "faction" was exactly what was weighing on me.
The presidential candidates weren't the only ones facing an election. The Student Council consisted of five roles: President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and General Affairs. If multiple people ran for any of these, an election was held.
With two candidates for Vice President, I was forced to campaign to secure my own win. In this election, I was very much a primary player.
The primary duty of a Vice President candidate during the campaign was to assist a presidential candidate. Essentially, you chose the person you believed should be President and supported them as a subordinate. The reason for this dynamic lay in the election rules.
While the entire student body had voting rights, the winning President was granted a special "Presidential Vote." This single vote carried a weight equal to one-third of the entire student body.
In short, the winning President had the power to effectively hand-pick their cabinet.
And at Kikou Academy, it was tradition for the winning President to cast that Presidential Vote for the Vice President candidate who had served as their right hand during the campaign.
This was why the faction a Vice President candidate joined was so critical.
In this year's election, there were three factions: Tennoji-san’s, Narika’s, and the unknown third candidate's.
Simply put, a Vice President candidate’s job was to find the winning horse among the presidential candidates and serve them.
You provided the support, and in exchange, you received the Presidential Vote.
Of course, that vote only accounted for a third of the total. If the other two-thirds of the student body voted for someone else, you would still lose. Therefore, I had to demonstrate my competence to the rest of the school and earn their trust as a prospective Vice President.
"I'm rooting for you. I’m definitely giving you my vote, Tomonari."
"Thanks, Taisho."
With my anxiety redlining, hearing straightforward support like that was a relief.
"Asahi is too, right?"
Taisho looked at Asahi-san.
However, she had a complicated look on her face, seemingly lost in thought.
"Asahi?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah! I... I think Tomonari-kun would be the better choice."
Seeing her strangely awkward demeanor, I let out a soft sigh.
"Look... you don't have to force yourself to support me."
"N-No, really! I am! I’ll definitely vote for you, Tomonari-kun!"
Her words said one thing, but her behavior said another.
However, the fact that I’d felt a pang of negativity at the thought of not getting her vote made me realize I’d been subconsciously taking the support of my inner circle for granted. I needed to reflect on that. Friendship shouldn't be confused with entitlement.
The election period had only just begun. What mattered was what happened next.
But to move forward... I had to pick a side.
Should I support Tennoji-san, or should I support Narika?
Which one was the right choice...?
"...I can't think straight. I’m going to go for a walk."
There was still some time before class. I left the room and wandered aimlessly down the hall.
"Oh, Tomonari-san."
"...Suminoe-san."
I bumped into Suminoe-san, who had clearly just arrived at school.
"The election period officially begins today, doesn't it?"
"Y-Yeah, it does."
Watching her maintain that facade of a graceful, refined smile sent a cold sweat down my spine.
Still smiling, she continued.
"And which faction do you intend to join, Tomonari-san?"
"That’s..."
I faltered.
Seeing me hesitate, Suminoe-san’s gaze sharpened into a blade.
"Surely, you aren't planning to betray Tennoji-sama, are you?"
The pressure was suffocating.
Suminoe-san kept her eyes fixed on me in a piercing glare until the moment she stepped into the classroom.
I was leaning against the wall, taking deep breaths and clutching my stomach, when—
"Ah, Tomonari-kun."
Kita approached me with a worried expression.
"Is something wrong? You don't look well."
"...No, I'm okay."
"If you say so....You’re aiming for Vice President, right? I'm rooting for you."
"Thanks, Kita."
It seemed all my hard work up to this point had earned me quite a bit of support from various people.
However, Kita didn't head into class. He looked like he was debating whether to say something or keep it to himself. Finally, after some hesitation, he spoke up.
"Which faction are you joining, Tomonari-kun?"
"...Well..."
"I don't mean to put pressure on you, but I really feel like Miyakojima-san is someone who needs someone to support her."
"...You're right."
I felt the same way.
I did, but...
Lunch break.
As per our usual routine, Hinako and I ate lunch together. Afterward, she tapped my knee twice.
"Are you going to sleep?"
"Nn."
I sat cross-legged so she could use my lap as a pillow.
"Suyaa..."
The moment her head touched my lap, Hinako drifted off into a peaceful sleep.
The season was turning chilly as the sun went down, but the daytime temperature was perfect. If I hadn't had so much on my mind, I would have wanted to nap right along with her.
(...I should ask for advice.)
I pulled out my phone and placed a call.
I wasn't sure if she’d be available, but she picked up almost immediately.
『What’s up, Itsuki? Calling me at this hour.』
"Sorry, Yuri. Do you have a minute?"
『I do, but is it something important?』
"...Yeah."
『Give me a sec. I’m going to move somewhere else.』
Through the phone, I could hear the background noise of a lively school. Yuri’s high school must have been on lunch break as well.
Recalling the atmosphere of my old school made me feel a bit nostalgic.
『Okay. What did you want to talk about?』
Yuri’s voice came back, and the noise of the crowd had vanished.
"I need some advice. The election campaign started today here at the academy, and—"
I laid out the situation I was in.
I told her that I was a candidate for Vice President. That to win, I had to choose a faction and distinguish myself as an assistant. But to do any of that, I first had to decide whose side I was on.