The fourth day of the election period.
"I’m so sleepy..."
"Sorry, Hinako. I know it’s early again today."
Throughout the election cycle, Hinako had been arriving at school early to match my schedule. I was worried she might doze off during class, but she seemed to be managing by going to bed earlier than usual to compensate.
After parting ways with Hinako at the classroom, I immediately grabbed the stack of flyers from my bag and headed outside.
I’ll give it my all again today, I thought, but before I could even start—
"Tomonari-san, do you have a moment?"
A voice called out from behind me. I turned around to find Suminoe-san. She had evidently just arrived at school, and she approached me with a grim expression.
"Regarding the implementation of the various courses mentioned in Tennoji-sama's campaign pledges... is it true that students will be required to pay exorbitant tuition fees?"
"Excuse me?"
"The rumor has been circulating since after school yesterday. Even just now, I overheard students talking about it in the hallway."
We intended to fulfill Tennoji-san’s pledge of etiquette courses in a way that minimized the burden on the students. However, many aspects of the plan required consultation with the academy's management, meaning the finer details couldn't be set in stone until after she won the election.
"There is no truth to that whatsoever. Implementing a course that excludes people based on cost would be entirely counterproductive to Tennoji-san’s goals."
"That’s true, isn't it?"
To create an academy where everyone can live nobly—that was the ideal Tennoji-san championed.
If participation were restricted by wealth, that ideal would collapse. Besides, for a student of Kikou Academy to call something "expensive," the price would have to be astronomical. I couldn't imagine an etiquette course costing that much.
People sure love to spread strange rumors, I thought. But then—
"Ah, Tomonari-kun."
This time, Kita-kun called out to me. He approached and looked between me and Suminoe-san.
"Sorry, am I interrupting something?"
"No, it’s fine. What’s up?"
When I asked, Kita-kun’s expression turned awkward.
"Well, it's about the salon in Miyakojima-san's pledge... there’s a rumor going around that it will be by invitation only, and that only students from a handful of high-status families will be allowed in."
I exchanged a silent, worried look with Suminoe-san.
What was going on? Were strange rumors spreading about Narika too?
"...There is no truth to that, either."
"R-Right. I thought so, but..." Kita-kun’s lips fumbled as he spoke. "These rumors seem to be spreading quite fast."
Lunch break.
Without even taking a moment to eat, we held an emergency meeting in the second-floor hallway.
"I see. So our reputations are being dragged through the mud."
I had shared the bare essentials this morning, but I explained the full situation to the group again. Tennoji-san, Narika, Kita-kun, and Suminoe-san all listened with growing concern.
"Yes. Because of this, I’ve revised the content of your speeches. Please look these over."
I handed them the revised speech drafts I had been working on during every spare minute between classes. We might not make it in time for the lunch break speeches starting in thirty minutes, but I hoped they could at least use them for the after-school sessions. I had kept the revisions as minimal as possible.
"I’m sorry to force these sudden changes on you both."
"It cannot be helped, dear."
"Exactly. This isn't Itsuki's responsibility."
I had expected them to say as much, but still...
"If I had provided more detailed explanations from the start, perhaps these rumors wouldn't have taken root. I might have prioritized impact over clarity."
"It’s a matter of balance," Tennoji-san replied. "If we had focused solely on minute details from the beginning, I am certain the student body would have found us dreadfully tedious."
Unlike me, neither of them seemed shaken.
However, from my perspective, this was a moment for genuine alarm. According to this morning's Election Bulletin, both Tennoji-san and Narika had lost 2% of their approval ratings, while Joto-kun had successfully climbed by about 5%. Looking at the raw numbers, it felt less like our candidates were failing and more like Joto-kun’s campaign was simply gaining ground, but I couldn't ignore the timing of the rumors.
"We’ll just have to dispel the rumors in our next speeches, won't we? Then there is no problem," Narika added.
I didn't want to dampen their spirits now that they were finally feeling proactive. But the reality was that we were supposed to be talking about our revised pledges today. Instead, we were being forced to waste time dealing with baseless gossip, slowing our momentum.
"Specifically, what sort of rumors are being circulated?" Tennoji-san asked.
"They are all quite shallow," Suminoe-san answered, looking frustrated.
I had already mentioned the rumor about the expensive etiquette fees. Beyond that...
"For example, there’s a rumor that the special lecturers you’re inviting are all people beholden to the Tennoji Group, and that you’re simply trying to line your own pockets."
It was absurd. There was no way Tennoji-san would even consider such a thing.
"Also... and I hate to say this, but some are whispering that your golden hair might not be natural..."
"T-T-T-T-That is absolutely not true!"
That one was surprisingly sharp. Though it hardly had anything to do with the election at this point.
"We all need to eat, so let's disband for now. We’ll pick this up after school."
I brought the emergency meeting to a close. We had already burned ten minutes. With only twenty left until the speeches, I wondered how much of the new scripts they could actually memorize.
As everyone dispersed, I noticed Asahi-san watching me.
"Asahi-san? Is something wrong?"
"Ah, um... No, it's nothing."
It clearly wasn't nothing, but she looked away and hurried out of the classroom. Perhaps she was just worried because we all looked so serious.
I should go meet up with Hinako.
She had headed toward the Old Student Council Building ahead of me, but given her disastrous lack of direction, I had told her to stop exactly where she was if she felt even slightly lost.
I found her just outside the school building, lunch box in hand. After making sure no one was nearby, I dropped my formal tone.
"Sorry, Hinako. Did I keep you waiting?"
"Mmm..."
When she turned around, her expression was even more deflated than usual.
"...You look a bit henyo-henyo. Are you okay?"
"...I'm fine."
I wondered if something had happened while she was waiting. I started to walk toward our usual spot, but—
"Are you about to have lunch?"
A male student with a messy mop of hair called out, stopping me in my tracks.
"Joto-kun..."
"Nice to meet you, Tomonari-kun."
It seemed he knew my face. Joto-kun greeted me with an easygoing politeness. I hadn't realized it when watching his speeches from a distance, but standing next to him, he was taller than he looked. He had an athletic build, and though his shaggy hair made him look gloomy, his features were actually quite sharp and well-defined.
"Would you mind if I spoke with Konohana-san for a moment? We could talk over lunch. You’re welcome to join us, of course, Tomonari-kun."
Joto-kun lightly lifted the lunch box he was carrying. Kikou Academy had a cafeteria staffed by world-class chefs, but it seemed Joto-kun was a lunch box person just like us.
I glanced at Hinako. She still looked exhausted. I wanted time to organize my thoughts, and frankly, we were too busy for a long chat.
"I’m sorry. We were hoping to find somewhere quiet to rest during the break."
"I see... Then at least give me three minutes of your time right here."
Three minutes wasn't much, but I looked to Hinako for her lead. She nodded quietly. Being too stubborn about refusing would only look suspicious.
"I’m sure you’ve been asked this until you’re sick of it... but why didn't you run for President?"
Hinako’s expression stiffened almost imperceptibly. Finally, I understood why she was so drained.
She had been hounded by this question. In all the moments I wasn't with her, other students had been constantly asking why she wasn't the candidate. No wonder she felt so wilted.
But she was in public now. She couldn't let her "Perfect Lady" facade slip.
"I have given everyone the same answer: my family duties keep me quite occupied. There is no other reason," Hinako replied gently.
But Joto-kun didn't back down.
"But you, Konohana-san, could lead this academy better than anyone else. Won't you reconsider? Running at this stage might be unprecedented, but it’s technically within the rules. If it’s you, you could still sweep the vote."
Wait a minute...
Was he seriously trying to talk Hinako into running against him? Joto-kun looked dead serious. Even in her Young Lady mode, Hinako was visibly bewildered.
I had to step in.
"Joto-kun, you’re the one running for the position. Isn't it your job to lead the academy?"
"That’s..."
Joto-kun’s gaze wandered, looking deeply uncomfortable.
"...I might not be able to do it as well as Konohana-san could," he said, staring at the ground.
That line... that wasn't something a candidate for President should ever say. If his supporters heard that, they’d be devastated.
"I am very honored by your faith in me," Hinako said with a small bow. "But I have many responsibilities I must attend to. I assure you, I am not spending my time in idleness. I hope you can believe me."
"............I understand."
Judging that further persuasion was useless, Joto-kun nodded, biting his lip. Then he turned to me.
"Tomonari-kun. Supporting two candidates at once must be exhausting. Good luck."
"...Thank you."
"There are some strange rumors going around lately. If you need me to, I can use my speech to set the record straight."
"You would do that? For us?"
We were supposed to be competing for a single seat. Even for a "fair fight," this felt excessively kind. Sensing my suspicion, Joto-kun gave a weak, fragile smile.
"I just want this academy to move in a better direction. I don't really care who the President is, as long as that happens."
He spoke in a spiritless voice, his posture almost limp. He seemed to be looking at the big picture, but his detached attitude felt off—like it was someone else's problem. Then I realized why his words sounded familiar.
"Rintaro said something very similar."
"You’ve spoken with Rintaro? Well, he and I share a similar outlook."
Joto-kun let out a long, heavy sigh.
"Sorry for taking your time."
We watched as Joto-kun trudged back toward the school building.
"He actually scouted me for his camp once," I whispered.
"Really...?"
I nodded to the surprised Hinako.
"But for someone who did that, he doesn't seem very..."
"...Nn. It’s strange."
Hinako felt it too. For someone who had gone out of his way to recruit me, he didn't seem interested in winning. In fact...
"Does Joto even want to be President?"
The morning of the fifth day.
I arrived early again and checked the latest Election Bulletin.
Still the same as yesterday.
No major shifts. Tennoji-san held 39%, Narika 35%, and Joto-kun 26%. The bulletin reflected the previous day’s tally. Since our campaign activities hadn't changed much, it confirmed that the recent dip was likely due to the negative rumors.
However, the rumors that had been plaguing us should have been dispelled by yesterday’s speeches. I had listened to both Tennoji-san and Narika, and they had both been incredibly logical and persuasive in debunking the gossip. Their ratings should have bounced back once the misunderstandings were cleared.
The one who bothers me is Joto.
I had spent last night thinking about it. Joto-kun acted like someone who had already given up. Tennoji and Narika were stars at this academy; overturning their popularity was a Herculean task. The gap was only closing because of the rumors, not because of Joto’s own efforts.
If he had any real ambition, he would have seized this moment to go on the offensive. Instead, he had looked at us with genuine sympathy.
"Tomonari-kun!"
"Kita-kun?"
As I was handing out flyers in the schoolyard, Kita-kun came sprinting from the school building, a stack of papers in his hand.
"What’s wrong?"
"The rumors aren't stopping! They’re actually getting worse!"
My mind went blank. Not stopping? How?
"...What are they saying now?"
"That to build the salon, you’re going to tear down the campus café. And... that Miyakojima-san’s pledges were all ghostwritten by you."
What is this?
Kita-kun listed off a series of increasingly bizarre accusations—none of which had existed yesterday.
"Tomonari-san."
Suminoe-san approached, her face like a thundercloud. I already knew what she was going to say.
"The rumors... they haven't stopped, have they?"
"No. We addressed the old ones, but now entirely new ones are being whispered."
"Tell me everything."
The rumors Suminoe-san described were completely different in nature and varied wildly. Just like with Narika, new smears against Tennoji-san were popping up like weeds.
The spread was too systematic to be natural. These weren't organic doubts growing from the original rumors; they were brand-new fabrications appearing in waves. It was erratic, yet calculated.
We had spent all of yesterday investigating and correcting every single whisper. I wasn't naive enough to think they’d vanish overnight, but for a whole new set of lies to appear exactly when the old ones died?
"I see now..."
The situation finally clicked. The rumors were being released in batches—in installments. It was designed to keep us perpetually on the defensive, stuck in damage control so we could never move forward with our actual campaign.
We were being forced to walk in place.
"It’s a negative campaign."
A smear campaign. By spreading a negative image of the opposition, you boost your own standing by default. It was a classic, if dirty, election tactic.
Suddenly, I remembered my conversation with Takuma-san.
—By the way, Itsuki-kun. In the Management Game, one thing was omitted. Do you know what it was?
Now I knew.
The answer was... schemes.
The intent to sabotage.
The Management Game had been a battle of numbers and systems. Rules were absolute. Even Suminoe-san’s attempt to buy my company was a legitimate business strategy, not a scheme. But what I was facing now was something different—something malicious.
I had assumed every student at Kikou Academy was a paragon of virtue. I had been far too naive.
Did Joto spread these?
If it was a negative campaign, the mastermind had to be in the Joto camp. Yet, I couldn't picture Joto-kun’s face behind these tactics. This wasn't the man who had offered to help us in his own speech. Whether he was disinterested or just too nice, he didn't fit the profile of a saboteur.
"Tomonari-kun, what’s wrong?"
I looked up to see Asahi-san standing there, looking concerned. She had clearly just arrived. Seeing the heavy atmosphere surrounding us in the corner of the schoolyard, she had come over to check on us.
"Asahi-san, actually..."
She had a wide social circle; maybe she’d have an idea on how to counter this. I quickly explained everything: the new wave of rumors and my suspicion that the Joto camp was behind a negative campaign.
As I spoke, her face went pale. Her reaction was visceral—it wasn't just surprise. It was recognition.
"I... I’m sorry! I just remembered I have something to do!"
She dropped her bag on the grass and bolted toward the school building.
"Asahi-san!?"
There was no way her "errand" wasn't related to this. I grabbed her bag and handed my flyers to Kita-kun.
"Sorry! I’m leaving the rest to you!"
I chased after her. She didn't even stop to change her shoes, running straight through the hallways. I had no choice but to follow, my outdoor shoes clicking on the floor.
The first-year wing?
Kikou Academy’s first-year building was separate from the main one. I followed her across the connecting bridge and up the stairs. She burst into a classroom.
"—Rintaro!"
Asahi-san’s voice cracked like a whip. Rintaro, sitting inside, looked up in genuine shock at his sister’s sudden intrusion.
"Sister? What are you doing here?"
"I told you this was the wrong way to do things!" she screamed.
I had never seen Asahi-san like this. She was usually the mood maker—bright, cheerful, and incredibly sensitive to the feelings of those around her. Now, she was ignoring the stares of the entire class, her voice filled with raw fury.
"Please, calm down. I have no idea what you’re—"
"—The negative campaign!"
Rintaro’s face went rigid. For a split second, his eyes flicked to me standing behind her. His gaze was chilling—utterly cold—before shifting back to a mask of confusion.
"...I don't know what you mean."
"Don't you dare play dumb! I know it’s you! Your methods are exactly the same!"
Asahi-san’s voice was thick with anger, but it also sounded like she was on the verge of tears.
What did she mean, "exactly the same"? Did she have proof this was Rintaro’s doing?
"Rintaro... please, stop this. I know how you feel, but..."
Asahi-san bit her lip, her expression crumbling into sadness. In the dead-silent classroom, Rintaro let out a slow sigh.
"You're being loud."
He glared at her. His eyes held a bottomless anger that matched hers.
"What right does a traitor have to preach to me?"
Asahi-san flinched as if he’d struck her. Rintaro turned away from her, looked at me, and gave a polite bow.
"Tomonari-senpai, I apologize for dragging you into this mess."
"No, I—"
"Don't worry about it. It’s just a sibling spat that has nothing to do with the election."
He then bowed to his classmates, and the confused first-years slowly began to return to their normal chatter. Asahi-san didn't say another word. She gritted her teeth so hard I could hear it, then turned and fled the building.
Once we were outside, Asahi-san seemed to realize she was still in her outdoor shoes. She took them off and started walking in her socks. I did the same, trailing a step behind her. She didn't go to the lockers; she walked back to the bridge, put her shoes back on, and headed into the garden.
"Class is starting soon, you know," she said without turning back.
"I can't leave you like this."
"...You're too kind, Tomonari-kun." Her voice was trembling. "I wish I could have been that kind..."
With a self-deprecating laugh, she sat down at a garden table and gestured for me to join her. I sat across from her, resigning myself to missing first period.
"Asahi-san. We don't know for sure that Rintaro is behind the rumors. You might be—"
"—It’s him," she interrupted. "He’s doing the same thing at home. I recognize it."
She took a breath and began to explain.
"Our company, Jays Holdings... it's a bit of a mess under the surface. The numbers are good, but there’s terrible friction among the employees."
I had researched the company during the Management Game. It was a top-tier firm with years of profit, but I’d only seen the balance sheets.
"My father, the president, is a Kikou graduate. But his values were... skewed. He couldn't connect with his employees. His lack of common sense, which showed in his spending and the way he spoke, destroyed their trust. He spent way too much on business dinners, thinking he was being a good host to important clients. He didn't realize how it looked to everyone else."
She gave a hollow smile.
"His business sense was fine, but he failed at human relationships. They don't teach you that here. Our employees are mostly ordinary people, so a man like my father ended up an outsider. Rintaro and I saw him struggle our whole lives. We watched him, and we promised ourselves we’d never be like that."
I could only imagine the pain of growing up watching your father be whispered about and resented by his own staff.
"We made a promise when we were kids. That one day, the two of us would start a company together—one that was truly for the commoners."
Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place. Rintaro’s goal of starting a business. Why he called her a traitor.
"So, the promise was to start a business together."
"Yes. But I broke that promise." She dug her nails into the back of her hand as she spoke, an act of penance for the pain she was reliving. "I decided to inherit the family company instead. And Rintaro, feeling betrayed, stopped caring about what it took to build his own path."
I remembered the terrifying coldness in Rintaro’s eyes earlier.
"Rintaro started hanging around the office, using his status as the president’s son. Not long after, the friction in the company got even worse."
"Because of him?"
Asahi-san nodded, her face pained.
"Rintaro was the one spreading the rumors about my father. At the same time, he was telling people he was going to start his own company and began headhunting the best talent from within our own ranks. He created factions. He mocked anyone who stayed loyal to my father as part of the Bourgeoisie Faction and called his own group the Commoner Faction. He’s uniting them so that one day, he can take them all with him."
Since he had used these exact tactics before, Asahi-san was certain he was behind the election rumors. The parallel was unmistakable.
"By the time I realized what he was doing, it was too late. He was just a middle schooler, yet he was more respected in the office than my father ever was. Rintaro has a talent for it. Strategy... no, schemes. He has a genius for manipulation."
She spoke weakly, the weight of her brother's dark talent pressing down on her.
"And it’s all my fault for leaving him alone. I'm the one who pushed him into this. So when I tell him to stop... why would he ever listen to me?"
She looked down at her lap. From Rintaro’s perspective, I could understand the anger. They had a pact, and she had abandoned him to join the very system they’d hated. Forced to fight alone, he had turned to any means necessary.
"Anyway! I’m sorry! You’re so busy with the election, and my brother is just making things harder!"
Asahi-san suddenly looked up, forcing her usual cheerful tone.
"Really, really sorry! I’ve made things all gloomy. I’m the worst! And look, first period has already started! We have to get to class! You don't want the teachers marking you down now of all times, right?"
She bowed her head, hands pressed together in a frantic apology. She was acting as if she were perfectly fine, as if the darkness had already passed.
I stared straight at her.
"You don't have to do that."
Her smile froze.
"The one who’s hurting most right now is you, Asahi-san. Don't worry about me."
I knew she was faking it for my sake. But seeing her force that smile was even more painful.
Asahi-san’s face went still, and then, slowly, tears began to track down her cheeks. It was the first time I had ever seen her cry, and it felt as though I was seeing her real face for the first time.
The girl who was always the bright mood maker was still just a human being with her own heavy burdens. Like anyone else, she could get angry. She could break.
"I'm sorry... just for a second... give me a second..."
The tears grew into a torrent, and she began to sob as if a dam had burst inside her.
"I'll... I'll be back to normal in a minute..."
"...It's okay."
Even in this state, she was still trying to be "normal" for the person in front of her. It was her nature. I wanted to tell her she didn't have to be that person anymore, but I realized that for Asahi-san, being "normal" was her armor. It was the only thing she had to protect her heart.