“If you can actually lead this business plan to success, Sister, I’m sure you’ll earn the company’s trust. However, what about the company that was originally supposed to be part of this? What happened to Taisho Moving? Looking at this proposal, it’s as if they just handed all their rights over to Jays Holdings...”
Suspicious that such a thing was even possible, Rintaro looked at Taisho.
But Taisho simply nodded with a grave expression.
“Yeah. I handed them over.”
I had called Taisho here specifically to discuss this.
Taisho continued his explanation as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“I swallowed my pride, bowed to my old man, and gave the branding for this business to Jays Holdings.”
“Wh-Why would you go that far...?”
“I told him it was for a friend, and he understood immediately. Our company values heart and humanity. Most BtoC companies with a long history have a streak of that in them, for better or worse. Isn’t that the kind of company you’re hoping to build, too?”
“...!”
Taisho’s father was a president who prioritized personal relationships.
Rintaro was supposed to have learned the importance of considering people’s feelings from his own father—not just weighing profit and loss, but seeing things from the employees’ perspective.
Taisho was simply putting that into practice. Ironically, the Taisho standing before Rintaro now was the living embodiment of Rintaro’s own ideals.
The unsung MVP of this situation was undoubtedly Taisho. The only reason I had been able to draft this business plan overnight was because Taisho had humbled himself before his father without a second of hesitation.
Taisho is definitely going to be a great president someday...
“My old man just laughed. He said Jays Holdings is going to be a prime customer from now on, so he didn’t mind racking up as many favors as possible....Rintaro. It looks like your sister has a lot of adults placing their hopes on her.”
Rintaro turned a sharp gaze toward Asahi-san.
Asahi-san straightened her posture, her expression solemn, showing she had absolutely nothing to hide.
“Joto-kun is currently campaigning as part of the Reformist faction, challenging the traditions of Kikou Academy, isn’t he?”
At Asahi-san’s question, Rintaro gave a silent nod.
“Are you the same, Rintaro? Do you think traditions are inherently bad?”
“...I do,” Rintaro answered in a weak voice, as if he were hiding a sense of guilt. “If old, dusty customs are only going to drag you down, it’s better to cut them loose and fly toward something new....It’s the same for our family company. Why bother taking over a crumbling paper-mache castle? I just don’t understand...”
“But those traditions are what protected us,” Asahi-san stated calmly. “Our family has been protected by the current company all this time. Our entire lifestyle was maintained by tradition....That’s why I want to fight to save it.”
Asahi-san spoke of her own battlefield and her reason for fighting.
“I think Dad failed. He regrets what happened more than anyone. That’s exactly why I’m the one taking over. I’m not going to just throw his failure away; I’m going to make use of it.”
Learning from and utilizing failure. Listening to her, I felt that perhaps that was the true essence of tradition.
“I will protect our family’s home. So, Rintaro, you’re free to live however you want. —But from now on, don’t use these cowardly methods. Don’t disgrace Dad any further.”
With those words, Asahi-san bowed her head.
“Rintaro....Please.”
Rintaro looked as if he were on the verge of tears, his mind racing desperately.
There truly are people who are protected by tradition. One might call it "vested interests" with a negative slant, but Asahi-san’s family had been sustained by it.
The two of them had witnessed their foundation crumbling when they were young. Rintaro thought they should abandon it, while Asahi-san thought they should rebuild it. Both perspectives were worthy of respect. The current Rintaro should be capable of understanding that now.
There was nothing wrong with Rintaro wanting to start his own business or supporting Joto-kun as part of the Reformist faction. But now that his resentment toward his sister was gone, what would he think of his actions up until now?
What would he feel when he looked back at himself with eyes that were no longer clouded?
“............I understand,” Rintaro said, his voice trembling.
Asahi-san looked up.
“I knew that if I kept relying on underhanded tricks, I’d hit a wall eventually. If Joto-senpai had found out about this, I wouldn’t have been able to face him...”
Rintaro let out a long, heavy sigh.
“I’ve done enough.............I’m just tired now.”
Having said his piece, Rintaro lowered his head and went still.
I glanced at Tennoji-san and Narika. I could feel gazes coming from all directions, essentially asking, Does this mean we succeeded in talking him down?
...I think it’s safe to say we did.
I felt that Rintaro’s true feelings were buried in those last words. I’m tired. Of course he was. It’s exhausting to climb your way up by spreading petty rumors and desperately using your intellect to invent ways to kick others down.
Rintaro is smart. He’s smart enough to be at least vaguely aware that what he was doing was wrong.
Rintaro’s slumped shoulders seemed somehow lighter now, even as he looked down. Perhaps he had been waiting for a reason to put down the burden he’d been carrying—the unbearable weight of guilt that had been pressing on him.
Maybe Rintaro had been waiting for this day all along... No, that might be a bit too convenient a way to think.
But then again, it might not be.
Because Rintaro had always...
“...Hey, Rintaro.”
When I called his name, Rintaro looked up.
I stared into his eyes and told him the one thing that had been on my mind.
“The reason you tried to scout me so many times was—”
“—What exactly is going on here?”
A voice from behind me made me nearly jump out of my skin.
I spun around. Standing there was—
“What are you all doing...?”
“...Joto-kun.”
Joto-kun was looking straight at Rintaro.
Seeing Rintaro looking so thoroughly dejected, a faint flicker of anger appeared on Joto-kun’s face.
“Rintaro, what happened?”
“Joto-senpai...”
Rintaro hunched his shoulders even further.
“...I’m sorry. There’s something I have to apologize for.”
Does he intend to confess to moving on his own?
My eyes met Asahi-san’s. She and I had already agreed that if we could end the sibling feud, we would let all of Rintaro’s actions go.
We believed that once Rintaro reconciled with Asahi-san, we could have a clean, fair competition.
So, it was okay...
Rintaro had been carrying his own burdens and was backed into a corner. I felt it was time for him to be at peace, but—
“Are you talking about the rumors circulating in the academy?”
“—!”
Rintaro was stunned into silence.
But the rest of us were just as shocked.
“You... knew about them?”
“Vaguely, yes.”
Joto-kun cast a gentle gaze toward Rintaro.
“There’s no need for you to apologize, Rintaro.”
Joto-kun approached Rintaro with a regretful look and lightly patted his head.
“The fact that you were pushed that far... was because of my own weakness, wasn’t it?”
Tears began to spill from Rintaro’s eyes.
I knew Joto-kun, the Student Council President Candidate, and Rintaro, his assistant, were more than just friends, but the deep bond of trust I saw now went beyond that.
What is this connection...?
Come to think of it... where exactly did those two meet?
◇
Ren Joto and Rintaro Asahi had met two years ago in social circles.
It was at a party for a political organization where Ren’s father was a member. Ren attended as the son of an organizer, and Rintaro as the potential successor for his father, who had been invited.
At the time, Rintaro had already written off his father and had zero intention of taking over the business, but he decided the opportunity was too valuable to pass up. Betrayed by his sister and pushed to the edge, Rintaro was looking for connections outside his family.
Meanwhile, Ren was expected by everyone to follow in his father’s footsteps. He had been told to spend the day networking with politicians and wealthy figures who might be of use to him later.
However, once the party began, both their fathers became preoccupied, leaving Ren and Rintaro with nothing to do.
With few other children their age present, it was perhaps inevitable that the two of them, wandering the room with their gazes, would eventually cross paths.
Ren and Rintaro hit it off immediately.
They were kindred spirits.
Rintaro had witnessed his father’s incompetence as president and harbored deep doubts about the educational philosophy of Kikou Academy, where he was destined to enroll.
Similarly, Ren felt a sense of wrongness regarding the narrow-minded views of his father and grandfather. Although it was supposedly for the sake of surviving in a political world full of wily old foxes, he frequently felt nauseated by an upbringing that thoroughly beat a "stability-first" mindset into him. To avoid family scandals, Ren had been strictly told "not to make waves" since he was a child. It was a life of forced constraint, essentially being told "do not have your own thoughts." He felt nothing but resentment toward Kikou Academy for producing men like his father and grandfather.
Ren and Rintaro were sick and tired of the rigid ideologies of the adults.
And so, they began to wonder if they could change Kikou Academy, the very foundation of that world.
“Why don’t you run for Student Council President?”
As their conversation deepened, they moved to a different spot. Having slipped out of the venue, they talked while leaning against a balcony railing.
Ren’s eyes widened at Rintaro’s suggestion, but he eventually shook his head.
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Just being President would be one thing. But if I tried to change the traditions of Kikou Academy, my father would stop me immediately....That man is terrified of me drawing negative attention.”
Reforming the systems of Kikou Academy was an impossible task from Ren’s position.
“But if we don’t, people like us will just keep appearing forever.”
As Rintaro voiced his earnest frustration, Ren gave it some thought.
He wanted to at least offer some alternative. After much deliberation, he reached a certain conclusion.
“...In my year, there is a Gifted Girl named Hinako Konohana.”
Ren recalled the girl he had met several times in social circles.
“She should be entering Kikou Academy next year as well....I think she would be able to understand our perspective. Why don't we entrust it to her?”
“Entrust it? What do you mean?”
“I can’t be the President, but I will enter the election.”
Ren explained his clever plan.
“On the surface, it will be to aim for the presidency. But the real goal will be to broadcast our list of issues to the entire student body....If we do that, Hinako Konohana will surely become President and take those problems we’ve publicized seriously.”
If they did that, Ren wouldn’t have to actually hold the office.
He could have just personally presented the issues to Hinako Konohana once she was elected, but there was no guarantee she would act. However, if the entire student body was made aware of the problems, the President would be forced to move toward a solution. They just had to create that situation.
However, Rintaro made a sour face.
“...I’m against it. I want you to be the President, Joto-senpai.”
“Don’t ask for the impossible. Even if I didn't have my family to worry about, I could never beat Konohana-san. She’s just that perfect.”
“It’s not impossible!” Rintaro declared firmly. “Promise me. If you are chosen as President, you’ll fight alongside me....Promise me that you’ll work with me to change this world!”
Sensing Rintaro’s resolve, Ren exhaled slowly.
“...Alright, I promise. But I have no intention of actually becoming President, okay? I’ll run, but I’m only doing what’s necessary to raise the issues.”
“As long as you promise, that’s more than enough.”
It was clear that Ren believed becoming President was an impossible dream.
However, that promise fired Rintaro up more than anything else.
“I will definitely make you the President, Senpai....No matter what it takes.”
Ren saw a strange gleam in Rintaro’s eyes.
He saw it... but he chose to look away.
Tradition. Customs. Status. Environment. Ren sensed that destroying those things would be no easy feat and would require a level of obsession that wasn't normal—the kind he saw in Rintaro now.
And so, after entering Kikou Academy, Ren spent his time focusing on his grades.
It was an act to test his own resolve. He wanted to build the self-confidence that came with having the actual ability to speak his mind at the academy. He refused to become someone who only complained.
As long as he was bound by his father’s shackles, he couldn't lead a reform. But even just sounding the alarm for reform brought its own responsibility. He wanted to be a person capable of shouldering it.
One day, when the exam results were released, Ren observed Hinako’s classroom.
Hinako was being pleaded with by her classmates to help them study.
“Konohana-san. Could you teach me political science?”
Asked that, Hinako thought for a moment before answering.
“I don’t mind, but if it’s political science you’re interested in, I believe Joto-kun in the class next door is much more knowledgeable.”
She knows who I am—
That Hinako Konohana knows my name—
At that moment, Ren felt he had gained the confidence he sought, and at the same time, the right to speak to Hinako Konohana when the time came. He didn't lose his drive, but since he couldn't be President anyway, he decided further effort was unnecessary and let his academic focus fade.
From then on, Ren quietly let his presence diminish... so that his father wouldn't see through his plans.
One year later.
The Student Council election period began, and Rintaro teamed up with Ren.
As promised, Rintaro supported Ren with everything he had. But Ren himself, as he had declared, worked seriously only as far as raising the issues and refused to do anything more to actually win the presidency.
After school, Rintaro sat alone in the classroom, holding his head.
(...Since Joto-senpai has no motivation, it might be impossible to beat those two with a direct approach.)
Looking at the first day’s Election Bulletin, he despaired at the gap in their approval ratings.
Rintaro looked at the notebook spread across his desk. He had jotted down every idea he could think of to win the election, from the practical to the absurd. Now that he had hit a wall, he looked through them like a drowning man reaching for a straw.
Among them was one idea he could execute immediately.
(A negative campaign... if I start spreading rumors among the first-years, it might work...)
He had been actively building a network among his classmates for just such an occasion.
And it was a sure thing. After all, Rintaro already had a track record of winning over company executives with that very strategy.
It was a dirty method. Ren likely wouldn't approve.
While he was hesitating, his sister’s face flashed through his mind for a split second. The irritation in his heart spiked, and Rintaro made the decision to go through with it.
(But if I’m caught, it’ll ruin Joto-senpai’s image.)
Considering the risk, he couldn't involve Ren in this. If he was going to do it, it had to be on his own. He had to ensure Ren wouldn't be held responsible.
(Even if I’m not caught... can a healthy Student Council be built that way?)
To Rintaro, Ren Joto was a brilliant senior. They had engaged in heated debates since the day they met, but Ren’s insight was always a step ahead of Rintaro’s. Unlike Rintaro, who was merely fed up with the upper-class environment of Kikou Academy, Ren had been thinking about the pledges he announced in this election since back then.
That was exactly why he worried if someone like himself should be by Ren’s side when he became Student Council President. He didn't mind for himself, but he didn't want to drag Ren’s life through the mud.
He thought until sweat broke out on his forehead.
He might eventually become a liability for Ren.
In that case...
(............I just need to find a replacement Vice President.)
After he finished the dirty work, he would just hand the Vice President’s seat to someone else. That way, Ren’s inner circle would remain clean, and a rock-solid Student Council would be born.
He didn't think it was sad. Rintaro’s original reason for participating was the reform of Kikou Academy’s systems. As long as that happened, he didn't actually need to be on the council himself.
He had no attachment to the title of Vice President.
That was why his motives remained pure.
Rintaro left the classroom and headed to the hallway on the first floor.
(As for a Vice President Candidate other than me... that would be Itsuki Tomonari-senpai.)
Rintaro stopped to think in front of the ‘Daily Peek into the Lives of Executive Candidates’ display set up by the previous Student Council members.
He had already thoroughly researched Itsuki Tomonari since they were rivals for the same seat. Despite being a transfer student, he was steadily improving his grades. In the Management Game, he had fended off a corporate buyout and proposed an innovative new business, ultimately winning the Consultant Award.
The man’s earnest nature was clear from the posted reports.
A schedule that began with cleaning every morning, followed by hard work in both studies and exercise.
He wasn't the type to leave everything to servants. —He didn't have a personality like Rintaro's father, who grew complacent in his position.
At the end of the report was a comment from a third party.
‘His sincere attitude has a positive influence on those around him. Seeing his hard work gives others a chance to reflect on themselves.’
He gets good reviews, Rintaro thought.
Someone like him could properly support Ren in place of his own filth-stained self.
(I’ll entrust it to him.)
In the end, he would hand the Vice President’s seat to Itsuki Tomonari. With his track record, ability, and character, the man was more than qualified.
So—it was okay for Rintaro to get his hands dirty now.
He had worried about how to hand it over, but he decided he would just tell the man everything honestly. If he knew that Rintaro was the mastermind behind the smear campaign, he would surely accept the Vice President’s seat out of righteous indignation. He would believe that someone like Rintaro was unfit for the role.
Having decided on his course of action, Rintaro immediately began spreading the rumors.
The third day of the election period.
After the after-school speeches ended and he had parted from Rintaro, Ren recalled the events of the day while being driven home.
(...There were strange rumors going around.)
It happened when he was heading toward the first-year building to meet Rintaro. The first-years he passed were arguing about the bad reputations of Mirei Tennoji and Narika Miyakojima.
Ren, their classmate, knew immediately that those rumors were lies, but he figured some first-years would believe them.
Still, for rumors like that to spread at this specific time... it felt deliberate.
(...Was it Rintaro?)
He remembered the look in Rintaro’s eyes from two years ago.
He didn't want to suspect him easily, but he had a nagging conviction. —He would do it.
However, it didn't shake him.
Ren’s state of mind was complex, and he felt he would break if he didn't keep a firm grip on his heart. He had entered the election, but he couldn't win; he had to limit himself to only raising issues. It was a mentally exhausting battle. To be honest, he had to hold back.
He wasn't a politician’s son for nothing. He could actually give much better speeches. He could project far more charisma....During his speeches, when he felt the audience’s response, he would occasionally feel a sudden impulse to give it his all. He was desperate to suppress that.
Checking his phone on the way home, he saw emails from several acquaintances.
Apparently, a survey was currently circulating among the Kikou Academy students.
It was asking those who had supported Hinako Konohana what exactly they had been looking for in her.
(...An interesting survey. That’s certainly where the largest number of floating votes is.)
It was a clever move.
Who was the creator? Since it wasn't his camp, it was either Mirei Tennoji or Narika Miyakojima... or perhaps their assistant, Itsuki Tomonari.
It was a strategy he could respect. Instead of pretending Hinako Konohana’s absence didn't matter, they were facing it head-on to overcome it.
Out of respect, Ren decided to contribute to the survey.
What had he been looking for in Hinako Konohana? Ren’s answer had been decided long ago.
Rigid ideologies are born from rigid environments.
To change a rigid environment, you have to improve the organization’s transparency.
Widen the range of students who are accepted. Seek more freedom, more diversity...
Ren wrote down what was necessary for that goal.
—The abolition of lineage-based elitism.
In short, Ren believed that if this were achieved, the accessibility of Kikou Academy could truly be realized.
(Hinako Konohana... why didn't you run...?)
Ren put his hand to his forehead.
There had been a major miscalculation in this election.
That was the fact that Hinako Konohana had chosen not to run.
He thought he could trust her and entrust everything to her—but everything had changed.
The ones who ran instead were Mirei Tennoji and Narika Miyakojima. Both were undoubtedly exceptional, but compared to Hinako Konohana, he felt a faint sense of unease.
Perhaps Rintaro’s schemes would serve as a test for them.
Ren, who doubted the abilities of Mirei Tennoji and Narika Miyakojima, thought as much.
If they were to lose to a mere smear campaign... he couldn't leave this academy in their hands.
◆
“First, I want to apologize.”
At the table where we all sat, Joto-kun bowed his head.
“It was our own blunder that allowed such disrespectful rumors to spread....If possible, please don’t blame Rintaro. It’s all because I’m pathetic. I will take responsibility and put a stop to the rumors immediately.”
The atmosphere had shifted so abruptly that we honestly couldn't keep up.
Joto-kun was shielding Rintaro. But it didn't feel like a general act of kindness; I could tell it came from a powerful, unique bond of trust between the two of them.
“But even so—I still think this academy is far too naive.”
Joto-kun glared at Tennoji-san and Narika.
“The fact that the people who would reign at the top of Kikou Academy are overwhelmed by a scheme of this level... that fact gives me a sense of crisis.”
What was this...?
The aura Joto-kun exuded was gradually changing.
Was he always this resilient?
Was he always a man with such presence?
“Rintaro... I’m sorry for making you overextend yourself. You fought in my place because my heart was weak, didn't you?”
Joto-kun cast a gentle gaze toward Rintaro, who was biting his lip in regret.
“Thanks to you, I’ve woken up.”
Joto-kun casually took his loose hair and slicked it all back with both hands. His sharp eyes and well-shaped brows were exposed, giving him a far more masculine impression. It was a look that suited him perfectly. It was immediately obvious that this was his true self.
The pathetic atmosphere I had felt from Joto-kun until now was gone without a trace.
With those glinting eyes, Joto-kun glared at us.
“From here on————I will take the lead.”
A shiver ran through my entire body.
I understood. The real battle was beginning now.
A student of the politician type, someone unlike anyone else in my circle—Ren Joto.
And he had just decided to give it his all.