It was the night of the fourth day of the election period.
While I was sitting in my room, mulling over strategies for the campaign, I heard a rustle from the bed behind me.
"Hmm..."
She had been quiet for so long that I assumed she’d fallen asleep, but Hinako was still awake. I had lent her my laptop earlier after she asked to use it, and it seemed she’d been on it the entire time.
"Hinako, what are you up to?"
"Looking at the survey results... So this is how people perceive me."
She was referring to the questionnaire Tennoji-san had asked me to compile—the one that asked the student body what they would have expected from Hinako had she decided to run for Student Council President.
Naturally, I’d secured Hinako’s permission before processing the data. It looked like she was finally reviewing the results.
"Come to think of it," I said, "even though you didn't run, do you have any idea what kind of president you would've been if you had?"
"...I don't. I don't even want to imagine it."
"But if you were the Student Council President, you could change Kikou Academy however you liked."
Within reason, of course.
Attracted by the prospect of reshaping the academy to her whims, Hinako paused to consider the idea.
"Well... first, I’d limit classes to three days a week."
Wait, she'd make the classes three days a week, rather than the weekend?
Oh boy. I’d asked out of curiosity, but I could already see the direction this was headed.
"I’d make the lunch break two hours long and make afternoon naps mandatory."
"Mandatory might be a bit much..."
"If someone else is working hard, it makes it harder for everyone else to sleep."
Her logic was clever in its own subtle, considerate way. I just wished she wouldn’t flex her "Gifted Girl" status on such trivial things.
"And also... I’d make sure you could buy potato chips at the school store."
To be honest, I’d appreciate that too.
Still, it didn’t feel like it quite fit the dignified atmosphere of Kikou Academy. If you wanted chips, you could just buy them at a convenience store. Though, if Joto’s platform were to be realized, perhaps the day would eventually come when potato chips lined the shelves of the school store...
"...In reality, if I became president, I think the academy would probably just stay exactly as it has been," Hinako said in a small voice.
"People expect steady, predictable results from me."
"...I see."
Hinako had always lived up to everyone’s expectations.
And meeting expectations meant remaining within the realm of the realistic. As long as she was answering the demands of others, the outcome would stay within the boundaries of what they already imagined.
The platforms proposed by Tennoji-san and Narika felt like a breath of fresh air to the students of Kikou Academy. As for Joto’s platform, it was perceived as particularly revolutionary. But in Hinako’s case, there would be no new wind. Her policies would have largely maintained the status quo.
"But it's not like you're incapable of change, right? You were handling things like M&As during the Management Game."
"Mm... I don't think it's technically impossible."
During the Management Game, Hinako had reformed the Konohana Group whenever necessary. While her primary strength was steady management, that didn't mean she was incapable of causing a shift. Takuma-san had surely triggered that final recall-cover-up scandal just to confirm that very point.
"It's just that I’m better at producing reliable results than I am at reform... and I think everyone else senses that on some level, too."
Having said that, Hinako lowered her gaze.
"It's a little... frustrating," she muttered.
"What is?"
"I think I could bring about reform if I set my mind to it... but that’s not how people see me. This survey... if it were about Tennoji-san or Miyakojima-san, I think the results would have been completely different."
It was true—if I’d run the same survey for Tennoji-san or Narika, the results would likely have been dominated by voices calling for change, a total 180 from Hinako’s data. That reality clearly sat heavy with her.
I see... Hinako's aware of them, too.
Because I’d been so focused on the election lately, I’d been thinking primarily about Tennoji-san and Narika, but throughout their long lives at the academy, Hinako was an existence that stood on equal footing with them.
The three of them were already in a relationship where they pushed one another to excel. That was undoubtedly why Tennoji-san had been inspired to run for president, and Narika had surely been influenced by them as well.
If Tennoji-san heard what Hinako just said, she’d be overjoyed.
Ah... Tennoji-san. You really are considered a rival by Hinako...
"...Who were you just thinking about?"
"Eh... N-No, I wasn't thinking about anyone in particular."
She was suddenly sharp. Given her current competitive spark toward Tennoji-san and the others, I knew she’d pout if I admitted I was thinking about them, so I instinctively feigned ignorance.
"I don't actually intend to become the Student Council President, but..."
Hinako’s face turned a faint shade of red.
"If I knew Itsuki was thinking about me... maybe I would have struggled with the decision a bit more."
With that, she buried her face in the covers.
While I was honored she felt that way, her concern was a needless one.
After all, I was always thinking about Hinako.