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The Manifesto Experience Fair wrapped up without any issues.
As I helped clean up the Auditorium, I noticed footsteps approaching from behind. I turned to find three people standing there.
Ren Joto, Rintaro Asahi, and the third was...
"Hello, Tomonari-kun."
"...Minato-senpai."
I scowled at the sight of Minato-senpai, who had greeted me so casually.
I thought I had moved past my resentment. In fact, I didn't feel much anger toward Joto anymore. However, my feelings toward Minato-senpai seemed to be lingering.
"Please, don't look at me with such a stern expression. I'm currently gathering the Student Council President Candidates to explain the procedures for the Final Speech. Will you join us?"
"...I will."
After I nodded, my eyes met Joto's. He was standing right next to the former president.
I had just finished making a grand declaration to him. There were no words left for us to exchange now. Perhaps sensing this, Joto merely gave a slight nod and looked away.
"Since Miyakojima-san appears to be withdrawing, let's begin the briefing as soon as we find Tennoji-san."
With that, Minato-senpai prepared to leave the Auditorium without so much as glancing toward Narika.
"...How did you know Narika was withdrawing?" I asked.
"She caused quite a stir. It would have reached my ears whether I wanted it to or not."
A stir...?
"It seems you two shared a very public, very grand embrace. Have you two already pledged your futures to one another?"
"That's not it... but I am sorry for the commotion..."
I was beginning to feel a deep sense of dread regarding what would happen once the election was over.
No, I shouldn't think about that now. I shook my head, trying to clear the anxiety.
I informed them that Tennoji-san should still be in the Study Room, and we headed there as a group. Since her session of the Manifesto Experience Fair had also just ended, we passed a large number of students heading toward the academy gates.
Looking at the happy smiles on the faces of the passing students, Joto silently lowered his gaze.
I had no idea what was going through his mind right then.
"Excuse me, is Tennoji-san here?"
Minato-senpai spoke as he stepped through the open door of the Study Room.
The event here had also concluded smoothly, and the cleanup was already underway. Partitions used to divide the booths were being carried out through the opposite exit.
"Oh, is something the matter? Everyone is gathered here, I see."
Noticing us, Tennoji-san walked over.
"I'd like to explain the procedure for the Final Speech. If you could come to the Student Council Room..."
"Minato-senpai," I interrupted.
"Since we're already here, would you mind explaining it in the Study Room instead?"
"I don't mind, but they're in the middle of cleaning, aren't they? I wouldn't want to be a bother..."
"I'd prefer to hear the explanation where there are other people around."
If he tried to feed us false procedures, the presence of others would ensure there were witnesses to testify against him if it came to that.
In the Study Room now, besides the etiquette instructor Tennoji-san had invited, there were nearly ten student volunteers helping with the cleanup. This was more than enough witnesses.
Sensing my intent, Minato-senpai's lips curved into a smirk.
"A good change."
I didn't think so.
I hated that I even had to think this way.
"Very well, let's use this space."
There was one booth in the Study Room that hadn't been dismantled yet, so we moved there. We quickly gathered enough chairs for everyone and sat around a single table.
"By the way, where is Miyakojima-san...?" Tennoji-san asked, glancing around the room.
It was my responsibility to explain that.
"Narika is..."
I told her that Narika had withdrawn from the race for Student Council President. Tennoji-san's eyes widened in shock.
However, as I explained the reasons behind the decision, her expression shifted to one of understanding.
"...It was for a positive reason, then," Tennoji-san murmured. "In that case, I have nothing to worry about. Miyakojima-san has found her own path to follow."
Precisely because she believed in Narika, Tennoji-san didn't worry.
However, she likely still felt the sting of loneliness. Perhaps out of a hidden sense of vulnerability, Tennoji-san cast her eyes down for a moment.
I'm still here. I opened my mouth to say it, but the worry was misplaced.
Tennoji-san closed her eyes for about three seconds. When she opened them again, her gaze was no longer wavering. It wasn't bravado. To overcome one's own weakness and remain steadfast—that is the very definition of nobility.
Leave the rest to me.
I felt as though I could hear her heart speaking those words.
"Now, I will explain the procedure," Minato-senpai began.
He went over the steps for the Final Speech.
On the day of the election, after the first period ends, students will receive their ballots from their teachers and gather in the Auditorium. Once the Presidential Candidates have delivered their speeches to the entire student body, voting will begin immediately. The counting will be handled by the entire teaching staff right then and there.
After voting, students return to their classrooms, and the results are announced over the PA system. If things go as they have in previous years, the announcement should come within twenty minutes. Following the results, the newly elected Student Council Executives will head to the Student Council Room for an introductory meeting.
By the time the Executives return to their classrooms, third-period classes will begin.
"That covers the procedure for the day. Any questions?"
No one raised a hand. Minato-senpai nodded with satisfaction.
"Then finally, let's decide the speaking order."
The speaking order... Given the scale of the event, it was a vital factor.
Personally, I felt that going second was more advantageous than going first. At the start, the students wouldn't be mentally prepared yet. It felt like it would be easier to go second, once the audience had a general grasp of the format and the tone of the speeches.
"I shall go first," Tennoji-san declared without a moment's hesitation.
My eyes widened. "...Are you sure?"
"Yes. I have always been partial to being number one," she said with a triumphant look.
The moment I saw that expression, all my lingering anxieties vanished. As long as Tennoji-san could be herself, the order didn't matter.
"Pathetic."
Joto spat out the word.
As he drew everyone's attention, he continued while glaring at Tennoji-san.
"You people are always spouting platitudes. Even what you just said—to me, it's nothing more than an abandonment of thought. But many people are misled by the plausible-sounding words of the 'chosen ones.' They mistakenly believe they should be that way too... even though the vast majority of people can't possibly hope to imitate them."
At Joto's lament, we all tightened our lips.
The reckless actions of the 'chosen' led the masses astray. Joto's resentment toward that fact was palpable.
"There is something I have wanted to say for some time now," Tennoji-san said, meeting Joto's gaze. "Joto-san, your opinion does have some merit."
"...What?"
Joto looked at Tennoji-san with a dumbfounded expression. He clearly hadn't expected her to acknowledge his point in this situation. Neither had I.
"However, you lack radiance," Tennoji-san continued. "Brilliance, a refreshing impression, a dignified presence—you are sorely lacking in these qualities."
"...And if I am? What does that change?"
"You do not have the caliber of a President," Tennoji-san stated clearly. "As the one who reigns at the summit of this noble Kikou Academy, I believe I must show the students the light."
"Light...?" Joto's brow furrowed.
It was an abstract expression. Yet, strangely, it clicked for me. I felt like I understood exactly what Tennoji-san meant.
"Watch the Final Speech closely. I shall sear the image of my radiance into your eyes."