My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 271

Well, you can't really blame Isshiki for this. After all, in her mind, I'm such an insignificant person. Isshiki usually interacts with Hayama and his group, so she's considered to be at the top of the school hierarchy.

Despite this, Issei didn't openly ignore me. This shows that she has a knack for dealing with people. Frankly, if it were me in the past, this alone would have been enough to make me fall for her. Conversely, it was precisely because of her somewhat cunning side that she incurred the displeasure of other girls, leading to this incident.

I nodded slightly to Isshiki and took my usual seat. Then, Yukinoshita announced:

"Then let's begin."

So they haven't started yet? I glanced at the clock; quite a bit of time has passed since school ended. Could it be that they were waiting for me specifically because of my answer to Yui this morning?

"...Sorry to have kept you waiting so long."

"……Won't."

Yukino didn't look over. She closed her eyes and said nothing more.

We fell silent, like two gears that couldn't mesh. Yuihama, unsure what to do, gave Isshiki an awkward smile.

"Um... I'm sorry to have asked you to come all this way. Is the club very busy?"

"No, I'm not busy at all~ In fact, I told Hayama-senpai that I had something important to do, and he told me to hurry up and do it too."

Isshiki answered with great enthusiasm. She leaned forward and continued:

"By the way, Yui-senpai, aren't you in the same class as Hayama-senpai? You didn't mention me to him, did you?"

"Huh? Hmm...it wasn't specifically mentioned."

Yuihama opened her mouth slightly, searching her memory, but couldn't recall anything. Isshiki listened and pondered.

"Hmm... I see. When Hayama-senpai agreed so readily, I thought he might know something."

Oh, I see. From what she said, it seems Isshiki likes Hayama and just wanted to confirm, "Hayama-senpai agreed to let me temporarily leave the club activities because he knew about my problem, not because he didn't need me, right?" Oh dear, I kind of understand that feeling, so I can't say anything.

I advise those who wish to delve into the implied meaning of words to stop there. Discovering the truth will only cause them more suffering.

If even I can see through Isshiki's inner world, it's even more impossible for Yuihama not to have noticed.

She instantly had a "Oh no! I said the wrong thing" look on her face and quickly tried to comfort Isshiki.

"Ah, but if Hayato-kun knew, he'd only worry more about you! It wouldn't be good for him to worry too much... right?"

"That makes sense!"

Hahaha—the two of them simultaneously covered up their embarrassment with laughter.

Yukinoshita wasn't particularly interested in their conversation, but she patiently waited until it ended before speaking up to remind them.

"Yuigahama-san, it's time to begin."

"Okay, then, in order to make it easier to decide on the next course of action, there are a few things we'd like to ask."

Yuihama started with this, and Isshiki replied in a drawn-out voice, "Okay~~".

"First of all, I think the best way to solve this problem is to find another candidate to run, let the two compete against each other, and then smoothly lose to the other in the majority vote. Wouldn't that be alright?"

"Hmm... a majority vote, huh? Ah, if possible, I'd like to lose to someone really strong!"

She answered with great enthusiasm. She probably hadn't thought about it properly at all.

Although it was Yuihama who explained the situation, the method was something Yukinoshita told her about yesterday. They should have already established a plan, so the purpose of inviting Isshiki to the club office today was actually to confirm her own wishes before drafting future plans.

I personally have no objection to this. However, the problems that need to be solved still exist.

"Have you found someone yet?"

"not yet……"

When I asked Yuihama, she immediately fell silent and turned her face away. This wasn't surprising. How could she possibly find someone so quickly after only one day? The key was finding a suitable candidate by a certain timeframe.

When will the registration of additional candidates end?

"The Monday after next. The registration period had already ended, so it's just been postponed to that day. Voting day is that Thursday."

I asked Yuihama, but Yukinoshita answered. She looked at the paper in her hand and gave me the bare minimum of information without any expression.

I crossed my arms slightly and calculated the number of days remaining until the registration deadline.

Today is Tuesday, but school has already let out, so the earliest we can officially start looking for candidates is tomorrow. Then, after deducting the weekend, there are hardly any days left.

Taking into account the time needed to prepare application materials and compile a list of signatories, time is even scarcer. And let's not forget, they also need to find someone who can defeat Isshiki Iroha.

"Before that, find a suitable candidate, persuade them to run, gather more than thirty signatures, and help them campaign..."

"I am also well aware that time is extremely tight."

As I pondered, I unconsciously began to mutter to myself. Yukinoshita responded coldly, raising her head which had been bowed low, and said to Isshiki:

"So, I plan to proceed with the other parts first... Isshiki-kun."

"Yes, yes."

Isshiki hurriedly responded. Perhaps it was because of her gentle and mild-mannered personality that she wasn't good at dealing with Yukinoshita, who was meticulous in everything. Isshiki sat up straight, but she still used her hand, which was holding her long sleeve, to slightly adjust the hem of her skirt. From that small gesture, I couldn't sense that she was very nervous.

Isshiki stared intently at Yukinoshita, preparing to listen to her. Yukinoshita, receiving her gaze, began to explain:

"No matter what method is used, you must be invited to the stage to give a campaign speech."

"Yes... there's no problem yet~"

I think so too. She seems to be quite used to being the center of attention.

However, her tone didn't seem to indicate that she understood. This bothered me. If she continued like that, I'd have a real headache. As Yukinoshita said, in my plan, Isshiki would also have to give a speech on stage.

"The main content of a campaign speech is to state political views and then elaborate on those views. Although I doubt any students will listen attentively..."

Her last sentence had a self-deprecating tone, seemingly implying something. Before I could think about it, she continued.

"I think it's best if the policies you present in your campaign speeches are different from those of the other candidates you support. If the policies are the same, people will only decide who to vote for based on name recognition. Therefore, I hope you will have some degree of differentiation."

Finding someone more popular than Isshiki to run for election would be the best approach. If it becomes a simple popularity vote, those who lack name recognition will face a tough battle.

If candidates share the same political views, people will turn to appearance as a criterion for evaluation. Compared to "what was said," "who said it" becomes more important.

Isshiki nodded and said "uh-huh" to Yuihama, with an expression that seemed to understand but not quite.

Yukinoshita, unconcerned about their reactions, handed them a piece of paper.

"I have prepared the platform and speech content for another candidate in advance. Please take a look at it first. I hope you can use this as a reference to consider different content."

I peered out from behind to study the contents of the paper.

"...Is this all?"

Isshiki quickly glanced at the paper, then asked in surprise. The handwriting on the paper was neat, and the content was indeed sparse, unlike Yukinoshita's usual style.

She only put forward two political views—

First, establish a college entrance examination research office. Second, relax the standards for funding club activities.

The political stance regarding club fees is as it appears on the surface; everyone understands it at a glance. As for the Higher Education Research Office, I have a general understanding of its contents after reading the explanatory text.

To provide students with academic support, the College Application Research Center offers access to past exam papers, compiling data from previous regular exams to systematize academic skills and accumulate knowledge year after year. The Center is not merely a resource center; it offers a broader perspective, including regular exams. Students aiming for school recommendations who achieve high scores on regular school exams will naturally gain more confidence.

These two policies cater to both those involved in community activities and those who aspire to attend their dream universities.

"Hmm~" Isshiki looked back and forth at the paper in her hand. But no matter how she looked at it, there were only these two political views on the paper.

Yuihama stroked the bun on her head and said:

"Hmm~ I also think it might be a bit too little—"

"Elections are not about how many policies are put forward. One good policy is enough."

Yukino smiled as she told Yuihama. Her expression was calm, and she looked more mature than usual.

I understand what Yukinoshita meant, and this is the real key to campaign speeches. No matter how much a candidate says, the audience may not necessarily listen. Just summarize the key points you want the audience to know.

Nevertheless, I was still somewhat surprised by Yukino's familiarity with this area. At that moment, I thought of her family.

If I remember correctly, Yukinoshita's father is a prefectural assembly member, which explains why she is familiar with election-related activities.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with this political view.

The problem lies in the next part.

"...If you even control the candidates' political platforms, it means they've become mere puppets. Is that really okay?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Yukinoshita immediately dropped her smile, her expression clouded with gloom. I had touched a nerve, and she couldn't utter a word.

Yuihama and Isshiki looked over, hoping I would explain in detail.

"If your method works smoothly, there won't be any problems. Although I think it's very impractical... But, assuming your candidate is actually elected, what will happen to the student council's operations afterward? Are you going to keep helping them indefinitely?"

I meant no harm to Yukinoshita, but my tone grew sharper with each sentence. Yui interrupted.

"So, all we need to do is find capable people—"

"That will only make things more difficult. Constantly thinking about what will happen next is pointless and not a good approach at all."

This request isn't something that ends after the election; it also involves the future operation of the student council. Yukinoshita and her team's methods are still insufficient to solve the problem.

I really don't see the point in doing that.

Snow's gaze fell upon the table, and I could not see her expression. Her head was bowed, her slender fingers were clasped together, and her shoulders remained motionless.

She took a short breath and asked in a slightly trembling voice:

"...Then what's the point of your actions?"

I couldn't answer for a moment. I should have thought about this question a long time ago, but I still haven't come up with an answer.

What is the significance of what I did?

It's completely meaningless.

My solutions have never made any sense. I just keep procrastinating and then mess everything up in the end. This isn't something anyone told me; it's how I understand it myself.

However, when faced with certain problems, this is the most efficient, and sometimes the only, method.

This is an absolute fact.

If this commission follows the same pattern, then my answer is clear.

"In this case, I will try my best to avoid it. Once the vote of confidence fails, I will stop and not get involved in the subsequent by-election, letting everything take its natural course. This is the right way."

"In this case? You're wrong."

Yukinoshita's voice changed from its previous weak tone to a harsh one filled with strong reproach.

She raised her lowered head, revealing eyes burning with azure flames. Her sharp gaze pressed against my throat like an icicle, and I knew the situation did not allow me to look away.

I swallowed hard.

Yukino bit her lip, trying to swallow her words. But she couldn't help it, and the words escaped through her teeth.

"...You avoided this approach last time too."

These words, as still as falling snowflakes, kept echoing in my ears.

I suddenly felt dizzy.

The bright moonlight, the verdant bamboo forest, the cold wind rustling through the leaves—these scenes flashed through my mind.

I subconsciously brushed my hair aside, trying to shake off those memories.

"...What's wrong with that?"

The request I received before the graduation trip also remained unresolved.

However, at least the problem is now hidden beneath the surface. Avoiding the problem will never yield satisfactory results. Rather, I intend to deal with everything through unsatisfactory outcomes.

Therefore, no one has the right to blame me for what I did at the time.

The only exception is under the snow.

She kept staring at me, her gaze unwavering, her tightly pursed lips trembling slightly.

"The one who says that things that are merely superficial are meaningless is yourself..."

Her cold voice held a hint of softness, sounding somewhat sorrowful. I couldn't help but look away.

This is the one sentence that pierced my heart, and I am completely unable to respond to it.

This is because it is the only shared belief between Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita.

Seeing that I didn't speak for a long time, Yukino sighed in despair.