My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong As Expected

Page 289

The task I asked Isshiki to do was to copy the list of signatures collected from fictitious accounts into the signatory register. That's a really convoluted sentence.

Sitting here copying names endlessly is obviously boring. I'm doing the same thing, so I know that perfectly well.

For this reason, Isshiki started talking to me, seemingly distracted. This could also be a defense mechanism; she wanted to break the silence by saying something to avoid feeling uneasy being around someone like me. In any case, talking to me was unlikely to be a pleasant experience.

Although the copying progress has slowed down, it's not so bad.

"Oh, right. Was the girl you were hanging out with Hayama-senpai the other day his girlfriend?"

What do you think?

"Huh? Tell me what's wrong with that?"

"Let's finish the work first."

"Okay. But... I don't think there's anything wrong with that kind of person, so I don't have any objections..."

Listening to you mutter to yourself is terrifying... You wouldn't act like this in front of Hayama, would you? In most cases, when women relax around men, it's not to seduce them, but simply because the man isn't their type (based on personal research). So, does this logic apply conversely, meaning that a woman's guardedness indicates she likes you? The answer is still no; it only means the woman genuinely dislikes you (based on personal research).

They continued chatting to pass the time.

"Also, are you and Hayama-senpai very close?"

"No, it's not good at all. I was just forced by a senior student to be his escort."

"Ah, so, senior, would you like to go out with me next time? And invite Hayama-senpai to come along too."

"Forget it, I'm not going..."

My summoning sacrifice is just too useful. Should we just turn me into a card?

That said, I knew we'd inevitably touch on to Hayama's topic sooner or later. This is a good opportunity; asking for her opinion now will make it less likely she'll become suspicious.

"I'm asking you, what... do you think of Hayama as a person?"

Just as I was about to ask the question, I changed my wording. Deep down, I'm a pure-hearted girl, and directly saying "I like you" felt a bit awkward. However, the revised question seemed to make Isshiki uncomfortable; she stammered for a moment, then hurriedly bowed her head and apologized to me.

"Huh? What... what does this mean? Do you mean you want to pursue me, senior? I'm sorry, I already have someone I like."

Isshiki refused with utter ease, swiftly defeating me... Strange, are you Ramen Man (Note 35: a character from the manga "Kinniku-man," who defeated Mada-man in a record-breaking 37 seconds)? The battle hasn't even started yet...

"That's not what I meant... I just wanted to hear your opinion on him."

"Hmm~ As for my opinion of him~ I feel like he'd be my type~"

"Oh, is that so? 'Feeling,' right...?"

"That person seems really nice, so I'd like to go out with him first... I'd like to try holding hands with him~"

Were you almost about to "make a move"? You really are a seemingly gentle but actually slutty woman...

However, I also got to know what I wanted to know.

In this way, you can negotiate with her with full confidence.

Until this moment, I couldn't fully grasp Isshiki Iroha's character. One reason was that I hadn't known her for long, and our vastly different positions and circumstances were also contributing factors. But the most important reason was that I could never truly see her core.

Through my conversation with Isshiki and my life up to this point, all the pieces of the puzzle have finally come together.

She has a mischievous side, knows how to use her innocence, and knows how to capture the hearts of the opposite sex. This is a trait that my younger sister, Hikigaya Komachi, also possesses. However, she isn't cute or likable enough, and as a result, she becomes Komachi who isn't cute at all.

Speaking of appearance and scheming, this is something that Yukinoshita Haruno possesses, but Isshiki's level is far inferior to hers, resulting in a degraded version of Haruno.

She also has a gentle and mild-mannered impression, a personality similar to that of Senior Megure, but they are completely different in essence. In the end, Iroha Isshiki is just like a fake Senior Megure.

And the desire to be loved—I vaguely see Sagami's shadow here. Only, Isshiki's abilities are far superior to Sagami's, resulting in a super-enhanced version of Sagami.

Immersing herself in a role and constantly embodying that character is characteristic of Kaori Orimoto. I've had this feeling for quite some time now. Therefore, if we categorize her by type, Iroha Isshiki and Orimoto belong to the same type.

Considering the above points, it is not difficult to derive a strategy for dealing with this type of person.

Isshiki's pride is far from insatiable. When she encounters someone she should please, she doesn't shy away from doing so; she hopes to be pampered forever, but she also knows how to protect her reputation and would never demean herself. Simply put, Isshiki wants to safeguard her "brand image."

Therefore, she disliked the trust vote mechanism, which she felt could damage her image. Nothing was more detestable than a battle with a 100% chance of victory. Furthermore, she understood that becoming student council president wouldn't improve her standing.

In some respects, her way of thinking is quite similar to that of a conservative, mid-level business owner.

Therefore, I should be able to communicate with her in a professional and businesslike manner.

I suddenly fell silent, which made Issei feel bored again. She spoke in a slightly coquettish voice:

"Senior~ What's the use of all this stuff? Why do we have to copy it by hand again...?"

"It's not entirely useless..."

"There's something odd about this way of putting it..."

Ishiki rolled her eyes at me.

"Actually, whether you copy these things or not, in the end, Yukinoshita or Yui will probably win. If you think about it that way, it really doesn't make sense... No matter how hard you try, you can't beat them."

"Huh~ Don't you think that's hurtful? Although I don't want to win the election either~"

She brushed my words off as a joke, but I replied very seriously:

"Don't worry. You absolutely will not win, I guarantee that."

At that moment, Yise's eyebrows trembled slightly.

"Y-yes~ But, it feels scary to accidentally win~"

I shook my head and explained calmly.

"Yukinoshita asked Hayama to be in charge of her campaign speeches."

"Ah, right."

"Yuigahama also received help from Miura."

"Oh~ Miura-senpai..."

Fortunately, Isshiki reacted to Miura's name. I knew the two had a long-standing strained relationship, so hoping to rekindle the flame in her heart, I continued.

"Then, Yuihama and Hayama became very close in class, and Hayama and Yukinoshita were childhood friends."

"Oh, I see... What? Childhood sweethearts?"

Isshiki seemed genuinely unaware of the matter, and his tone became noticeably agitated.

"Anyone with eyes can see that they are those kinds of people; you have absolutely no way to beat them."

"Um……"

To my personal opinion, her response was neither a sigh nor a moment of contemplation.

I can say with certainty that there are no girls in this school more talented than them. You probably won't find any anywhere else.

Ishiki was speaking less and less, so I took the opportunity to press my advantage.

"Besides, most of the people who signed your petition to run for office back then won't vote for you."

"Um……"

"They must be laughing very happily now. They'll be laughing even louder when you lose the election."

"..."

She didn't respond after that. But I still wouldn't give up.

"You must be very angry too."

*Snap*—The sound of a mechanical pencil lead breaking echoed in the quiet library. Besides that, only my voice could be heard.

"If you make even the slightest mistake, they can say whatever they want. Because those people are just playing with you, teasing you, and making you a laughing stock."

Isshiki stopped what he was doing and stared at the mechanical pencil in his hand.

"Since we've been framed, why shouldn't we retaliate?"

"...Sigh, if only."

Hearing this murmur, I immediately replied:

"sure."

Yise's shoulders twitched slightly. I noticed this small movement and, as calmly as possible, told her:

"Those people dug this hole for you to jump into precisely to belittle you and make you unhappy. In that case, you just need to turn the tables on them and use the stage they've set up to achieve the best outcome."

If, for a girl, half of her fellow women are her enemies, then if Iroha Isshiki truly loves Hayato Hayama—

I took a desperate gamble, betting everything on my pride as a girl.

"Do you want to beat Yukinoshita, who has Hayama's support, and Yuihama, who has Miura's backing?"

At that moment, Isshiki raised his head.

But she immediately flashed that superficial smile she usually gave to guests.

"But I can't possibly beat them~ Even if I did, I wouldn't know what to do~"

In my opinion, Isshiki is a smart girl. She understands her own value and knows how to present herself in a way that others expect of her. At the same time, she cleverly distinguishes when to use these attitudes.

Because Isshiki is very intelligent, she is well aware of the gap between herself and Yukinoshita and Yuigahama. Without breaking free from this constraint, she cannot be motivated to challenge others.

"Do you know what I want you to write?"

"Isn't it supposed to be a list of names?"

"That's right... but it's your petition list."

"Huh? Oh, wait... wait a minute?"

Actually, you don't need to change your tone (a sincere suggestion).

I took another stack of papers out of the folder.

The contents of this stack of papers were all retweets from the "Iroha Isshiki Fan Club." I spread them out one by one and placed them in front of her.

"But I already have enough signatures..."

"The election regulations stipulate a minimum of thirty signatures for a petition. Once that number is reached, it doesn't matter how many signatures are needed."

Ishiki picked up the papers and scanned them. I then added:

"These lists add up to about four hundred people. All four hundred of them are your supporters."

"..."

At this moment, Isshiki was probably pondering the meaning of the number. After a while, she realized something and, as if struck by lightning, dropped the pile of papers.

"It's impossible for me to change my mind at the last minute! Besides, I haven't even thought about the content of my speech yet!"

"Do you still have the political viewpoint you received from Yukinoshita?"

I suddenly changed the subject, and Isshiki felt bad after thinking about it for a while.

"Huh? Ah, it should still be there."

"Then, just take it and use it."

She seemed a little worried when she heard me say that.

"Hmm... Won't that turn me into a puppet?"

"Don't worry, it won't."

Seeing her turn her head to one side in confusion, I couldn't help but curl a wicked smile into my lips.

"Anyway, you don't need to actually carry it out. People who don't follow the script aren't puppets at all. No one ever truly fulfills their campaign promises, and no one really expects them to."

"Isn't that worse than being a puppet?"

A helpless smile flashed across Yise's face.

"...However, even if I were elected, I don't think I could be a good student council president...I'm really not confident, and I also have club activities to do~"

I can understand her anxiety.

She hastily decided to become student council president, but her performance has been disastrous, only ruining the reputation she has painstakingly built. Currently, she is weighing the risks and benefits, wavering between doing it and not doing it.

In that case, I must turn the risks and disadvantages into advantages that are beneficial to her.

"Staying in both clubs and the student council is definitely tough... but you also get more in return. Guess what it is?"

"Rewards? Hmm... experience and stuff like that~ It can also give you extra points on future college entrance exams—senior, don't you think you sound a lot like a teacher~"

Ishiki rolled her eyes at me again, as if to say, "I don't want to hear your pointless lectures~"