SS-Hiiragi’s Peace of Mind

: It's Kirasaka 'Rei', not 'Ren'. Why do I keep forgetting that 😭. I'll try to fix the previous chapters later. And as always plz point out the errors if you find any.

: This will be a discussion of a day from Akane Hiiragi's summer vacation.

The boy was a little different from those around him since the first time I ever saw him.

Not in the sense of excelling like Rei, Kanazaki, or Ogiwara from the same grade, nor in the sense opposite to that, but he was different.

What, if asked so, it would be difficult to describe it clearly.
However, I still vividly remember that feeling that was so similar that I felt a sense of discomfort the first time I saw it.

It was as if he was looking at the world from some other point of view, like a completely different place, with no deep involvement with the others.

In my adolescent years at Sakuranaoka Academy, which was blessed with a wide variety of talent, I had never met anyone who was so uninterested or unwilling to get involved with others as he was.

It was also the first time, if I may say so myself, that I could not read any emotions in the way he looked at me.

In retrospect, perhaps that is why.

That is why I became interested in him.
I was interested in him as an object of observation, but I was interested in a student who was not in the slightest way superior to the other students around him.

And that interest continues to this very day.
I had him join the student council and observe his life at school, and he still never ceases to impress me.

It is only because of the incident the other day that I am able to talk to him openly in this way.

It’s fun.

It is the only thing that has been on my mind since then.

He doesn’t need to care about anything, and he doesn’t expect too much from me, nor does he expect me to play a role or respond to him.
No, maybe he does expect and care.

But he appreciates not having to make me realize it.
That really puts me at ease.

It’s as if he is allowing me to act as the Hiiragi Akane I was and reveal the self that I had almost forgotten.

That is probably why I gave my reply when he was proposed to me as a marriage partner.

Hopefully, the brief conversation I will have with him will be repeated many times before I leave this school.

Unlike the hot and humid air outside, cool air came through the A.C. with a quiet brr sound.

”—So you’re saying you’ve temporarily shifted Shiraishi’s attention to Koizumi?”

“Yes, …it’s not a fundamental solution, but it should still reduce the likelihood of the student council election being held relying on those guys at least.”

We were talking across the desk to each other, with coffee in our hands.

After the student council activities, the president and I were alone in the student council room after the rest of the members went home, and were exchanging information, including what had happened so far.

The President nodded deeply in satisfaction, as if to say her expectations and my actions matched.

“So, can I ask you about your future developments? Until the end if you can predict the election trends and the results…”

“…I think it’s different from what the president is thinking about.”

The development will be somewhat different depending on how you think, how you perceive it, and your relationship with the people running for election.
In my case, I have a short relationship with both Koizumi and Shiraishi, so I have little attachment to one of them.

Therefore, the result was obvious.

If Shiraishi were to run for office without the ‘ideal student council’ that she told us about, then it would be Koizumi, six to four.

“Ho …and your reason?”

“Because there are about the same number of students in each of the first three grades, and assuming that the first grade goes to Shiraishi and the second grade goes to Koizumi, the third grade has the advantage of having watched Koizumi’s activities for a whole year.”

Briefly, if I were to guess only the number, it would be Koizumi.
But if this were the only reason, president would not be convinced.

That is why I have to think beyond that and other possibilities.

“But …I don’t think Koizumi would absolutely have the advantage, though. If I had to name an element of uncertainty about Koizumi, it would be his personality. …That guy is the type of student who is most capable of supporting an organization from the behind rather than organizing it.”

What drives him is his admiration and envy for the female student in front of him.
And his current position as vice president.

He felt something akin to a sense of responsibility that he must succeed Hiiragi Akane.

But that is also his opinion based on his own way of thinking and because he has seen it happen at the student council.

From an ordinary student’s point of view, it is his bad point that he seems somewhat unreliable.
No, it is not so much a problem as it is a bad point.

But this is not the case when it comes to the student council elections.
Achievements are important, but the most important factor for students in elections is visuals.

It’s also the student custom that I detest the most.
It is the custom that if you look good, you will stand out.

It is a problem because of the optimistic mentality that students are allowed to be delinquents and not students. Well, this may be a biased way of thinking, but, well, that is the optimistic mentality of being a student.

In this regard, Shiraishi’s behavior as a member of the grade committee is flawless.

The President has already informed me that she is a student who is relied upon by both teachers and students.

Once those thoughts have been running through my mind, I pour myself a bitter drink from the cup in my hand to calm myself down.
I would have looked like a sophisticated person if I had said, “It’s not as strong as what I drink at home.” but…

It’s just bitter, that’s all.

That’s all I can think of when it comes to things and foods that I don’t like.

I let out a breath and at the same time, I looked at the president a little, but she was still smiling and listening to me.
I’m going to hear her out and make my decision from there.

“I’m sure Shiraishi won’t have a problem with that. She’s a dependable committee chairperson character, …but she’s extremely weak when it comes to anything other than her expectations. If Koizumi shows some unexpected activity, she is likely to reveal herself at once.”

So, the result will be six to four for Koizumi.

“This is just a prediction based on the current circumstances, …so please don’t take it seriously.”

If you think differently from me, that’s fine.
Predictions are just guesses.
We should not care that much about the differences.

So, this is my prediction, and I must not tell her this with any certainty.
Unwarranted expectations and anxiety are nothing but a hindrance.

Well, there is no need to have such fears about this person.
After hearing my opinion, the president nodded her head several times while thinking.

“Not bad, I have a similar development as one of my predictions.”

…How many developments does this person expect to see this as one of her predictions?

When she stated herself as neutral, she is not really able to get involved in student council matters anymore, so I guess it can’t be helped.

I said to the president with a mixture of amazement.

“By the way, how many different guesses did you make?”

“Well, …I expected there are three certain developments in which both parties will win, that is to say, including the situations in which they will be needed.”

Koizumi will win, Shiraishi will win, and one more besides.
My instinct told me not to listen to the words beyond that.

I have a feeling that things are going to be troublesome.
The fact that the president is smiling as wickedly as Kirasaka is the best proof of this.

I held out my palm to stop her from continuing.
Seeing this, the president showed a smile.

“But, well, I see how things are unfolding for Shinra. And I’m relieved to see that you don’t seem to be extremely loyal to one side or the other.”

“I can’t help but feel that I’m being called a somewhat unsympathetic person, …but in the end, it won’t end badly no matter which one of them becomes the president.”

I’ve been talking about other people, and in the end I’m just like them.
I just vaguely see the student council election as someone else’s problem.

The story of Shiraishi’s help also finished with what she would probably have expected it to do.
In other words, a bridge to the three people she asked for.

There won’t be a single thing that she needs me for other than a connection.
And the same goes for Koizumi as far as I can tell.

He won’t say it, but I’m a committee member who shouldn’t be there.
It doesn’t matter if that number is reduced.

Rather, it is an asset to be able to be allocated in the slots on the council that had been filled with useful students.
So, it would not be an exaggeration to say that my work is almost done.

I will no longer have to rely on others, think like a floater, dwell on my thoughts alone, and eventually rely on Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Yuuto.
I can focus on my true self.

“Don’t …you want a seat on the student council?”

A word of advice given was given to me at a time. It seems as if she can see right through you.

Involuntarily, I was about to turn a cold stare at the president, and I could tell that she was not pleased with me.

“Don’t be afraid …I of all know best that I’m not the right person for the Student Council in the first place, even if I want it or not.”

“…Fufu, even you can have eyes like that.”

She let out a giggle and said, teasingly.

I naturally looked away from the president, as if to distract myself from an emotion similar to irritation that I haven’t had in a long time.

“Only you and Rei can make reactions that are entertaining.”

…Please don’t use me as someone to pass the time with.

I must protect myself now so that when this person is relieved of her role as the president, the burden won’t come to me.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to compete when even Kirasaka is the target of her enjoyment.

“Shinra really does keep the …interest going.”

That one phrase fizzles out and vanishes momentarily.
A moment of summer vacation, a brief conversation before the second semester of mayhem.

The time that is not certain whether it was important or necessary to have this time was flowing in the student council.

Next up is Kirasaka Rei.

: I'm back at home, there'll be daily updates for the next 20 days or so. 😉