#324

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The conversation was straightforward and very easy to understand.

In the sewing room that we usually use as the activity room for the executive committee, several students, including the one who had called earlier, were waiting for us to return.

Facing each other across the desks were the representatives of both sides.

Speaking on behalf of them was Maeda, the new captain of the soccer team.

“The reason we’re telling you to delete the videos is because we can’t trust a committee led by you.”

“…”

The hostile gaze directed at him seemed to pierce through both of my eyes.

I wonder when our relationship deteriorated to the point where he harboured such animosity towards me. No, there wasn’t any relationship to begin with.

His name is Maeda. He’s the captain of the soccer team, with flashy red hair and a dishevelled appearance, fitting the description of a ‘sunny guy.’

Sitting next to him was another familiar face, Machida, the new captain of the baseball team.

Though quiet, his dedication to baseball was genuine, earning him the captaincy with his impressive performance and attitude towards practice.

The female students in the room were all members of the girls’ volleyball team, led by their captain, Iida.

Despite being a girl, she had a tall stature and long limbs. Her hair was trimmed short, but her personality was characterized by impatience, often causing conflicts among students.

It might be easier to describe her as assertive rather than strong-willed.

I didn’t know all the students present, but I recognized the names and faces of the representatives.

As part of the student council activities, representatives from various clubs gathered once a month for a meeting where minor issues that could be resolved among students were reported and addressed.

The student council members served as facilitators, and naturally, I was also present as part of the assembly.

However, I didn’t recall ever having a direct conversation with them. We weren’t in the same class, nor were we in the same class last year. In other words, it was essentially our first encounter, despite having seen each other before.

Given the level of hostility directed at me, there must be some reason for it.

In the instant I pondered a response to Maeda’s words, I recalled the conversation I had with Shizuku and Kirasaka outside this classroom.

…Without even telling them, it seems the problem lies with me.

Suppressing a wry smile that was about to escape, I briefly bowed my head to conceal my thoughts.

Hurrying back from outside the school, we arrived in front of the sewing room and took a moment to catch our breath.

Even though it was a short sprint, I found myself slightly out of breath.

It reminded me that despite being young, lack of exercise is a formidable enemy, prompting me to tidy up my dishevelled appearance.

Glancing around, I couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that Koizumi, Miura, and the others didn’t seem out of breath at all.

Especially considering I had always thought Miura, in particular, lacked physical stamina, it was truly regrettable that he was now leading in the rankings of unhealthiest. I quickly discarded any pride I had in my non-existent athletic ability, and turned my gaze towards the classroom door.

From inside the slightly ajar door, voices could be heard, indicating that the students were already waiting.

Who they were and why they were here were questions I couldn’t answer definitively until I addressed them directly. However, the demand to delete the videos was clearly stated.

From there, I could infer either the videos contained inappropriate content or the recipients mishandled them.

But the crucial point was not the content itself. It was why this issue was raised at this particular moment. The retrieval of the videos had been an ongoing process since the beginning of our activities.

We would inform them beforehand, collect the videos, explain the overview, and request the videos they wanted to use.

So, my first guess that it was due to some dubious reason was a stretch. Looking back, there was a clear point that could explain the purpose and timing.

The recent involvement of three students in the committee activities.

Kanazaki Shizuku, Kirasaka Rei, and Ogiwara Yuuto. Their participation in the executive committee had only just begun. Until then, activities had been carried out by me, other student council members, and Nakayama.

Their actions had undoubtedly caught the attention of many students. So, if we were to consider a reason, my second guess would be more plausible.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to raise this issue now.

For the students, the farewell party was just a rite of passage for sending off their seniors.

In terms of losing a place where there are no seniors above them, there should be many students looking forward to the farewell party… and subsequently the graduation ceremony.

There weren’t many students eager to get involved in labour-intensive activities, aside from those around me.

Of course, the activities were advertised on school bulletin boards and distributed materials. It was a well-known fact among students.

In any case, someone had come to express their opinion. Their words might be factual, but they were likely not their true feelings.

Therefore, in front of the sewing room where the students were waiting, I stopped Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Nakayama.

Not Ogiwara, but Nakayama.

I’ll have the other members enter the classroom first and use the brief delay of less than a minute to construct the words I should convey.

The request to delete the videos that will be communicated in the classroom is most likely just a pretext.

It’s a bluff to steer the conversation in the direction we want. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a bluff for a bluff. Unless it’s an activity as part of school events, my stance won’t change.

However, this is not a platform to push through personal opinions.

The successful completion of the farewell party is the primary premise, and we must act and speak accordingly.

And if there’s anything I can use, I’ll use it.

That’s why I need to anticipate, eliminate, and anticipate again the possibilities that may arise in the conversation that follows.

If I were in their position, what would I aim for?

…It’s a truly unpleasant conclusion, but ultimately, it’s like this:

From the pretext of deleting the videos, the ultimate goal would be to get closer to Shizuku, Kirasaka, and Yuuto by participating in the executive committee.

Why is that?

Because time is running out.

Even if they’re not graduating seniors, they’re still running out of time. High school students only have three years, a precious time in their lives.

They’ve already spent 700 out of the approximately 1,000 days of high school life.

Once they advance to the highest grade in club activities, there will be exams, job hunting, and long breaks every year. Once the new year begins, the number of school days will drastically decrease.

If they want to carve out a page of youthful high school life, now is the time.

In about a month, during the class change opportunity, if they end up in the same class, they can expect to participate in school events together.

But that’s all up to luck.

They might have felt the need to take action.

And now, they see the executive committee, in which the three of them are actively participating, right in front of them.

They might prepare some pretext and propose their participation in exchange for retracting the deletion of the videos.

…If it were me, this is the kind of thought that would come to mind.

It may seem like a twisted way of thinking, but as long as I keep it in mind as one of the possibilities, there shouldn’t be any problem.

Anyway, since it’s likely that the conversation will proceed with them in a dominant position, I need to put a stop to any trouble to avoid escalation, so I need to put an end to it with Shizuku and Kirasaka.

“If they ask to delete the videos, it’s an opportunity to set up a discussion. They might have ulterior motives for asking for something due to self-interest, but the top priority is to successfully conclude the farewell party. I’m willing to compromise a bit, even if it’s troublesome, okay?”

If Shizuku or Kirasaka were the representatives, there would be no problem.

However, at this stage, the representative is Shinra Minato.

There’s no hierarchical structure, but the students will likely speak from a superior position. And undoubtedly, they will be outraged.

And then, we’ll reject them as unnecessary. If they intervene, there’s a possibility that the problem will escalate in a more troublesome direction.

I want to believe that if I nail it down in advance, they’ll endure it with their usual calm thinking. I didn’t call out to Yuuto because I had a vague sense of reassurance that he wouldn’t step forward until I took some action.

I also had baseless confidence that even if I did something, he wouldn’t stop me. He’s probably just standing by, pretending to be cool and watching.

With a composed expression, he wouldn’t let his emotions overflow in front of others.

It’s Ogiwara Yuuto’s virtue and vice.

And then, I turn my gaze towards Nakayama.

“I guess this side might feel uncomfortable… so, I’ll apologize in advance, sorry.”

I said awkwardly, trying to smile at Nakayama. The result of what was communicated was simple and straightforward.

Their dissatisfaction was not with the content of the videos but with a specific student, Shinra Minato. It seemed like the second possibility I had considered initially was closer to the truth.

As I recalled the scene before entering the classroom and began to pat myself on the back for my somewhat decent anticipation, I was interrupted by Iida, speaking on behalf of the female students.

“I’ve seen you bossing around Ogiwara-kun and the others several times, but isn’t it the other way around? Don’t you realize you’re doing more harm than good?”

“Harm?… Well, I think it’s only natural to give instructions since I’m the one who organized the gathering and planned the event.”

“Then why don’t you step down once people have gathered? You don’t even have the ability, yet you always act so high and mighty… Do you know how many people in this school dislike you?”

Maeda quickly followed up with a barrage of words, his face filled with derision.

His gaze flickered towards Shizuku several times, almost as if he were reminding himself of the truth.

High and mighty, lacking talent… These were words I had heard many times before. But I didn’t possess the mentality to be hurt or discouraged by them now.

It was natural that many students in the school disliked me.

…Of course.

After all, I had been disliked not only in high school but also in middle school.

I couldn’t easily change my beliefs.

I didn’t believe that acting as a group was necessarily right.

I didn’t think that having many friends made someone great.

I didn’t think that excelling in club activities made someone great.

I didn’t think someone was great just because they were beautiful or handsome.

I didn’t think someone could do whatever they wanted just because they were good-looking.

I didn’t think that something done under group psychology was necessarily right.

I believed that acting based on individual thoughts and convictions was the right and honourable way.

So even if I was told that I was disliked by a group, I didn’t particularly care.

My only concern was how to solve this problem.

And if I could bear the necessary sacrifices for that, then that would be the best solution.

“So, tell me the conditions… That’s why you went through the trouble of gathering us here, right?”

Remaining seated, I asked Maeda without changing my expression. Maeda’s discomfort grew stronger in response to my attitude, but I paid it no mind.

If anything, Maeda and Iida were the ones stringing together words that made people uncomfortable.

I didn’t even feel the need to be cautious around them. They had been saying it from the beginning.

“That the Executive Committee you’re leading isn’t trustworthy.”

So, depending on the conditions, it could mean that they were willing to trust us.

If all they wanted was to delete the videos, they should have simply asserted over the phone that they shouldn’t be used.

But since they gathered people here, it meant they came to negotiate. If they had already vented their grievances, then it was time to present their conditions.

Whether or not we could accept them was all that mattered.

“In that case, how about this? We’ll join as substitutes for the Executive Committee since Shinra is stepping down. We’ll also be able to confirm how the videos we provided will be used, and the Executive Committee will suddenly have more manpower, reducing the burden, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right. If it’s something like that, then it’s fine, isn’t it?”

Iida sought agreement from the female students with the proposed conditions. Although not everyone, the majority of students showed their approval of the conditions.

This included not only the female students but also members of the soccer and baseball teams.

However, one person remained silent.

The captain of the baseball team, Machida, quietly stared at me. He didn’t voice any opinions, nod, or react in any way, just silently observing.

What does he want? Why did he come? He was the only one with many unreadable aspects.

“Is that okay with you too, Machida?”

I asked, finally eliciting a slight response from him.

His gaze, which had been fixed, shifted and met mine. For a brief moment, it was enough to gather everyone’s attention. As everyone waited for his words, Machida spoke clearly in a soft voice.

“I’m fine with anything if it helps send off the seniors.”

His short, determined words seemed to align with their purpose yet differed in essence.

For Maeda, Iida, and the others, joining the Executive Committee was merely a byproduct. They sought the process rather than the final goal. On the other hand, Machida sought the final goal.

Although I initially thought they were the same, it turned out their intentions were not aligned from the start. Just hearing his response seemed to validate the effort put into this troublesome conversation.

At least one person who could be asked for cooperation had been found.

That being said, accepting the conditions themselves wasn’t particularly difficult. With the increase in manpower and favourable terms, it was undoubtedly a good deal.

So, my answer was already decided.

And not just mine, but everyone’s, including the Student Council’s, unintentionally voiced the same response simultaneously.

“Declined.”

Nine voices overlapped, and instinctively, everyone looked at each other.

Naturally, laughter bubbled up, and small chuckles spread among us, while the students sitting opposite us watched with expressions that seemed to convey their inability to understand.

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