"So... you guys want to help Iino Miko?"
"Yeah."
In a clubroom, Shirogane looked puzzled at the Rinji and Ishigami duo in front of him.
When they ca to him and said they wanted to help one of his rivals, he froze for a mont.
"That's about the size of it," Rinji said. "But Iino's level is way too low—I don't think she can make it to the point where she can compete with you properly."
Rinji himself didn't fully agree with the plan.
After all, this was essentially shifting votes that should've gone to Shirogane over to Iino. Even if she had no real chance of winning, Rinji didn't like making things unnecessarily complicated.
"Why are you doing this?"
Rinji: "So that Iino Miko can lose with dignity."
Ishigami: "Simply put, we just want her to go down with pride."
"I understand."
After a short silence, Shirogane asked, "So what do you want to do?"
"Our original plan was to have the president and Iino both give speeches on their platforms and then debate... but Iino can barely get a word out in front of an audience."
Her speech skills were a disaster.
Faced with a room full of students, she could barely read her script in a whisper, stumbling all the way through.
Shirogane and even Kaguya, who did the support speech, could speak fluently without notes in a full auditorium.
The difference was obvious, even without hearing their platforms.
"To be honest, I'm not really in favor of this plan, President. Not sabotaging a rival is already the biggest concession I'm willing to make. Helping her actively just weakens your side," Rinji said. "But since Ishigami asked, I figured I'd consult with you."
"You don't need to ask."
Shirogane smiled.
"I approve. Do your best to help a fellow student."
Whether or not they were rivals, if a fellow student needed help, Shirogane would lend a hand.
"I knew you'd say that."
Rinji let out a relieved smile.
"Guess I'm just not cut out to be president after all."
"So, do you have a thod in mind?"
"Iino's case is special. I'd never do anything to harm you in the na of helping a student, so I have to rule out most of my usual tactics. That said, there is still one thod I can try. But it needs field testing."
"Then go for it—just don't cause too much chaos."
Rembering Rinji's stunt with a flashbang not long ago, Shirogane warned him lightly.
"Don't worry. But maybe you should worry more about yourself," Rinji said with a grin. "If I really get serious, your votes might just end up in Iino's pocket."
"With you guys backing , I'm not worried."
Rinji and Shirogane exchanged a grin.
"It's kind of refreshing, isn't it? Our first ti standing on opposite sides."
"Yeah. Definitely sothing new."
---
The day before the official speeches, Rinji shifted from Shirogane's supporter to Iino's.
He didn't intend to help her win—just to get her ideals across to the school. And that wasn't hard for him; he already had a plan.
He and Ishigami left the clubroom, not saying a word on the way out. Only when they reached a quiet hallway did Ishigami step in front of Rinji to stop him.
"Rinji, there's sothing I've been wondering for a while."
"What?"
"Ever since you said that 'to create a hero, you need a villian,' sothing felt off."
"And?"
"You're the villian, aren't you?"
"..."
Rinji t Ishigami's serious gaze, then nodded.
"Yeah. That's ."
"You bastard... you're gonna use that kind of tactic again, aren't you?"
Ishigami rembered how Rinji once put himself at odds with the whole class to help him.
"Any problem with that?"
"A huge problem!!"
Bam!
For so reason, Ishigami seed emotional. He slamd a palm against the wall behind Rinji.
Looking him in the eye, his voice rose in frustration.
"You went against the whole class for before—now you're gonna go against the whole school!? Why do you insist on being the villain!?"
"Because right now, it's the only thod I can think of."
"...That's my fault. I never should've asked you. Let's pretend this whole thing never happened."
Ishigami bowed his head.
He absolutely didn't want a repeat of last sester. He didn't want to see Rinji scorned by the entire school again, especially not because of sothing he'd asked him to do.
"Ishigami, you know well enough. I'm not a good person. For soone like , being rejected by everyone is normal."
"You..."
"A villain like getting rejected by society? That just ans the world is still sane. That should be comforting."
"...I'll never understand how your brain works."
"Trust . I can handle this."
---
"Takamine-kun, was there sothing you needed from us today?"
After school, Rinji found Iino Miko and Osaragi Kobachi, who were still preparing for the upcoming speech.
"Yeah. There's sothing I'd like to discuss."
"If you're here to talk into quitting, then please leave. I really appreciate what you've done for , but I won't back down on this."
Rinji sat down across from them and said, "Iino-san, have you considered this? A lot of your classmates hate you right now. Even if you don't beco president, their hostility ans they won't listen to your disciplinary efforts. So may even act out just to spite you. That's called a rebellion response. So whether you win or not, it's not helping school order."
"..."
Iino took Rinji's words seriously.
"Then what do you suggest we do?"
Rinji didn't look at her. His gaze turned to Osaragi.
"If you trust , let do the support speech instead."
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