CHAPTER 8
A Greeting
It was after school on the following day. Each member of the student council was preparing for the closing ceremony in between meetings relative to their position. They ran throughout school in groups of two to three with copies of the closing ceremony agenda in hand. After Alisa and Masachika finished those responsibilities, they began to practice for their upcoming speech on the stage in the gymnasium.
“Thank you all for your time.”
Although they didn’t have a microphone to practice with, Alisa finished giving her speech and was showered with Masachika’s applause from below.
“Perfect. Just do what you did here tomorrow, and we’re set,” he advised, walking up the steps to the stage, but Alisa’s expression suddenly clouded with anxiety.
“Yes… All I need to do is remember what I practiced…”
“Are you worried? You had no problem speaking at the debate.”
“That’s because I was focused on my own inner world… But there are going to be a lot more people at the closing ceremony, right?”
“Yeah, I mean…everyone at school has to be there, so this gym’s going to be packed,” he replied honestly with a shrug, since he felt there was no use sugarcoating it for her. He then brightened and replied:
“But that doesn’t change what you have to do. It doesn’t matter how many more people there are. You just need to focus on how you’re going to speak and—”
“I don’t think that’s going to be enough. I figured that much when I saw you speaking at the debate the other day. There’s a distinct difference between self-righteously regurgitating memorized talking points and speaking directly to the people. This speech is my chance to greet everyone, which is why I need to look them in the eye when I speak. I want to speak with them, not at them,” she said with a serious gaze at the floor below the stage before turning her eyes firmly toward Masachika. “Hey, how do I converse with the audience like you do?”
She really is always trying to improve herself, he thought in admiration as he scratched his head.
“I mean…it’s kind of something you just have to get used to doing for the most part. But first, you need to make sure you can perfectly say your speech without glancing at your script. After that, all you need to do is watch and see how the audience is reacting, then change your tone and how long you pause. Maybe even stick a few jokes in between your lines, but make sure you stay focused.”
“…”
Alisa frowned after hearing his advice, and Masachika realized he was demanding far too much, so he smiled and added:
“But this is your first time, so don’t expect to be able to do everything perfectly. Like I said, it’s something you have to get used to doing. So all you need to do this time is keep your chin up and confidently say your piece.”
“…Is that really going to be enough?”
“Trust me. Consider this practice for the upcoming election. I told you yesterday. Remember? We don’t want to provoke Yuki or excite her because she’ll try to trip us up.”
“…!”
Those words suddenly made Alisa realize she was unconsciously feeling pressed that she had to beat Yuki, and she was dumbfounded.
“Alya, do you want to know a little secret to relieve tension and get the audience’s attention?” he asked, lowering his voice and gently patting her on the shoulder to calm her down.
“A secret?”
“Yep.”
He whispered into her ear as she raised a brow, and ultimately her jaw dropped. She then appeared to be in deep thought.
“That’s…”
“Easy, right? And it’s very effective as well.”
“…All right, I’ll give it a try.” Alisa nodded with an expression of utmost seriousness. Masachika looked at her confidently…and all of a sudden, a voice called out to them from the wing.
“Are you practicing for tomorrow’s ceremony?”
Their eyes simultaneously darted in the direction of the voice, only to find Yuki with her usual curated smile and Ayano standing behind her, bowing with her usual blank expression.
“Oh, you two are done with your work for the day, too?”
“Yes, everything went smoothly.”
Their exchange may have sounded friendly, but there was an unusual tension filling the space between them. Yuki slowly walked toward Masachika with a hand over her mouth, her head tilted.
“Giggle. Is everything okay, Masachika? That look on your face is scaring me.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve saying that. Getting rid of that proper-young-lady facade and going full mask off, huh?”
“Oh my. Me? Giggle.”
She widened her eyes and smiled a perfect ladylike smile, but the light behind those eyes was cold and distant. While most people would shudder at the terrifying sight, Masachika simply shrugged and looked back at Alisa.
“See? This is the real her. I know I’ve said this before, but don’t be fooled by her act.”
“O-okay…”
“Oh dear. Alya? Giggle. Did I disappoint you?”
But Alisa slowly shook her head.
“No. I was a little surprised, but I haven’t become disillusioned.”
“Oh my…”
“We still haven’t known each other that long, after all. It’s only natural for there to be sides of you I don’t know about yet.”
“…”
“Besides…you were serious when you said you still wanted to be friends with me, right?”
“…Yes, of course.”
“Then everything’s okay.” Alisa nodded with ease, catching Yuki by surprise.
“Plus…I was able to reexamine myself thanks to you.”
“…What do you mean?”
Yuki’s fake smile faded, although she was still tilting her head. Alisa then stared her straight in the eye and declared:
“You asked me why I wanted to become the student council president the other day, and you will get that answer. Tomorrow. I’ll also receive far more support from our fellow students.”
Staring at Alisa, Yuki blinked in genuine confusion for a few moments before dissolving into laughter.
“Ha-ha-ha! You really are a sincere, wonderful person.”
“Wh-what’s that supposed to mean?”
Alisa appeared embarrassed by the unexpected praise, but Yuki continued without even a hint of shame:
“I was only speaking the truth. I am really happy to be your friend, Alya.”
“…!”
Alisa swiftly looked away as though she couldn’t take anymore bonding, which only made Yuki smile more.
“And because you are so wonderful, I have something I would like to tell you,” revealed Yuki.
“…What is it?”
“I told you my brother was gone… I never said he was dead.”
“Huh…?”
Alisa looked back at her with a blank expression and saw Yuki’s mischievous grin.
“He ran away from home, and while he cut ties with the Suou family, he is still very much alive and well.”
“Wh-what?!”
Alisa’s face turned bright red as fury rippled through her for being led on like that. She shot Yuki a piercing glare, which Yuki parried with a cool, refreshing smile of her own…until Masachika swiftly jumped in front of Yuki, cheerfully smiling as well.
“Oh, thank goodness. I was worried this was going to destroy your friendship.”
His smile was unnaturally joyful, which made Yuki immediately cautious, reverting back to her usual archaic smile.
“Oh my. You make it sound as if our friendship has been damaged in some way, Masachika.”
“No? I mean, I think you’re a punk for what you did, but what’s new?”
He spoke with a bright tone and mirthful smile as he approached Yuki and Ayano. Alisa watched anxiously from behind, but Yuki’s smile didn’t waver, even when her brother was standing right in front of her.
“Wait… Could it be? Are you angry that I waited until you were sick to attack?”
“Not at all. Striking when your opponent’s down is only natural in war. Plus, giving me the medicine without me noticing took a lot of talent. Beautifully done.”
“Why thank you. What an honor,” she replied, and yet she got chills from her brother’s smile. And Ayano, who was glancing in his direction, was no different. Cold sweat trailed down their backs, for there was something eerie about the bizarre energy Masachika emanated. As he continued to exude intimidation, he cheerfully went on:
“It’s a weird feeling. Hard to describe it, to be honest. It’s like…wanting to pet your cute little dog that is biting you but also wanting to discipline them so they never bite you again. Know what I mean?”
Yuki, however, didn’t joke about the frightening things her brother was saying. She even set aside her usual noblewoman facade after seeing just how serious his eyes were—something she hadn’t seen in ages. All she felt now was a tinge of fear and exhilaration, which manifested in the form of a fierce smirk and sparkling eyes, and as a result, Masachika’s sneer grew even more sinister as well.
“If I were to give some advice, though…,” he began, looking down at Yuki without any humor. “You took a bite, so now you better clench your jaw and not let go.”
The ambition glowing in his stare was proof enough that he hadn’t been driven into a corner, and it was at that moment that both Yuki and Ayano realized they had stepped on the tail of a sleeping lion.
Ha-ha… I think I got them a little worried, but maybe I didn’t go hard enough.
There was no simpler declaration of war, but that worked out in Yuki’s favor as well, since she had wanted to fight him head-on. Her fighting spirit rose with her elation as she quivered with excitement. Ayano began to quiver as well…but where she was quivering will forever remain a secret.
The terrifyingly tense atmosphere swallowed the stage like a storm. It was almost hard to believe this was the day before the closing ceremony speeches, but a hesitant voice soon called out from one of the wings, clearing the air.
“Hey, uh… I wanted to do some final checks before tomorrow, but…”
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and found three second-year students from the student council in the wing. Touya wore a slightly stiff smile, so Masachika and Yuki rid themselves of their fighting spirit and walked over. Alisa and Ayano calmed themselves before following. Although the air was still tense among the first-year students, Touya began the final checks for the closing ceremony. It wasn’t long before the conversation shifted toward the next day’s speeches.
“Now, for our student council member greetings tomorrow, I, the president, will speak first, followed by the vice president, Chisaki, then Big Kujou, and then the first-year students will speak after that. There aren’t many student council members this year, so I’m not going to give you a time limit, but let’s try to keep the speeches to no more than three minutes long if possible. Any questions?”
He had given only a brief rundown of the ceremony earlier, so hands were raised. After making sure everyone was okay, Touya somewhat hesitantly shifted his gaze to the four first-year students.
“Okay, now for the speaking order of the first-year students… What do you want to do? Last year, the candidates for student council president played rock-paper-scissors to decide order.”
As Yuki and Alisa exchanged glances, Yuki smiled slyly.
“I wouldn’t mind playing rock-paper-scissors,” she suggested, but right as Alisa was about to agree, Masachika cut her off and interjected:
“No way. Rock-paper-scissors rewards whoever can read their opponent best.”
“Yes, I suppose.” Yuki shrugged.
“Hmm?” wondered both Touya and Alisa, raising their eyebrows.
“I get it.” Chisaki nodded.
“Whaaat?” said Maria with a confused smile. Ayano, true to form, was one with the air. But these siblings were not joking. Because if you’re as big an otaku as either of them, the first game you master is rock-paper-scissors, just in case you are ever drugged and wake up to find yourself in the middle of a death game where you have to bet your life to survive. Once again, these siblings were not joking.
“How about we flip a coin?”
“Yeah, that sounds fair.”
“Perfect. Ayano can flip the coin, and Alya can call it, then. How does that sound?”
“Nah, let’s have someone else flip the coin.”
“Giggle. Very distrusting today, aren’t we?”
The obvious reason neither Masachika nor Yuki would be allowed to flip the coin was because they could possibly cheat. Ayano, on the other hand, didn’t have the skill set to cheat like them. Nevertheless, Masachika still couldn’t risk it—not after she casually slipped him the medicine that made him sleepy. Of course, Masachika and Yuki weren’t allowed to call heads or tails, either, because they could easily predict the correct answer.
“Um… How about I do it?”
Masachika looked at the second-year students and noticed Maria pulling out a hundred-yen coin, so he glanced over at Yuki to make sure she was okay with that. She shrugged, which was enough for him, so he looked at Maria once more and nodded.
“We would really appreciate that. Okay, Masha will flip a coin, and Alya will guess if it’s heads or tails. If she guesses right, she gets to choose whether she wants to go before or after Yuki, and if she guesses wrong, then Yuki gets to do that.”
“Sounds good to me. The side with the picture on it is heads, and the side that says ‘one hundred’ on it is tails. Everyone ready?” asked Maria as she placed the hundred-yen coin in her palm. Alisa, however, shot her a skeptical look and asked:
“Masha, are you sure you can do it?”
“Alyaaa. ♪ Stop making fun of your big sister. Of course I can do it. Just you watch.” Maria pouted.
“Ready? Three, two…one!”
She then jumped into the air for some reason and flipped the coin. A part of everyone’s soul died as they watched Maria hop up and down once more, for who knows why, while she pursued the flying coin with her eyes until she eventually slapped both hands together and caught it like someone trying to smash a fly.
“I got it! See? I told you I could do it, Alya!”
Maria smiled smugly and bragged with both hands clasped together, but Alisa’s eyes were cold.
“So? Which side is up?”
“Huh…?”
Maria looked down at her clasped hands and realized it was impossible to decide which way was up and which way was down.
“Um… How about we say this way is up, then?”
She turned her hands so the left was on the top and the right was on the bottom.
“Heads,” stated Alisa with a detached tone.
“What? Don’t you think you should think about it a little longer?”
“Just show us the coin.”
“Mmm… Fine.”
Maria removed her left hand, revealing the number 100. Yuki, who had been watching Alisa’s expression the entire time, noticed her briefly frown.
“Tails. All right, Yuki, do you want to go before or after me?”
“Hmm…”
Yuki placed a hand on her chin as Maria and Masachika quietly watched her.
It would have been great if we won the coin toss, but whatever… Let’s just see how much of our plan she can see through.
Yuki focused on her own thoughts while her brother stared.
Normally, going last makes you stick out more and gives you the advantage…but if I go first and impress everyone so much that they won’t even bother clapping for Alya, then I could destroy her. On the other hand, going first usually means you become the standard for the rest, which will get you at least the bare minimum amount of clapping, so it would be difficult to absolutely crush Alya if I make her go first. She and everyone else could even use that as an excuse. “Oh, she went first, so give her a break.” Stuff like that… Maybe I really should choose to go first? That was what I was planning on doing anyway. But…
Yuki tried to analyze the situation from a different angle.
That’s only if I wanted to absolutely crush her to the point of no return, but now that my brother’s serious about this, maybe it’d be better if I tried to win in the safest way possible… Which means going after her would give me the edge. I should probably see how he is planning to fight first before striking…
That was when Yuki was suddenly overcome with a feeling that something was off. The way her brother was acting a moment ago…and the way he was clearly trying to taunt them…
Now that I think about it…he was really trying to scare us…which is unusual for someone who normally pulls the strings from the shadows to get things done… Was that all an act?
Her gut told her she was right the instant the thought popped into her head. She swiftly looked at Masachika and put on her thinking cap.
If that was all an act…then what is he after? He acted like he was angry that we tricked him and made it seem like we were going to fight head-on. But he really doesn’t plan on fighting fair and square. And…! He’s trying to distract me from Alya! That’s it!
It hit her like a divine revelation from the heavens as she stared hard into her brother’s eyes. While she couldn’t read his poker face, she could tell she was approaching the truth.
Yes… I got so caught up with my brother that I almost lost sight of things. It’s Alya I’m after…and she isn’t that mentally strong from what I can see. Plus, she is probably still traumatized from yesterday’s announcements that we did together, since she was having a really hard time talking. That was why I was planning on forcing her to go after me at the ceremony. The pressure would crush her.
Once she remembered her original plan, she realized that Masachika was trying to distract her with something else, but that was over. She’d seen through his little trick.
He is going for a draw! He wants Alya to go first so she doesn’t have to feel pressure while still getting at least the bare minimum amount of applause! Which means I am sticking to my plan and going first so I can dominate!
Around five seconds had gone by while Yuki reached her conclusion with her extraordinarily quick thinking.
“I would like to go first, please,” she announced to Touya, seeming smug.
“All right, then. Suou and Kimishima will go first, followed by Little Kujou and Kuze.”
Alisa silently nodded in agreement with the terms and slowly grinned.
The next day arrived. Thanks to the student council’s preparation the day before, the closing ceremony was going smoothly as the teachers spoke and the disciplinary council made their announcements. Touya, Maria, Alisa, and Masachika were watching the ceremony from stage right while Chisaki, Yuki, and Ayano were watching from the wing on the opposite end.
“Now let’s hear from our student council members.”
The time had finally come. The emcee from the broadcasting club called out the names of the second-year students to come one at a time to greet their peers. Touya, oozing charisma, proudly greeted the student body and ended his speech with a surprise announcement: They were finally getting new summer uniforms. Chisaki spoke cheerfully, adding jokes here and there, and gave a relatively brief speech. Maria wore her usual bubbly smile and gave a very detailed, well-thought-out speech, despite her friendly tone and demeanor. While each second-year student was unique in their own way, every one of their speeches won the crowd’s attention. Their eyes were locked onto the stage with gazes usually reserved for movie stars…until it finally came time for the first-years to speak.
“Now let’s hear from the student council publicist, Yuki Suou.”
The air in the room instantly changed when the first presidential candidate took the stage: Some waited in anticipation of the silent battle between candidates, some bounced with excitement, and some calmly readied themselves to assess the situation. A myriad of gazes settled on Yuki where she stood onstage and where she was projected onto the large screen behind her, evoking some excitement among the crowd.
“Hello, my fellow students. I am the student council publicist and former middle school student council president, Yuki Suou, and I plan on running for student council president in the election for next school year.”
She gave a small bow with her archaic smile and was immediately greeted with cheers from the audience in the gymnasium. She nodded at the crowd and then continued her speech in a lighter tone.
“Therefore, I would like to tell you all a little about my vision for next year. When I become the student council president…I promise to create an environment where your opinions matter. Oh dear? Was that too generic?”
Yuki suddenly smiled mischievously, creating some laughter in the audience and clearing the tension. She then lifted a large box from behind the podium and presented it to the crowd.
“Specifically, I want to talk about this: the suggestion box, which has been around for years at our school. There are probably more of you who haven’t used it even once compared to those who have. As you all know, I address many of these during the afternoon announcements I make on behalf of the student council, but it seems to me there are not that many people with problems or requests. Why, though? Perhaps you believe leaving a suggestion in the suggestion box is pointless because nothing is going to get done about it?”
Her specific question prompted the student body to reflect on how they felt. After they nodded back at her individually as though they agreed, she continued to explain why.
“But it is understandable that you would all feel that way. After all, most members of the student council have no experience with the kind of work we do. Even working adults spend their first year learning the ropes at their job, and yet most members of the student council serve out their entire term after only one year, then move on. Trying to listen to student requests and actually realize their demands is an extremely difficult task, especially this year. Because this year…for some reason…! For some reason, we hardly have any first-year students in the student council. In other words, we are short-staffed.”
The students laughed at Yuki playing dumb. “Whose fault do you think that is?” they joked. Yuki defended the second-year student council members, claiming the problem they had was due to a lack of members in the student council, while peppering her conversation with quips before smoothly transitioning to the main issue.
“However, the moment I become president of the student council, I will meet the demands inserted into the suggestion box,” she firmly declared before continuing.
“To be specific, I will be solving at least one suggestion per month. The experience I gain from this will then be used to further implement even more difficult demands. For example, altering or adding new events on field day, expanding upon the school festival’s events and length, and increasing free time during field trips. Furthermore, I believe creating new events for Christmas, Halloween, and other holidays would be very fun as well.”
Excitement followed the exhilarating proposals for many students, but it came with skepticism as well. “Can she really do that?” wondered more than a few. Nevertheless, Yuki wouldn’t be Yuki if she didn’t have an answer for that as well. She smiled boldly, her eyes sweeping the crowd before she suddenly declared:
“Furthermore, I believe this is something only I can achieve, utilizing the skills I acquired during my two years in the middle school student council in addition to my achievements and experiences as a member of the student council in high school. And I plan on proving that to all of you soon through my work. Thank you all for listening.”
Yuki then bowed once more before being showered with raucous applause and cheers echoing throughout the gymnasium. She raised a hand in response and calmly exited stage left to return to her seat.
“Now, that’s cheap. She talked a big game while not giving a single detail about what she’s specifically going to do this year. She even made excuses for why we didn’t do much about the suggestions in the suggestion box all while making it sound like she was sticking up for our second-year peers…and her argument was convincing, too, which makes it even less fair,” Masachika acknowledged with a bitter smirk as he watched her walk away. Touya nodded, his own expression a combination of bitterness and admiration.
“She really knows how to talk a big game and stretch the truth. She’s probably better at it than me.”
“Ha-ha… Yeah, she has a lot of experience. Plus…I guess she is a bit of a liar as well.”
“Wow. Harsh.”
They continued to joke back and forth, and Maria checked in with Alisa.
“Alya, are you okay? Are you nervous?”
“I’m fine… Just leave me alone right now.”
“Oh my. Alya, come on.” Maria pouted at her sister’s typical coldhearted response. Masachika smiled a bit at their exchange, and Ayano was called to the podium, but there was a brief stir in the crowd when they saw her projected onto the screen. It was only natural, though. After all, while she may have been wearing the school uniform, her hair was neatly tied back like a maid’s. Even her messy bangs, which usually obscured her face, were properly brushed out of the way, exposing her beautiful forehead, and though her expression was as blank as it always was, she seemed highly motivated in a way… Maybe? …Probably not. Regardless, countless guys in the crowd went wild when they saw this girl, who usually never stood out. “Who is that cutie?!” wondered the male students. “Wow! Ayano looks so cute today!” expressed a portion of the female students as well. Ayano was actually extremely popular among a select group of girls at school and was like a school mascot to them.
“I am Ayano Kimishima, a general member of the student council, and outside of school, I am a maid for the Suou household and an attendant of Lady Yuki.”
Perhaps the best way to describe the mood in the gymnasium at that moment would be “?!”. First, a beautiful girl suddenly appeared, and now she was claiming to be Yuki Suou’s attendant? The information overload would be way too much for most people, but the commotion in the crowd didn’t stop Ayano.
“I plan on running with Lady Yuki in the election for next school year. I have been by her side ever since we were children, and I plan on using my years’ worth of experience as her attendant to support her one hundred percent. She is a wonderful woman of high morals who was gifted with both talent and beauty, and I believe she has what it takes to make the school a better place as the student council president,” she stated in a monotone voice as if she were reading from a script. Nevertheless, there wasn’t even a hint of exaggeration or deception in her voice as she stared into the crowd with her unclouded eyes, which gave a strange ring of honesty to what she was saying. Before long, the crowd seemed to realize that she was simply stating facts. Besides, Ayano was just speaking her truth, after all.
“Lady Yuki has maintained an excellent academic record every year at this school, and she speaks English at a native level. In addition, she has recently started to study Chinese and is already at the conversational level. Piano, flower arrangement, karate—she is talented in school, the arts, and even sports. And yet never once has she let it go to her head. She always expresses gratitude to those around her and is considerate of others. She even gets me, a maid, something special for my birthday every year.”
Ayano then closed her eyes, slightly lifted her chin, and pressed her lips together… It appeared she was trying to look proud, but she wasn’t moving any of the muscles in her face. Regardless, a certain group of girls in the crowd squealed with delight at the sight of her incredibly smug (?) expression. Laughter soon followed like a wave throughout the audience. “She’s pretty funny.” They guffawed. Although Ayano blinked in bewilderment at their unexpected reactions, she proudly and passionately rambled on about Yuki some more. Her unique vibe and way of speaking appeared to be addictive, and before long, everyone was listening on the edge of their seat.
“Yeah, I figured this would happen,” muttered Masachika as he listened to Ayano’s speech from the wing.
“Yuki gave a very convincing address, and her achievements in middle school really help her case. Then she had Ayano, who has known her since she was a child, essentially vouch for her, strengthening her case.” Masachika spoke in a detached tone, praising their rivals after objectively analyzing their speeches. He then looked back at Alisa and said:
“Those speeches were airtight. I can see why Yuki wanted to go first and shoot for a shutout victory.”
Masachika calmly acknowledged the severity of the situation.
“…But you think we can win, right?” asked Alisa, showing no signs of concern in her eyes.
“Yep. Thanks to you, of course.” Masachika nodded calmly at her unshakable trust, and he smiled with evident satisfaction, relieved that she wasn’t letting her rival’s speech get to her. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
“So you don’t need to get competitive or go out there looking for a fight.”
They knew their chances of winning against Yuki would be slim if Alisa played by her rival’s rules, and Yuki knew that, too, which was probably why she was trying to bait Alisa.
“I know… I’m completely calm now thanks to you.”
But Alisa was no longer feeling any sort of rivalry with Yuki.
“Then we’re good. Do you remember the official name for these speeches, by the way?”
Alisa smiled a bit at his question.
“Of course. ‘Greetings from the Student Council,’ right?”
“Exactly. ‘Greetings.’ While it has become a custom to give policy speeches, that wasn’t what this was originally for. First…”
He shifted his gaze toward the students sitting in front of the stage.
“…let’s give them a chance to get to know you.”
Following those words, Ayano’s speech ended at exactly the three-minute mark. She bowed and left the podium before meeting up with Yuki, where they both took another bow. Immediately, the gymnasium began to shake…or at least that was what it felt like—a testament to how much applause and cheering followed their bow. The storm continued to overtake the building for a full ten seconds, loud enough and long enough for the emcee to hesitate whether to proceed or wait, until it eventually died down as Yuki and Ayano disappeared into the wing.
“Well, uh… Now let us hear from our student council accountant, Alisa Kujou.”
Alisa took to the podium in front of the still extremely excited student body. Only after the silver-haired young lady was projected onto the screen did the audience begin to focus on her. It seemed about 50 percent of the audience was interested, 30 percent was indifferent, and 20 percent felt bad for her. Most of the students were already captivated by Yuki’s speech, and there were hardly any students left who were expecting anything from Alisa, let alone wished to support her. It was as if she were standing alone in a foreign land with no one to help her. While the audience’s eyes slowly began to focus on her, she opened her mouth and said:
“Спасибо за представление. Я казначей ученического совета Кудзё Алиса. На будущий год я планирую выдвинуться кандидатом на выборах председателя совета. Прошу вас поддержать меня.”
Her Russian greeting came out of nowhere and with great force, leaving almost every student dumbfounded in their seat. They all stared at her now as she suddenly fell silent and slowly blinked.
“…My apologies. It seems I was so nervous that I started speaking in Russian.”
The crowd erupted in laughter. The princess Alya seemed to be joking around, but she said it with a completely straight face. “Yeah, right!” “Wait. Is she joking?” The crowd went wild, trying to figure out if she was joking. Alisa inwardly sighed in relief, since they’d reacted just as she and her partner hoped they would. This was the secret Masachika had taught Alisa the day before to hook the audience within the first ten seconds.
“First, speak in Russian. This should help relieve some of the tension when your turn comes around, since Yuki and Ayano are going to go before you. You’re probably going to be pretty nervous during the ceremony, and you still might be somewhat traumatized after what happened during the afternoon announcements, whether you’re aware of it or not. So speak in Russian first until you’re completely calm. I mean, it doesn’t matter if you say the wrong word or stutter in Russian, since no one’s going to understand anyway, right?”
Alisa secretly smiled to herself, relieved that it turned out exactly how Masachika said it would. Then after taking a deep breath, she faced the microphone once more and continued.
“Allow me to introduce myself again. I am the student council’s accountant, Alisa Kujou, and I am planning on running for student council president next school year.”
But even after taking a deep breath, it still took a lot of courage to say those next words. She was hesitant. She was still wondering if it was really okay to say this. But this was a greeting. This was an opportunity for everyone to get to know Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou.
Which means…I have to be honest. I can’t stretch the truth. No bells and whistles. It’s time for them to know the real me!
Alisa fired herself up, looked straight ahead, and began her story.
“I transferred to this school last year, and I still have not done enough to earn your praise. My work in the student council has only just begun, and I am not going to lie to you and tell you that I fully understand how difficult being the student council president is. In fact, there are probably many things I lack at the moment that prevent me from becoming the president.”
I’m afraid of how they’ll react. I’m terrified of revealing my imperfections. But I have someone who believes in me. I have a partner I can count on more than anyone else in the world—someone who knows my flaws and who still agreed to support me and cheer me on. And I believe those words, which is why I’ve done everything I can to weave my own.
“However, if there is one thing I am proud of…”
Alisa placed a hand on her chest, swept her eyes across the audience, and clearly declared:
“It is that I can work harder than anyone else.”
This was one thing she could say with confidence. This was something she knew wasn’t a lie.
“My entire life, I have always worked hard to achieve my ideal results. The fact that I have maintained my position as top student in my grade since my transfer should give you an idea of how hard I work.”
That was when Alisa suddenly started to feel a bit out of breath, and she realized how awfully shallow her breathing was. Nevertheless, there was no time to worry about that. She couldn’t pause. She had to keep talking to her audience.
“Furthermore, I was chosen as the ladies’ MVP during field day last year, and I received first place for my class’s shop during the school festival…! That was a team effort, of course.”
I can hardly breathe! My legs are trembling. I’m having trouble hearing anything… Or perhaps I’m not allowing myself to hear.
“Yes, there are traits and experiences that I would lack as the student council president…”
Alisa suddenly had a flashback of what the audience said during the debate and of her performance during the afternoon announcements. The more she thought about how she had to keep talking, the more it felt like her throat was being ripped apart.
I knew I wouldn’t be able to do it. Speaking my heart to the audience while looking them in the eyes? Me? The girl who always ran alone, never opening up to anyone? The world looks hazy. My legs are trembling, and I can hardly brea—
Keep your chin up
“Не вешай нос!”
As those Russian words suddenly slipped into her ear, Alisa could feel her five senses sharpen until she realized that she was looking straight down.
Did he just say that in…Russian? Don’t tell me he practiced just for this moment?
The instant the thought popped into her mind, she felt the reassuring gaze of someone watching over her from the wing, and at that moment, everything seemed so ridiculous to her. She couldn’t help but crack a smile because of how overprotective her partner was. Alisa lifted her head and saw a small commotion in the crowd along with the quizzical looks on their faces. She could…hear them, and at the very same time, she could remember her goal as she faced forward and confidently squared her shoulders.
“My apologies. There are still traits and experiences that I would lack as the student council president. For example, speaking in front of a crowd like this. I became painfully aware of this fault of mine after my somewhat poor performance during the afternoon announcements two days ago.”
She honestly was heading in the same direction even now, and she would have continued to go down that path if it wasn’t for her partner’s help. However…
“However, I am talking to you now. I am speaking my mind to you all with my own words, and I plan to continue improving myself, one fault at a time.”
Alisa could feel her words carve themselves into her mind as she spoke.
Oh… I’m not perfect. I was never perfect.
How arrogant I have been. I believed I was better than everyone else based on my own set of values, and I looked down on those around me because of it. But in reality, there are countless things that other people can do and that I can’t. And it isn’t just my first actual rival, Yuki, or the first person I’ve respected, Masachika. Sayaka, Nonoa, Ayano—there are an endless number of people who can do something better than I can. But I never realized that until now. Even if I said I did, I hadn’t truly felt that way deep down inside. But I understand now in my heart that there are plenty of people with praiseworthy skills and talents.
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