“I mean, you probably don’t even have to try. You have the height advantage to win easily.”
“Yeah, if this were any ordinary Run, then I guess.”
Masachika chuckled bitterly at the overly candid remark that so abruptly ruined the mood, but he had a point. After all, there was nearly a half-meter difference in total height between Team Alisa-Masachika and Team Yuki-Ayano, and obviously, a taller knight had a significant advantage in mounted combat. Plus, there was a considerable difference when it came to the arm length of the riders as well. Therefore, Alisa had an overwhelming advantage in mounted combat if he were to consider only their physical attributes.
“But you need more than two people for cavalry battles, right?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah, you need three horses per rider, so we need two more people.
“You guys said we’d have a height advantage, but wouldn’t two helpers completely change everything?”
“Hmm… Not necessarily. After all, the candidate for president is always the rider, while the candidate for vice president is always the head of the horse… Actually, there are cases when it’s the other way around. If the candidate for president’s a guy, and the candidate for vice president is a girl, then the candidate for vice president gets to be the rider. For obvious reasons.”
“Yeah, that totally happened with our current president and vice president and apparently with the two before them as well.”
“Yeah, although I kind of doubt that Chisaki needed Touya to switch with her… I heard it was a terrifying sight to see, though.”
“Yeah, I, like, saw the video? And it was awful. It was like watching a dump truck run over tricycles.”
“Or like watching the legendary warrior Lü Bu ride his steed Red Hare against low-level soldiers on ponies.”
“…The others didn’t stand a chance, huh?”
Masachika smirked at Alisa’s indescribable expression and added, “It was apparently a really memorable debut match for Touya, since he didn’t have a partner for a while. Anyway, we got a little off track, but the physical abilities of the two candidates running are far more important than their two helpers.”
“Oh…”
“Which is why people focus more on name recognition over physical capabilities when it comes to picking their helpers.”
“…? Why?”
Masachika thought for a moment before replying.
“Well… Think of it this way: Who do you think the audience is going to cheer for? A candidate who brings the two strongest kids in their class with them or the candidate who brings the current student council president and vice president with them to help?”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
“Just to be clear, though: There’s an unwritten rule that both the student council president and vice president don’t get involved with upcoming elections, since it’d look like an endorsement, even though the Run is only for fun. But that’s exactly why you should always pick popular, influential people to be your helpers, regardless of whether they’re going to be good enough to help you win.”
“Which means…”
After hearing Masachika explain the situation, Alisa immediately turned to face Sayaka and Nonoa, then glanced at Masachika once more to see how he was reacting.
Yeah, those two would definitely work…
He subtly nodded back to let Alisa know it was okay, so she faced Sayaka’s frigid glare head-on and went for it.
“Sayaka, Nonoa, would you two be our helpers?”
Despite the straightforward and unadorned nature of her request, Masachika was touched by Alisa’s willingness to openly ask for help from others. However…
“What’s in it for me?”
Sayaka’s response was rather curt.
“I told you before. I have no intention of endorsing you. I only agreed to be in the band because it sounded fun, but this is a completely different story,” Sayaka explained with an indifferent tone and chilling gaze. She then stared straight into Alisa’s eyes and firmly declared, “You would be gravely mistaken if you believe I’m your friend in this election.”
Sayaka’s declaration, which ruthlessly pushed Alisa away, filled the room with tension. Takeshi and Hikaru watched with bated breath. Masachika, who had anticipated this development, also observed the two with a stern expression. As for Nonoa? Well, she was still clinging to Sayaka as always. Nonoa really was Nonoa.
“…So? What are you offering me in return for being one of your helpers?”
Perhaps this was a challenge directed at Alisa from a girl once considered the most likely candidate for president.
What did it mean to motivate others? To have others work toward one’s cause? What kind of negotiation skills did someone need to motivate those who didn’t take action based on emotion but on merit? Maybe this was what Sayaka was testing Alisa on. At least, that was what Masachika thought while he watched from the sidelines.
I would have used some kind of nerdy otaku merchandise to bribe her…but that probably wouldn’t have worked on her this time.
After all, this was vastly different from simply forming a band together for the school festival. Because agreeing to support someone in a student council election was essentially an endorsement for that candidate in front of the entire student body. Furthermore, becoming Alisa’s “horse” would have been humiliating for Sayaka, since some might argue that her participation represented her raising the white flag after losing the debate. Plus, given that she had never bowed down to anyone at school before, it was hard to imagine her accepting such a proposal so easily.
Even I feel like I’d have a hard time trying to negotiate with Sayaka right now… What are you going to do, Alya?
Masachika considered coming up with a backup plan just in case Alisa’s persuasion failed, but eventually, he decided to simply trust his rapidly improving partner for now and waited for her answer.
Under everyone’s watchful gazes, Alisa seemed to succumb to the pressure of Sayaka’s stare as she looked away. Sayaka’s eyes narrowed with evident disappointment.
But as the tension grew, Alisa fiddled with her hair while she shyly argued, “We might not be friends in this election…but we’re friends in real life. Plus, I don’t know anyone else I could ask…so it would make me really happy…if you agreed to help.”
With a slight blush to her cheeks, Alisa glanced up at Sayaka. There was an unguarded vulnerability and cuteness that could undoubtedly have any guy swooning. But…
Alya… I mean, I know she’s being genuine, but Sayaka’s asking how this would benefit her, and all Alya’s doing is essentially trying to appeal to her emotions. Sayaka isn’t the kind of person who is swayed by emotions…
Masachika furrowed his brow, perplexed by Alisa’s words, which hardly seemed like a negotiation at all.
As if confirming Masachika’s thoughts, Sayaka let out a soft sigh and looked away from Alisa. Then she pushed up the bridge of her glasses with her middle finger and replied, “Well…I guess I have no choice but to help you, then. We are friends, after all.”
It worked?!
Masachika’s eyes went wide, and he was taken aback by how much higher her voice sounded, while she restlessly adjusted her glasses.
Is that all it’s going to take?! What happened to the debate queen?!
He stared at Sayaka, unable to hide his shock at her unusually uncharacteristic reaction. Gone was the cold, detached demeanor she had been exuding just moments ago, and although she maintained a slight pout, she seemed to be in surprisingly good spirits.
“Sayaka, are you sure?”
“…Well, I don’t see why not, seeing that you are coming to me for help as a friend.”
“Thank you, Sayaka. So… Nonoa…”
“I’m in if Saya’s in.”
Nonoa nodded readily, sticking close to her childhood friend, who frowned at Nonoa’s grinning face, only millimeters from her own.
“Will you get off me already?” grumbled Sayaka, peeling her childhood friend off her arm before grabbing her cup and standing.
“I’m going to go get a refill,” she stated, before swiftly withdrawing from the room, but the instant she was gone, Nonoa grinned.
“Saya’s so shy.”
“…I definitely wasn’t expecting that.”
“Hmm? Oh, like, Saya doesn’t have that many friends? So she was probably really happy.”
“Oh…”
Masachika was left dumbfounded as Alisa had effortlessly sealed the deal—something he’d thought difficult to resolve—in a way that even he wasn’t expecting.
I’m honestly kind of shocked… Alya just made the ice queen all giddy and nervous without even trying. She’s clearly the main character here.
Masachika felt a bit disgusted by how calculating his strategizing was, casting a faint shadow over his spirits. Meanwhile, Nonoa, while casually reaching for some honey toast with her fork, remarked nonchalantly:
“So, Takeshi? You in love with Saya?”
“““…?!”””
The abrupt, out-of-the-blue question left the other four visibly startled, and three of them immediately looked to Takeshi. Although he seemed shocked, his cheeks gradually turned red, leaving his three peers stunned speechless.
“Wh-what? No. Wait, wait, wait. Seriously?” asked Masachika, stuttering like a fool, as he was sent reeling by yet another startling surprise. Takeshi’s eyes darted around the room while he mumbled unintelligibly, but his reaction alone was more than enough.
“What? Seriously. What?”
“Come on, is it really that big of a deal?”
“It’s just…really surprising…”
“…I agree with Masachika. Takeshi, the girls you’ve liked have always been more…nice? I guess you could say.”
“Sayaka is nice, though,” Takeshi replied somewhat bashfully, earning intense stares from his two best friends as a heavy silence fell over them for the next few moments.
Takeshi, who was caught off guard, didn’t know what to say, and Masachika and Hikaru were both reeling from the completely unexpected revelation about their close friend’s crush. Meanwhile, Alisa seemed to be frozen solid, as if she too was caught off guard, since she had never heard three boys discuss relationships like this before. However, the instigator, Nonoa, simply continued to enjoy her honey toast.
The silence, unfitting for a karaoke box, was only broken when the door abruptly opened.
“…? Did something happen?”
Sayaka entered the room, a glass of ginger ale in hand, while frowning at her peers, but Masachika simply ignored her while he downed the rest of his cola in one go.
“All right, my turn to go get a refill.”
“Let me join you.”
As if they had planned it, Masachika and Hikaru placed their arms around Takeshi’s shoulders from each side in a tight embrace.
“You’re thirsty, too, right, Takeshi?”
“Uh…?”
“Yeah, let’s go to the drink station and make some crazy soda combinations.”
The boys left the room, practically forcing Takeshi to come as well, without even listening to what he had to say. They even left his cup in the karaoke room, but that was far from the biggest issue right now.
“…So do you really like Sayaka?” Masachika asked the instant they arrived at the drink station. But after seeing Takeshi avoid eye contact without even trying to deny it, he looked up at the ceiling and said, “…Wow.”
While it was clear that Takeshi was serious, it was honestly difficult to cheer him on, for multiple reasons. First and foremost, their families stood at opposite ends of the pecking order. Sayaka was the daughter of the CEO of one of Japan’s largest corporations, and while Takeshi was technically the son of a company CEO as well, his family owned what would be considered a small, local factory. There was essentially a three-digit difference when it came to the number of employees and annual revenue between the two companies.
That alone already put her out of his league, and then there was Sayaka’s personality. She didn’t seem to have any interest in dating, to put it lightly. In fact, she seemed like someone who was more likely to strategically marry for the family business, if she got married at all.
Plus, I bet Takeshi has no idea that she’s actually a huge nerd… And then there’s Nonoa…
Masachika’s expression was troubled as he considered the various circumstances until Takeshi suddenly spoke up with a hint of discontent in his voice.
“Come on. Is it seriously that weird?”
“I wouldn’t say it’s weird…but didn’t you tell me there was a girl you liked before summer break? When you came over to my place to study for exams, you said you were going to be more alpha and direct with her.”
“Oh, right. I remember him saying that, too. What happened with that?”
“Oh… Uh…”
“…Don’t tell me she turned you down.”
“Not exactly…” Takeshi spoke hesitantly, pausing for a few seconds, as if deep in thought, then, as if resigned to his fate, he continued, “…The girl I liked—I’m not going to say her name, but she’s the manager of the soccer club…”
“Oh?”
“The manager of the soccer club? How’d you…?”
“She actually helped the baseball club practice for a little while, and she was so nice…which got me interested. Know what I mean?”
“…Hmm?”
Masachika’s eyebrow twitched when he heard Takeshi’s reason…because it felt like he had a strong feeling that he had heard this story somewhere before. The manager for the soccer team was helping the baseball team practice…? Uh…? Who was the one that suggested that again?
“So I mustered up the courage to ask her out…but she told me that she was actually dating the captain of our club…”
Uh…? Dating the captain? The captain had a secret girlfriend? Why did that sound vaguely familiar? Although unintentional, who was it that recklessly motivated Takeshi to be more straightforward?
“Anyway, I was heartbroken…but when Sayaka helped us with the band and protected Kanau at the school festival for me, I suddenly caught feelings for her. Know what I mean?”
Who was it again that asked Sayaka to join their band?
“…All right, then.”
It was at that moment that Masachika realized who was the root cause of all this. It was him. Even though he hadn’t intended for any of it to happen…he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt.
“…I’m rooting for you,” he said hoarsely. It wasn’t like there was anything else he could have said to fix this.
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