"Good morning, Senpai."
"Good morning, Yukinoshita-senpai."
"Good morning, President."
Yukinoshita Haruno walked into the venue, greeted by several student council leaders along the way. One leader stubbornly continued to refer to Haruno as "President." Hikigaya guessed that this was the member she had mentioned previously who was not entirely convinced about Johkai Mimi's promotion to the position.
Haruno responded with a natural smile. As someone who was poised to become a real manager in the future, she had already developed the demeanor of a leader. She was more approachable than Mrs. Yukinoshita, which garnered her respect without instilling fear among her peers.
After witnessing this firsthand, Hikigaya realized how formidable this senior was and understood that her earlier statement, "After I leave, the student council might fall apart," was not an exaggeration. Even with the current president, Johkai Mimi, standing beside them, the students' attention was solely focused on Haruno.
"You really trained them well, Senpai? Are you sure they can still work together after you graduate?" Hikigaya asked, leaning closer to Haruno. He noted that she would be a student at this school in just a few months and was concerned about the potential issues the student union might face without her leadership.
"Don't worry," Haruno reassured him. "I just graduated; it's not like I won't be in touch. As long as I let them know in our Line chat that I'll come back from time to time, they won't turn against each other."
Hikigaya found Haruno increasingly enigmatic; her ways of managing people were intricate.
"Besides, when you, the new batch of high school students, enter school, the student union will be revitalized with new energy. As long as Mimi can earn the support of the new students, everything will fall into place."
Haruno added that she believed, given Johkai Mimi's charisma, while he might not completely command the student union, the group's cohesion would still be strong.
"Okay, I trust you completely, but please spare me from joining the student council. You wouldn't want to go without new novels to read in the future, would you, Yukinoshita-senpai?" Hikigaya threatened playfully, knowing this tactic worked every time.
"Although your threat is rather juvenile and makes me uncomfortable, I can't seem to find a solid reason to refute it," Haruno admitted candidly, recognizing that she would miss Hikigaya's new works if he stopped publishing.
In that case, she thought, she might just lock him in the basement until he wrote something.
Mimi had always been fiercely loyal to Haruno and executed her plans diligently. Despite their good relationship, she never pried into Haruno's personal affairs. However, she'd grown curious about the junior who seemed so close to Haruno. In the less than a year they had worked together, Mimi had never seen her senior smile so sweetly.
Of course, Mimi didn't feel jealous or harbor any ulterior motives regarding Haruno. Her curiosity stemmed from a natural gossipy inclination. However, she had no intention of confronting her about it.
At a public high school like Sobu High School, the student council had limited authority. Their primary role was to carry out preparations according to the school's schedule. In essence, they were working for the school and could not organize any independent activities. Yet, within the confines of her role, Haruno had performed exceptionally well, leaving the successor president feeling inadequate by comparison.
"Thank you for your hard work everyone. This morning's tasks went very smoothly. Please gather around; I have a few words to share," Haruno called out as the venue neared completion. It was getting late, and she planned to have lunch with Hikigaya soon.
Many student union members set aside their work and formed an arc around Haruno, ready to listen to her lecture.
"Everyone should know that I will be taking the University Entrance Examination Center test in eight days, specifically on January 16th. These will be my last two days at General Affairs High School. In other words, it is finally time for me to say goodbye to everyone."
Haruno stated this to bring some members, who were still clinging to the idea of maintaining the status quo, back to reality. "In the past two months since Johkai Mimi has been the student union president, our work has continued to go well. I am very happy, but I am also a little worried. After all, I have been present during most of this work. When I really graduate and leave, will you continue to work as hard as you do now? I do not question anyone's attitude, but this is indeed a concern that has been troubling me."
By expressing that she was "very troubled" by this, Haruno aimed to make those members who had doubts realize that they were causing distress for their beloved senior.
"Of course, I no longer have any power to supervise you now or in the future. However, I still have strong feelings for Sobu High School and the Student Union. Therefore, I will not leave this Line group until all the members of this class have completely left the Student Union. When I am in college, I will occasionally check in with you all just to learn about the situation, purely out of concern."
Haruno emphasized her ongoing care for the student council but made it clear that she would not be involved with the former members after graduation.
"If nothing unexpected occurs, this will be the last time I speak to you as a senior. Starting tomorrow, I will fully transition into being an ordinary candidate and will make my final preparations for the exam. I hope that everyone can continue to unite and cooperate. The student union at Sobu High School will always be the best in Chiba City."
"These are my parting words. Thank you all for your company over the past two years."
With that, Haruno bowed deeply to the crowd and concluded her speech.
The reactions of others were enthusiastic; some even discreetly wiped away tears. It seemed that the member who previously had reservations about her was moved by her words.
As Haruno passed by the many student council members, she walked out of the hall with Hikigaya at her side. Although many people noticed Hachiman's presence, they quickly became absorbed in Haruno's speech and forgot about him.
"Well, Mimi-kun, I don't think your next job will be too difficult. If I get a chance in the future, I might really come back to Sobu High School to take a look," Haruno said to Mimi-kun, who was seeing her off at the school gate.
"Don't worry, senior sister; I will definitely do it well. Your speech today was wonderful, and I was a bit moved," Mimi assured her. She didn't have the chance to discover the nature of the relationship between the two individuals in front of her, but it didn't matter. Since Hikigaya-kun would also be enrolling at Sobu High School in the future, she could just ask him directly.
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