"Eh?"
"If you think about it, it makes sense. Rinji only agreed to help with your speech yesterday. Even he couldn't possibly collect dirt on every student in just one day."
"Then why…?"
"All that 'threatening' on stage was just for show. He used a few photos to imply he could get more dirt, and his vague words were just meant to strike fear into students' hearts," Ishigami explained. "Rinji actually didn't do anything."
"…"
Iino's face turned red.
Rinji hadn't done anything at all. Even if she hadn't stopped him, he couldn't have exposed anything. That meant rushing on stage had no real purpose.
"If you think it was pointless, then you're wrong."
Rinji smiled.
"By stopping me, you proved how much you care about your classmates. More importantly, you successfully conveyed your ideals to them."
"That's… true."
Iino finally realized Rinji's intent—to help her boldly speak her beliefs on stage. Even that fake argument had been orchestrated to guide her.
"You… were helping me?"
"Interpret it however you want. It didn't cost me anything. Plus, insulting those students was pretty satisfying," Rinji shrugged.
"Thank you."
Iino sincerely thanked Rinji.
Extreme though it was, Rinji had unquestionably helped her.
"I still have one more question."
"What is it?"
Iino hesitated slightly, then asked, "If I hadn't stepped up to stop you, what would you have done?"
"Then the president would've stopped me. And I would've thought you were just average." Rinji smiled. "But you did stop me, so that makes you excellent."
"Excellent, huh…"
Hearing his praise, Iino blushed and accepted it shyly.
Compliments from others had a strong impact on her.
"Mhm. Iino, you're really excellent," Rinji nodded. "Although I still voted for the president."
Iino: "…"
"You're excellent, but I had to vote for someone even more excellent. I hope you can understand that."
Iino puffed her cheeks and walked away without saying another word.
After she left, Rinji turned to the board.
Shirogane had won the student council election by just thirty votes, securing a second term.
"You did it, President."
"Yeah. Another year of student council life ahead."
Shirogane smiled.
"Now that it's over, I finally feel like I can breathe again."
"Has the new student council been decided?"
"It's still the usual members. I don't trust anyone else," Shirogane replied, glancing in the direction Iino had left. "But adding a few new faces isn't out of the question."
"I'm glad you agreed to run again this year."
Rinji smiled too.
"But this is probably the last one, right?"
By the next election, Shirogane would already be a third-year, with university entrance exams looming. Which meant they only had one more year to work together.
"Rinji, you planning on running for the next president?"
"Do I look like someone the students would vote for right now? What, am I supposed to get up on stage and say something like 'Make Shuchiin Great Again' or 'No one knows Shuchiin better than I do'?"
"Then forget it."
Shirogane chuckled and didn't push the topic.
He turned to Rinji and Ishigami. "You two go find Secretary Fujiwara. Let her know she's keeping her position. As for Shinomiya... never mind, I'll tell her myself."
He would personally let Kaguya Shinomiya know she'd remain as vice president.
They could still stay in the student council together.
Shirogane left to find Kaguya, and Ishigami went to tell Fujiwara about the post-election updates.
Before he left, Ishigami told Rinji he'd figure out a way to help restore his reputation.
Although Rinji said he didn't care about such things, Ishigami clearly still blamed himself—thinking, If I hadn't asked Rinji for help, he wouldn't have done all that.
"I told you, it's fine."
Standing in the courtyard outside the student council office, Rinji lit a cigarette and took a relaxed drag.
Shirogane had won the election, so naturally, Rinji was in a good mood. As for the entire school hating him? He couldn't care less.
"Smoking again? I told you, it's bad for your health."
"Hayasaka?"
Rinji, leaning against the wall, saw Ai Hayasaka walk up beside him.
"Don't keep nagging me about smoking. You sound just like my mom yelling at my dad. He could only sneak out of the house to smoke."
Still, Rinji snuffed out his cigarette against the wall.
"You should keep your distance from me for now. People will start gossiping if they see you with the guy who threatened the whole school just this morning."
"I don't care. I never tried to act like a model student anyway."
Hayasaka leaned casually on the wall beside him and turned to look at his profile with a smile. "I already told you—'miracles' don't disappear."
"Yeah… I guess we've still got one more year of noisy, messy daily life."
"I watched you closely up there on the podium today. The student sitting next to me was sweating bullets. I bet they all hate you now."
"Do you?"
"I could never hate you—no matter what choices you make."
"…Then that's good."