When I reunited with my arrogant childhood friend, she had become a talented and beautiful girl – Even though she has probably forgotten about me and I don’t want to be toyed with, for some reason she keeps getting involved with me!?

Day of the Support Speech

“I’m sorry, isn’t it, Shion-chan? I’ve asked you to indulge me.”

During the support speech, Student Council President Shinjo apologized to me from the wings of the stage.

“That’s fine. I was planning on watching from here anyway.”

She probably pleaded to watch from the wings because it’s the closest place to the stage where speeches are given.

I also wanted to watch Kandou’s… no, Sato-kun’s speech from as close as possible. Ideally, I wanted to watch it alone. But if it’s her, it’s fine.

She’s one of the few people I can talk to about Kandou-kun.

“Are you also interested in Itsuki-kun’s speech, Shion-chan?”

“Yes, absolutely. After all, I was his former partner.”

I said with a small smile. It might have sounded a bit self-deprecating.

Besides, I was the one who dragged Sato-kun into the arena of the support speech.

“…What did you think of the support speeches so far?”

In terms of order, Sato-kun would be the last one.

We had a bit of time until his turn, so I tried to bring up a topic to kill time.

“Huh? Well… I think Hiyori-chan’s speech was the most seamless and solid. The others were… well, pretty safe, I guess?”

In other words, none of the speeches after the first one left much of an impression.

“Well, that’s what support speeches tend to be like, don’t they?”

“I thought the speeches so far were just supporting the candidates.”

“Huh? Isn’t that the point? After all, these are support speeches.”

“If it were me, I would give a speech that would decide the competition at this moment.”

In other words, a speech that would make the candidate win.

What’s most important in an election is not the candidate’s virtues, grades, track record, or abilities, but the speech. And to make a winning speech, careful preparation is necessary.

Sato-kun understood that.

“For example, Sato-kun asked us to schedule his speech for the evening, didn’t he?”

“Yeah, it was tough, but… I’m glad we managed to change it.”

“Do you know why he asked us to schedule it for the evening?”

“Why…? Come to think of it, Itsuki-kun didn’t tell us why.”

“At this time of day, students’ thinking abilities are dulled by the fatigue from the classes, making it easier for him to get his point across. This is one of his strategies.”

“I see…”

“President Shinjo, I’m sure you understand why he’s considered the most excellent student council president.”

Finally, it was Sato-kun’s turn.

Seeing his power again after a long time, I could feel my heart pounding with anticipation and anxiety.

However, the state of the venue was the worst.

At first, they were listening to the speeches seriously, but their concentration was waning and they were becoming distracted. Probably, less than half of the students were listening seriously.

Seeing this, President Shinjo also seemed anxious.

Amid the noise, he made his appearance.

“…Huh?”

I inadvertently forgot to breathe.

His neatly arranged hair, his fearless, undaunted, natural and dignified demeanor.

He was just like… the “Kandou Itsuki” who was the Student Council President of the 100th period of Hekireki Academy in the middle school years.

The “outstanding aura” that Kandou-kun possesses, which attracts those who see it, gathered the attention of all those who had been distracted all at once.

Everyone understood. No, they were made to understand.

That he is Itsuki Kandou.

“Huh? This is…”

“That’s not… Kandou-kun, is it?”

“Eh? No way…”

“Why is it him?”

The venue began to stir all at once.

In the midst of that, Kandou-kun stood at the lectern, remaining silent without uttering a single word.

“…Eh? Wait, what?”

Everyone, including President Shinjo standing next to me, was puzzled by his silence.

Still, he maintained his silence for several minutes.

Gradually, the noise from the students died down, and naturally, the attention began to gather on Kandou-kun.

People are trapped in the notion that they must “speak well,” thus they fear silence.

Therefore, they start their speeches too quickly. That doesn’t reach students whose concentration is wavering.

Kandou-kun was waiting for the students to be ready to listen, wondering, “What is he going to say next?”

“Hello, everyone. I’m Itsuki Kandou, here to give a support speech. Well, due to circumstances, I’m now calling myself Sato.”

He confidently revealed that he is Itsuki Kandou.

And everyone accepted it as if it was a matter of course.

In order to win, Akane Shinjo, who comes from an ordinary family, needed someone with top-class popularity and power within the school, someone who possesses charisma and a prestigious family background to suppress any objections, to give a support speech.

The only ones who could do that were me and… Kandou-kun, who has more influence than I do.

I had thought that the support speech this time would be given by Itsuki Sato standing here. That idea was overturned.

Is Akane Shinjo such a significant figure to you?

Kandou-kun began to speak as if he was slowly addressing someone.

“I have a reason for supporting her this time. Have you all seen Shinjo Akane’s student council policy?”

I believe it was… “Change this school together. Everyone is the protagonist.”

“It resembles the policy I once advocated.”

I had felt the same way. That’s why I was certain that Kandou-kun would support Shinjo-san’s election.

“Why is the term when I was the student council president still talked about? It is thanks to none other than all of you here now.”

The generation when Kandou-kun was the student council president saw many clubs achieve results, various committees carried out numerous reforms, and left seeds for the future.

And all of that was carried out with Kandou-kun at the center.

“Those who actually accomplished these feats are all of you here. I merely supported you. There might be those among you who have not achieved anything yet, those who believe it’s impossible because they think they have no talent.”

Kandou-kun continues to draw the students’ attention by speaking and making large gestures and distinctive movements.

“I can affirm this. Talent is something everyone has, and it blossoms when you realize it yourself or when someone else finds it in you.”

Once he confirmed the students were engaged, he addressed them.

Indeed, Kandou-kun has helped many talents to bloom. This is one of the reasons he is supported by many students.

That’s why his words resonate.

“I want to say with pride when I graduate that we all here have changed this school.”

You can sense the atmosphere in the gymnasium gradually changing. There’s no doubt that Kandou-kun is controlling this place.

What made this possible was the students’ dulled thinking due to fatigue from classes, and the power of his voice.

Those who hear his voice are soothed and feel an oddly uplifting sensation that makes them submit.

This might be some form of brainwashing.

However, it’s also true that those who have moved the masses possessed similar powers.

And with grand gestures, his speech comes to a close.

“Give your pure vote to Akane Shinjo!!”

Applause echoed throughout the gymnasium, which had reached a high pitch, as if showing respect to him.

“Thank you for your attention.”

Amid the heated gazes and applause, Kandou-kun disappeared into the wings of the stage.

“…Amazing.”

President Shinjo, standing next to me, murmured.

“Did Shion-chan predict this would happen and tell me about Itsuki-kun?”

“Yes. I knew this would happen if he took the stage. After all, I was his former partner.”

She said this while watching his retreating figure disappear.