Chapter 20: Yukino Yukinoshita Quietly Declares

A few days after the initial consultation, the Service Club called Isshiki-san in to hear the details of her situation.

She was already seated in the client's chair in the clubroom. However, I had told her not to start on the main topic just yet.

"Are things okay at your club, Iroha-chan?"

"Yes, I told Hayama-senpai I had some business to take care of and slipped away... By any chance, Yui-senpai, did you tell him something?"

"Eh? No, I haven't said anything."

"I see..."

Yuigahama-san, who apparently already knew her, was chatting amiably with her. Their lively demeanor was exactly what you would expect from high school girls, making me feel like there was no room for me to interject. With their voices fading into the background, I turned the page of my paperback book.

It was a little while after the three of us had gathered. Without any warning, the clubroom door opened. Standing there was Hikigaya-kun, with his usual dead-fish eyes.

"You're here."

"Yeah."

The words we exchanged were brief and devoid of warmth. Our gazes crossed for an instant, but he was the one to look away. After confirming out of the corner of my eye that Hikigaya-kun had taken his seat, I called out to Isshiki-san.

"Well then, shall we begin, Isshiki-san?"

"Okaaaay."

With a drawn-out reply, Isshiki-san gave a brief summary of her current situation. The Student Council elections were approaching. She was the only candidate for Student Council President. If possible, she wanted to avoid the embarrassment of failing a confidence vote. However, she didn't have much of an issue with actually standing on the podium.

"As for the measures we can take, it would be to put up another candidate and have you lose to them, Isshiki-san."

"Ah, yes. I wouldn't mind that."

Even the way she nodded graciously in response to my words was somehow "cute." No doubt every single one of those gestures was calculated, meticulously crafted to make her appear charming.

Watching her play the role of the "cute girl," I couldn't help but feel a certain sense of familiarity.

"We have to hurry and select a candidate. There's no time left until the election. Furthermore, we need to gather thirty recommenders to run. Yuigahama-san, let's start listing potential candidates immediately."

"Yeah."

After calling out to Yuigahama-san, I unconsciously turned towards Hikigaya-kun. Acknowledging my gaze, he stated his stance in a low voice.

"Like I said yesterday, I'm going to do things my own way."

"Is that so."

Making an effort to sound uninterested, I turned back to Isshiki-san.

"I've already thought of the campaign pledges for the opposing candidate we're putting up. To differentiate yourself, could you use this as a reference and think of different pledges, Isshiki-san?"

"Wow, that was fast... hmm hmm."

As I watched Isshiki-san begin to read the pledges, a calm voice flew over from Hikigaya-kun.

"If you do that, wouldn't the opponent you're putting up just be a puppet candidate?"

"..."

One could say that. However, unable to admit that right now, I deployed my sophistry.

"Of course, we intend to have the candidate express their own opinions as well. Besides, our involvement is strictly up until the election. Since we won't be involved in the student council's administration after that, you can't definitively call them a puppet."

"No—"

"Furthermore," I forcefully cut Hikigaya-kun off with my words as he tried to argue further. "It's much better than your ridiculous method of giving Isshiki-san's support speech to draw hate and make her lose."

There was absolutely no need for Hikigaya-kun to bear unnecessary wounds.

"So you're denying my methods again."

"..."

In stark contrast to his downcast gaze from earlier, he looked me straight in the eye as he spoke. His dark eyes felt like they could see right through to my ugly inner self, and I gently averted my gaze.

"...At the very least, my method is far better than your self-sacrificial, makeshift, and deceptive way of merely procrastinating a solution."

Sophistry, once again. But Hikigaya-kun shot back without flinching.

"Self-sacrifice? Hah. Don't lump my actions together with such a cliché phrase. And what the hell do you mean, deceit? Your unrealistic solution is way more full of deceit."

His words oozing with disgust, Hikigaya-kun spat out his reply.

Having no words to return, all I could do was remain silent.

Deceit. That's right, my very existence is already a deceit. From the moment I became Yukino Yukinoshita, I was a deceit, a falsehood, a fake.

I fell silent. Seeing me like that, Hikigaya-kun also put on an awkward expression and fell silent.

"...Um—"

As if unable to endure the awkward silence, Isshiki-san raised her voice.

"I understand the plan for now, so are we done for today? I'll go think about my campaign pledges too."

"Right. Let's dismiss for today."

As if she had been waiting for those words, Isshiki-san left the clubroom. Shortly after, Hikigaya-kun headed outside with his back hunched. In the clubroom, illuminated by the setting sun, only Yuigahama-san and I remained.

If I'm going to make my move, this is the timing. I stood up from my seat.

"...Yuigahama-san, I'm just going to the restroom for a bit."

"Okay."

When I stepped out into the hallway, Hikigaya-kun was the only one there. Perfect timing.

"Hikigaya-kun."

When I stopped him, Hikigaya-kun turned around with an awkward expression. Was he worrying about what he had said, and what had been said to him just now?

If it were the old me, I would have been reacting emotionally to having caused him to make such a face. But with my resolve firmed up now, I wasn't shaken by a slight change in his expression.

"What is it? I can do whatever I want, right?"

"Yes. But before that, just one thing."

I walked briskly up to Hikigaya-kun, took a slight breath, and spun my words.

"I have a solution for this request."

"...What is it?"

"—I will become the Student Council President."

At that moment, a swirl of various emotions seemed to appear on Hikigaya-kun's face. Shock, doubt, and then... disappointment, perhaps?

"Why," Hikigaya-kun said shortly, like a groan.

"Because I am the right person for the job. And more than anything, I want to. I want to be the President."

"What about the club?"

"I'll be retiring. Even as the Student Council President, I can save people. My goal can be achieved through that. There's no point in being in the Service Club anymore."

"Have you told Yuigahama?"

"No. I feel bad for her, but I intend to keep quiet about it until the very last minute."

At my reply, Hikigaya-kun contorted his face in anger.

—Ah, I'm glad that you're getting angry for Yuigahama-san's sake.

"So, there’s no need for you to push yourself, Hikigaya-kun. Leave this matter to me. Oh, just one thing... Even if I am gone, please stay on good terms with Yuigahama-san. This is my final request to you."

I had conveyed everything I needed to say. Thinking that, without even waiting to hear his reply, I turned my back and started walking toward the clubroom.

"Stop screwing with me."

The words Hikigaya-kun spat out at the very end didn't reach my ears.

Yukino Yukinoshita had looked me straight in the eye when she said it. Her decision. Her retirement from the club. And her "final request."

Stop screwing with me.

That was my unfeigned true feeling, my frank impression.

Because you weren't speaking from the heart at all. Your eyes, which always burned with a strong will, were somehow vacant and lifeless. Your body, usually poised and tense from head to toe, seemed weak, lacking its usual intensity.

Above all else. I already know. When you speak the true feelings deep down inside you, you refer to yourself as "Boku."

But right there, I couldn't definitively call her words a lie. If I had stepped in further and talked to her, she might have told me her true feelings.

If I tried to expose her lies, I might end up exposing an even more terrifying truth. Perhaps what I felt was a bottomless fear of her that I still didn't understand.

However, her false bravado almost seemed to be pleading for me to expose her lies.