After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

"To put it bluntly, the election is all about speeches."

Elections are all about various speeches.

To say that the process of giving speeches accounts for half of the election is no exaggeration.

During the Student Council election period, the candidates had to visit different classes of each grade every three days, delivering brief speeches of three minutes as part of their campaign.

But the truth is, most students wouldn't change their attitudes just because of those brief three minutes.

Therefore, one must either seek advantage in other aspects or try to be as sensational as possible.

Specifically, this could mean putting effort into appearance, such as cosplaying anime characters or dressing more maturely—just don't look too much like a student.

Or, it could involve making extraordinary statements that catch people's eyes.

For instance, proposing to extend the three-day cultural festival to five days through social media or shortening the length of skirts—these kinds of impossible promises are excessive.

It seems quite difficult to grasp that measure.

Ayakoji Chiyoko's radicalness was just right among the election candidates.

She wanted to change school rules, specifically to ban dating—a matter trivial to the school but immensely significant to the students. Although it has been mentioned many times before, it must be said again—this approach was excellent, from all aspects.

In the entire struggle between Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, this move was a stroke of genius that suddenly bridged the gap between them.

It also helped to close the distance between Ayakoji Chiyoko herself and all the students.

What was her image before?

The unfeeling Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee—a true lioness, a ghost-faced hag, cold and terrifying just to think about.

Imagine the Ayakoji Chiyoko, once rigid and icy in everyone's impression, starting to talk about dating—the allure of such contrast was hard to resist.

She realized this as she made her rounds between classes, dutifully conducting her three-minute speeches.

Students who previously couldn't even make eye contact with her were now occasionally interrupting from the audience with quips during her speech.

Frankly, this was slightly annoying.

But Ayakoji Chiyoko endured it for the sake of votes and Kagura Hikaru. She tolerated it.

She knew that this was a flaw in her character—excessive pride.

Even though the interruptions weren't necessarily meant as offense, she often easily spoiled the spirited atmosphere.

She certainly knew how to be intimidating, but if she wanted to become the Student Council President, authority alone wasn't enough—she also needed approachability and to be closer to the students.

She didn't need to smile all the time, but she definitely couldn't afford to be aloof and distant.

It was only now that Ayakoji Chiyoko belatedly realized that Kagura Hikaru had her chant the slogan to lift the ban on dating and talk about love stories during speeches, perhaps also considering this angle.

Kagura Hikaru wanted to soften her image in front of everyone, thus gaining a different kind of influence from mere authority.

Just being aware of this, even during the speech-making process, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt as if a warm current was swirling inside her.

He must have really cared about her feelings to not tell her and to quietly do all this.

This sort of subtle gesture one might expect from a family member also unexpectedly allowed her to feel his kindness and intelligence.

"...And that's my proposal, thank you, everyone."

Ayakoji Chiyoko stood at the podium and bowed slightly to the freshmen students below.

The applause came immediately afterward.

It wasn't particularly enthusiastic.

Probably because her visit had interrupted their break time, and not everyone was willing to spend three minutes listening to someone talk during the interval.

But Ayakoji Chiyoko didn't just go through the motions; she spoke earnestly and even with a bit of humor.

All her speech scripts, including the three-minute speech she just delivered, were personally written by Kagura Hikaru.

Each word was imbued with his effort and emotions.

Even if it wasn't for the audience below, for the people supporting her from behind, Ayakoji Chiyoko would not squander this sentiment carelessly.

After getting to know Kagura Hikaru, especially upon learning that he was the boy who had saved her years ago and beginning to like him, Ayakoji Chiyoko felt herself slowly changing.

Changing into a less fierce, less rigid image.

In some sense, Kagura Hikaru was actually her idol.

Therefore, Ayakoji Chiyoko could only become closer to him.

If one day she suffered because of this, she might end up cursing him for causing no small harm. Stay updated through empire

Actually, she wanted to curse him right now.

Because Kagura Hikaru didn't come to accompany her on her tour of speeches, instead he went to help Saijo Mari move to a new department!

Although maintaining a relationship with that person was indeed very important for their election, was her side not important either?!

Ayakoji Chiyoko thought this unreasonably and irritably.

She had just left the first-grade classroom when a Discipline Committee member approached her, apparently having waited at the door for a while.

"President, there's a problem at the Society Discussion Meeting."

"Speak."

She had just been saying how Kagura Hikaru softened her image and personality, but once in front of her subordinates, Ayakoji Chiyoko immediately reverted to an iron-fisted state, cold and expressionless. Just a glance from her could make people tremble, like a bloodthirsty lion.

It turned out her true nature wasn't so easily changed.

"Yes!" The Discipline Committee member immediately straightened up, thinking that the President seemed to speak a bit more gently only when Vice President Kagura was nearby, then said, "The election flyer stamping activity arranged by you, President, was just called off by the Student Council. They said the election campaign must not involve financial transactions."

"Financial transactions?"

"Yes, they said even prizes count, and they confiscated those items..."

The so-called prizes were actually just some inexpensive items like plush toys and game cartridges—Hina Kiryu hadn't expected this to be a breakthrough point.

This meant that the plan to distribute flyers by collecting stamps had just fallen apart.

Only...

"Heh." Ayakoji Chiyoko actually laughed out.

But it wasn't a joyful smile, rather a cruel, cold smirk.

It reminded one of a vampire.

Hina Kiryu's strong reaction after only two days of handing out the flyers and using the Student Council's power to urgently intervene proved they were right.

It confirmed that she was indeed terrified of them continuing their advocacy—their move had been correct.

Since Hina Kiryu was so afraid of her advocacy, she should advocate even more.

What the enemy didn't want her to do, she was determined to do.

Ayakoji Chiyoko instructed her subordinates to first call the Gorilla Vice President to retrieve those prizes and then distribute them in a raffle format to the students who had collected the stamped flyers, to compensate for the losses caused by the activity being halted.

"Additionally, send someone eloquent to the Student Council to argue with them—question this sanction by the Student Council for as long as possible, preferably involving Hina Kiryu herself."

That way, she would have no time to rally support outside.

After finishing, Ayakoji Chiyoko continued towards the next classroom.

Today's round of speeches wasn't over yet.

The persistence to complete unfinished tasks—this too was something she had learned from Kagura Hikaru.

Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring—

Ah, the class bell rang.