Prologue: When a Rom-Com Just Won’t Happen in Real Life—

“Huh?”

Under the overcast sky, on the deserted school rooftop.

The school announcement thundered, and I stopped in my tracks, unable to comprehend what it meant.

“—We repeat. 232 votes of confidence. 247 votes of no confidence. With 475 invalid ballots, the candidate for student council president, Shiosaki, has been voted down.”

A murmur rippled through the air.

The clamor that had seemed so distant a moment ago was now gratingly loud.

No confidence?

What do you mean, no confidence?

Why…?

“Er… While this is an extremely rare case, in accordance with student council election regulations, the vice presidential candidate, Yumi Kugawa of Class 2-7, who was approved, will win by default. However—”

“W-Wait a minute!” I yelled, as if to drown out the broadcast.

Wh-What just happened?! How could a simple confidence vote—one that has never once resulted in a rejection—turn out like this?! Does this mean everyone saw Shiosaki-senpai’s pledges that negatively?!

No, wait, that’s not it. That’s not what’s strange here!

It’s the number of invalid votes!

If it were just a matter of the “no confidence” votes winning, I could still get it. It would mean everyone had rejected Shiosaki-senpai’s platform, and I could accept that.

But what does it mean for the invalid votes to be the overwhelming majority?

Did a bunch of people make typos or fill out the ballots incorrectly? No, that’s not right. The ballot was simple—you just had to circle either “confidence” or “no confidence.” It’s impossible to mess up.

I can’t rule out the possibility of a few delinquents writing an “X” as a joke, but the number is just too high for that. So, was it a simple miscount? No, with this many, they would have at least double-checked…

“…What if.”

What if, just what if…

What if all these invalid votes… represent the true will of the entire student body?

What would that mean?

“It’s like… they’re trying to say, ‘We don’t care, do whatever you want…’”

A heavy feeling sank in my stomach.

That online Q&A session, Shiosaki-senpai’s speech…

They listened to our senpais’ passionate feelings, they watched their arguments…

And still.

“Why… is everyone so damn cold…?”

How can they all be so apathetic?

How could they not be moved by those incredible people?

Why… is it…

that reality never falls into place as perfectly as a rom-com…?

“Agh, dammit!”

Smack! I slapped myself hard across both cheeks.

“Calm down…! First, I have to figure out what to do next…!”

Right. This is no time to be standing around.

First, I need to gather information and find the cause. Then, I’ll figure out how to respond, and if necessary, I’ll have to set up some kind of “event.”

“I won’t accept it. I won’t accept it! I refuse to accept this reality—”

“—You have no choice but to accept it.”

—Suddenly.

A voice from the entrance.

This is the rooftop, off-limits to regular students.

Which means the only person who ever comes here is her.

“Kami—”

No.

That’s not right.

I turned around to look.

Silky black hair. A skirt just a little shorter than the regulation length. A moderately casual uniform, and hair cut evenly at her shoulders in a straight bob.

And beneath her right eye, her trademark beauty mark.

“—K-Kiyosato-san?”

Yes, standing right there…

was the “main heroine” of my “plan.”

But her usual smile was gone.

Her expression was cold, frozen, and emotionless.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear—

And opened her mouth to speak.

“There’s no future for the ideal you’re chasing. So let’s put an end to all of this, right here and now.”