Chapter 250 – Sweet dreams

It sounds simple, but in truth, this online public opinion battle took two full days before it gradually shifted into Takahashi's victory.

From Takahashi's initial tearful complaints to numerous peers crowdfunding to suppress the buzz, and finally to Yukio playing the last trump card with Karuizawa, reigniting the momentum, the decisive reversal was achieved.

Meanwhile, in the hotel, Horikita Manabu finally took off his glasses and shut his laptop with a resounding "thud."

"I see now, I see… This is how the public opinion was changed?"

"Yukio, brilliant, absolutely brilliant."

It could be said that Yukio's meticulous plan undoubtedly increased the revenue for Takahashi's Yukata Shop, fulfilling the core requirement of the task—boosting income.

Even Horikita Manabu's strategy to have Takahashi participate in the Yukata competition was seamlessly incorporated into Yukio's plan. Initially, under Horikita's operational help, Takahashi's Yukata Shop barely made it to the top three, always at risk of slipping.

But Yukio's intervention, leveraging the fame of AN High School and riding the wave of the fire incident, propelled Takahashi's Yukata to an unshakable first place.

This so-called ranking relied on online votes and expert reviews. As for the online votes? There wasn't much to debate.

In just two days, the combined hype of Takahashi's Yukata Shop, Karuizawa's attention-grabbing presence, and the ludicrous fame of AN High School caused nearly all public opinion to favor Takahashi.

Some netizens, who hadn't even heard of the competition before, joined in the excitement after the video went viral and casually cast their votes.

Under such circumstances, the number of votes for Takahashi's Yukata utterly crushed the competition, leading the second place by a wide margin. There was no risk of losing the top spot.

With the public sentiment already secured, how could the expert judges not take action? Even if they were unwilling, the event organizers, hungry for the hype, wouldn't miss the chance. As long as they wanted the buzz, Takahashi's Yukata was destined to win first place.

The benefits didn't end there. Horikita Manabu, no fool, noticed that after the fire incident, all the competitors who had suppressed Takahashi's business with malicious reviews and underhanded tactics had gone silent.

It wasn't that these competitors were eliminated—that would be impossible—but they all chose to keep a low profile, avoiding any further action against Takahashi.

Who would dare risk being accused of arson? Even if an investigation proved their innocence, who would want that kind of trouble?

Such a masterful turnaround—turning black into white, gaining widespread recognition, and even elevating Horikita Manabu's competition plans to first place—all while eliminating hostility from competitors.

After experiencing this entire process, how could Horikita not be convinced? Three days ago, when he conceded to Yukio, he knew he would lose, which was why he surrendered so decisively.

But back then, Horikita hadn't known how he would lose. Now, he understood everything. Only now did Horikita fully understand why Takahashi had sided with Yukio.

Horikita asked himself: if he were in Takahashi's shoes, he, too, would have abandoned his own plan to fully support Yukio.

This realization left Horikita with complex emotions—a sense of regret, difficult to articulate.

Resentment over losing? Of course. Saying otherwise would be a lie. Despite his cold exterior, Horikita was deeply invested in victory.

Frustration at being overshadowed by a younger generation? Definitely. As a senior, being outclassed by a first-year was certainly vexing.

Pride in seeing such a talented junior? Undeniably. Knowing that the student council could be entrusted to someone like Yukio brought immense relief.

These mixed feelings left Horikita disoriented. Twirling his glasses in his hands, he murmured, "Maybe I really am getting old… It's time to move forward with the student council transition when I return."

Where there's joy, there's also sorrow—it's always been this way throughout history.

While Horikita brooded, Yukio and Karuizawa were happily chatting on the phone. Whether Yukio was happy was unclear, but Karuizawa was undoubtedly excited.

"Hahaha! Chiaki and Horikita were both so shocked! They originally thought you'd use a soft ad campaign like Class D to counter Class 3-A."

"But they never expected that you wouldn't shoot an ad at all! All you did was have me casually appear in a scene with the seamstresses."

"…You should've been there! Chiaki's numbed expression was priceless, as if saying, 'Who knew soft ads could be used like this?' And Horikita's disbelief at her brother losing to you—so funny!"

Yukio chuckled at her recounting. "That's why, when Matsushita picked you for the ad, I said you'd be helpful."

"Ehehe." On the other end, Karuizawa was curling up on the hotel sofa, rolling around in happiness, her eyebrows practically dancing. "See? You realize my value now, huh?"

In the past, whenever Yukio transferred private points to her so she could buy delicious snacks or pretty new clothes, it made her happy. Especially after the VIP special exam, when he transferred 500,000 points to her in one go—she had been over the moon with joy back then.

Looking back now, Karuizawa realized that private points didn't bring her as much happiness as she had thought. What truly made her happiest was being able to help Yukio.

Whether it was passing along the participant list during the sports festival or stepping up for the filming during the Workplace Special Exam, as long as she could assist Yukio, her heart felt sweet and warm, like a pot of sugar water bubbling joyfully.

"Of course, I know," Yukio said, indulging Karuizawa with his effortless charm. "If it weren't for you, Kei, I really wouldn't have managed this time."

"Good thing I have you."

"!" Karuizawa's entire body jolted, as if the words from the phone had transformed into an electric current that surged through her ears, into her brain, and down her spine, leaving her completely electrified.

What did he mean by that? Without her, he wouldn't have managed? Did she really mean that much to him?

As these thoughts swirled in her mind, her heart began to race wildly, like a fish powerfully flicking its tail, creating wave after wave of ripples on the surface of her heart. Each ripple echoed her quickening heartbeat.

In the end, Karuizawa didn't even know how or when she ended the call. She was so elated that she couldn't sleep at all, grinning uncontrollably every time she closed her eyes.

The next morning, her face flushed red like it was on fire as she dashed into the bathroom to wash her underwear, furiously scrubbing while mumbling in embarrassment, "Why… why would I have a dream like that?!"