Chapter 5: A Campaign of Simps

If there was one thing I could say about my campaign, it was that it had momentum.

The courtyard was bustling with activity as students taped up posters, handed out flyers, and shouted slogans that I didn't even write. I hadn't asked for most of this, but I wasn't about to complain.

"Vote for Saori! A better school for everyone!" shouted a guy near the cafeteria, waving one of my posters like it was a battle flag.

"She's smart, organized, and beautiful!" added another student.

"Mostly beautiful!" someone else chimed in, earning a round of laughs.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I stood under the shade of a tree, watching the chaos unfold. They're simping for me, I realized with growing exasperation. This isn't a campaign—it's a fan club.

"Saori-sama!"

I flinched at the voice, and then the pervert teacher came into view, holding a stack of my flyers. His smile made my skin crawl.

"I've been handing these out to the first-years," he said, puffing out his chest. "The boys are very enthusiastic about your campaign."

"Uh… thanks, Mr. Takeda," I said, forcing a polite smile and taking a step back.

"You know," he said, leaning in slightly, "I've always admired students with ambition. If you need any guidance during this election, don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, but I'm fine," I said quickly, glancing around for an escape.

Before he could respond, one of my supporters ran up. "Saori, we've run out of posters! What should we do?"

"Oh no!" Mr. Takeda said, clapping a hand to his chest. "Such a shame! Perhaps I could assist—"

"No, no, I've got it!" I said, grabbing the student by the arm and dragging them away. "Let's go make more posters!"

As we hurried off, I whispered to the student, "Keep him away from me."

They nodded solemnly. "Understood."

By lunchtime, it felt like the entire school was on my side.

Every hallway, every classroom, every corner of the courtyard seemed to be covered with my posters. Students approached me constantly, offering their help, their ideas, their support.

And yet, in the back of my mind, something felt… off.

Why are they switching sides so quickly? I wondered. Some of these students had practically worshipped Riser a week ago. Now they were waving my posters and shouting my name like I was a rock star.

It didn't make sense.

As I passed through the hallway on my way to class, I spotted Riser by the vending machine.

He wasn't handing out flyers or putting up posters or even talking about the election. No, he was casually leaning against the wall, sipping on a can of juice and watching the chaos unfold.

"Hey, Saori!" he called out, waving cheerfully.

I hesitated, narrowing my eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Enjoying the show," he said, grinning. "Your campaign's amazing! It's got everything—energy, creativity, people shouting your name like you're a celebrity. Very impressive."

"Wait, are you—" I blinked, taking a step closer. "Are you… complimenting my campaign?"

"Of course! You're doing a great job," he said, tossing his empty can into the recycling bin with perfect aim. "Oh, and here—" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of my flyers. "I've been handing these out for you. Figured it'd help."

My jaw dropped. "You've been… what?"

"Handing out your flyers," he said casually. "You're welcome."

"Why would you do that?" I demanded.

"Why not?" he said, shrugging. "If you're gonna win, might as well do it in style."

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded.

"Anyway," he said, pushing off the wall, "keep up the good work, Madam President-in-Training. I'll see you around."

As he walked away, I clutched the flyers in my hands, trying to process what had just happened.

Is he… supporting me?

Later that afternoon, I spotted a group of students sitting under a tree, laughing loudly. One of them was holding a clipboard with Riser's name on it.

"Are you guys part of his campaign?" I asked, approaching them.

They all burst out laughing.

"Campaign?" one of them said, wiping tears from his eyes. "Riser doesn't even have a campaign!"

"Yeah," another added. "He said something about letting nature take its course or whatever."

"So he's… not worried?" I asked slowly.

"Worried?" They laughed even harder.

I stood there, watching them laugh, my stomach twisting in confusion.

What is going on?

Riser's POV

I wasn't worried.

It wasn't because I thought I had the election in the bag or because I didn't care. It was just… not worth stressing over.

Whether I stayed president or not, my approach wouldn't change. I'd still be me. I'd still help people, listen to their stories, and try to make them laugh when they needed it most. That's what I've always done, long before I had the title of Student Council President.

Saori could do whatever she wanted. Honestly, if she became president and did a better job than me, I'd call that a win for everyone. Leadership wasn't about titles; it was about impact.

But… if I was being honest, the title did make things easier. Having the authority of a president opened doors and gave me access to resources that weren't available to just any student. That's why I'd taken the role in the first place—it was the best position to do what I do.

Still, if Saori wanted to take on the responsibility, I wasn't going to stop her. She had her vision, her plans, her structured way of doing things. If that's what the students wanted, who was I to stand in the way?

I kicked back in my chair, hands behind my head, watching the sunlight stream through the window.

No matter how this turns out, I'll keep doing what I've always done.

And honestly? That was enough for me.

Hana's POV

"This is war."

I slammed my hands on the table, glaring at the three girls sitting in front of me. They were members of the reporters club, like me, and my most trusted allies.

Miho, with her long black hair and perpetually bored expression, leaned back in her chair, twirling a pen between her fingers. "You're really fired up about this, Hana."

"Of course I'm fired up!" I snapped. "Some girl thinks she can just waltz in here and take what's rightfully my brother's? No way."

Kiko, a petite girl with round glasses and a notebook full of doodles, adjusted her frames nervously. "But… Riser doesn't seem to mind. He's not even campaigning."

"That's because Onii-chan is too nice," I said, crossing my arms. "He won't fight back, so someone has to do it for him. And that someone is me."

Rei, the tallest of the group and the most outspoken, smirked. "You're really going all-in on this, huh?"

"Absolutely," I said, slamming my fist on the table for emphasis. "This Saori girl needs to be stopped, and we're going to be the ones to do it."

Miho raised an eyebrow. "So, what's the plan? Sabotage? Propaganda? Public humiliation?"

I grinned. "All of the above."

We spent the next hour brainstorming ideas, most of which were… less than legal.

"Maybe we could swap her campaign posters with embarrassing photos?" Rei suggested.

"Or hack into the PA system and play baby music whenever she gives a speech," Miho added.

Kiko hesitated, fidgeting with her pen. "What if we just… talked to her?"

The entire table went silent.

"Talk to her?" I repeated, my voice dripping with disbelief. "Kiko, this isn't a tea party. This is war."

"Right, sorry," she mumbled, scribbling something in her notebook.

After a while, the conversation shifted to Saori herself.

"She's like the polar opposite of Riser," Miho said, leaning her chin on her hand. "He's all chill and carefree, and she's… not."

"Yeah, she's kind of scary," Kiko admitted. "But, like, in a pretty way?"

Rei snorted. "Scary-pretty. That's a new one."

"She's not scary or pretty," I snapped. "She's just… annoying."

"Sure, Hana," Miho said with a smirk. "Keep telling yourself that."

Finally, I laid out my plan.

"As members of the reporters club, we have access to information that most students don't," I began, pacing in front of the table. "Our mission is to dig into Saori Dolorez's life and find any dirt we can on her. Embarrassing stories, bad habits, you name it."

Rei nodded, cracking her knuckles. "Consider it done."

Miho smirked, pulling out her laptop. "This is going to be fun."

Kiko looked less enthusiastic, but she didn't argue. "I guess… if it's for Riser…"

"Exactly," I said, grinning. "Onii-chan might not care about the election, but I do. And if Saori thinks she can just take his place, she's got another thing coming."