"Are you planning to reclaim your kindness?"
"No. I've already made my choice, so I'll see it through to the end," Rinji said. "This is my way of surviving."
"You really want to stay a villain?"
"If I try to be a good person, I won't be able to protect anyone."
He shook his head.
"This world operates on a strange kind of balance. Where there's kindness, there will always be evil. And honestly, this society isn't fair to the kind-hearted."
"That's true," Osaragi nodded, seeming to recall something from her past.
"That's why I deeply respect those who stay kind even when treated unfairly. My role… is to protect people like that."
Rinji smiled.
"When villains like me fight other villains, it gives the truly kind people a chance to shine."
"Is that really how you think?"
Osaragi glanced at him, smirking slightly.
"What about you, then?"
"I don't really matter. What the world needs is more good people. The fewer scumbags like me, the better."
————————————————————————————
"Rinji, how'd things go on your end?"
That afternoon, Rinji and Iino's groups met up again.
Iino and Onodera held stacks of papers in their arms—evidence that they had been going door-to-door getting approvals from the local community groups.
"All set on my end."
Rinji raised the permit he got from the fire department.
"That's great."
"How about your side?"
"Five more places left," Onodera said.
"Want me to help?"
"If you're offering, that'd be amazing," Onodera replied. "But we can probably handle it."
"As long as you can, that's fine. I'm heading back to the student council to discuss the student fire safety education event so we can officially borrow the fire truck."
"OK~"
After handing off the task, Rinji planned to head back alone.
"Um, Rinji-kun."
Iino suddenly called out to him.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for this… really," she said softly.
"No need to thank me."
Rinji turned back with a smile and waved.
"I'm looking forward to the bonfire too."
"...Mm."
Rinji left, while Osaragi stayed behind to help Iino finish the remaining visits.
As she passed Rinji, Osaragi said quietly, "I don't know if society needs someone like you… but the people around you definitely do."
"Huh?"
————————————————————————————
"President, we finally got the bonfire event approved. I'm not too sure what exactly a bonfire festival is, but I hear it's supposed to be pretty romantic. Maybe you and Shinomiya can use this chance…"
"You're right."
Sitting at his desk, Shirogane fell into deep thought.
Now that the bonfire was approved, it might be the perfect opportunity. He could use it to create an ideal moment and finally get closer to Kaguya.
"So, President, you got a plan?"
"Of course I do."
"Mind sharing a little?"
"Uh… I'd rather not?"
"Fair enough. Just call me if you need help."
Rinji placed the permit on the desk and was about to leave when—
"Wait a minute."
"Hm?"
"North High is holding a two-day culture festival soon."
"And you want to check it out?"
"Yeah. But… I'd like to invite Shinomiya to come with me," Shirogane said. "I asked her earlier, but she turned me down."
"…Seriously?"
Rinji found it hard to believe that Shirogane would get rejected when asking Shinomiya directly.
"How exactly did you ask?"
"I said, 'They're having a culture festival over there too. As the President and Vice President of Shuchiin, shouldn't we go check it out?'"
"And then?"
"That was it."
"I think you weren't direct enough," Rinji said.
"What should I have said, then?"
"'Wanna go out with me?'"
"That's way too direct!"
"I think at this point, you should be clear," Rinji said. "By the way, did you tell Shinomiya about going to Stanford?"
"Not yet. I plan to tell her during the Hoshin Festival."
"Ah, so you're gambling everything on the festival…"
Rinji thought for a moment.
According to his assessment, as long as Shirogane confesses, the success rate of the plan would be 100%. Plus, Kaguya had previously said that if the president didn't confess during the Hoshin Festival, she would do it herself.
Thinking it over, it seemed the odds of the two ending up together during the Hoshin Festival were pretty high. Combined with the unique atmosphere of the event, there was no reason for failure.
Still, if possible, it would be best to make the atmosphere on that day more romantic.
Rinji already had an idea. He needed to prepare a few key things before then.
"President, it doesn't matter if Shinomiya doesn't attend the North High cultural festival. What matters is the Hoshin Festival," Rinji said. "If we put in some effort there, everything will fall into place."
"You've got a point."
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll just—"
"No, there is something."
Shirogane pulled something that looked like an admission ticket from his pocket and handed it to Rinji.
Cultural festivals at any school generally allowed outsiders to enter, but some places required a ticket distributed by students to keep out unwanted troublemakers.
The one in Rinji's hand was for Shuchiin's middle school cultural festival.
"Kei gave me this. There are two tickets in total. Their middle school festival happens a few days earlier than our high school Hoshin Festival."
"Oh, so you want me to deliver this to Shinomiya?"
"No."
Shirogane shook his head.
"I want you to come with me to the middle school festival."