Original Published Date: April 2017
Edited Date: May 14, 2018
March 3, 2017 - After School
The student council elections have begun on February 27, 2017 and will end with the final voting on March 17, 2017. Each day, before classes begin, the homeroom time will be used for voting. Each and every student will cast one vote per day and at the end of the week, the results will be posted out on the bulletin board near the student council room. It is read as follows:
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Homurahara Gakuen Student Council Elections 2017
Voting Period: Feb. 27, 2017 - March 3, 2017
Total number of students (from 1st year to 3rd year): 500
Total number of votes to be counted: 2, 500 votes
Results (for the first week of voting):
1st: Douji Gil (1, 023 votes)
2nd: Enko Jeanne (657 votes)
3rd: Himeji Mabu (456 votes)
4th: Suzuhana Hinako (200 votes)
5th: Minamoto Haruka (164 votes)
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"Have you seen the results, Hinacchi?" Furin asks, drinking from his glass of lime float.
"That's right. I was surprised myself," Marie said, taking a slice of her red velvet cake.
The three - Hinako, Furin, and Marie - were at a nearby cafe shop from school. It seems like a good idea to take a good rest before the final exams start next week. After all, spring break is fast approaching and the seniors are ready to depart from their Alma Mater.
"Yes, I've seen the results," Hinako said, looking down on her glass of iced tea. "I'm overwhelmed at the fact that Gil-senpai has the most votes, with over a thousand."
"Well, what would you expect? His mother is the CEO of Fuyuki General Hospital and a major sponsor to the school. Homurahara's standing is quite reliant on their sponsoring," Furin explains.
"I guess that makes sense. He is in a world completely different from ours."
Marie and Furin stops eating and drinking, and looks at Hinako with worried eyes. They have never heard of her comparing herself to Gil, especially with the fact that the brown-headed girl is dating the gold-headed man who is winning the elections.
"Hinacchi, are you all right? It's not like you to just compare yourself to Douji-senpai."
"Furin-kun is right, Hinako-chan," she places her hand over her friend's. "Is there something bothering you? You can tell us."
Hinako bit her lower lip. "I..."
March 4, 2017 - After School
"Gil, congratulations on getting the most number of votes in the first week of the elections," Teacher Kyuru greeted his captain of the Kendo team with a smile on his face.
"Thank you, Mouretsuyuu-sensei," Gil said, bowing his head, surprising the team's adviser completely.
Teacher Kyuru smiles, patting Gil's shoulder rather proudly. "I see that you've learned some manners. I can't detect a hint of annoyance or anything from you."
Gil lifts his head and looks at his adviser with a puzzled look. "W-What does that supposed to mean?"
"Well, you know what I mean," he smiles. "Anyway, I bid you and Suzuhana-san the best of luck in the elections. Though, my concern is that when you become the next president, you might not adhere to your duties as the captain anymore."
"Wait, does that mean that you...?" Gil blinks.
"Yeah, it's what it is. I plan on letting you be the captain next school year, since it is your final year in Homurahara, Gil."
Gil felt a sense of relief. He was a little scared before that Teacher Kyuru might not make him the captain again by the next school year, especially with the incident that happened between him and Hinako back in Spring. It was, like, a second chance was given to him and he was happy about it.
"I thank you for recommending me to still be the captain of the kendo team next school year, Mouretsuyuu-sensei," Gil smiles proudly. "I'll still think about things on my end."
"Sure, I'll leave you to it."
Teacher Kyuru left the kendo room after talking to Gil, going back to the faculty room to finish some of his test questionnaires for the final exams. Gil, on the other hand, remained inside the kendo room and trained with the others but since the final exams are approaching, only a few stayed.
Hinako was on her way to the kendo room, a little late after being on cleaning duty inside her classroom. As she went down to the first floor hallway, she heard a few noises and irritated voices. She followed them out of curiosity and it led her to the end of the west hallway, turning right from the corner. From there, she saw Mabu with three other girls right in front of her.
'H-Himeji-senpai?'
Mabu glared at the three girls who cornered her, faces of anger and disgust plastered on them. Their arms were crossed over their chest and one of them started to tap their foot on the floor.
"Explain yourself, Himeji Mabu!" A black-headed girl said, raising her voice. "You dare... You dare try to seduce my boyfriend?!"
"I thought you had your eyes only for Douji-kun?" Another one with light purple hair asked. "So, why are you trying to steal Mizuki-chan's boyfriend?"
Mabu smirks, crossing her arms over her chest. "Heh, you're accusing me of stealing? Why don't you ask your boyfriend first before coming here and pointing fingers?"
"W-What was that?" The black-headed girl grits her teeth in anger.
"I wasn't the one who seduced you your boyfriend; it was the other way around," she glares at them. "He threw himself at me but I rejected him. I don't have time for someone who double-crosses their own girlfriend."
"And I'm supposed to believe you?" She grabs Mabu's collar. "You know what kind of girl you are! You're nothing but a second-rate, trying-hard-to-get-what-you-want woman and in the end, you get it."
"Except for Gil," Mabu was straight-on. "I will never have Gil mine. I already lost."
Hinako, who hid herself from the corner, lowers her head and had a sad face.
"But that's not the main topic here," Mabu, then, grabs the black-headed girl's hand and forcefully pulls it away from her. "Do you know what your own boyfriend told me when he threw himself at me? He said that he's tired of you and that he would prefer me over you."
"N-No! He would never say that!" She shouts.
"Do you know why, huh?" Mabu inched herself forward to her. "Because you're a cheater yourself. You think that I don't know?"
The black-headed girl's heart drops to her stomach. Slowly, she walks backwards and fell to her knees, looking up at Mabu.
"H-How did you know?" Her mouth shook.
"You've been in my circle of friends since last year. I know all about you," Mabu looks at the other two. "and you two, as well. Every little dirty thing you do, I know all of it."
"Oh, yeah?" The light purple-headed girl steps up. "We know all about your dirty secrets, too! You're dirtier than us!"
Mabu scoffs. "You think you all know about me? You don't. You three are the worst of all the people here in this school. I never laid myself with a man I never loved because they don't love me; they only want me for my body. I have been careful every step of the way and I never attempted to make my hands dirty. So, before you point your fingers at me, make sure that you three don't have something dirty about yourselves."
Mabu starts to walk away, leaving the three girls whom she called her "friends" since last year. As she turns to the corner, she stops at her feet and looked directly into the eyes of the person who she lost her love to.
"Suzuhana-san."
It was weird and unusual. Normally, Mabu would never talk to Hinako, especially when it's just the two of them. But now, they are on the school's rooftop, facing each other. They have been silent for over a minute.
"You heard everything, didn't you, Suzuhana-san?" Mabu starts.
"Yes... I did, Himeji-senpai," Hinako replies after three seconds.
"Well," Mabu crosses her arms over her chest. "there's nothing to hide anymore since you heard my conversation with those freaks. But, why is it that you need to talk to me?"
Hinako looks into Mabu's eyes for a while. She can somewhat feel it in her heart. She can feel that her upperclassman's heart has been shattered and is slowly repairing itself. Is it because it was broken by Gil? Is it her fault that her upperclassman is feeling that way?
"I'm sorry, Himeji-senpai!" Hinako bows her head down, earning the shocked expression of the pink-headed woman. She drops her arms to her sides.
"W-W-What's this all about, apologizing to me all of a sudden?!" Mabu raises her voice. "Are you trying to make me feel bad after all the things I've done to you? If you are, it's really, really making me feel guilty!"
Hinako clenches her hands and lifts her head up. She saw faint tears on the edges of Mabu's eyes.
"I never intended for you to be guilty, Himeji-senpai. But, I can see that you're hurt after being rejected by Gil. And that's what I am sorry for!"
"Y-You..." Mabu walks up to Hinako and places both of her hands onto her underclassman's shoulders, tightening her grip on them. "You don't know anything! Don't act like you know me, Suzuhana Hinako! Ever since you came here to Homurahara, my chances of getting to Gil slimmed! I was trying my best but how come he ended up liking you in the end?! I already dirtied my hands by making him and Asura break up. I pursued him relentlessly but he still won't look my way! What's the difference between you and me, huh?!"
"S-Senpai..." Hinako's lips trembled but she remained strong even after seeing Mabu crying. "You really do like Gil-senpai, don't you?"
"Of course I do! And it...it still hurts...!" Mabu lowers her head. "Why couldn't it be me?"
May 2015
It was the second month of the school semester. Mabu found "friends" along the way, since they share common interests. They would talk about a lot of things like fashion, drama, and love. Mabu knew everything from the start of what her "friends" are like and she kept herself like a closed door, putting up a facade like she didn't know any of it.
"Hey, hey, hey. Don't you think that Douji-san is really cute?" says the light purple-headed girl.
"Yeah, I think so, too!" The red-headed girl said.
"But he's, like, so hard to get. He's rich and famous, just like our little Mabu here," the black-headed girl said, looking at Mabu.
Mabu was looking through a girl's magazine, smiling to herself but still listening to the other three girls' conversation.
"I'm not that rich or famous like him. Though," Mabu looks up from the magazine, her gaze focused on a first year Gil who was talking to some of his colleagues. "I think I have an interest in him."
"Then, why don't you try to catch him? He's a really rare find."
"Maybe I should." Mabu closes the magazine.
Himeji Mabu only wanted to be loved and not the other way around. Ever since her middle school days, a number of her male classmates liked her since she was beautiful. But, they only liked what's outside of her and not what's inside of her. Realizing this, she kept herself behind the line of dating someone who never seriously liked her but she toyed them in the end. It's true that she never laid with anyone but only played with a lot of hearts. She ended that when she knew what true love really is through Gil.
"I don't like you," Gil said, straight to the point. "I don't even find the concept of love interesting."
"W-What?! H-How come?" Mabu asks, shocked. "N-No guy has rejected me before! But how can you-"
"I'm not like those guys, Himeji-san. Who do you take me for, huh?" Gil looked at her with an irritated face. "I have no interest in a mongrel like you, all right? So never come near me again!"
Mabu felt rejected but at the same time, she felt relief. For the first time, no one liked her just because of her beauty. In that time, she felt the need to give the effort in loving someone back.
"What set you and I apart?! No matter how many times I tried, I still got rejected by him. I kept him from going back to Asura but it looks like I still missed!" Mabu was shaking. She lets go of Hinako and pulls back. "Don't say sorry, all right? I know the wrong things that I have done, Suzuhana-san. I already feel defeated and I know that Gil will never ever look my way. You can have him, all right?"
Mabu starts to walk, passing by Hinako and making her way to the rooftop door. But before she leaves, the doorknob in her hand, she left a parting message to Hinako.
"I'm sorry."
Hinako's eyes widen at Mabu's apology. She's now convinced that Mabu isn't really a bad person as she thought she is before. She was just lost in love, that's all. But, many thoughts raced inside Hinako's head. What if she went to another school other than Homurahara? What if she didn't like Gil in the end? Would things have made a difference?
To be continued: (Winter) Chapter 47