The Great Vote-Soliciting Campaign (4.5k)

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, I was wondering if there might be a special little gift Liang prepared for me inside this cake. After all, there are such scenes in many literary works, like inside dumplings or buns."

"No matter what, putting it inside a cake is just too outrageous. Suzune, you should eat it without worry. Besides my own heart, there's only sugar and spices in it."

"Oh--Awoo."

"I didn't let you eat such a big bite... Here, a tissue. Never mind, I'll wipe it for you myself."

Kitagawa Ryo pulled two tissues from the tissue box on the table, stacked them together, and reached out to wipe the cream off Horikita Suzune's lips. It can only be said that he is indeed an expert in this regard. Whether it was taking care of Hotaru in the past or taking care of Amasawa Ichika in the White Room, it was all patience and skill honed over the years.

"Speaking of which, does Liang know why we eat cake on birthdays?"

Having toned down her eating manners a bit, Horikita Suzune chewed on her cake while casually asking Kitagawa Ryo a question.

"Well, actually, it's because medieval Europeans believed that birthdays were the days when the soul was most vulnerable to demonic possession. So on birthdays, family and friends would gather to offer blessings and give cakes to bring good luck and ward off evil. The custom of lighting candles on cakes originated with the Greece, who would light small candles on round, moon-shaped cakes and place them on the altar of the moon goddess Artemis. According to the folk beliefs of that time, candles lit on birthdays possessed magical power and could grant wishes."

As the possessor of the golden talent 'Well-Read', Kitagawa Ryo was equally adept at this kind of knowledge, and he gave Horikita Suzune the answer with almost no thought.

"I see."

So, they chatted for a while about birthday-related topics, and after answering a series of questions for Horikita Suzune, who had turned into a curious child, at a certain point, the two of them stopped cooking at the same time and stared blankly at the two pieces of cake left in front of them.

"What a blunder... we didn't finish it."

"It's probably because we ate a lot at lunch, and Ryo and I aren't really good at eating sweets. I feel like even if we brought over that girl who ate so much at our shop during the Cultural Festival, it wouldn't be enough for her to eat even one meal."

"Nanase, she definitely looks like a girl who can eat a lot..."

Are Liang and she very close?

"We just met that day, but I think we'll see Suzune again in April. She's on our side, I guess."

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was considering whether to put the remaining two pieces in the refrigerator to eat tomorrow, Horikita Suzune 'Kitagawa Ryo face.

"Snap--"

Since there was absolutely no sound, Horikita Suzune even verbally elongated her tone, then tilted her head in confusion:

"This doesn't seem fun."

But not long after, as she put down the cake, she saw Kitagawa Ryo's face, which seemed completely unaware of what was happening and whose lower half was covered in cream, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Smack."

But the next second, Kitagawa Ryo smeared cake all over her face, and her mouth, nose, and cheeks, which she had just wiped clean, were once again covered with large patches of cream.

The prince and princess atmosphere vanished in an instant. The two children, like children who had successfully played a prank on each other, couldn't help but laugh at their own creations. After a while, they hurriedly rushed to the sink, pushing and shoving each other to wash the marks off their faces.

If life is a blank book pre-bound with pre-numbered pages, then some people's names are indeed unconsciously over-written and heavily emphasized from the very beginning, leaving ink marks that can seep from the first page to the last and cannot be erased.

All the time and memories overlapped only on him alone.

For the first time, Horikita Suzune tried to ask for more than just the usual hugs and kisses. In this respect, birthdays may really be, as Kitagawa Ryo said, the day when the soul is most easily invaded by demons, because what she is longing for and craving is like going crazy.

In fact, the two of them had already prepared for everything, but they just hadn't taken the final step naturally. Hotaru's actions did accelerate things, but not by much. After all, what he and Horikita Suzune sought and gained from each other was already enough, so it was more like a direct trigger.

"Cold."

When Kitagawa Ryo came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, Horikita Suzune was already holding him at the door. The girl, who had not withered away and had not been tamed by anyone, was clearly asking him for love.

How exactly should one describe this feeling?

Is it a deeper affection, mixed with respectful longing, or an uncontrollable desire to possess?

Kitagawa Ryo was too lazy to define or think about these issues anymore, because at this point, there was only one thing he needed to do.

Of the many paths he has taken in life, some passed him by and he never saw them again, while others took root in his heart and soul, where they were sculpted, shaped, refined, integrated, and became part of him.

Kitagawa Ryo took Horikita Suzune's hand and took out the ring that she had received from Hotaru, which originally belonged to her.

It still fits perfectly.

Although there were no cheers and blessings around him this time, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, as if a paper airplane from his childhood had flown back into his hands.

Get married quickly, then regret it later?

Get married slowly, then regret it quickly?

If Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Manabu were to interact again, the promise he would make at this time would be quite different.

I don't regret getting married now.

In a sense, tonight is a rehearsal.

It is neither simple nor shabby.

After all, a wedding is something that only requires two people.

Chapter 497: The Great Election Campaign (4k5)

It has to be said that for most students at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, their mental world during this period has been remarkably rich, with all sorts of juicy gossip never stopping. To borrow a well-known internet meme, the entire ANHS is a huge world of gossip and entertainment.

If you want to be a gambling god and maximize your odds by betting on the biggest upsets, you can try the Investment and Finance Classroom; if you want to watch White Album, Autumn in My Heart, and Tokyo Love Story, you can watch it all the way from before Valentine's Day to after the celebration; if you want to step outside the student world and see the gossip drama among teachers, you can see the epic tale of a cat causing countless male teachers to be driven mad with desire. It's safe to say that everyone has fallen into this trap. Life without the pressure of Special Exam is so simple, plain, and happy.

Of course, for the four candidates who are now in the spotlight, the situation is quite different.

If most students initially viewed the Student Council election as just a fun event—after all, it's only once a year, and the second and third-year students had experienced it once or twice— the Investment and Finance Classroom undoubtedly heated up the atmosphere to another level, turning it into a business that everyone could participate in.

As a result, within just one day and one night, students had already launched a clear-cut battle of factions on the forum. It didn't look like a high school Student Council election at all, but rather an election for the next prime minister of Japan.

No, perhaps they care about this matter much more than the latter.

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo, as the acting Student Council President, finally realized the objective rationale behind Tsukishiro's decision to bring him to work in the Student Council. After all, once the election campaign officially began, the four First Year candidates had basically reduced or even given up their work in the Student Council, which was a practice that the Student Council had always tacitly approved.

Firstly, this is to give everyone ample time and energy to campaign for votes. Secondly, it is also to prevent direct competitors from hindering or even sabotaging each other within the Student Council.

Therefore, various tasks naturally fell to Kitagawa Ryo and several second-year Student Council members.

What's the situation now?

After clearing away all the accumulated tasks, Kitagawa Ryo rubbed his temples wearily and sent a text message to Amasawa Ichika to inquire about his situation.

"Katsuragi and Ayanokoji are sticking together, with the latter leading the way. They go to the Keyaki Mall after school."

"Arisu and a few girls are trying to communicate with the boys in the class, led by Sudo, but it doesn't seem to be going very well."

"Suzune went to several large clubs, and I went with her. They're negotiating, but progress is quite slow. After all, the Drama Club incident can't be considered completely over yet."

After reading Amasawa Ichika's segmented report, Kitagawa Ryo also stood up from his seat, stretched his limbs, and looked out the window at the darkening night sky.

Unlike Ichinose Honami, who had rested all day, Horikita Suzune, who had maintained a consistent exercise routine since childhood, was indeed superior in physical fitness. In less than a day, she was able to quickly get into the zone and start working, making Kitagawa Ryo almost suspect that the person who had made him hold his hands together for ten or twenty hours earlier was someone else entirely.

However, the contrast is indeed fantastic.

"Have you finished your work, Liang? If you are, come over to the Gymnasium for a bit. We can chat and have dinner together."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

After saying goodbye to Mizowaki and the others who were already packing up to leave, and reminding them to lock the door of the Student Council office before they left, Kitagawa Ryo rushed towards the Gymnasium after finishing his work.

Ultimately, this Student Council election is about winning over students from all three grades. So even though the three groups of candidates have chosen different targets, they are all essentially aiming at the students themselves.

If Kitagawa Ryo's prediction is correct, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Katsuragi Kohei are probably trying to reach a cooperation agreement with the businesses at the Keyaki Mall. Although the students of ANHS aren't the kind of elderly people who can be appeased by simply giving them a bag of eggs, if the businesses are really willing to launch some supporting promotional activities for Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, it's possible that they could attract some hesitant students who are looking for something more tangible than Investment and Finance Classroom.

As for how to persuade them, Kitagawa Ryo already had two guesses. One was to learn from his recent Valentine's Day celebration and make similar promises to the merchants at the Keyaki Mall, or offer other similar incentives.

On the other hand, it takes a more roundabout approach, which involves using the merchants in the Keyaki Mall as intermediaries to conduct other transactions.

Actually, Kitagawa Ryo himself had just done something similar.

Even though the Valentine's Day celebration had just ended, it was clear to everyone that he had a lot of personal agenda involved by the end. However, no one was able to report him for abusing his power. Whether it was the temporary kitchen set up outdoors at noon, occupying the event space, or the photographers taking pictures on the rooftop that was locked down at night, Kitagawa Ryo had chosen to use various businesses as intermediaries from the very beginning. He used their names and claimed it was a special Valentine's Day package. From the application to the final invoice issuance, everything was done flawlessly.

The Student Council election at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School is, after all, an election, and basic fairness and impartiality are certainly emphasized. Although there will inevitably be students who want to convert their votes into Private Points, and there will inevitably be candidates who want to use Private Points to buy votes, these things cannot be discussed openly. Once discovered, they will immediately cause an uproar.

At this point, an intermediary channel that can legitimize and whitewash the transaction becomes extremely important.

Of course, this was just Kitagawa Ryo's subconscious thought, given that he had been a working professional for a long time in the Sims. Perhaps Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Katsuragi Kohei didn't think that much about it at all.

It's understandable that Sakayanagi Arisu went to Ken Sudō and the others to communicate. After all, the situation in Class 1-A is quite clear now. Most of the girls support Arisu, and most of the boys support Suzune. If one of them can win over the other's votes first, it will be a huge blow to the other.

Suzune's idea of going to a club is even more straightforward. After all, in a high school, the only groups students belong to besides their class are clubs. In fact, for many students who focus their energy on club affairs, the latter has a stronger sense of identity than the former.

Thinking this, Kitagawa Ryo quickly walked to the entrance of the Gymnasium and saw Horikita Suzune and Amasawa Ichika seemingly whispering to each other.

"Suzune, Ichika, is it over?"

After a brief greeting to the two, Kitagawa Ryo went straight to the point and asked this question.

"Ah, Liang's here. Hmm... things are a bit complicated. Let's eat and talk. It's so late, my stomach is growling."

Upon hearing this, Amasawa Ichika raised her head, smiled brightly, waved to Kitagawa Ryo, and then, patting her belly, spoke to Horikita Suzune beside her:

What does Suzune think?

"It is indeed a bit late. I'm so sorry to Ichika you to stay with me until now."

After belatedly glancing at the time on her phone, Horikita Suzune shook her head helplessly.

"Let's just go to a restaurant near the Keyaki Mall. It seems like we won't have enough time to buy groceries and cook."

"Um."

Kitagawa Ryo nodded in agreement, and looking at Horikita Suzune Amasawa Ichika, he suddenly realized that this little guy's talent in this area was also ridiculously strong.

When Kitagawa Ryo suddenly glanced at her, Amasawa Ichika grinned and then hugged Horikita Suzune's arm affectionately, already acting like a good friend.

"Today we mainly visited the Soccer Club and Basketball Club."

Unaware that she had fallen into the same trap as Ichinose Honami Amasawa Ichika, Horikita Suzune, without resisting the other party's actions, composed herself, brushed the stray strands of hair behind her ear, and began to explain the situation to Kitagawa Ryo.

"The resistance from the Soccer Club is still significant; Nagumo's influence has indeed penetrated too deeply."

Even setting aside her glorious experience of leading others to victory in the Soccer Club, just the fact that she was a former Student Council President who came from the Soccer Club shows that after taking office, Miyabi Nagumo treated her former employer with utmost care and resources.

That's why, even after the other side had completely fallen, many second- and third-year members of the Soccer Club still remembered them. Whether it was out of genuine gratitude or simply a desire to maintain their privileged status, they didn't show excessive enthusiasm for Horikita Suzune's attempts to win them over.

"It can only be said that Xin Kui's current main players in the First Year, Shibata from Class B and Hirata from Class C, are speaking up for us, otherwise the situation would be even more awkward."

What about the Basketball Club?

"Much better. Sudo's status in the club is higher than I imagined. Rather than being a key player, he's already on par with the captain in terms of prestige. Besides, Class D has quite a few members in the Basketball Club, so they'll feel a bit more favored towards me."

"Of course, the most important thing is still the compensation."

At this point, Horikita Suzune herself was somewhat helpless:

"Although I know it's quite common to make grand promises during an election campaign, some of the conditions are just too harsh. In fact, they're simply impossible to discuss openly. No matter what attitude I show, Liang will probably see these fabricated posts on the forum tonight."

"This is part of the trap, they dug a pit for you to jump into."

As they spoke, the three of them walked over to the Keyaki Mall and casually found a restaurant with an empty private room to sit down. When Kitagawa Ryo came over, he specifically looked around and didn't see Katsuragi Kohei and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka. But that was actually normal, since the place had several floors and was definitely not small.

"Actually, Shiki and Honami both said they could come with me at first, but I didn't think it was necessary to bring so many people. In fact, I didn't want to agree Ichika first either, because I always felt that it was a bit like the Drama Club members showing up in front of other clubs to attract hatred. But she said it meant it would be a flop."

"Well, it's good that the Drama Club is on hiatus for a while. It's perfect since even I, the club president, have been pulled into the Student Council. Everyone can take a break. As for Ichika, her situation is indeed special. Firstly, she's in the same class as Suzune, and secondly, I feel more at ease having her by your side. After all, there will probably be quite a few people trying to take Suzune you during this time."

"Yeah, but I'm used to this kind of role."

Having already served as a Sakayanagi Arisu during the Uninhabited Island Exam, Amasawa Ichika proudly raised her hand, practically ready to shout out her loyalty.

"Suzune, don't think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It's always good to be vigilant at any time, including when you go to the bathroom."

Unconsciously, Kitagawa Ryo recalled the girl named Yamamura Miki, whom he had once ambushed in the bathroom, sent by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and spoke up again to remind her.

"Okay, I understand."

Horikita Suzune knew that Kitagawa Ryo was never one to speak without reason, so although she felt that the statement was a bit nonsensical, she still nodded seriously and accepted it.

"Then, besides the votes held by the students, we Student Council members who are not participating in the election also have votes, and they carry even more weight. This is a long-standing tradition at ANHS University. However, I am only the acting Student Council president. Otherwise, if I cast my vote, Suzune's position would probably be a foregone conclusion."

After smiling and thanking the waiter who served the food, Kitagawa Ryo brought up matters concerning the Student Council.

"Actually, there are only four people in the Student Council who can vote. Me, Mizowaki, and Tonokawa will definitely vote for you, Suzune. The only one who is uncertain is Kiriyama. Although he had a good relationship with Horikita-senpai, that was a long time ago. Suzune herself can probably sense that."

"Yes, his personality has changed quite a bit. My brother has also told me this, and he told me not to trust the other person unilaterally."

"Yes, and considering that I helped Asahina Nazuna defeat him during the second-year reunion, Kiriyama probably won't support Suzune."

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo paused again, carefully considering his words before speaking:

"If we consider the worst-case scenario, they might have already sided with Ayanokoji."

"If that's the case, then this isn't really a matter of a three-to-one vote within the Student Council, but a more complex situation, namely the possibility of Kiriyama impersonating someone else, because from most students' perspectives, his image hasn't actually collapsed yet."

"Promoted by Horikita Manabu, constantly at odds with Nagumo, and even demoted from vice president for offending him, although he lost the second-year Leader to Asahina Nazuna- senpai, this doesn't actually affect the persona he established beforehand."