Vote

Until they walked out of the KTV and the cool night air filled her lungs, Ichinose Honami felt as if she had just woken from a breathtaking dream. She looked at Kazama In beside her, whose expression had returned to calm, and recalled the lightning-fast clash in the private room just moments ago—the bone-chilling crack, his sincere apology and gift of medicine at the end... The stark contrast left her momentarily at a loss for words.

Inside the private room.

Ryuen Kakeru stared in the direction Kazama In had left, his eyes dark and terrifying. He downed a gulp of strong liquor, letting the spicy liquid burn his throat.

"B-Boss... are we just letting this go?" Ishizaki Daichi asked, unwilling and still shaken.

"Let it go?" Ryuen let out a low, beast-like laugh, but his gaze was ice-cold. "Ha... how could I let it go? Kazama In... 'The Arbiter'? Interesting. Very interesting." He licked his lips, as if tasting something dangerous and alluring.

"He showed his fangs today, and he revealed his target... the Student Council President?" Ryuen swirled his glass, the crimson liquid like blood under the light. "Using my men as bargaining chips, and wanting to use my votes as stepping stones... What guts! What skill!"

He looked at Albert, who was silently moving his arm, then swept his gaze over the cowering Ishizaki and the others.

"All of you remember today!" Ryuen's voice suddenly rose, carrying a cruel excitement. "Remember the man who broke your arm, then set it back and gave you medicine! Remember his face! Remember his name—Kazama In!"

"He's a venomous snake lurking in Class D, a wolf in sheep's clothing! His fangs are sharper and deadlier than we imagined!" Ryuen drained his glass and slammed it heavily on the table, the sharp sound echoing.

"This game... now, it's finally getting interesting!" His eyes burned with mad fighting spirit and the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent. Kazama In's fangs hadn't scared him off; instead, they had fully ignited his desire to conquer and destroy.

Walking out of that noisy, chaotic KTV, the cool night air felt cleansing. Ichinose Honami took a deep breath, finally feeling her tense nerves relax a little. She turned her head to look at Kazama In beside her, whose expression had returned to calm, her heart filled with complex emotions—lingering fear from the dangerous scene, shock at his ruthless methods, but more than that, gratitude for his protection and the strange way he had "settled" things, and an indescribable... flutter.

"Kazama-kun..." she spoke softly, breaking the silence. "Just now... thank you." Her voice still carried a faint tremor, but it was sincere.

"Mm." Kazama In only responded lightly, as if it were a trivial matter. He was still holding her hand, but his grip had loosened, just loosely clasping it as he led her toward the dormitory area.

After walking a bit, Ichinose finally couldn't help asking the question on her mind. "That contract... the last clause, about the Student Council President election votes... Kazama-kun, are you planning to... run for president?" Her blue eyes held curiosity and a hint of inquiry as she looked at his profile.

Kazama In didn't avoid her gaze and nodded frankly. "Mm. I'm the vice president now. After President Horikita Manabu graduates, the position will be vacant." His tone was calm, as if stating a settled fact. "I need that position."

"I see..." Ichinose suddenly understood, then, as if remembering something, her pink lips pouted slightly with a cute, playful reproach as she gently shook his hand. "So, last time you agreed to help me with Chihiro-san's problem, and in exchange, you wanted me to owe you a favor... was this it? To have our Class B vote for you too?" She blinked her big eyes, a hint of "I caught you" in her look, along with a trace of barely perceptible expectation.

Kazama In paused slightly under her gaze. He had indeed planned it that way—using favors to exchange for votes was the most direct and efficient method. But now, with Ichinose directly pointing it out, looking at her clear eyes that held understanding and a hint of... slight disappointment? He suddenly felt that directly admitting "yes" seemed... too utilitarian.

He was silent for a few seconds, a rare hint of something like embarrassment flickering in his dark eyes, and finally just let out a vague "mm" as confirmation. He looked away, toward the distant streetlight.

Seeing him in this rare, somewhat "stumped" state, Ichinose instead let out a "pfft" laugh. That small disappointment vanished instantly, replaced by brighter laughter. She squeezed his hand firmly, her voice crisp and resolute. "Alright! I get it! Even though you're a bit 'sly'... but..." She paused, her smile even more radiant and warm. "Kazama-kun is a good person! Everything you do is for everyone, for the class, right? I believe in you!"

She looked up, meeting his eyes seriously. "About the election, I'll talk to everyone in Class B properly! I believe they'll all understand and support you!"

Kazama In looked down at her bright smile and trusting eyes, and the slight ripple caused by using favors gradually settled. He nodded lightly. "Thank you."

The atmosphere turned relaxed again. The two walked side by side back to the dormitory, the night breeze carrying the early autumn chill. Their conversation naturally shifted to more everyday topics—school gossip, classes... and finally, to Kazama In's almost ever-present book, Love Song of Green Seasons.

"Kazama-kun really likes that book, huh?" Ichinose said with a smile. "Are there really that many ways to 'raise affection' in it?"

"Mm." Kazama In nodded seriously, taking out the book. "It mentions that inviting a friend to watch a movie is an effective way to deepen understanding and friendship." He flipped to a certain page, pointing at the text with his fingertip, his expression focused as if studying a battle plan.

Ichinose looked at his serious profile, and her heart felt like a feather had brushed against it, stirring a faint itch. She held back a smile and teased him deliberately. "Oh? So who is Kazama-kun planning to invite to a movie to 'raise affection'?"

Kazama In closed the book, his calm gaze turning to her without hesitation. "You. Are you free this weekend?"

"Eh?" Though she had expected it, being invited so directly still made her blush instantly, her heart pounding like a drum. She lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously starting to twirl her hair ends, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz. "Mm... I'm, I'm free..."

"Good." Having received a positive answer, Kazama In said no more, as if finalizing an important schedule.

The cinema was quite crowded on the weekend. Kazama In and Ichinose chose a highly acclaimed drama. The film told the story of a skilled, cold-blooded assassin who, during a mission, accidentally saves an innocent, kind-hearted girl. The girl's warmth and unreserved trust, like sunlight, gradually melted the ice in his heart. To protect this hard-won light, he resolutely gave up his identity as an assassin, choosing to become an ordinary person, longing for a peaceful life with the girl. However, fate's cruel joke didn't let them go. Just as they thought they had finally glimpsed happiness, the assassin's old enemies came knocking. To protect the girl he loved, he took up arms again, fighting desperately, and ultimately fell in a pool of blood before her eyes, filled with reluctance and love, while the girl too couldn't escape her fate...

The ending was tragic and poignant. As the melancholic ending theme played and the cinema lights came on, Ichinose Honami was already in tears. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her shoulders trembling slightly, clearly deeply moved by the story.

Kazama In silently handed her a pack of tissues. His dark eyes stared at the frozen image on the screen—the assassin's final look at the girl, filled with too many complex emotions: love, reluctance, relief, regret... That gaze, like an invisible thorn, gently pricked Kazama In's heart. "Giving up his identity... protecting... but ultimately unable to protect..." This ending resonated strongly with some vague cognition deep in his subconscious, plunging him into brief contemplation.

Walking out of the cinema, the cool night breeze helped Ichinose calm down a bit, but her eyes were still red. She looked at the silent Kazama In beside her, recalling the assassin in the film who gave up everything for love, and connecting it to Kazama In's unfathomable skills and the occasional sense of detachment that set him apart from those around him, an indescribable emotion welled up inside her.

She gently tugged at his sleeve, her face still bearing traces of tears, but she forced a fragile smile, half-joking and half-serious. "Kazama-kun... that male lead, the way he gave up everything for the one he loved... feels a bit like you?"

Kazama In paused slightly in his steps. He turned his head to look at Ichinose's tear-streaked but still bright eyes, which reflected the streetlight and his own shadow. He was silent for a few seconds, the film's desperate ending flashing through his mind, followed by the warm smile of the girl before him.

He spoke slowly, his voice lower and softer than usual, carrying a strange seriousness. "I won't become him." He didn't explain who "him" referred to—the assassin, or the failed ending. But in his dark eyes, there was a firm light that was almost a promise. "Let's go. I'll walk you back."

Ichinose saw the seriousness in his eyes, felt a warmth in her heart, and nodded firmly. "Mm!"

On the way back to the dormitory, Ichinose's mood gradually improved, and she began to discuss the film's details in a low voice with Kazama In, lamenting the fickleness of fate and the greatness of love. Kazama In listened quietly, occasionally responding with a word or two, but his gaze kept unconsciously falling on the girl's lively profile beside him. The streetlights stretched their shadows long, sometimes overlapping, sometimes separating.

Finally, they arrived at the dormitory building. It was late, and the lobby was quiet.

"Tonight's movie... thank you, Kazama-kun." Ichinose stood in front of the elevator, turning to face him. Her eyes sparkled under the light, filled with satisfaction and a hint of reluctance. "Even though the ending was sad... I'm really happy I could watch it with you." She tilted her head slightly, her smile sweet and sincere.

"Mm. I... learned a lot too." Kazama In nodded, referring to the "methods" in the book and... the stirring from the film. He looked at Ichinose's warm smile and felt as if some corner of his heart had been slightly illuminated by it.

"Well then..." Ichinose's cheeks flushed pink again. She looked down a little shyly, her voice soft. "Good night, Kazama-kun."

"Good night," Kazama In replied, his voice gentle.

The elevator doors opened with a "ding." Ichinose stepped inside, and just as the doors were about to close, she suddenly poked her head out, flashing him an incredibly bright, playful smile, and waved vigorously. "Let's 'raise affection' again next time!"

The elevator doors slid shut, cutting off that radiant smile.

Kazama In stood still, watching the numbers on the elevator climb until they stopped. He lowered his head slightly, the corners of his mouth silently curving into a clear, gentle arc. The smile was faint, but it carried a genuine warmth. He touched the contract with Ryuen in his pocket, and the cold paper seemed to have gained a trace of warmth.

"Affection... does seem to have risen." The thought quietly crossed his mind. He turned and walked toward another elevator, his steps seeming a little lighter than before. In the shadows, the "Arbiter" named Kazama In seemed to be gradually illuminated by another kind of soft light.