I Ended Up Pretending to Be the Boyfriend of a Beautiful but Tough Classmate for Just a Month, but It Seems That She Has Awakened Her Yandere Tendencies Because of That. - Chapter 55

Chapter 55

“Um, hello, everyone. I am Tokito Sanae, and today, I will be giving a support speech for Maria Jinguji, who is running for student council president.”

Tokito stood on the stage and began speaking in a calm, mechanical tone.

At the same time, a scattered applause rose from the audience below.

Before the applause had completely died down, she continued.

“As you all know, Maria Jinguji is a woman who perfectly embodies the phrase ‘graceful and intelligent.’ She has excellent communication skills, keeps up with trends, and will undoubtedly manage the school in the way you all desire.”

And so on.

Her speech was so monotonous that it made me sleepy.

She didn’t say anything specific—just kept praising Jinguji over and over.

I couldn’t absorb any of it.

It was such an uninspiring speech that I even started questioning whether she was actually smart.

But Jinguji herself seemed satisfied. “That’s fine. It’s best not to say anything unnecessary.”

When Tokito’s speech ended, Jinguji glanced at us, smirked, and then headed toward the stage.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Maria Jinguji. Thank you all for gathering here today.”

She didn’t even wait for the teacher’s introduction before launching straight into her speech. That level of self-centeredness was typical of her, yet surprisingly, her tone on stage was polite. Speaking slowly through the microphone, her voice was incredibly pleasant to listen to.

She spoke clearly and smoothly, like a professional announcer.

More than the content of her speech, it was her voice that captivated me.

The entire student body below the stage was fixated on her, unable to look away.

I could feel the atmosphere being completely dominated by her.

I see—if she’s not only beautiful but also has a voice like that, it makes sense that she’d be so confident.

“And so, if I become student council president, I will increase school events, provide more support for sports clubs, and thoroughly review unnecessary expenses to ensure efficient school management.”

As soon as she finished, a loud applause erupted.

It felt like I had just listened to a professional speech.

I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Everyone in the audience was completely drawn in by Jinguji.

Everyone—except for one person.

“What the hell was that? She didn’t say anything impressive.”

Takamiya moved slightly closer to me and muttered in exasperation.

“Well, I doubt anyone was even listening to the content. Anyway, I’m up next. Damn, I’m getting nervous now…”

Up until now, I had been treating this as if it were someone else’s problem.

But now that the moment was here, it felt real, and my heart was pounding.

Just a month ago, I had never even talked to anyone, let alone had friends.

And now, I was about to speak in front of the entire school.

If this were the old me, I would have fainted on the spot.

Actually, I wouldn’t have even made it this far.

But the person I am now is different.

I am here because I have something I need to do.

Mika said she was willing to die for Takamiya.

Is that what it means to love someone?

Because I feel the same way.

I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. I have no regrets.

That’s how much I love Takamiya.

I don’t have impressive speaking skills or a great voice like Jinguji.

But I know more than anyone else in this school.

I know all of Takamiya’s good qualities.

She’s the one who taught me.

I just need to convey that as best as I can.

For her.

And for myself.

“Next, we will hear from the supporter of Takamiya Riara.”

Just as Jinguji proudly returned backstage, my name was called.

And at that moment—

Takamiya, her face red, walked over to me without meeting my gaze.

“Good… good luck.”

“Yeah. I’m going.”

Without looking at her either, I stepped onto the stage.

Unlike with Jinguji, the entire student body now had a “Who the hell is this guy?” atmosphere.

But they were all looking at me.

The pressure made it hard to breathe.

My heart was pounding so loudly that I could barely keep my composure.

But—

Takamiya was the one who taught me this feeling.

Expressing your feelings to someone is painful, difficult, and terrifying.

And yet—

It’s also incredibly precious.

“I…”

At my first word, the room fell silent.

Every word I spoke here would determine Takamiya’s fate.

With that in mind, I spoke.

“I love Takamiya.”

With those words, the atmosphere changed.

The room erupted into murmurs, and the teacher had to call for silence.

Even as the students continued to stir, I took a shaky breath and continued.

“Takamiya is bright, charming, and much more emotional than people think. She cries easily, gets angry quickly, and is full of feelings. She can be selfish and has a tendency to drag others into her pace, but that’s just part of what makes her so wonderful.”

As I spoke, I remembered all the struggles I had faced.

I worried that praising Takamiya like this would just make people think I was an overly affectionate boyfriend.

But that was only because I cared about what others thought of me.

I don’t care about that anymore.

As long as I can show everyone how amazing Takamiya is, I don’t care if I sound like a lovesick fool.

“Her charm isn’t just about being attractive as a woman. She understands people’s pain. She never looked down on someone like me—someone weak, someone who had nothing going for him. She shared my worries as if they were her own. She shared my sorrows and hurt alongside me.”

She saved me.

Because of her, I changed.

“I used to think I was the most miserable person in the world. I closed myself off, convinced of my own misfortune. But she… she had gone through things far worse than I ever had. Yet she never blamed anyone else for her pain. She empathized with others’ pain as if it were her own. And that’s why I believe she’s the one who should lead you all.”

More than Jinguji.

More than anyone.

“And I want you all to love her too. She’s had issues with trusting men and may have seemed cold to the boys. But she’s trying. She’s facing those fears and working to change.”

So—

Give her a chance.

For some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to say those final words out loud.

Instead, I bowed deeply.

“Please, support Takamiya Riara.”

With my head lowered, my speech ended.

I had spoken purely on instinct.

I had no idea if what I said was good enough.

I was too afraid to raise my head.

I imagined the cold stares of everyone around me.

But then—

“That was good.”

Someone said it.

Then, a soft clap.

And one by one, more people joined in.

Until the entire room was filled with applause.

When I finally dared to lift my head, I saw everyone looking at me warmly as they clapped.

I realized then—

Not all people are bad.

Maybe they’re kinder and purer than I ever thought.

And the one who made me realize that—

Was, of course, Takamiya.

And one other person.

At the very front of the crowd, Mika gave me a thumbs-up.

I bowed deeply once more before stepping down from the stage.