Chapter 20: The exciting greeting campaign led by the princess and us. Part 1

Students gathered by her announcements, murmured and made noise.

Some exchanged confused looks, others sighed in annoyance. Some even openly snickered, saying, “Are you seriously doing this?”

“Of course, it’s not mandatory. You can just walk past us without saying anything. Some of you may be eager to get inside the school, so we won’t stop you,”.

“I have a question!” A male student raised his hand from the crowd.

“Is it really okay to have skinship with you Kaichou!?”

[TL: Kaichou-President, here: Student council President.]

“Boys for boys, and girls for girls, thank you”.

The boy who asked the question looked visibly disappointed, causing the boys around him to tease him, while the girls shot him looks of disgust.

“Say, what’s even the point of all this?” An even elder senpai among the female students asked.

“In a broader sense, greetings does not only include a verbal interaction, not just words but also physical contact, that’s why we thought of incorporating including physical interactions as well. Ideally, it would be best if accompanied by words, but those who are not used to greeting people, speaking out might be uncomfortable. Therefore, we decided to make it an optional thing as well,”

“Yet, it’s still ok if we don’t do it in case we don’t want to?”

“That’s right. After all, it’s entirely voluntary.”

The girl who asked the question had a complicated expression, as if she understood in some part of it, but also didn’t. The other students who gathered there also had similar reactions as her.

At first it might sound like ‘just sophistry’. Without any force, its effectiveness is instead questionable.

Still, we decided to follow even after hearing Minami san’s explanation about it.

――Actions often yield certain effects, and the best way to get people to participate is to pique their interest. This is an age where idols win over their fans through handshakes, shouldn’t the student council also engage directly with everyone? Nozomi, even Myuu-chan, we should use those charming hands that everyone wants to have a touch of.

[TL: (ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ)]

That last comment sparked a lot of questions and oppositions, but the first part made a lot of sense.

[TL: (ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ)]

Just showing us exchanging greetings aimlessly wouldn’t encourage anyone. Adding a small twist would attract more interest.

[TL: INDEED (ʘ ͜ʖ ʘ)]

The plan was to get everyone familiar with the student council members and gradually get them to greet each other.

“Alright, we don’t have much time, so please go ahead,” Minami raised her hand. But the students, still mostly confused, didn’t move.

(If they just stand there, it’ll cause a commotion. Maybe we should help them relax a bit?)

As I pondered if I could say something witty, one male student stepped forward.

He was tall and had a refreshing appearance, with a well-defined face that could easily be called handsome.

The boy walked straight toward me. I hadn’t expected him to come to me, so I hurriedly raised my hand.

(Wait, I’ve seen him before.)

As I searched my memory, I quickly recalled. He was one of the candidates for the student council president this term. His name was Junchirou Toudou, if I remembered correctly.

Aspiring to be the student council president, he was well-behaved and academically excellent, particularly popular among girls in the same grade. But Minami had overwhelming support from all grades, and he lost.

He smiled, giving off a friendly vibe. Was he showing understanding toward us out of camaraderie for running for the council?

Toudou reached me, raised his hand—and then walked past without doing anything.

‘Haha, they’re expecting it. Bunch of fools.’

His parting words echoed in my mind.

“Ah…!”

Jirou exclaimed and turned around. But he couldn’t say anything, just sighed regretfully.

Then, students began to move, imitating Toudou.

They walked past us one after another.

‘This is so dumb. Do whatever you want.’

‘Isn’t this year’s student council too childish?’

‘Katsuragi-san has some strange ideas. I’m a bit disappointed.’

The thoughts of the passing students poured into my mind. Most were filled with mockery and disappointment. There were some positive thoughts, but the prevailing sentiment was one of disinterest.

The person who set this tone was none other than Toudou.

Because the famous Toudou had ignored us, everyone felt they could disregard our efforts.

Hearing their inner thoughts, I knew it was a malicious act.

Despite looking so sincere, why would he do this?

…No, it’s not uncommon for someone’s appearance to differ from their true nature. He might be a jerk, but others also have their hidden sides.

Feeling nauseous, I clenched my teeth.

I hated knowing this two-faced nature, so I stopped reading minds.

Even though I knew I was just hurting myself, the pain was unbearable.

While enduring the nausea, students passed by me. Jirou and Saeki, as well as Minami, had acquaintances or friends who high-fived or greeted them, but I stood still, unable to raise my hand.

By the time the warning bell rang, no one was around.

A gloomy atmosphere hung between us.

“Well, the first day was always going to be like this! No way things change suddenly,” Jirou said, trying to sound cheerful.

“That’s right. Continuity is key. On to the next,” Saeki added, her voice also forced.

Their faces, however, showed awkwardness. Hoshino remained silent, looking down.

As I remained speechless, Minami approached me.

“Do we continue?”

She asked in a testing tone.

Saeki, Jirou, and Hoshino all stared at me.

Their gaze made me feel like I was being blamed, and I looked down.

As if they were saying, “Are you useless after all?” I felt suffocated.

“Look at me, Koumei-kun.”