Chapter 525: My Return as Student Council President – Hachiman Hikigaya
Hachiman naturally wouldn't tell the truth about the promises he made.
After school, he greeted Yui, telling her he had something to do today and wouldn't be going to the Service Club for now. Then, he left the classroom and headed to the student council office.
As he opened the door, he saw all the student council members gathered there, looking like they had been waiting for a while.
Upon seeing Hachiman, Iroha quickly ran over, grabbed his arm, and led him inside.
"You're finally here, Senpai. Everyone's been waiting for you."
Walking into the office, Hachiman nodded and smiled at the student council members, saying, "Thank you all for your hard work."
"Not at all, Hikigaya-san, you've worked hard too."
"That's right, we'll need your help again this time, Hikigaya-san."
"Exactly, I was really nervous about this at first, but now that you're here, I feel much more at ease."
"..."
As Hachiman entered, the student council members all started talking.
Initially, when they heard Iroha wanted to hold a graduation ball, they were unsure about it. After all, they were just students, most from ordinary families, and organizing something as high-end as a ball felt like an overwhelming task.
But now that Hachiman was here, they felt reassured.
After all, in previous large-scale events, when had Hachiman not been involved? And when had any of those events failed?
After greeting the council members, Hachiman sat down at a seat in front of a placard that read "Student Council President," with Iroha seated next to him.
The "fake" student council president: Serious, composed, and methodical.
The "real" student council president: Cute, playful, and always seeking help from others.
Sitting at his seat, Hachiman crossed his hands in front of his face and looked at the student council members.
"I believe you all know why we're here today."
"But before we start, I want to ask, what do you all know about hosting a ball?"
In response, the council members started sharing their thoughts.
"Elegant music…"
"Fancy evening gowns…"
"Delicious food…"
"Graceful partner dances…"
"..."
"That's right, these are the typical impressions of a ball, and areas we need to focus on."
Hachiman nodded after hearing their answers.
"In terms of logistics, we can hire a local band for music, rent the evening gowns, and outsource the catering to a restaurant."
"As for the division of tasks for these, you can discuss amongst yourselves."
"Understood."
"Good. Now, let's talk about the venue and event promotion. What ideas do you have?"
As soon as Hachiman finished speaking, a male student stood up—Vice President Honmoku.
"How about the gymnasium? It's large enough."
"Good. Just make sure to coordinate with the school in advance," Hachiman nodded.
"As for promotion, I suggest a combination of online and offline methods."
Upon hearing that online promotion would be involved, someone raised an objection, "But this event is just for our school's graduates. Do we really need to let the outside world know?"
"Of course," Hachiman smiled. "If we can pull off a successful graduation ball, it's also a great opportunity to promote our school and strengthen connections with local organizations."
"And we can use this promotion to attract more sponsors as well."
"After all, hosting a ball requires a significant amount of funds."
"I understand now," the member who raised the question nodded.
Seeing no further objections, Hachiman continued, "For online promotion, you can create an official account on the school's website to post all updates about the ball."
"Understood."
Even though Hachiman was just giving instructions, no one in the student council seemed unhappy. After all, he was only an external helper invited by Iroha Isshiki, and providing direction was already a huge help.
Having a competent leader was far better than stumbling around blindly like before.
At that moment, Hachiman seemed to remember something and turned to Iroha.
"By the way, Iroha, I have a task for you."
Iroha immediately responded, "Yes, Senpai, go ahead."
"In the next few days, find some videos of ballroom events so everyone can get familiar with the general process of a ball," Hachiman said.
"Got it, Senpai! I'll make sure the task is done," Iroha nodded enthusiastically, even giving a playful salute. But then she seemed to hesitate.
"Oh, right, Senpai, about the promotional video for the ball…"
"I know. As for the promotional video, I think it would be too plain with just the two of us, so we'll need a few others to set the mood. After all, this is a ball, not a solo dance," Hachiman said thoughtfully.
"We'll need about five pairs of members. Everyone can ask some of their friends to help."
"But they need to have a good appearance and presence, since this video will be used for promotion."
Hearing this, the student council members all started laughing.
However, Iroha didn't seem too happy about Hachiman's comment. A good appearance and presence? Clearly, that would mean Yukino-senpai, Yui-senpai, and possibly even Miura-senpai. How was she supposed to be the main character then?
As if sensing her thoughts, Hachiman gave a small smile.
"Don't worry. Since I promised you, I won't go back on my word. I'll be paired with you."
Hearing this, a smile broke out on Iroha's face, though her joy was short-lived as Hachiman's voice rang out again.
"But remember what I said before—think carefully about it."
What he said before…
"Don't fall for me. I'm not a good person, after all."
Iroha still couldn't fully understand Hachiman's words.
Before Iroha could voice her confusion, she saw Hachiman stand up.
"Alright, the meeting is adjourned. Please divide the tasks I mentioned among yourselves. As for the promotional video for the ball, we'll be shooting it in three days. In the meantime, you can find people and familiarize yourselves with the ball's general process."
"And with that, see you all later."
After waving his hand, Hachiman left the student council room without looking back.
The moment he left, the others exchanged glances but soon got to work, dividing the tasks as Hachiman had instructed. As for Iroha, she stood still, gazing at his retreating figure, lost in thought.
...
After leaving the school, Hachiman planned to head home. However, since it was still early, he decided to buy a gift.
That's right, a gift—because Komachi's birthday was coming up soon.
As his most important little sister, he needed to carefully pick out a birthday present.
At the shopping center near the station.
Hachiman took a taxi and arrived there.
Wandering aimlessly through the mall, Hachiman struggled to decide what to get.
He found it challenging because, no matter what he bought, Komachi would happily accept it. But whether she'd actually use it was another matter entirely.
However, if that were the case, giving a birthday red envelope might be more practical.
As Hachiman was browsing the stores, he suddenly noticed two familiar figures.
A pink bun hairstyle and long, straight black hair.
With these two hairstyles together, there was no need to guess who they were.
It was, of course, Yukino and Yui.
The two were in a women's shop, picking out something. Hachiman had intended to approach them, but when he instinctively glanced at the store's name, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
It was a women's lingerie store.
A guy walking into a lingerie store would definitely be seen as a pervert, right?
For the sake of his reputation, Hachiman decided to wait outside.
Not long after, the two of them came out. Yukino looked a bit upset, with her arms crossed and a disappointed expression, as if something had shaken her. Meanwhile, Yui was awkwardly trying to comfort her.
"Yui, Yukino."
At that moment, a familiar voice reached their ears. They looked up to see Hachiman standing nearby, smiling and greeting them.
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