Finishing Speech

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[-Continuation-]

[Location - Soubu High(:school)]

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[Third Person View]

…Soon after an hour or so…

So there I was, standing at the podium like some discount motivational speaker. Hachiman stood at the podium, a subtle self pity playing in his heart.

The Culture Festival had finally dragged itself to a close as all the planned programs were being completed, and now these poor souls had to endure one last ordeal - Hachiman's closing remarks.

Lucky them.

Nonetheless, Hachiman did set the bar vague and low with his curt and almost dismissive opening speech, so at least expectations were in the gutter where they belonged.

Still, there was this weird tension in the air, like everyone was waiting for him to either crash and burn or pull off a miracle.

Sorry to disappoint you, but miracles aren't really my thing.

Hachiman thought, taking a deep breath, looking out at the sea of faces. Most of them probably wish they were anywhere else.

Can't blame them, really.

"Ladies and gentlemen, if you can call yourselves that after the past two days." He began, trying not to let too much sarcasm seep into his voice. "The Culture Festival has come to an end. Shocking, I know. We managed to pull it off without any major disasters, which is a small miracle in itself."

A few people laughed, probably out of pity. Or maybe they just didn't know how to react to someone actually telling the truth for once.

"I would like to start by acknowledging the team leaders who made this event possible, despite my apparent laziness and incompetence, which I am sure some of you are still whispering about."

"First, the Program Committee members, led by Rika Tanaka. They made sure we had a schedule that even the most disinterested could follow."

"Next comes the Finance and Budget Committee members, under….

"The Logistics Committee members…..

"The Marketing and Publicity Committee members….

"The Marketing and Publicity Committee members….

"The Decoration Committee members…..

"The Food and Beverage Committee members….

"Safety and Security….

"The Volunteer Coordination Committee members….

"The Historian Committee members….

"The Feedback Committee members…."

Hachiman went on to acknowledge the team's efforts, because apparently that's what you're supposed to do in these speeches.

He mentioned each committee and its leader, throwing in a few backhanded compliments along the way.

It's not like I actually wanted to insult anyone, but old habits die hard, you know? Hachiman hardened himself.

The crowd seemed to warm up a bit as he went through the list.

Maybe they were just relieved that he wasn't completely bombing. Or maybe they were enjoying the subtle praise from their fellow students.

People can be 'nice' like that sometimes.

"Lastly, the Technical Support Committee members, managed by Megumi Arai."

Remembering the mishap, Hachiman couldn't resist a little jab. ".....Hum? Aren't they responsible for messing up my opening speech? Well, surprisingly, they still kept all our equipment running except for that. Guess they really didn't like me, huh? Anyway, congrats on getting your plan to succeed."

Megumi and all the technical members laughed along with the crowd's response.

He added. "And remind you, if anything breaks, it's because you touched it."

Because, let's face it, most problems in this world are caused by people messing with things they shouldn't.

After mentioning all the leaders, Hachiman felt compelled to add. "I apologize for only mentioning the leaders. Time is limited, and so is everyone's patience. But remember, behind each of these leaders was a team that sacrificed their time and effort, ensuring everything ran smoothly while you all had fun. So, a sincere thank you to everyone involved."

The crowd seemed to appreciate what he said. There was also much murmuring of agreement and gratitude from the audience.

Who knew a little sincerity could go such a long way? Not that I am planning on making a habit of it or anything. Hachiman wondered in between the realisation.

Then came the part Hachiman was dreading. "And now, a special mention to my vice chairman, Yukino Yukinoshita. She has been the real force behind this festival. If it weren't for her, I would probably still be trying to figure out the budget. Thanks, Yukino."

Hachiman tried to keep his voice neutral, but he could feel a hint of genuine gratitude slipping in. How annoying.

"In conclusion." He said he was ready to wrap this up. "Remember that while you were all busy enjoying yourselves, there were people working behind the scenes. Not that it matters in the grand scheme of things, but hey, it's something to think about while you're lying awake at night questioning your life choices."

"...and thank you…"

As Hachiman moved away from the podium with his final words, he could sense a mix of confusion and amusement from the crowd.

Par for the course, really.

But then, apparently, he was about to forget his own 'additional' program he had prepared, so he stopped and added. "Oh, a surprise for you all, guys, for living through my speech. A jazz performance to end it on a high note, unlike me. And there is a saying: nothing says 'youth' quite like the music of our grandparents' era. Enjoy, I guess."

With that, Hachiman stepped back from the podium, leaving the audience in a state of bewildered amusement - a feeling they'd come to associate with his particular brand of leadership.

….

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Right after that, the jazz performers took the stage and were about to begin.

For some reason the enthusiasm was highest now compared to any performance during the whole two days Cultural Festival.

The band contained, Yukinoshita Haruno as

Yukinoshita Yukino - [Guitarist]

Yuigahama Yui - [Vocals]

Yukinoshita Haruno - [Drummer]

Hiratsuka Shizuka - [Bassist]

Shiromeguri Meguri - [Keyboard]

The team was specifically put forth by Hikigaya Hachiman himself, just like Yukinoshita Yukino had a grimming sensation of his smirk in their last conversation.

Nonetheless, she felt a little ease seeing how smoothly and justifiably Hachiman brought everyone on board with his plan.

Well, she knew getting senior Shiromeguri Meguri and her friend Yuigahama Yui to agree would, coincidentally, depend on her sister Haruno and her own willingness to agree.

So he instantly focused on the most cunning variable, Yukinoshita Haruno, and to EVERYONE's surprise, she was quite ready to curry as many favors as possible from Hachiman, so she instantly accepted.

As for Yukino, she herself couldn't pinpoint when she expressed her agreement. It was even smoother than convincing Harnuo.

And last was Hiratsuka, who, sure, was going to play hard, but it all crumbled when Hachiman reminded her of the bet they had made on their way back from the volunteer summer camp.

In the end, everyone was on board.

….

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[Hachiman's POV]

…phew, well, it seems all worth it, I guess.

I sighed, seeing the girls standing within that vortex of light.

The searchlights danced and hopped, and the mirror ball hanging from the ceiling dispersed irregular reflections of light throughout.

The bassist engraved her sounds with starving greed.

The drummer pranced in a whimsical fashion to emphasize her existence.

The sincere guitarist regulated the entire song with her unparalleled and accurate picking, as if she were restraining the crowd of rhythms that did whatever they wanted.

And then came a carefree voice. The vocalist occasionally rebounded, but sang the simple, note-by-note musical rhythm and line-by-line lyrics with care.

Those who waved their arms at the front, those who rocked their heads, those who shook their dimly glowing phones like sea lilies, and those who got carried away and dived from the seats of the audience into the audience and then lifted high up.

I leaned against the wall within that irritating, fervent enthusiasm.

Because everyone was trying to get closer to the stage, the space in the back was vacant.

The surroundings, too, were devoid of people.

It was the final stage of the long, long Cultural Festival.

With this, everything would end. Ahh, speaking of which, I was a Committee President, wasn't I?

So, at the very least, I will remember this.

I likely won't forget this view.

I can't forget it.

I may not be on that dazzling stage.

I may not be a part of that leaping arena.

I may be just watching furthest at the back by myself.

But I will definitely not forget this view, even though I put them together just so I could forget my own unconventional speech and help me free of my anxiety, unlike my situation after the opening speech.

….well, maybe I also wanted to see Yukino perform.

…..

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The last unscheduled band performance was completed without issue.

I waited, as the girls were being swamped by them as they made their way to the pep room with excited students and even committee members to appreciate them.

In a minute, Haruno was the first one to reach me, and finding me, she rushed over, patting my shoulders.

"Gosh, you are just awesome, Hachiman. That finishing speech of yours was really touching…. And your sacrificial leadership in taking back really gets me going. It actually might be kind of a waste on Yukino."

The first thing she did after giving such a praise-worthy performance was to come and praise me, for which I did everything. This girl always does something I don't want her to.

"Hum-hm…" Ms. Hiratsuka nodded while standing beside her, with a cigarette in hand, while she was ready to head home after getting changed.

"The only wasteful thing around here is the time spent talking with you, Big Sis. Hurry up and go home." Yukinoshita entered the room, saying so.

Haruno exaggerated a hurt expression. "You're so cold, Yukino… Aren't we, like, total buddy-buddy after playing in the same band? Buddy-buddy sisters, even?"

Yukinoshita raised her eyebrows, as if that had set her off. "You're one to talk. Who's the one that went off on a tangent during the performance? And who do you think was the one that had to follow with that?"

"Oh, c'mon, what's the problem? It got everyone excited and all. Isn't that right, Hachiman?"

"Well, sure, things did get pretty crazy in there." I said.

Yukinoshita then blinks her eyes two to three times. "…You enjoyed the performance?"

She was on the stage too, and I was kinda at last, so obviously, she couldn't see me.

"Well, what can I say? It was pretty darn good. After watching, I, uh, was really impressed."

I am sure there were a ton of more words I could have picked to compliment her, but unable to find a good way to tell her, I could only manage a fragmented and crude impression.

Yukinoshita abruptly looked away in response to my vague reply.

"T…Than—That performance was far from perfect. It's not like I made any mistakes or anything, but more importantly, it was a complete mess. It's only because the audience was so excited that we managed to smooth it over, but in a more controlled situation, I am sure it wouldn't be worth listening to, and also, the biggest fundamental problem was our lack of practice, and another cause was that not every member was in complete sync, but still, as I was the person in charge of the main melody, I wasn't able to lead the entire song all the way, and as a result…"

"Wooow, just look how embarrassed you have made her, Hikigaya. You're so cute, Yukino." Said Haruno, interjecting.

"Hm-uhm…" I nodded.

Yukinoshita cleared her throat, then glared at her. "…Big sis, now that everything is finished, why don't you hurry up and go home?"

"Okay, okay. I will, I will. I will see you later then. I had a blast. I bet mom's going to be really surprised after hearing about today… right?"

That smile, as if testing her, caused Yukinoshita's expression to stiffen. After making sure of that, Haruno turned her back and walked off.

When the distance grew between Yukinoshita and Haruno, Ms. Hiratsuka folded her sleeve back and checked her wristwatch. "It's almost time for the homeroom of the day. Hurry and return to your classes."

"I understand. I will see you later then." Yukinoshita's stiffness dissolved and she answered.

After she gave some simple regards to Ms. Hiratsuka, she began walking.

"Okay, I will be taking my leave too."

I followed after her. I mean to my own class.

...

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[To be continued…]

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