13 — Election

A couple of days had passed since that night in Sera’s room—days that had went by in a flurry of activity. The tender, quiet warmth they shared under the blanket remained unspoken between them, but the closeness lingered. A soft brush of the hand in the hallway, glances held longer than needed, shared smiles during break. All so small, yet so significant.

But now, the campus was electric.

Midterms had just wrapped up, drawing groans and sighs of relief from students all around. Ame Misaki had spent the better part of the week holed up in her office, either correcting exam papers or finalizing logistics for the Student Council Election. The grand event loomed, and even with her impeccable organization, every detail demanded attention.

Sera had reluctantly buried herself in books and notes under the persistent watch of June and Ren, who seemed to have appointed themselves her academic bodyguards. With Ame busy, they helped her study well, including hilariously long dramatic study nights using highlighted markers and flashcards. It worked—somehow. Sera was finally getting back on track, managing this time to do surprisingly great. When the results posted, she almost didn’t believe them until she received a text from Ame simply saying: “I’m so proud of you.” Sera almost hugged her phone as if it were Ame herself upon receiving the message.

To top it off, the volleyball team’s tryouts had finally posted their results. Sera practically jumped into the air when she saw her name listed under “Official Players.” immediately texting Ame a very animated: AME I GOT IN!! I’M A STARTER!!!

Ame, sitting in her school office with a half-empty cup of tea, actually laughed aloud reading it—a laugh that startled even herself, hoping she wasn’t too loud. She couldn’t help but respond: “Congrats Sera! I knew you’d make it.”

Now, with exams behind them, all focus turned to today—the day of the Student Council Election.

It was tradition for the election to be treated like a festival. The school’s walls were a patchwork of campaign posters and flyers. Colorful slogans, mascots, and painted caricatures of candidates turned every corridor into a battleground of ideas.

The event halted all classes, with every student and faculty member expected to attend. The Grand Auditorium at Aina University had never looked more alive. Rows of seats filled fast, the massive stage glowing beneath banners bearing the school crest. A podium stood at the center, looming with anticipation.

Sera walked into the auditorium beside June and Ren, the three weaving through the crowd to find a good row near the center. She craned her neck upward at the ceiling dome, light pouring through the tinted glass like sunlight through seawater.

“I’m telling you,” Sera said as she plopped into a chair, “Ai Tanaka’s going to win!”

June raised an eyebrow, adjusting her sweater. “Sera, there is one hundred percent no nuance behind your argument dude. You’re only saying that because you two had that nice talk by the vending machines that one time!”

“That’s so not true!” Sera huffed, then paused. “Okay maybe a little true—but she’s smart and actually cares. Plus, I just feel it.”

“Yvette’s going to win,” June replied. “She’s got determination, charisma, and she brought cookies during lunch breaks. You can’t beat that.”

“Cookies? Seriously, you’re factoring in cookies?” Ren snorted, flipping his short black hair. “What is this a bake sale?”

All three laughed, though their eyes kept sweeping the room. Everyone had shown up. Everyone, that is, except Hana.

“Still no sign of Hana?” Sera asked, glancing back over her shoulder while she sat in her seat.

Ren shook his head. “She said she had something to take care of. Again.”

“Yeah,” June said, crossing her arms. “That girl’s been a total no show to everything lately…you guys think she’s okay?”

“She’s probably fine,” Sera said, though her brows furrowed slightly. “She’d tell us if it was serious… I think.”

Behind the massive curtains of the stage, the candidates waited. Some paced, muttering lines to themselves; others stared into their phones, scrolling through speech notes. Ai Tanaka stood quietly with her hands clasped, her brow furrowed in calm focus, turning to her vice president. Yvette, on the other hand, chatted confidently with two volunteers, laughing as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

Not far away, Ame Misaki stood, clipboard in hand, dressed in her a sleek black blazer and matching dress pants. Her hair was tied neatly back, not a strand out of place. She scanned the final checklist with a practiced eye while an assistant confirmed the AV equipment, including microphones and speakers were ready.

A teacher approached. “They’re finishing seating now, Misaki.”

“Understood.” Ame replied, her voice calm but full of weight. She nodded and approached the side of the stage, giving the candidates a once-over. “We begin in ten minutes. Please be prepared.”

Her presence drew instant silence. Even Yvette adjusted her posture, straightening like a student caught gossiping.

Ame turned away, her gray eyes scanning the growing crowd.

Somewhere out there—somewhere in that sea of uniforms and hushed excitement in about the fifth row was Sera, giving Ame the smallest, warmest smile.

Ame’s lips curled into something that wasn’t quite a smile, but close. The kind of look that said everything without saying a word.

Soon, the speeches would begin, and Ame couldn’t quite shake the feeling that somewhere behind those curtains was her true successor.

The grand auditorium buzzed with anticipation as students from every year level filtered into the rows of seating, chatting excitedly, snapping pictures of the candidate banners, and pointing to the large projection screen above the stage.

Sera, June, and Ren shuffled into their seats midway through the center section, already in the midst of debate over who would take the crown.

“Dude, I’m telling you, it’s gonna be Tanaka.” Sera said confidently, arms crossed, her foot tapping eagerly.

June snorted. “Sera, please, Yvette has this in the bag. She practically charmed half the school during the campaign week.”

Ren leaned back, yawning. “I just hope we get shorter assembly times.”

Before either of them could respond, Luca crashed down beside them in the empty seat, out of breath. “Did I miss it?!”

“Barely,” Sera giggled, “They’re just about to start.”

The stage lights dimmed, and a spotlight flooded over the podium where three figures walked forward together: Chairman Kento, the science faculty’s Professor Marco, and Ame Misaki. The applause was deafening, echoing off the walls. Sera’s eyes fixed on Ame, she looked so elegant in her sharp black blazer.

Kento stepped forward first. “Good afternoon, students and faculty. Today marks a turning point in our student leadership—a day to not only celebrate but look forward to the future.” He smiled warmly, bowed, and stepped down the stairs, leaving Marco and Ame to take over.

Professor Marco raised a hand. “Thank you all for coming. We’re honored to guide you through this exciting day.”

Ame followed, her voice clear and calm, “As your temporary overseer of the Student Council and a former president myself, it’s been inspiring to watch this year’s candidates grow. I want to remind you that if you haven’t participated in advanced polling, you’ll have an hour and a half during the recess period to submit your votes digitally through the AinaU app.”

She paused, eyes sweeping the crowd, her chest rising with pride. “Each candidate has demonstrated vision, leadership, dedication to your student life, and the resolve to stand tall before all of you today. Win or lose, that commitment is worthy of celebration.”

The auditorium roared with applause, especially from the area where Sera and her friends sat. Sera stood briefly, clapping hard with a beaming smile.

Ame placed her hand over her heart and bowed slightly. “Thank you all. Now, without further ado… we will begin the speeches with Vincent Arlan, from Class A0-5.”

With that, she and Marco descended the stage, taking seats in the front row.

Curtains pulled back, and Vincent strode up confidently, delivering a short but passionate speech about sustainability. He was followed by two more candidates, each with their own style and energy. But murmurs in the room built to a quiet buzz as the next name was announced.

“Next, from Class B2-3… Yvette Marcel.”

“Yeahhh! Go Yvette~!” June cheered, shooting up to clap as the curtains parted.

Yvette stood poised, tall and charismatic in her cream-colored school blazer and signature gold-rimmed glasses. Her speech sparkled with rhetoric, her cadence commanding the entire room. She spoke of academic equity, club funding reform, and cross-department collaboration. Even Ame sat forward slightly, her brow raised.

Then came the final announcement: “Now presenting Ai Tanaka from Class C1-2.”

Sera leaned forward, expectant, but gasped—alongside the rest of their group—when another figure emerged beside Ai. “Wait… that’s…”

“HANA?!” June blurted.

Sera slapped a hand over her mouth. “She’s Ai’s vice president?!”

There Hana was, striding beside Ai with a confident flip of her half-black, half-pink hair, smirking as if she had been waiting for this moment all semester. Ai, stoic and focused, gave her a grateful glance as they reached the podium.

Their energy was magnetic. Ai’s composed, elegant tone covered policy improvements, student welfare, and administrative efficiency. Hana chimed in with her snippy nature talking about a plan for student festivals, art and culture funding, and fair representation across all clubs. Their chemistry was electric, bouncing off each other perfectly as partners.

They ended with a detailed digital plan for club funding management that had even some teachers nodding in appreciation. When their speech concluded, applause thundered across the hall. Even Kento looked impressed. Sera stood with her friends, who were equally stunned.

“Okay, they crushed that,” June admitted. “That was nuts.”

From the stage, Hana spotted their friend group, smirked brightly, and bowed with Ai as the curtains slowly drew shut.

The floor was cleared after a short recess announcement. Students flooded out into common areas, phones in hand, casting their votes via the app. The school library, lounges, and classrooms buzzed with excitement.

As Ai and Hana passed their group in the hall, June instantly lunged and hugged Hana tightly. “You little liar!!” she cried.

“W-What the—June!” Hana blushed furiously, flailing.

Luca whistled. “So that’s where you’ve been disappearing to.”

Ren laughed. “Not bad. Pretty sneaky.”

“You two were amazing!” Sera said, her eyes shining. “That was such a good speech, Hana. And Ai… seriously, well done.”

Ai pushed a few strands of her dirty blonde hair behind her ear, cheeks pink. “Thank you, Sera… it means a lot.”

Hana finally pulled free from June’s death grip, still flushed. “Okay, okay! I’m sorry I didn’t tell you guys! I just… didn’t wanna jinx it, okay? It felt like a lot… and I didn’t want it to be a big thing.”

Everyone broke into laughter and another group hug—this time even Ai was pulled into it.

Later that afternoon, the lights dimmed once more in the auditorium. The candidates now stood in a proud row at the foot of the stage as Professor Marco and Ame approached the podium again.

Ame took a calming breath, glancing over the sea of students holding their breath, waiting.

She smiled. “Thank you all for voting. After carefully counting and verifying the votes, I am honored to announce…”

The hall went dead silent.

“…your next Student Council President is… Ai Tanaka! With Vice President Hana Cho!”

A rush of gold and silver confetti exploded from the ceiling. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause.

Sera and June shrieked with joy, grabbing each other in excitement. “She did it!!” Sera beamed.

Ai brought her hands to her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion, her eyes glistening. Hana immediately threw her arms around her, grinning wide, waving to the crowd as Ai cried in her shoulder. The other candidates, though disappointed, nodded respectfully and joined in the applause.

On stage, Ame clapped steadily, a proud, warm smile lighting up her face. She had found her successor—and couldn’t be more proud.