The costume she'd sewn together with her sister was simple and unadorned. Off-white fabric, almost white, with seams that curved just slightly. A professional might laugh. But to Saki, it felt "like herself." In the hallway heading to the gymnasium, Saki took a deep breath. (I won't run. That's all I've decided.) The moment she opened the gymnasium doors, her feet stopped. Black. The audience seats were black. All black suits. Five hundred and forty students were supposed to fill the gymnasium's audience section. Instead, it was packed with adults in black suits, standing in rigid formation. Every single one expressionless. The middle schoolers sitting next to them had been pushed to the edges, a few of them pale with fear, pressed against the walls. Something screamed inside Saki's head. (Is this what you meant by "support"?!) Mr. Tanaka, who was supposed to be the MC, was gripping the microphone, trying to address the large man in the front row. "Um, um... could I... get your name...?" Gonzou kept facing forward and answered with just one phrase. "[serious]We are here to observe." "...Is that all?" "[serious]That is all." Mr. Tanaka gripped the microphone tighter and continued with a trembling voice, "W-well then..." There was no way to confirm anything. He had no choice but to start the contest. There was no way to kick out five hundred people in black suits. As Saki headed toward the stage wings, she glanced at the corner of the audience. Tatsuya was there. Sitting just slightly apart from the sea of black suits, his platinum blonde hair slicked back in an immaculate pompadour—neater than usual. His eyes weren't the usual vacant stare. They were serious. Quiet. Their eyes met. Tatsuya gave a small nod. That was all. But Saki's heart jumped. It happened before she could even get angry, and she felt a little frustrated about that. --- Watching from the stage wings, the atmosphere changed before Reina even appeared. The lights moved. Professional-grade spotlights—apparently funded by the Violetta Trading Company—illuminated the stage. The students murmured. Mr. Tanaka's confused voice could be heard asking, "Um, where did those lights come from...?" but it was already too late. Purple long straight hair caught the light and gleamed. Reina stood on stage. Red eyes slowly swept across the audience. The lace choker at her neck caught the lighting perfectly. She was a picture just standing there. Watching from the stage wings, Saki honestly thought she was incredible. The speech began. "[cold]Everyone, nice to meet you. I'm Reina. I haven't been at this school long, but I've come to love it." It was smooth. She was reading from a script, but you couldn't tell at all. Reina talked about student council reforms. She discussed a new project to bring in outside artists for the cultural festival. She cited specific numbers. Real applause came from the audience. Saki's knees began to tremble slightly. (The preparation is different. The flashiness is different. There are parts where I can't win.) She admitted it honestly. When she did the math, Reina had the advantage no matter how she looked at it. Visuals, speech, preparation—she was better at everything. But. Saki searched the audience for Tatsuya. During Reina's entire performance, Tatsuya never once looked at her. He kept facing toward where Saki was in the stage wings. (Oh.) Saki placed her hand on her trembling knees. She took a deep breath. Not to run away, but to breathe for stepping forward. --- Saki's name was called. The moment she stepped on stage, it went quiet. The audience, still holding onto Reina's afterimage, saw Saki's handmade costume. A voice leaked out from somewhere in the audience. "[whispers]...So plain..." She could feel the air sink. Saki held the microphone with both hands. She'd left her script in the stage wings. (I can speak. I can say what's real better than what I wrote.) "[serious]I'm not flashy." Her voice came out. It carried through the microphone. "[serious]I'm not rich, and I don't have charisma. I sewed this costume yesterday with my sister. The seams are crooked." A few people laughed quietly. "[serious]But I love this school. I love everyone in my class." The hall went silent. "[serious]False rumors were spread about me, and everyone ignored me... it was so painful. Every day I ate lunch alone, and I kept thinking I wanted to transfer." No one laughed. "[serious]But I'm standing here because I didn't want to run away. That's all." One breath. Saki looked at Tatsuya in the audience. His ears were red. You could tell even from a distance. "[serious]...I don't fall in love with people through calculation. I'm with Tatsuya because I really, genuinely love him." The moment she said it, something shifted inside her. (Oh. I'm serious. I really was serious all along.) She'd always thought it was "calculation." She wanted a normal romance, so she'd chosen a plain guy, and that was the plan. But now, in this moment, saying it in front of the whole school, there was something there that wasn't calculation. Her voice trembled slightly. The hall was completely silent. Five seconds. Ten seconds. There was a sound—a chair scraping. Yui, sitting by the window, stood up. She started clapping. Pachi pachi pachi. Next, Kouta stood. Then Miho. Aya stood up too. The applause spread. Row by row, edge to edge, like a wave. The line of black suits didn't move an inch. They were all perfectly following the order: "Do nothing." Standing middle schoolers and rigid black suits alternated, creating an absurdly surreal sight in the gymnasium. Mr. Tanaka stood holding the microphone, staring into space with an "Um, uh..." expression. From the stage, Saki saw it all. Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, she stood there blankly. --- The voting was tallied. Mr. Tanaka read the results in a trembling voice. "Um, w-well... by a narrow margin, this year's Minase Middle School Charisma Grand Prix winner is... Saki Shimizu." Applause erupted again. Reina stood in front of the results board. She stared at the numbers. For a while, no one spoke to her. Eventually, Reina walked over slowly. She stopped in front of Saki. Red eyes looked directly at her. "[cold]...I'll admit it. For today." With just those words, she left the gymnasium. Her posture didn't collapse. Her back stayed straight. She didn't look smaller at all. But deep in her eyes, a fire still burned. An unextinguished flame, already looking ahead to next time. Watching her back disappear, Saki thought: (This isn't over.) It wasn't fear—just a sense of "yeah, that makes sense." "[gentle]Saki." She turned around. Ryou was standing there. Black hair with red streaks, golden eyes flickering slightly. When he smiled, there should be a dimple on his left cheek, but he wasn't smiling today. "[serious]I'm not asking you to forgive me." Saki said nothing. "[serious]But my feelings for you were real. That's all." Saki paused for a moment. "[serious]I know. But I love Tatsuya." She said it clearly. Ryou gave a bitter smile. A small dimple appeared on his left cheek. "[gentle]I see." He disappeared into the crowd. There was bitterness in his back. Something he couldn't quite let go of. Watching him leave, Saki's chest ached a little. (He really did love me.) But Saki's feet were already moving toward the back of the gymnasium. --- The back of the gymnasium was poorly lit and cool. Tatsuya was leaning against the wall, waiting. His platinum blonde pompadour was slightly disheveled. Arms crossed, his face tilted slightly downward. As Saki approached, Tatsuya turned his face away. His ears were red. "[angry]...Don't say stuff like that in front of everyone." "[surprised]Huh?" "[angry]All my subordinates heard that." His voice was slightly high-pitched. Tatsuya, who was usually cool and handled everything calmly, was turning away with ears as red as they could get. Saki watched his face for a second, two seconds—then burst out laughing. "[laughing]Wait, that's it? You're not happy?" "[angry]Don't laugh." "[laughing]But..." "[angry]I said don't laugh." His ears got even redder. Saki pressed her stomach, trying to stop laughing, but she couldn't. Tears welled up as she laughed, like she was crying and laughing at the same time. Maybe all the tension she'd been holding finally came pouring out here. After a while, her laughter subsided. The wind blew. The back of the gymnasium was quiet. Tatsuya's hand gently covered Saki's. Their fingers intertwined. "[whispers]...I'm serious too." His voice was small. Something deep in Saki's chest moved greatly. From that day on the rooftop in the first episode, when she'd accepted his confession with a vacant expression, she'd always thought it was "supposed to be calculation." She wanted a normal romance. She'd thought choosing a plain guy would keep things peaceful. It was completely different. This hand holding hers right now wasn't calculation. Saki said nothing. Tatsuya said nothing either. The two of them stood holding hands in the back of the gymnasium, silent for a while. --- That night. Tower Grantz, thirty-first floor, Tatsuya's private room. In a room decorated with Saki's photographs, Tatsuya sat alone on the sofa. The echo of today's applause still seemed to linger in his ears. His phone vibrated. He looked at the screen. Tatsuya's expression froze instantly. The caller ID read: "Tetsuji." A call from his father. For the first time in five years. Tatsuya stared at the phone for a while. With fingers that threatened to shake, he pressed the call button. "[cold]...Dad?" On the other end of the silence, there was the sound of breathing.