𝚈/𝚗'𝚜 𝙿𝙾𝚅

"It's the Full Moon Festival! We're going moon gazing! Woohoo!" the President cheered. The President sure is excited.

"What's gotten into you, President?" Chika-san inquired.

" 'Tis the harvest moon tonight! You'll regret it if you miss the night sky on a day like this. I've already made the necessary preparations. I've also received permission to use the rooftop. Tell your parents that you'll be home late tonight." the President told us.

"The preparations are amazing and all, but isn't this a little too sudden?" I asked.

"W-Well, tonight's skies are clear and it's perfect for stargazing! There's no way we can pass up such perfect conditions for the Full Moon Festival!" President exclaimed. He seems desperate...

Moon gazing. I heard the President wanted to study astronomy when he was a kid. It's only natural that he would be excited on the moon's prettiest day of the year.

"Sure, why not? You can count me in. The student council's going to be dissolved soon. This may be our last chance to have fun together." Ishigami-kun reminded.

"Now, now, Ishigami-kun, don't talk about depressing stuff. Turn that frown upside down!" I patted his back.

This actually may be our last day to have fun together, but I don't want to think of such things.

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"Wow! The stars are so bright!" Chika-san exclaimed.

"That they are. The moon's in the southeast where Tokyo Bay is, so there's less light in the city. This spot's pretty good too." the President mentioned.

The sky was black tranquility married to a poetry of stars. It was the softness that called body and brain to rest and let the heart go to its steady rhythm. Night came as a reward of sorts, a restfulness above to calm the soul.

In the serenade of the black, the stars are a choir; they are lights that sing in infinite patterns. Sometimes, eyes need music, and the darker the night the sweeter the song.

In every direction there is a star, should I fly into the universe any way would be the right way.

I tilt my head, gazing upward, eyes more open than they can be in the fullness of day, not looking at one star, yet somehow seeing them all at once.

"It's that face again..." I heard from right next to me. I turned to my right and saw Ishigami's face literally one inch apart from mine.

"That...face?" I repeated, contemplating if I should either back up or stay in the same position.

"U-Uhm, nothing. It's pretty cold tonight, huh?" Ishigami nervously chuckled as he backed away first.

Why...it's a normal reaction indeed, but I can't help but feel kinda sad that he was the first one to back away...

"I-I'll be cooking the mochi. It's pretty windy over here, so we should head that way." I said, bringing the cooking stuff to a secluded area where the wind wouldn't get in the way.

"Oh, I wanna warm myself up near the stove." Ishigami-kun said, following right behind Chika-san and me.

Hold up, if the three of us are over here. That means Kaguya-san and the President are over there together, alone!

I turned around to see Kaguya-san staring at us. She looked kinda confused. I gave her a wink and continued making my way.

Anyways, back to cooking up some mochi...

Mochi. It is a Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, and sometimes other ingredients such as water, sugar, and cornstarch.

I decided to take a peek at the two lovebirds and saw something that would be rarely seen.

The President and Kaguya-san were laying down together. Kaguya-san had a male's jacket over her, the President had his arm wrapped around her.

A scene that I would never see again...is happening right in front of me.

I grabbed my camera and snapped a photo. I'll keep this one with me.

And everything suddenly changed...

"What's gotten into you? I don't understand!" the President shouted.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Ugh, no, I'm done! I can't take this anymore!" Kaguya-san ran away.

They're arguing like an old married couple.

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"All right, let's gather up everything that we can each carry home."

"Understood."

"Will do!"

"Roger."

"Gotcha."

"A year passes before you know it, huh?" Chika-san struck up a conversation.

"It was actually only half a year in my case, so doubly so for me." Ishigami-kun retorted.

"Same here." I agreed.

"That's true. A year certainly does fly by. It's all over now." Kaguya-san muttered.

"Oh, this sign brings back memories! It's from the party during the exchange with the French school!"

"Oh, I remember. The principal just dropped it on us out of the blue. I suppose that was the busiest we've ever been."

"It might get reused in the future, so it would be best to leave it here." I suggested.

"Good idea." the President nodded.

"We'll have to take all the games home too..."

"Oh. It's those cards."

"You're always quick to suggest playing games."

"Not to mention your love of fortune-telling."

"Oh, we had fun with this too!"

"What's that again?"

"You don't remember? Jeez...boom, yo!" Chika-san did a very...interesting pose.

Ishigami-kun looks rather disturbed by something. I'm guessing something is going on in his mind, I shouldn't interrupt him.

"Let's see, there's also this..." Chika-san pulled out a familiar-looking hand-made fan.

"Oh, I know this one! When I said your big chest would get in the way, you slapped me with that! I still don't deny the fact that L/N's boobs are c-" he got brutally beaten up by Chika-san.

Ishigami sure has gotten stronger. Now he's probably the only person who can oppose Chika-san.

Oh yeah, like all creatures, humans will inevitably grow and mature. But, I'm not sure if Chika-san is included in that category.

"Y/n used to be so shy around us. She wouldn't even talk or face us." Kaguya-san mentioned.

"That's true. You certainly have changed...ever since you started talking with Ishigami." the President gave me a smile.

"I did, didn't I?" I smiled to myself.

We've spent so much time together and done so many things. These are all fond memories.

"Ishigami-kun, why do you have a roll of toilet paper in your bag?" I asked.

"To make sure people won't humble brag about their love life in front of me." Ishigami-kun looks annoyed when I brought that up.

Those wonderful memories are books with chapters, beautiful and heart-warming.

"So that's it, huh..." Ishigami-kun muttered. We just leaned against the door in silence.

"I guess that's that. Did you check everything?" the President asked.

"Actually, there's still one place." Ishigami-kun brought up. Oh yeah! That place.

"You're talking about that place, right?" I inquired. He nodded and revealed the secret area.

"That was there this entire time?!" the President and Chika-san shouted

"Oh, you didn't know?" I asked.

"No! I never noticed it at all!" the President shouted.

"I've heard that during a student movement, this place was used as a base of operations. This could be a hidden room built during that time." Kaguya-san mentioned.

Ishigami-kun and I use that room for hanging out when we want to escape the second-years' chaos.

Beyond the stairs was nothing but darkness. But what I do know is that beyond that darkness is a room where I usually hang out with Ishigami-kun.

The dark room was like a place out of time, a place to rest without consequence.

The darkness in that way was a sanctuary, a place to recharge and forget the things the world said had to be done.

It wasn't that I couldn't or wouldn't, but rather that I needed that sense of stepping out of the craziness for a while.

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"Shouldn't we celebrate at a family restaurant or something?" Ishigami-kun proposed.

"That's not a bad idea." the President replied.

"There's this family restaurant nearby called 'Royal Host'. The food there is great, we should go." I suggested.

"Royal Host...not bad. Let's go there then!" the President cheered.

"Miss Fujiwara..."

"Chika-san?"  I turned around and saw tears flooding down her cheeks.

That's right. The people I met from the student council changed me. We made so many memories even though our time together was short.

If I wasn't scouted by the President...if I continued to look down and avoid eye contact with anyone...if I hadn't met these people...then, I wouldn't be the person who I am today.

When I cry it's never a trickle and it never starts in my eyes. It begins as a feeling in my chest and a sadness in my brain.

The leaking water is only a blessed release, it's one way my body chooses to cope and I guess it's a way to communicate too, whether I want to or not.

A single tear slid down from my warm, e/c eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed it's way down my cheeks, releasing the bittersweet feeling that has been held inside of me for all this time.

"Gosh. Don't you guys start..." Kaguya-san brought both of us in for a warm hug.

I met people. Real people. Those who gave me warmth instead of leaving me behind. Those who accepted me for who I am and not for my riches.

I met people who gave me the reason to hold my head high and be confident.

"You have my thanks, everyone. From the bottom of my heart."

It's time to bid our farewells; to the room that held so much memories that I shall cherish forever.

I have already placed the book on one of the shelves of the student council room. The book filled with pleasant memories and fun times we had. 

We bowed to the room, the student council room, to pay our respect. And thus ends the tenure of the 67th student council.

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"Cheers!"

"At last I can take off this suffocating blazer." the President took off his black blazer.

"We're back to winter uniforms soon though." Ishigami-kun retorted.

"True. What a weight off my shoulders. This aiguillette was rather heavy." he sighed in relief.

"Well, it is made of gold after all." Kaguya-san pointed out.

"Now all we can do is pray that our successors are up to the job." the President rolled his shoulders forward and backward to relieve the tension.

"Seeing as how you were working yourself to the point that you needed coffee everyday, I don't think anyone's going to want to do it." I sweatdropped.

"Well, at least think about who'd be suitable. The president's role is tough, but it's definitely worth the effort." he stated.

The Student Council Privilege. In Shuchiin, the student council and the committee are granted various privileges, such as bonus points for Shuchiin University admission, as well as subsidiary aid for acquiring qualifications.

Most importantly of all, the president earns an additional privilege called the 'Shuchiin Board of Directors Letter of Recommendation'.

Which is essentially a premium ticket to any university or research facility in the world.

With this letter of recommendation in hand, you can tak eyour ambitions to a whole new level.

"What about you, Ishigami? Why don't you run in the election?" the President offered.

"You think I'd get any votes? All the girls in my class start crying just from making eye contact with me. I've made countless women cry! This certainly makes me cry as well." Ishigami-kun chuckled.

"But L/n doesn't cry whenever she looks at me, instead she gives me a small, angelic smile. L/n is truly a goddess..." Ishigami-kun began to tear up.

"H-Hey, don't start crying in public!" President scolded.

"Oh, you know...if I became the president..." Chika-san fantasized. We all couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Say, President" Kaguya-san was about to say something before getting cut off.

"Now, now, Shinomiya. I'm not the president anymore." he reminded. Oh yeah...I forgot about that.

"Do you need another drink, Miyuki? You want coffee, right, Miyuki? Do you want a hot one or a iced one, Miyuki?" Chika-san asked.

"An iced one, please." the President, no wait...Shirogane-san answered.

"How about you, Ishigami-kun?" I asked. My cup is empty right now and I'm sure Chika-san would never refill Ishigami-kun's cup, so I might as well do it.

"I'd like the same thing as Myu then." Ishigami-kun answered.

"Gotcha" I playfully saluted, grabbing my cup and his and standing next to Chika-san.

"I'll go help bring some drinks as well. You wanted an iced coffee, right? Mi...President." Kaguya-san suddenly became flustered. She so wanted to call him by his first name.

"Like we said, he's not the president anymore." Chika-san sighed. The three of us went out the drink bar to refill our glasses.

"It's over, huh? If Miyuki stayed president for another year, everything would work out well..." Chika-san muttered.

"You shouldn't say that. At our school, the role of president is extremely difficult. Managing his duties while having to study and work at the same time is certainly unusual." Kaguya-san stated.

"He's already received his letter of recommendation from the board of directors. There's nothing left to gain from staying another year." I added, refilling Ishigami-kun's cup with ice.

"We mustn't be selfish. Almost every sinful action ever committed can be traced back to a selfish motive. It is a trait we hate in other people but justify in ourselves." I sighed, filling the cup with coffee.

That's right. That would simply be...too selfish. I'm sure Shirogane-san is tired, we mustn't be selfish.

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Without the student council, we won't interact with each other anymore given that we're in different classes. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other far less now.

"We'll be going now. See you at the stude-, goodbye." I corrected myself. See you at the student council? If only.

Our current life has come to an end. Better I simply considered everything up until now but a dream. I mustn't be selfish.

The city spread around me, and the world suddenly felt so wide and free that I wanted to jump.

Lights glittered everywhere just liked stars dropping to the earth, huge and small buildings collided in a mixture of shadow and geometry.

Tiny vehicles rushing along tangled lines of streets creating twisting threads of light; they all intertwined together in a magnificent mess of dream.

An amazing, marvellous, breathtaking dream that made me feel so disappointed that it has come to an end.

"L/n? We're here." Ishigami-kun tapped my shoulder. I blinked a couple of times and turned to him.

"Thank you for everything, Ishigami-kun. I'm glad we met." I gave him a small smile.

"What do you mean by 'thank you for everything'? We're friends, aren't we? Just because the student council has dissolved doesn't mean our friendship has ended." Ishigami-kun informed.

"W-Wait, don't tell me I'm the only who thought of us as friends!" Ishigami-kun covered his embarrassed face.

"No, no, no, I'm very glad you're my friend, Ishigami-kun. And I'm glad you see me as one too."

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