Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

□ Bonus chapter...

She had a smile like the Virgin Mary and the same gentle voice.

Despite this, her words were so self-centered that it was hard to believe one's ears.

「Ah... but it's rude to call them trash. Because there are probably a lot of people who voted for me. So, except for those who voted for me, they are all trash」

『Eh... uh, you're joking, right?』

Yotsuba smiled and nodded her head when the committee member in charge of announcements interrupted her. However, she did not affirm it aloud, but rather happily cursed the audience and even the four rivals, including Chihiro.

「A little girl who is only pretty, a stubborn person who doesn't understand her true charm, a fool who missed out on a win when he/she should have won on the basis of their looks. All of them are beyond saving」

After she had said a few words, she gave a short talk.

「Of course, I was joking. I am very sorry for my rude remark」

She returned to her normal self and bowed her head.

At that moment, not only Chihiro but almost everyone in the audience was relieved.

「So, how was "my performance"? By the way, the person who helped me to write the script was my dear friend, the vice president of the student council, Lou... Lucille Orwell」

Lucille gives a thumbs up to Yotsuba's words.

So that's what happened, Lucille was cooperating with Yotsuba. It is typical of her that she discloses it without any second thought and raises her share.

Such a thoughtfulness turns the earlier joke into a clear joke and emphasizes Yotsuba's gentle impression. It was quite an interesting move.

However, Chihiro is sure that she was serious in almost all of her words.

The part where she cursed others must have been improvised since there was no way to make up a script, and even for the other parts, Yotsuba must be thinking similar things in her mind now.

The only people she values are herself, her friends, and Chihiro and his associates.

So, in a different sense, Chihiro was also worried.

Anyway, this is the end of everyone's appeals.

『Now, we move on to the question and answer session. Please raise your hands if you have any questions you would like to ask them』

Whether or not the Miss Contest will go off without a hitch is a question.

But thanks to the appeal time, the audience was a little less cautious of Kaname. She might not know that "Chisato" is Chihiro, or even if she does, she might not want to do anything at this moment.

So, it seems good to relax a bit. But――

「Yes, yes, yes. Wait a minute please!」

There was a girl who raised her hand cheerfully as she walked from the shadows to the venue.

Of course, it was Ibusuki Kaname - the self-proclaimed "bizarre and cruel idol" who was somehow looking for Chihiro.

While the audience, the committee members, and Chihiro and the others were all looking at her, she proudly approaches the stage and goes up on stage without permission.

『Excuse me, but unauthorized people are not allowed on stage...』

「My face, don't you recognize it?」

A rather loud voice, even without a microphone, interrupted the announcement.

『Ah! Eh, Ibusuki Kaname? No way?』

Unintentionally, a murmur was heard over the microphone, and that was the last word.

It seems that she's a hot idol right now. Because there were quite a few students who knew Kaname's face, and the buzz in the audience was the loudest so far.

An idol came to a school festival of another school in secret, and interfered in the Miss Contest.

The audience was in an uproar, wondering what was going to happen or if this was another set-up by the organizing committee.

At any rate, Chihiro knows that this is not a setup. It would cost a lot of money to invite entertainers to the event since the budget allocated for the event is not enough to cover the cost, and it is strange that the student council has not been informed of the event.

Besides, no one wants to stop this flow. Rather, it was clear from the flow of the conversation and the expressions on Kaname's face that people were prepared to stand by and watch.

『I'm sorry, I couldn't stop her』

Marika's voice echoed in Chihiro's brain.

Besides him, Yotsuba and Lucille responded to the voice. They too had subtle expressions on their faces at the sudden situation.

『It was not Hazuki-Senpai's fault. Under the circumstances, it would have been worse if we force her to stop』

『...yeah, you're right. We'll just have to wait and see what happens』

『Yeah, that's fine. It'll be a topic of conversation, I'm sure』

Lucille, who knows nothing about the situation, is a bit optimistic, thinking that it would be a big mistake if she provokes her. Perhaps it might be a simple matter of convenience...

「I don't like it, you know. When there are girls who are not as pretty as me competing for the first place at the Miss Contest」

「...eh」

All expectations were immediately betrayed.

『Ehh, but that being said... This is a popularity contest within the school』

「I know that. But it's also true that I don't like it. So, I want you to show everyone. That these girls are not enough to be in the Miss Contest」

This is absurd.

How reckless and selfish is she going to be, just because she is an idol?

But the public opinion was positive. There were many comments such as "That's good" and "No way!".

Yotsuba, who standing there, saw Kaname with a cute little smile on her face.

「But if you just ask us to prove it... what do you need us to do to convince you?」

「That's a good question. I don't really care what you want to do... but it's too much trouble to ask each of you to prove yourselves one by one」

This is not something for the person who started it to say.

At the same time, she has a point. Now, the time for the question-and-answer session of the girls' club has been reduced, and if the session goes on too long, not only will no questions be accepted, but the voting time will end, and the school festival itself will also end.

Then, what should be done?

Kaname turned to Chihiro.

Their gazes meet. The feeling Chihiro sensed was, as he expected, one of fierce desire. This girl only wants to enjoy watching Chihiro and the others suffer.

At the same time, he realized that he had already been "exposed".

「Shall we do this? The "little girl" there should be the representative to prove it. It means that among five of you, this "little girl" is, just barely, an existence that I can approve of」

「Representative?」

「Yes, a representative」

With a grin, Kaname looked back at the men waiting behind the stage.

「You there. ...yes, that refreshing guy over there. Can you come over here for a minute?」

「Uhh, okay, whatever」

The appointed Kamishiro walks onto the stage in confusion.

Kaname walks up to him and puts her face close to his.