Epilogue: Surely Not Special, But…
“Man, you totally got me,” Mutsu-senpai said with a wry smile during lunch break.
We’d come to the student council room for the handover process, and she sighed as she spoke to us.
“I never thought you’d spot that winning move. I went to double-check, but I guess I stirred up trouble myself, huh?”
I grinned back confidently at her question about the election victory. “Who knows? I had a backup plan even without your hints. The result might’ve been the same.”
“What? That’s news to me!” Nagi exclaimed, surprised by my claim.
I nodded with confidence. “Yup. As a last resort, I was gonna charm Mutsu-senpai into withdrawing.”
It felt a bit like a honey trap, but in a pinch, I couldn’t be picky about methods.
Instead of scrambling for hundreds of votes, winning Mutsu-senpai’s single vote would’ve sealed it.
“…Guess I really did mess up,” Mutsu-senpai muttered.
“…I was this close to losing spectacularly,” Nagi added.
For some reason, both girls clutched their heads as if warding off a migraine, while I smugly explained. Huh?
“…Oh, whatever, fine. If you two can beat me, you’ll be reliable from here on,” Mutsu-senpai said.
She sighed, then straightened up, as if regaining her composure.
After yesterday’s vote count, Mutsu-senpai was offered the vice president role by the teachers and accepted.
Thus, in a “yesterday’s enemy is today’s friend” system, Mutsu-senpai joined the student council.
“W-We look forward to learning from you. Please guide us,” Nagi said, bowing nervously.
Mutsu-senpai nodded. “Yup. Here’s to working together, Kaichou-san.”
She flashed a bright smile, and Nagi started to relax—when it happened.
With a thud, Mutsu-senpai dropped a massive stack of paper documents on the desk in front of Nagi.
“Uh, um… what’s this?” Nagi asked.
“Your first job as student council president. You created an unprecedented old-school-building club alliance. I prepared documents for procedures, anticipated issues, countermeasures, and preliminary negotiations. Use these to discuss with the advisors of the old-building clubs in the staff room, okay?”
Mutsu-senpai smiled, assigning a staggering workload.
Her utterly guileless demeanor sent a chill down my spine.
This woman… she’s so capable she doesn’t know how to hold back!
She probably assumes Nagi, who defeated her, has even greater potential and can handle this easily.
We need to set boundaries early. Nagi should say she can’t do it.
“I-I’ll do my best…” Nagi stammered.
—But shy Nagi-chan lacked the guts to defy Senpai.
With a strained expression, she tremblingly clutched the documents.
“…I’ll help,” I offered.
“Ugh… Thank you, Kurusu-kun,” she said.
As the one who proposed the club alliance, I couldn’t abandon her. I took half the stack.
The moment I lifted it, the weight strained my arms, my shoulders screaming.
“…Shouldn’t we digitize student council work?” I suggested.
“This school’s old-fashioned. Conservative teachers insist important documents stay on paper,” Mutsu-senpai said, shrugging with a sigh.
“Well, let’s have the new Kaichou-san tackle that. I’ll help too.”
Nagi’s eyes teared up at Mutsu-senpai’s smile. “Ugh… I-I’ll try.”
Crap. I meant to help, but I just added to her workload.
“We’re off, then,” I said.
“Alright, see you later. I’ll handle the rest here,” Mutsu-senpai said, waving.
We stepped into the hallway.
“…This is gonna be rough,” I muttered.
“Seriously…” Nagi agreed.
We exchanged weary looks.
“No good. We can’t start off thinking gloomy thoughts. Let’s focus on something positive,” I said, forcibly yanking my mind from negativity.
Nagi nodded eagerly. “R-Right. Oh, I’ve got something good! Yesterday, I contacted the agency, and they officially approved the end of my contract.”
“So, Mea’s retired for good this time,” I said.
The words brought a deeper wave of emotion than I expected.
That day, meeting that strange girl in the golden sunset, the wild, fun days that followed.
Realizing they’d never return hit me hard.
“…Do you regret it? Helping me with the election?” Nagi asked, anxiously studying my face.
I gave her a slightly exasperated smile. “No way. You did everything you wanted as Mea and wrapped it up, right? That’s a happy ending. Nothing more to ask for.”
“…Yeah,” Nagi said, her expression solemn, as if savoring the moment.
She must feel it too, just as I do.
But with her first student council job already underway, she needed to switch gears.
“Besides, we can’t keep dwelling on the past. You’ve got to lead Mutsu-senpai all by yourself now.”
“R-Right. I have to handle Senpai alone… Alone?” Nagi’s face froze, and she stopped walking.
“Hey, this is heavy. Let’s get to the staff room,” I urged.
“Pardon my question, but…” she said, ignoring me, turning stiffly like a rusty tin doll.
“What’s with you?”
“Kurusu-kun… are you, like, not joining the student council?”
“Of course not. No reason to,” I said casually, affirming her timid question.
I was only here for the handover as part of my recommender duties.
“Wait, wait, wait! That’s impossible! I can’t handle Mutsu-senpai alone! I can see a future where she turns this into a full-on regency government!” Nagi panicked, flailing.
I thought for a moment. “Wouldn’t that be better for the students?”
“Maybe… No, not maybe! That’s so irresponsible! After all those votes we fought for! And if a workaholic like her becomes regent, I’ll die of overwork! Help me, Kurusu-kun!”
“Ugh… Look, I’m busy starting the photography club.”
“Guh… T-That’s true, but!”
“And I don’t want to die of overwork either.”
“That’s your real reason! Help me, Kurusu-kun! I can’t do this alone!”
I put on a show of hesitation as she pleaded, half-crying. “Hmm, what to do? I might consider it with the right conditions.”
“C-Conditions?” she asked warily.
“Let me take your picture again.”
“W-What kind? Like that sewing club shoot?” she asked, stepping back, her trauma resurfacing.
I gave a wry smile. “Relax, not like that. Just normal photos. Everyday moments like now.”
I started walking again, and Nagi jogged to catch up.
“…I’m thinking of making an album,” I said once she was beside me.
Her eyes widened, surprised. “An album? That’s fine, but… it’s sudden. Because of the photography club?”
“Partly, but not just that.”
—I wanted to take different photos from before.
Back then, I photographed Mea, shouting to the world online.
Proving my existence, that these photos wouldn’t exist without me.
That was the “special” Mea showed me.
A weapon for an ordinary guy like me to fight the reality of being worthless.
But now, I don’t feel the need to prove that to faceless strangers.
Because I care so much for Nagi, who’s no longer special.
I’ve probably graduated from that childish world.
So I want to take photos just for me and Nagi’s album, not for the world.
“Plus, you might change your persona again, right? Gotta capture the pure student council president vibe while it lasts,” I said, masking my true feelings with a teasing tone.
“I’m done changing personas,” Nagi huffed, puffing her cheeks.
“Really? You might go full-on bubbly gyaru next.”
“I can’t even imagine that. No matter how I try, I wouldn’t pull it off.”
“Yeah, you don’t seem to have the social skills for it.”
“That’s so unfair to agree! I can’t deny it, though!”
—The story of me and Mea, chasing something special, ended happily.
What begins now is a new chapter for me and Nagi.
Just an ordinary tale of two regular people.
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