After breaking up, my ex asked me to win her back

From the results, it seemed Hina had miscalculated.

Ayakoji Chiyoko not only failed to adopt her proposal logically, but even enthusiastically went to the Sports Committee office, wanting to meet Saijo Mari.

No, perhaps the reality was just the opposite.

It was precisely because Ayakoji Chiyoko was rational that she might have refused the proposal.

At Yuqiu High School, supporters of Kiryu Hina far outnumbered those of Ayakoji Chiyoko.

Voting in the election had not started yet, nor had any surveys been conducted.

But this point was undeniably clear.

The atmosphere within the school made people confident of this.

The evidence was that when Ayakoji Chiyoko walked around the school, no strangers struck up conversations with her.

Conversely, strangers frequently approached Kiryu Hina.

This was the gap between a flawless Student Council President and a bloodless, tearless former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee.

It was poignant.

If this continued, she would definitely not win, something even Ayakoji Chiyoko herself understood.

However, changing her to be like Kiryu Hina was decidedly impossible.

On one hand, she lacked that kind of affinity.

On the other hand, she was unwilling to twist her personality for a mere Student Council election, forcing herself.

Honestly, Ayakoji Chiyoko had already stepped into a deadlock.

At this time, a disruptor appeared.

Moreover, it was someone with enough electoral strength to barely compete with Kiryu Hina.

Kagura Hikaru might not be aware of school affairs and possibly did not know, but Ayakoji Chiyoko could not be unaware of Saijo Mari's influence over the athletic departments.

As the president of the Sports Committee, she diligently helped athletic clubs progress every day, with a visitation frequency higher than the Disciplinary Committee.

She was good at socializing and extremely popular, and there were rumors that half the boys in the athletic department had confessed their feelings for her.

A pretty girl occasionally coming to visit, handing you a towel or a drink, smiling while praising you, and even helping to resolve club issues like interpersonal conflicts or damaged equipment.

Who wouldn't be moved?

If it were not for the presence of Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kiryu Hina, the current celebrity at Yuqiu High School would likely be her.

It could be said that the sports clubs were her stronghold of votes.

If she decided to run for the Student Council, those athletes would definitely stand by her side.

Even if Kiryu Hina stood before them, not many would change their minds.

A high and mighty Student Council President with numerous followers, versus a kind and approachable girl next door, a normal person would treasure the latter more.

If viewed as a rival, Saijo Mari's strength was surprisingly strong.

But why consider her a rival?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

As long as interests align, the so-called contradictions might not exist from the beginning.

"Moreover, there's another personal reason," Ayakoji Chiyoko explained to Kagura Hikaru, "I don't want to be led around by the nose by Kiryu Hina, you understand, right?"

Of course he understood.

In the world, no one understood better than Kagura Hikaru what it was like to be led by that person.

Both in a good and a bad way, it was deepened by their current 'hostility'.

If they followed her plans, things wouldn't end well—this was what Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru thought now.

"But, this might also be deliberately set by her to make us think this way."

"If you're going to say that, it's endless."

"If you're going to say that, you have a point."

"If you're going to say that, can you stop copying how I talk?"

"If you're going to say that... not impossible. First, put down your fists."

After the spring break ended and the second semester began, moving from freshmen to sophomores,

the only change that happened to Ayakoji Chiyoko was that she spoke more.

Especially when she was around Kagura Hikaru.

Could this be seen as a sign of their improving relationship?

Unknown, women are fickle, and Kagura Hikaru had been taught this lesson multiple times.

With that, they finally arrived at the door of the Sports Committee's office.

Knock knock.

Ayakoji Chiyoko knocked on the door.

Then, Saijo Mari came to open the door, wearing a smile.

"Oh? Classmate Ayakoji, and Classmate Kagura, what a rare visit. What brings you two here?"

In the Student Council room, Kagura Hikaru had seen her once.

But to be precise, it could also be said that he had never really seen her.

Because all her attention had been drawn away by another woman, she had no time to pay attention to anyone else.

She did not care about others at all.

Now, Kagura Hikaru suddenly realized.

The face he had originally summed up as 'spirited' was actually not just that.

However, by comparison, perhaps Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko were still a notch better.

Not just in looks and demeanor, but in acting as well.

They knew it the moment they met.

Saijo Mari was greeting them with a practiced smile.

This was high school-level acting?

Being at school every day and dealing with skilled individuals had almost made Kagura Hikaru forget the real level of most high school girls.

"May we come in and talk?" Ayakoji Chiyoko asked emotionlessly, arms crossed.

"Well, sorry, I have some tasks at the sports clubs," Saijo Mari said apologetically, "If it's urgent, could we talk while walking?"

Kagura Hikaru and Ayakoji Chiyoko exchanged glances.

"Actually, I've asked someone to collect the sports clubs' discarded items. Let's go together."

"...Alright then."

Ayakoji made a call on the spot, notifying the Gorilla Vice President to send someone to receive the sports equipment that the sports department was about to obsolete and replace.

This was agreed upon in the meeting, to be managed by the Disciplinary Committee.

What was going on?

Saijo Mari wondered internally, a flurry of question marks in her mind.

She could tell that Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru had not initially come to see her for this matter.

In this Uka High School, there was no student who didn't know what kind of personality the former Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee had.

If she came to them, it was either for trouble or for a favor.

Either way, no one could refuse.

It had only been two months since Ayakoji Chiyoko stepped down, and her influence was still strong; Saijo Mari dared not take her lightly.

She walked ahead, holding a file.

Behind her, Ayakoji Chiyoko and Kagura Hikaru communicated silently with their eyes.

[What do you want to do?]

[Depends on the situation.]

[Use people for examination?]

[Sort of.]

[Understood.]

The above was a conversation that Kagura Hikaru mentally concocted.

Actually, he had only grasped that Ayakoji Chiyoko wanted to continue observing—that was all. In reality, there were no skills just with glances that could enable conversation.

Even if there were, it was not something their current relationship could manage.

It would at least require the degree of intimacy of a passionately in-love ex-girlfriend.

Walking through the school's courtyard, they arrived at Uka's indoor gymnasium.

The gymnasium was shared by several clubs; upon entering, they could see the volleyball club, the gymnastics club, and the badminton club training, making it quite a lively scene.
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Ai Cheng Hua Lian was also there, wearing a volleyball uniform that signified her as a libero, her long white legs moving deftly as she darted behind her teammates to save balls, pushing up the volleyball that was about to score from landing, as if she could reach any tricky spot.

Although he had heard about the reputation of the Girls' Volleyball Club's ace Ai Cheng Hua Lian from Ruzaki Mami before, seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

This was far different from the clumsy guitar-learning image during spring break.

Thinking it over, since Kagura Hikaru had run into her by chance, he thought he should probably go up and greet her or something.

But a glimpse from the corner of his eye saw someone who made him freeze, unable to move another step.

It was a petite girl wearing a Uka High School uniform, with a visibly too-large, loosely hanging black coat draped over it.

Her smooth long hair hung down like that of a doll from the Island Nation, a smile on her face, yet not a hint of light in her eyes.

She sat neatly in the corner, hugging her knees, looking like an ordinary student visiting.

Why was she here?

Komori Ai!