605 - I Was Genderswapped and Reincarnated as a Villainess, but I’m Making this My Personal Yuri Game

On the Monday following the decision for Masaki to give a campaign speech, we began delivering speeches from the early morning—not on the streets, but right at the entrance. The deadline for candidate registration and the meeting to assign cultural festival booths and locations were held last weekend. This week marks the simultaneous start of the preparation period for both the student council elections and the cultural festival. The election campaign period is this week, with voting and tabulation conducted on Friday. Although the last speech is set for the whole school assembly on Friday before voting, street speeches like this are permitted throughout the week. "Good morning, everyone. I, Sakuya Kujou, endorse Masaki Oshikoji in the student council election!" Enthusiastic cheers erupted. I deliberately began with sensational words. Normally, in a campaign speech, it's unnecessary to inform everyone whose name you're cheering for. The point is to promote the candidate being supported. But our strategy is different. Masaki and my plan focus heavily on emphasizing that "Sakuya Kujou is supporting Masaki Oshikoji." Ordinarily, a member of the Gobokai—the student council's rival group—endorsing a potential student council president would be a negative thing. But that's precisely why we emphasize it. Certainly, I could work shadowy maneuvers behind the scenes to give some advantage to Masaki. However, that wouldn't be enough, and if the truth ever came out, it would worsen his image. So, we decided to go open and upfront. We're emphasizing that "Masaki Oshikoji is the kind of person even an executive of Gobokai, Sakuya Kujou, would support." This is a gamble. Will Masaki be perceived as "a spy sent in by the Gobokai," or as someone "capable of discussing matters with the Gobokai"? This could determine the outcome. In any case, Masaki can't win this election alone. This gamble is our only shot at a turnaround. "Masaki Oshikoji will become a student council president who can engage with the Gobokai. This will allow the Gobokai and the student council to collaborate more closely than ever before, benefiting everyone at Fujihana Academy. I assure you!" The crowd roared in excitement. It's important not to speak vaguely. Declare what's crucial outright. We don't need statements like "working hard for the school" or "hoping for a better outcome." We must firmly assert that "if Masaki Oshikoji becomes student council president, the school will improve." Convincing people it can truly happen is critical. Even the most idealistic speeches mean nothing if unachievable. If the listeners believe it truly can be enacted, only then will they offer their support. That's why I stand at the forefront to endorse Masaki. The fact that "Sakuya Kujou," currently a senior member of Gobokai, supports Masaki Oshikoji adds decisive credibility. The concern is whether Masaki will be seen as a puppet of the Gobokai, but that's something his speech will need to clarify. "The one who just received support in the campaign speech is me, Masaki Oshikoji, candidate for student council president! I've been discussing an equal partnership between the student council and the Gobokai with Sakuya Kujou! If anyone thinks the student council will bow down to the Gobokai just because I become president, they're sorely mistaken! Instead, the student council will stand on even ground with the Gobokai!" Hmm…? Masaki’s speech… was that okay? Seemed like he said quite a few things that differed from what we had discussed. Maybe he went off-script, and it turned out negative? But applause broke out among the crowd. Perhaps that was just fine after all. Under this strategy, Masaki is unlikely to secure votes from the "anti-Gobokai faction." My strategy never aimed for 100% support; it involved disregarding 49% but ensuring we secure 51%. I've anticipated some pushback, expecting some level of struggle in the election. Obtaining a firm base of support, rather than convincing everyone, is essential. We continued campaigning until immediately before the morning bell, Masaki and I engrossed in our speeches. --- "Why does Sakuya-sama have to give a campaign speech for someone like that?" "Now, now, Azami-chan…" Back in the classroom, Azami-chan was sulking, puffing out her cheeks in an obvious pout. While her cuteness made it tempting to leave her be, I couldn't ignore her indefinitely. "Only until this weekend's election, right?" "What?! So we have to keep this up until the election!?" "Of course. If Masaki doesn't win, there won't be any point to the efforts we've made in campaign speeches so far." "That's so unfair…" Azami-chan’s face turned crestfallen, still adorable as ever, but there was no easy solution to this. If Masaki already seemed to have a guaranteed win, I wouldn't need to assist. But Masaki doesn't appear to have such a secure base of support, and my speeches alone probably won't change that reality. To prevent Natsume from becoming student council president, Masaki absolutely needs to win. Therefore, I must seriously focus on supporting Masaki this week. Natsume had quite a fanbase among female players in the game. Many questioned why he wasn't a romance option, and rumors speculated he might become a hidden character. As a man, I couldn't see the appeal of such a flirt, but women inexplicably love flirts. In games, when such characters turn out to have hidden depths, they often become top favorites. If he was that popular in the game, Natsume is sure to be popular here in the real world as well. Masaki, lacking appeal among women, would struggle to capture significant female support. Thus, securing male votes firmly and chipping away at female votes is vital. Although I have no intention of running a negative campaign to smear the opposition like in American elections, it's essential to position Natsume as an adversary to the guys while swaying the female votes toward Masaki to ensure victory. "Just today's effort alone should solidify Masaki Oshikoji’s win, right?" "Yeah, I'm sure we’ve secured about 95% of the votes solidly, right?" "Could it be… has Sakuya-chan not noticed?" "That would be quite unlikely, wouldn’t it? It’s likely because this is how diligent Sakuya-chan is in everything…" "Right?" I could hear everyone whispering. Ideally, I would like everyone to assist in the election. However, at Fujihana Academy, there's a limit to the number of people who can participate in campaign speeches. If a candidate with many friends requests too many people for speeches, it blocks passageways, so there's a restriction on how many can help with the campaign. "I'd appreciate everyone's cooperation, but due to regulations, there's a limit on the number of people who can deliver campaign speeches..." "That's true. Just give it up, Azami. Even we miss having Sakuya-chan around." "Ugh..." Azami-chan reluctantly seemed to give in, prompted by Satsuki. "Then, Sakuya-sama, let's work on the cultural festival preparations together! Is that okay?" "I suppose... That's fine..." "Hey, Azami-chan! That's unfair! Then I get to work with you too!" "Me too!" "Sakuya-chan..." "Ugh..." Everyone in the group was looking at me with those puppy-dog eyes. I can't resist those looks... But I would love to enjoy the cultural festival with everyone, so it's not like I don't want to. Yet whenever faced with those eyes, I feel compelled to agree to anything. "F-first, let's check if the cultural festival booth has been decided." "Boo... okay..." "Alright!" Azami-chan seemed disappointed again, but the others seemed satisfied and responded with fairly happy faces. --- "Alright... From today onwards, we'll start the full preparations for the cultural festival. First, let's divide into the groups we've previously determined and proceed with the preparations." Our homeroom teacher came to announce that the plans had been officially approved during the meeting. Typically, we'd have to run errands and do shopping from now on, but in our class, my group and I had already fronted the money and finished the shopping. Technically, this might not be the best approach, but our class tends to be slow in preparation. So, we went ahead with a bit of a head start on our errands. However, it turns out other classes also started early. The only risk of this approach is having to pay out of pocket if our booth isn't approved. The amount isn't significant for us, so it wouldn't be a problem to lose it. If we were told to personally cover something like eight million, I'd have to inform my parents, but the cost of threads and needles is modest. Moreover, since there are eight of us, even if it came to a million per person labeled as "necessary school expenses," no one would say much. Perhaps Seri-chan's family might say something, though... "Let's start with the embroidery group, shall we?" "Yes!" Embroidery takes time and patience. However, even beginners can do it relatively easily if they learn a few basic stitches. Creating something truly elaborate requires thorough patience and time, but adding small accents to a handkerchief shouldn't be too difficult. "Satsuki-chan is the leader of this group, right? Can I trust you to oversee the others?" "Yes. Most of them are experienced, so I can manage on my own." "Hey, Satsuki! What do I do with this?" While Satsuki-chan and I talked, Azami-chan approached, holding a handkerchief and embroidery hoop without even sketching a draft. Wait...what does she plan to do with those, not even knowing how to use the hoop? Azami-chan, didn’t you say you had experience? "Sigh... I'll leave Azami to you, Sakuya-chan. I'll take care of the others." "Oh!" She escaped! Azami-chan is a complete novice, and Satsuki left her with me to avoid dealing with it! "Alright, Azami-chan... Let's start with sketching a draft..." "Huh?! I can't draw anything!" "It's okay. We'll just transfer a design you like onto the handkerchief using tracing paper..." "Tracing paper?" Are we really starting from there? Azami-chan claiming she had experience was definitely a lie, right? She clearly knows nothing about this. "Tracing paper is like see-through paper. We use it to trace the design first." I placed the tracing paper over a sample design, allowing the original to show through. Azami-chan seemed genuinely fascinated as she watched. "Once you've traced the design onto the tracing paper, place carbon paper underneath and overlap it with the tracing paper, then cover with cellophane and trace over it with a stylus. Carbon paper leaves color beneath as you trace with a pen from above. Similar to how the writing on a delivery slip transfers to other copies." "Wow..." Oh, she's not getting it... Right, as a noble lady, she probably wouldn't write delivery slips... Never mind, hands-on practice will make it clear eventually. "Pick a design you like, and let's trace it over once." "Oh! Then, please use this one! It's so cute!" Azami-chan handed me a floral pattern with a smile. Looks like I'm doing the tracing... Fine… doing it once will help her understand. With practiced swiftness, I transferred the design Azami-chan chose. "Wow! It's amazing! It looks just like it!" Of course it does... I just traced it, so it’s bound to look the same... "What’s next?" "Stretch the fabric in the embroidery hoop, cut the embroidery threads to appropriate lengths, separating into 'two strands' or 'three strands' as needed. Once you learn the basic stitches, you'll be able to complete simple designs quickly." While guiding Azami-chan, I started working on my own design. Instead of using the sample design, I drafted an original one, stretched it onto my hoop, and started stitching diligently. "Sakuya-sama, what do I do with this?" "This part needs..." "Sakuya-sama! In this situation, what...?" "For this, you should..." "Sakuya-sama, what should I do!" "Okay..." "Sakuya-sama, help me, please!" "I’m coming..." Aaaahhhh!! I can't make any progress! Azami-chan keeps bombarding me with questions, so I can't focus at all! There’s a beginner's guidebook with examples and explanations, but she asks me everything directly! Maybe read the book a little? It's right there? Shall we start with the book? Or at least check the instructions? "Sakuya-chan, looks like you’re having a tough time… Wait, what?! You've already made so much progress?!" "Whoa! Amazing..." "A design this beautiful, turned into such elegant embroidery in such a short time?" "Is it possible Kujou-sama is actually an android...?" Other members of the embroidery group came over, scrutinizing my work. I felt chastised for not completing anything yet, despite the time passing. "W-well, you see... It's because I've been guiding Azami-chan..." "Helping a complete beginner like Tokudaiji-sama and you've gotten this far already?" "Wait, what stitch is that? I don’t know this one..." "It's just a normal stitch that's in the book, applied in various ways..." Are they whispering again!? Maybe blaming Azami-chan wasn't the best idea... "I-I'm sorry! I'll finish this up quickly!" I have to finish at least one piece! Otherwise, I’ll lose face in front of everyone! "Wow... Look at how fast his hands move..." "Impressive that he doesn't prick his fingers..." "And despite sewing so quickly, the thread never gets tangled. That's why it's finished so beautifully..." "There! I've finished one piece at least!" Somehow, I managed to swiftly complete one project. I suppose I've done the minimum required of me now. "Creating such a complex, three-dimensional embroidery in such a short time..." "An android from Gobokai is a real monster!" "Sakuya-sama... I'm already bored. Or rather, I don’t think embroidery suits me at all! Let’s go to a different group!" "Ah... Um... Right. Well then, everyone, I’m sorry, but I’ll take Azami-chan and check out other groups." Unable to bear the piercing stares from the embroidery group, I decided to complete just this one piece today and excused myself to visit other groups with Azami-chan. Thus, we made a strategic retreat from the scene.