TL: Kagefij
TLC: learning2tl
ED: Fractal

「This time your task is to『Get your suggestion accepted two or more times』」

「……Err, what did you mean?」

After Hinami gave me her task, I immediately asked for clarification .

「I meant it literally . Where to go . What to eat . When to go back . When you act in groups, there are going to be『Decisions that involve everyone』like those, right?」

「Well, I guess so . 」

Unless everyone separated and went to eat on their own, it’d have to be like that .

「You see, at a time like this there’s inevitably going to be a situation in which 『one person makes a decision everyone accepts』 . Even if everyone ends up wanting to go to the same place, there needs to be someone who vocalizes the idea right?」

「Ah」

That is, there must always be a person who declares the idea .

「That’s what I meant by『Get your suggestion accepted』 . By yourself, be 『the first one who brings it up』regarding where to go or what to eat . Give that suggestion to the other three and get them to follow your suggestion . Do that two or more times . That’s the task this time . 」

So that’s what she meant . I understood what I needed to do .

「I got it, ……however, I still have one question」

I said as I raised my hand to ask a question .

「Yes, Tomozaki-kun?」

Hinami pointed at me acting like a s.e.xy female teacher . Even though I was the one who started the charade, her teacher act was so fitting that it made me embarra.s.sed .

「Err, what’s the reason or benefit of doing this?」

「That’s a good question, Tomozaki-kun . You see, There are two main benefits . 」

Hinami brought up two fingers next to her face while sticking to the mature tone . The strangely appealing tone of voice charmed my ears .

「T-Two」

「The first reason is to practice seizing the right to lead a group . 」

「Practice seizing the right to lead a group?」

It didn’t quite ring a bell for me .

「Getting straight to the point,『Getting your suggestion accepted』means being able to temporarily 『manipulate the mood』for the group」

「Err, what?」

I thought about it while being at a loss for words .

Getting my suggestions accepted = Manipulating the mood?

「We talked about the『mood』before, right? When I said that the thing we call『mood 』is, in summary, the standard for judgement established within that group」

「Ah, you did say that」

Something I personally experienced during the incident with Konno Erika .

The fact that Mood = the standard for judgement established within that group .

「Then don’t you understand what I mean? 」

The meaning……?

From the two hints I was given, I tried my best to figure it out .

In other words…… is this what she means?

「In short, by『Getting my suggestions accepted』I would be manipulating the『mood』within the group in the direction of my suggestion being 『good』 . Thus, I would be『manipulating the mood』 . Is that it?」

Hinami grinned .

「Onitada」

「It came out . 」

「In summary,」Hinami said as she touched my chest with one extended finger,「Getting your suggestion accepted is practice for becoming a『person who manipulates the mood of the group』」

Though I startled due to the unexpected finger on my chest, I managed to feign calmness and respond .

「E-err… to become a『person who manipulates the mood of the group』?」

「Yes . For that purpose, you will have to get your suggestion accepted . 」Hinami retracted her finger . 「Then, do you understand why we’re aiming towards becoming a『person who manipulates the mood of the group』?」

Though I still had the lingering feeling of Hinami’s finger on my chest I managed to suppress my emotions and answer Hinami’s question .

「……You mean that it’s related to becoming a riajuu?」

「Onitada」

「You’re on the ball today」

「You see, it’s normally riajuus that become the『person who manipulates the mood of the group』, don’t you agree?」

Hinami pretended I didn’t say anything and continued the conversation . Well, that’s also fine .

I thought of several people who fit the bill of『person who manipulates the mood of the group』…… It’s just as she said .

「That’s true……how should I put it, being the organizer or being the leader . They’re often the boss in that situation . Putting it another way, you can say that they’re the at the top even within riajuus . 」

「That’s right . Like Nakamura, or Konno Erika, or me . 」

「Wow, that’s incredibly humble of you . 」

I got used to her singing her own praises . To the point where I just let her say anything .

「So in summary, in order to become a boss-cla.s.s riajuu, the most fitting task is to『get your suggestion accepted』」

「I see」At this point, I suddenly calmed down . 「……Err, you’re telling me to become the boss?」

That’s impossible . Those words very naturally came to me .

Unexpectedly, Hinami shook her head .

「It’s too sudden to ask you to become the boss of a riajuu group . I meant more that you need to gradually acquire the skills of people on this side . 」

「Gradually……」

If, if that’s the case, then I guess it might not be impossible……perhaps?

「Yes . By『getting your suggestion accepted』you will get used to『manipulating the mood』 . It’s fine if from there, you gradually learn higher levels of mood manipulation . 」

「Err, is that so?」Or rather…「Does that means that there are higher levels of mood manipulation?」

「Isn’t it obvious? Well for your current state, it’s probably too soon to discuss it, but ── you can do various things like manipulating the mood for an even larger group . Or even manipulating the mood not just temporarily but for a longer period of time . 」

Manipulating the mood of a large group, and allowing the effect to last for a long time?

I tried to think, but nothing came to mind .

「……For example?」

「Let’s see . In terms of our school, there’s the mood that dictates『Unpopular girls shouldn’t wear neckties』, right? No one actually checks to see that the rule is followed but a large group has been following that mood for a long time . 」

「O, Oh! So it’s about things like that . 」

She’s amazing being able to say that while wearing a necktie . Nevertheless, I was convinced . Surely they exist . The mood a.s.sumed by a large group of people .

「After manipulating the mood of a large group momentarily for many many times, that standard will begin to take root within the group . When that becomes the case, that mood will be firmly established without the need to manipulate it further for it to stay relevant . Little by little, the mood will become something『a.s.sumed』by the group . That’s a difficult mood manipulation with a wide area of effect and a long effective time . If you practice to the extreme, then you’ll be able to do something like that . 」

Hinami said that while showing a smile that displayed her acting skill .

「……I, I see」

While being startled by her meaningful words and facial expression, I gave it further thought . Repeating the mood manipulation multiple times and changing the group’s standard of judgment from what it previously was . Changing to the point that it takes a firm root without having to manipulate it anymore . In a way, that’s just like brainwashing .

While being startled by her meaningful words and facial expression, I gave it further thought . Repeating the mood manipulation multiple times and changing the group’s standard of judgment from what it previously was . Changing to the point that it takes a firm root without having to manipulate it anymore . In a way, that’s just like brainwashing .

「By the way you do realize that not just in school but also in businesses and in local governments or even in countries, people are doing this same type of manipulation . 」

「That, that is……」

Going shopping with a small group and controlling the group for only a single time, that’s the easiest type of 『mood manipulation』 .

Doing that with a larger group and allowing the effect to take root, that’s the difficult『mood manipulation』 .

Increasing the scale means increasing the scope, intensity or firmness .

「With that…… taking it to the extreme, it feels like a new religion . 」

When I said that, Hinami grinned .

「A new religion? What are you saying?」

「Eh?」

「Religions are also like that . Tomozaki-kun . 」

「A, ah……」

I’ve heard a statement that seems kind of dangerous .

「That’s just how it works . Not only religions, many groups are subject to『mood manipulation』, large or small . There’s no such thing as a group without any manipulation . This includes the cla.s.s, your family or simply the two of us talking . It’s because humans are beings that can’t doing anything without any standard of judgement . 」

「I, I see」

Even though I felt fear at those enlightening words, I became convinced that this was true .

「With this, you understand, right? If you practice the smallest degree of mood manipulation, next you can practice a larger degree of mood manipulation . After that, you can start seeing how to perform an even larger mood manipulation . By taking initiative like this, you can become someone that manipulates the mood in a certain group ── in other words, the boss of that group . Rephrasing it further, it means that you can get closer to become a true riajuu . 」

「Ah, so that’s what you meant . 」

「You probably wouldn’t know how to go about doing it if I suddenly told you to become the boss of the group, but if it’s『getting your suggestion accepted about where to go and what to eat』, then you have an idea of how it can be done, right?」

「Well, that’s certainly true . 」

「And when you’ve learned how to do it, by repeating many times, with different conditions or by applying the method to a larger group, the road to becoming a riajuu will open up to you . Got it?」

It sounded difficult, but it turned out to be pretty straightforward .

「Yeah . Onitada . 」

「That’s not the right way to use it」

Hinami made a very displeased face . It’s look like I have a long way to go in the art of Onitada .

「Err……What’s the second reason?」

「Well, the right use of Onitada is something for you to review later ── the second reason is about『responsibility』」

「Well, the right use of Onitada is something for you to review later ── the second reason is about『responsibility』」

「Responsibility?」

A grand-sounding word has appeared yet again .

「That’s very simple . You see, aren’t you a loner?」

「Is it something you’d suddenly say out so straightforwardly?」

A surprise frontal thrust .

「But it’s an important thing . In short, when you act alone, there is no need to take responsibility for other people . The results of your actions normally only affect yourself, right?」

「Hn? Well, that’s true . 」

Since there’s only me alone, that much is obvious .

「Even if you went into a restaurant without checking and the food wasn’t good, then only you suffer from it . If you went into a random shop and couldn’t find want you wanted, then you’ve wasted only your own time . You haven’t inconvenienced anyone . 」

「That’s certainly true」

You can say that that’s a pro of being a loner . After all, pros and cons are just different perspectives of the same thing .

「However, when you become a riajuu and join a group and end up making decisions for that group, that goes out the window . 」

「……Hn? In summary?」

「If you suggest『let’s eat here』to everyone and the food isn’t good, it’s your responsibility . If you suggest『let’s shop here』to everyone and there isn’t a good a.s.sortment of goods, it’s your responsibility . 」

「Ah……」

You could certainly say that .

「Of course, in the end, everyone would have made the decision to go along with that suggestion . So it might be just to say that everyone shares that responsibility equally . Nevertheless, there’s a 『mood』that the course of action suggested by the person who created the idea was bad, don’t you agree?」

「Well, I can imagine」

「So in summary, aren’t you a loner?」

「Is that straightforward phrase something you say twice?」

「It is for you to experience firsthand the『responsibility from making decisions』that did not arise when you were a loner . Then, it is for you to get used to it . Furthermore, it is for you to be able to control that freely . It is the first step for you into that territory . This is the other meaning behind this task . 」

「……I see . I got it . 」

I nodded my head, convinced .

「Putting it in another way, it is in order to pull out the epitome of hiriajuu, in other words, you, from the warm bath — no, a rotten trench — known as being a loner that you have been relying on . 」

「Did you really need to give further explanation that was needlessly harsh?」

Well, it’s just typical of Hinami to be unsatisfied by a normal explanation .