Symboli Rudolph's Perspective
"Wow," Mr. CB breathed out, breaking the silence in the Student Council room. "She really went for the throat at the end there, didn't she? 'A meaningless conference.' It feels like that last part—the part about Rice—was the only thing she actually came to say."
"I agree," Air Groove said, her voice full of respect. "She stood her ground so perfectly… I've seen her before, but to witness that level of authority firsthand is something else. She truly is the President's grandmother."
"It was a masterclass," I admitted. "In my current state, I couldn't hope to match that presence. But… I'd like to talk about something she said. I have a question for the four of you."
"I'm listening," Air Groove said.
"Count me in," CB added. "I'm not in any rush to head back."
"Rice is okay too," Rice whispered.
Hachiman nodded. "Go ahead."
"Thank you," I said, leaning forward. "It's about Grandmother's parting words: 'I pray that the near future does not go exactly as I expect.' What did she mean by that? What exactly is she expecting to happen?"
Rice tilted her head. "Hmm… but can we even understand what the Vice-Chairman is thinking? Her mind seems so far ahead of ours."
"Rice Shower is right," Air Groove added. "The thoughts of a woman who oversees the entire URA are likely beyond us."
I turned my gaze to the man leaning against the wall. "...Brother, what do you think?"
Hachiman remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowed as if looking at a complex puzzle. "I've gathered enough fragments to form a theory."
The rest of us stiffened. "—!"
"Let's hear it," I urged.
"Fine," Hachiman said. "First, look at the phrase: 'The near future.' She means it literally. A few days from now. Maybe even tomorrow. And I am nearly certain that this future will play out exactly 100% as Speed Symboli predicts."
"But why?" CB asked.
"Think about what she just did," Hachiman explained. "She told the world that apologizing to the URA was meaningless. She told them—bluntly and publicly—that the person they actually should have apologized to was Rice. Once you realize that, the prediction turns into a certainty. How do you think the audience reacted to that?"
"Well," I said, "it's a logical conclusion. They heckled Rice Shower, so they should apologize to Rice Shower."
Hachiman shook his head. "Put yourself in the shoes of those fans. If you were one of the people who heckled or one of the people just wanting to see the races again, how would you feel hearing her say that?"
"Probably… annoyed?" CB guessed. "Or maybe they'd think, 'Oh, I get it now, I need to write a letter to Rice'?"
"Bingo," Hachiman said. "She pointed out that they were apologizing to the wrong person. On the surface, it looks like she was giving them a hint. But underneath… it was a condemnation. And that's where the problem starts."
"What do you mean?" Rice asked. "She told them the right person to apologize to. Isn't that a good thing?"
Hachiman looked at the group. "Let me ask all of you: Which is more sincere? An apology given because you realized you were wrong, or an apology given because a high-ranking official publicly scolded you and told you who to apologize to?"
I felt a jolt of realization. "—! I see. So that's it."
"Now I get it," Air Groove whispered, her expression darkening.
"Ohhh, wow," CB said, her voice dropping. "When you put it that way… yeah, I see the problem."
"Um… it's the one before being told, right?" Rice asked timidly.
"Exactly," Hachiman said. "Rice and I have looked through every letter sent to us. Most are messages of support. Only about thirty were actual apologies from people who were at the track. Meanwhile, the URA has probably received a hundred times that—maybe a thousand. If you count everyone who's just mad about the ban, maybe ten thousand times."
"Thirty… thousand letters?" Rice gasped.
"It could be even more," Air Groove added grimly.
"And here's the 'near future' Speed Symboli is expecting," Hachiman continued. "The people who apologized to the URA are going to pivot. They're going to start flooding Rice with apology letters. But Rice, let me ask you: if you get a mountain of letters tomorrow from people who only realized they should 'apologize' after being told to by the URA, will you believe they're actually sorry?"
Rice looked down, her voice trembling. "N-no... I wouldn't."
"Of course not," Hachiman said. "It's 'forced' sincerity. They're only doing it because they were told it's the only way to get the races back. The letters might look pretty, and the words might be polite, but the heart behind them is ugly. It's pure self-interest. They're just wearing a mask of remorse to get what they want."
"So," CB said, "the 'future' she's praying doesn't happen is the arrival of a massive wave of fake apologies?"
"That's my take," Hachiman replied. "The thirty letters we've already received are the only ones with any real weight. Everything that comes after this point is going to be tainted by hypocrisy and greed. Expect a very busy—and very unpleasant—mail delivery tomorrow or the day after."
"Then Grandmother knew..." I whispered.
"She knows it's coming," Hachiman said. "She already finds the 'apologies' sent to the URA repulsive. Seeing those same people turn their fake tears toward Rice just because she called them out? It's only going to make her more disgusted."
"Then there's no way out for them!" Air Groove exclaimed. "They have no move left!"
"That's exactly right," Hachiman said. "They threw away their best hand—sincerity—the moment they prioritized their own entertainment over the girl they hurt. Speed Symboli's parting words were her way of saying, 'Don't you dare think that sending Rice a letter now will fix this.' But she also knows human nature. She knows they'll do it anyway."
I sat back, feeling a wave of inadequacy. I couldn't believe I had missed such a fundamental piece of the subtext. I always knew the gap between me and my parents was wide, but my grandmother… she is operating in a different stratosphere.
"Anyway," Hachiman said, pushing off the wall. "Let's call it a night. Thinking about the mountain of garbage we're going to have to sort through tomorrow is giving me a headache. I'm going to go pet Rice's head for a while to recharge."
CB jumped up, her usual energy returning. "Hey, Hachiman! You can pet my head too! In fact, I insist!!"
"Yeah, yeah. If I feel like it," Hachiman muttered, heading for the door.
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