“I'm the type of person who doesn't stand out, so I'll be fine.” Have you ever wanted to cloak yourself in that kind of atmosphere and spend every day in peace, undisturbed by anyone? Tomohiro Izumi, the protagonist of Hamidashi Creative, is precisely that type of person. A self-admitted and mutually recognized introvert who finds comfort in the corner of the classroom. However, life occasionally delivers a flying kick from an unbelievable angle. In this work, the trigger for that is, of all things, a “Student Council President Lottery.” It's a setup that makes you want to immediately object, “No, wait, you're deciding it with that!?”, yet mysteriously, you find yourself accepting it, thinking, “Maybe it's possible in this school.” This combination of pushiness and naturalness is exquisite, pulling you in all at once from the very beginning of the story. The development where the protagonist, who had been avoiding standing out, ends up bathed in an unwanted spotlight feels just like being suddenly dragged onto a stage while quietly reading a book in a still room.

The interesting part of this work lies in the fact that it doesn't end as a mere student council story. Normally, if someone said “Recruiting student council members!”, you would expect motivated, honor-student types to gather. But Hamidashi Creative is different. The candidates that need to be gathered are, without exception, not coming to school. While it's a situation that would normally make you hold your head in your hands, thinking “This might be a dead end,” the story accelerates from there instead. Moreover, they aren't simply people with problems; each possesses an individuality, sensibility, and a charm that suits the word “creative.” They are just outside the circle of the group, by no means empty individuals. Rather, there are parts of them that shine precisely because they are different from those around them. This work feels as though it looks upon those “misfits” with a gentle gaze.

When people think of beautiful girl games, many might picture glamorous events or romantic elements. Of course, charming heroines do appear in this work, but what I personally felt strongly is that the sense of distance in human relationships is very natural. Instead of a forced atmosphere where “everyone is best friends from the start,” the awkwardness, confusion, and the process of gradually warming up to one another are firmly depicted. That is exactly why each and every conversation feels alive. A few hours after thinking, “These two are still being a bit reserved around each other,” they are suddenly trading playful banter before you know it. That change isn't pushed onto you; it accumulates naturally. Before you realize it, you find yourself feeling as if you too are sitting in the corner of the student council room, watching their interactions.

And one must not forget the presence of the former student council president, Shio Kamakura, who suddenly returns. Moreover, she isn't just a former president, but holds the title of a famous novelist. This setting alone is powerful enough. “Wait, you went on a research trip without doing the handover!?”—once again, the objections won't stop. However, because such slightly eccentric individuals gather, the story becomes more and more colorful. There is an atmosphere that wouldn't be born with sensible people alone, and there is the joy of the conversation rolling in unexpected directions. Even though you cannot read what will happen next, the reason you can watch with a strange sense of security is likely because this work depicts its characters so carefully.

Rather than a work depicting student council activities, Hamidashi Creative might be a story about people searching for “their own place to belong.” Those who aren't the type to get fired up at the center of the class, those who have felt somehow out of step with their surroundings, or those who thought of themselves as being on the side of the supporting cast. People like that will surely find themselves empathizing somewhere with the figures of Tomohiro and his friends. It is often said that “you never know what will happen in life,” but this work shows that to us in a fun and slightly gentle way. A story that began in the corner of a classroom transforms into a special landscape before you know it. That kind of mysterious charm is packed inside this Hamidashi Creative.