The Angel's Whisper: Shizuku Under Watch and a Secret Rooftop Meeting

If he had been a member of Class 1-C, he would have preferred Shiina Hiyori to lead the class rather than Ryuen Kakeru, who was obsessed with playing tricks and stirring up conflict between classes.

At the very least, Shiina Hiyori would not deliberately create conflict or treat her companions as chess pieces. She would calmly assess the situation and steadily lead the class forward.

Ryuen Kakeru's methods might bring temporary advantages, but one careless misstep could cost him everything. Still, he was not completely brainless; at least he knew how to make use of Shiina Hiyori, Class 1-C's strategist.

Right now, Class 1-C's opinion of Ryuen Kakeru was split down the middle. If Class 1-C fell to Class 1-D one day, that rating would probably drop below zero.

It was like playing a game. When things were going well, everyone was brothers. Once the situation reached a stalemate, or even turned unfavorable, everyone would start pulling out magnifying glasses to find fault with others.

Although Ryuen Kakeru could suppress Class 1-C through violence, if someone emerged who could unite the rest of the class, the foundation of his rule, built on fear, would soon begin to crack.

Rule based purely on violence had its limits after all. It would be nice if Ryuen Kakeru could realize that through this opportunity.

Shiina Hiyori possessed exactly that ability, but she herself had no desire to compete for leadership.

Though that was probably good news for the other classes too.

"Come to think of it, Shiba-kun, you seem a little... troubled?"

Shiina Hiyori keenly noticed the faint aura of "heartache" surrounding Tatsuya Sakuya.

"Is it that obvious?"

Pulled from his thoughts, Tatsuya Sakuya let out a helpless sigh, a rare trace of resignation showing on his face.

"You know, Class 1-D had