Ryuuen and Shiina Hiyori

"I'll disclose the Class Points as well, along with how they're used, but only I will have the authority to use them."

Ryuuen looked down at the two of them. "Any other questions?"

"Since all the points are in Shiina Hiyori's hands, Boss Ryuuen, how can you be sure she won't embezzle the class funds? I think it would be better if you kept them yourself."

The one who spoke was Ishizaki, one of the few truly loyal followers Ryuuen had in the original story. Ever since Ryuuen had brought him under his wing, he had remained fiercely devoted.

"I trust her. Giving her the points is also a way for her to keep an eye on me."

Trust was only one reason. On the other hand, Ryuuen wanted to balance the disparity between the boys and girls. If he kept the points himself, the girls would inevitably end up at the bottom of the class hierarchy. That would not benefit the class's growth. Letting Hiyori manage the points gave the girls some authority while also helping Hiyori build a girls' group centered around herself. After all, some future Special Exams would separate boys and girls, and the girls' side would need a qualified leader as well.

Hiyori was not moved by Ryuuen's so-called trust. This man had snatched her handkerchief away just yesterday and forced her to work for him. As far as Hiyori was concerned, she could do without that trust.

On the surface, there was nothing wrong with Ryuuen's words. However, most of the class had taken them in a crooked direction. Quite a few girls looked toward Hiyori, while plenty of boys made drawn-out "Ooh~" noises.

Hiyori had already taken out her textbooks and begun preparing for class. She paid no attention to the strange atmosphere in the classroom, and Ryuuen could not be bothered to explain.

Ryuuen handed all the class's trivial affairs over to Hiyori. Whenever he strolled lazily around in front of her, little Hiyori wanted nothing more than to smash his head with the book in her hands. Still, that was only a thought. A quiet young lady like her could not do something so crude.

Whenever Hiyori wanted to refuse Ryuuen, he would shamelessly refuse her refusal, like children playing a game of "bounce back your bounce back." It was an utterly shameless tactic. It probably would not work on anyone else, but Hiyori fell for it every time. Even when she was reluctant, she always completed the tasks Ryuuen assigned her seriously.

For example, during self-study periods, even with Ryuuen sitting in the classroom, people still whispered to one another and passed notes. That was the gap between them and Class A. Their self-discipline was simply too poor. And such minor matters were difficult to manage. If Ryuuen constantly used violence to pressure people over every little thing, the class would eventually fall apart.

At times like that, Ryuuen would tug on Hiyori's ribbon.

Little Hiyori would protect her ribbon and smack away the large hand in her hair.

It was not that Ryuuen deliberately wanted to take advantage of Hiyori. The girl simply refused to pay attention to him normally. If he did not do something out of line, she would not even give him a proper look.

"Shiina, deal with the classroom discipline."

"I refuse!"

"I refuse your refusal."

Hiyori turned away, unwilling to speak to Ryuuen, so he continued fiddling with her ribbon. Unable to stand it, Hiyori could only go restore order to the classroom.

One stood at the peak of the class's fighting strength, while the other was the class's hidden strategist. Yet the conversations and behavior between Ryuuen and Shiina

were as childish as elementary school students.

Quite a few girls in the class shipped the two of them. Some girls were jealous of Hiyori, but none of them did anything to target her.

The boys in the class also respected Hiyori. Little Hiyori was gentle and quiet, serious in everything she did, and beautiful. More importantly, she was the sister-in-law they had all silently acknowledged, so they listened whenever she spoke.

Over time, Hiyori came to understand Ryuuen's nature. Before he could reach out to remove her ribbon, little Hiyori would take care of the class affairs herself.

In everyone else's eyes, this was the tacit understanding between the two of them. But little Hiyori did not see it that way. She was merely avoiding Ryuuen's wicked hands and did not want him taking off her ribbon.

Ryuuen watched Hiyori grow step by step and was quite satisfied. After all, he had trained her himself. In terms of ability, Hiyori was no worse than Horikita Suzune. She simply had no particular desire to advance to Class A, meaning she lacked motivation.

Having no chance to remove Hiyori's ribbon for so long sometimes left Ryuuen feeling lonely. It was like watching his daughter grow up and wanting to hug her as he had when she was little, only to have no way to do so.

Hiyori felt the same way, but she did not want to admit that she wanted Ryuuen to touch her. It was simply a young girl's reserve at work, and that was perfectly normal.

Class C had finally become united and gotten on the right track. The whole process had gone more smoothly than Ryuuen expected. Calculating the timing, it was about time to plant a spy in Class D.

However, Ryuuen had forgotten exactly when Ayanokoji exposed Kushida Kikyo's true nature. If he wanted to beat him to it, he could only wander around Small Lake beneath the dormitory building every night.

For several days in a row, Ryuuen did nothing but stand by the lake in the cold wind and stare at its calm surface. After a few more days, he was so bored that he called Shiina Hiyori out to chat with him.

"Shiina, I'm by Small Lake under the dormitory building. Come over for a moment." Ryuuen sent Hiyori a message.

"No." Shiina Hiyori replied quickly.

"It's something important." Ryuuen did not look at his messages again after that, because he could guess what would come next.

Little Hiyori would stubbornly send another reply: "No."

Yet when she sent that message, she would surely already be getting dressed to go out. She was that kind of girl—slightly tsundere, but genuinely kind, responsible, and incredibly adorable.

Sure enough, little Hiyori came. She had run all the way there.

The girl's soft panting beat in rhythm with her heart.

"Good evening." Ryuuen greeted her as if they were already close.

Little Hiyori stood there and waited for her breathing to even out before replying, "Good evening, Ryuuen-kun."

Perhaps it was because she truly was a lady. Even though she had rushed over in such a hurry, little Hiyori still wore light makeup. However, the pink lipstick on her lips had been applied unevenly.

"What is this important matter?" little Hiyori asked. Ryuuen had been staring at her the entire time, making her heart pound. On top of that, they were in such a deserted place that she was worried Ryuuen might suddenly pounce on her.

"Keep me company and chat for a while."

"What does that mean?"

"Exactly what it says."

"How boring!" Little Hiyori turned to leave, feeling that Ryuuen was simply toying with her.

"Then how about we talk about The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind?"

The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind was the book Shiina Hiyori had been reading on the first day of school. Shiina had finished it not long ago, and she was now reading The Interpretation of Dreams.

Shiina Hiyori froze for a moment, then turned around and asked with an incredulous expression, "Have you read it?"

"Volume One, The Mind of Crowds. Volume Two, The Opinions and Beliefs of Crowds. Volume Three, The Classification and Characteristics of Different Groups."

Hiyori had assumed Ryuuen would recite a few famous quotes from the book to put on a show. She had not expected him to memorize the table of contents. He had truly read it, and remembered it clearly.

Little Hiyori tested him. "When an individual is isolated, he possesses distinct personal characteristics."

Ryuuen continued from there. "But once he merges into a group, all his individuality is submerged by that group, and his thoughts are immediately replaced by the thoughts of the crowd. When a crowd exists, it possesses traits such as emotionality, lack of dissent, and low intelligence."

Hiyori suddenly became excited. She had no fellow book lovers at school, so finding someone with the same interest made her truly happy. It would have been even better if that person were not Ryuuen, but it was fine.

For the next hour, the two of them discussed their views on The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind. Ryuuen's understanding of the book ran deeper, and as they spoke, he lost his usual roguish air. He seemed more like a profound scholar with muscles. Little Hiyori benefited greatly from the conversation. Her irritation at having been tricked into coming out to chat with him had completely vanished, replaced by a lingering sense of wanting more. When Ryuuen said it was getting late and they should return to the dormitory, little Hiyori seemed reluctant to part.

"I've never seen you read. When do you even find the time to read?" Little Hiyori asked her question before leaving.

"Oh? Little Hiyori cares about me that much? Don't tell me you've fallen for me?" Ryuuen returned to the version of himself Hiyori knew well.

Since Ryuuen did not want to say, Hiyori did not press the matter. She walked toward the dormitory without looking back, though her steps were light and cheerful.

Ryuuen watched her leave from behind, shook his head, and sighed, "What a heartless woman." Then he let out a soft laugh.