The only two boys at the table immediately formed a striking contrast.
Perhaps because of yesterday's after-school gathering, the girls present had already become somewhat familiar with one another.
As a result, Ryouma was a step behind them socially.
However...
He didn't particularly care and simply joined in their casual conversations.
Although this was precisely the kind of situation where a person's social skills could shine, Ryouma had no intention of deliberately showing off.
As for the assessing gaze Karuizawa had directed at him earlier...
She was probably trying to determine which of them, Ryouma or Hirata, would make a better host for her to cling to.
Who would be better able to protect her?
Without a doubt...
It would be Hirata.
This had absolutely nothing to do with their standing in the class, individual abilities, or personal charm.
Hirata maintained a much more neutral position.
He was even willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of maintaining harmony within the class.
Karuizawa was convinced!
Someone like Hirata would never use her past to threaten her.
Instead, he would probably do everything in his power to protect her secrets and prevent anyone else from discovering them.
Before considering their abilities or social standing, what Karuizawa valued most was a sense of security.
After all, nobody was an idiot.
Naturally, Ryouma understood this perfectly well.
It was just that...
He wasn't particularly interested in Karuizawa at the moment.
Having only just finished targeting Kushida, it wouldn't be appropriate to make a move against Karuizawa so soon.
Otherwise...
Class D might descend into widespread anxiety.
Although Karuizawa was beautiful, her heart resembled a porcelain vessel that had been shattered and painstakingly pieced back together with tape.
The slightest threat would cause Karuizawa's tough gyaru persona to collapse instantly.
In other words, everything about the current Karuizawa was a facade.
Before undergoing her transformation, Karuizawa could be said to possess practically no value.
Only after experiencing hardship could she begin to shine with a brilliance comparable to a precious gemstone.
Besides...
The gap between Class D and the other classes was an objective reality.
Ordinary study sessions, sports festivals, and conflicts between classmates all required the attention of the class leader.
It was an enormous workload!
One that would drastically cut into the leader's personal time.
Ryouma had absolutely no interest in that.
All he needed to do was enjoy the benefits.
As for the actual work?
Naturally, that should be left to his subordinates.
The one who remained hidden until the very end would be the ultimate winner.
Unlike Kiyotaka Ayanokoji...
Ryouma intended to possess influence second only to Hirata within Class D.
Both approaches had their advantages and disadvantages.
Kiyotaka could conceal himself much more thoroughly.
However, whenever he wanted to make his voice heard at a critical moment or gather information, he would have to act through the pawns under his control.
That made things somewhat inefficient.
Ryouma, on the other hand, might attract the wariness of students from other classes, but he would also possess a voice of his own.
And in the particular environment of Class D, given Hirata's personality, Ryouma could assume the position of class leader whenever he wished.
At the same time...
It would also make gathering information much more convenient.
"By the way, isn't Kushida with you guys?"
Mei-Yui Wang, who was sitting beside Hirata, replied somewhat dejectedly.
"She said she had something to take care of and went back to the dormitory first. I guess she's still feeling pretty down."
"Poor Kushida."
Karuizawa took the opportunity to make a suggestion.
"Hey, why don't we find the culprit spreading those rumors and get revenge for Kushida?"
The girls at the table immediately fell silent.
Ryouma understood what was going on.
Mei-Yui Wang was an international student from China.
Her concern for Kushida was genuine.
However...
Karuizawa was most likely using this topic to judge his and Hirata's attitudes so she could better understand their personalities.
Although Ryouma knew perfectly well what answer Karuizawa wanted to hear, he remained silent and offered no response.
"Maybe we should leave it alone for now."
Hirata replied somewhat hesitantly.
"Things haven't gotten too serious yet, and there's no guarantee the culprit will continue spreading rumors about Kushida. Why don't we wait and see what happens for a few days? For now, I think we should focus more on supporting Kushida."
After saying that, Hirata turned to the others to seek their opinions.
"What do you all think?"
"Well, if Hirata-kun says so, let's wait and see for a few days."
"That's true. Kushida is more important right now."
Karuizawa lightly clapped her hands in agreement, and the other girls also expressed their approval.
She was extremely satisfied with Hirata's answer.
She could even predict what would happen if they eventually discovered that the person spreading the rumors was someone from Class D.
Hirata would undoubtedly protect the culprit in order to preserve the class's stability!
'That's exactly the kind of convenient pawn I need!'
However, there was something she might not have realized.
Hirata wasn't hers alone.
He was everyone's.