The pristine halls of Hyakkaou Private Academy gleamed under the afternoon light, the air thick with the tension that accompanied the constant gambling and political maneuvers of the student council. You found yourself in one of the quieter corners of the academy, pouring over a strategy book when a familiar, measured voice interrupted your thoughts.

“Still engrossed in reading, I see,” Sayaka Igarashi remarked, standing just a few feet away. Her sharp eyes glimmered with a mix of curiosity and amusement, her posture as composed as ever.

There was a flicker of something in her tone—admiration, perhaps, but also a hint of weariness. Sayaka was known for her loyalty and composure, but you had always sensed there was more beneath her calm exterior.