A Liar's Truth [UNDER FINAL REVISION]

Ch 11: Reality of you

Third-person point of view

"Is that so?" Ginka's voice rang out, light and sweet—almost too sweet. She took a few unhurried steps toward the stage, placing a delicate hand on the podium as if she belonged there. Her trademark idol smile remained, but her eyes gleamed with something sharper, something dangerous. 

"But do you really have the right to mock their memory when the oh-so-great student council is no better?"

A wave of whispers rippled through the crowd. The students watching weren't sure if she was calling out the council or simply teasing them, but one thing was certain—she had everyone's attention.

Teppei stiffened. "What are you implying, Asano-san?"

Ginka tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Oh? Didn't you say earlier that Class E should memorize the event details since you conveniently forgot to prepare handouts for them?"

The way she said it—so sweet, so harmless—made it sound like she wasn't attacking him at all. And yet, every word was a knife.

Teppei clenched his jaw. Some students muffled their laughs with how Teppei was reduced to silence like that. "I—"

"But that's alright," she cut him off, voice dripping with warmth. "Since you've been working so hard, B Class can pick up the slack. Consider it a gesture of goodwill."

"You don't mind, do you?" She turned to her classmates with that same bright, effortless charm she used on camera. 

 B class was divided. While some of them were conflicted, the others don't care enough to make a big deal out of it and would probably just comply.  

"I don't mind." The class star, Kazutaka Shindo, shrugs and hands over his paper in front of him. He doesn't have that much ill feelings towards E Class enough to be selfish about it. "Here, take mine."

"Come on, guys. You heard her." Kakeru adds. Now that the two Class B prides are in on it, most of them will surely follow.

One by one, the students of B Class followed suit, handing over their papers. Even those who hesitated felt pressured—who would want to look bad in front of the school's beloved idol?

Teppei looked like he had swallowed a lemon.

But before he could argue, a gust of wind swept through the room—so fast, so sudden, that some students gasped.