Hiroki Shirakaba, nicknamed “Kaba,” taught Shuta Aoi, Ran Akagi, and Koki Suido in high school, remaining a steadfast mentor long after their graduation. In 2019, he championed the campaign to save Takara Elementary School from demolition, harnessing his students’ graffiti campaigns to sway Mayor Gori Suido into designating the site a protected cultural landmark.

At the third 24th Ward Gourmet Festival, Hiroki exposed a vote-rigging scheme engineered by the Yabusame syndicate to manipulate the event’s results, revealing the corruption in a public confrontation during the festivities. Chaos erupted when a tornado struck the venue. Amid the disaster, Hiroki shielded his daughter Kozue from danger, sacrificing his life to push her to safety. His death highlighted the cost of his former students’ fractured coordination during the emergency.

Kozue, traumatized by a school fire years earlier that killed Asumi Suido—who perished shielding her—retreated from school life, burdened by guilt. Hiroki’s principles as an educator and his defiance against corruption continued to guide his students, shaping their resolve to combat systemic injustices in the 24th Ward. His surname, translating to “white birch,” and given name, meaning “wide tree,” mirrored his role as a stabilizing force and moral anchor for those he mentored.