While I was preparing a contingency for any unforeseen events, Horikita and the others reported that they had safely secured crucial testimony and evidence—courtesy of Sakura Airi, whose behavior had been unmistakably suspicious. But what emerged from that process was...
"Stalking?"
"Yes..."
It turned out that she was reaching out for help.
"Tell me more."
Instead of the timid Sakura, Ayanokouji stepped in to explain on her behalf.
Sakura, it seems, was a gravure idol—a rather famous one on the internet. In her everyday school life, she was awkward in conversation, clumsy in speech, and painfully shy. Yet somehow, whenever she stepped in front of a camera, her confidence soared. The attention and support she received online gave her life a renewed sense of purpose.
Once she enrolled at school, however, she could no longer pursue that side of herself. Isolated and unable to form genuine friendships, the mounting stress became overwhelming. To cope, she would retreat into her persona as Shizuku, the gravure idol, snapping selfies in secluded areas around campus. One day, by sheer chance, she witnessed Sudo and his cronies engaged in a fight—and managed to capture it on camera.
It all made sense now. Her odd reaction earlier wasn’t out of indifference; her reserved nature prevented her from confiding in anyone, and her fear of Sudo left her rooted in awkward silence.
"But what do you mean, stalking...?"
"Ah, well..."
Taking up where Ayanokouji had paused, Sakura began to explain in her own voice.
Before agreeing to cooperate with Horikita’s group, she had dropped her camera in a moment of panic and broken it. Later, she visited an electronics store to have it repaired—only to be met with a clerk whose unsettling, almost predatory gaze made her skin crawl.
"...Wow, there are still people like that? It’s pretty shocking."
But how had this stranger managed to identify the stalker? Had he been following her? Just as I pondered that, Sakura continued,
"Lately, my posts have been flooded with comments claiming that someone is always watching me—insisting I acknowledge his presence..."
......Oh. This was serious.
"And on my recent posts... he claimed he’d be coming to see me soon, that his preparations were nearly complete..."
"What a crazy bastard..."
My mind reeled. There really was a lunatic like that. Compared to Ryuen—who had employed a clumsy scheme to try and frame Sudo—this guy was beyond contempt, barely worth the label “human trash.”
And to think an adult would stoop so low as to target a first-year high school student...
The whole notion sent shivers down my spine.
"I understand your situation. It must have been incredibly difficult for you," I said, my tone unusually sincere as I reached for her trembling hand.
"Eh..."
Sakura’s shaking subsided as she looked up at me. Smiling gently, I replied,
"So, what exactly should I do—cripple his lower half?"
I had half-jokingly asked if I should just take him apart entirely, but...
"E-eh, e-e-e-e-eh?!"
Her face flushed bright red as she fervently waved her hands, clearly mortified by the suggestion. My own hand, still clasping hers, moved on its own in an almost comical manner.
"I—I didn’t mean it like that at all! I wasn’t asking for anything like that!"
So, here was a gravure idol who wasn’t accustomed to such crude talk. It made me wonder how she managed to pose for shoots at all.
In any case, the reason she had come to me was likely because of what she had seen during my previous encounter with Sudo. The fact that she trusted me was not unwelcome. For now, I would console her and focus on handling Sudo’s hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
Only three people were allowed to attend as defense counsel.
Since the opposition was bringing three victims, a homeroom teacher, and Ryuen—the de facto leader of the class—it was only courteous for us to match that number.
We decided that Horikita, Ayanokouji, and I would go.
On the day of the hearing.
Student council president Horikita Manabu, student council secretary Tachibana Akane,
D Class homeroom teacher Chabashira Sae and C Class homeroom teacher Sakagami Kazuma,
D Class: Sudo Ken, Horikita Suzune, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Baek Ian,
C Class: Ishizaki Daichi, Komiya Kyogo, Kondo Leon, and Ryuen Kakeru.
Once everyone had assembled, the hearing began.
"Then, moving on to today's agenda..."
Secretary Tachibana Akane—a small but surprisingly formidable senior—launched into an explanation of the case. Sitting beside me, Chabashira offered a small smile and remarked,
"...I never imagined the student council president would personally step in when kids start fighting."
"I've simply missed several hearings due to unavoidable circumstances. Attendance is, in principle, mandatory," another voice responded.
"So you're saying this is all just a coincidence?"
"Heh..."
Those two bickered over details unknown to me, and it was frankly annoying.
"Kukuku..."
Ryuen sat there arrogantly with his arms crossed, eyes closed as he chuckled. Meanwhile, Ishizaki wore an uneasy, dissatisfied expression, and the rest of the usual onlookers were largely silent.
But more concerning was this:
Horikita’s behavior was clearly off. Where had her normally composed, cutting demeanor gone? She shrank into herself, unable to even meet the student council president's eyes. Oddly, the president himself wasn’t paying her any mind; instead, all his attention was fixed on Ayanokouji.
What is this—a sideshow?
"In conclusion, it is clear that Sudo Ken unilaterally assaulted three individuals. Therefore..."
"D-don’t be ridiculous! You were the ones who instigated this!"
"I don’t know what you mean. We are merely the victims here."
"W-what did you say?!
"Just look at these injuries, Sudo Ken! Ishizaki here sustained severe wounds while trying to stop your rampage. How do you propose to take responsibility for this?"
"W-who do you think you are, talking like that from the start?!"
"Just as the other side had prepared their defense, I have come as a defense for the victims. Sure, they’ve got three representatives and I’m just one, but the evidence speaks for itself: Sudo, this is entirely your fault."
"What did you say...!"
"Silence!"
Ryuen sneered at Sudo’s feeble attempts to justify himself, while Sudo shouted back. Tachibana-senpai stepped in to mediate the escalating chaos.
Under normal circumstances, Horikita would have intervened as previously arranged, but...
We were in trouble. She was completely frozen.
If this continued, the case would wind up being dismissed as a one-sided assault by Sudo—evidence or no evidence—and a suspension of over a month would be inevitable. That would mean losing all those hard-earned class points and, with them, our motivation.
And that, unmistakably, was Ryuen’s objective.
He aimed to crush any hope of resistance before it could begin—an effective tactic. In Classes B and C, where the fight isn’t solely about offense but also about defending against a rising challenger, preemptively quashing morale was a calculated move.
What an intriguing character. A class tyrant who rules with brute force, yet surprisingly meticulous in strategy. Unlike our muscle-bound brute, this guy actually uses his head.
Which, admittedly, makes him easier to counter.
Still...
"Get up, Horikita. It’s your turn."
Without her initiative, nothing would proceed.
Under ordinary circumstances, Ryuen wouldn’t have made an appearance here either. His unexpected presence at the hearing—outside the original plan—suggested that someone had let slip that Ishizaki had been attacked.
I thought I had scared him enough already. Tough bastard, Ishizaki—though I secretly wished I could have put him in his place a bit more. I watched Ryuen’s movements with a mixture of grudging admiration and caution.
It was clear his objective was to provoke Sudo and derail the hearing altogether—perhaps to halt any progress. He appeared eager to wrap this up quickly before any external influence could interfere.
To counter that, Horikita needed to act.
"Kyaa?! W-wait, Ayanokouji-kun?!"
As if struck by a sudden realization, Horikita leaped from her seat with a peculiar cry. In an instant, every eye in the room turned toward her—and toward Ayanokouji, who was playfully tickling her side.
Nice move, Ayanokouji.
It seemed he had judged that remaining passive was a liability and decided to act. Thanks to him, I even learned an unnecessary tidbit—Horikita was apparently weak on the sides. But for now...
"Ahem... Then I’ll proceed with questioning you," she declared.
With her composure restored, Horikita launched into a barrage of questions, relentlessly exposing flaws in the opposing side’s narrative.
She pressed on about why Ishizaki—a student with no ties to the basketball team—had been present, how a three-against-one skirmish could result in such one-sided injuries if they had merely remained passive, and many other inconsistencies in their account.
"Kukuku... You’ve prepared quite diligently, Suzune," she teased.
"...I don’t recall sharing memories close enough for you to call me by my first name," came the retort.
"Oh, come on—cut me some slack~. Besides, with the student council president here, calling both of you Horikita would sound odd. I’m simply using your first name because we're classmates."
Ryuen then attempted a shameless excuse before abruptly cutting in,
"Regardless, it was Sudo Ken who resorted to violence. At that moment, you were already done for."
"If we’re talking about violence, then you lot did as well...!"
"And what’s your evidence?"
At his challenge, Horikita shot back with a sharp smile and called for a witness.
"...D Class, Sakura Airi."
Ryuen appeared visibly taken aback by the sudden witness call. Homeroom teacher Sakagami frowned at the unannounced appearance of a witness on the day of the hearing.
After a brief internal debate, Ryuen dismissed the idea of a witness. However, by presenting the photos supplied by Sakura along with their context, Horikita managed to expose fabrications in the C Class’s claims.
Even so...
"While C Class’s account is riddled with inconsistencies, the fact remains that Sudo Ken employed violence. Therefore, I hereby impose a one-week suspension."
Horikita Manabu, using his customary authoritative tone, sought to resolve the matter swiftly. He concurred with the president that Sudo's behavior needed correction.
But then, unexpectedly, Horikita added,
"Even so, I believe Sudo-kun bears zero fault. I am convinced that this was nothing less than a staged incident—an orchestrated drama by C Class."
Her sudden new hypothesis was clearly off the prearranged script.
Unfazed, I maintained my composure and discreetly manipulated the device I had stashed in my pocket.
"Hah?! Don't be ridiculous!"
"Let's hear the basis for that claim. If what you say is true, C Class will face severe penalties. But if it turns out to be a spurious assertion designed to deflect responsibility, then Sudo Ken’s expulsion might even be on the table. Suzune, do you stand by that?"
"...Yes."
"Evidence?"
"...Not yet."
"Then what exactly are you asking? For us to accept your claim without any evidence or witness?"
"I request a reconsideration."
Bzzzt~
"...Hm?"
A vibration so faint that barely anyone could hear it.
Ryuen sensed it, pulled out his device, and checked the incoming message.
Then, laughing maniacally to himself, he burst out,
"Kuhahaha... Kuhahahahaha...! Fascinating—simply fascinating!"
In a fit of deranged laughter, Ryuen continued before declaring,
"Hey, student council president—the hearing is canceled."
"...What do you mean by that?"
"I mean I’m calling off this hearing regarding Sudo Ken’s violence. Get it together, President—it's that simple."
"You...! How dare you! And you can’t just decide that on your own..."
"...Fine."
"President Horikita?!"
Ryuen’s sudden cancellation of the hearing—and the ease with which President Horikita accepted it—sent shockwaves through the room.
The atmosphere shifted dramatically. It seemed that only President Horikita, Ryuen, and—I suspect—myself could keep pace with the rapid change.
Even the teachers looked on, heads tilted in confusion, while Sakagami demanded to know what Ryuen was thinking. Ryuen, however, paid no heed as he fixed his gaze solely on Ishizaki, accusing him:
"He moved. Because of you, we lost, Ishizaki."
With those cryptic words, Ryuen strode confidently out of the conference room.
And as for the C Class students—including a thoroughly cowed Ishizaki—they trailed behind him in stunned silence.
"...What was that all about?"
"Who knows. In the end, Ryuen checked his device and suddenly shifted his stance. We must assume there was some outside interference."
"Outside...? But we didn’t do anything!"
Horikita looked visibly flustered, clearly rattled by Ayanokouji’s remarks. Regardless, the student council president and secretary dumped all their prepared documents into the trash.
"...Interesting, D Class," they murmured as they departed, leaving only that cryptic comment behind.
Well, winning was winning, right?
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register