At lunchtime, Yosuke stepped onto the platform and addressed everyone, asking for help in finding a witness to prove Sudo’s innocence.
Even after witnessing Sudo’s behavior, it was impressive that some still believed in him. Perhaps because of the confrontation I had with him earlier, however, everyone hesitated—until Kushida bowed her head and pleaded for their cooperation as well.
Kushida then glanced toward Sudo, and Sudo, equally dejected, lowered his head before speaking quietly to the surrounding students.
"Damn it... sorry, everyone. Please help me."
Whether it was because his head had finally cooled or because Kushida had been shadowing him during every break, Sudo ended up bowing to everyone.
I hadn’t planned on any extra effect, but to see him change so quickly was a slight surprise.
While I silently marveled at the scene, I sighed deeply and called over Horikita and Ayanokouji.
"Why did you insist on calling just the two of us, Ian?"
"You don’t have to be so frosty, Horikita. After all, we managed that study group together."
"I don’t recall ever being that close with you."
Same here—I was just making conversation.
"...Since Horikita’s giving me that look, let’s get straight to the point: are you really going to just let Sudo be? I heard you even spent points to keep him from getting expelled."
It seemed like Ayanokouji had contributed as well, but that wasn’t public knowledge, so I let that slide.
"Whether I stand by him or not, if it turns out he did use violence, I have nothing to say on the matter. It’s the one thing I despise."
"Then I suppose I must detest him too—since his violence was met with violence."
"Good to see you understand your own image."
What a sharp retort.
"...Still, Horikita, I think Sudo is worth saving."
"Worth?"
Unexpectedly, Ayanokouji began to back me up.
"We still don’t fully understand this school’s system. Without knowing the risks Sudo’s expulsion might bring, it would be unwise to simply stand by."
He was echoing exactly what I would have said to persuade Horikita. I’d assumed he was just a simple bystander, but it turns out he’s sharper than I thought.
And that deadpan stare of his only reinforced my reconsideration of Ayanokouji’s character.
"...Risks?"
"You want to climb to Class A, don’t you? Instead of eliminating a classmate, it’s more beneficial to protect them. One expelled student hardly makes a dent—long term, isn’t it wiser to assess whether Sudo Ken is truly expendable?"
For someone who had remained silent until now, his words were brutally sharp and chillingly logical—as if he had read my mind. For a brief moment, the tension in the air was palpable.
"...What is this guy? Does he really have something up his sleeve?"
Fifty points in every subject and even the student council president paying attention to him... Perhaps I should keep a closer watch on him.
"...What exactly do you want from us?"
"Let’s help Sudo. Together."
Not wanting to prolong the matter, I agreed.
"...That’s not a suggestion I’d expect from the person who knocked Sudo down this morning."
"Correction: I never knocked him out."
In the end, I merely used my foot to topple him. I may have stepped on him a bit, but I hoped that amounted to enough of an explanation.
"...Fine. As Ayanokouji said, immediately expelling someone could carry great risk. And besides, I don’t fancy walking right into a trap set by C Class."
What was this? Despite noticing everything, she intended to observe from the sidelines? Perhaps she’s an unexpectedly principled princess who genuinely despises violence more than I’d imagined.
"Then I’m out."
"...How about joining us for lunch?"
"With you two? I’ll pass."
Correction.
She was just plain rude. That “princess” title means nothing to me.
Left alone with Ayanokouji, I ended up sharing an awkward lunch with him.
After that, things proceeded relatively smoothly. Kushida and Yosuke convinced our classmates—while Koenji did indeed run off, just as I had expected—and after school they began canvassing the area to see if anyone had witnessed any scuffle between Sudo’s group and those from C Class.
During that process, I encountered an unexpected face...
"Yoo-hoo~ Long time no see, Ian?"
"...Ichinose."
It was Ichinose Honami, who had come forward as an ally from Class B.
No, more importantly...
"I don’t think I ever introduced myself properly."
"Weren’t you the one who should have introduced yourself?"
"Ichinose is famous, after all."
"Oh, come on—you're not exactly a celebrity yourself. You’re not an idol."
Ichinose laughed warmly and patted my shoulder as if my remark was a private joke.
She shared the same approachable demeanor as Kushida—only Kushida’s closeness was deliberate, whereas Ichinose’s was natural.
"There’s no one else with gray hair at this school but you, Ian. You’re so distinctive that I recognized you immediately."
...Maybe I should consider dyeing it.
"More importantly..."
As I awkwardly fidgeted with my hair, Ichinose straightened up and, with a serious expression, bowed deeply.
"Thank you—for what happened that day at sunset."
"...It seems things worked out well."
"Yes. After hearing what you said, Ian, I realized how foolish I nearly was. I did turn down Chihiro’s confession... but, just like you advised, I responded appropriately to her earnest feelings."
I was relieved to hear that. In fact, when I passed by Class B a few times, Ichinose and Chihiro didn’t seem to be on bad terms at all.
"That’s good. So..."
"More importantly—why don’t we properly introduce ourselves?"
Ichinose suggested this while puffing out her ample chest.
It was rather amusing that we already knew each other’s names without a formal introduction. I gave a small laugh and held out my hand.
"I’m Baek Ian from Class D. I came from Korea. Just call me Ian."
"Alright. I’m Ichinose Honami from Class B. Nice to meet you, Ian!"
And just like that, Ichinose and I introduced ourselves properly.
Later, with the assistance of Ichinose and a sharp, good-looking fellow from her class named Kanzaki Ryuji, I managed to gather information about the guys who had clashed with Sudo’s group.
In the process, we learned that:
"Ishizaki was a local hothead, and the other two were ex-basketball players—so, skilled in sports. It doesn’t add up that the three of them were soundly beaten by Sudo."
As Kanzaki noted, Sudo’s performance in the fight was too clean, as if he hadn’t taken a proper hit at all. Knowing Sudo’s abilities, I was convinced that C Class had laid a trap.
"But finding a witness was impossible. At least, it appears that no one in our class saw anything."
Nodding in agreement at Kanzaki’s words, I expressed my thanks. After parting ways with Ichinose and Kanzaki, I returned to my room to mull things over.
'There are two options: continue searching for a witness, or, even if none is found, face the hearing head-on and stand by the outcome confidently.'
And the other option was...
'Let Ishizaki’s little scheme run its course.'
The one pulling the strings, the mastermind at the top, was probably...
'Ryuuen Kakeru.'
"...You never plan on having just one fallback."
Sakura’s behavior near Sudo had been suspicious, and Horikita had picked up on it too. But since Ayanokouji was with her, I decided to leave that matter alone—for now. I needed to prepare a new plan in case something unexpected happened.
One late evening...
The sun had long disappeared, and in the pitch-black darkness, after parting from his classmates, Ishizaki was ambushed.
"W-What the hell?!"
Ishizaki was caught off guard as a man clad in a black mask, a beanie, and drab-colored clothes suddenly attacked him. A brutal blow landed on his stomach.
"Gaaah...!"
With a single strike, Ishizaki—the notorious local tough—fell to his knees and collapsed. He even spat out saliva that still reeked of the orange juice he’d been drinking. Yet the assailant paid him no heed; instead, he furtively scanned the area before glancing toward the installed security camera.
'Considering the camera’s angle, it can’t capture what’s happening right now. A perfect blind spot.'
After passing that point, the mysterious youth who had subdued Ishizaki—Baek Ian—wore a satisfied grin as he hoisted the larger man onto his shoulder and headed for a box of cleaning supplies he’d prepared in advance. Then he roughly lobbed Ishizaki toward it.
"K-Kuh...?!"
Still reeling from the blow, Ishizaki was barely coherent. The assailant neither spoke nor showed any emotion as he extended a terminal, grabbed Ishizaki by the hair, and pressed the device against his face.
[Who ordered you to attack Sudo?]
"W-Who are you, anyway?! What do you want from me?!"
Ha. Seriously.
Can’t this kid even read? Does he always answer a question with another question? Read a book or watch a movie—he’s too clueless to grasp the gravity of his situation.
Without hesitating, I launched a kick into Ishizaki’s stomach—the same spot I’d just targeted. Not a light tap like when dealing with Sudo, but a forceful blow meant to ensure he felt real pain.
Thud!
"Ghk...!"
His face flushed as if he were struggling to breathe, but I ignored him and delivered another kick—then another.
Soon enough...
"P-Please... spare me..."
When the panic faded from his features, replaced entirely by fear, I held the terminal before him once more.
[If you want to avoid another beating, answer only what I ask.]
"Y-Yes... I’ll answer everything..."
Good. Finally, he was cooperating.
[Now, tell me—did Sudo beat you one-sidedly? Answer truthfully.]
"Th-That..."
His eyes darted nervously as he fumbled for words.
It appeared that he hadn’t been punished enough yet. When I raised my fist again, he emitted a feeble squeak and curled up defensively.
Yes, he instinctively understood how foolish it was to defy me—a reminder of those middle school brutes who dared challenge me without a second thought.
[Answer clearly with your own words: Were you overwhelmed by Sudo’s attack, yes or no?]
"N-No, sir."
[What do you mean, no? I need specifics!]
"U-Urgh...!"
Oh?
He hesitated—despite his battered state, he was still stalling.
That confirmed it: Ryuuen Kakeru ruled his crew with sheer violence.
Fear, domination, dictatorship—effective tactics in the short term, no doubt.
But if the only way to control others was through relentless violence, then one was nothing more than a second-rate bully.
Because...
"H-Hiiik...! I—I’ll talk...!"
Violence always breeds more violence and fear.
"I was ordered by a man named Ryuuen. He told me to pick a fight with Sudo on his behalf and lose—and then report it to the school to force Sudo’s expulsion..."
Though it took a moment, Ishizaki eventually confessed the entire ordeal in a tremulous voice. Of course, the terminal was already recording every word.
With that, my business here was done.
[You may report everything that happened to Ryuuen.]
"Y-Yes...?"
[Only if you can handle the consequences.]
Upon receiving that final message, I struck Ishizaki in the stomach once more.
"G-Gaaah..."
With that final cry, I disregarded Ishizaki’s writhing form, avoided the camera’s blind spot, changed into the clothes I had stashed earlier, and took a winding route before reappearing in the alley behind the convenience store near Nemu Namu Mall.
'With a route like this, there’s no way they can track me down.'
To avoid being caught, one must remain meticulous until the very end—that was my creed.
Alright, with a backup plan secured, I should finally be able to relax.
"Please help me... I’m being stalked...!"
What kind of situation is this now?
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