"Second, the location and timing. The incident took place in the Warehouse Area after club activities.
There was a Surveillance Blind Spot there, with no direct video evidence. Testimony became the only basis for judgment. That created the perfect conditions for framing someone."
"Third, the motive is questionable. It's true that Ken Sudō has a short temper, but based on our limited interactions and what we've heard, he doesn't seem like the type to pick fights for no reason.
What kind of deep grudge does he have against those three students from Class C that would make him wait until after the activity to ambush and attack them? Class C's motive deserves just as much scrutiny."
"Taking all of that into account," Toudou Shizuka concluded, "there's a very high chance that the three students from Class C conspired to frame Ken Sudō.
Their goal may be to exploit the School Rules' harsh penalties for violence and get Sudo—a key fighter for Class D, and especially someone who could shine at events like the Sports Festival—eliminated early, weakening Class D's already meager strength."
Kanzaki Ryuji and Ichinose Honami nodded along. Toudou Shizuka's analysis was meticulous, clearly laying out everything strange about the incident.
"Your analysis is very thorough, Toudou."
Kanzaki voiced his agreement. "But as I said, without evidence, it's all speculation.
The school hearing will focus on the chain of evidence. Since Class C dared to file a complaint, they must have prepared accordingly—for example, by coordinating their stories or fabricating injuries."
"Then... are we just going to watch Sudo get falsely accused?" Ichinose's eyes were filled with frustration.
"Of course we're not going to do nothing."
Toudou Shizuka adjusted his glasses. "We need to get involved cautiously and gather information. But we have to think carefully about how."
He