Next up was the Girls' Division.
When Kamuro Masumi's name was called, she walked toward the starting block.
She climbed onto it, bent forward, gripped its edge with both hands, and settled into the starting position.
From Kazehara Tetsu's angle, he could clearly see the taut lines of her back and the slight tremble in her hands as she strained to hold her position.
Her expression had changed.
Her eyes were fixed on the finish line at the far end of the pool, as if her mortal enemy were waiting there.
"On your marks—"
The instant the whistle blew, Kamuro Masumi shot forward like a cannonball, plunging into the water with tremendous speed.
Her explosive power was even greater than that of many of the boys who had raced earlier.
Once in the water, she held nothing back. From the very first second, she launched into a wild sprint.
Her arms churned like tireless motors, cutting through the water at an astonishing pace.
There was nothing graceful about her swimming. It was all raw fury.
She wasn't swimming. She was venting.
The other girls were soon left far behind.
They stared in astonishment at the figure racing forward as if possessed.
Kazehara Tetsu watched quietly.
He could tell. He could see the anger behind every stroke.
He could even imagine her pressing Yamauchi Haruki's nauseating face beneath the water in her mind, watching him struggle, watching him choke.
"She's terrifying... But it looks like it's working..."
Thud!
Kamuro Masumi's palm slammed into the pool wall at the finish, making a deep, booming sound.
Fifty meters. It was over.
She had won by a landslide, without the slightest suspense.
Yet there wasn't a trace of victory in her expression.
She ignored the teacher's congratulations and the astonished looks from her classmates.
Summoning her last bit of strength, she hauled herself out of the pool.
She was so exhausted that she even staggered a few steps.
She grabbed her towel, wrapped it tightly around herself, then walked toward the Changing Room without a word.
The day after swimming class, a strange atmosphere began to take hold in Class A.
At first, a few girls gathered together, glancing now and then in Kamuro's direction as they whispered.
Before long, the murmuring spread throughout the class like a virus.
"Have you heard? About Kamuro..."
"Seriously? She stole something?"
"There's a video. Someone from Class D passed it around. It seems like a lot of people know about it now..."
"No way. She doesn't seem like the type..."
"You can't judge a book by its cover. There are scumbags at school, too..."
Kazehara Tetsu sat at his desk with his chin resting on one hand. He entertained Hashimoto Masayoshi's conversation beside him while gazing out the window.
At the same time, he caught every word of the hushed gossip.
Kamuro Masumi sat motionless at her desk.
But the hand gripping her pen, its knuckles white from the force, betrayed what she was really feeling.
The commotion didn't stay confined to the classroom.
During lunch break, Majima Tomoya walked into the classroom, his expression as stern as ever.
"Kamuro Masumi, come with me."
The classroom fell instantly silent.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look.
Kamuro Masumi stood and followed Majima-sensei out of the classroom, her face expressionless.
The atmosphere in the Student Council Office was oppressive.
Horikita Manabu sat at the head of the table, his expression grim. Secretary Tachibana Akane sat beside him, ready to take notes.
Yamauchi Haruki was embellishing his story about how he had "accidentally" discovered Kamuro Masumi from Class A stealing, and solemnly insisting that he had to expose such conduct to protect the school's morals.
Then, smugly, he took out his phone, opened the video, and handed it to Tachibana Akane.
Tachibana watched it once. After confirming there was nothing wrong with it, she passed it to Horikita Manabu.
In the video, Kamuro Masumi's furtive movement as she slipped the lip balm into her pocket was unmistakably clear. The evidence seemed conclusive.
Horikita Manabu watched the video without expression, as if its contents held no interest for him.
However, when he reached certain parts, his brow furrowed slightly, showing that those moments had caught his attention.
Even so, he didn't immediately voice his thoughts. He continued watching the video, then watched it again.
Throughout, he remained silent, focused on the screen.
After watching it three times, Horikita Manabu finally seemed to come back to himself.
He slowly looked away from the screen and turned to Kamuro Masumi, who had sat beside him in silence from beginning to end.
"Kamuro, do you have anything to say about this video?"
"No."
Kamuro Masumi's voice was quiet, but unusually firm.
She met Horikita Manabu's gaze without flinching. "I didn't steal anything."
"But the video..." Tachibana Akane interjected, unable to hide her confusion.
"The video doesn't prove anything," Kamuro Masumi cut in coldly.
She offered no explanation, nor did she deign to give one.
In this situation, any defense would sound feeble.
She knew she had been pushed to the edge of a cliff.
Seeing this, Yamauchi Haruki grew even more smug. "See, President? She's so guilty she can't even speak! She was caught red-handed. What more is there to say? I suggest we punish her severely at once!"
Horikita Manabu tapped his fingers lightly on the table, the knocks falling into a steady rhythm.
He pondered for a moment. "There are too many questionable points. We can't reach a conclusion based on a video of uncertain origin alone. The Student Council needs to investigate further. Until the results are in, I don't want to hear any more rumors about this. You two may leave for now."
Yamauchi Haruki hadn't expected this outcome. He wanted to say more, but when he met Horikita Manabu's icy gaze, he could only fall silent and leave.
After leaving the Student Council Office, Kamuro Masumi didn't return to class.
It was as if all the strength had been drained from her. She wandered aimlessly around Campus.
She didn't know where to go, or where she could go.
There was no one around, yet it felt as if people were pointing at her from every direction.
Eventually, she reached the quiet grove behind the Teaching Building.
She leaned against the trunk of a large tree, slowly slid down, and finally sank to the ground.
She buried her face between her knees, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Anger, helplessness, fear... Every negative emotion surged over her like a flood, swallowing her whole.
She didn't cry. She only bit down hard on her lip until she tasted blood.
Before you continue