June slipped by amid the chirping of cicadas and the turning of pages. The 747 Class Points announced at the beginning of the month had been a much-needed boost for Class B, bringing a generous reward—every student received 74,700 Personal Points that month. The classroom during lunch break was filled with the relaxed mood of early summer and a little planning for how to spend their "wealth."
"Ah, I can finally get those new sports earbuds!" Shibata Hayato flipped through the product catalog on his terminal, rubbing his hands excitedly.
"I want to try the new dessert shop on Shopping Street," Shiratori Chihiro whispered to Hino Yuki, sharing her plans.
"Kanzaki-kun, what do you think of the new set of reference books?" Tsubaki Hitomi asked seriously, pushing up her glasses.
Kanzaki Ryuji analyzed it calmly. "From the catalog, they cover more material, but the progression in difficulty of the exercises leaves something to be desired..."
Ichinose Honami sat at her desk, her terminal screen displaying the management interface for the Class Collective Points. Every so often, a classmate would come over and cheerfully tell her:
"Class President, I've transferred this month's 'class dues' to you!"
The joking name "class dues" had become Class B's nickname for their shared reserve fund, carrying a hint of lightheartedness and a sense of belonging.
"Got it! Thanks for your support!" Ichinose always replied with a warm smile, carefully confirming the record on her terminal. "I'll update the accounts in the shared document. You can check them anytime."
"We know, Class President. We trust you more than anyone to handle this!"
Just then, Shibata Hayato hurried across the classroom to Shimiya Kuki's desk by the window, wearing a mischievous grin. He gently nudged Shimiya with his elbow. "Hey, Shimiya! There's a really—really pretty girl looking for you out in the hallway!" He deliberately drew out "really," waggling his eyebrows. "Well, well, who knew? You're usually so quiet, but you're pretty popular! It's Kushida Kikyo, that famous girl from Class D!"
Shimiya Kuki looked up from the book he'd been reading. His face showed no emotion. He simply followed the direction Shibata had pointed and looked calmly toward the classroom door.
Sure enough, Kushida Kikyo was standing in the hallway outside Class B. She still wore her trademark, flawless sweet smile, but on closer inspection, there seemed to be a trace of anxiety buried beneath it. When she saw Shimiya look over, she immediately raised a hand and waved to him, her gesture small but unmistakable. Her eyes carried a clear plea for help.
Shimiya closed his book and stood up. Amid Shibata's "Heh, heh, heh" of gossip and the curious looks of several classmates, he walked out without a word.
"Shimiya-kun, sorry to bother you," Kikyo said. Her voice was still sweet, but she spoke a little faster than usual, betraying her impatience. She bowed slightly.
"What do you need, Kushida?" Shimiya's voice was flat and direct.
Kikyo took a deep breath, doing her best to keep smiling, though her brows had already drawn together slightly. "It's... it's about Ken Sudō from our class. Yesterday evening, he had a serious altercation with Ishizaki-kun from Class C near the warehouse behind the gym... It turned into a violent incident."
She paused to gauge Shimiya's reaction. Seeing that he remained calm, she quickly continued. "The School Administration is investigating now. But things look bad for Sudō-kun. He may face suspension or even... expulsion." Her voice trembled almost imperceptibly as she said "expulsion."
"But," Kikyo continued urgently and earnestly, "Sudō-kun insists that Ishizaki-kun and the others provoked him and attacked first, and that he only fought back because he had no choice! He also says there was a third person there besides the two of them! That person could prove he wasn't the one who started it! He was... the victim!"
She looked at Shimiya imploringly, her eyes full of helplessness and hope. "Sudō-kun said the bystander might have been wearing our school uniform, but he couldn't make out their face or class... We're completely at a loss. Shimiya-kun, did anyone in your class go near the gym warehouse after school yesterday? Or... might someone have happened to see something? I know this is a lot to ask, but please... could you ask your classmates for me? Whether Sudō-kun gets to stay at school depends on it!" Her hands clasped together in front of her without her noticing, her knuckles turning faintly white from the pressure. Her distress and anxiety finally broke through her perfect smile and showed clearly on her face.
Shimiya Kuki listened in silence, his expression unchanged, as though he were hearing about something that had nothing to do with him. He was quiet for a few seconds. Just as Kikyo's hopes were beginning to sink, he nodded, his voice still even.
"All right. Wait here a moment. I'll ask."
Kikyo let out a long breath of relief, and her smile finally held a trace of genuine gratitude. "Really? Thank you so much, Shimiya-kun! Then... I'll leave it to you! Sorry for interrupting your lunch break!" She bowed deeply again.
Shimiya gave a slight nod and turned back toward the Class B classroom.
The relaxed atmosphere in the classroom continued. Shimiya walked straight over to the area near the podium, where Ichinose Honami, Kanzaki Ryuji, Hino Yuki, and the others were discussing something. He didn't raise his voice, yet his calm words carried clearly through the classroom, which had fallen quiet at his arrival.
"Sorry to interrupt. Kushida Kikyo from Class D just came to ask for help. Ken Sudō from her class was involved in a violent altercation with Ishizaki from Class C behind the gym warehouse yesterday evening. Sudō claims a third person witnessed the other side attack first and that he was forced to fight back. He may now face a serious punishment. She wants to know if anyone from our class happened to pass near the gym warehouse after school yesterday and witness what happened."
The smile on Ichinose Honami's face instantly gave way to a serious expression. She stood and came over to Shimiya, then faced the class. Her voice was gentle, but carried the authority of a class president. "Everyone, sorry to interrupt. I have something to ask you. Whether a student from Class D gets to stay at this school may depend on it. Please think carefully: after school yesterday evening, roughly between five and six, did anyone go near the warehouse behind the gym? Or pass along a nearby path? Any possible clue, no matter how small, would be helpful."
The classroom fell silent. The students exchanged glances and began trying to remember.
"The gym warehouse? That place is so remote. Nobody usually goes there, right?"
"After school yesterday? I remember heading straight back to the dorm..."
"Hamaguchi and I went to the basketball court, but it's in front of the gym, a long way from the warehouse behind it."
"I think I saw Shibata training on the soccer field. Shibata, which way did you go after practice?" someone asked Shibata Hayato.
Shibata Hayato scratched his head. "Me? Practice didn't end until almost six-thirty, when it was nearly dark. And I took the main path by the front entrance of the field. There's no way I'd have passed the warehouse around back."
Kanzaki Ryuji pushed up his glasses and analyzed the situation calmly. "The timing is too specific. The altercation happened between five and six. Most of our class would have been studying in the classroom, at Club Activities, heading back to the dorm, or on the way to the cafeteria then. Few routes would take anyone past the remote warehouse behind the gym."
Hino Yuki added softly, "Mm. And hardly anyone goes there at the best of times, especially after school..."
The students asked one another questions, tried to remember, and checked their recollections. The minutes passed.
At last, Ichinose Honami looked around the now-quiet classroom, then turned to Shimiya, who was waiting by the door. With a trace of regret, she shook her head gently. "Shimiya-kun, no one in our class was near the gym warehouse around that time yesterday. It seems the witness wasn't from our class."
The result wasn't surprising. The warehouse behind the gym was one of the more secluded corners of the campus, and after school it was even more deserted. Class B students rarely went anywhere near it.
Shimiya Kuki showed no reaction to the result and simply nodded. "I understand. I'll go tell the student from Class D." He turned and walked out of the classroom again.
In the hallway, Kushida Kikyo was leaning against the wall, her hands clasped tightly together. She was doing her best to keep smiling, but the hope in her eyes flickered like a candle in the wind. When she saw Shimiya come out, she immediately straightened and looked at him with one last glimmer of hope.
Shimiya walked up to her and spoke in his usual flat voice, stating the facts. "I asked around. Unfortunately, no one from our class was near the warehouse behind the gym at that time yesterday, and no one witnessed the incident."
The smile on Kikyo's face froze, then cracked like fine porcelain. Her forced composure quickly faded, replaced by undisguised disappointment and deeper anxiety. The light in her eyes dimmed. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, all that came out was a low, trembling sigh. "...I see."
She took a deep breath and tried to lift the corners of her mouth again, but her smile looked painfully forced and fragile. "...I understand. Still... thank you so much, Shimiya-kun, and everyone in Class B for asking around. Sorry for bothering you." She hurriedly bowed once more, then turned and walked away quickly, her retreating figure seeming flustered and helpless.
Shimiya Kuki stood where he was, watching Kikyo disappear around the corner of the hallway. The afternoon sunlight came through the windows and cast a long, still shadow at his feet. The violent incident in Class D was like a stone thrown into a lake: it caused only a brief ripple in Class B's daily routine before the water quickly grew still again. Yet at the heart of that disturbance, a storm was brewing—one powerful enough to swallow an individual whole.
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