Investigation

Morning sunlight poured through the Dorm Kitchen window, casting warm patches of light across the floor. A simple breakfast was laid out on the dining table: freshly fried eggs, perfectly toasted bread, and a small dish of salad made with vegetables provided free by the school. The warm aroma of food mingled with the faint scent of coffee.

Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami sat across from each other, quietly enjoying breakfast. Compared with the awkwardness of the previous evening, the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

"Yesterday... you really went through a lot, Kuki-kun." Ichinose sipped her milk, her expression tinged with helpless amusement. "Afterward, I ran after Shiratori-san and spent ages explaining everything..." She sighed, then imitated Shiratori's manner at the time, speaking in a soft, high-pitched voice. "'All right, I understand. But Ichinose, you don't have to be so shy. Have some confidence in yourself!'" Ichinose burst out laughing before she'd even finished, then her face fell. She prodded the egg on her plate with her spoon. "She said she 'understood,' but that look in her eyes... It was totally, 'I get it, Class President, you don't have to explain.' She didn't understand at all!" She puffed out her cheeks, looking both exasperated and amused.

Shimiya Kuki calmly sliced his toast. After listening to Ichinose's "complaint," he merely gave a faint "Mm," acknowledging that he'd heard her, his expression as unshakably composed as ever. It was as if Shiratori's earth-shattering "I wish you two happiness," and the misunderstanding that followed, had never happened.

They'd been sharing expenses for over a month, and had settled into a stable routine for their day-to-day spending. Thanks to the individual portions of vegetables provided free by the school, their weekly grocery costs stayed around 3,000 points. They mainly bought meat, eggs, milk, bread, and seasonings. Shimiya was exceptionally sharp when it came to supermarket discounts, and whenever meat or fish was on sale, they could treat themselves to something a little more luxurious. Their meals were simple, but Shimiya carefully planned them to ensure they were nutritionally balanced every day.

As for cooking, Shimiya Kuki did most of it. Whenever Ichinose tried to help, she would blink her big, dewy eyes and, with a playful, coaxing smile and sincere admiration, say, "Oh, Kuki-kun, my cooking's nowhere near as good as yours! Let me stand over there and learn from you first, okay? Please~" Her humble, eager-to-learn expression was impossible to refuse, so Shimiya had simply accepted that he was in charge of the kitchen.

After breakfast, Ichinose helped clear away the dishes and steered the conversation back on track, her expression turning serious. "Well, the matter with Shiratori is more or less settled. So it's time to get started on what we promised—to help Ayanokoji-kun and the others!" Determination and eager anticipation shone in her eyes.

Shimiya placed the washed plates in the dish rack and dried his hands with a towel, his movements unhurried as ever. He turned to Ichinose and announced evenly, "I won't be involved in that today. I have something else to take care of." He paused, then added, "But I can make time to stop by the School Review Meeting tomorrow."

"Huh?" Ichinose stopped wiping the table and looked at him in surprise. "What is it? Do you need any help?" Her tone held concern and a hint of curiosity.

"No." Shimiya's reply was crisp and decisive, with no sign that he intended to explain. "I can handle it myself." He went to the door and picked up his School Bag, then casually suggested, "As for your side, if you need help, you can ask Kanzaki. He's good at investigating and analyzing this kind of thing."

"Kanzaki?" Ichinose's eyes lit up, and she immediately understood what Shimiya meant. "Yeah! That's a great idea! I'll go talk to him today, then. I hope he'll be able to help." A reassured smile appeared on her face.

They parted at the dorm entrance and headed in different directions. Ichinose walked off briskly, evidently already having a rough plan for discussing the investigation with Kanzaki. Shimiya Kuki, as usual, blended steadily into the morning crowd heading for the School Building. No one could tell from his calm silhouette where he was going that day.

The next day, in the hallway outside the School Review Room

As the appointed time approached, the hallway outside the review room was quiet and nearly empty. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting long shadows across the floor. Shimiya Kuki, Ichinose Honami, and Kanzaki Ryuji, who had been invited to join them, were waiting not far from the room's entrance.

Kanzaki Ryuji looked at Shimiya, who had just arrived, and spoke first, his voice as calm and practical as ever. "Shimiya, Ichinose told me yesterday that you had something else to take care of. Did it go smoothly? If you need any help, just ask."

Shimiya Kuki gave a slight nod and answered concisely, "Mm, it's taken care of. Thanks." He then looked at Ichinose and Kanzaki. "How about you? Did you find anything yesterday?"

Ichinose immediately picked up the conversation, her expression a mix of enthusiasm and slight disappointment. "We weren't idle yesterday! On Kanzaki's advice, we put up notices on the public bulletin boards in the dorms and at several major information boards around campus."

She gestured as she spoke. "The notices asked for witnesses to the Gym Back Warehouse incident and briefly explained the controversy surrounding it. We hoped to find anyone who'd been in the area between five and six that evening." She spread her hands, sounding a little frustrated. "Unfortunately, we still haven't received any information from new witnesses as of this morning."

"But!" Ichinose changed tack, her eyes brightening. "Although we didn't find any new witnesses, we did receive some anonymous feedback about Ishizaki Daichi from Class C!" She looked toward Kanzaki, prompting him to add more.

Kanzaki Ryuji nodded and took a sheet of notes from the folder he carried. He stated evenly, "That's right. According to the feedback, Ishizaki Daichi's reputation in Junior High... was very similar to Ken Sudō's."

"Just like Sudō, he was frequently involved in violent altercations, and he had a history of being written up for fights. The people who sent the feedback said he was known as a 'troublemaker' even in Junior High."

Ichinose nodded firmly, looking certain. "Exactly! And there's more than one report, and they seem to come from different sources. They're all anonymous, but they point in the same direction. Kanzaki also thinks this information makes it more likely that Class C set him up." She looked at Kanzaki with admiration. "Putting up notices was a great idea, Kanzaki! We didn't find a direct witness, but this lead about Ishizaki's past is extremely valuable. It gives us even more reason to suspect that this incident was a trap set by Class C to exploit Sudō's temper. We also shared this information with Ayanokoji-kun and the others yesterday."

Kanzaki Ryuji remained serious, merely giving a slight nod. "The information needs to be cross-checked, but several anonymous reports pointing to the same conclusion are certainly worth taking seriously. Combined with the deliberate choice of location for the confrontation, the likelihood that Class C engineered the incident is increasing." His analysis was calm and objective.

Shimiya Kuki listened quietly to their report, his gaze calm. The information about Ishizaki's past didn't seem to surprise him. He looked at the tightly closed door of the review room and said evenly, "Mm. The key is what they say in there today." His gaze seemed to pass through the door and settle on the internal review about to begin—the one that would determine Sudō's fate.

Silence fell over the hallway again. Each of the three was lost in thought as they waited for the review room door to open, and for the next turn in the controversy.