The Weight of Evidence

On Monday morning, the sun was shining brightly, and the campus had returned to its usual liveliness.

In the Class D classroom, students chatted in twos and threes, sharing interesting stories from the weekend. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant, as if no one knew what had happened over the weekend.

But Hanyu Xiuyi knew.

He sat at his seat, his gaze occasionally sweeping towards Ayanokoji Kiyonaga. That person remained as impassive as ever, holding a book in his hand, as if everything that had happened yesterday had nothing to do with him.

"Hanyu," Horikita Suzune sat down beside him, lowering her voice, "Did you bring the things?"

"I brought them," Hanyu replied in a low voice, "Ayanokoji gave me the recording and the brick last night. They're locked in the cabinet in my dorm now."

Horikita nodded and asked no further questions.

The morning classes passed in peace. Hanyu tried hard to concentrate on the lessons, but his thoughts kept drifting to the recording. That piece of evidence was enough to make Ryuen pay the price. But now was not the time—Ayanokoji was right, they needed to wait for a better opportunity.

During lunch break, as Hanyu was about to take out his bento, his phone vibrated. It was a message from an unknown number:

"3 PM, Student Council Office. I have something important I want to talk to you about. -- Nagumo Miyabi"

Hanyu stared at the message, his heart racing. Nagumo Miyabi had come looking for him again.

He thought for a moment and replied, "Okay."

Whether it was a trap or an opportunity, he had to go. Because he needed to figure out what Nagumo Miyabi really wanted.

At 2:50 PM, Hanyu Xiuyi stood at the door of the Student Council Office.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in," Nagumo Miyabi's gentle voice sounded.

Hanyu pushed the door open. Nagumo Miyabi was still sitting at one end of the long table, with several documents spread out in front of him. He was wearing a neat school uniform today, with a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, looking gentle and elegant.

"Classmate Hanyu, please sit," Nagumo gestured to the chair opposite him.

Hanyu sat down opposite him, looking directly into his eyes, "Nagumo-senpai, what do you want to see me about?"

Nagumo smiled, "Don't be nervous, I'm not here to make things difficult for you. I just want to show you something."

He took out a document from the drawer and pushed it in front of Hanyu.

Hanyu took the document and opened it, his pupils contracting slightly.

It was a detailed investigation report. It recorded all of Ryuen Sho's violations since his enrollment—threatening classmates, bribing students, planning traps, and even several incidents that had nearly caused personal injury. Every event had a time, place, and witnesses, all clearly documented.

"This is..."

"The evidence I've collected on Ryuen Sho is much more detailed than the recording you have," Nagumo said.

Hanyu looked up, staring at his eyes. "How did you know I had a recording?"

Nagumo smiled. "Hanyu-kun, I'm the Vice President of the Student Council. I know most of what happens in this school."

Hanyu fell silent.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not here to threaten you," Nagumo continued. "I'm here to give you a choice."

"What choice?"

"You can use the recording you have to report Ryuen," Nagumo said. "But that recording can only prove Ishizaki Daichi's involvement, not Ryuen's directly. Ryuen will push all the blame onto Ishizaki and walk away clean."

He paused. "But if you use my document, combined with your recording, you can bring Ryuen down completely. Make him face the punishment he deserves."

Hanyu looked at him. "What do you want?"

Nagumo smiled, a gentle and sincere smile. "I want you to believe me."

"Believe you?"

"Yes," Nagumo said. "Believe that I'm on the side of justice. Believe that I genuinely want to change this school. Believe that I'm not your enemy."

Hanyu fell silent. He looked into Nagumo's eyes, which were sincere and fervent, showing no hint of falsehood.

But he remembered Ayanokoji's words—Nagumo Miyabi is more complex than you imagine. He's not telling you about me to help you, but to test you.

"I need time to think," he finally said.

"Of course," Nagumo nodded. "When you've made up your mind, come find me anytime."

He stood up and walked to the window, gazing out at the campus. "Hanyu-kun, remember, I'm not your enemy. I hope one day, we can become friends."

Hanyu stood up and turned to leave. As he reached the door, he looked back at Nagumo's back view.

"Nagumo-senpai, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"Do you truly believe that using power to change the rules can create a better school?"

Nagumo turned around and looked at him. "What do you think?"

Hanyu did not answer and pushed the door open, leaving.

At four in the afternoon, Hanyu Xiuyi returned to his dormitory.

He had just sat down when his phone vibrated. It was an email from Ayanokoji Kiyonaga:

"Finished talking? --Ayanokoji"

Hanyu replied: "Finished talking. He gave me proof of Ryuen Sho's crimes."

Soon, Ayanokoji's reply came: "What does he want?"

"For me to believe him."

"Do you believe him?"

Hanyu looked at the question and didn't reply for a long time. After a long while, he typed:

"I Don't Know."

After sending it, he put down his phone and walked to the window, looking at the campus outside.

Nagumo Miyabi, Ryuen Sho, Ayanokoji Kiyonaga, and everyone in Class D... These people, these matters, were like a complex net, tightly ensnaring him.

He needed to make a choice. But which side to choose, he didn't know.

Outside the window, the sunset was sinking below the horizon, the sky a fiery red.

A new dawn was about to arrive.

And he had to make a decision.