Turbulence

The Student Council president's office.

Secretary Tachibana Akane set a large stack of reports on the desk and waited for Horikita Manabu to sign off on them.

Suddenly, Horikita Manabu's right hand stopped moving. He pulled out one of the reports and examined it closely.

"When was this complaint submitted?" Horikita Manabu's eyes flashed.

"Yesterday afternoon. You weren't here, so Vice President Miyabi Nagumo accepted it."

"Interesting."

Earlier, Zhuge Linghao and Ken Sudō had been shopping for something in the school store...

"Hey, first period is Chabashira-sensei's homeroom. We're going to be late!" Ken Sudō said anxiously.

Zhuge Linghao picked up a bottle of tomato juice. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't panic!"

Then Zhuge Linghao picked up a large bundle of medical cotton. "I'm late on purpose."

"And in a minute, don't say a word. Leave everything to me."

During homeroom, Chabashira-sensei took attendance as usual.

"Karuizawa Kei."

"Here!"

"Sakura Airi."

"...Here."

"Zhuge Linghao."

No one answered.

"Ken Sudō."

No one answered.

"Does anyone know where Zhuge Linghao and Sudō went?"

Still, no one answered.

Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo frowned at the same time.

Chabashira-sensei took out her phone and immediately called Zhuge Linghao.

"Busy, busy! If you want to call me, get in line..."

A goofy ringtone suddenly rang from the classroom doorway.

Two figures stood there.

Zhuge Linghao and Ken Sudō were supporting each other. Dried "blood" stained the corners of their mouths and eyes, and their "swollen cheeks" made them look like they'd been "beaten up."

Zhuge Linghao struck first with his accusation. "Chabashira-sensei, three thugs from Class C's Basketball Club beat up Sudō and me! You have to get revenge for us!"

If Ishizaki Daichi and the others had been there, they would have shouted helplessly: [Where did we beat you? You're the one who's been punching us this whole time, Zhuge!]

Chabashira-sensei narrowed her eyes, told Hirata to take over the class, then summoned Zhuge Linghao and Ken Sudō to her office.

The office was empty. The homeroom teachers of the other classes were all holding their own homeroom sessions.

Chabashira-sensei saw right through them. "Stop pretending. You're not actually hurt, are you?"

"As expected of our gentle, beautiful, clever, and virtuous Chabashira-sensei. My admiration for you flows like a mighty river, continuous and never-ending, like the Yellow River in flood, unstoppable..."

"Enough. Get to the point."

"Here's what happened. Yesterday afternoon, those three thugs from Class C beat up Sudō. I happened to be passing by, so I rushed in to help. That's heroism and self-defense!"

"You happened to be passing by? They attacked first?"

"Yes. I saw it with my own eyes."

"A participant can't serve as an eyewitness."

Chabashira-sensei picked up her phone and checked the latest school announcement.

Chabashira-sensei put her phone away. "Go back to class."

In Class 1-D, the students were discussing the incident in a hubbub.

Chabashira-sensei returned to the lectern and crossed her arms. "The school just issued an announcement."

"Yesterday, there was an incident involving violence in the Special Building."

Horikita raised an eyebrow. "The Special Building?"

"Members of Class C's Basketball Club have filed a complaint with the school against Zhuge Linghao and Ken Sudō, claiming that after club activities ended, Zhuge Linghao and Ken Sudō attacked them without provocation."

The gag order couldn't stop Sudō from punching his desk and angrily protesting. "I was defending myself! They were jealous that I'd become a regular, so they came looking for a fight!"

Chabashira-sensei said hoarsely, "Do you have any proof? An eyewitness would make your case more convincing."

The "good girl," Kushida Kikyo, stood up. "Does anyone know if they saw Sudō and the others fighting? Or can anyone provide a clue?"

Horikita Suzune turned her gaze toward Sakura Airi, who silently lowered her head.

Koenji, sitting with his legs arrogantly propped up on his desk as he admired himself in a mirror, suddenly spoke. "Red-haired Boy, I think you'd be better off dropping out. Your existence is anything but beautiful."

"And as for you, Black-haired Boy, what exactly did you do?"

Ken Sudō looked ready to explode again.

Hirata Yosuke stepped in just in time. "Sudō, no more fighting!"

Chabashira-sensei kicked the lectern, making a loud bang.

The noisy classroom fell silent.

"In a week, the Student Council will step in to negotiate with Class C. Based on the results, Class Points will be deducted, and disciplinary action against Sudō and Zhuge will be announced."

During the break.

Everyone kept several meters away from Sudō and Zhuge, afraid of getting involved.

Many students in the class were already complaining.

"This is the worst. Those two are nothing but trouble!"

"It's all Sudō and the others' fault. We might lose all our Class Points again..."

"Those two would be better off dropping out."

"Exactly!"

Zhuge Linghao lay facedown on his desk, eavesdropping on his classmates' conversation.

His little face buried deep in his arms, Zhuge Linghao wore the same "innocent smile" as "Sonic the Hedgehog," his shoulders trembling.

[Heh. So this is human nature!]

[The moment their own interests are involved, even a good dog turns vicious!]

"Is that what you think too, Ayanokoji?"

Horikita Suzune spoke coldly from beside the window.

"Do you think it'd be better if those two dropped out?"

Ayanokoji sat in his seat with one hand propping up his head. "I don't really mind. What about you, as their tutor?"

"June has just begun, and our Class Points have already gone back to zero. If someone drops out now, there won't even be any points left to deduct."

"Maybe."

"What's with that tone? It's really annoying."

"Because we can't say for certain whether our points might go up or down without us knowing."

"What do you mean?" Horikita Suzune turned around.

"We still don't know exactly how the S System works. For all we know, we might be losing points right now."

"Maybe they won't deduct points now, but might do it next month or at some other time."

"Or maybe the requirement for advancing to Class A is that no one in the class can drop out."

"Hmph. That's just sophistry."

"We still haven't figured out how the S System works. If you really want to advance to Class A, I think you need to eliminate every possible risk."

"Besides, Sudō's athletic ability and importance to the club could come in handy in the future."

"As for Zhuge, honestly, I can't quite figure him out. His intelligence swings from high to low, and his athletic ability from strong to weak. It's a headache."

"His unconventional thinking and unexpected ways of solving problems might make Zhuge a trump card in a Special Exam someday."

"Hmm. That makes sense."

[Hey, hey, don't discuss your schemes right next to me! Do you think I don't exist?]

[And Ayanokoji, are you going to start using Suzune-chan now, while you hide behind the scenes and act as the mastermind?]

[Heh heh. This is getting interesting!]

During the long break.

Hirata Yosuke stood at the lectern. "Everyone, listen. I'm willing to trust my classmates. I think we should work together to find any clues about eyewitnesses."

Karuizawa Kei raised her hand in support. "All right, I completely agree."

So many students stood up to support Hirata Yosuke and Karuizawa Kei's suggestion.

Of course, the "kindhearted" Kushida Kikyo was no exception. She said earnestly, "I feel the same way. First, we have to believe them!"

"If even we, their classmates, won't lend them a hand, it'd be awful for them to be left with no one to rely on!"

Then a bunch of Kushida Kikyo's admirers chimed in, one after another.

"If that's what Kushida says!"

"I'm all for it!"

"I think Zhuge and Sudō are good guys."

Zhuge Linghao was stunned. [You were the ones talking the loudest about them just now!]

[Why aren't you barking at them anymore?]

Zhuge Linghao could only angrily blurt out, [Those suck-ups have no shame!]