Natsukawa Sosuke packed up his books and was just about to stand when a cool, aloof figure walked up to his desk.
It was Horikita Suzune.
Her expression was as cold as ever. Her sharp eyes lingered on the direction Sudo had gone, a hint of thoughtfulness in them. Then she turned her gaze to Natsukawa and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was just as silent beside him.
"Don't you think something's a little off?" Horikita Suzune asked bluntly. Her voice was soft, but the two nearby could hear her clearly.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka remained expressionless and gave no reply.
Natsukawa Sosuke calmly raised his eyes to look at her. "Like what?"
"The points weren't distributed on time." Horikita's gaze swept across their faces. "The school has been using this system for a long time. I don't think what happened was the school's fault."
She paused, tying together two seemingly unrelated events with an invisible thread.
"And then, on the very day they announced the delay, Chabashira-sensei just happened to call Sudo aside."
"Don't you think... that's too much of a coincidence?"
Horikita Suzune offered no conclusion, but the suspicion in her words was plain enough.
The school's so-called minor problem might not have been a system malfunction or an administrative issue at all.
Its source might well lie with a student.
And Ken Sudō, who had been called away at such a critical moment, was undoubtedly the prime suspect.
The air seemed to carry the feeling of a storm on the horizon.
The next morning.
The students sat listlessly at their desks in Class D. Even the bell signaling the start of homeroom couldn't dispel the oppressive atmosphere hanging over the classroom.
Then Chabashira Sae appeared in the doorway, like a wave of cold air given human form.
Her expression was as cold and unchanging as ever. She surveyed the students below, some irritated, others numb, then walked to the podium and dropped a bombshell in a flat, emotionless voice.
"The matter of yesterday's delayed point distribution has now been resolved."
The whole class instantly perked up.
"After school on the 28th, Class D student Ken Sudō assaulted three members of Class C's basketball team and one of their classmates near the Special Teaching Building. The incident was serious in nature."
"Under school rules, this conduct has had a severely negative impact on Class D's evaluation. Therefore, this month's Class Points, originally allocated to Class D, will be reduced by 100 as punishment."
—100 points.
The words rang through everyone's minds like a thunderclap.
A deathly silence fell over the classroom for several seconds.
Then the silence erupted.
"What?! Are you kidding me?"
"100 points? Doesn't that mean all our work last month was for nothing?"
"What the hell! It's that Sudo guy again!"
Anger, shock, and undisguised resentment surged into a tangible roar, converging from all sides like countless invisible arrows aimed at the red-haired figure.
"Shut up!"
Ken Sudō slammed his hand on the desk and sprang to his feet. His already fearsome face was flushed red with anger and the injustice of it all. He glared at Chabashira Sae on the podium, the veins in his neck bulging like an enraged beast's.
"They were the ones who started it! They couldn't stand that I'd made the starting lineup, so they came over to provoke me! I barely even hit them!"
His defense was frantic, but utterly unconvincing.
Chabashira Sae watched him coldly, not showing the slightest reaction. "That's your side of the story. The three students from Class C all claim that you provoked them for no reason and threw the first punch. They have witnesses, as well as their injuries as physical evidence."
Her words doused Ken Sudō's anger like a bucket of ice water, nearly extinguishing it.
"T-That's a lie!" Ken Sudō's voice faltered. He looked around, hoping to find a hint of trust on his classmates' faces, but all he saw was indifference, suspicion, and blame.
"But," Chabashira Sae continued without pausing, "you have no evidence to prove your innocence. If you can find a witness who can confirm that you acted in 'self-defense,' there may still be room to turn things around."
"A witness..." Ken Sudō's eyes dimmed. The place was so secluded, and it had been after school. How could there possibly have been a witness?
Just then, a gentle yet resolute voice broke the suffocating stalemate.
"Um... may I ask something?"
Kushida Kikyo raised her hand and stood up from her seat. Her face showed just the right amount of concern, and her clear, wide eyes were full of worry for her classmate.
"Did anyone here happen to pass by the Special Teaching Building at the time and see Sudo and the others? Or can anyone provide any information that might help?"
Her angelic voice echoed through the silent classroom. But the only response was silence.
No one spoke. Most of the students looked at her, but not one of them could offer anything useful.
A flash of disappointment crossed Kushida Kikyo's face. Almost unconsciously, she stole a glance at the corner in the back of the classroom.
Natsukawa Sosuke rested his chin on one hand, calmly gazing out the window. His face showed no emotion, as if this turmoil affecting the whole class were nothing more than a dull farce to him.
Noticing Natsukawa's unruffled, seemingly indifferent attitude, Kushida Kikyo bit her lower lip. In the end, she slowly sat back down, a hint of apology on her face.
Chabashira Sae had seen it all. She pushed up her glasses and made her final announcement.
"Since there were no witnesses, the Student Council will step in to adjudicate this matter. In one week, the people involved from Classes D and C will meet with the Student Council for final negotiations. The outcome of those negotiations will determine the final punishment. Whether Class D loses its points or faces some other additional penalty is up to you."
"Homeroom is over."
After the tense homeroom, the students had their break.
The atmosphere in the classroom didn't improve at all after the teacher left. Ken Sudō was like an isolated island, shut out of every group. The whispers around him formed a malicious undercurrent that swirled silently at his back.
"Just my luck, getting put in a class with a violent thug like him..."
"Seriously. We worked so hard to earn those Class Points, and he ruined everything all by himself."
"He's a ticking time bomb. Sooner or later, he'll bring the whole class down with him."
The complaints and accusations weren't loud, but they were clear enough to reach his ears. At last, they pushed Ken Sudō past his limit.
"What the hell are you all muttering about?" He spun around and roared at the students who had been talking about him. "I already told you, they threw the first punch! I was defending myself! And I barely even fought back!"
His roar only earned him more glares and contemptuous snorts. No one was going to believe a violent delinquent with a "long record."
Just as the hostility within the class was about to erupt completely, a calm, firm voice stepped in.
"Everyone, please calm down first."
Before you continue