"Now, regarding the violent incident that occurred last time, we'll begin questioning the Student Council, the people involved in the incident, and the class instructors. I'll be presiding over the meeting," Ying said mildly, in a voice that sounded as if he'd just woken up.
"Hey, Byakuya, could you at least try to look awake? Otherwise, I'll preside over the meeting." Tachibana jabbed Byakuya with her pen.
Ying rubbed his lower back, then spoke a little louder. "I'm Baiye Ying from Class 1-B, and I'm the Student Council treasurer. I'll be presiding over this meeting."
"I didn't expect the student council president to come in person. Usually, only Tachibana comes. This is quite unusual," Chabashira-sensei remarked pointedly.
"I've simply been busy with my usual duties. Since this time the topic is being handled by a new member of the Student Council, I thought it would be best for me to attend," Horikita Manabu said without batting an eye.
Ying glanced at Horikita Suzune, who was sitting beside Chabashira. She looked somewhat nervous, but there was still resolve in her eyes.
"I'll briefly summarize the incident..." After reading from the notes in his hand, Ying looked toward Class D and asked, "Sudo, the basketball club members Komiya and the others claim you called them to the Special Teaching Building, where you beat them up without provocation. Is that true?"
"Ying, you have to believe me! That day, I..." Sudo went on to describe what he'd seen and heard that day.
Ying then looked toward Class C and said, "Don't worry, I won't play favorites. Heh heh heh. Now, let's hear Class C's side of the story~."
When the three Class C students, Ishizaki and the others, saw that Ying was presiding, their confidence visibly faltered. Still, they gave accounts that contradicted Sudo's.
The two classes argued for a while after that, but each side just kept insisting they were right.
Realizing that the investigation was getting nowhere, Horikita Suzune—who wanted to prove herself to her brother—stood up of her own accord.
It seemed she'd decided to grow on her own. Watching Horikita Suzune, Horikita Manabu couldn't help letting the corners of his mouth lift slightly.
"According to what you've said, you called Ishizaki, who's good at fighting, to come along because you were afraid of Sudo. But if that's the case, why were three of you unable to defend yourselves and only got beaten up? I've studied martial arts myself, and in my opinion, this incident couldn't have happened the way you described." Horikita Suzune paused, then continued,
"Even so, it's a fact that Sudo injured the others. But the students from Class C were the ones who started the fight, and we have a student who witnessed the whole thing as evidence."
Just then, Sakura entered the Student Council Office. At first, she seemed nervous. But when she noticed Ying presiding over the meeting, she took a few deep breaths, steeled herself, and spoke up.
"I'm S-Sakura Airi from Class D. I... I..."
Seeing Sakura, Class C's instructor, Sakagami, wiped his glasses and smiled. "Class D really is despicable, forcing such an innocent student to give false testimony."
As Sakura's face began to pale, Ying spoke up. "This is the time for witnesses to give their testimony. Everyone else, please be quiet. Sakura Airi, you said you witnessed the incident. Could you please tell us truthfully what you saw?"
Encouraged by Ying, Sakura raised her voice. "I really did see it! The students from Class C started the fight! I have proof." As she spoke, Sakura took out a memory card.
Tachibana inserted the memory card into the computer so everyone present could see what was on it.
On the computer screen was...
"...Get gloomy, get gloomy..."
"Ah! No!" Komiya foamed at the mouth and passed out.
"Komiya! Komiya! Hang in there, for crying out loud!" Kondo shouted, holding Komiya.
"S-sorry. I grabbed the wrong one. It should be this card." Blushing, Sakura took out another memory card.
Tachibana glanced at Ying beside her. "Pfft..."
Ying, his face dark with dismay, closed the video and removed the card, then inserted the new one.
This time, it was the right one. The card contained photos of Sakura as Shizuku, a gravure idol. After Ying had enjoyed the view, Horikita Manabu noticed one of the photos. It was dated last Friday evening, and Sudo and the three Class C students could be seen in the background.
Although it was eventually confirmed that Sakura had been there, that still didn't prove she hadn't given false testimony on behalf of Class D. In the end, each class was given three days to find evidence that the other side had lied, after which they would talk again.
After the meeting, Sakura went to Ying and apologized. "I'm sorry, Baiye. Even though I came forward, I still couldn't help the class. And I couldn't become the kind of person in the story you told me about, either."
Ying reassured her. "It's all right, Sakura. We all saw how hard you tried. You'll definitely grow from this."
Horikita Manabu and Tachibana also left. They caught up with Ayanokoji, who was walking away, and asked, "What are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?" Ayanokoji asked mildly.
"Can you prove it? That Sakura wasn't lying."
"I won't be the one to prove it. Your sister will."
"Is that so? If you don't want to say, fine. But I've got my eye on you now, Ayanokoji." With that, Horikita Manabu and Tachibana left.
He's got his eye on me? Could it be because of Baiye? Looks like I can't get involved this time... Ayanokoji resolved to give up.
"Hey, Ayanokoji." Ying greeted Ayanokoji, who was deep in thought. "Go ahead and do whatever you want. I'll be in the best seat, with popcorn and a soda."
"So you were the one who told him? I don't know what your motive is, but I won't get involved again," Ayanokoji said.
"Huh? What motive? Class B has a get-together, so I'm heading out." With that, Ying said goodbye to Ayanokoji too.
Back in the Class D classroom, everyone was discussing how to resolve the incident.
"Ayanokoji, what do you think?" Horikita Suzune asked.
"I don't have any ideas. What should we do?" Ayanokoji said.
"I think we should go check out the scene," Kushida suggested.
"That's not a bad idea, but it probably won't help much," Ayanokoji said.
"But we don't have any leads, either. Maybe we should go take a look?" Sudo said.
"All right, but I'd like to get back to the dorm early afterward," Ayanokoji said, sounding unenthusiastic.
"Agreed," Horikita Suzune said.
After they'd checked out the scene, Horikita Suzune headed back to the dorm alone. While they were checking the area, Ayanokoji had made an excuse to use the bathroom and then slipped away. Once she realized he was gone, Horikita Suzune said goodbye to the others and started back to the dorm as well.
But then Horikita Suzune noticed an odd pairing that left her baffled.
"Ayanokoji, what are you doing?" Ying asked, holding a bag.
"I came out to buy a bottle of milk. What about you?" Ayanokoji asked, looking at Ying's bag.
"I'm going to report someone for selling counterfeit goods to the Kouiku Market Supervision Department." Ying then took something out of his bag.
It was...a surveillance camera. From a distance, Horikita Suzune couldn't hear what the two of them were saying. She only saw Ayanokoji and Ying standing outside the dorm, talking. Then Ying pulled a surveillance camera out of his bag, and Ayanokoji picked it up and examined it.
Horikita Suzune was completely confused. What were those two doing? Surely they weren't planning to do something illegal.
After returning to the dorm without acknowledging them, Horikita Suzune began sorting through the day's events. When she thought about the surveillance cameras, she suddenly realized that she hadn't seen any when they'd checked the Special Teaching Building. But there was one around the corner past the spot where the fight had taken place.
Horikita Suzune's eyes lit up. She'd thought of a way...
Ayanokoji: I'm really giving up this time.
Before you continue