After that, the perverted shop clerk was naturally disgraced and thrown in prison. Ayanokoji and the others on the operation team had also succeeded in scaring the three Class C students into withdrawing their complaint.
In the Student Council Office, Ayanokoji was missing from the Class D seats, while the three Class C students shifted uneasily in theirs.
"Where's Ayanokoji?" Chabashira-sensei asked Horikita Suzune after noticing that he still hadn't arrived.
"He isn't coming. It wouldn't make any difference whether he did or not," Horikita Suzune replied coolly.
Chabashira-sensei put on a thoughtful expression and sighed. Horikita Suzune couldn't help wondering why.
"Both sides, please remain quiet. The appeal hearing will now begin," Secretary Tachibana announced.
Perhaps noticing everyone's puzzled looks, Horikita Manabu explained, "The Student Council treasurer, Baiye, had other business today and couldn't attend, so Secretary Tachibana will preside."
Chabashira-sensei's expression darkened. She knew that Ayanokoji and Ying's absence couldn't be a coincidence.
"Um, could we withdraw our complaint?" Komiya from Class C raised his hand and asked.
Both Chabashira and Sakagami were startled. Sakagami hurried to stop the Class C students, but he still couldn't get the three of them to change their minds. Chabashira, meanwhile, burst out laughing and silently praised Ayanokoji's clever move.
After the appeal hearing ended, Horikita Suzune and Chabashira began lecturing Sudo. Sudo realized that the incident had happened because of his own behavior, and promised them he would mend his ways from now on.
Once everyone else had left, Chabashira asked Horikita Suzune, "What did you do, Horikita?"
"What are you talking about, sensei?" Horikita Suzune chose to play dumb. After all, their plan had involved deception, and she couldn't be sure whether the school would hold them responsible for what they'd done.
"So it's a secret. Then let me ask you something else: who came up with the plan?" Chabashira lit a cigarette and continued.
"...Why do you care about that?" Horikita Suzune didn't understand. She had come up with the plan, but why would Chabashira-sensei care?
"Because I'm a little curious about Ayanokoji, who wasn't there."
Chabashira-sensei has been interested in Ayanokoji since the very beginning. Now I can faintly sense that something is off. Horikita Suzune thought.
Horikita Suzune had long realized that Ayanokoji was a clever student, yet someone like him always stayed behind the scenes, acting as though he had no interest in anything.
"Every student in Class D has one flaw or another. What do you think Ayanokoji's flaw is?"
"Is it that he avoids trouble?"
"Is that what you think, Horikita? You should try to understand Ayanokoji as much as you can while you still have the chance. Otherwise, it'll be too late. It seems you've already fallen into his trap. Is Ayanokoji really someone who avoids trouble?"
After hearing Chabashira's words, Horikita Suzune realized that something was indeed wrong. She thought back over everything Ayanokoji had done since the start of the school year. First, he'd scored exactly fifty points on every subject's exam. Then, when Sudo and the other two had been at risk of expulsion, he'd proposed buying points. Maybe the reason she'd come up with this plan was that Ayanokoji had deliberately let her see the surveillance footage outside the dorm that day.
"This is just my personal opinion, but Ayanokoji is the most defective product in Class D. The more capable a product is, the harder it is to use. If you can't understand him, the class might fail because of it." With that, Chabashira said nothing more and left.
At the entrance to the Student Council Office, Ayanokoji stood waiting for everyone.
"So this is the perfect solution you came up with? Not bad. As long as Class C withdraws its complaint, the only ones who could have lied are the Class C students—not Sudo or Sakura," Horikita Manabu said to Ayanokoji.
"This was your sister's doing. It had nothing to do with me," Ayanokoji stated calmly.
"The Student Council still needs a secretary. Would you like to join?" Horikita Manabu invited him.
"I hate troublesome things. I want to live a normal student life, so I'll have to decline."
"What!? You're actually turning down the Student Council president's invitation?" Tachibana thought this year's first-years were strange. Other students were desperate to get into the Student Council but couldn't, while this one had received a personal invitation from the president and still turned it down. At least this student was more polite than the last one...
Then Horikita Manabu and Tachibana left. A little while later, Chabashira and Horikita Suzune appeared too. Chabashira left without saying a word, while Horikita Suzune walked straight toward Ayanokoji.
"Hey. How did it go?" Ayanokoji greeted Horikita Suzune.
Horikita Suzune glared at Ayanokoji and asked, "You've been manipulating me, haven't you?"
"Manipulating you? What are you talking about?" Ayanokoji felt unjustly accused. He had thought of this plan in advance and even prepared a backup in case it failed, but this time he really hadn't done anything.
"You deliberately left early while we were checking the area to get my attention and make me leave, too. You were actually waiting for me outside the dorm. When you saw me come back, you contacted Baiye from Class B and made sure I noticed the surveillance camera, leading me to come up with this plan," Horikita Suzune explained.
"You're overthinking it. It was just a coincidence. I'm someone who avoids trouble, remember?"
Ayanokoji could only marvel at how frightening coincidences could be—or wonder if someone had set a trap for him.
Just then, a male student walked over. It was Ryuen Kakeru from Class C.
"Who are you?" Horikita Suzune asked calmly.
"Next time, I'll be your opponent. You'd better look forward to it."
With that, Ryuen left without paying any further attention to the two of them.
"Ayanokoji, you said you'd help me reach Class A, right? I want to know what you're thinking. You say you avoid trouble, yet you keep helping us in such an ambiguous way." Horikita Suzune stared into Ayanokoji's eyes, hoping to find some clue, but it was all in vain.
"Ayanokoji, who are you, really?"
"I promised to help you reach Class A, but please don't pry too deeply into me." With that, Ayanokoji headed back toward the dorm. He could set aside everything that had happened before, but he truly had only watched from the sidelines this time, offering at most the bare minimum of physical assistance. He hadn't really done anything, yet Horikita Suzune was paying an unusual amount of attention to him now. It was irritating.
Still, it wasn't a big deal. That was the conclusion Ayanokoji finally reached.
On campus, Ryuen and the other Class C students were on their way to karaoke, thinking over the incident, when a group of unwelcome visitors appeared in front of them.
"So you're Sakayanagi. It's only been a few months since school started, and you're already acting like a queen," Ryuen taunted.
"Hehe. Even so, I'm still no match for the full splendor of Class C's tyrant," Sakayanagi from Class A replied. Kito and Hashimoto stood beside her, wary of Ryuen.
"Hahaha! Once I've torn Class D to shreds and crushed Class B, I'll drag you down from your throne in Class A with my own hands." With that, Ryuen led the Class C students past the Class A group.
Sakayanagi merely smiled to herself. "What an interesting school. Hashimoto, have you found out who that person is?"
"Princess, I have. He's Baiye Ying from Class B. He dared to use Her Highness's intelligence. He'll regret it," Hashimoto said respectfully.
"Ying?" Sakayanagi felt as though she'd seen that name somewhere before.
Ying: danger.
Before you continue