Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

"...So, the people from Class C didn't fall for it?"

To be able to resist the temptation of a beautiful girl—isn't that even more formidable than a strong will?!

"Not exactly. Ishizaki and the others did fall for it, but they weren't the only ones who showed up."

"Meaning they leaked the news of their meeting with Kushida to someone else, and then someone came to the rescue?"

"That should be the case. We had already broken down their psychological defenses, but before we could get them to the conference room to withdraw the complaint, the mastermind behind Class C stepped in to stop us."

"The mastermind?"

"Yes, I don't think I've mentioned this to you yet, Raku. I've actually suspected for a while that someone was directing the harassment and provocations against our class, but I didn't have any evidence. It wasn't until just now that I confirmed it."

"There is a student in Class C named Ryuen Kakeru. All the provocations against Class B before were his doing. He's a troublesome character who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. His actions this time were likely intended to dismantle the school's structural system."

"What a terrifying guy... So, you mean Ryuen anticipated we would use this tactic and arrived on the scene just in time to save them?"

"Regarding that, the flaw in the timing we chose for our operation was spotted by their homeroom teacher."

"The Class C homeroom teacher couldn't see his students before the meeting started, so he called Ryuen to inform him, and as a result..."

"Calculated everything, but failed to account for the teacher... Since it's come to this, I suppose the failure is irreversible."

"It seems so. However, Ayanokoji-kun said that Horikita-san actually has a backup plan."

There's a backup plan? That woman is just too terrifying!

"Then Ayanokoji..."

"He has already gone back to support Horikita-san... Perhaps if I hadn't tried to take over the role Ayanokoji-kun was playing, things might have already been resolved in his hands..."

"Since Ayanokoji gave that role to Ichinose, it means he believes Ichinose can handle it better. There's no need to blame yourself. Based on my understanding of Ayanokoji, if Ichinose hadn't taken over, the situation might have been even worse. Besides, once Ryuen arrived, no one could have done anything about it."

"..."

Even though Kanzaki and I offered words of comfort, Ichinose's self-reproach wouldn't fade away.

But come to think of it, surely the reason they brought me here wasn't just to have me offer a few words of comfort, right?

However, the subsequent developments made me realize just how deep my misunderstanding was.

After spending some time discussing, Ichinose and Kanzaki couldn't stop worrying about the situation on Horikita-san's end, so they decided to go help, aiming to at least get Sudo-kun's expulsion revoked.

I intended to follow along to scout the situation, but Kanzaki, just in case, left me behind at the Special Building to retrieve the surveillance cameras and circuit boards.

Heh, I see. I'm just a pure tool, aren't I?

After clearly understanding my definition in their eyes, I spent my time bitterly lamenting the distortion of human nature and the collapse of morality, all while moving ladders and carefully retrieving the equipment.

Chapter 37: We, Class C, Withdraw This Complaint

[Horikita Suzune's Perspective]

After waiting for a while, the students from Class C came running back in a panic under our watchful eyes. Although they were covered in sweat, there wasn't much of a sense of urgency.

Additionally, it is worth noting that this was not what we had agreed upon; Ichinose and Ayanokoji did not follow them in to 'escort' them. Instead, a strange man was with them.

"We barely made it in time." Class C's teacher, Sakagami, let out a sigh of relief. "Ryuen-kun was very timely as well."

Ryuen-kun? Hearing that name, I lost my focus for a moment; I had never heard of this person. But since he was in contact with the other members of Class C, it meant this operation had failed.

"That was truly dangerous. Class D almost succeeded." The man called Ryuen arrogantly smoothed back his hair, then cast a disdainful glance at me. "I really didn't expect you, Class D, to collude with Class B to pull off such dirty tricks."

"I should be the one asking you that. Are you not aware of what the students in your class have done?"

"I only know that they were bullied, and just a moment ago, they were threatened."

Tsk, this is bad. If this plan had succeeded, it would have brought high returns, but if it failed, the consequences would be equally significant.

"Are you saying that the students from Class D just took threatening actions against your students in Class C?"

"President Horikita, please don't mind him. This is just their little trick."

Even in front of my brother, Ryuen did not change his mocking expression in the slightest.

"Is that so? Then, is Class C going to change the participants for the meeting?" My brother asked calmly.

"That won't be necessary. You three should know what needs to be done next, right?"

"Y-yes..."

"Then we will continue with yesterday's deliberation. Please take your seats." Urged by Tachibana-senpai, everyone began to sit down.

Immediately after, Ayanokoji burst in.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Tachibana-senpai frowned, but nodded and let Ayanokoji in.

"Horikita, I recall you saying earlier that it didn't matter whether he was here or not?" Chabashira-sensei looked at me with interest. At this moment, I could only pretend not to care.

"It's common for plans to fail to keep up with changes."

I glanced toward my brother, but he didn't react. His gaze wasn't on me at all; instead, it was fixed firmly on Ayanokoji.

By now, I had more or less realized that Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was no ordinary person.

"What happened?"

"It failed. At the last moment, the Class C homeroom teacher called Ryuen, and then the operation was ruined by him."

A flaw in the timing—I had considered this issue, but there were too many restrictive factors to make it any more perfect.

"Did you get any useful information?"

"The basic content is certain, but there is no direct evidence."

"In other words, their testimony could be dismissed as being coerced by our threats, right?"

"Yes... so what do you intend to do?"

"..."

Even though my brother is right here, am I still unable to prove myself this time?

I am filled with resentment. Is there really no chance for redemption?

"Then, I declare the meeting now in session. Please, Class D students, provide the relevant proof."

Is there really no way to resolve this?

"Hey, Horikita, it's already started."

Faced with my silence, Sudo urged me on.

Yes, the meeting has already begun, yet I am trapped in silence just like yesterday.

Mutual destruction or something similar—I suppose my side was destined to lose from the very beginning. Is this the price of lying? I just didn't expect the retribution to come so quickly, especially when Class C is still sitting safely across from us.

Just at that moment, Ayanokoji took out the photo Sakura had taken once again, placing a picture of the aftermath of the struggle in front of me.

"Sorry, I forgot to take this photo out."

This guy, always like this...

I glared at him in dissatisfaction, then took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

There is still a chance to turn this around; at the very least, I must achieve a situation of mutual destruction.

I picked up the hint Ayanokoji gave me and began to carefully examine the details of the photo. In the image, there were bloodstains on Sudo's hands, and the three opponents were slumped miserably on the floor at the end of the hallway. I don't know if it was due to the camera's settings or Sakura's photography skills, but the image was incredibly clear.

What is he trying to tell me, or rather, what detail in this photo is worth my attention? Thinking this, I compared the people in the photo with Ishizaki and his group, and immediately, I understood Ayanokoji's point.

"Has Class D chosen to give up?"

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I was just thinking about how to phrase things." Saying this, I stood up and began to connect back to my line of reasoning from yesterday. "Before I explain, I would like to ask Ishizaki: after the fight with Sudo, did you suffer any secondary injuries to your body?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like. If you don't understand, I can explain it for you. By secondary injuries, I mean whether you sustained any new damage to your body due to another fight or an accident after the initial injury."

"Of, of course not."

"Are you sure? Are you sure that all the injuries on your body were caused by Sudo?"

"Yes, I'm sure." After hesitating for a moment, Ishizaki nodded firmly, and Komiya and Kondo echoed his actions.

"Then how do you explain this photo?" I let them glance at the photo in my hand before handing it to Tachibana.

"...What about this photo?"

"Haven't you noticed yet? You just admitted that all the wounds on your bodies were caused by Sudo, right? Then how do you explain the new wounds on the three of you now? The scratch on Ishizaki's right arm, the skin broken on Komiya's left cheek, and Kondo's broken bone."

"How do we know if you didn't tamper with the photo after you went back? Are you trying to commit perjury like that girl yesterday?"

"No, Sakagami-sensei. This photo is from yesterday, I can confirm that." At this moment, my brother provided feedback.

"So what? What if the photo was tampered with from the very beginning?"

"Then what reason would we have to delay this evidence? If you're going to say we forgot due to nervousness, I don't think we would let such an important clue slide. Or do you think we have absolute certainty that the meeting would be reopened today?"

"Is that possibility not there? In fact, you have been delaying the disciplinary action all along."

He really doesn't let any possible inference go.

"Wait, I never hit Kondo's arm bone—"

"Shut up, Sudo. Your words don't represent anything."

"Tch, damn it—"

"In other words, you are certain that these wounds, which do not exist in the photo, were also caused by Sudo, correct?" Ayanokoji, who had been silent, suddenly stepped in to confirm with the other side.

Just how much key information does he still have in his hands?

"That's right, I'm sure."

"Is that so? Then I'll be blunt. Under Horikita's orders, I pulled the surveillance footage from the special building on the day of the incident. Although the footage isn't as clear as the photo, it is easy to see that when Kondo walked out of the special building, his arm was completely fine; he was even helping his companion."

Under 'my orders', Ayanokoji handed over his phone for my brother to check, and my brother confirmed this fact.

"Well? Are you still going to say the school's video is fake?"

"These wounds were caused by Sudo. Actually, I didn't notice the pain in my arm at the time, it was only on the night of the incident—"

"Hahahahaha—"

Just as Kondo was making his excuse, Ryuen, who had been standing at the entrance of the conference room, suddenly burst into laughter.

"Since Class C has no intention of changing their representative, please have all irrelevant personnel leave the conference room. Or do you have some dissatisfaction with the judgment made by the Student Council?" Facing Ryuen's rude and unreasonable behavior, Tachibana asked a solemn question.

The gazes of everyone present were drawn by Ryuen's words.

"My apologies, I have no intention of insulting the Student Council; it's just that I happened to discover a very interesting email just now."

"Are you provoking us?"

"No, I am simply saying that there is something I must bring up at this very moment."

"You are—"

"Tachibana, let him continue."

"But—" Tachibana still tried to retort, but she was stopped by her brother, and at the same time, I was also curious about what exactly Ryuen, who had thwarted our scheme, wanted to say.

Immediately after, I was shocked by Ryuen's next words, or rather, I found them hard to believe.

Because what he said was—

"Class C is withdrawing this accusation."

I glanced in surprise at Ayanokoji, who was sitting beside me; he remained expressionless, as if he had anticipated this situation all along.

Just what has this guy done?

Chapter 38: Deliberation Concluded

[Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's Perspective]

"Class C is withdrawing this accusation."

Even while withdrawing the accusation, Ryuen still lacked the demeanor of a loser; instead, his tone was even more excited.

"In other words, your accusation ends here, is that correct?" Horikita Manabu immediately understood the situation on the scene and spoke up.