Nagumo's Recruitment Pitch

"I understand. Take him to the Conference Room."

Nagumo deftly instructed them to get moving, then turned to explain to Hashiba Hikaru and Ibuki Mio, who were standing nearby.

"Normally, when an accusation like this comes up, both students' homeroom teachers need to be present. But since both of the main parties are from Class C, there's no need to trouble Sakagami-sensei. The Student Council can handle this."

"Come with me."

"Understood."

Hashiba Hikaru and Ibuki followed Miyabi Nagumo as the three of them headed to the Student Council's Conference Room.

"President, should we go with them?" Tachibana Akane still seemed a little worried.

"No need. Everyone has seen what Nagumo is capable of. I don't think he'll make a biased ruling." Horikita Manabu watched Hashiba's retreating figure, a faint note of anticipation in his voice. "Besides, this is clearly a good opportunity."

"An opportunity?"

"To see how Hashiba handles himself in front of Nagumo." Horikita Manabu recalled his first conversation with him, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"I see." The purple-haired secretary nodded, but her expression suddenly turned a little strange as she watched Hashiba leave.

By the time Hashiba Hikaru and Ibuki followed Miyabi Nagumo into the Student Council's Conference Room, they saw a very long, spacious table with plenty of seats on both sides.

"Sit over there, and... Ryuen, you can take the seat across from them."

Nagumo raised an eyebrow as he watched Ryuen Kakeru enter. He didn't particularly like the sight of this first-year. Ryuen had long hair and looked like a delinquent, so it was no wonder someone had framed him.

Still, Nagumo didn't dwell on it. Instead, he gave his instructions. "All right, both sides may begin their arguments. I'll summarize all the testimony you give and make the proper ruling according to school regulations."

"Let's begin!"

As soon as Nagumo announced the start, the first to speak was the accused, Ryuen Kakeru.

"So it was you, Ibuki."

Ryuen slouched into his seat and fixed Ibuki Mio with a cold stare, his words thick with menace.

"I thought you'd finally learned your lesson and agreed to join my faction. I didn't expect you to have another trick up your sleeve. Not bad."

"You want to get me suspended? Do you have any proof?"

"Of course. I don't just have proof—I have a witness, too." Ibuki Mio crossed her arms, completely unfazed by Ryuen's knife-sharp stare. She pointed to Hashiba Hikaru beside her and introduced him.

"Didn't you just meet him? This is Hashiba from Class 1-B. He's my witness."

"Oh, it's you. What proof do you have? Let me see."

Though Ryuen Kakeru had just met Hashiba Hikaru, he hadn't thought much of him. He could deal with him later anyway.

"Good afternoon, Ryuen. I'm Hashiba Hikaru."

Meeting Ryuen's fierce gaze, Hashiba introduced himself, then continued in a mild tone. "I happened to witness you assaulting Ibuki in the Science Classroom when I went to pick something up. So I recorded it."

"I have video evidence. Would you like to see it?"

When he heard Hashiba say this, Nagumo immediately signaled to a Student Council member standing nearby to project the video on Hashiba's phone onto the large screen at the back of the Conference Room.

The next moment, as the footage of the violence played on the screen, Ryuen's face darkened. He hadn't expected the camera angle to be so devious. It didn't show the part where Ibuki fought back with her legs at all.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Ryuen?"

Nagumo knew perfectly well that this was a frame-up, but everyone on the Student Council had turned their attention to him. If he couldn't deliver a ruling that satisfied them, his authority might take a hit.

"This is a false accusation. I was fighting with her, not beating her up one-sidedly."

Ryuen pointed at Ibuki across the table and shouted, "They're definitely in cahoots! They're all trying to frame me!"

"Oh? Do you have any evidence to support that?"

Nagumo grew interested and prompted him, "Witness testimony would work, for example."

"I request that my accomplices be brought here. They both know I was fighting with her," Ryuen Kakeru shouted, recalling Ishizaki and Komiya, who had been lying in wait earlier. "Once they get here, the truth will come out."

"Very well. You have the right to do that."

Nagumo nodded, then told him, "Contact them yourself and tell them to hurry over."

"Understood."

Ryuen shot Hashiba Hikaru and Ibuki a vicious glare, then took out his phone to message them.

"Hashiba, what do we do now?" Ibuki, standing beside him, tugged at Hashiba Hikaru's sleeve. She was worried that if the two men had really heard her challenge Ryuen, it might change the outcome of the hearing.

"Don't worry. This is exactly what I wanted." Hashiba's lips curled into a pleased smile as he spoke quietly to Ibuki. "The moment Ryuen made this move, he was bound to lose."

"Why?"

"Let's wait and see, Ibuki."

About five or six minutes later, two boys arrived at the Student Council's room, panting. By the time they were brought into the Conference Room, they were still sweating, clearly having run all the way there.

"Ryuen, how's it going?" Ishizaki Daichi was very concerned about Ryuen and worried that he'd already been suspended.

"Don't worry. The Student Council has to follow the rules, too." Ryuen Kakeru turned toward Miyabi Nagumo, who sat at the end of the long table, and raised his voice. "These two are my witnesses. They can prove that Ibuki provoked me first and then challenged me to a fight."

"Is that so?"

Nagumo's gaze settled on the two Class C students. He demanded coldly, "Can you confirm that what he said is true?"

"We can!"

The two answered Nagumo in unison. After speaking, Ishizaki Daichi pointed at Ibuki's nose and cursed her.

"You traitor! Why are you framing Ryuen? Are you even still part of Class C?!"

"I may not be on the same side as you, but I'm not a traitor to Class C, either."

Ibuki ignored their angry stares and turned to look at Hashiba Hikaru beside her.

The girl thought he was a liar who couldn't tell the truth, but she felt a strange sense of trust in him all the same. Even she didn't understand why.

"Heh, you came at just the right time. I have another piece of evidence I haven't submitted yet. I was waiting for you to arrive so I could present it to Nagumo-senpai, too."

Hashiba Hikaru looked at Miyabi Nagumo, seated at the table, and said with a light laugh, "Nagumo-senpai, please listen to this recording."

"Beep."

The recording on the phone began to play.

"I don't know what you're trying to do, but since I came here today, I'm going to beat you into submission once and for all!"

"Don't blame us, Ibuki. You should've listened to Ryuen."

"Yeah. I didn't want to get rough with you, either."

"Actually, our accusation just now was incomplete. We only told you the first part." Hashiba placed both hands on Ibuki's shoulders and softly explained to Nagumo, "Ibuki was attacked by Ryuen earlier, and then he brought in reinforcements, intending to force her to vote along with them."

"This is the complete recording. I'm sure you can tell those are their voices, Nagumo-senpai. You have the recording right here for comparison, don't you?"

"..."

After listening to the recording, Miyabi Nagumo's expression changed abruptly. He wasn't stupid. If he still tried to go easy on them now, everyone would laugh at him.

"All three of you stay here! I'll show you what kind of punishment you'll face for using violence at this school!" The Student Council Vice President's eyes blazed as he roared at them.

"Thank you for your impartiality, Nagumo-senpai. May we stay and hear the ruling, too?"

After hearing Hashiba Hikaru's words, Nagumo looked at the boy holding the phone and suddenly came up with a new idea.

A gentle smile appeared on his face as he said to Hashiba, "Of course. Hashiba-kun and Ibuki-san can both stay and hear the ruling. You're the parties involved, after all, so you have the right to know the outcome."

"Thank you, Nagumo-senpai."

Nagumo's Recruitment

"Ryuen Kakeru of Class 1-C assaulted his classmate, Ibuki Mio, in the Special Building on the afternoon of April 4 because he didn't get his way. Though the incident did not result in serious consequences, this behavior was extremely egregious. Therefore, on behalf of the Student Council, I hereby issue the following punishment."

Miyabi Nagumo's face was expressionless. After Hashiba Hikaru presented the recording, he had already made up his mind. Horikita Manabu was still outside watching, after all, and he had to make his stance clear.

"Ryuen Kakeru, you are suspended for one month, effective today. You may return to class on May 5. During this period, you are forbidden from entering the school building!"

He stared at Ryuen Kakeru's dark expression and read out the ruling in a loud voice.

Normally, simple violence without serious consequences might only result in a suspension of one to two weeks. But in this case, Ryuen had not only resorted to violence; someone had also captured clear evidence, and he had incited two accomplices to assault a girl.

His actions were so egregious that the harshest punishment had to be imposed.

"If you're found to have defied the ruling or entered the school building to attend class," Nagumo said with a cold smile, watching Ryuen, "you'll be expelled immediately!"

"Understood?"

"...I understand."

Ryuen Kakeru looked at Ibuki Mio, who was standing beside him. After hearing the recording on Hashiba Hikaru's phone, he had immediately realized that he'd lost for sure. As a result, he felt strangely calm now.

"I'll admit I lost this time, Ibuki. I'll win next time. The position of Class C leader will be mine!"

Then he looked at Hashiba Hikaru, whose face still wore a smile, and said slowly, "Your name's Hashiba Hikaru, right? I'll remember you."

"Wow, am I that famous now?" The boy wasn't the least bit intimidated by Ryuen's threatening stare. He merely shrugged and said casually, "It's nice to be remembered by Ryuen."

"We'll be seeing each other a lot from now on. Come play again sometime."

"Hmph!"

Ryuen Kakeru's face was livid. He said nothing more and walked straight out of the Conference Room.

Nagumo, standing at the front, looked over at the other two Class C boys and continued, "You two can hear your punishments as well."

"Komiya Yogo and Ishizaki Daichi of Class 1-C were incited by Ryuen to lie in wait in the Special Building on the afternoon of April 4, intending to assault Ibuki Mio. Although they did not succeed, their intention to use violence is unmistakable."

"Therefore, you are both suspended for one week, effective today. You may return to class on April 12. Understood? This ruling will be delivered to Sakagami-sensei shortly, and he'll be informed of everything that happened with the three of you."

"...Yes."

Facing their imposing upperclassman, Ishizaki and Komiya, who had both once been unruly delinquents, didn't dare argue. They didn't want to be expelled.

After all three Class C boys had left, Nagumo turned back to Hashiba Hikaru and Ibuki, who were still standing nearby, wanting to know how they felt.

"All right, that concludes the accusation brought by Ibuki. Are you both satisfied with my ruling?"

"Of course. Nagumo-senpai truly lives up to his position as Student Council Vice President. Your ruling was fair, and your presence was so commanding that they didn't even dare argue. You're amazing!"

Hashiba Hikaru kept up his shameless, anything-goes flattery, showering Nagumo with praise. The golden-haired man clearly enjoyed it, and his smile grew broader.

"Can we leave now?"

Ibuki didn't want to stay here any longer. The matter had been settled, so it was time to go.

"Indeed. Thank you for today, Nagumo-senpai. We'll take our leave."

Just as Hashiba Hikaru and Ibuki turned to leave the Conference Room, Nagumo called out from behind them.

"Um, could Hashiba stay for a moment? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

"?"

Ibuki was just about to take a step when she heard Nagumo call out. She quickly glanced at the boy beside her, saw the scheming smile on his lips, and immediately understood.

Hmph. Here he goes again.

No wonder he'd been acting so respectful toward the Student Council Vice President. He must have been waiting for this moment.

"Honestly..."

Muttering under her breath, the girl didn't linger. She quickly left the Conference Room. She didn't want to stay with Hashiba Hikaru any longer. Who knew when he might scheme against her again?

"Oh? What would you like to discuss, Nagumo-senpai?"

Hashiba Hikaru turned around, still wearing a respectful expression. From what he'd just seen, this second-year Student Council member was the Vice President, but his relationship with Horikita Manabu was complicated.

The two were the Student Council's highest-ranking officers in name, but they were clearly rivals to some extent. And the third-year girl with purple hair seemed to dislike him intensely.

This was something he had to make good use of. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a waste?

While Hashiba Hikaru was pondering this, Nagumo began to speak.

"You're from Class B, right, Hashiba? You're truly an outstanding talent."

"I'm not worthy of that. I'm just an ordinary student compared with you, Nagumo-senpai. You flatter me."

"No, no, there's no need to be so modest." Nagumo's expression turned sincere as he spoke to the boy. "I was in Class B when I was a first-year, too, but later I managed to establish myself in Class A. I'm sure you can do the same, Hashiba."