You All Lost to Sakura

Other than Class D, everyone looked at the poor girl with sympathy.

Tachibana, serving as secretary, even shot Hachiman Hikigaya a terrifyingly icy glare, as if saying: You beast in human clothing.

Hachiman's mouth twitched. Girls really were natural-born actresses. Being able to pull this off was no small feat!

So, Manabe, perhaps you had done this under Ryuen's coercion, thinking that under his plan, you would suffer no losses.

But had you considered what would happen if you failed?

"What do you have to say about this?"

Manabu Horikita rested his chin on his clasped hands and asked sternly.

His gaze inadvertently settled on Horikita. Is this the person you chose?

What a disappointment!

"No way, no way." Hachiman waved his hand dismissively. "I'd never like someone that flat-chested. I can't even work up the slightest interest."

The atmosphere throughout the room became rather awkward. Was it really appropriate to say something like that in such a serious setting?

"I think he's the culprit. President, just make the judgment already."

Tachibana forcefully offered her suggestion from the side.

Naturally, Manabu Horikita would not be swayed by such emotions. Every judgment he made was done calmly.

No matter who the other party was, no matter what they had done or said, he looked only at the evidence.

"That explanation cannot prove your innocence."

Before Hachiman could speak, Horikita brought down a chop of her hand and shot him a vicious glare. He obediently shut his mouth.

"As for evidence, we have some."

Horikita let out a breath and turned her gaze toward Sakura, who stood beside Hachiman, too nervous to raise her head.

Manabu Horikita noticed where she was looking and turned toward Sakura.

"Sakura, please explain what happened."

Horikita called out to Sakura. Her body trembled fearfully, but she ultimately raised her head with courage.

"When Manabe confessed to Hikigaya, I was there. Hikigaya didn't make any indecent advances toward Manabe. It was... it was Manabe who tore her own clothes..."

Sakura's voice grew quieter and quieter, as though she feared Manabe would glare at her.

As her words fell, Manabe, who had been crying with her head lowered, trembled all over. Her expression darkened frighteningly.

Only Manabe herself knew that Sakura was telling the truth.

"Don't joke around, Sakura... Clearly... clearly, it was Hikigaya..."

Manabe wiped away her tears as she refuted Sakura's testimony.

"I... I'm not lying." Sakura did not dare meet Manabe's eyes and continued with her head lowered. "And Sudo is innocent too. They attacked first. Sudo was only acting in self-defense..."

Sudo's eyes lit up. At last, he had heard something in his favor.

"What are you talking about? He was obviously the one committing violence against them!"

"You're classmates, so of course you'd cover for each other. How could you possibly have happened to be present at both places?"

"Exactly. She's obviously lying, right?"

The two Class C students spoke up in rebuttal, refusing to acknowledge Sakura's testimony and deliberately portraying her witness statement as fabricated evidence meant to shield her classmates.

"Stop talking nonsense! We weren't lying."

Sudo had no intention of listening to their drivel. His temper was ready to explode at any moment.

"I... I'm not lying..."

Sakura offered a pale, powerless explanation.

"Then please provide evidence."

Manabe seriously made her demand of Class D. She understood that Sakura had merely seen what happened at the scene.

So what? The student council would not easily believe her word alone. Sakura was a Class D student to begin with, so the likelihood of people trusting her testimony was extremely low.

As long as she did not panic, she would not lose.

Manabe's stubborn attitude struck Sakura's mind like lightning, instantly leaving it completely blank.

I still can't do it. I'm sorry, Hikigaya. It's all because I'm too weak.

I hate it. I hate myself like this. Why can't I do anything right? Why can't I do anything at all?

I clearly made up my mind that I would work hard for Hikigaya's smile.

And what am I doing now? You told me to raise my head and bravely face the world, yet I can't respond to your feelings.

I'm sorry...

Mist rose in Sakura's eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks one after another.

She truly wanted to run away, hide in her own little space, and cry in secret.

Perhaps someone like her would never be able to change for the rest of her life.

Just as Sakura fell into despair, a warm hand gently rested on the back of hers. She froze in place.

The owner of that hand softly patted hers, as though saying: It's okay. You've already tried so hard.

Following the hand upward with her eyes, she saw the smile that made her heart race.

It was as if nothing had changed. Even faced with someone as weak as her, he showed no displeasure.

Perhaps after today, she would never see that smile again.

No! I don't want that! I want to see Hikigaya every day. Even if it's only from afar, I don't want Hikigaya to leave!

Sakura's eyes changed.

"As for evidence, I have it."

Unlike her earlier timid voice, Sakura's determined words startled everyone.

She took her phone from inside her school uniform, tapped on it for a moment, and then a video appeared on the screen.

"That day, when Manabe tore her own uniform, I recorded it."

Boom! Manabe's mind went blank.

How was that possible?

Sakura's phone was handed to Manabu Horikita, while the two homeroom teachers watched from the side.

The video showed Manabe squatting on the ground for a while after being rejected by Hachiman, then beginning to tear her own uniform apart.

The expressions of the four teachers and students watching the video turned ugly, especially Class C's homeroom teacher.

"Because I secretly recorded it, I didn't dare release the video.

But this concerns Hikigaya's life. Even if it means making a selfish decision, I will protect Hikigaya!"

Sakura blushed as she spoke words that sounded almost like a confession. Hachiman smiled at her.

Well done, Sakura.

"Besides this video, I also took photos of Sudo being beaten."

Hearing that, Manabu Horikita operated the phone and found pictures of Sudo fighting with the two Class C students.

Although the photos showed the other side throwing punches as well, that alone could not prove Sudo's innocence.

Hachiman shifted his gaze to Manabe across from him, who stood there blankly without saying a word.

Sorry, but you lost this battle, Manabe... No, Ryuen.

You lost to the brave Sakura.