"Hey, I heard some idiot in your class got expelled?"
"Haha, figures it'd be Class D. A bunch of brainless losers. I bet they wouldn't even know how to sort themselves if they got tossed in the trash."
"I heard that Ike had the answers and still cheated. What a moron~"
"What are you saying? Class D's just a bunch of trash. And isn't this guy standing right here one of them?"
"Damn it! You're asking for a beating, huh?!"
In the meeting room, Sudo replayed that day's events in his mind. He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and angrily pointed at the three battered boys across from him. "They were the ones who provoked me that day! They insulted our class and my friends!"
"Hey, hey, you look exactly like you did when you beat us up that night!"
"That's terrifying... You're not thinking of beating us up again, are you?"
"Mr. President, we request that you expedite the proceedings against this violent scumbag!"
"Who are you calling a scumbag?!"
"The accused is to remain calm! We will deliver a fair verdict."
At the head of the meeting table, Horikita Manabu rested his chin on his hands and silently watched the scene before him, his brow furrowed slightly.
Today, as the chief judge, he had to assess a recent brawl and decide how to deal with the parties involved.
The two sides were three Class C students led by Ishizaki and Sudo from Class D, who already had a record of misconduct.
Both sides stuck to their own stories, making it difficult for him to judge the nature of the incident. For a moment, a haze of uncertainty hung over everyone at the meeting.
"Since there is insufficient evidence to verify either side's account, we cannot reach a conclusion."
"The meeting is adjourned for now. The hearing will reconvene in one week. I hope everyone will have their evidence in order by then, so we don't waste everyone's time."
Horikita Manabu said coldly, then got up and left the meeting room. Just before he went, he glanced from the corner of his eye at a girl beside the red-haired boy who seemed distracted.
Suzune, let's see how you handle this.
In the Class D classroom, Ayanokoji gazed blankly out the window.
Before long, two boys and a girl entered his field of view.
Hearing them talk, Ayanokoji's brow furrowed slightly.
"I told you, I didn't start the fight! They provoked me first!" Sudo said anxiously, his agitation still not subsiding.
"I know... Sudo, calm down and explain what happened from beginning to end."
Hirata said with a wry smile.
Horikita Suzune stood off to one side without saying a word, as if her mind were elsewhere.
Ayanokoji sighed helplessly to himself, thinking that one problem had barely ended before another began.
This school really was full of scheming every single day. It didn't take much to fall into someone else's trap if you let your guard down.
But in his eyes, this incident hadn't happened by chance. Or rather, it was a continuation of the earlier cheating incident involving Ike.
He got to his feet and walked quietly toward the vending machine. His gaze wandered over its wide array of products as his thoughts returned to the afternoon when the expulsion had been announced.
After Ike left the classroom in a daze, Ayanokoji waited for a while, then followed him after a moment's thought.
As for why he had waited, of course it was to avoid drawing attention.
On his way to find Ike, he passed a blind spot with no security cameras. The sound of several people arguing caught his attention, and he stopped to glance over. He saw Sudo arguing with a few students from Class C over Ike.
He hadn't stayed long, but he could vaguely tell that the others' words were clearly provocative and insulting. They might as well have had "Come on, hit me!" written across their faces.
However, he hadn't lingered because he had to deal with Ike's expulsion at the time.
Normally, he loved watching a good show.
These guys were really making him worry himself sick!
It didn't matter whether they moved up a class. Damn it, just don't do something stupid that gets the whole class punished and drags me down with you!
I still need my monthly points!
Thinking this, he opened a can of soda and took a drink. His irritation eased by half.
If he'd stayed a little longer, he might have managed to capture something that could be used as evidence. Too bad.
Ayanokoji's temple twitched slightly, a hint of regret showing between his brows. Then he saw Horikita Suzune, just back from the Student Council meeting room, walking toward him.
This girl—if he wasn't mistaken, she was definitely coming over to ask him for help again.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Horikita walk toward him. Her long, shapely legs, clad in black knee-high socks, stopped less than a meter in front of him.
His gaze also fell, beyond his control, on the strip of scenery between her black socks and white skirt.
Absolutely pure white, absolutely soft and smooth...
Was this the so-called absolute territory, so popular and beloved in the world of anime?
He was sold.
Before Ayanokoji could admire the view for more than a few seconds, Horikita spoke in her usual icy tone. "Come with me tomorrow afternoon. I have a way to prove that Sudo wasn't the one who started the trouble."
?
This was unlike you. Had you had some kind of epiphany?
Interrupted while admiring the lovely scenery, Ayanokoji raised his head slightly. His gaze moved up to the girl's delicate nose, and his eyes held a touch of resentment.
"Oh? Can you tell me about it?"
Ayanokoji paused for a second before speaking. A flicker of curiosity crossed his eyes, and he put on an eager expression.
Full marks for acting.
"Hmph. Come tomorrow and you'll find out."
Horikita lifted her chin and spoke in a tone that was neither warm nor cold, her haughty air plain to see.
Ayanokoji glanced at her and couldn't help thinking to himself:
This girl's definitely getting back at him a little. The last two times, he hadn't explained the details before treating her like a tool. This time, she wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine!
Never mind. He'd humor her this time. It would only do her good to grow up sooner.
Besides, he'd promised a certain Student Council President that he'd help his cute little sister reach the point where she could join the Student Council. (P.S. Horikita Manabu never actually said "cute." That was purely Ayanokoji's own assumption.)
500,000 points. What a terrible deal!
"Mm... Got it," Ayanokoji said, his eyelids drooping as if he had no energy.
Horikita didn't say anything else. She turned and headed back toward the classroom.
Ayanokoji took the opportunity to sneak another glance at her legs. So white!
Then he bought another drink, intending to use it to ask someone for help.
It wasn't that he thought a cheap drink would be enough to get them to help him. It was just that showing up empty-handed made it a little awkward to start a conversation.
Besides, he was sure the girl wouldn't refuse him, because that was the kind of person Ichinose Honami was.
Before you continue