Forming a Group to Find Ryuen

Over the next few days, several members of Class D continued to work hard to find information regarding the eyewitness.

The commotion was quite significant; even those in Class B who usually didn't pay much attention to the affairs of other classes were now aware of the conflict between Class C and Class D.

An Xiao even saw Kushida asking other students in Class B for relevant information outside their classroom several times.

"This whole thing has really blown up, hasn't it?" Honami Ichinose stood by An Xiao's desk, remarking with a sense of emotion.

"Well, according to those people in Class C, it's practically on the level of school bullying," An Xiao retorted.

Regardless of the country or the school, school bullying was always a serious issue for any educational institution.

If it hadn't escalated, it might have been fine, but once it became a public spectacle, the school would certainly have to handle it strictly.

An Xiao thought this to himself, then looked at Honami Ichinose in front of him and suddenly said with a smile, "You've helped out quite a bit with this Class D situation, haven't you?"

"Hehe," Honami Ichinose laughed sheepishly. "I helped them post a few notices around the school and on the forums."

"I also gathered some information about those people from Class C."

After saying this, Honami Ichinose hurriedly held up three fingers, assuring An Xiao with a cute expression, "But that's all I did, I didn't get tangled up in it."

"Besides, I also gave everyone a heads-up in the class group chat."

"Didn't you know, An Xiao?"

As she spoke, Honami Ichinose tilted her head in confusion.

An Xiao expressionlessly took out his phone, glanced at the obvious "Mute Notifications" setting in his class group, and then turned it off as if nothing had happened.

"Still... even so, there are many people in our class who are willing to help."

"Everyone is just very kind and good-hearted," Honami Ichinose said with a smile.

That was why Honami Ichinose valued Class B so much, hoping that everyone could spend these three years well.

"And... Xiao An, you're the same!" Honami Ichinose leaned forward slightly, looking at An Xiao with a beaming smile. "Even though you don't say it, you're a very gentle person too."

"Who goes around calling themselves gentle?" An Xiao retorted. He then rested his face on one hand and said with a helpless expression, "Besides, why do I suddenly feel like I'm the only one in all of Class B with a dark heart?"

"Eh?"

"Ichinose, are you free this afternoon?"

"I am, but..."

Although she didn't know what An Xiao wanted, Honami Ichinose agreed without hesitation.

"Then I'll have to trouble you to come with me after school. Oh, and we need to bring that guy Kanzaki along, and don't forget the voice recorder." After An Xiao finished speaking, he stretched his body vigorously.

It's tomorrow, isn't it?

"The matter... is finally about to begin!"

In the afternoon, at the entrance of Birch Shopping Center, An Xiao waved at the two people jogging toward him.

"Over here, over here."

"We aren't late, are we?" Ryuji Kanzaki said after catching his breath.

"No, no, we still have to wait for one more person," An Xiao said, waving his hand.

"Is someone else coming?" Honami Ichinose asked curiously. "By the way, what exactly are we going to do?"

"It's about that incident between Class C and Class D, but we aren't the protagonists today." An Xiao pointed to Kanzaki beside him. "The protagonist is here. Ichinose, you and I can just sit on the side and watch later."

"You flatter me, I'm just helping out, though this happens to be my specialty," Ryuji Kanzaki said, pushing up his glasses. "But I really didn't expect you to have these things in your possession, An Xiao."

"Just good luck," An Xiao said. His gaze caught a flash of familiar silver, and a smile appeared on his lips. "Perfect, the last person has arrived."

"Hoo~ hoo~, sorry I'm late." Shiina Hiyori ran up to the three of them and said apologetically.

"Not at all. I'm the one troubling you this time; I'll treat you to something delicious next time."

"Then thank you, An Xiao," Shiina Hiyori said with a smile, then led the group toward a shop.

An Xiao and Kanzaki followed behind with a still-confused Honami Ichinose.

Creak~

An Xiao and the others walked into a private room in the shop. As soon as they entered, they saw a burly red-haired man swirling a glass of wine, with several equally burly boys standing neatly behind him.

Why does this feel like a gang meeting? And isn't it illegal to buy alcohol in Japan until you're 20? Are these people even of age?

An Xiao couldn't help but complain in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged as he pulled Honami Ichinose behind him.

"Oh? Looks like you've arrived?" Kakeru Ryuen stopped his movement and placed the wine glass on the table.

"I heard from Shiina that you have something you want to trade with us."

"I hope this item doesn't disappoint me."

An Xiao didn't speak. He simply stepped forward, took out his phone and the voice recorder from his pocket, placed them on the table, and displayed the audio, as well as the videos and photos he had secretly recorded, to the other party.

Kakeru Ryuen's expression didn't change. He simply took the phone from the table and flipped through the videos and photos several times, even listening to the audio from the recorder repeatedly.

After a long while, he put the items back down and began to laugh.

"This is interesting."

"Albert, Ibuki."

"Yes." x2

This sentence acted like a signal; the two people called stepped forward and then quickly ran out the door.

"What are they..." Ichinose watched the two leave, a bad premonition forming in her heart.

"Don't overthink it."

"Boss, why don't we..." A lackey standing behind Ryuen looked at the two items placed on the table, stepped forward, and spoke up.

But he only got halfway through his sentence before he saw Ryuen's calm gaze, and he hurriedly apologized: "Sorry."

He then retreated back to his spot.

Ryuen looked at the items on the table, then looked at the three people from Class B in front of him.

"It seems there are some capable people in Class B after all."

"However... are you sure you can get a hold on me with these things?"

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Ryuen's mouth. He picked up An Xiao's phone, played the contents inside once more right in front of An Xiao, and said: "These things of yours... don't seem to prove which side started the fight, do they?"

To Ryuen's surprise, An Xiao did not refute him after hearing this, but instead agreed directly. He then pulled over a chair, sat down opposite Ryuen, and spoke.

"It is true that it doesn't show which side started the fight."

"But in a certain sense, for you lot, there is a bit of a problem."

An Xiao said with a smile: "In the report you submitted to the school, it claims that Sudo from Class D unilaterally assaulted those three people from your Class C, right?"

"This is quite different from what the video and photos on my phone show."

"I think you should be well aware of the difference between bullying and fighting, and the difference in how the school handles the two."

"I believe you wouldn't want this matter to end with both sides being punished equally."

"So, do you still think these things of mine are truly useless now?"