Chapter 39

"Another high-ranking member of Class C, how fitting for a mediator." "But the root cause of this whole thing is likely this guy's conspiracy!" It seems Karuizawa's prejudice against me is set in stone. "I've already confirmed this point; Kitazawa-kun didn't do anything of the sort. He doesn't seem like he's lying." "Aren't you being a bit too easygoing?" "Well, since Kitazawa-san is already here, let's get down to business." Hirata signaled for Karuizawa to drop her hostility. "Yosuke-kun, it's obviously this guy..." Karuizawa was fuming. "That's just Horikita-san's speculation. I trust Kitazawa-kun." Hirata played the role of the nice guy. Brother, don't do this. I don't even trust myself. "Let's not waste time. Let's discuss my terms. I've already heard the sequence of events from Ishizaki. Sudo injured three of our classmates; that is an undeniable fact. If you want us to drop the complaint, have Sudo publicly apologize to the injured parties and pay 500,000 private points to each of them." I ignored their lovey-dovey display and got straight to the point. "What? Points again!? Are you obsessed with money?" Karuizawa nearly jumped up. "Kitazawa-kun, 1.5 million points is just too much, no matter how you look at it." Kushida chimed in as well. "It's not for me; it's compensation for Ishizaki and the others... Why don't you all try putting yourselves in their shoes? If you were beaten bloody in broad daylight on school grounds, is this compensation really too much? Otherwise, just wait for his expulsion..." I insisted on my terms without a hint of compromise. "But the specific details of the incident aren't necessarily like that, right? Sudo insists he was acting in self-defense." Ayanokoji interjected. "Is that believable? None of you actually believe him, do you? It's obviously just him making up excuses after committing the offense." "But for one person to have such an overwhelming advantage against three, doesn't that seem wrong?" Ichinose also started to take sides. "Like I said, Sudo is a dangerous individual who constantly causes trouble! Isn't it normal for him to be good at fighting? Even the second-year seniors said he provoked them, and he took on three people alone. Do you need me to play their testimonies?" I had specifically sought out witnesses from Nagumo-senpai. I didn't expect Sudo to really not spare even the second-years; the last time Ayanokoji cleaned up his instant noodles, it wasn't an injustice. I took out my phone and opened the recording. The words that came out immediately made everyone in Class D feel a headache. With the second-year seniors providing sworn testimony, the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Sudo. "Well, everyone, let's stay calm. This kind of confrontation isn't the attitude for reconciliation." Ichinose hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "That's why I'm saying, if you in Class D want to reconcile, show some sincerity. You've been running around these past few days looking for non-existent witnesses, trying to absolve Sudo of his crimes. That is unrealistic and unjust. I cannot simply agree to reconcile with you; it would be disrespectful to my friends. Excuse me." Having said that, I stood up and walked away, ignoring Ichinose's attempts to hold me back, leaving the bewildered members of Class D behind. "Sorry, I'll try to persuade him..." Ichinose hurried to chase after me, attempting to make me change my mind. "He made me feel like we're the ones in the wrong..." The negotiation ended on a sour note. Ike, who had been silent until now, said with a sense of defeat. "Yeah, Sudo-kun's reputation is just too bad..." Hirata was also having a hard time. The addition of Kitazawa seemed to have made things even more troublesome. "But we can't just hand over the points to seek peace, can we? Not to mention whether Sudo's temper would allow him to bow his head and admit fault, our class just went through the blow of the midterm exams; we simply don't have 1.5 million private points..." Ayanokoji said helplessly. "Exactly! And I think this bastard Kitazawa is just taking the opportunity to blackmail us. If we give him the points, what if he uses the same tactic again? Are we supposed to pay him again?" Karuizawa despised Kitazawa, so naturally, she was unwilling to seek reconciliation. "Sigh! But is there really any way to prove that those guys in Class C are the ones in the wrong..." Ike said, feeling drained. "As long as we can find an eyewitness, it's not impossible! Let's work hard together, Ike-kun." Kushida, always full of energy, encouraged Ike. "Even if you say let's work hard, are there really any eyewitnesses? Didn't Sudo only say he vaguely felt like someone saw it? This is probably a lie, right? Besides, just like Kitazawa said, that guy often provokes others. Provoking the people in Class C, whom he already dislikes, is exactly the kind of thing he would do." "If even we doubt him, then there won't be any progress, right?" Kushida still believed in Sudo, or perhaps she understood me too well. Since I had come all the way here to set terms, it basically meant Sudo was being set up. "That's true, but... if the conclusion is that it's Sudo's fault, then the points we worked so hard to increase will all be confiscated, right? That would mean back to zero points. Zero points. At this rate, our allowance will be zero forever. Having fun is just an unreachable dream." "Then we'll just start saving from scratch. We've only been in school for three months, after all." Hirata said something remarkable without wavering. "I think points are very important. Don't they relate to everyone's motivation? So, no matter what, I want to protect our class points. Even if there are only forty-something left." "I understand how you feel. But being too obsessed with points and losing sight of the essence is very dangerous. For us, the most important thing will always be to cherish our companions." "Even if... the one in the wrong is Sudo?" "What Hirata-kun said is correct, but I really do want points. The people in Class A get nearly 100,000 every month. I'm so envious. And some girls have bought a bunch of trendy clothes and bags. Even Class C next door has about 50,000. Compared to that, aren't we like we're at the very bottom?" Karuizawa, sitting on the desk, swung her legs. The overwhelming gap between students in the same grade caused her great pain, especially after being repeatedly stimulated by the wealthy Kitazawa. Fortunately, Kushida had lent her 20,000 points a while ago, otherwise, she probably wouldn't have the energy to care about Sudo's business now. It was only later that she found out this money was actually part of the 100,000 that Kushida had borrowed from me by asking Ayanokoji to intervene. "Why wasn't I in Class A from the start? If I were in Class A, I should be living a very happy school life right now." Yamauchi, who was nearby, started fantasizing. "I also think it would be great if I were in Class A... that way I could go to all sorts of places with my friends." Kushida chimed in to support him. Thus, the first negotiation between Class C and Class D regarding the fight ended without result. Volume 1: First Signs of Brilliance : 24 Where there is justice, there is a holy land. Where there is justice, there is a holy land. — Francis Bacon. I heard that in the days that followed, the people in Class D were busy again trying to find eyewitnesses. Karuizawa even encouraged Hirata to take the opportunity to investigate the previous case of the fake test papers. However, it was all in vain. In the end, that senior from Hirata's soccer club didn't even know who I was. Facing the fact that he refused to say why he...