That Time When the Referees and Judges Were All My Own People

Finally, the time arrived for the day of the fateful judgment: Tuesday.

Before this, the students of Class C (Ju Ji) had used various means to search for clues, including the help of Ichinose from Class B. However, they ultimately came up empty-handed. But this was already within Ju Ji's expectations.

At the same time, because only two students were allowed to participate in the review besides the eyewitness and the defendant Sudo, the final candidates were determined to be Suzune and Ju Ji. This was a combination that was already nothing out of the ordinary for Class C (Ju Ji).

Stepping into the classroom, the scene before them was the usual sight. Sakura was sitting at her desk, looking around restlessly, as if she were searching for something.

"Ju Ji-kun, you're finally here... ouch, I've been waiting for you for so long. Did you still not find any useful clues?"

After Sakura spotted Ju Ji, a light immediately appeared in her eyes, and she hurried over. However, she seemed to have bumped her knee on a chair due to a clumsy movement. But her subsequent movements were still fluid, so it seemed there was no problem.

If the eyewitness were unable to participate in the review on the day of the hearing due to an injury, things would become a major issue.

"Sakura-san, you need to be careful. It would be troublesome to get injured at a time like this."

"Sorry, I'll be careful next time. Or is it that you're worried about me, Ju Ji-kun?"

After her image change, Sakura would occasionally use this cute persona to tease him. Although he was caught off guard at first, he was used to it now. He would no longer be flustered by such things. Trying to make a fool of him was impossible.

"Of course. If you get injured, Sudo will have no eyewitness. Class C (Ju Ji) might end up in big trouble."

"What is that? That reaction is really boring. You're indifferent even when facing such a cute girl. Wouldn't it be better to be a little more flustered?"

"Who do you think is to blame for that? If you intended to ease your nervous feelings in this way, it's over now."

"As expected of Ju Ji-kun, you saw through my intentions so quickly. We really are in sync."

For some reason, looking at this clown before him, he actually felt a bit nostalgic for the old Sakura. She was truly too annoying now. Although she was certainly easy on the eyes, she had indeed learned some bad habits from Kikyo in certain areas.

Fortunately, they were the only two in the classroom at this time, otherwise, it would have caused a commotion again.

The bell signaling the end of the school day rang on time, and Ju Ji and Suzune stood up from their seats simultaneously.

"Have you prepared yourself mentally, Sudo-san?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. I was ready from the start."

Sudo seemed to be focusing his mind. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Hey, Shinomiya-kun, you've already found the evidence to prove my innocence, right?"

"Of course, I will prove you are innocent. Naturally, I won't bring it out at the very beginning of the hearing. To ensure they don't harass you again, we must make them suffer a bit. Sudo, you just need to say what you want to say."

"Although I don't want to be looked down upon by a woman like Horikita, I'll leave it to you and Shinomiya-kun this time."

It was rare for Sudo to lower his head in front of Suzune; it seemed he had deeply reflected on his own behavior.

"Good luck, Horikita-san, Sudo-san. By the way, Ju Ji-kun, don't overdo it."

"What do you mean by 'by the way'?"

Ju Ji understood the meaning hidden in Kikyo's smile very well; it meant that if he messed up, she would make him pay. What a joke—how could he possibly lose a game that was already won?

"Sakura-san, it's time to go. If we're late, it will affect the impression we make."

The discussion was scheduled to begin at four o'clock. At this moment, the time had reached three-fifty. There was no need to wait any longer. He believed the people from Class D were already waiting there full of confidence.

The four of them moved toward the teachers' office, where a teacher was waving at them very energetically.

"Hello, everyone from Class C. I heard things have become quite a big deal."

The teacher spoke in a heartless manner, as if it had nothing to do with her. In fact, that was indeed the case; what happened in their Class C (Ju Ji) was none of the business of the Class B teacher. Although the two classes were currently in a cooperative relationship.

"What are you doing again?"

"Oh my, have I been found out?"

Teacher Chabashira glared at her while coming out of the teachers' office.

"Because whenever you sneak out, it's usually because you feel guilty toward me."

The relationship between these two seemed to be unusually good.

"Busted," Teacher Hoshinomiya said with a cute blink of her eyes.

"Can't I participate as well?"

"Of course not. As you know, outsiders cannot participate."

"What a pity. Never mind, the results will be out in an hour anyway. I'll just wait patiently for a while."

Afterward, Teacher Chabashira forcibly pushed Teacher Hoshinomiya back into the teachers' office.

"Let's go. This school has special regulations. Cases like this will be settled between the class advisors, the parties involved in the incident, and the Student Council."

Upon hearing "Student Council," Suzune showed a surprised expression. She probably hadn't expected to see her brother again in this form.

They climbed three flights of stairs from the first floor where the teachers' office was located, and the office was on the fourth floor. A sign reading [Student Council Office] was posted on the door.

Inside the Student Council office, there was a long table arranged in a rectangle. The three students from Class D had already arrived and were sitting in their seats. Beside them sat a male teacher with glasses who looked to be in his thirties.

"We're late."

"It hasn't reached the scheduled time yet, so don't worry about it."

"Have you met? This is the Class D advisor, Teacher Sakagami. And then... this is the Student Council President of this school."

Well, although they didn't recognize this teacher, they were very familiar with the Student Council President and the short-haired woman beside him.

"Now, regarding the violent incident that occurred previously, we will begin the cross-examination between the student council and those involved in the incident. The meeting will be moderated by myself and the student council secretary, Tachibana."

After Horikita Manabu finished his introduction, Secretary Tachibana smiled and signaled toward Ju Ji. It seemed she was quite looking forward to how things would unfold.

"I didn't expect the Student Council President to come in person, considering usually only Secretary Tachibana comes."

"Due to my busy schedule, there are some topics I don't participate in, but in principle, it is ideal for me to be present."

"So, you're saying this is just a coincidence?"

Teacher Chabashira spoke with a hidden meaning, but Horikita's brother remained unmoved. Presumably, Teacher Chabashira was also aware of the relationship between the two. She was, to a certain extent, a bit mischievous.

The situation of this meeting would not become favorable to Class C (Ju Ji) just because of their relationship, so there was no need to worry about such things. However, judging by the circumstances, there was no real need for Horikita Manabu to participate in this meeting. Was he interested in their performance, or was he worried about his sister's situation?

Immediately after, Secretary Tachibana stated the summary of the matter, but both sides were already very clear on the details, so there was no need for a lengthy explanation.

"Based on the above situation, we hope to successfully determine which side's claim is the truth."

This format felt a bit like Ace Attorney, making things exceptionally interesting. In this meeting, everyone except for the people from Class D was on the same side; Teacher Sakagami, are you really not afraid...