Conspiracy (End)

"What is it?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka asked calmly.

"Let me explain."

Kushida Kikyo stepped forward, her long golden hair swaying gently with the movement.

She took a deep breath, her voice unusually serious.

"Last Friday, Komiya Yogo and Kondo Suzune from Class C summoned Sudo to the special teaching building and threatened him to quit the Basketball Club. They said a lot of nasty things and even started a fight first."

"I was acting in self-defense!"

Ken Sudō slammed his fist on the table, making the stationery on it jump. "So today, Ms. Chabashira Sae came to me, saying that the other party accused me of starting the fight. We confronted each other. But the school doesn't believe me and has given me a deadline—if I can't produce evidence by next Monday, they'll suspend me!"

Hirata Yosuke gently pressed Ken Sudō's shoulder.

"Calm down, Sudo. We're all trying to figure something out."

He turned to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, a rare look of worry appearing on his usually gentle face.

"The problem is that there's no surveillance footage at the scene, so now we have conflicting accounts."

What are your thoughts?

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka did not immediately express his opinion, but instead turned his gaze to the four people present.

Yamauchi Haruki scratched his head, looking somewhat hesitant.

"Then... shall we go and report to Chabashira-sensei tomorrow? Let's tell her that Sudo did nothing wrong!"

Kushida Kikyo's eyes lit up.

"Yes! We can submit a joint petition..."

"Madness."

Horikita Suzune coldly interrupted them, "Pleading without evidence will only make the school think we're covering for someone else."

Yamauchi Haruki immediately deflated, shrinking his neck like a punctured balloon.

Kushida Kikyo bit her lower lip.

"Isn't there any other way? If Sudo gets suspended from school, his status as a regular member of the Basketball Club will be gone..."

Her voice trailed off, and her fingers unconsciously twisted together.

Horikita Suzune leaned against the window with her arms crossed, her cold gaze sweeping back and forth between Hirata Yosuke and Ken Sudō.

"Hirata," she suddenly spoke, her voice like ice, "It seems the outcome I predicted has occurred."

Hirata Yosuke's body visibly stiffened.

Horikita Suzune continued, "If you had pulled yourself together sooner, you might have been able to remind Sudo to pay attention to these details."

Every word she uttered was as precise as a knife.

"I... I know it's my fault. Now, please focus your energy on Sudo, okay?"

Hirata Yosuke recalled Horikita Suzune's words of encouragement last week, "If you don't pull yourself together, you'll only be able to watch other classmates follow in Kanji Ike's footsteps and be expelled."

At that time, he was disheartened and dismissive of the matter.

Now he truly regrets it.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka noticed that Hirata Yosuke's fist clenched and unclenched quietly, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

A flicker of pain crossed the eyes of this usually gentle boy, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

Horikita Suzune sneered.

"I hope you'll learn your lesson this time. Kanji Ike was the first, Ken Sudō was the second, and you don't want a third, do you?"

She wasn't simply suppressing him; rather, she precisely exploited Hirata Yosuke's sense of responsibility, forcing him to give it his all.

"Ayanokōji, tell me your thoughts."

Having achieved her goal, Horikita Suzune didn't press the matter further.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka began his analysis.

"If Sudo wasn't lying, then it's Class C who's lying. Sudo already told the school what he said, so why didn't they believe him? Because there was no evidence. Considering what happened before, Sudo was called over by Komiya and Kondo. Clearly, they had already scouted the school building. Therefore, they confirmed there were no security cameras before..."

Horikita Suzune interrupted Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and asked Ken Sudō, "Wait a minute, I have a question for Sudo. When you confronted the students in Class C, did they provide any concrete evidence? What were their expressions like when you were speaking? Tell us carefully and accurately."

Ken Sudō frowned, his thick fingers tapping the table unconsciously, making a dull sound.

He thought about it carefully for a while.

"They provided no evidence; they just accused me to the school. When I said I acted in self-defense, they... all laughed."

At this point, his voice suddenly rose, and his fist clenched again.

A cold smile appeared on Horikita Suzune's lips.

"Now, the situation is clear. Class C scouted the location beforehand and didn't have anyone record any video. It was a trap set purely to exploit Sudo's character flaws. He fell for it the moment he said 'self-defense'."

"I see. If Sudo had asked the three students from Class C to provide testimony instead, then nothing would have happened."

After Horikita Suzune's analysis, Hirata Yosuke also realized the problem.

"That's right. If Sudo had demanded it back then, the three students in Class C would have been in a situation of having no evidence because there was no video footage. The result would either have been a fight or nothing would have come of it. After all, they could have pointed to the video recorded by the school's security cameras as evidence, but there wasn't one in that school building. So there was no evidence to prove that they were framing someone."

The three of them spoke one after another, and the logical chain gradually became clear.

Kushida Kikyo and Yamauchi Haruki were dumbfounded, completely unable to follow their train of thought.

"Wait a minute..." Yamauchi Haruki raised his hand timidly, "What are you talking about? I don't understand a word..."

Kushida Kikyo blinked, puzzled. "Could you... explain it in simpler terms?"

Horikita Suzune sighed impatiently, "Simply put, this is an elaborate trap."

Hirata Yosuke explained gently, "Class C took advantage of three things. First, Sudo's impulsive nature. Second, the lack of surveillance. Third, the school rules' bias towards those who report first."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka his final summary.

"When they induced Sudo to admit to self-defense, they had already won the first step."

Yamauchi Haruki scratched his head, looking completely bewildered.

"So, what should we do now?"

Kushida Kikyo suddenly raised her head, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

"Wait, since they can exploit Sudo's personality, can we turn the tables and exploit the loopholes in their plan?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka looked at her, raising an eyebrow slightly to signal her to continue.

Kushida Kikyo's voice gradually became more resolute...

"If this is a trap set by Ryuen Kakeru, then Komiya and Kondo are merely the executors. Could there be conflict between them? We can start from here..."

"Finally, %/-otherpipits^iLiuqiba Waba said something useful."

Horikita Suzune offered a rare moment of affirmation, but immediately followed up with a blow, "Unfortunately, it's just as naive as that joint petition. Who would choose an untrustworthy subordinate to carry out such a plan? Do they want to be stabbed in the back?"

Chapter 96, Section 95: Conspiracy (End)

The midday sun streamed through the windows into the classroom, casting a pale golden glow on the desks and chairs.

Hirata Yosuke sat by the window, his fingertips lightly tapping the table, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were weighing something.

A moment later, he raised his head, his gaze gentle yet firm.

"Actually, Kushida's approach has its merits."

His voice was calm and measured, attempting to soothe the crowd. "We don't need to start with the executors, but we can create suspicion among them."

As soon as he finished speaking, a slight sound of a chair being moved came from the corner of the classroom.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka slightly raised his head, his eyes beneath his brown hair calm as water, yet revealing a hint of sharpness.

"A feint attack?"

He spoke calmly, his tone almost indifferent, "It's an alternative. But the only way to truly solve the problem is to find witnesses and have solid evidence."

His gaze swept over the students who were entering through the front and back doors, and he lowered his voice.

"These kinds of things should be discussed in the dorm."

Upon hearing this, Hirata Yosuke shook his head with a wry smile.

"You came back late, so you might not know yet." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "Sudo just told us that the teacher will announce this to all four classes."

"So it can't be hidden at all."

Hirata Yosuke's tone sounded slightly tired.

Kushida Kikyo clasped her hands together, leaned forward slightly, and her purplish-red eyes sparkled with anticipation.

"Well, if that's the case, if someone knows the truth, maybe they can—"

"You're dreaming too much."

Horikita Suzune interrupted coldly, her slender fingers tapping lightly on the table, producing a crisp sound.

She tilted her head slightly, her black hair falling down to cover half of her face, but it couldn't hide the mockery in her eyes.

"Because the ultimate goal is Class A, all four classes in the same grade are competitors."

A slight smile played on her lips, her tone icy. "Class C has already made its move. Do you really expect the other classes to help? The fact that they're standing by and not kicking us when we're down is already the greatest mercy they can show."

The classroom fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional chirping of cicadas echoing in the air from outside the window.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka leaned back in his chair, his gaze sweeping over everyone as if observing their reactions.

Hirata Yosuke sighed softly, his fingers pressed against his temples, his brows furrowed.

The midday sun was still glaring, but the atmosphere in the classroom was as frozen as an icebox.

Kushida Kikyo suddenly covered her mouth, her light brown pupils trembling slightly, her slender fingers unconsciously twisting her skirt.

"No way!"

Her voice trembled slightly, like a daisy dampened by rain, "This is too cruel. Would they really twist themselves to this extent just to get into Class A?"

Sunlight filtered through her brownish-yellow hair, casting dappled patterns of light on the desk.

Hirata Yosuke looked at Horikita Suzune, his gaze gentle yet firm.

He spread his long, slender fingers on the table, making a gesture of acceptance.

"Your logic is not wrong." His voice was like a gently flowing stream, easing the tense atmosphere slightly. "But as Tanaka said a few days ago, the code of conduct is based on the closeness of relationships and the importance and urgency of interests."

Hirata Yosuke continued, his fingertips drawing invisible lines on the table, "All four classes are competitors. But based on the class ranking, there will be two sequences."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka leaned against the window, the sunlight gilding half of his face.

He suddenly spoke, his voice as calm as a deep pool of water.

"Direct rivals and potential rivals"

Golden eyes swept over it, then quickly lowered.

Sitting next to him, Ken Sudō scratched his red hair in frustration and muttered gruffly, "Can't you speak like a human being?"

"For example, for Class A," Hirata Yosuke traced his finger between A and B, "Class B is its direct rival, while Class D are potential rivals." His voice suddenly rose, tinged with unusual excitement, "Therefore, in this situation, if an alliance were proposed, I believe Class A would agree."

Kushida Kikyo suddenly straightened up and placed her hands on the table.

"So what can Class D do for their allies?"

Her sweet voice carried an urgency, and the wisps of hair on her forehead swayed slightly with her movements.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka continued to gaze out the window, his thin lips slightly parted.

"Students, from the school."

His fingers tapped lightly on the window frame, making a rhythmic soft sound. "It's nothing more than exams, sports festivals, school festivals, and the like."

"So, according to that logic..."

Kushida Kikyo tilted her head, tapped her chin with her index finger, and looked confused. "Shouldn't we have chosen Class B as our ally?"

Her voice suddenly brightened, "After all, our goal is to get into Class A. If Class A's Class Points increase too much..."

"You're wrong."