c-class's Attack

"Calm down, Sudo." Ayanokouji looked at the coffee on the table, spilled when Sudo had slammed his hand down just moments ago.

"How can I be calm? My spot on the basketball team's starting lineup is about to be taken away! Ayanokouji, Kushida, you have to help me."

"The school's given you until next Tuesday to produce evidence, which means Class C doesn't have any either. The only things that could count as evidence are the injuries on those three guys, but since they ganged up on you three-on-one and you still beat them all, the school can't make a clear judgment. That's why they're giving you a week to find proof." Ayanokouji analyzed calmly. "So if Sudo can't produce evidence, it means he'll take the blame for this trumped-up charge."

It seemed Class C had done their homework on Class D since the start of the term. They knew Sudo had a short temper and wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, so they'd decided to make an example of him.

"This is infuriating. I'll never forgive those three bastards in Class C!" As he spoke, Sudo snapped the ballpoint pen lying on the table in two.

"Uh..." Ayanokouji stared expressionlessly, thinking: I understand you're angry right now, but that pen was mine.

"Sudo, were there any witnesses when you were fighting?" Kushida spoke up.

"Witnesses? I did feel like something was moving around while I was fighting, but I didn't pay it any attention."

"You mean there might have been a witness?"

"Yeah... I just felt like someone was watching from the shadows."

"Then tomorrow, let's talk to Horikita and the others and go find that witness together. That's the best plan we've got right now."

"No... we can't tell Horikita." Sudo said hurriedly.

"Why not?" Kushida looked puzzled.

"It's... nothing."

"So you're saying you're going to look for this witness that Sudo only felt was there?" Takahashi said, handing a glass of warm milk to Kushida.

"What else? Is there a better plan than this?" After leaving Ayanokouji's dorm room, Kushida hadn't gone back to her own. Instead, she'd come to Takahashi's place and told him everything that had happened in Ayanokouji's room.

Takahashi couldn't help but shake his head. It was a plan, sure, but setting aside whether the witness even existed, even if they did, finding them would take time. Of course, Takahashi could find them quickly.

"You've all been led astray by Sudo's story. You've all put the fight itself at the center of things."

The real center should have been the words of those three Class C students. If they could get those three to admit they'd lied, that would be the most effective method. Takahashi didn't say this second half out loud, only repeating it in his mind. He was a man of principle and integrity.

Glancing at his phone, Takahashi said to Kushida, "It's late. Go back and rest." He still had to reply to messages from Hasebe, Ichinose, and Hoshinomiya.

"No, I'm sleeping here tonight."

Takahashi: "..."

"That bitch Horikita deserves to die. Why won't she just drop dead?"

She's using me as her new punching bag, huh, Takahashi thought to himself.

Patting the back of the dark-mode beauty in his arms, he said, "Hey... vent all you want, but don't bite me!"

"I have something to explain to you today. A bit of trouble happened on campus a few days ago. It seems that Sudo from our class got into a conflict with some Class C students. In simple terms, a fight."

The moment Teacher Chabashira finished speaking, the classroom erupted into chaos. She calmly laid out the entire sequence of events in the dispute between Sudo and Class C, including that under school rules Sudo faced suspension and a deduction of class points.

Takahashi sat silently in the back row of the classroom, watching Teacher Chabashira on the podium, her expression indifferent, devoid of any emotion. She spoke impartially, always maintaining the school's neutral stance. The sight even made Takahashi think she had a certain unique beauty.

"Teacher... may I ask why the matter hasn't been settled yet?" Hirata was the first to raise a question.

"It was a complaint filed by Class C. They claim they were unilaterally assaulted, but when the school investigated, Sudo gave a different account. He insists he didn't start the trouble, but that the Class C students called him out to fight."

"I really didn't do anything wrong! It was self-defense, self-defense!" Sudo argued excitedly.

His classmates cast cold glances his way. The students in the front row whispered among themselves.

"But you don't have any evidence, do you?" someone questioned.

"Evidence? Where am I supposed to get something like that!" Sudo's face was full of helplessness.

"In other words, the truth isn't clear yet, so a conclusion can't be reached for now. After all, the responsible party differs, and the punishment would be very different." Teacher Chabashira explained.

"I won't accept any outcome except being found innocent! I'm still waiting for my compensation money!" Sudo said angrily.

"Even though you say that, looking at the current situation, your words aren't very credible. If there were a witness, things might be different. Has anyone here actually seen them fighting? If so, please raise your hand."

Teacher Chabashira's gaze swept across the classroom, but no one responded. Takahashi furrowed his brow slightly, silently thinking about the strangeness of this matter.

"Sudo, unfortunately, it seems our class has no witnesses." Teacher Chabashira looked at Sudo.

Sudo hung his head dejectedly, muttering, "Seems that way."

Faced with Teacher Chabashira's suspicious gaze, Sudo looked somewhat deflated.

"To find witnesses, all homeroom teachers are now spreading the word about this incident." Teacher Chabashira added.

"What? The news has already spread?" Sudo asked in surprise.

Sudo's original plan to resolve the dispute privately had completely fallen through.

"Depending on whether witnesses and evidence are found, the final decision will be announced next Tuesday. That concludes today's homeroom." Teacher Chabashira finished speaking and turned to leave the classroom.

Seeing Teacher Chabashira go, Ike couldn't help but speak up: "This whole mess Sudo's caused is way too troublesome! If we lose class points because of his mistake, our class will be at zero again this month!"

At these words, the classroom instantly erupted. Everyone was talking at once, all worried about losing class points. "If we really have no points, how are we supposed to get through this month?" "We already had so few points, now there's even less hope," complaints flew thick and fast, all directed at Sudo.

Not wanting to get involved in this matter, Takahashi packed up his school bag.

"Hey, aren't you going to do something?" The speaker was Horikita.

"What can I do?" Without another word to Horikita, Takahashi stood up, grabbed Sakura by the back of her collar, and lifted the flustered girl to her feet. "Let's go."

Hearing Takahashi's words, Sakura quickly grabbed her bag and followed him out of the classroom.