Classroom of the Elite, Backed by Black Technology — Chapter 43

Seeing that the three of them were already unable to pass the test, Sakagami had no choice but to step in personally.

"I demand that the person involved personally state that he did not lay a hand on anyone that day."

"That question has already been answered. And you seem to have some issue with me, the authorized representative? If this were a courtroom, then I would be my client's lawyer.

And under the law, everything a lawyer says in court can represent their client and serve as testimony. Does Teacher Sakagami have some objection to Japan's current laws?"

What a sharp-tongued brat!

Sakagami had no options left now. He had thought this matter might be troublesome, but he had not expected it to be this troublesome!

As long as Sudo admitted that he had hit someone, Class C would have held the initiative. But now, that was no longer the case.

Shuichi Kanda clearly knew what had happened at the time, yet he stubbornly insisted that Sudo had not laid a hand on anyone. That meant they would have to find evidence proving that Sudo had done so.

Ryuen, you've met your match.

"In that case, Class C, I'll give you three days to find evidence that Sudo used violence," Horikita Manabu said flatly. "After school this Friday, both sides will present your cases face-to-face in this Student Council office and settle the matter."

Upon hearing that, Sudo, who had still been somewhat angry, immediately shot the other side a smug look.

"Shuichi Kanda, stay behind. Everyone else may leave."

Shuichi Kanda froze for a moment at Horikita Manabu's words, but he did not refuse.

"Sudo, don't take that tape off until you're back in Class D," Shuichi Kanda quietly reminded him as Sudo passed by.

Sudo nodded to show that he understood.

After everyone had left, Horikita Manabu looked at Shuichi Kanda.

"This was all your idea, wasn't it?"

"Huh? What do you mean by that, President Horikita?" Shuichi Kanda put on a suitably bewildered expression.

"Stop pretending. Sudo definitely hit someone."

"But you have no evidence, do you? Besides, President, do you really believe those three would have let Sudo beat them up without resisting at all?"

So it really was you. Whether Suzune being in the same class as you is good or bad, I honestly can't say.

With that thought, Horikita Manabu's gaze deepened.

"I'm inviting you to join the Student Council again."

"President, I'm already a member of the Archery Club."

Akane Tachibana, who had been listening to their exchange from the side, was somewhat stunned.

What was with this kid? The president himself was inviting him to join the Student Council, yet he was refusing? And judging by their conversation, this seemed to be the second time?

"However, if the president runs into any trouble you can't resolve, feel free to come to me. As long as the compensation is suitable, I won't refuse."

Although he had rejected Horikita Manabu twice in a row, Shuichi Kanda still offered him a gesture of goodwill. After all, the other party was the current Student Council President, and who knew how much authority he held.

It was also a signal from Shuichi Kanda: I mean you no harm, so there's no need for you to come looking for trouble with me.

Chapter 72: I, Shuichi Kanda, Am the Gentlest Man in Class D

After obtaining the Student Council President's contact information, Shuichi Kanda leisurely headed back to class. He had already eaten lunch before coming here.

Looking at Horikita Manabu's contact information on his phone, Shuichi Kanda remembered him saying that he was the only first-year student who had it. It was supposedly quite valuable.

Shuichi Kanda thought he should find a chance to show it off in front of Horikita Suzune. That scene... heh heh heh...

The image was too beautiful to dwell on. Still, he would definitely have to bring Miyake along when he did it, or there might be bloodshed.

When Shuichi Kanda returned to the classroom, Sudo was explaining the tape over his mouth to his friends.

"What do you guys know? If it weren't for this tape, I might've been provoked by those Class C bastards into saying something wrong. This tape is my lifesaver!"

"Your benefactor should be Kanda-kun. Remember to thank him, Sudo-kun."

Kushida Kikyo, who had been listening to Sudo's story from the side, casually remarked.

However, her words clearly displeased Ike and Yamauchi, who were standing nearby. They had come over specifically to stir things up after learning that Sudo had tape over his mouth.

Yet Kushida had spoken in Shuichi Kanda's favor.

Of course, they would not blame Kushida Kikyo for it, so they pinned all the fault on Shuichi Kanda instead.

It was all because Shuichi Kanda had bewitched the cute little angel Kushida!

Shuichi Kanda could not be bothered to respond when he heard that. Those two were already on his list of candidates for expulsion—the kind he would abandon immediately in an emergency. Why would Shuichi Kanda bother arguing with two dead men?

"By the way, Sudo, you'd better keep your hands and mouth under control these next few days. No matter how much the people from Class C provoke you, you have to endure it. If you hit someone and a passerby sees it, or say something wrong and get recorded, no one will be able to save you."

Class C might very well resort to something like recording him, so Shuichi Kanda thought it was better to make that clear in advance.

If Sudo still could not control himself under these circumstances, then he could suffer the consequences himself. When that happened, Shuichi Kanda would have to seriously consider whether he should save him at all.

Besides, although Shuichi Kanda did not intend to pursue Sudo's responsibility for now, it ultimately came down to Sudo being unable to control his temper. He would have to think of a way to properly straighten him out later and smooth down his rough edges.

"Don't worry! For the next few days, other than eating, attending class, and sleeping, I won't go anywhere. I've even voluntarily suspended my club activities!"

Sudo vowed confidently, while Ike and Yamauchi grumbled to themselves. Wasn't it just telling a lie? They could do that too.

Still, they did not have the guts to spread the news that Sudo had really gotten into a fight. If the secret leaked and the people from Class C caught wind of it, they probably would not be able to receive the 9,000 Private Points issued this month.

And afterward, they would be resented by everyone in the class. It absolutely wouldn't be worth it.

Therefore, Shuichi Kanda wasn't afraid of them spreading rumors everywhere. Given the current situation, everyone in Class D was tied to the same rope.

After Class C suffered such a setback, Shuichi Kanda was also curious what Ryuen would do.

Then, the very next day, he got his answer.

Whether it had been an order personally given by Ryuen or the independent action of a few idiots, they actually planned to use Private Points to bribe Class D students into acting as tainted witnesses.

When Hirata came to discuss this matter with him, Shuichi Kanda had nearly laughed out loud.

But considering Ryuen's capabilities, he was more inclined to believe this was a desperate move made by a few idiots from Class C on their own.

"It's fine as long as it doesn't come directly from Sudo himself. Since they're offering points, we can't exactly turn them down, can we?

"Take however much they offer. Telling a few lies won't hurt anyone, but make sure not to sign any contracts with Class C that have any official or binding nature."

After conveying those instructions to Hirata, the students approached by Class C happily accepted the special aid from Class C.

However, this only lasted for one day before ending immediately. Ryuen had probably discovered the idiotic actions of those morons under him.

But it also reminded Shuichi Kanda of something. When Chabashira announced Sudo's fight to the class, everyone had either been extremely surprised or worn an expression that said he looked like the sort of person who would do such a thing.

Yet aside from those people and those who knew the truth, one person's reaction had been strange.

Sakura Airi. When Chabashira brought up the incident, she had remained motionless in her seat. She neither looked surprised nor showed an expression of "just as expected."

Moreover, when Sudo stood up and vehemently denied it, she seemed slightly incredulous. She had even deliberately turned around for a furtive glance.

It was precisely because she had turned around that Shuichi Kanda, whose attention had been focused on Sudo at the time, noticed something was off.

Although everyone had been looking at Sudo, most of the class had looked over with disbelieving expressions. Sakura Airi was different. She had looked somewhat incredulous, as if she were doubting herself.

And Sudo had said back then that he seemed to have sensed someone in the Special Building.

Though that guy was simple-minded, his senses were exceptionally sharp. So if someone really had been there at the time, that person was most likely Sakura Airi.

And based on Shuichi Kanda's observations, she often carried a camera with her...

So if his luck was bad, it probably contained evidence of Sudo fighting with those people.

It was a complete disaster.

Should I use this month's black tech to take a look?

No! That thing was useful, but hard to store. It wasn't worth it. I'll wait until things are truly beyond saving.

So, Kushida-beast, you know what I mean, right?

Very quickly, Shuichi Kanda conveyed his intentions to Kushida.

Find an opportunity to check Sakura Airi's camera. If there was really no other way, destroy it. In short, before the Student Council President announced the conclusion of this matter on Friday, absolutely nothing could go wrong.

As for the repair or replacement costs of the damaged camera, Shuichi Kanda said he would pay for them.

Sorry, Sakura. I don't want to drag you into this, but who told you to possibly have recorded something you shouldn't have?

To make absolutely sure, I'll have to wrong you for now. I'll look after you afterward, so please don't hold it against me.

After silently apologizing to Sakura in his heart, Shuichi Kanda quietly waited for school to end.

Skipping club activities to buy ingredients, Shuichi Kanda soon received a text from Kushida.

[Sakura really does seem to know something, but no matter what, she won't let me confirm what's on the camera.]

This surprised Shuichi Kanda. Even Kushida couldn't pull it off—this really was difficult to deal with.

[Then there's no other choice. I'm really sorry, Sakura, but for Class D's safety, she'll have to suffer a little for now.]

Although Shuichi Kanda didn't care in the slightest whether Class D lived or died, he couldn't exactly say it was to save Sudo.

Besides, he was simply annoyed that someone had copied his playbook without even paying royalties! More importantly, they had learned it all wrong. Such an absurd operation left even Shuichi Kanda speechless.

Actually placing the chance for victory on the enemy making a mistake—how embarrassing, Ryuen. Don't tell me this is all you're capable of?

[You really are a heartless man.]

Looking at Kushida's message, Shuichi Kanda curled his lip.

[What nonsense are you talking about? I'm the gentlest man in Class D.]

What Kind of Insane Move Is Drinking Ice Water During Your Period?

When he returned to the front of the dormitory building, Shuichi Kanda remembered that he apparently hadn't bragged to Miyake today about getting Horikita Manabu's contact information. A miscalculation.

And he didn't seem to have seen Horikita Suzune being particularly active these past two days. Was she that devoted to moving up to Class A?

Thinking this, he headed toward the elevator.

Although the fourth floor wasn't particularly high, Shuichi Kanda had never taken the stairs. That was why he went to school early every day, unlike Miyake, who never arrived late but always showed up at the last possible moment.

When he reached the elevator, Shuichi Kanda noticed someone was already waiting there: a girl with long, golden-pink hair and a slender waist. Even from behind, he could tell she had an exceptionally good figure.

There was only one person among the first-year dorm residents with that distinctive hair color and such a wonderful figure: Ichinose Honami.

Shuichi Kanda had met her before for certain reasons. He hadn't expected to run into her here again.

Just as he was wondering whether to greet her, she seemed to notice someone approaching and turned her head.

Shuichi Kanda then saw Ichinose Honami's sunny face, delicate features, fair skin, and... humanity's longing.

Still, Button-kun looked so pitiful. It felt like it might burst off at any second.

"Hello, Kanda."

Since she had greeted him, Shuichi Kanda couldn't exactly ignore her.

"Hello, Ichinose. I didn't expect to run into you here."

The implication was: You have so many friends, so why were you in the dorms at a time like this? Shouldn't you be out having fun with them?

At Shuichi Kanda's words, Ichinose gave an awkward smile.

"Actually, I wasn't feeling very well today, so I wanted to go back to the dorm and rest."

Not feeling well? And she looked embarrassed, too.

So Shuichi Kanda took another look at Ichinose's complexion. She did seem a little too pale, and one of her hands kept pressing against her lower abdomen now and then.

Hey, hey, don't tell me Aunt Flo came to visit?

Shuichi Kanda looked suspicious.

"Could it be that you're having men—strual cramps?"

"Please don't say it out loud!"

Ichinose immediately stopped Shuichi Kanda, and he realized he might have been far too forward.

They were ultimately strangers who had only met twice. They couldn't even be considered acquaintances. Saying something like that directly seemed rather inappropriate—Ichinose wasn't Kushida Kikyo, after all.

"Sorry. I didn't think it through."

Damn it, why wasn't the elevator coming down yet? How much longer was this awkward atmosphere going to last?