Although he stumbled over his words a little, Sudo Ken still managed to explain everything clearly.
"The school has given me until next Tuesday to prove that they threw the first punch. If I can't, it'll be considered my fault. Not only will I be suspended until summer break, but the whole class's points might even be deducted."
For Sudo Ken, losing points did not matter much, but suspension was practically a death sentence.
Suspension did not just mean being barred from classes. All school-related activities, including club activities, would also be put on hold. If he could not go to his club for that long, Sudo Ken would definitely lose his position as a candidate for the official team.
The other students of Class D could not simply stand by either. Class D had finally earned 87 Class Points. If they were all deducted because of this, the blow to the class would be immeasurable.
"Should we go talk to a teacher?" Kushida Kikyo offered a suggestion.
"The school doesn't trust Sudo Ken. No matter how much you plead or explain, it won't help." Horikita Suzune shook her head.
"But there were three of them, right? Could three people really be beaten so badly by Sudo alone that they couldn't fight back?" Ike Kanji patted Sudo Ken's arm and asked in confusion.
"That's why they did it deliberately." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka only spoke slowly after seeing that Horikita Suzune had already identified the suspicious point in the incident. "They took the hits and barely fought back so that Sudo Ken couldn't use self-defense as grounds to escape responsibility."
This dispute could not be resolved simply by finding out who struck first. According to Sudo Ken, the other side had deliberately provoked him and led him into attacking. If he could not prove that, then even if Sudo Ken had reacted passively, he would still be held responsible for beating them into that condition.
"Damn it!!!" After hearing everyone lay out the chain of events, Sudo Ken angrily slapped Ayanokouji's desk.
"In any case, Sudo Ken, you need to find decisive evidence to prove that. Otherwise, you'll definitely face severe punishment." Horikita Suzune tapped the desk and used an icy gaze to signal Sudo Ken to calm down.
While the students of Class D discussed countermeasures, Shiraishi Makoto arrived at the library.
He swept his gaze across the crowd and soon spotted Shiina Hiyori reading alone in a secluded corner.
"Good evening, Shiina." Shiraishi Makoto quietly walked over, sat across from Shiina Hiyori, and spoke softly.
Hearing someone greet her, Shiina Hiyori put down her book and looked up at Shiraishi Makoto.
"Good evening, Shiraishi."
Although she did not know why he had come to see her, Shiina Hiyori still replied politely.
They had met in the library on the second day of school and had run into each other there often afterward, but this was their first proper conversation.
Shiraishi Makoto naturally knew how to build a good relationship with Shiina Hiyori, but he had been overwhelmed after school began. He had also needed to make up for his weakness in Japanese history, leaving him with no spare time to study detective novels.
However, Shiraishi Makoto's reason for seeking Shiina Hiyori was simple: he did not know anyone in Class C.
More precisely, the students of Class C had been deliberately avoiding him.
Perhaps the mediation in the cafeteria at the beginning of June had caused Class C some trouble, or perhaps his reputation was simply too prominent. Ryuen Kakeru seemed to have ordered Class C not merely to avoid causing him trouble, but to avoid even appearing in front of him.
Shiraishi Makoto also did not have Ryuen Kakeru's contact information. What he intended to do was extortion, so he could not ask any of his other acquaintances for help. He could only turn to Shiina Hiyori, this reliably respawning NPC.
"I have something I'd like to discuss with Ryuen. Could you introduce me to him?" Shiraishi Makoto stated his purpose.
The leader of Class A suddenly wanted to meet Ryuen Kakeru. Even Shiina Hiyori, who was not particularly invested in class competition, could not help feeling puzzled. Still, she only needed to pass along a message and make an introduction, so she nodded in agreement.
"Time? Place?" Since they were in the library, Shiina Hiyori did not make a call and instead sent a message through a chat app.
Shiraishi Makoto checked the time. It was 5:40 p.m.
"Six thirty, at the entrance to the school building. Is he free?"
"I'll ask first." Shiina Hiyori did not know Ryuen Kakeru's whereabouts either.
After a while, Shiina Hiyori's phone screen lit up.
"No problem."
"Alright, thank you, Shiina." Having gotten in touch with Ryuen Kakeru, Shiraishi Makoto thanked Shiina Hiyori quietly.
"It's nothing." Shiina Hiyori smiled and shook her head. She watched Shiraishi Makoto leave the library, and only then did her smile gradually fade.
A thoughtful gleam flickered in her eyes as her fingertips typed out a line on the screen.
"What you did should have been discovered by him."
Shiraishi Makoto left the library, took out his phone, and made a call.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, are you still at school?"
"Here's the thing. I'm planning to sign a contract with Class C in a little while, and I might need you to notarize it."
"Haha, you figured it out, Sensei?"
"It'll be at 6:30, in the school building. You can just wait for me in your office. Though if you want to come out and watch the show, that's fine too."
Having secured the support he needed, Shiraishi Makoto returned to his dorm and picked up the contract he had written in advance.
At 6:30 p.m., Ryuen Kakeru appeared at the entrance to the school building as promised.
"This is our first meeting, Shiraishi." Ryuen Kakeru's expression was somewhat serious, because Shiina Hiyori had already helped him analyze the situation.
Although Shiina Hiyori had not participated in this incident, she had heard about the class's movements. Class C had only submitted its appeal to the school yesterday, yet Shiraishi Makoto had sought someone for his contact information today. The reason was obvious.
But Ryuen Kakeru could not refuse to come. Since Shiraishi Makoto was willing to talk to him, there was still room to maneuver.
"Our first meeting, Ryuen." Shiraishi Makoto glanced around. "This place is too conspicuous. It's not suitable for what we're about to discuss. Let's go inside."
"No problem." Ryuen Kakeru looked at the document in Shiraishi Makoto's hand. Though he could not make out the writing, he had already formed some guesses.
It seemed that Shiraishi Makoto had realized the entire incident posed no threat to Class A and now intended to profit from it. However, Ryuen Kakeru still did not know exactly how much Shiraishi Makoto had uncovered.
The two entered the school building. At this hour, no students remained inside, and Ryuen Kakeru was the first to speak.
"Whatever you called me out for, just say it plainly."
"What you did with Sudo Ken wasn't very clean. I caught you by the tail."
Shiraishi Makoto had originally thought that Ryuen Kakeru would arrogantly throw out a few provocative remarks when they first met. Instead, Ryuen Kakeru was unexpectedly serious, and Shiraishi Makoto realized that his purpose had already been noticed.
Since that was the case, Shiraishi Makoto had no need to beat around the bush.
Before you continue