Zero Hour Crisis and Student Council Announcement

On the morning of the monthly point distribution, the terminals of the Class 1-D students chimed right on schedule, yet no one received the notification they had been eagerly anticipating. Once they arrived in the classroom, everyone began discussing the situation.

Sae Chabashira walked into the classroom with an expressionless face and delivered a message: "Due to Class 1-D student Ken Sudo being accused by Class C of unilateral assault and disrupting school order—a charge he denies—the distribution of personal points for all Class 1-D students is suspended pending the Student Council's hearing. Further notice will be provided after the proceedings conclude."

Inside the Class D classroom, the chime of terminals sounded one after another, followed immediately by irrepressible complaints and panic. Kanji Ike slammed his desk, his face flushing red, his tone filled with agitation and anger: "Why?! Sudo's fight is his own business; why should our points be suspended? Is the school trying to drive us to our deaths?"

Haruki Yamauchi gripped his terminal tightly, his knuckles turning white, his voice trembling: "My points from last month were already running low. If they keep withholding them, I won't even be able to afford food in the cafeteria... And if the hearing goes poorly, how much will the whole class be dragged down?"

The murmurs in the classroom grew louder, and anxiety spread like a plague. Ken Sudo sat at his desk, his head buried low, his hands clenched into tight fists until his knuckles turned white, his eyes filled with both guilt and rage. He knew this was all his fault—he had been blinded by the provocations of the three Class C students that day. They had lured him to a remote, empty area outside the classroom, and when he threw those punches, they hadn't even fought back; he should have realized something was wrong then. Now, not only was he facing a warning and a point deduction, but he had also implicated the entire class, delaying their point distribution.

"Everyone, quiet down!" Yosuke Hirata walked quickly to the center of the classroom, pressing his hands down in an attempt to maintain order, his expression so grave it seemed as if it might drip water. "Complaining now won't help. The top priority is to find a way to handle the Student Council hearing in three days. If we can prove that Sudo was provoked by the Class C students first or that they were at fault, we might be able to reduce the penalty and get the school to resume the point distribution."

Kikyo Kushida stood beside Yosuke, her tone gentle yet tinged with helplessness: "Yosuke is right. We must find evidence and locate witnesses. Someone might have been passing by the scene of the conflict that day and seen the whole thing. If we can find a witness, we have a chance at winning."

The crowd nodded one after another, and some immediately stood up to go look for witnesses. Only Suzune Horikita remained in her seat, her expression as cold as a bystander. Her fingertips glided across her terminal screen, her gaze fixed on the words "Student Council hearing." There was no panic in her eyes, only disdain for Sudo's impulsiveness and complex emotions regarding the upcoming confrontation with her brother, Manabu Horikita.

"Horikita-san, will you help us look for witnesses too?" Yosuke Hirata walked over to her, his tone earnest. "You are meticulous; perhaps you can find clues we've overlooked. One more person means one more glimmer of hope."

Suzune Horikita looked up, her tone flat and devoid of ripples, even carrying a hint of obvious resistance: "No need." Her gaze swept over Sudo, her tone filled with contempt. "It was his own inability to control his temper that caused this trouble, and he should bear the consequences himself. Searching for witnesses to defend him is nothing but a waste of time, and it won't change the fact that he is a fool."

Ken Sudo suddenly raised his head, staring at Suzune Horikita with bloodshot eyes, his tone agitated: "I know it's my fault! I don't want to drag everyone down either! But I was provoked by that guy from Class C; he said I wasn't fit for the basketball team. I couldn't just swallow that insult!"

"Swallowing your pride is better than dragging down the whole class. Why couldn't you just use your actual skill to make them shut up?" Suzune Horikita interrupted him coldly. "The future of Class D doesn't rely on impulsive idiots like you, nor does it rely on defending them. If you truly feel guilty, you should bear all the consequences yourself instead of letting us fall into a desperate situation with you." The atmosphere grew increasingly tense.

Yosuke Hirata quickly tried to smooth things over: "Horikita-san, Sudo-kun knows he was wrong. The most important thing now is for us to unite and overcome this crisis..."

"I will not participate in such meaningless things." Suzune Horikita stood up, straightened her uniform, and spoke with aloofness. "I will be present on the day of the hearing, but other than that, your affairs have nothing to do with me. Also, Class C is clearly prepared this time. Kakeru Ryuen is cunning and will definitely twist the truth. You had best prepare yourselves mentally and not hold onto unrealistic fantasies."

Having said that, she didn't look at the others again and turned to walk out of the classroom, leaving behind a room filled with awkwardness and silence. Kikyo Kushida sighed softly: "Everyone, don't mind her. That's just Horikita-san's personality. Let's hurry and find those witnesses."

Meanwhile, in a corner of the Class B classroom, Yoshikage Kira was calmly looking at the message on his terminal. It was a complaint from Class D sent by Kikyo Kushida. Ever since the railing incident, Kikyo Kushida seemed to have found a punching bag, and since she had added Yoshikage Kira as a contact, she would send anything and everything to his phone.

His fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, his eyes showing only a trace of imperceptible contemplation. The Sudo fight, the suspension of points, and Class D falling into a desperate situation meant they would inevitably fight Class C to the bitter end. Kakeru Ryuen's attention would be firmly locked onto Class D, allowing Class B to remain stable for now. However, if Class D were to be crushed this time, Class B would soon become Class C's next target.

He closed his eyes, replaying the memories of the day of the conflict in his mind. On the day of the incident, although Yoshikage Kira hadn't entered the floor where it happened, he had seen a slender figure rushing past while he was passing by. She was wearing black-rimmed glasses and looked flustered, nearly bumping into a corner. It was highly likely she had witnessed the entire fight. Yoshikage Kira remembered her appearance; it was Airi Sakura from Class D, who always kept her head down, rarely spoke, and had a very low presence.

Finding Airi Sakura and having her testify would not only give Class D the confidence to contend with Class C and further intensify the conflict between the two classes, but it would also keep Kakeru Ryuen too busy to pay attention to Class B. This was the reason for his "reminder."

In the evening, Yoshikage Kira did not follow his usual routine; he deliberately took a detour past the Class D classroom and happened to run into Suzune Horikita, who was about to leave. He stopped and spoke in a calm tone: "Horikita-san, wait a moment."

Suzune Horikita turned around, and upon seeing Yoshikage Kira, a flash of surprise appeared on her face before she returned to her usual coldness: "Kira-kun? Is something the matter?" She remained wary of this boy from Class B, not understanding why someone who lacked presence and never participated in disputes would take the initiative to find her.

"Regarding the hearing in three days, I have a tip." Yoshikage Kira's tone was flat, as if he were merely stating an unimportant matter. "The witness to the conflict that day is likely Airi Sakura from your class. She was there at the time and left looking flustered; she may have seen the whole process."

Suzune Horikita's body stiffened slightly, and a trace of surprise flashed in her eyes: "How do you know?"

"I happened to see it while passing by." Yoshikage Kira didn't offer much explanation, stopping right there. "Find her and have her testify; it might change the outcome of the hearing. As for whether you choose to do so, it has nothing to do with me. I just don't want the chaos in Class D to spill over into Class B and affect me."

He stated his purpose so bluntly that it actually caused Suzune Horikita to lower her guard slightly. She was silent for a moment, then nodded gently: "I understand. Thank you for the tip."

Yoshikage Kira nodded slightly and turned to leave without a moment's hesitation, as if the conversation had never happened. Suzune Horikita stood where she was, watching his retreating figure, a complex emotion rising in her heart.

She didn't go to find Airi Sakura immediately; instead, she turned and headed toward the Student Council room. Her brother, Manabu Horikita, had contacted her to meet in private. He hadn't specified the content, but she assumed it had something to do with the Sudo incident.