On the morning when monthly points were due to be distributed, the terminals of the Class 1-D students chimed as expected. But when no one received the notification that their points had been deposited, they began discussing what had happened.
Sae Chabashira entered the classroom with an impassive expression. A notice from the school administration appeared on the students' terminals: [Because Class 1-D student Ken Sudō has been accused by Class C of assaulting a classmate without provocation and disrupting campus order, but denies the allegations, the distribution of individual points to all first-year Class 1-D students has been suspended. Further notice will be given once the Student Council's hearing is over.]
The terminals in the Class D classroom chimed one after another, followed by a flood of barely restrained complaints and panic. Kanji Ike slammed his hands on the desk, his face flushed red and his tone full of frustration and anger. "What gives them the right?! Sudo's fight was his problem alone. Why are they withholding everyone's points? Is the school trying to drive us to ruin?"
Haruki Yamauchi clutched his terminal tightly in both hands, his fingertips turning white as his voice trembled. "I already ran out of points last month. If they keep withholding them, I won't even be able to afford food in the cafeteria... And how badly will this drag down our whole class if the hearing goes badly?"
The discussion grew louder, and anxiety spread like an epidemic through the classroom. Ken Sudō sat at his desk with his head bowed, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white. His eyes were full of guilt and rage. He knew it was all because of him. That day, he'd lost his head after the three students from Class C provoked him. One of them had lured him outside a secluded, deserted classroom, and he'd thrown punch after punch. They hadn't even hit back. He should have realized something was off. Now he'd not only received a warning and lost points, but had dragged down the whole class and put their points at risk.
"Everyone, please settle down!" Yosuke Hirata hurried to the middle of the classroom and held his hands up, trying to restore order. His expression was so grave it looked as if water might drip from it. "There's no use complaining now. Our top priority is figuring out how to handle the Student Council hearing in three days. If we can prove that the students from Class C provoked Sudo first, or that they were at fault in some way, we might be able to reduce his punishment and get the school to resume distributing our points."
Kikyo Kushida stood beside Hirata, her voice gentle but tinged with helplessness. "Hirata's right. We need to look for evidence and find anyone who witnessed what happened. Someone might have passed by the place where the conflict took place. If we can find a witness, we'll have a chance."
Everyone nodded, and some students immediately stood up to ask around for witnesses. Only Suzune Horikita remained seated, her expression as detached as an onlooker's. Her fingers brushed across her terminal's screen, and her gaze settled on the words "Student Council hearing." Her eyes showed no trace of panic, only contempt for Sudo's impulsiveness and complicated feelings about the upcoming confrontation with her brother, Horikita Manabu.
"Horikita, could you help us look for witnesses too?" Yosuke Hirata walked over to her, his tone earnest. "You're perceptive. You might notice a clue we've missed. The more people helping, the better our chances."
Suzune Horikita looked up, her tone utterly flat and openly resistant. "There's no need." Her gaze swept over Sudo, and her voice was full of disdain. "He couldn't control his temper and caused this mess on his own. He should bear the consequences himself. Looking for witnesses and making excuses for him would be a waste of time. It won't change the fact that he acted like an idiot."
Ken Sudō jerked his head up and glared at Suzune Horikita, his eyes bloodshot and his voice heated. "I know it was my fault! I don't want to drag everyone down, either! But that guy from Class C provoked me. He said I didn't deserve to make the basketball team. I couldn't just take that lying down!"
"Taking it lying down would have been better than dragging down the whole class. Why couldn't you use your actual strength to shut them up?" Suzune Horikita cut him off coldly. "Class D's future doesn't depend on impulsive idiots like you, and it doesn't depend on making excuses for them, either. If you really feel guilty, then you should bear all the consequences yourself instead of dragging the rest of us into this crisis." The tension in the room continued to mount.
Yosuke Hirata hurried to smooth things over. "Horikita, Sudo knows he was wrong. The most important thing now is for us to stick together and get through this..."
"I won't take part in something so pointless." Suzune Horikita stood up and straightened the hem of her uniform, her tone haughty. "I'll attend the hearing. Beyond that, your affairs have nothing to do with me. Also, Class C clearly came prepared this time. Ryuen Kakeru is crafty and will definitely turn the blame back on us. You'd better be prepared and stop clinging to unrealistic hopes."
With that, she turned and left the classroom without looking back, leaving behind an awkward silence. Kikyo Kushida sighed softly. "Don't take it to heart. That's just how Horikita is. Let's hurry and look for witnesses."
Meanwhile, in a corner of the Class B classroom, Yoshikage Kira calmly read the message on his terminal. It was from Kikyo Kushida, complaining about Class D. Ever since the railing incident, she seemed to have found someone to vent to. After adding Kira as a contact, she sent all sorts of things to his phone.
He tapped his fingers lightly against the desk, a faint trace of thought in his eyes. Sudo's fight, the suspension of points, and Class D's desperate situation would inevitably lead them to fight Class C to the bitter end. Ryuen Kakeru's attention would be fixed on Class D, leaving Class B free to keep a low profile for now. But if Class D were defeated, Class B would soon become Class C's next target.
He closed his eyes and replayed the events of that day in his mind. Although Yoshikage Kira hadn't entered the floor where the incident took place, he'd seen a slender figure hurry past while he was walking by. She'd worn black-rimmed glasses and looked flustered, nearly running into the corner of a wall. She had probably witnessed the entire fight. Kira remembered her face. She was Airi Sakura from Class D, who always kept her head down, rarely spoke, and barely seemed to exist.
If he found Airi Sakura and got her to testify, Class D would have the confidence to stand up to Class C, further intensifying the conflict between the two classes. It would also keep Ryuen Kakeru too busy to focus on Class B. That was why Kira had stepped in to "remind" them.
That evening, Yoshikage Kira didn't follow his usual routine. He deliberately took a detour past the Class D classroom, where he happened to run into Suzune Horikita as she was leaving. He stopped and spoke in a calm voice. "Horikita, wait a moment."
Suzune Horikita turned around. When she saw Kira, a flicker of surprise crossed her face before it returned to its usual cold expression. "Kira? What is it?" She remained wary of the boy from Class B. She couldn't understand why someone so inconspicuous, who never got involved in conflicts, would approach her.
"I have a tip about the hearing in three days." Kira spoke indifferently, as though he were stating something trivial. "The witness to the conflict that day was probably Airi Sakura from your class. She was there, and she left in a panic. She may have seen the whole thing."
Suzune Horikita stiffened slightly, surprise flashing in her eyes. "How do you know?"
"I happened to see her while I was passing by." Kira didn't elaborate, saying only what he needed to. "Find her and have her testify. She might be able to change the outcome of the hearing. Whether you do that or not is none of my concern. I just don't want the chaos in Class D spilling over into Class B and affecting me."
His blunt admission of his motive actually eased some of Suzune Horikita's wariness. She was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I understand. Thanks for the tip."
Kira gave a slight nod and turned to leave without lingering, as though their conversation had never happened. Suzune Horikita stood where she was, watching him go, a complicated feeling stirring within her.
She didn't go looking for Airi Sakura right away. Instead, she turned toward the Student Council Room. Her brother, Horikita Manabu, had contacted her and asked to meet privately. He hadn't explained what it was about, but it was probably related to the Sudo Incident.
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