The Student Council hearing was held in a meeting room attached to the gymnasium. Representatives from each first-year class took their seats in turn, and the room was so quiet that the tapping of pen tips against desks could be heard. This was no simple punishment for a brawl. It was the first public ruling on a violent incident since the students had enrolled at Advanced Nurturing High School. Everyone knew that this verdict would directly shape the first-year balance of power.
When the group from Class D entered, the atmosphere was still oppressive. Ken Sudō hung his head, his shoulders and back stiff with tension. Though he was the one who had been surrounded and provoked, he looked like a man awaiting his sentence.
Suzune Horikita walked beside him, her back straight.
Her brother's icy rebuke from the night before, his raised hand, and the scene of Yoshikage Kira abruptly stepping between them flashed through her mind again and again.
She had once thought that excellence alone could earn her a place, and that pride alone could make her invincible. It was only last night that she truly understood—
This school wouldn't pay for her arrogance.
She wanted to win, not to prove a point, but to avoid being "protected" out of the school by her own brother.
Aside from the Student Council members, only the homeroom teachers of Classes C and D, the students involved, and their accompanying classmates were present at the hearing.
Yoshikage Kira had no intention of getting involved in the final hearing.
He had already done what he needed to do: identified the witness and pointed out the key to breaking the deadlock.
The rest of the stage had nothing to do with him.
Class C entered with its usual swagger.
Ryuen Kakeru led the way, a confident smile on his lips. Daichi Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondo followed close behind, putting on a brave front while traces of unease lingered in their eyes.
The Student Council entered last.
Horikita Manabu wore his uniform, his expression stern. His gaze swept across the room, paused on Suzune for a moment, then settled on Ryuen, betraying no emotion.
"The hearing will begin."
At his words, the room fell silent.
Class C presented its account first.
The three students, following their rehearsed script, insisted that Ken Sudō had provoked them and attacked them without cause, and that they had only fought back in self-defense.
Their story was smooth, and all three accounts matched perfectly.
Combined with the "injury reports" they had prepared in advance, it formed an almost perfect case in the absence of surveillance footage.
Ryuen Kakeru's smile remained steady.
Then it was Class D's turn.
Ken Sudō gritted his teeth as he explained what had really happened, but with no proof, his words sounded feeble against the unified accusations of the three students.
Suzune Horikita stepped forward.
She laid out her reasoning, methodically exposing Class C's disguise.
"First, there are no signs of a fight at the scene. And the fact that all three of you were there together and none of you was injured completely contradicts your claim that you were beaten.
"Second, did Sudō ask you to come to the location? After the three of you went there, did he still decide to attack you alone?
"Third, Sudō had just finished basketball club activities. In terms of stamina, it would have been impossible for him to carry out what you described."
With every sentence she spoke, the three students from Class C grew paler.
At last, her cool voice rang through the room:
"This wasn't a brawl.
"It was a deliberate frame-up.
"You fabricated injuries, coordinated false testimony, and exploited a loophole in the rules in an attempt to force a classmate out of school."
The room erupted.
For the first time, Ryuen Kakeru's smile vanished completely.
Horikita Manabu's expression remained impassive. "Does Class D have an eyewitness?"
Suzune Horikita raised her hand. "Yes. The witness is Airi Sakura."
Airi Sakura trembled all over. Under countless gazes, she took off her hat and walked forward step by step.
Her fingertips were still shaking, but she didn't lower her head.
"I saw it... The students from Class C stopped Sudō first. They kept insulting and provoking him. Sudō didn't hit them. They fell down themselves and shouted that they'd been attacked."
Her voice was quiet.
Seeing the situation turn against him, Kazuma Sakagami, Class C's homeroom teacher, challenged her. "You're lying! As a student from Class D, it's hard not to suspect that Class D put you up to giving false testimony!"
"I'm not." Airi Sakura met his gaze and, for the first time, didn't back down. "Everything I said is what I saw with my own eyes. I have photos as evidence."
Horikita Manabu tapped the table. Akane Tachibana quickly brought the photos forward. The main subject was a selfie of Airi Sakura without her glasses. In the background, Sudō and the three students from Class C were struggling against one another in the backlight. The photos couldn't prove Sudō's innocence, but there was no doubt that they could shift the hearing from a one-sided assault to a case where mutual violence was in question.
Though Class D had no further evidence, the school still had to minimize the impact of a campus violence incident as much as possible. If the facts remained unclear, there would be room to smooth things over.
His gaze moved between the two sides. Then, with the absolute authority of the Student Council President, he delivered his ruling:
"The hearing is over.
"This incident is classified as the first violent altercation among the first-year students. Since both sides maintain their own accounts and neither can provide a conclusive chain of evidence, the ruling is as follows:
"First, Class C students Daichi Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondo:
"One week of suspension.
"Second, Class D student Ken Sudō:
"You lost your temper and caused injuries. Your response was clearly inappropriate.
"Two weeks of suspension.
"Third, both sides were at fault. This matter is closed.
"The ruling takes effect immediately."
The three students from Class C looked utterly defeated.
Ken Sudō shuddered.
The people from Class D all breathed a long sigh of relief.
Ryuen Kakeru clenched his fists, barely containing his fury.
He had lost.
The hearing ended, and the crowd dispersed.
In the Class D classroom, relief at having escaped disaster filled the air.
Ken Sudō walked over to Airi Sakura and scratched his head awkwardly. "Thanks... Really, thanks."
Airi Sakura blushed. "I only told the truth."
Airi Sakura sighed. "We really owe a lot to Horikita... and Yoshikage Kira."
Kikyo Kushida smiled warmly. "Yoshikage Kira really is both clever and low-key."
Suzune Horikita took out her terminal and sent Yoshikage Kira a message:
[Thanks. The ruling went as you predicted.]
A moment later, a reply came:
[Keep Class D in line. Don't cause any more trouble.]
Suzune Horikita looked at the screen and let the corners of her mouth lift slightly.
The news soon reached Class B. Honami Ichinose quietly walked over to Yoshikage Kira's desk and lowered her voice. "Yoshikage Kira... You helped Class D, didn't you?"
It wasn't a question, but a gentle confirmation.
Yoshikage Kira answered calmly, "I just didn't want the chaos in Class C to spill over into Class B."
Honami Ichinose smiled softly. "I know. But you didn't have to get involved, Yoshikage Kira. You say you don't want to be bothered, yet when someone is in the most difficult position, you quietly reach out to help."
Yoshikage Kira furrowed his brow slightly, as if he wanted to argue, but in the end he only said, "I was just protecting my own peace."
Honami Ichinose smiled and simply nodded. "Mm. I understand. In any case, thank you, Yoshikage Kira. Because of you, this whole mess will be over soon."
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