Horikita Manabu gave a slight nod. His gaze shifted back and forth between Long Aotian and Ayanokoji before finally settling on Ayanokoji. His voice was steady and authoritative, each word ringing clearly through the room. "The Student Council has approved Long Aotian's proposal to search Ayanokoji's dorm room. Ayanokoji, the defendant, do you have any explanation or objections?"
Ayanokoji frowned slightly. Beside him, Horikita Suzune looked hesitant and conflicted. Her lips moved faintly, but she never made a sound.
Her gaze wandered between Ayanokoji and Long Aotian, filled with confusion and uncertainty. Unsure whether she should believe Ayanokoji, she chose to remain silent and wait to see what happened next.
Chabashira Sae, Class D's homeroom teacher, sat off to one side with her hands clasped beneath her chin. Her eyes gleamed with keen interest, as if she were watching a superb performance.
A faint smile tugged at her lips. She looked relaxed and at ease, as though none of the conflict and turmoil had anything to do with her. She was merely a quiet spectator, enjoying the "grand performance" the students were putting on themselves.
When Ike and Yamauchi heard Long Aotian's clear, forceful words, their faces lit up with delight and admiration.
Ike patted Yamauchi lightly on the shoulder. Excitement and pride shone in their eyes, as if to say, "See? That's our boss. He's amazing!"
They turned to look at Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune opposite them, their eyes brimming with smugness and defiance, as if silently flaunting their victory.
Long Aotian glanced casually at Ike and Yamauchi beside him. A glint of deep, cold insight flashed through his eyes, as though he saw through everything without a word.
He couldn't suppress his crooked grin. You two are celebrating way too soon. No one gets to walk away unscathed in this game. You're next.
Mashima Tomoya, Class A's homeroom teacher, watched Long Aotian intently, his face beaming with satisfaction.
He nodded slightly, silently praising Long Aotian's excellent performance. His hands rested lightly clasped on the table, pride and approval in his eyes, as if to say, "That's my student. He's outstanding!"
Horikita Manabu stared at Ayanokoji and the others on the left. When they made no attempt to defend themselves, his expression grew sterner. He lifted his chin slightly and said in a firm, steady voice, "Since the defendant has raised no objections, we'll proceed immediately. Please wait ten minutes. We'll have the results shortly."
"Tachibana Akane, take a few people and search Ayanokoji's dorm room. First, go to my seat in the Student Council Office. There's student housing information in the drawer."
Tachibana Akane nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. Then she turned and left to carry out Horikita Manabu's orders.
An unusual silence fell over the room. Long Aotian's lips curled into an amused smile, his eyes gleaming with insight as he quietly watched everything unfold.
As the clock hands moved, every passing second seemed palpable. Before long, the door creaked open once more.
Tachibana Akane stepped in lightly, a gentle smile on her face, like a warm ray of spring sunshine.
Two Student Council members followed close behind at a steady pace. One held a laptop tightly in his arms, while the other carefully carried a phone. Both looked focused and somewhat formal.
The two Student Council members walked in step over to Horikita Manabu. One gently set the laptop on the table, his movements respectful.
The other held the phone securely in both hands, his expression focused, as if he were carrying something of great importance.
Horikita Manabu nodded slightly and calmly accepted the devices.
N-no, no, no! It was still Long Aotian, that crafty bastard!
The scene shifted back to the previous moment~ (five minutes before entering)
At the time, Long Aotian had gone to Ayanokoji's room. After completing a series of steps, he scrutinized every detail on the screen with eyes as sharp as an eagle's. Then, with ruthless decisiveness, he quickly deleted all the other information, leaving only the login records for the school system's backend administrator account.
As for the phone, Long Aotian had quietly bought a brand-new one two days earlier.
Then he carefully inserted the original SIM card into the new phone, leaving it behind as a present for Ayanokoji.
Throughout the whole process, he wore a faint smile, as if everything were under his control.
The scene shifted back to the present~
Horikita Suzune's gaze settled on Ayanokoji's face once more. Her clear eyes were filled with disbelief, as if she had witnessed something beyond reason.
Her brows furrowed slightly, and her lips pressed into a thin line. Shock and doubt tangled into a complicated knot of emotions. Could you really have done all this?
Horikita Manabu stared at the phone and computer before him, his brows drawing together unconsciously. A strange sense of familiarity welled up in him. As he thought back over the whole affair, the realization struck him like a jolt of electricity. These methods... Was this the same person who extorted those two million points from me before?
"Defendant Ayanokoji." Horikita Manabu had composed himself. His expression was cold, and his eyes fixed firmly on Ayanokoji as he asked in a stern, unquestionable tone, "Do you have any explanation or objections?"
Ayanokoji's expression was as still as a pool of water. He calmly surveyed his surroundings, his eyes seeming to pierce through every illusion, but he didn't say a word.
He already knew the only way out was to get Long Aotian and the others to withdraw their complaint. But the moment the thought crossed his mind, he crushed it. That was pure wishful thinking. The situation was already a dead end, with no chance of turning things around.
"All the physical evidence is complete." Horikita Manabu's gaze swept across everyone present before finally settling on Ayanokoji's face.
When Ayanokoji remained silent, the corners of Horikita Manabu's mouth dipped slightly. His eyes conveyed an unshakable resolve. "Therefore, the Student Council has decided to suspend Ayanokoji for six months and refer the matter to the school for a more thorough investigation."
"Wait!"
Long Aotian's voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
Although the punishment Horikita Manabu had announced sounded severe, Long Aotian couldn't help feeling it still didn't get to the heart of the matter. After all, the harshest punishment—expulsion—hadn't even been mentioned.
But Long Aotian wouldn't have entered the fray without a plan. Otherwise, why would he have gone to all this trouble for so long? A mere six-month suspension? Don't make me laugh. Now that I'm involved, you won't get another chance.
Horikita Manabu leaned forward slightly, his brows knitting together with a hint of confusion. He looked at Long Aotian and asked, "Long Aotian, as the victim in this matter, do you have any other proposals or thoughts about the current outcome?"
"I have no other proposals, but I must formally accuse Ayanokoji of molesting and coercing a female classmate."
Long Aotian's voice was low and forceful, every word carrying tremendous weight. He stared straight at Ayanokoji and spoke slowly and distinctly.
????
An eerie silence instantly descended over the room. Even the air seemed to freeze. Everyone's breathing grew faint and slow, leaving behind an oppressive stillness.
Horikita Suzune's eyes flew wide open as she stared at Ayanokoji in disbelief once again. Unease stirred within her, and she instinctively edged closer to her homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
"Ahem, ahem..." Horikita Manabu cleared his throat and turned to Long Aotian. His brows furrowed, confusion written all over his face. "Long Aotian, as the victim, can you provide any concrete evidence or witnesses to support your accusation?"
"I can. I have a witness, and she's waiting outside right now. Student Council President, I respectfully ask you to allow her in so she can present her evidence and testimony."
Horikita Manabu nodded slightly and turned to Tachibana Akane, his expression solemn. "Tachibana Akane, sorry for the trouble, but please bring the witness in."
Before long, a girl in a neat school uniform gently pushed open the door and entered the room. She carried a gift box in her hands, and her short golden hair glimmered softly.
[Kushida Kikyo]
The Class D students present all turned their eyes toward Kushida Kikyo, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
Some gaped as if they wanted to swallow the startling news whole. Others covered their mouths, their eyes wide with shock. A few knitted their brows, unease and confusion in their eyes.
Kushida Kikyo's appearance made the atmosphere in the room unusually tense.
"Ayanokoji, you're no human being! You bastard!"
Ike's face turned livid. His eyes seemed to blaze with fury as he shot to his feet, pointed at Ayanokoji, and shouted angrily.
Seated on a chair, Kushida Kikyo gently covered her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling slightly. Tears trickled between her fingers and dampened her uniform.
Her sobs were quiet, yet filled with an indescribable grief and grievance, as if she were the most innocent victim in this whole affair.
But a closer look revealed a barely perceptible glint of cunning in her eyes, making one doubt whether her feelings were genuine.
Watching Kushida Kikyo's performance, Long Aotian couldn't help praising her inwardly. Damn, now that's acting. She's a real veteran.
"Quiet!"
Horikita Manabu raised his head sharply and fixed his gaze on the agitated Ike. His voice was low and powerful, carrying an unquestionable authority.
Under Horikita Manabu's gaze, Ike gradually calmed down and fell silent.
"Kushida Kikyo, as a witness to this incident, can you provide any concrete evidence?"
"Yes. This has Ayanokoji's fingerprints on the clothes after he molested me. The Student Council or the school can examine them."
Kushida Kikyo's hands trembled slightly. Her eyes held a hint of sorrow and resolve, and her voice was low but firm. She slowly opened the exquisite gift box in her hands. Inside lay a neatly folded school uniform.
"Very well. The Student Council accepts your proposal." Horikita Manabu nodded slightly and glanced at the uniform in Kushida Kikyo's hands before turning to say, "Tachibana Akane, take the uniform for testing."
Tachibana Akane nodded gently. Her movements were swift and professional, as if she were performing a solemn ritual.
She walked up to Kushida Kikyo. Her gaze was gentle but firm as she reached out and carefully took the uniform, which held such crucial evidence.
The moment she touched the uniform, a hint of unmistakable seriousness flashed in her eyes, as if assuring Kushida Kikyo that she would do everything she could to examine it and uncover the truth.
Then she turned and left with firm, purposeful steps, ready to take the uniform to the testing department.
Before long, silence fell over the room once more, as if time had frozen.
Everyone stopped moving and watched Tachibana Akane's departing figure, their faces filled with expectation and tension.
The air was charged with a subtle tension that made everyone hold their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.
It wasn't long before Tachibana Akane hurried back. Her steps were quick and light, and she wore an expression of barely concealed tension and anticipation.
She clutched a report in her hands, as if it held the truth and outcome of the entire affair.
The moment she entered the room, everyone's eyes fixed on her, as if they were waiting for fate to pass judgment.
Tachibana Akane hurried over to Horikita Manabu and gently handed him the crucial report.
Horikita Manabu accepted it. His brows furrowed as he stared at every word on the page, as if he meant to burn them into his memory.
"The report clearly confirms that these fingerprints match those of a man. Ayanokoji, do you have anything to say? Or should I personally take you to verify whether they match your fingerprints?"
Horikita Manabu gripped the report tightly and looked straight at the expressionless Ayanokoji as he spoke.
Ayanokoji shook his head slightly. A hint of resignation flickered in his eyes, but he said nothing.
He knew he could argue that Kushida Kikyo had staged the whole thing to frame him, but he had no evidence. That wouldn't work. Once again, he seemed to be at a dead end.
Long Aotian watched Ayanokoji's resigned expression, and a ripple stirred in his heart.
He shook his head slightly, a complex emotion in his eyes: disappointment in Ayanokoji's actions, along with a deep understanding of the complexities of human nature.
He was rather disappointed by Ayanokoji's resignation, because he still had the trump card of the photo he'd taken of the fingerprints.
There was a saying that hit the nail on the head: "Only those who have truly wronged you can understand how deeply you've been wronged."
"All the physical evidence is complete," Horikita Manabu said. He looked at Ayanokoji and continued, "Therefore, the Student Council has decided to refer Ayanokoji to the school for expulsion. The matter will also be handed over to the police for further investigation."
Well, that's it for Ayanokoji. He'll go to jail. Though with Ayanokoji's father's power, he could probably get him out. Power really did make a difference.
"Wait!"
Long Aotian's voice rang out once more.
P.S. Chapters 29 and 30 were written together in the middle of the night. Please give them five stars or leave a comment with your feedback. If you spot any typos, please leave a comment on the relevant paragraph.
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