Verdict Postponed (Please Support)

"Since everyone is here, the hearing will be presided over by our new Public Morals Committee Member, Watanabe Hayabara. Tachibana, the secretary, and I will supervise. The Student Council will uphold fairness and maintain order by enforcing the school rules. If there are no questions, we'll begin." Horikita Manabu stood at the head of the long table and swept his sharp gaze across the room. His voice was steady and authoritative, leaving no room for dispute.

When Sakagami heard that Watanabe Hayabara would preside, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His expression turned a little strange, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he held back and nodded in agreement. Chabashira Sae and the students from Class D naturally had no objections, and they all nodded.

"Ahem." Standing in the middle of the long table, Watanabe Hayabara cleared his throat, breaking the silence in the office. He stood straight, wearing a composed smile, and began by outlining both sides' claims and summarizing the incident. He laid out what had happened in a clear, orderly fashion.

"Given the circumstances, we hope to establish which side's account is true." Watanabe Hayabara smiled and turned toward Class C, making a gesture for them to speak first.

A student from Class C immediately stood up, his tone self-righteous. "Based on the injuries of the three students in our class and Miyake's condition, it's clear that Miyake beat them up without provocation." As he spoke, he made a point of looking toward Class D, his eyes full of provocation.

"I object to Class C's claim!" Horikita Suzune sprang to her feet almost as soon as he finished speaking, meeting the Class C student's gaze with resolve. "Our investigation uncovered evidence that the Class C students provoked him first. Miyake was acting in self-defense, and he did everything he could to get away. Class C's claim is clearly a false accusation." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word rang clear and carried an undeniable force.

Watanabe Hayabara discreetly glanced at Horikita Manabu at the head of the table. He caught the slight furrow in the other boy's brow, and a flicker of amusement crossed his eyes. He looked away and continued, "Class D, please present your evidence."

Horikita Suzune then looked toward Horikita Manabu and said evenly, "Sakura, sitting beside me, is an eyewitness."

"The eyewitness is from your own class, isn't she?" Sakagami suddenly let out a quiet laugh, his tone full of mockery. Everyone present understood his implication: testimony from a classmate might not be reliable.

"Mr. Sakagami, do you have a question?" Watanabe Hayabara smiled at him. His tone was gentle, but carried a hint of pressure.

"No, no. Please continue." Sakagami quickly waved his hand, putting on an indifferent air, though the disdain in his eyes remained.

Horikita Suzune ignored Sakagami's attitude and looked straight at him. "Sakura also has crucial physical evidence."

Sakagami still looked unconcerned, as if he was certain Class D had no real evidence.

"Sorry for the trouble, Sakura." Horikita Suzune lowered her voice to speak quietly to Airi Sakura, then returned to her seat.

Airi Sakura took a deep breath and slowly stood. She clasped her hands together nervously, her knuckles turning pale. "Um... this is my evidence." Her voice was faint, but she tried to make herself heard clearly as she slowly took the fully repaired camera from her bag.

The camera was passed from Horikita Suzune to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, then finally handed to Watanabe Hayabara.

Watanabe Hayabara took the camera and gave Airi Sakura a gentle smile and a small nod. Seeing his smile, she relaxed a little. Her face flushed as she nodded back, then slowly sat down, instinctively cupping her hot cheeks with her small hands.

"Then I'll verify the evidence." Watanabe Hayabara connected the camera to the office projector, and soon the photos appeared clearly on the screen. They had been taken from Airi Sakura's perspective. Though the camera was some distance away, the four figures tangled together in the distance were clearly visible. On closer inspection, they were indeed Akito Miyake and the three students from Class C. The images also showed, albeit faintly, a Class C student shoving Akito Miyake first. As for the other photos Airi Sakura had saved on the camera, Watanabe Hayabara had already transferred them off beforehand.

"I think everyone has a better idea of what happened at the scene now. Does either side have anything to say?" Watanabe Hayabara turned off the photo display and looked calmly at Sakagami and Chabashira Sae, waiting for their responses.

"I see. So you really were there. I can only admit that much." Sakagami looked at the photos, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, but his tone remained skeptical. "However, these photos only show that the four of them were fighting. They don't show who struck first. Nor do they prove you saw the entire incident from beginning to end. So your claim that Class C provoked Miyake and started the fight can't be taken as conclusive testimony." His gaze swept over Airi Sakura, firm and unyielding.

After speaking, he turned to Chabashira Sae, a calculating smile curling his lips. "Chabashira-sensei, what do you think? Should we look for a compromise?"

"Here's my compromise. I believe I bear some responsibility for the Class C students as well." Sakagami cleared his throat, adopting the air of an impartial judge. "There were three of our students, and one of them apparently has a history of fighting. That's an issue too. So how about suspending Miyake for two weeks and the Class C students for one week? The difference in punishment would depend on whether they injured the other side." He spoke casually, as though this were already a major concession.

"Mr. Sakagami, please allow me to reject your proposal." Horikita Suzune stood up almost as soon as he finished speaking, answering on Chabashira Sae's behalf. Her voice was clear and resolute, her eyes full of uncompromising determination.

From the corner of his eye, Watanabe Hayabara saw Horikita Manabu raise his brows slightly at his sister's firm stance. A trace of surprise crossed his face. Watanabe couldn't help finding it a little amusing. It seems Student Council President Horikita didn't expect his sister to be so persistent. More precisely, he could have predicted that Horikita Suzune would stand her ground; he simply hadn't expected her to do so for another student.

Horikita Suzune paid no attention to the gazes around her. She turned to Watanabe Hayabara and bowed slightly. "I respectfully ask the Student Council to postpone its verdict. We'll continue searching for evidence that Miyake is innocent." Her voice carried a hint of pleading, but she kept her back straight and didn't back down.

"Mr. Sakagami, what's your opinion?" Watanabe Hayabara turned to him, waiting for his response.

"I have no objection," Sakagami said with a shrug, then changed tack, his eyes sharpening. "However, if they're deliberately delaying the punishment, I propose that Miyake's sentence be increased."

Watanabe Hayabara glanced at Horikita Manabu beside him. Horikita Manabu gave a slight nod, leaving the decision to him. Watanabe Hayabara took a deep breath and ruled in a steady voice, "Then I'll give Class D three days to gather evidence. We'll meet in the office at the same time on Friday." He paused and looked around at the students from Class D. "If Class D can't provide relevant evidence, the Student Council will increase Miyake's punishment. That concludes today's hearing."

Silence filled the office. Sakagami leaned back in his chair, wearing a confident smile. Horikita Suzune clenched her fists, determination gleaming in her eyes. Airi Sakura quietly let out a breath of relief, while Ayanokoji looked impassively at Watanabe Hayabara.

Watanabe Hayabara gathered the documents on the table and exchanged glances with Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane. The three of them left first.