Victory in Court (Seeking Everything)

Watanabe Hayabara handed it to Horikita Suzune, his gaze turning serious. "Don't lose this, Horikita. I don't have a backup; this is the only evidence." He emphasized the word "only," his tone carrying a hint of instruction.

"Mm, okay." Horikita Suzune hurriedly reached out to take the USB drive, clutching it tightly in her palm. "That..." She opened her mouth, a flash of hesitation crossing her eyes. Her lips moved as if something were stuck in her throat, yet she couldn't bring herself to say it.

"What do you want to ask, Horikita?" Watanabe Hayabara watched her struggle with her words, a gentle smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"It's nothing." Horikita Suzune shook her head, ultimately swallowing the words that had reached her lips. She carefully tucked the USB drive into her uniform pocket, pressing her fingers against the fabric and biting her lip lightly.

"Alright then." Watanabe Hayabara didn't press her, simply smiling and shrugging his shoulders to end the brief conversation.

Friday arrived as promised. The Student Council office was filled with the same group of people.

"For this verdict, please provide additional evidence, Class D." Watanabe Hayabara stood at the podium in front of the long table, his gaze calm as he looked toward Class D, his voice clearly reaching every corner of the office.

Horikita Suzune stood up immediately, her back straight and her tone firm. "Following our detailed investigation, this evidence confirms that this incident was orchestrated entirely by Class C." As she spoke, she passed the USB drive in her hand to Watanabe Hayabara.

Watanabe Hayabara took the USB drive, skillfully connected it to the projection equipment, and pressed play.

Several voices immediately emerged from the recording. Although there was some static, they were still clearly audible:

"Big Brother, there's definitely no problem this time. That kid Akito Miyake has already taken the bait. I bet he doesn't even have a clue in his wildest dreams."

"Don't blame me for being heavy-handed, just bear with it."

"How could I, Big Brother."

After listening to the recording, the reactions of Class C and Class D were starkly different. The three students from Class C turned grave, their faces darkening. They clearly recognized the voice of Ryuen Kakeru in the recording, yet they looked utterly bewildered, clearly unaware of these conversations.

Sakagami Kazuma merely frowned, tapping his fingertips against the table. He showed no major reaction, as if he had already anticipated this scene.

Chabashira Sae looked toward Class C with a calm expression, a faint smile curling her lips. She looked like someone who had already secured victory, her eyes filled with certainty.

Horikita Suzune raised her hand confidently and stood up again, looking composed. "The voice in the recording is precisely that of your classmate, Ryuen Kakeru. Do you have anything left to argue?" She looked at Class C with a sharp gaze, her tone carrying undeniable authority.

The three students from Class C were flustered, their eyes darting around in panic. Everyone present saw their chaotic reaction.

Just then, Sakagami Kazuma let out a soft chuckle, breaking the atmosphere in the office. "This recording is fake. You forged it." His tone carried a hint of disdain; clearly, he did not accept this evidence.

"President, we have a way to analyze the authenticity of the recording, don't we?" Watanabe Hayabara smiled at Horikita Manabu, a hint of cunning in his eyes.

Horikita Manabu looked at the smiling Watanabe Hayabara and understood everything in an instant. He adjusted his glasses, turned to the Class C homeroom teacher, and said in a steady tone, "It is indeed possible to verify the authenticity of the recording. By decoding, re-tuning, and re-encoding the audio, we can determine whether it is genuine."

Watanabe Hayabara immediately made a "please" gesture, voluntarily clearing the center of the long table to make room for Horikita Manabu.

Horikita Manabu walked to the center position and skillfully began operating the computer connected to the projector. Lines of complex code scrolled across the screen as his fingers tapped rapidly on the keyboard, producing crisp sounds. The entire office fell silent, and everyone's gaze was fixed on the screen.

A few minutes later, Horikita Manabu stopped his movements and said, "There is nothing wrong with this recording." His gaze was sharp as he looked toward Class C, carrying unquestionable authority.

The students from Class C became visibly more agitated and restless, their hands clenched into tight fists. Sakagami Kazuma watched his students' reactions and sighed helplessly, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "We concede." Having said that, he slowly lowered his head and said nothing more.

"Then I announce that for this verdict, Class D's appeal is successful." Horikita Manabu cleared his throat and delivered the verdict with a serious tone. "Class C is found guilty of intentionally causing serious injury to a classmate and framing a student from Class D. Given the malicious nature of the act, the following penalties are decided: the three students involved will have 50,000 personal points deducted and be suspended for two weeks; Class C will have 100 class points deducted. If any further malicious incidents occur involving these three students within two months, they will be expelled."

The students from Class C hung their heads in defeat, their shoulders slumped and their faces filled with frustration. Sakagami Kazuma showed no sign of anger or joy, but the moment the verdict was announced, he seemed to shed a heavy burden, looking much more relaxed, with a flicker of relief in his eyes.

Chabashira Sae let out a soft sigh of relief, her gaze toward Watanabe Hayabara filled with approval and a smile.

"Akito Miyake really was innocent."

"We all misunderstood you."

After the verdict reached the classroom, the room instantly became lively. The students who had previously ostracized Akito Miyake now swarmed around him, apologizing profusely and enthusiastically trying to mend their relationships. However, Akito Miyake only responded coldly with a "It's fine," his eyes devoid of any ripples. He knew clearly that these people were merely opportunists who swayed with the wind; they were not worthy of being his friends, and there was no need to entangle himself with them further.

"This time, we really owe it to Watanabe-kun. If it weren't for the recording Watanabe-kun produced that broke the final line of defense for Class C, Akito Miyake would still be wrongly accused." Kushida Kikyo's voice rang out in the crowd. She intentionally directed the credit toward Watanabe Hayabara, a sincere smile on her face.

Kushida Kikyo's reputation and leadership in the class were always high, and everyone trusted her words deeply. In an instant, all the students turned their admiring gazes toward Watanabe Hayabara, their eyes filled with gratitude and respect. Watanabe Hayabara nodded with a smile, calmly accepting everyone's praise.

After the crowd surrounding Akito Miyake gradually dispersed, Akito Miyake turned around and stared intently at Watanabe Hayabara not far away, his expression complex. Watanabe Hayabara felt his gaze, but gave a playful smile and even raised an eyebrow at him, as if to say, "Don't mention it."

After school, as expected, Akito Miyake sought out Watanabe Hayabara alone just as he was about to leave. He walked up quickly and blocked Watanabe Hayabara's path.