I'm Not Suing Anymore

Only those who have wronged you know exactly how wronged you truly are.

Arisu's smile was peculiar, a blend of innocence and a hint of malice. "I'm sorry, Kato Satsu. I simply can't stand your habit of forcing people to drop out of school."

"Heh, so you're admitting to being my accomplice then?" (Kato Satsu)

"When the time comes, Yamamoto Sae will provide a letter of apology or something similar. You'll be perfectly fine, while I get expelled! What a brilliant plan!" (Kato Satsu)

Kato Satsu was truly laughing out of sheer frustration; these days, you couldn't survive in this school without a bit of acting skill!

After a long silence, Horikita Manabu spoke in a low, hollow voice: "Then, Sakayanagi, what was your purpose in agreeing to assist Kato?"

"You and Yamamoto Sae shouldn't have any connection at all."

Faced with this question, Arisu deliberately put on a coy act, speaking slowly with the bashful tone unique to a young girl.

"Because... I like Kato-kun. Looking into his eyes, I just couldn't bring myself to refuse his request."

"Liar!"

Nagumo Miyabi dismantled her claim without mercy: "Your tone is absolutely dripping with perfunctory acting, Sakayanagi~"

"Besides, I can tell you are definitely not the type to lose your head over a man."

Hearing this, Arisu instantly dropped her shy expression, replacing it with a confident smile.

"Vice President Nagumo, how can you be so sure about matters of the heart? Do you possess mind-reading powers or something?"

"He's right! Your heart is currently filled only with the joy of a successful plan." (Kato Satsu)

"Arisu is saying this purely to absolve herself. After all, this reason requires no evidence—it's simple, crude, and effective." (Kato Satsu)

Horikita Manabu's gaze darted back and forth between Kato Satsu and Arisu, attempting to find a trace of truth in their expressions.

A person's expression is often the fastest way they transmit information to the outside world; whether it is joy, sadness, or anger, one can intuitively perceive it from their facial features.

"Resentment and secret delight? It seems the complexity of this matter goes beyond what is on the surface." (Horikita Manabu)

"Nagumo's judgment is correct. Sakayanagi was indeed lying just now." (Horikita Manabu)

"President, please see the truth! From beginning to end, this has been a shameful frame-up!" (Kato Satsu)

Sensing Horikita Manabu's thoughts, Kato Satsu felt a surge of joy. Since the Student Council Disciplinary Committee had yet to reach a verdict, there was still room to turn this around.

"Kato Satsu, I assume you wouldn't mind if the Student Council searched your room?" Horikita Manabu said coldly.

"Of course not, President."

Kato Satsu did not refuse Horikita Manabu's proposal—or rather, he couldn't refuse.

Refusing now would be tantamount to admitting guilt. It was better to be open and generous; besides, he had already taken care of that doll beforehand.

"There is indeed a black rabbit doll in my room, but that doll has no eyes, let alone any micro-cameras."

Watching Kato Satsu's eyes, Arisu keenly detected something amiss. It wasn't the panic of a man struggling in his final moments, but rather an unusually focused and calm demeanor.

Realizing that things were not over, Arisu couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"The camera I planted was removed? That shouldn't be possible!"

"A normal boy, especially one as popular as Kato, wouldn't suspect a gift from a girl, would he?"

"Even if he were on guard, I was quite confident in the concealment of that micro-camera."

Listening to these inner thoughts, Kato Satsu hesitated. He debated whether to strike back at Arisu and expose the fact that she was the one who had given him the rabbit.

The problem was that Kato Satsu lacked the evidence to deliver a finishing blow.

Although the restaurant's surveillance had clearly captured the act, as long as Arisu insisted that Kato Satsu had asked her to buy it, he would have no way to defend himself.

After all, according to Arisu's narrative, she had been momentarily bewitched into becoming his accomplice, so helping him buy these items wouldn't seem strange at all.

"It seems that getting rid of this Arisu problem right now is a bit unrealistic." (Kato Satsu)

"Damn it! This is a nearly perfect logical loop. If I didn't have mind-reading and hadn't known about the micro-camera in advance, I might have been finished today." (Kato Satsu)

The Student Council's efficiency was higher than Kato Satsu had imagined; it wasn't long before Tachibana Akane returned to report.

"President, it is just as Kato-kun said. That rabbit doll has no eyes."

Upon hearing this, Arisu's pupils dilated. She looked at Kato Satsu, shocked yet carrying a hint of delight.

"No wonder Father is in such a hurry to have you expelled. You're not simple at all." (Sakayanagi Arisu)

"The Chairman wants me expelled! What is this? I've never even met him. Is it because I injured that sleazy clerk or something?" (Kato Satsu)

Learning this explosive news, Kato Satsu no longer had the heart to focus on the Student Council Disciplinary Committee hearing. In any case, based on the current situation, he would be fine.

He threw himself into a brainstorm: Why would the Chairman want him expelled?

"This is going to be difficult, Senior," Nagumo Miyabi suddenly said with a sarcastic tone.

"The point about Kato Satsu setting a trap cannot be established due to insufficient evidence."

"As for the case of Yamamoto Sae accusing him of misconduct, that is also invalid as it contradicts the facts."

Nagumo looked at Horikita Manabu with amusement, curious how he would handle this situation, but Chabashira was the one who spoke first.

"But, it is a fact that Sae framed Kato to get him expelled, isn't it?"

"Are you saying that because Sae took action with the subjective intent of having Kato Satsu expelled, her behavior should be punished, is that correct?"

The homeroom teacher of Class 2-C took over the conversation, and seeing Chabashira nod in affirmation, she immediately went on the offensive.

"How curious. It is also a fact that Kato Satsu and Kuraku made an agreement to have Sae expelled, isn't it? I recall you were present at the time, so how do you account for his behavior?"

"Furthermore, there is indeed a black rabbit doll in Kato Satsu's room, which proves that Classmate Sakayanagi's words were not entirely false."

"I can perfectly well argue that my student resorted to such measures in self-defense."

Chabashira was not intimidated by the other's momentum and calmly spoke up for Satsu; the scene suddenly seemed to have turned into a proxy war.

"Satsu did indeed make such an agreement, but at the very least, this incident was not his doing."

"The harm has not yet arrived, so how can you speak of self-defense?"

"If I were to slap you right now and claim you might hit me in the future, would you accept that as my self-defense?"

Hearing this, the homeroom teacher of Class 2-C slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "That is nothing but sophistry!"

"Enough!"

Just as the situation was spiraling out of control, Sae suddenly shouted.

Everyone looked toward her, only to see her expression blank and bewildered as she said.

"I... I'm dropping the charges."