After the results were made public, Class C posted the matchup chart on the grade's public page.
"Someone from Class D leaked Class C's arrangements in advance."
The statement did not directly point at Ayanokoji, but it was enough to make everyone turn their attention toward Class D.
Ryuuen offered no further evidence. He simply waited for Class D to explain itself.
Horikita looked at Gu Heng. "Should we respond publicly?"
"Respond to known facts, not speculation."
She posted an explanation on the public page: Class D had received matchup information from an unconfirmed source. Some of it had been verified as true, while some had not. The official lineup had not been altered based on it.
Class C immediately pressed, "Who delivered it?"
"The source is unconfirmed."
"Then why did Class D use it?"
"We only used the portions verified on-site."
Ryuuen rephrased the question. "Did Class D engage in any unauthorized external exchange of information?"
This time, the school stepped in and demanded that Class D submit contact records within an hour.
Gu Heng did not list Ayanokoji as the source because he could not confirm where the paper had come from.
Ayanokoji did not step forward to defend himself, either.
His silence left the suspicion in the category of the unknown, but it placed Class D under even greater public pressure.
Hirata asked, "Will the unknown eventually become responsibility?"
"If we have no records, it might," Gu Heng replied.
He had Yukimura pull up every public exchange page, print the records and delivery times, and submit only what could be proven.
One record showed that Gu Heng had indeed contacted Ayanokoji before the competition. However, the content of that contact had not entered the shared page, and there was no evidence that Ayanokoji had delivered the matchup