A Breakthrough in the Fog

Just as he was about to say something, the crisp sound of high heels striking the floor came from the end of the corridor.

Hoshinomiya Chie walked out with lively steps, her chestnut curls swaying slightly with her movements, an animated smile of keen interest on her face.

This directly interrupted the tense confrontation between the two sides.

Upon seeing a teacher appear, the watching students instinctively stepped back and made way.

"My, my, everyone seems to be having quite a lively chat here~ Are you holding some kind of interesting little meeting? Can your teacher join in?" Hoshinomiya spoke lightly, her gaze sweeping over Ryuuen, Sakayanagi, Hoshimiya, and the others. Her smile was bright, but her words carried a hint of persuasion.

"But this is a corridor, you know. Blocking it like this will interfere with the other students passing through."

The atmosphere that had been on the verge of exploding was instantly dispersed.

Ryuuen suppressed the cold sharpness surging in his eyes, and the oppressive air around him receded like a tide.

He did not refute Hoshinomiya's words. He merely let out a faint snort, hiding his slight unwillingness and calculations in his eyes before returning to that indifferent look.

He knew very well that continuing to argue with a teacher here would only bring unnecessary trouble to Class C.

The faint, unchanging smile remained at the corner of Sakayanagi's lips. Her fingers tightened slightly around her cane as she looked at Hoshinomiya Chie with curved eyes, her tone calm and elegant, carrying just the right amount of compliance. "Yes, Hoshinomiya-sensei. It was our oversight."

She did not respond to any of the confrontational remarks, nor did she reveal even a trace of displeasure. She merely gave Hoshinomiya a slight nod in formal acknowledgment and quietly withdrew all her aggression.

Ishizaki's clenched fist loosened slightly. The stifled anger in his chest had nowhere to go, leaving only a face full of unwillingness as he pressed his lips tightly together.

Hashimoto straightened up from the wall, shedding his amused, spectator-like expression. Kamuro Masumi lowered her eyes slightly and remained silent. Hoshimiya Rinyu also said nothing.

The surrounding students' whispers fell completely silent.

Seeing everyone rein in their sharp edges, Hoshinomiya Chie's eyes flashed with a knowing smile. She still looked casual and relaxed, without the slightest bit of a teacher's stern rigidity. She slowly stepped forward, her gaze lightly passing over everyone present, her tone carrying a hint of teasing laziness.

"Looks like everyone has plenty of energy after class. But—Advanced Nurturing High School doesn't settle victories with intimidation."

She paused, her smile gentle yet perceptive.

"Let's end this little hallway disturbance here. If you keep gathering around, I'll have to treat it as behavior detrimental to school discipline, okay?"

Though her words were light, no one dared take them lightly.

Ryuuen could not be bothered to waste any more time here. With one hand in his pocket, he turned and left first, and the Class C students followed behind him as they dispersed.

Leaning on her cane, Sakayanagi slowly moved away with composed grace, taking the Class A students with her.

Hoshimiya did not linger. After agreeing to Kushida and Ayanokoji's request, he quickly stepped forward and caught up with Sakayanagi's group.

The lingering heat from the earlier dispute gradually faded away. Under the stark white lights, the entire corridor was emptied of people, leaving only Hoshinomiya Chie.

Kei watched everyone's retreating figures, the amused smile at the corner of her lips remaining for a long while as she murmured softly.

"What an interesting bunch of children..."

On the way back to Class A's classroom, Kushida and Ayanokoji's request continued to circle through Hoshimiya's mind.

The moment he entered the classroom, after most people had returned to their seats, he did not delay. He exchanged a look with Sakayanagi, obtained her tacit approval, then stepped forward to face the entire class.

"There is something I need to confirm. When the incident between Classes C and D occurred, was anyone from our class present at the scene?"

The classroom fell silent for a moment, and every gaze gathered on Hoshimiya standing at the front.

In response to this question, denials arose one after another from below.

"I wasn't there."

"I wasn't around when it happened."

"I know absolutely nothing about it."

The denials continued one after another. The Class A students all shook their heads, indicating that they had never been to the scene.

Not a single person gave an affirmative answer.

Hoshimiya took in every face in the classroom. Most either looked indifferent, completely unconcerned with the questioning, or calmly met the gaze he cast toward them.

Class A really did match the original story. No one was involved.

After school, Hoshimiya arrived early at the campus café, found a seat, and quietly waited for Kushida and Ayanokoji.

Before long, two figures appeared at the entrance. Yet to Hoshimiya's surprise, Horikita Suzune had come with Kushida and Ayanokoji as well. Their planned meeting of two had suddenly become a meeting of three.

Once the three had taken their seats, Hoshimiya spoke and laid out everything he knew.

"Everyone in Class A firmly denied ever going to the scene. But when I met with a few people from Class D, I noticed something strange. The other Class D students either did not care about my gaze at all or could meet my eyes calmly. Only Sakura Airi lowered her head the moment our eyes met and hurried away."

After hearing Hoshimiya's account, Kushida Kikyo immediately shook her head lightly, unconvinced by his judgment.

"Hoshimiya-kun, I'm afraid that cannot be treated as a clue. Sakura is naturally very introverted and timid. When she faces people she does not know well, she has always been afraid to look them in the eyes and often unconsciously avoids their gaze. That may simply be her usual reaction and may not have anything to do with Sudo's incident."

After Kushida finished speaking, Hoshimiya did not immediately refute her.

Horikita, however, did not agree with Kushida's reasoning. Her brows drew together slightly.

"We cannot draw a conclusion so easily. Sakura has always been shy around strangers, yes, but her unusual avoidance after the incident is difficult to attribute entirely to her personality. I believe this is worth looking into."

What Kushida said was indeed true. Sakura was naturally timid and afraid of strangers, and avoiding eye contact was simply how she normally behaved. Yet the panic in that instant was subtly different from ordinary shyness in his eyes.

He could not directly tell the two of them that Sakura was the witness. There was not the slightest evidence at present, so he could only resort to this, leaving the task of probing her to them.

"Perhaps you are right." Hoshimiya's tone was calm, and he did not argue with Kushida.

"But hearing is not as reliable as seeing. We cannot find an answer through speculation alone. You can find an opportunity to approach Sakura Airi and test the situation for yourselves."

After saying that, he did not continue dwelling on the subject.

Having handed the burden of the investigation back to Kushida, Ayanokoji, and Horikita, Hoshimiya did not linger any longer. He stood and left the café.

The faint fragrance of coffee lingered around the table.

The seeds of doubt regarding Sakura Airi had now been planted. What came next depended on how the three of them acted.

P.S. Thank you all for your support. Please tap the update reminder more often. Please bookmark and add this to your library. I'll work even harder on writing, hehe.