A Battle Before The Real Battle [6]

"Sotomura-kun, please."

As Horikita called out to Sotomura, he got up from his seat and faced the whole class as instructed.

Sotomura, nicknamed as 'professor', is proficient in computer and related aspects.

During her investigation of Yamauchi, Horikita found that he made contact with an I.T. technician in the staff room the day before the exam.

So, she consulted Sotomura, if there was any way to alter the results, with knowledge about the whole vote calculating process.

Horikita had already asked Chabashira, how the votes were calculated and how the results were declared.

The ballot papers, on which students of all the four classes put their votes, were scanned by an optical scanner, and the data obtained, was run through a program, made by the authorities to obtain results.

This process was done by personnel appointed by acting director Tsukishiro, and no homeroom teacher was involved to maintain transparency. 

And after that, the results were sent to respective homeroom teachers.

As everything, starting from calculation of votes to transferring the data to teachers, was done digitally, it could be only altered by someone having extensive knowledge about it.

Sotomura, having that knowledge, explained to all the students of class 1C, a method through bug hunting and SQL injection of how someone might alter the results.

But, he also mentioned that, there is absolutely no chance of escaping from the school's defensive radar, if someone does so.

So, there was 100% chance of digital footprints after the SQL injection was done and the culprit can be caught easily through some investigation by the school.

After his explanation, he mentioned another thing worth thinking about.

"As, the whole process of calculation of votes and declaration of results was done within a short time span on the same day, if someone were to alter the results, they have to do it within that time as well. And, such injection program can be made in a PC only. Our phones doesn't support such things."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"However, as we are assuming this was done by Yamauchi, how did he get a computer during that time, while he was inside class? The only possible explanation for it is that, he prepared the injection program prior to the exam day and stored it in something like a pen drive. During the exam, while votes were being calculated, he might have gone to the toilet to perform this injection through his phone using an otg drive."

He stopped there, while Horikita took off.

"So, as Sotomura-kun says, Yamauchi-kun might have used a program stored in a pen drive and an otg drive to alter the results with his phone on that very day. Is that much clear to all of you?"

The students exchanged uneasy glances.

The reality that Yamauchi might have risked everything—his place in the school, his future—for a desperate attempt to save himself was hard to swallow.

Matsushita stood up and posed a question that was on everybody's mind.

"But, is Yamauchi capable of manipulating results like this? From Sotomura's explanation, the whole process seems pretty complicated. Are you sure that Yamauchi is behind all of this?"

It was a valid question and the first one to come up in every one's mind, since they knew how far Yamauchi could think.

However, Horikita's actions and intentions remained firm.

"That's not a problem. Even if he was being manipulated by someone else, the fact that he betrayed our class doesn't change. I am sure you all have noticed his behavior too when he proposed us to deposit private points in exchange for being the commander. If Yamauchi-kun is exposed then our class would be free of traitors and the school might even find evidence related to the main culprit. So, we are definitely on the right path."

The classroom was eerily silent as Horikita finished her explanation.

The gravity of the situation was beginning to sink in for everyone.

The idea that one of their own classmates might have gone to such lengths to manipulate the exam results was unsettling, to say the least.

"Thus, here is the evidence I wanted to present to the school. Hasebe-san, please check Yamauchi-kun's bag."

Horikita urged Haruka to check Yamauchi's bag, and bring the evidence to her.

It was pretty much clear that she is talking about the pen drive within which the SQL injection program was stored.

As Yamauchi was not present inside class at that time, no one was there to resist.

So, Haruka searched through the entire bag and found exactly what she was searching for.

A brand new pen drive with an otg drive inside a small packet of silicone gel.

She took them to Horikita, standing at the podium.

Horikita, then, continued her explanation.

"Through our investigations, we found that Yamauchi-kun bought these drives, just before the exam day at an electronic store in the Keyaki Mall, and he keeps this in his bag, always. This might not be enough of an evidence, as he might have deleted that program already, but, as Sotomura-kun explained earlier, digital footprints are very hard to erase. So, I am sure that, if school's authorities investigate this thoroughly, they would find the program eventually."

Everything Horikita had said so far made sense to everyone, and the fact that 'Yamauchi Haruki is doomed', was the only thing in their mind.

However, Matsushita once again raised her concern.

"If all of this was your plan, why did you agree with that contract with Yamauchi?", She asked to Horikita.

The others too had that question in their mind.

If Horikita had planned to expel Yamauchi all along, then why did she agree with that contract in the first place?

To this, Horikita answered calmly.

"As you all could see, either it's Yamauchi-kun or the person manipulating him, they are very cunning and cautious. However, when someone has the upper hand in a competition, they let their guard down easily. All this investigation was possible just because, Yamauchi-kun thought that he has the upper hand with that contract and he needn't care about the bits of clues he left behind in the previous exam. So, it was important to go along with his plan for the time being."

After explaining that reason, she called Sotomura to that podium, and urged him to put the pen drive inside his tab and look for the program.

Sotomura nodded and took the pen drive from Horikita.

He connected it to his tablet, his fingers moving deftly across the screen as he navigated through the files.

The classroom was deathly silent, every pair of eyes fixed on the "Professor" as he worked.

A few moments later, Sotomura's expression turned serious.

"There's definitely something here," he murmured, mostly to himself, but loud enough for the front row to hear. He quickly opened a file directory, revealing a string of complex code.

"This looks like a pre-written script," Sotomura said, his voice growing louder as he confirmed the evidence.

"I can't say for sure what it does without running it, but based on the structure, it's highly likely that this is the SQL injection program we were talking about."

The classroom erupted into a mix of whispers and gasps.

The implications of what Sotomura had found were clear to everyone. Yamauchi had not only betrayed their class but had done so in a way that could have potentially harmed all of them.

Horikita took the tablet from Sotomura and looked at the code briefly before addressing the class.

"This is enough. We'll submit this to the school's authorities as evidence of tampering."

The students looked at one another, a sense of unity forming amidst the shock.

Even though they were facing an internal betrayal, the way they had come together to expose Yamauchi brought a new sense of camaraderie.

Horikita's voice softened slightly as she addressed the class one final time before lunch ends.

"I know this has been difficult, but we must stay focused. The special exam is still ahead of us, and we cannot afford to lose our momentum. Let's use this as a reminder that we need to be vigilant and work together. If we do, I'm confident that we can overcome any challenge, including Class A."

Words of inspiration came from their class leader, and it resonated well with the students.

However, as her speech ended, Chabashira entered their classroom, even if it was lunch break.

"Oh, it seems like everyone is present here. That's good. I have the final results with me."

Chabashira's sudden entrance immediately shifted the atmosphere in the room.

The students, who were just beginning to process Horikita's speech, now turned their attention to their homeroom teacher.

The gravity of the situation hit them once again, and the room was filled with a tense silence.

Everyone's attention was on Chabashira's next few sentences.

And thus, she announces, as expressionless as ever.

"After the manual counting of the ballot papers, the school authorities have found that the cause of the discrepancy in the results was Yamauchi Haruki."

The atmosphere in the classroom, while tense, was also charged with a sense of victory. As the reality of Yamauchi's betrayal and its exposure settled in, the students exchanged looks of relief and satisfaction. Despite the heavy implications of what had happened, the overwhelming sentiment was one of triumph.

A few students couldn't help but whisper among themselves, their tones tinged with a mix of disbelief and exhilaration. The fact that they had caught Yamauchi and prevented him from potentially harming their class's chances was a significant victory.

Horikita's sharp eyes scanned the room, noting the subtle nods and smirks of her classmates.

There was no denying the seriousness of the situation, but the students of Class 1C had come together to protect their collective future, and that unity was something to be proud of.

However, Chabashira's expression changed at this sight.

Her usual expressionless face now, held an amused smile.

As it was getting noisier by the moment, 

"Keep it quiet, and let me finish.", she warned them to keep silent as her part was not over.

And thus, she dropped the bomb.

"The resultant number of votes was supposed to be 160, but it turned out to be 159. That's because Yamauchi Haruki didn't put his praise vote for a student of another class."