Classroom of the Elite: Checkmate 17

Chapter 17 - Counterattack

On Monday morning, I walked over to the classroom.

With every day that passed, the weather got more unbearable. The only comfortable climate conditions were inside the buildings, because the materials for the uniforms were quite thick. Outside, it felt like a river of lava was flowing right under our feet.

As I reached the school building, I caught sight of a new paper on the otherwise scarcely filled bulletin board.

Ever since the club fair, the only papers posted there had been club openings. As the clubs found their respective members, however, these notes dwindled and their representatives began to remove them one after another.

The new poster I had just caught sight of was different, since the creator was asking for information on the incident between Sudou and the Class C students. They also promised to reward potential whistleblowers with points if they received any helpful tips, which showed their sincerity in the matter.

At first, I thought that this interesting approach had been Ichinose's doing, but the number that was specified at the bottom on the page wasn't hers. It was Kanzaki's.

"Good morning, Ayanokouji-kun!"

Ichinose, like an angel one just thought about, showed up with her usual cheery attitude.

The girl walked up beside me and looked over the new paper as well. Her eyes widened during her read-through, which indicated that she hadn't known about this until just now. Despite this, she nodded with an approving smile after completing her examination of the bulletin board.

"So there is this method too..."

"Good morning, Ichinose-san. Ayanokouji-kun. I see you found the paper. What do you think?"

Her classmate and a good friend of mine, Kanzaki Ryuji, walked up behind us with his familiar, calm and composed, yet amiable expression. His proud, expectant bearing would have confirmed that he had put up the notice, even if I hadn't known his number beforehand.

"Did you get anything reliable yet?"

"Nothing at all."

He shook his head and shrugged as Ichinose spun around to face the two of us.

"I see. How about we check the bulletin board?"

"Is there another board I missed?"

Kanzaki's pupils dilated a moment after these words left his mouth, increasing his cognitive load. He must've been retracing the school's layout and checked whether he had put up a paper on each board he came across.

Ichinose's thin smile deepened as she pulled out her phone.

"There's a message board on the school's homepage. I made a post requesting people to forward information about any violent incident they have witnessed during the last week. With any luck, we might gain some additional clues."

She showed us her screen and clicked onto a link, which led to the message board.

There were multiple posts, ranging from questions and polls to discussions and other inquiries. The only one I was interested in was the one she had posted, which rested at the top with dozens of hits. Both of their measures were far more efficient than asking every single student one by one, especially since they were both promising rewards for any information they received.

The difference between our two classes became obvious by observing how each decided to tackle the problem.

No one in Class D had even suggested posting something on the forums or on the bulletin boards that were spread throughout the school grounds. Even though Chiaki knew that Sakura was the witness, it would have still been a good idea to ask for further information in case someone else had been around as well.

She had prematurely decided that our classmate was the only witness and had put her own efforts elsewhere while she let our classmates do whatever they felt compelled to do in order to keep them occupied.

"You are both promising points for helpful information, huh? That's probably the only way to get any, but we don't really have a budget to purchase them. Maybe I can repay you once we get points next month..."

I didn't feel guilty or liable for the points they would spend, since it was their decision, but it wouldn't hurt to let them think otherwise. We were rather close, so my thoughts on this matter wouldn't be unfounded, either.

"Ah, it's fine. We decided that on our own. You don't need to feel pressured to pay us back or anything."

Both of them nodded, proving that they were sincere about their wish to help us without working towards a hidden ulterior motive that would inconvenience or even harm my class.

"Oh! I might have something!"

Ichinose's face lit up as she stared at her phone's screen.

How could a person be this precious?

Was it bad to think about other girls this way while I had a girlfriend?

I couldn't answer this question on my own, but it was hard to ask anyone since this might have been a social taboo that a normal person would be conscious of. Picking Chiaki's brain about a topic like this was a no-go, for obvious reasons. Fuka was a close second due to her otherworldly behavior and unknown feelings for me.

Kushida had mentioned that I shouldn't say these things out loud, but did this also include thinking them?

Being a proper boyfriend was really hard...

"Look at this."

Ichinose showed us her phone, which displayed a message she had just received. Even though we both had no trouble gazing over her small frame, Kanzaki felt the need to crane his neck to make up for the two centimeters he was missing, as the three of us read through the contents.

"It looks like one of the guys who troubled Sudou-kun was a bad seed even back in middle school. A kid from his hometown probably leaked this."

"Interesting."

Kanzaki fell into a deep contemplation upon concluding his read-through.

The fact that one of them was a troublemaker, just like Sudou, already changed the situation in our favor. It wouldn't be an instantaneous winning condition, but doubts and questions about their truthfulness would certainly arise due to these new circumstances.

All three of them must have good motor skills, since they were all in the basketball club. In such a three versus one constellation, even Sudou would have taken a hit, which meant that their story didn't match their claims.

The more information like this came to light, the fewer people would blindly believe Class C's allegations. This piece was already enough to raise a valid concern about their reliability in the matter.

I doubted that the school would care unless they had definitive proof, however.

"What do you think, Kanzaki-kun?"

Ichinose's curious voice rang through the area as she glanced over to her classmate.

"Perhaps they let Sudou beat them up on purpose. If the three were setting up a trap for Sudou, the story would make perfect sense. The connection seems natural."

"Yeah, I think so too. If we can verify this information, then we could be a step closer to proving Sudou-kun's innocence. But what we have is still pretty weak..."

"We might be able to convince some people with this new evidence, but the circumstance that it was such a one-sided fight puts a lot of pressure on our side. Of course, it is hard to stay rational when you are surrounded and threatened by three people, but the faculty likely won't care without proper evidence."

The two Class B students kept throwing the ball to one another as they shared their thoughts and views on this matter. Both were quick on the uptake and needed little time to arrive at the same conclusion before long.

They considered the purpose of everything that had happened and focused on the underlying problems we were currently facing, even without my intervention. If I had been assigned to Class B at the beginning of the year, I would have had a lot of free time on my hands.

And Hoshinomiya...

One of their biggest weak points was their need to stay fair and square while competing against the other classes. This naïve mindset would spill their downfall sooner rather than later. Friendship, love and other such weak links could only keep a lifeboat afloat for so long.

When the emergency rations dwindled, it wouldn't be long until the killings would start.

"I still have to transfer the points over to the person who provided us this information. But how am I expected to pay them when they're posting anonymously?"

She tilted her head and peered at the two of us.

"Do you know the person's number?"

Kanzaki didn't seem sure about how to pay their informant either, so I decided to help her. Ichinose's moral compass would struggle if she wasn't able to deliver the promised reward.

"It's a toll-free number, but I remember it."

She drew close and pointed at her phone.

I felt a lot more aware about the fact that I was intruding into her intimate space than she was. Ichinose wasn't wearing any special perfume, but her scent was pleasant and refreshing. My heart-rate skyrocketed as I took a whiff of her fresh lavender shampoo, which made me realize how close we were.

"Here, open up the point's remittance screen. You should see your ID number in the upper left corner."

"Umm..."

The sweet girl hummed while sliding her nimble fingers over the phone. She pressed the button to open her point page and swung her head left and right while waiting for it to load up. Her balance was displayed on the screen a few moments later, but the number I saw caught me off-guard for a second.

"Yep, yep. There it is. So what now?"

"From your ID number, you can issue a temporary token key." I pointed at the corner of her display. "If you open that and send the key, you get a request for payment."

"Oh! I see. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."

"I didn't get it at first either, but Chiaki's explanations are really easy to understand."

Even though I wasn't able to read minds, I was sure that I must have been the most terrible boyfriend a girl could have, since I had difficulties suppressing my indecent thoughts about my schoolmate.

After my simulation of Fuka's improper actions ran wild, I became more and more aware of how close I had been to the girls that were familiar with me, like Ichinose, Horikita, and so on. Kushida was the only girl I could count on in this situation, since I could be sure that she would keep this to herself and be helpful at the same time.

"We should go to class, or we'll be late."

"Oh, yeah. Sure."

I followed them inside the building while Ike's twisted thoughts assaulted my brain again and spun up multiple theories for the large amount of points Ichinose held in her account.

It was impossible to amass such a balance for one's own use without underhanded methods, but a generous, gentle girl like her would never resort to something like this. A place in the student council shouldn't have granted her these benefits either, which left only one reasonable conclusion.

These points originated from her own class.

A quick calculation over the points they had earned in the last two months in consideration to their spending habits assured me of this. I assumed that Ichinose acted like some sort of bank for her class and managed their emergency assets as well as their other large-scale expenditures.

Their class was built on nothing but trust and friendship.

It would be a shame if someone burned those roots and sent the broken pieces flying.

"Good morning! Ayanokouji-kun!"

"Oh, hey. Good morning, Kushida."

I was once again pleasantly surprised by her insane acting skills, which allowed her to receive me with her bright, cheery smile every day I ambled into the classroom. Her abilities to stay focused on her instructions were truly top-notch.

"Let's hang out again sometime, okay?"

"Sure."

Ike glared at me like a carnivorous predator that was about to ambush its prey after realizing that I had had a 'date' with her. Chiaki, who sat at her desk and had a chat with Karuizawa, Satou and Shinohara, wasn't concerned in the slightest that I had met up with Kushida during the weekend.

She trusted me and wouldn't act jealous or insecure now that we were a couple.

The goal behind our angel's behavior was to accentuate our friendship to our classmates even further. If the other students saw that the two of us were decently close, no weird rumors would spread, even if someone caught her leaving my room. She was not only everyone's friend, but I already had a girlfriend as well, which would deter their minds from wandering in weird directions.

Well, a few lost souls might still follow their twisted logic, but that was about it.

"Did you spend your day off with Kushida-san?"

The icy string of words that followed my arrival at my desk belonged to none other than my favorite neighbor, Horikita Suzune. Instead of greeting me with a kind and heart-warming, 'Good morning', she regarded me with narrowed eyes and a brooding expression.

"Yeah. She invited me to meet up."

"I see."

She turned her head away from me and looked towards the front.

"Is something wrong with... that?" I couldn't help but swallow my saliva, which stuck in my throat as I glimpsed at her grim face. "Wh-what's the matter?"

My chair screeched over the floor as I slid out of her striking distance.

"What do you mean?"

"You had that weird look on your face."

Horikita shifted her gaze back towards her left and ascertained the distance I had formed between us due to my prior movements. Her captivating pupils met with mine as she raised her head.

"Really? I didn't intend to make any kind of face. I should look the same as I always do. However, I will say that I am impressed how freely you are moving around. For one, you have a delightful girlfriend you can spend your time with and still find time to hang out with Kushida-san. In contrast... no, forget it. I was just calmly and discreetly analyzing the situation."

There was nothing calm and discreet about the glares she had been throwing me before this.

"Aren't we f... seatmates?"

Horikita averted her gaze as a light yet clearly discernable pout formed on her face. The ice-queen's complexion turned from her usual, healthy pink to a faint shade of red.

I rubbed my eyes, because I had a feeling that the symptoms of the Ike-sickness had evolved and began to include optical and auditory hallucinations. But even after wiping over them once, twice and thrice, her adorable expression hadn't faded.

My hand made its way over to her forehead.

Once again, I checked her temperature.

Once again, it was in an acceptable range for a normal, healthy human being.

"Ayanokouji-kun. Touch me more..."

What?

"Ayanokouji-kun. What are you doing?"

Huh?

"Oh, sorry."

I removed my trembling fingers from her forehead before she could counterattack with her compass, which she hadn't even pulled out yet. My retreat was slow, but there was no retaliation.

While I wondered if I was getting sick, Mori tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

"Ayanokouji-kun? Kushida-san wanted to talk to you. Do you have a moment?"

"Ah, yeah sure."

She nodded and walked up to Hirata before they began chatting.

Leaving the baffled Horikita behind, I trotted towards the hallway, where Kushida waited for me.

"I just saw something really incredible. Hey, what did you do?"

What, seriously?

"Just to confirm, you also heard her say, 'touch me more', right?"

Kushida jumped up and backwards with a smile on her face. An outsider might have interpreted this as her laughing about a joke I had made or something similar. The truth, however, wasn't that gracious.

"What? No! Fuck, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Her low voice didn't travel far.

No one would have believed that these outrageous words left Kushida's charming lips after looking at the angelic expression she wore for the students that glanced at us through the classroom door.

"I'm asking myself the same question from time to time."

"She didn't seem happy about being left out, and I could have sworn that she wanted to call you friend and not seatmate." The perverse laugh she imposed on me afterwards sounded more like a devil's than an angel's. "Hurt her more! I've been enjoying every second so much that I had to walk out of the classroom. Gosh, it's so fucking beautiful seeing that damn arrogant cunt like this."

Kushida's mouth was as rotten as always, which collided with her otherwise elegant expression.

"Well, since you are in such a good mood right now, you might answer a question that's been weighing on my mind: is it a bad sign that I'm thinking about other girls while I'm in a relationship with Chiaki?"

"Huh? Who are you thinking about?"

She seemed intrigued rather than grossed out, which wasn't a bad sign. This tame reaction meant that it wasn't anything too weird, which reassured me somewhat before I even received her answer.

"Oh, umm... you, Horikita, Ichinose, Chabash—"

"Okay, stop. I think I've heard enough. I don't even want to know more than that if I'm being honest. It's normal for a damn pervert like you, okay? Just keep your twisted thoughts to yourself and don't act on anything. It'll pass in time."

I wasn't nearly done with my recital, but this amount of information had been enough to solve my problem.

As expected of my queen.

Since thinking was fine, I didn't need to worry about my qualifications as a decent boyfriend anymore. I was also relieved to hear that this was normal behavior, since I didn't want to mess up my first relationship. Fuka's actions and my subsequent simulation lead to an increase of certain thoughts I needed to get a grip on.

"Hmm... I knew I could count on you. Thanks Kushida."

My classmate beamed and glanced behind me for a moment. I knew what she was about to say, since I wouldn't misread these clacking heels that strode our way.

"Let's go inside, Ayanokouji-kun! Chabashira-sensei is coming."

Kushida and I ambled inside the classroom as I savoured the pleasant sound made by the devil's steps.

I checked in with Sakura after homeroom and the following history lesson concluded.

"Sakura? Would it be alright if I told Chiaki what you entrusted me with? She couldn't come up with a different solution over the weekend and our time is running out, which is why I figured that your testimony might help. You don't have to, of course, but unfortunately it's now or never."

She peeked at me and managed a small nod.

"It's okay... If you say that there is no other way, then I trust your judgement... You kept this selfish secret for me, and even lied to Matsushita-san to protect it. I'm sorry... that I put you into such a position, Ayanokouji-kun."

She lowered her head and revealed a pained expression due to her shame. After assuring her that everything was fine, I went over to my girlfriend and informed her about my findings.

"Say, Kiyotaka. That was your plan all along, wasn't it?"

A gentle smirk formed on her charming face.

"Yeah, but you knew that already, didn't you?"

I might have been able to fool Horikita if she had been in Chiaki's shoes, but it would be impossible now. She knew as much as I did that Sakura was the witness. She already did me a favor by not mentioning my lie to Hirata, Sudou and the others after I told everyone that Sakura saw nothing, even though she had been nearby.

Had she neglected to mention this because she liked me, or did she have faith in my decision?

"I tried a different approach and got lucky. If I hadn't accidentally run into her, this might have never worked out. After talking to her, I was sure that she wouldn't readily answer questions or admit that she saw something because she is especially shy and uncomfortable around people, so I wanted her to feel more relaxed around me first." I tried my best to form a wry smile. "Even though you knew, I felt horrible about misleading you... What I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry."

"Don't be... you did great Kiyotaka, even if you might have had some luck along the way." She took my fingers and displayed her affection towards me by caressing my hand with her smooth touch. Her complexion turned into a deep shade of pink, but she handled herself much better than before. "Leave the rest to me."

Chiaki strode over to Sakura, who threw me one last glance before making up her mind for good.

For this to work out, I needed her to speak to others, even when I wasn't around. People I had faith in would have a higher chance in making her feel comfortable as well, if I gained her trust initially.

This was, once more, simple human psychology.

The two girls talked for a moment before leaving the classroom towards the direction Chabashira-sensei had walked off to after her lesson. Kushida noticed their movements as well and glanced at me for further instructions. I gave her a sign to carry on as usual, since there was no reason for my queen to occupy herself with Sakura when Chiaki was by her side.

I spent my time chatting with Karuizawa and the others. Horikita's troubled glares didn't go unnoticed by neither me, nor Kushida, even though I was occupied with interpreting what the girls were talking about.

While I tried to force her into opening up to me, Kushida enjoyed every second in which the girl seemed unhappy or miserable. If my beloved neighbor ever evolved enough for me to use her, then I needed both of them to be fine with each other.

But I would cross that bridge if the time came.

For now, they could hate and loath each other as much as they wanted.

It didn't take long until Chiaki and Sakura re-entered the classroom, since I had informed Chabashira-sensei about what would happen beforehand. Our timid classmate sat down at her desk and waved Chiaki goodbye, while my girlfriend strode over with a conflicted expression.

"I'm back."

She threw me a cute smile and folded her fingers behind her back.

"So, how did everything go?"

"As expected. It won't be easy to convince the school that Sakura is a liable witness. Not only did she admit to being a spectator rather late into the investigation, she is also a Class D student. Chabashira-sensei said that she can join us on the day of the deliberation and I... kind of... said that you would join as well?"

"I'm going to what?"

Her conflicted, guilt-ridden complexion from before made sense after this revelation. She must've felt sorry for dragging me into this mess when I had barely anything to do with it.

Even though I had hoped not to attend their discussion, it might be for the better if I joined.

My girlfriend pleaded for forgiveness with upturned puppy-eyes.

"After Chabashira-sensei said that Sakura is to join the conference, which included Sudou-kun, she was scared to be alone in a room with him and people from the school. I asked if it was alright if I joined as well and that's when she said that two extra people could join. The first person who popped into my mind was you, for obvious reasons... You are also friends with both Sakura-san and Sudou-kun, so I thought you wouldn't mind too much. I'm really sorry..."

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I caressed over her head.

"How could I say no to my adorable girlfriend?"

She squealed in embarrassment and hugged me. The scent of her perfume, which contained a hint of roses, was enhanced further by her warm and comfortable embrace. I was unable to get this intoxicating scent out of my nostrils even after we had parted.

"Get a room, you two!"

A few of our closer friends kept teasing the blushing Chiaki until the teacher arrived. I couldn't help but think of her flushed face during this time as even more endearing than usual, while she tried her best to concentrate on the lesson.

Time passed quickly, and the time for lunch soon arrived.

My girlfriend and I had made plans for today, but since the circumstances had changed, Sudou joined us as well.

At first he declined, saying that we were too lovey-dovey for him, but Chiaki reeled him back in by stating that he could either figure this whole mess out on his own or join us for lunch and get her to help him.

Thus, the decision was made and the three of us gathered at an empty table in the cafeteria.

While we were eating, we went over everything important once again.

Sakura's witness statement, Sudou's testimony and the good behavior that he would present himself with during his hearing or else. Even though the red-haired delinquent nodded at everything we discussed, I doubted that he listened because he seemed otherwise occupied.

Chiaki also noticed that he kept checking our surroundings from time to time. A disappointed expression would form on his face before he heaved a deep sigh and ate a few bites of his meal.

This sequence of actions then started anew and repeated during the whole time we had our meals.

She gave me a puzzled look, whereupon I signaled her that I would take care of him. Our defense counsel went through all the details for tomorrow so that I had all important information and excused herself, since we both knew that Sudou wouldn't register anything right now.

The heartbroken boy would have an easier time opening up about his issues with Chiaki gone. Since my cute girlfriend had entrusted me with this problem, I had no choice but to comply and take care of it for her.

Not without pushing my own agenda, of course.

I had a pretty good idea who the culprit for his plight was, which is why I began with her.

"Did you really think she'd come and see how you were doing?"

"Huh? Wha-what are you talking about?"

He stared at me like a guilt-ridden dog that had been caught doing something he shouldn't have done, like ripping apart a pillow or urinating all over the apartment while the owner wasn't at home.

"Horikita, of course. I hate to disappoint you, Sudou, but she'll likely never care about you the way you would like her to." He gnawed his lips and clenched his fists in frustration. "She apologized for herself, not to make you feel better. I realize that you don't want to hear this, but you will be happier in the long run if you accept this truth now."

"I know, damn it..."

Back in April, he would have surely hit the table and might have thrown a tantrum after listening to the harsh, yet honest words that left my lips. Now, he was working to better himself by forging his own path through this world. He still trembled and shook in anger, but he kept himself composed enough to warrant honest praises from my side.

Chiaki had put a leash on him after protecting his place at this school during the midterms. Sudou knew that he owed her everything and tried his hardest to adapt to his environment.

But this dog-collar around him wasn't my girlfriends to wield.

"Let's talk about Sakura."

"Huh? What about her?"

Since I had mentioned Horikita's name just before Sakura's, he would inevitably remember this part of our conversation, even if he thought about my grumpy neighbor later. I wasn't sure if he had her on his mind during his free time, of course, but priming him into this direction was anything but a mistake.

"You have to keep this between us, alright?"

"Yeah sure."

"I'm serious, Sudou-kun."

I lowered my voice and copied Horikita's emphasis and cadence, which would burn into his mind like a constant reminder for the words that would follow. He was infatuated with her, so it was rather easy to help him remember or think of certain things that he could associate with my neighbor.

Sudou wouldn't just forget all about her. He wouldn't bury these false feelings he had developed just because I told him to. But this was alright, because someone else would soon show up in his life.

"Y-yeah. I got it, alright?"

"Everyone in our class knows that Sakura is timid and easily frightened. It was difficult for her to gather the courage to come forward as a witness and make her statement in front of everyone. She didn't do this for me, nor for Chiaki. She wanted to help you, even if it might become dangerous for her." I emphasised the importance of the following words. "If word gets out, the Class C guys might act against her. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"What? Do you think they'd do something to her?"

He was surprised, which I couldn't understand after what they had done to him.

Even though he had threatened Horikita on our first day here, I doubted that he would have struck her after his reaction just now. The thought of attacking a girl who couldn't defend herself was impossible for him to comprehend.

"Don't you? Did those people look like they cared whom they threaten?"

"Those bastards. If they try something..."

"... then you need to deescalate the situation, Sudou-kun."

He stared at me with wide, shaking eyes.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

Sudou knew what kind of person he was, which is why he thought himself incapable of such an act. He himself hadn't noticed how far he had already come in keeping calm. Yes, there may have been additional pressure due to the debt he owed Chiaki, but he still managed to stay relatively calm throughout this whole ordeal.

The Sudou from three months ago, wouldn't have been able to do such a thing.

"Just be there and protect her. Don't start another fight, but run away. For her sake. I know you could beat them, even Sakura knows you could beat them. But you can't, under any circumstances, use violence to protect her."

"That sounds like something Horikita told you to say..."

The boy sighed and took a sip of his drink.

"Chiaki did, because she cares. I have the same opinion. Can we trust you with this? I know that you don't have an unlimited amount of free time, but if you could help us keep an eye on Sakura when you are nearby, we would be grateful."

In truth, Chiaki knew nothing about this part of the conversation, but that was of no concern to him.

Even if he were to mention this to her, she would back me up after recognizing a potential threat she hadn't thought of before. She would understand the underlying scheme and do her utmost to see it through.

Of course, the plans she and I were thinking about differed from one another.

"Alright, I get it. Sure. I'll keep an eye out, I promise. Matsushita-san and you have saved my ass time and time again. The least I could do is protect one of our classmates who might be in trouble because she's trying to help me."

We disposed of our trays and made our way back to the classroom.

The two of us ran into Ike, Hondou and the Professor on the way, which gave me some time to send a message.

[01:03:12 PM] You're up.

After classes were over, I returned to my dorm.

I checked some things on my computer before lying down and reading a well-recognized book.

Chiaki was still occupied with going over all the information we had with Ichinose and Kanzaki. She wanted to know about any messages that either of them received, since they might contain useful clues for tomorrow. Both Kushida and Fuka were on their respective errands right now, which provided me some time for myself.

I still wasn't sure why Fuka was following my plans, though.

It could have been her way of growing closer to me, or she might simply be interested in learning more about my thinking patterns. She might have said that she liked me and even tried to kiss me, but I couldn't rule out the possibility that this was one of her ploys. Maybe she just wanted to see whether I would allow her to kiss me, or if I had a genuine interest in my relationship with Chiaki.

Actions spoke louder than words, so she must have realized that I was serious about my girlfriend after I rejected her advances, even though I had been aroused by her provocative yet seductive performance.

Between her and Kushida, it was clear which queen I currently preferred to use.

My classmate was not only easier to handle due to her total obedience, she would also never betray me, which she had to prove time and time again without realizing it herself. I also learned that she could deal with the pressure of being coerced by someone like Fuka, who wasn't going easy on her during their talks.

My senpai, however, could turn against me at a moment's notice if I let my guard down, which is why I was prepared to bury her as soon as her behavior changed or felt off. I could put my faith into her to a certain degree, but I could never blindly trust an unpredictable woman like her without knowing her motives.

While Fuka was probing Kushida's loyalty, I monitored Fuka's sincerity through Kushida.

I shook my head to dispel these thoughts from my mind and continued scanning through my new book.

It wasn't something I would usually read, and it wasn't at all close to the genre I was interested in, but sometimes a person had to branch out to learn new things.

After flipping through a few pages, I received a message from Sakura, which surprised me somewhat.

[03:53:07 PM][Sakura] If I was absent from school tomorrow, what do you think would happen?

Her question was worrisome.

If Sudou had received this message, he would probably storm off to her room and keep yelling at her door until she opened up. Chiaki would likely convince her that it would be best to go to school and see things through.

But I was only curious.

[03:53:21 PM] What do you mean?

[03:55:46 PM][Sakura] What are you doing right now?

It took her a while to answer, but she managed to send me another message. According to my understanding of her, she asked this question to make sure that she wasn't interrupting or bothering me. If I said that I was reviewing materials, for example, she would apologize and stop texting.

[03:55:59 PM] Nothing really, just killing time watching boring shows.

[03:57:12 PM][Sakura] If it's okay with you, could we meet right now? I'm in room 1106.

[03:57:21 PM][Sakura] It would really help me out if you could keep this a secret from everyone...

If this had been a message from Fuka, I would have declined in a heartbeat.

But Sakura wouldn't be up to something that would inconvenience me or get me in trouble, which was why I assumed that she wanted to talk about the problem that occupied her since Saturday. Even though this hadn't been the first occasion on which she had messaged me only to turn tail before spilling the beans, she seemed to have made up her mind this time.

[03:57:39 PM] I'll head over in about five minutes.

Now that I thought about it, this was my first time heading for a room in the upper levels where the girls lived. Well, technically, it was my second time, but it would be the first time I was actually entering a girls' room.

Alone at that.

Even though I was just going to visit Sakura, I felt overly conscious of myself and wondered whether I should change into something different. I denied this idea, however, and stepped out of my room.

After pushing the elevator's call button, I waited until it reached my floor and watched the door slide open in front of me. To my surprise, Horikita stood inside with her usual blank expression.

"Hey."

It would have been weird if I turned tail or ignored her, so I had no other choice but to join this ride. I pressed the button for the eleventh floor and saw that the thirteenth was already lit as well, which must've been where she lived. I was probably the only person who knew this, but I couldn't understand why I was so sensible about it.

Even though I had greeted her, she only glanced at the button I pressed and said nothing. Horikita wore a complex, unreadable expression as we both stood side by side in silence.

"Did you go grocery shopping?"

My social skills were at an all-time high, as I managed to start a conversation with her.

"A keen eye, as always."

She rustled the vinyl bags in her hand.

My attempted casual conversation went down the drain before it even started.

Every other girl would have engaged in the conversation a bit more, even if it was only out of pity, but Horikita only replied with a sarcastic, somewhat hurtful remark. I didn't know why I expected anything else since I already knew what kind of woman she was.

A sigh escaped my lips before I disregarded the girl beside me and glanced out of the window.

"Are you free for lunch the day after tomorrow?"

I didn't turn around, but I had the feeling that I had surprised her with my question. Since Kushida said that Horikita was feeling left out, I decided to include her some more. This might help my neighbor to grow out of the cocoon she had spun around herself.

"I suppose I could make some time for you."

This answer was so Horikita-like that I shook my head.

"You don't need to change your busy schedule because of little old me. We can always find another time to have lunch. Just let me know when you have time if you want to meet up."

"..."

"Ouch." I said in monotone.

Instead of her trusted compass, which she didn't carry with her all the time, she grabbed my right hand and pinched into it as hard as her small fingers allowed it. She had clipped her nails yesterday, so it wasn't really painful or unpleasant.

"That's what you deserve for being cheeky with me. None other than yourself is to blame for the pain you are experiencing right now."

"Yes, yes, I get it."

My eyes caught onto a thin smile which formed on her face, while I rubbed my hand.

"Ayanokouji-kun."

I prepared myself for another verbal or physical beating, but nothing followed.

"Horikita?"

"No, forget it. It's nothing."

The elevator stopped at the eleventh floor with a loud 'ding'.

I stepped off this death trap and said my farewells to the girl who stood inside. She didn't answer immediately but gripped the hem of her uniform. When the door was about to close, she lifted her hand beside her hip and waved me goodbye.

She looked awkward, yet adorable in her own twisted way.

Before I could process the blush that had appeared on her face, the door shut and the elevator continued on its way towards Horikita's floor, leaving mechanical noises in its wake.

Wow.

There was no way that her actions just now were incredibly cute.

They just weren't.

Period.

Mentally exhausted and physically damaged, I ambled towards Sakura's room. After knocking on the door, it swung open almost immediately, as if she had waited in front of it the whole time.

"Pardon the intrusion..."

"Come on in."

My classmate wore a casual short-sleeved shirt and a fitting skirt, as she greeted me with a shy smile. She held the door open until I stepped into her room and closed it after me. The way she handled her door was cautious, as if it might break if she shut it at a normal speed, which gave me a lot of information about her as a person.

"So, what did you need from me?"

"I... really don't feel confident about testifying tomorrow... I can't even properly talk to students my age sometimes... so how am I supposed to testify in front of teachers?"

"So you are considering taking the day off tomorrow?"

Sakura gave a slight nod before collapsing onto her chair. She slumped over the table and rested her head.

"Ahhhh. Jeez, why am I so completely useless?!"

"So you can be relaxed after all."

"Huh?!" She blushed, realizing that she broke her persona and denied everything. "N-no. I'm not like that at all."

I sat opposite of her and supported my head with my left arm.

"It's okay. I already told you that I'll keep your secret, Shizuku."

At first, she was relieved as she listened to the sweet words that left my mouth. After processing them, however, she shrank back as shock and anxiety emerged on her charming face.

This knowledge didn't change the way I looked at or treated her.

She had to realize that she could trust me, even beyond what she was currently capable of.

She had to see that I was a kind, generous person who had her well-being in mind.

She had to know that I had kept her secret for some time.

I kept quiet and gave her some space to process and deal with this sudden revelation. It was fine if she wanted me to leave now, but it would be better if I was allowed to stay and keep working on her. Whatever the case may be, everything was already set in motion.

This was me actively developing my pieces instead of passively watching over them.

"So you knew...? Since when?"

"Yesterday. When we went to repair your camera, I noticed that your glasses were fake. My mother had similar ones, since my father once said that she looked breathtaking with glasses after they returned home from some sort of costume party. At first, I assumed that your reason for wearing them was similar, some kind of fashion trend I didn't understand, but then I remembered that Kushida showed me a magazine in which someone similar to you was featured. I asked her if I could see it again and confirmed my assumption." I scratched my cheek and averted my gaze. "Ah, but don't worry. As far as I know, Kushida hasn't realized that you are Shizuku. The same goes for the rest of our class."

She took a deep, long breath, relieved that I was the only one that was aware of the Shizuku persona she was hiding. It was important to reassure her that no one but me knew about her, or she might feel uncomfortable.

Especially if someone like Ike learned about these pictures.

"It's embarrassing..."

She stared at the floor and tried to hide her crimson complexion.

"Is that how you see it? I think it's pretty cool."

"R-really...?"

She raised her head with sparkling, hopeful eyes.

"I think it's important to do what you believe is right. And that, no matter what you decide, you can look back on that moment in the future and say, 'Yeah. I'm happy I did that.'"

This wasn't the answer to her immediate question, but one for the hidden inquiry she had yet to form.

Sakura also understood this and hung her head again.

She had already taken the first step towards her inevitable change with my help. If she continued and took the second and third steps as well, she could take much more in the future, even without me.

I couldn't give her a straight answer for the question that plagued her.

All I could do was inform her of what I believed to be the correct course of action for any human being.

"We're friends, aren't we? So whatever you decide, I will help you shoulder the burden."

My classmate's gaze met with mine. The hint of a tear shimmered in the corner of her widened, unbelieving eyes.

"A-are we f-friends...?"

I finally understood how Chiaki, Karuizawa and Satou must have felt when I had asked this question back then. Sakura as well, seemed happy enough, so she would surely understand my desire to recreate a fond memory, of sorts.

"Of course we are, you moron. Why did you think we weren't?"

My voice was a lot softer than Karuizawa's on that day. This, coupled with the small smile that escaped my lips, made Sakura realize that I wasn't seriously calling her names. It was more of a friendly jab between, well, friends.

"Ah... Jeez. Why am I so happy hearing that?"

She snickered, perplexed, yet somehow embarrassed.

"I think you wouldn't have any problems finding tons of friends if you were shedding your shell from time to time."

"T-there is no way I could do that so easily..."

"Of course it wouldn't be easy. But I think you can do it, if you take it one step at a time. And if you ever stumble, your friends will be there to catch you. That applies even now. If you don't feel ready to testify, I'll find a way so you don't have to. I promise."

She seemed relieved by my words, but still conflicted about the decision she had yet to make.

With my support, she could decide whether she wanted to keep hiding or take a big step towards a better, improved Sakura. Now that her secret was known to me, another small burden had been lifted off her shoulders as well.

"Do you want to go out with me for a while? A change of scenery might help you."

"Huh?!"

She leapt up and banged her knees against the table before toppling over in agony. Her glasses flew off her face into my direction. I caught them, since they would have broken after hitting the table at this angle, which might have inconvenienced her.

Just like a certain bespectacled detective Chiaki had told me about, she was using normal glass for her eyeglasses instead of ophthalmic lenses.

I handed them back to her after wiping off the dirt that had accumulated due to the commotion.

"You look a lot better without those, you know?"

"Huuuuuuuh?!"

After Sakura had calmed down, we strolled towards a place of her choosing.

I had nothing specific in mind, and since she had a place she preferred, there was no need so suggest something else. If she felt calm and relaxed, it was a lot easier to talk to her.

We arrived at a building which was specifically used for club activities.

Sakura wanted to come here ever since school had started, but she didn't feel comfortable walking through these corridors on her own. I didn't quite understand why she felt troubled, since this was one of the calmer buildings

The two of us walked past a few closed doors that had been labeled with their respective club names. One of them housed the members of the Art club, which was a rather interesting gathering of people. One student from each first-year class, aside from D, was part of this club.

Kamuro Masumi from Class A, Shiranami Chihiro from B and someone named Kaneda Satoru from C.

"I'm envious of you, you know?" Sakura spoke up with a quiet yet determined voice after we turned a corner. "You don't seem to have much problems making friends, and here I am, happy that you were the first person to call me that."

"I know exactly how you feel."

"Eh?"

It was almost comical how similar she was to me in certain aspects.

Was this the reason I wanted to help her?

Because I saw a reflection of myself?

"Did you know that I had similar conversations with Chiaki and the others?"

"What? Really?"

"You probably didn't know this, but I was homeschooled before I got here. I had no real friends and didn't know how to behave around other people. I was just as afraid as you are when I got here. Seeing all those strangers, being supposed to talk to them... But in the end, I found that I was afraid for nothing since the people I can now call 'friends' are pretty great. Hirata's invitation at the beginning of our school year saved me. If I had declined, then I don't think I would enjoy this place as much as I do now. It was the same for you, right?"

Sakura gave a self-deprecating chuckle before narrating her story.

"It's really scary how similar we are in certain aspects. For me, it was Kushida-san who invited me out. Different from you, however, I wasn't brave enough to answer her, no matter what I tried. I really wanted to hang out with her, and maybe some other people as well... even if she made me somewhat uneasy. I'm pathetic, aren't I?"

It fascinated me that Kushida, of all people, made her feel uneasy.

I didn't believe that she meant her aura, or that she was always followed by a plethora of people, but the subtle nuances when she couldn't perfectly hide her true face. Sakura, who had a small career in putting on a mask for people, seemed to have sensed that something was not quite right with her.

If this was the case, why hadn't she seen through me?

"Nonsense. You are evolving at your own pace, and that's totally alright. I mean, you are chatting with me now, right? That's already a big step forward. Don't you think?"

"I guess..."

She averted her gaze as a subtle smile spread over her face.

"There's still tomorrow, or the day after. There is always a chance for you to say yes. Chiaki, Kushida, Hirata, our other classmates, including Sudou, are good people at heart. Sure, he is pretty short-fused and can be a bit much to handle for someone as modest as you, but in the end, his heart is in the right place. Even if he seems scary."

"You are probably right, Ayanokouji-kun. I just have to find the courage for it."

She clenched her small fists and bobbed her head to inspire herself.

"If you decide to testify tomorrow, don't do it for Sudou, Chiaki, me or your classmates."

"Huh?"

"Testify for yourself. For Sakura Airi, the brave girl who witnessed what happened and wants to tell the truth. I believe in you, so you should believe in yourself as well."

Sakura's eyes widened, since she had likely never heard such honest words of encouragement before. Believing in oneself wasn't always easy, but if you can't believe in yourself, then who could you ever believe in?

"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."

Sakura needed reassurance, a small nudge in the right direction, to speak up for herself.

She realized that she wasn't the only one battling with loneliness after I had told her my story. She understood that I also knew how she felt and gave her this piece of advice as someone who had found something akin to happiness.

I could only hope that these words found a place in Sakura's heart.

Even though I wasn't someone as amazing as Hirata, maybe I could be someone similar to him for her sake. Someone who helped her take the first step into this world that was previously filled with negative thoughts.

After saying my piece, I closed my eyes.

The emotions I tried to convey, I wanted to see if I could feel them, if there was anything left in me, even if it was just a lone ember somewhere in this empty, broken shell I called my home.

Emotions were an obstruction I didn't have to worry about due to the cultivations of the White Room, but I wanted to feel. I wanted to learn what it meant to be angry, or sad, to love and to hate.

The White Room took all of this from me.

Even if I regained these emotions now, they wouldn't weaken me.

I lost them once, so getting rid of them again wouldn't be a problem.

But I wanted to remember what it felt like.

I tried so hard to experience the emotions in the words I had conveyed to Sakura, but all I felt was emptiness.

My hollow shell... was but a shallow husk, only housing the abyss.

Nothing could escape it, not even myself.

I was sure that a person's heart would break if one were to endanger and maybe ruin such a sweet and innocent child.

Maybe I would feel the same...

If I had a heart, that is.

Tuesday, the day of Sudou's hearing.

I entered the classroom sooner than usual in case Sakura wasn't here, but my worries had been for naught. She sat alone at her desk and waited for classes to begin, like always.

Sudou, who had strolled into the room after me, kept glancing at her from time to time before averting his gaze again. Now that he knew what sort of secret beauty Sakura was, he couldn't help but be aware of her. This, coupled with the fact that I told him to keep an eye out for her, made it difficult for him not to think of this female classmate as a charming person of the opposite sex.

Kushida, the one who had told Sudou about her gravure-idol persona, did not betray the fact that she was the one who had informed him yesterday and gossiped with her friends about the new flavors that were available at the Palate.

I walked over to Sakura since I still had some time before our lessons began.

"Are you okay?"

She didn't seem as bad as I had thought.

Maybe our conversation yesterday had left a lasting impact on her. I had prepared auxiliary plans in case she was overly nervous or decided to call in sick, but it seemed like I could leave those untouched for now.

"Ah, yeah. I'm fine." I peeked at Sudou and was about to open my mouth, but she shook her head, wearing a thin smile. "It's alright. Kushida-san must have noticed after all..."

Sakura trusted me enough to believe that I didn't spill the beans.

If anyone thought closely about it, it wouldn't have made any sense that I disclosed my knowledge about her gravure-idol days and told her that I'd keep quiet before informing Sudou, since she would instantly lose any trust she might have had in me.

With this, the stage was set up for the play that was about to unfold before us.

Classes went by in a flash, which must have been the total opposite to what Sudou and Sakura were feeling. During today's lessons, Chiaki was calm and focused. Instead of appearing worried, she seemed confident in her abilities to keep her classmate out of harm's way.

After the bell rang, Chiaki stood and rounded the three of us up.

"Sudou-kun. You remember what we have talked about yesterday, yes?"

"Y-yeah. I'll do my best, okay?"

He scratched his neck and shouldered his bag.

"Then repeat."

Chiaki interlaced her arms.

"Repeat what?"

Sudou made two steps back to increase the distance between them.

It seemed like Chiaki's behavior reminded him of a certain other individual, causing him to relive some of his trauma, which I still knew little about. Someday, however, I would find out what Horikita had done to my poor Rook.

"What I told you yesterday."

"Argh, shit... alright. Do nothing selfish. Shut up and let you do the talking. Don't open my mouth unless spoken to. Be calm and collected when asked a question, and lastly... if I lose my temper, I'm going to regret it."

Sakura flinched as these rules kept piling up, especially after listening to the last one. Before she could process how terrifying Chiaki could be, she turned towards her with her usual charming older-sister smile.

"There are no rules for you Sakura-san, since you can behave like a decent human being."

"H-hey..." Sudou sulked and hid behind me. "Your girlfriend is scary as hell, dude."

Ignoring my favorite delinquent, I went over to Sakura to reassure her. She was still in a decent condition, better than anticipated, considering that she found the courage to stand up for herself and take a step forward.

"We'll better get going then."

The discussion was scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM, so we had about ten minutes left.

It wasn't the first time I went to the faculty room, but this was such an unusual gathering that I couldn't help but feel nervous. When I moved in a group, I was limited in what I could do if I didn't want to stand out, after all.

When the four of us reached the room, the nightmare of a teacher waved at us.

"Yahoo! Hello Class D students and Ayanokouji-kun."

Her eyes sparkled like two diamonds, since she loved sticking her nose into other people's business.

"What are you doing this time?"

Chabashira-sensei walked out of the faculty room and shot her a cold glare.

"Oh, no! I've been found Ayanokouji-kun. Help me, Sae-chan is so scary."

She acted like a damsel in distress and ran towards our direction, or rather, mine.

This woman...

Chiaki, who had noticed my predicament, moved in between me and Hoshinomiya-sensei to block her way.

"I don't know who you are, sensei. But I would appreciate it if you left my boyfriend alone."

"Huh?!" Class B's homeroom teacher seemed shocked beyond words as she began to voice her dissatisfaction. "Ayanokouji-kun? Are you two-timing me? Me?! ME?! You cheat! Fraud! Womanizer!"

Sudou leaned towards me and covered his mouth.

"What's wrong with that crazy chick?"

"Where do I even begin...?"

Sakura shrunk back due to Hoshinomiya-sensei's over-exaggerated performance and hid behind the three of us.

"You! What's your na — ouch! Sae-chan!"

Once again, she received a well-deserved clipboard beating by Chabashira-sensei.

"Stop harassing my students and leave."

The recipient of both the beating and this cold remark winked at me before she went back into the faculty offices.

"Let's meet up in my room later, Ayanokouji-kun!"

"Please ignore her."

Chabashira-sensei motioned us to walk with her.

"We will not do this anywhere close to her, right?"

It was apparent that Chiaki had a bone to pick with Class B's homeroom teacher. But it was the same for me as well. After this meeting just now, she would harbor doubts about the truthfulness of my claims back in May.

I was able to buy myself some time, but I might have to deal with her during our 'vacation', depending on how much she intended to interfere in the class competitions.

"It won't be that far away unfortunately, but we'll have a room for everyone involved in this case: the homeroom teacher of the classes in question, the concerned parties and the student council."

Chiaki faltered for a second when she heard the last two words.

I was pretty surprised by her reaction, since I figured that only Horikita would react in such a manner, or even worse, if her behavior during the club fair was anything to go by.

Was she also scared of him or something?

Chabashira-sensei led us up to the fourth floor and through the vacant corridors. A placard that read 'Student Council Room' was affixed to the wall near the doorway. Our homeroom teacher knocked and went inside before the four of us followed suit.

Inside the room stood two long tables, which had been arranged opposite of each other.

The Class C students had arrived prior and were seated on the window side of the room. Beside them sat a bespectacled male teacher in his thirties who seemed fed up by this whole circus.

Sakagami Kazuma, Class C's homeroom teacher. Aside from his name and class assignment, I knew next to nothing about this man, since it had proven quite difficult to amass information about the teachers, even for my queens.

In the back of the room was another table, which was partially elevated from where we were sitting. On the seat behind this table sat a student, who went over documents his secretary had just spread out before him. Horikita Manabu raised his head and affirmed his position, which was akin to that of a judge, prepared to determine the truth.

"Sorry we're late."

We were two minutes early, so I didn't really understand what Chabashira-sensei was on about.

Was her watch faulty by chance? Should I buy her a new one on her birthday next year?

"It's before the scheduled start time. There is no need for apologies."

The man, Sakagami-sensei, waved his hands.

"You haven't met, have you? This is Sakagami-sensei, the homeroom teacher of Class C. Now then."

Chabashira-sensei motioned us to sit down.

She herself sat down at the helm, closest to the student council president.

After her, followed Chiaki, Sudou, me and lastly Sakura.

This arrangement had been a deliberate consideration by Chiaki, so that she could shut Sudou up if he did something stupid, while I could support Sakura when she began to struggle due to the stress.

Her game plan was solid, although I wasn't allowed to sit beside Sae, which was a shame.

"Well then, I would like to discuss the violent incident that occurred on Friday May 31st with the members of the student council, the involved parties, and their homeroom teachers. You may begin the proceedings, student council secretary Tachibana."

Horikita Manabu's calm, yet heavy voiced echoed through the room, silencing anyone inside.

Chiaki calmed herself with deep breaths, which didn't surprise me.

This was her first real challenge, and I couldn't wait to dissect her every move.

Secretary Tachibana, who I had the pleasure of meeting once before, gave a slight bow and summarized the situation from both sides in an easy-to-understand manner. There wasn't any need for further information, since everyone in here was aware of what was truly going on behind the scenes.

I have had my suspicions ever since I received Horikita-senpai's message, but I was sure that he was completely conscious of every single move Class C and I had made during the past week. He knew that Sudou-kun was set up, and he wanted to see how I would handle this situation without his help.

After his initial message, we had had no contact, meaning this was my first real test, of sorts.

"Based on the aforementioned facts, we would like for you to identify which version of the events is true." Tachibana turned her eyes towards us, specifically Sudou-kun. "Komiya-kun and the two other members of the basketball club went to the special building after Sudou-kun called them there. They claim to have been beaten up in a one-sided brawl once they were inside. Is this true?"

My classmate shrunk back and cleared his throat after receiving my glance.

"No, that is a lie. Komiya-kun and the others called me over to the special building under the pretext of wanting to talk to me about something. I figured they wanted to ask for pointers or things like that, since the club advisor told me that I might have a shot to be a regular for the summer tournament. After I arrived there, they told me to quit the basketball club or I would regret it. Their reason was that I am... a Class D defective, and they didn't want to see someone like me being a regular."

So far, so good.

Sudou-kun's calm narration of his, or rather, our side of the story, would give us some bonus points. Back then, he didn't think this far ahead, of course. The part about the pointers for basketball was fabricated by me to give him a solid, good-natured reason to meet with them.

Since he had indeed been scouted as a regular, there was no reason to doubt this line of thinking. The pause hadn't been planned, but it was a genuine reaction by him, as he did not see himself as defective.

With this statement, we not only showed Sudou-kun's sincerity but also took a jab at the Class C guys, who would never have asked for help from him, since they saw themselves as superior students.

If we could draw their true thoughts into the open, the trial would get considerably easier for us.

"That's a lie. Sudou called us over to the special building. As if we'd need pointers from a defect like him."

Sudou flinched upon hearing Class C's accusation. His lips parted and closed just as quickly before a pained expression emerged on his face. My classmate turned towards the reason for his suffering and was met with two glaring orbs that penetrated right through his delinquent facade.

Instead of showing any further interest towards this cheap provocation, he raised his head and stared at the Class C line-up while clenching his fists beneath the table.

For now, everything went according to plan.

It was sure that Komiya wasn't the one pulling the strings.

Someone who came up with such an underhanded ploy wouldn't have jumped at our pitiful attempt at harassment. His bearing and behavior was similar to Sudou's; rash and imprudent. Since he was the one talking while the others only nodded, it was safe to assume that the mastermind behind our current predicament was someone else.

"Komiya-kun, we ask that you please show some restraint and don't interrupt."

"Fine..."

"Both parties insist that the other called them over, so the accounts conflict. However, the stories share some commonality. There was a dispute between Sudou-kun, Komiya-kun, Kondou-kun and Kimura-kun, correct?"

Tachibana-senpai turned towards the Class C students and awaited their statement.

"I wouldn't call it a dispute. Sudou's always picking fights with us. He's better in basketball than we are, so he keeps bragging all the time. We practice with everything we've got, but it doesn't feel good when he makes a fool of us, so we often butt heads."

Some of Sudou's veins seemed about to pop, but he managed to calm himself down for now. I was ready to kick his shin again if I needed to, but I would rather abstain from physical violence if unnecessary. All I could grant him right now were a few words of advice.

"Calm and collected, Sudou-kun."

He nodded, just before Secretary Tachibana turned towards him to listen to his side of the story.

"That is also not true. When we practice, those three constantly get in my way and try to obstruct my training. Not only does this lead to a worse performance for me but also them, since they are rather bothering me than trying to get better."

This unexpected reply took me by surprise.

We hadn't talked about the second part of his statement, but he seemed to have realized in which direction I wanted this interview to go. I was proud of the steps Sudou-kun had taken today, since he showed that he cared a lot for his club activities and the promises he had made me.

"You..."

"This..."

The other two Class C students wanted to voice their own opinions, but were silenced by Tachibana-senpai's grim glare.

With this, I could rule out that the mastermind was inside this room for certain, which allowed me more maneuverability in how I was going to tackle this hearing going forward. Even if their teacher was on their side, the plan shouldn't have originated from him, but someone else in Class C.

Unfortunately, I knew little about anyone inside this school aside from Class B, which was only thanks to Kiyotaka.

"Both sides have given their grievances, but now we have to come to a judgment with the collected evidence."

"Sudou-kun beat us senseless. It was a one-sided fight."

It was a given that they would focus on their injuries, since Sudou-kun had none. This was without a doubt a tricky situation for us, but I still had some ideas up my sleeve.

"That's not true. They attacked first. It was self-defense."

"Excuse me, may I ask a question?"

I decided to step in now, since every delay might be disadvantageous for Sudou-kun.

"Do you mind, president?"

Tachibana-senpai turned to the Horikita-senpai, who gave a small nod.

"I'll allow it."

I rose from my seat and focused on the three Class C students in front of me.

"Earlier you said that Sudou-kun called you over to the special building. But who exactly did he call, and why?"

"We don't know why he called us over. We were changing after finishing up for the day as he suddenly said he wanted to talk to us for a minute. Wasn't the reason because he didn't like us?"

"So you claim that he called the three of you out together? To what? Beat you up? He didn't just call one of you but all at once?"

"Ah... y-yeah. That... doesn't that just show how confident he was?"

He began struggling, which meant that I needed to keep pushing even harder.

"Student Council President, if I may. Do you have knowledge of martial arts?"

He seemed somewhat amused by being used as an expert-witness before he let his stern gaze sway over all participants.

"I'm ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido."

Since I knew who I was working with, I naturally wanted to gather some information about him. Kushida-san has proven rather helpful since she was a social prodigy who had no trouble connecting to the upperclassmen.

"From your perspective, how difficult would a fight against multiple enemies be compared to a single one?"

"Well, victory becomes exponentially more difficult the more people one is fighting. But this only applies to people trained in martial arts. An untrained individual would have an even harder time in such a constellation."

"Thank you very much, Student Council President." I bowed before turning towards my accused classmate. "Sudou-kun, are you trained in any martial arts?"

"What? No. I didn't have time for anything other than basketball, even if I wanted to."

After gaining a satisfactory answer, I returned to the beginning: my questioning of the Class C students.

"Kondou-kun, you are trying to tell us that he called you over and beat you up single-handedly without receiving even a single wound himself? Against three people, no less? How could the fight be so one-sided if you had a skilled fighter like Kimura-kun?"

"B-because we didn't intend to fight, of course."

The boy in question was uneasy and glanced towards his teacher.

"So you didn't intend to fight and ended up like that? Couldn't you have all run away? Even if just one managed to gain enough distance, he could have called for help. But you are trying to say that Sudou-kun managed to overwhelm and prevent three people from running off and asking for aid?"

I ended my rhetorical questioning and once again faced Horikita-senpai.

"Student Council President, from an experienced martial artist's perspective, would you say that Sudou might have been capable enough to achieve such a feat?"

A weak smile formed on his face.

"No, it would be hard if not impossible for a single untrained individual to defeat and restrict three individuals from running away, especially if one of them is a skilled fighter."

"That! That way of thinking doesn't apply to Sudou-kun. He's exceptionally violent and thrashed us, showing no hint of mercy or remorse. That's what happened."

The boy peeled off the gauze, which covered his cheek, to expose the scrapes underneath.

I ignored the unpleasant sight and resumed my attack.

"So you claim that the student council president is lying? Or doesn't know what he's talking about? He is a well-trained, experienced martial artist, is he not? In the end, those wounds proof nothing. You might have been wobbly and fallen down the stairs for all we know. If confronted with facts, your story doesn't hold up."

My gaze wandered towards Tachibana-senpai, who seemed agitated due to Kondou's rebuttal.

It was undeniable that she cared deeply for Horikita-senpai, which is why I could use this to my advantage. For Secretary Tachibana, who is blinded by her feelings towards Horikita-senpai, this was not Class C against Sudou-kun anymore, but Class C who just dared to berate the student council president.

I didn't think that she would act unprofessional during our discussion, but the seed was already sown.

"Sudou-kun's testimony, however, makes perfect sense if you put everything we know into perspective. He was called over and threatened. When he did not oblige, the Class C students attacked him in such a manner that they would lose and be beaten up. If someone untrained gets cornered and suddenly attacked by three people, they wouldn't think twice about how they are not really defending themselves. The adrenaline rushing through Sudou-kun's body prevented him from seeing the whole picture: that you guys were luring him into a trap because you were jealous of his abilities as a basketball player."

""What?!""

Yes, go on...

"This is ridiculous. We weren't jealous of his abilities, we —"

"Kondou-kun, calm down, would you? It is unbecoming to behave like that in front of the student council."

The boy's eyes trembled before he averted his gaze towards the ground.

"Y-yes, Sakagami-sensei. I'm sorry."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

My provocations worked.

Without Sakagami-sensei's interference, Kondou-kun would have messed up and proven his guilt. Class C's homeroom teacher seemed to be more helpful than Chabashira-sensei regarding certain matters pertaining the students, which was an error in my calculations.

I hadn't expected that he would interfere directly.

"Aside from the testimony of an expert witness, which is the student council president himself, we also have evidence from someone who observed the scene firsthand." I made eye-contact with Secretary Tachibana, who nodded, allowing me to proceed. "Sakura-san, please, if you will."

She jerked up and began to shake.

The chair she sat on would have fallen over due to the inertia if Kiyotaka hadn't caught it in the last possible moment. Her nervousness was apparent, which might not benefit us as much as a calmer Sakura-san would have.

She clenched her hands and hid them in her sleeves.

"C-class 1-D, Sakura Airi-san."

After stating her name, she fell silent.

Sakagami-sensei chuckled and was about to say something as a powerful and loud voice rang through the room.

"I definitely saw what happened. The students in Class C threw the first punch. There is no mistake about it."

We had planned that she would follow up with the pictures she took, but it seemed like she had forgotten all about this due to her nervousness. I felt somewhat proud of what she had accomplished, even though I had done nothing to help her take this step.

Sakura-san's silence interrupted our flow, which Sakagami-sensei tried to exploit.

Before he could do so, I took back the lead.

"We also have proof regarding her claims. If you may, Sakura-san."

She nodded and grabbed her bag from the chair. After zipping it open, she pulled out ten pictures, which were unmistakable evidence that she had been at the special building at the time of the incident.

"T-this is proof that I was in the building that day."

Secretary Tachibana strode to Sakura and looked over the photographs, one after another. She nodded and gathered them before she carried them over to Horikita-senpai. He as well took some time to examine our proof before laying them out on the table so that everyone could get a closer look.

I didn't have time to look at her pictures before the hearing due to the time constraints, but I was shocked after seeing them for myself. The girl that had taken these photos and the one that sat in our classroom since April were two different people altogether.

Sakura-san could make such a happy expression?

"I'm... I was looking around for places with no one around so I could take pictures of myself. The pictures also show the date and time, which proves that I was there when I said."

"What —"

"I am sorry for interrupting you like this Sakagami-sensei, but I believed that our homeroom teachers were only present to observe while the students themselves took care of the discussion, or am I wrong about this?"

It was dangerous for us if I let this man open his mouth, which is why I stopped him with any means possible, even if it meant antagonizing him somewhat. The Class C students taking part in the discussion were nothing but pawns used by the mastermind behind them.

They couldn't think or act for themselves.

As long as I could keep Sakagami-sensei quiet, we had a far better chance at winning.

He likely wanted to retaliate and claim that this wasn't definitive proof, since the camera could have been tampered with, or things along those lines. Those were valid concerns, of course, but I wouldn't let him voice them. If the students in question raised the issue, I would lose this gamble, but after careful consideration of what I knew, I was positive that they would never think of this.

"She is right Sakagami-sensei. You are only here to observe, not consult. You know as well as any other teacher that this school attaches great importance to the autonomy of students."

"I understand."

He forced these two words out through gritted teeth while Chabashira-sensei smirked.

I took one of the pictures from the table and laid it down in front of the Class C students.

"This picture is clear evidence that Kimura-kun attacked Sudou-kun. Why is that?"

My question wasn't resolved by any of them.

Instead, they looked at each other with question-marks on their faces. They peeked towards Sakagami-sensei from time to time, but there was nothing he could do except clench his fists in frustration.

"That's what I thought. Student Council President, Secretary Tachibana. Isn't that enough evidence to show that they were luring Sudou-kun into a trap to rob him from his deserved place in the basketball tournament? They can't even answer such a simple question."

Both of them once again looked over the pictures, which were the only pieces of physical evidence we currently held.

"The evidence and reasoning definitely supports Class D's version of the story. For one there is photographic evidence which verified Sakura-san's presence while the altercation took place. Second is the notion that an untrained delinquent was easily overwhelming three separate individuals, sustaining no notable injuries. This would only be possible if the three of you tried to run away, which clearly wasn't the case as seen in the picture and according to the injuries you claim to have received. The circumstances seem to indicate a setup from Class C, in which a student from Class D carelessly stepped. Since I am not hearing any logical reasoning from Class C's side and the evidence wasn't conclusive enough to proof a setup for certain, I am inclined to give the three involved individuals a stern warning and leave it at that. This, however, does not change the fact that Sudou-kun hit the other students. Since you were likely led on, I will refrain from punishing you this time. Should any further physical altercation take place in which you are involved, then I won't be as merciful as today."

"Yataa!"

Sudou-kun jumped up from his chair, behaving out of place for the serious reminder he just received.

Both Horikita-senpai and I sent him a grim glare, which bore through him at the same time.

His face turned ashen before he sat down and prayed for mercy. Sakura-san smiled, happy that she could help resolve the issue, while the Classs C students and Sakagami-sensei frowned, unsatisfied with the outcome.

If I had allowed their teacher to trample our evidence, this discussion wouldn't have ended this favorably for us.

Last, but definitely not least, was my boyfriend, Kiyotaka.

He sat on the chair beside Sudou, expressionless as always and seemed concentrated on twiddling his thumbs, which looked far too adorable. Despite his apathetic, bored demeanor, I could tell that he was relieved now that everything had worked out in our favor.

Yosha!

I finally have more time for him!

We have to go on a date after this!

While I blushed in happiness and wondered where we should go for our first real date as a couple, my phone vibrated.

Horikita- and Tachibana-senpai were discussing something behind the raised table, and the Class C students kept whispering amongst themselves, which is why I took the liberty to check my phone for a moment.

[04:32:12 PM][Fumei] Good work, but you are not done yet.

[04:32:13 PM][Fumei] The 4

Right...

Due to my relief about our victory, I had almost forgotten the words he had sent me on June 3rd.

'If an injury has to be done to a man, it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.'

I didn't know the quote at first, but after researching it, I found that it was a quote by Niccolo Machiavelli. The excerpt is from a book called 'The Prince', and its general theme is that the ends justify the means.

While everyone was still occupied, I clicked on the video.

The first few seconds were already enough to see where this was going. I didn't need to review the whole thing to know what I had to do to receive Horikita-senpai's continued support. This was his way of turning me into someone that could survive the third-year on her own.

"I'm not satisfied with the outcome. The Class C students tried to destroy Sudou-kun's future at both his club and this school. An appropriate amount of punishment should be served."

The whole room turned silent.

The clattering, the chats and movements all halted momentarily. Some even stopped breathing altogether.

Sudou-kun looked confused and surprised while Sakura-san observed me with a concerned face. Kiyotaka also raised his head and glanced at me. Even Chabashira-sensei seemed astonished as her two orbs widened for a moment.

"This is ridiculous. My students were beaten and badly hurt, but you are still pushing against us? You can already be satisfied that your classmate wasn't suspended. I won't accept..."

Sakagami-san seemed to have lost his cool, but his words went in one ear and out the other.

I couldn't hear him, I couldn't hear anything, to be honest.

I, Matsushita Chiaki, was about to ruin the lives of three people.

Could I live and move forward with this knowledge?

Would Kiyotaka see me in a different light because of what I was about to do?

I was afraid, no — terrified, that I would alienate him with my actions.

Now that I finally managed to inform him of my feelings.

Now that I was happy.

But I had no choice.

In the end, it was for our future. For all of us.

Not only for Kiyotaka and me but also for Sudou-kun, Sakura-san and our other classmates.

'The ends justify the means'.

"Matsushita-san, right? The proof you presented until now is nowhere near enough to warrant such a harsh punishment. You can count yourselves lucky that Sudou-kun wasn't penalized this time."

Secretary Tachibana spoke up against my statement while Horikita-senpai silenced Class C's homeroom teacher.

She was hinting at my close call from before, when I barely stopped Sakagami-sensei from potentially ruining my plans. In her view, I was feeling too conceited, too full of myself due to my recent success and decided to push farther than I should have with the evidence I had shown until now.

"But I have proof. I have a video file of the altercation. May I play it for you?"

My senpai glanced at me in surprise, wondering why I hadn't bothered to use this piece of information sooner. After a short deliberation, she nodded, whereupon I handed her my phone.

Her eyes grew wide when she confirmed the beginning of the video. Even with no sound playing right now, she knew that this was damning for the Class C students. She gave me another look before handing my phone to the student council president.

Fumei watched the video with his usual calm and collected gaze. He must have seen it already, but I wouldn't have been proficient enough to tell due to his excellent acting skills, that enhanced his tranquil, almost mysterious expression.

So this is what it means to be a Class A student?

There was still a long way to go for me... for all of Class D.

"Would you kindly send this file to Secretary Tachibana so she can show it to everyone?"

"Ah. Yes, of course."

I exchanged numbers with my female senpai and sent her the file. She began to set up her phone and connected it to a projector with speakers, which was previously hidden inside the ceiling.

A few moments later, the video started.

"He's coming. You guys know what to do, right?"

Komiya clapped twice as he strode up the stairs to rouse his two partners in crime, who were resting on the ground, either sleeping or playing around on a handheld gaming console.

"We've been through this a thousand times already. Let's just get rid of that nuisance and grab a bite to eat."

Afterwards, the video was portraying the exact story that Sudou-kun had recounted time and time again. It was clear through dialogue and video that they were executing their plan. After the 'fight', neither of the three were nearly as hurt as they were now.

They were even laughing.

"Ohh fuck, my chin hurts like hell."

"But that should be enough, right?"

"I guess? Let's check in with Ryuuen-san first."

The video ended after the three of them left the camera's limited angle.

Ryuuen? Who was that?

Despite my lingering questions, I turned to Tachibana-senpai.

"That is more than enough proof, isn't it?"

"Indeed. Not only was it clear that he was being set up, they also weren't as badly hurt at the end of the video. The case is clear. Right, Student Council President?"

"It is as Secretary Tachibana says. The malicious intent behind their actions is obvious for everyone to see. Their deceptive practices and lies endangered a students future at this school. With this in mind, the three of you are expelled, effective immediately. Sakagami-sensei, would you call their parents for the mandatory procedures?"

"I... will take care of it..."

He spoke slow and unsteady, angered by the sudden, unexpected reversal.

As their teacher stepped out of the room to take care of their expulsion, I took the chance to gather more information from them. While they were cursing and whining about their fate, I was handing them an olive branch in order to gleam at the puppeteer behind this operation.

"Ryuuen. Was it his plan? Why did he try to attack us? If you give me any useful information, you might escape this precarious situation. It surely would be possible to take back my demands and turn them over on him."

This was not a bad deal.

Neither for them, nor for us. Even Fumei would agree with this decision.

If I could behead the snake, then we wouldn't have to worry about it anymore. I could also try to ease my guilty conscience, since only one person would need to be expelled instead of three.

Contrary to my expectations, however, neither of them answered. Aside from a visible tremor upon hearing the name, they didn't react in any way that would indicate that they had even listened to me.

I took a deep breath and sat back down.

The three of them had made their decision.

Nothing would change if I kept concerning myself with them.

Whatever this Ryuuen person did, they were loyal to him, even while facing expulsion. According to their physical reactions, they harbored a deep-seated fear of this individual. Their angst was so deeply rooted that they didn't even care that they might be able to get rid of him instead.

There must have been something else except violence to make someone this obedient.

Trust? Power?

Did they think that this person could somehow help them? That he would have been able to save himself if they betrayed him this time?

I truly doubted it.