Chapter 141: It's Not That You Didn't Commit a Crime—Your Crime Is Even Worse!
After learning that Shiraki had privately tried to sell Yuto the midterm papers, Ninomiya relaxed.
"So that's all it was. I thought something serious had happened."
"..."
Nagumo and Tonokawa remained silent.
They both knew the situation could not possibly be that simple.
Yuto had not reached the important part yet.
Besides, if this were merely about Shiraki selling papers, why would the student council have summoned them too?
Instead of continuing, Yuto gave Ninomiya a refreshing smile.
"Sensei, don't you think privately selling midterm papers violates the school's educational principles?"
Ninomiya glanced at Chairman Sakayanagi and immediately spoke with righteous conviction.
"Of course. It seriously violates the school's principles. I believe the student responsible should be severely punished!"
Nagumo's mouth twitched violently.
'Sensei, could you please stop talking?!'
Nagumo was the mastermind behind the sale!
"What punishment do you think would be appropriate?" Yuto continued digging the hole with a smile. "Personally, I think the student should be expelled. What do you think?"
"I also thi—"
"Cough! Cough, cough!"
Nagumo suddenly began coughing.
Seeing Ninomiya's puzzled expression, he quickly said, "Sensei, the student council has clear regulations for punishing violations. We can't simply expel someone because we feel like it."
Ninomiya felt that Nagumo had offended her and replied unhappily, "Of course I know that! You don't need to remind me."
Nagumo clenched his fist.
'If I hadn't stopped you, you senile old woman would've followed Shimizu Yuto's words and agreed that I should be expelled!'
Ninomiya glanced toward Chabashira, who was resting with her eyes closed.
"I believe that student is from Class 2-D, correct? Only a Class D student would commit this kind of violation."
"..."
Chabashira opened her eyes and glared sharply at Ninomiya.
She was about to respond when warmth suddenly covered her hand.
Glancing down, she saw Yuto holding it.
Yuto gave her a look that clearly said, 'Leave this to me.'
Chabashira pressed her lips together and remained silent, curious to see how he intended to defend her.
Strangely, she did not pull her hand away.
Had she forgotten?
Or did she simply not mind letting the troublesome boy continue holding it?
Yuto smiled toward Ninomiya.
"Sensei, whether a student breaks school rules shouldn't have anything to do with which class they belong to."
"If anything, it should reflect on the teacher responsible for educating them."
"If a student's teacher possesses excellent character and knows how to guide young people properly, surely their students wouldn't behave like this. Wouldn't you agree?"
"That does make some sense," Ninomiya reluctantly admitted.
Yuto's smile immediately became brilliant.
"I actually hadn't finished explaining the incident, so allow me to continue."
"After good senpai Shiraki was caught attempting to sell me the papers, he explained that everything he did had been ordered by Nagumo Miyabi and Tonokawa of Class 2-A."
Ninomiya's eyes widened.
"Impossible!"
"Be quiet. Don't you know interrupting someone while they're speaking is extremely rude?"
Yuto glared at Ninomiya, his sharp gaze carrying an invisible pressure.
Ninomiya trembled slightly beneath it.
Satisfied that he had frightened her into silence, Yuto continued.
"Whether it's true or not, let the students from your own class answer."
Ninomiya turned toward Nagumo.
His face was now extraordinarily pale and gloomy.
"Nagumo... Did you really order that Class D student to...?"
"Mm."
Nagumo nodded dejectedly.
"I did."
He desperately wanted to deny everything.
But what would that accomplish?
Shiraki was in the next room writing down the entire incident.
Ninomiya went numb.
The whole affair had actually been orchestrated by the student she was proudest of?
After Nagumo admitted it, Yuto suddenly looked furious and pointed directly at him.
"Nagumo Miyabi, I truly wonder what kind of homeroom teacher could raise such a malicious student!"
"You actually arranged for forged papers to be sold to a younger student. Were you trying to make him fail the exam and get expelled?!"
"Is your entire heart black?!"
"If I were your homeroom teacher, I'd be so ashamed of raising such a vicious student that I wouldn't know where to hide my face!"
"At the absolute minimum, I'd publicly apologize and resign from the school!"
As Nagumo and Tonokawa's homeroom teacher, Ninomiya's face turned blue with anger.
She glared at Yuto across the table.
This brat's mouth was even more vicious than his homeroom teacher's!
"..."
Chairman Sakayanagi and the others looked at Yuto strangely.
Wasn't he clearly insulting Ninomiya indirectly?
More importantly, when had Nagumo's homeroom teacher ever offended him?
Ninomiya had never offended Yuto.
She had merely offended his beautiful homeroom teacher.
Warmth spread through Chabashira's heart.
The troublesome boy really had recovered her dignity, and he had insulted that irritating old woman so thoroughly that she could not even respond.
After all, Ninomiya herself had just agreed with Yuto's reasoning.
A student's misconduct reflected on the homeroom teacher who educated them.
How could Ninomiya possibly argue now?
Chabashira worried that Yuto's words might anger Chairman Sakayanagi or Manabu.
She squeezed his hand slightly, signaling that he had done enough and should stop.
At that moment, Tachibana returned with Shiraki.
She held a stack of A4 papers, presumably copies of Shiraki's written statement.
Tachibana looked around the room in confusion.
Why did Chairman Sakayanagi look surprised?
Why did the famous Shimizu Yuto appear so satisfied, as though he had finally avenged a personal grudge?
Meanwhile, Nagumo, Tonokawa, and Ninomiya all looked terrible.
Ninomiya's face was practically blue.
Finding the atmosphere strange, Tachibana looked toward Manabu.
"President, the copies of the incident report are ready."
"Distribute one to everyone."
"Understood."
Shiraki shakily returned to his seat with his head lowered while Tachibana distributed the copies.
Chairman Sakayanagi received one first, followed by Manabu, then Yuto, Chabashira, Ninomiya, Nagumo, and Tonokawa.
The document contained far more detail than Yuto's explanation.
Shiraki had even written down Nagumo and Tonokawa's exact instructions and conversations with him.
He had also included Nagumo's usual resentment, jealousy, and attempts to obstruct Yuto—details that had almost nothing to do with the hearing itself.
Shiraki wanted the statement to be as detailed as possible.
That way, everyone might believe he had not willingly worked for Nagumo, but had been pressured into selling the forged midterm papers.
Perhaps his punishment would then be lighter.
'Use forged papers so Shimizu gives them to Class D, causing the students to resent him...'
Chabashira silently read the document.
'If that plan had succeeded, Shimizu's standing within Class D really would have suffered tremendously.'
Chairman Sakayanagi finished reading and looked toward Nagumo on the left side of the room.
His eyes contained disappointment and regret.
Nagumo was quite famous.
In only one year, he had led Class B into Class A and nearly unified the entire second year under his control.
Naturally, Sakayanagi knew that the school possessed an exceptional student named Nagumo Miyabi.
However, after reading the statement, he felt Nagumo's mentality was deeply flawed and excessively petty.
If Nagumo had used such methods against students in his own year, Sakayanagi could at least understand it.
Everyone in the same year competed for Class A.
But Yuto was a first-year student.
Why would a second-year student go to such lengths against someone who was not even competing directly with him?
Manabu placed the document down.
"Nagumo, do you admit that Shiraki Ryuichi's written statement is accurate?"
"I admit it, but I have something to say!"
Nagumo clenched his hands and looked toward Yuto.
"Shimizu Yuto, I committed an offense, but it wasn't particularly serious."
"Oh?" Yuto looked as though he were listening attentively. "Go ahead."
Manabu nodded.
"Nagumo, state your argument."
"First, the school has no explicit written rule forbidding the sale of examination papers," Nagumo said solemnly.
"So because it isn't explicitly written down, you can sell them?" Yuto asked irritably.
"No one specifically stops you from robbing a bank either. Why don't you use that excuse and rob one?"
Nagumo's mouth twitched.
Shiraki froze slightly.
That argument sounded strangely familiar...
Nagumo forced himself to remain calm.
"Second, the midterm papers Shiraki attempted to sell Shimizu Yuto were forged by Tonokawa."
"Therefore, the offense of privately selling actual midterm examination papers does not apply."
"I object."
Yuto raised his hand and gave Nagumo a cold smile.
"It's not that you didn't commit a crime. Your crime is even worse."
"What do you mean, Shimizu Yuto?"
"The reason is simple."
"You created forged examination papers, sold them to me, and intended for me to distribute them among the Class D students."
"If your malicious plan had succeeded and everyone believed those papers were genuine, who knows how many Class D students might have failed and been expelled?"
Yuto smiled faintly at Nagumo's darkening face.
"So, Nagumo Miyabi, the potential damage caused by selling forged papers is far greater than simply selling genuine ones."
"Shimizu-kun's objection is reasonable," Manabu said slowly.
"Had your plan succeeded, Nagumo, Class D could have suffered extremely serious consequences."
Manabu now felt more strongly than ever that Nagumo needed to leave the student council.
Nagumo had gone so far as forging midterm papers merely to retaliate against Yuto.
If his scheme had succeeded, many of Class D's academically weaker students genuinely might have failed and faced expulsion.
In truth, schemes like Nagumo's were not particularly rare at this school.
Even worse methods had occurred.
For example, students had deliberately slipped laxatives to rival classes before examinations, leaving an entire class too sick and exhausted to perform properly.
At this school, many dirty tactics could be used as long as no one discovered them and the matter never reached the student council.
Unfortunately for Nagumo, his scheme had not only reached the student council—it was supported by overwhelming evidence.
Nagumo had never imagined that his defense would fail to reduce his guilt.
Instead, Yuto's rebuttal had made his offense appear even more serious.
Completely flustered, Nagumo looked toward Manabu.
"Senpai, I deeply recognize my mistake. Please show leniency when deciding my punishment!"
"Nagumo, you're the student council vice president."
"You should already know what punishment your actions warrant."
...
Expulsion.
Nagumo froze completely.
Despair and overwhelming regret filled his eyes before he viciously glared across the table at Yuto.
"Shimizu Yuto!"
Facing a glare frightening enough to terrify an ordinary girl, Yuto showed no fear whatsoever.
Instead, he displayed a refreshing smile.
"Nagumo-senpai, why are you calling me?"
"Were you planning to give me a farewell gift before leaving the school?"
"You...!"
Nagumo now experienced the same terror Shiraki had felt earlier.
He had merely tried to trick Yuto into purchasing forged examination papers.
Yet this demon was actually trying to have him expelled!
However, Nagumo completely ignored what would have happened if his scheme succeeded.
How many Class D students might have failed the midterm and been expelled because of those forged papers?
Tonokawa looked at the despair in Nagumo's eyes.
He suddenly gritted his teeth and shouted, "I have something to say!"
"State your argument," Manabu replied calmly.
"The entire forged-examination-paper scheme was planned by me alone!"
"Tonokawa!"
Nagumo stared at his friend in astonishment.
He had never expected Tonokawa to say such a thing and take all the blame upon himself.
The despair in Nagumo's eyes instantly transformed into wild joy.
If Tonokawa accepted all responsibility, then perhaps Nagumo would be safe.
'Tonokawa, my best friend! My hope! My most reliable partner!'
…
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