It was the day after Soudu had been taken that during homeroom, as Chabashira-sensei was about to leave, she assaulted us with one of her infamously brief and off-hand announcements.
"I have an announcement for you all. There was a bit of trouble the other day, an incident between the student sitting there, Sudou, and some students from Class C. In short, there was a fight."
So, Sudou was the one who fired the gun or was fired upon.
"Umm. So why hasn't this issue been resolved already?" Hirata asked a rather reasonable question.
"The complaint came from Class C. They claim that the fight was one-sided. However, when we spoke to the accused, Sudou said that their claims were false. He insists that the students Class C called him over and started the fight."
"It wasn't my fault! It was self-defence! Self-defence, I tell you!" shouted Sudou as he shouldered his classmates' icy glares.
"But there's no evidence of that. Am I wrong?"
"What evidence? I don't have any."
"So in other words, we don't yet know the truth. Therefore, we have put our decision on hold for now. Our response, and the punishment, will come when we find out who was at fault."
"All I know is that I'm innocent. If anything, I ought to receive a settlement for my trouble."
"So speaks the accused, but I wouldn't say that you have a high level of credibility right now. If there is an eyewitness, as Sudou seems to believe, then the situation may change. If anyone here witnessed the fight, please raise your hand."
Chabashira-sensei continued talking in a robotic, flat voice. No students raised their hands in response to her question.
"Too bad, Sudou. It appears there are no witnesses in this class."
"It is that way," he grumbled. When Chabashira-sensei cast a doubtful look at Sudou, he glanced downward.
"No, and that is why we are having this discussion." She answered.
It was then that I spoke up, "So, did the victims put forward any proof?"
Alright, "So, Sudou's word against their world and bruises?" I asked. She nodded, "It is so, for now. Anything else, Heylel?"
"No," When I said that she almost looked disappointed.
Then she cast her gaze back at the class, no, to Sudou, "To check for witnesses, every teacher will inform their classes of the details of this incident."
"Huh?! You're telling everyone?!" You wanted to hide it, eh?
Well, they had no proof either way, so they were looking for it. In a way, this school had better law enforcement than many countries.
"Damn it!" Soudu cursed.
"Anyway, that is all. We'll make our final judgment next Tuesday, taking into account any eyewitnesses and evidence. With that, let's end homeroom for the day."
Chabashira-sensei left, and Sudou followed right after her. He probably realised that if he stayed in the classroom, he'd lose his temper with someone.
"Man, isn't Sudou just the worst?" I recognised the voice, Ike. Aren't they supposed to be friends?
Man, Sudou has some amazing friends, so amazing that he should keep most of them to himself.
"If we lose points because of Sudou, will we be at zero again this month?"
One by one more comments came and soon enough it was just a surge of anger. Kushida seeing the wave decided to become the breaker, "Everyone, can you please listen to what I have to say?" She stood in her seat and spoke in a sweet melody.
"What our teacher said seems to be true. Sudou may have been in a fight. However, Sudou was dragged into it."
"Kushida, what do you mean? Do you believe in Sudou?"
She nodded and began to tell a story of how he had arrived yesterday to ask for help, of how Sudou had been chosen as a candidate to play regularly on the basketball team.
Then described how some students in the basketball club were envious of Sudou, and how they'd called Sudou out and threatened to make him leave the team. All of this while emphasising that it was all self-defence.
"I'd like to ask you all again. If anyone knows someone who saw what happened, whether it's someone in class, a friend, or an upperclassman, please tell me. You can contact me at any time. I would sincerely appreciate it."
I could almost see the angel wings sprout behind her as she spoke, truly the saint of the class.
Instantly, silence enveloped the classroom. The first to speak wasn't the eyewitness, but Yamauchi.
"Hey, Kushida. I just can't believe what Sudou said. I think he lied so he could justify what he did. He talked about beating up kids all the time in junior high. He even told us how much fun it was to beat people up."
After Yamauchi voiced his concerns, the rest of the class murmured theirs.
"I saw him grab some kid by the collar just because they bumped into each other in the hallway."
"I saw him cut in line in the cafeteria and lash out when someone tried to tell him that wasn't okay."
"Yeah, we even had to stop ourselves from doing better in English because of him."
"Everyone," Horikita stood up, her voice cutting through the chatter, "I don't know if he truly is responsible or not but we have to assume he isn't and try. The reason is simple, our class points are dedicated due to demerits right? What happens when one of us gets expelled or suspended, we simply can not take the risk of letting Sudou get expelled at such a stage. So, I ask you all to try and find out the truth in the matter."
A very valid appeal to reason. Guess I should provide some support huh?
"I don't see a fault in her logic. I will follow her word on it," I said, my words carrying a few decibels behind them. Naturally, all eyes turned to me.
"What if he's a problem in the future?" Ike was the one to argue. Putting him in my sight I locked my eyes on him, "And I can be a problem in the future too. Your point?"
"No, you are much—"
I cut him off, "Ike, you and Yamauchi are complete perverts. Sudou keeps you two in check and you are still bad. I will be honest with you, I can see you getting suspended on sexual harassment alone if he isn't here to stop you."
"True, they are the worst." One of the girls commented.
"Yeah, if Sudou keeps them in check then…"
"Sudou is nowhere as bad as them."
"Can we expel them?"
I did provide a counterpoint to their argument, instead, I shifted the argument from the demerits of Sudou to his merits. That and I shifted it to the dissatisfaction our class, especially girls have with them.
"Huh–huh!? When did we harass—"
"Remember the day when Chabashira-sensei told us about the real truth about the point system? 'Hey, sensei, did you start menopause or something?' Who said that I wonder?" My eyes were as cold as could be.
"That–that was just a joke—"
"It was sexual harassment, there is more but do you want me to continue?" I threatened him and he finally quieted down. I sent my gaze to Yamauchi next and he just tried to hide his face. Coward.
Still, It was quiet after that.
Until I broke it, "Does anyone else have an issue with us trying to not be poor and save our classmate at the same time?"
Hirata stood up then, "I think both Horikita and Heylel are right about Sudou. And I also believe in our classmate."
He cast one gaze over the whole class, and seeing no one have an objection he continued, "If a student in another class were casting doubt on him, I could understand it," Hirata said. "But I think it's wrong to doubt a classmate right away. Shouldn't friends do everything within their power to help someone in need?"
"I agree!"
Karuizawa, Hirata's girlfriend, called out in agreement, brushing her bangs aside with her hand as she spoke.
"If it were a false charge, that'd be a problem, wouldn't it? In any case, you'd feel bad for him if he were innocent, right? Also, I do think that if Sudou kept the two under control then…" She trailed off.
Kei Karuizawa, another key figure in our class, was the queen bee of the girls so to speak. Her words probably weighed about half our girls' will behind them.
Sudou's critics stopped. Any more and they would be going against pretty much the entire hierarchy.
Still, Hirata, Kushida, and Karuizawa had attracted the rest of our class's admiration. Maybe me and Horikita too, but let's be honest, all I did was use threats and Horikita is not a major player, so probably not.
"I'll try asking my friends!"
"Well then, I'll try asking the upperclassmen I know in the soccer club!"
"I'll ask around, too."
Well, the rest is up to the others. I'm done.
Also, fuck you Kouenji, don't smile at me like that.
—————————————————————
"So, wanna go to the cafeteria or here?" I asked the blonde when the lunch bell rang and he tilted his head all the while treating his nails.
"I thought you had business today," He said, his eyes seeing something, or rather someone, I trailed them and Horikita, was standing next to me and so was Ayanokoji.
"Yes, he does," She said as she stood stock still. I sighed.
looking at the blond I felt a bit bad for abandoning him to his lonesome. So, I passed my lunch and passed it over to him, "It's a salad, the salt is separated."
He knew why I was giving it up without a coin toss, but the bastard didn't even say thanks and just kept smirking.
And so I was pulled along into the cafeteria along with the rest of the study group, minus the two dumbfucks.
"You know, let me grab a set," I said as I peeled away towards the counter to grab a decent set. I wish I could make do with the vegetable one but my sinful stomach demanded otherwise.
By the time I arrived, they had already been telling Sudou about the happenings in class during his absence, all the work of Kushida who was pretty animated while doing it all.
"And Horikita was super logical, then Heylel just terrified—" I smacked her head with the underside of my set. Thankfully she stopped. Just rubbing her head with, "What was that for?"
I ignored her and rounded the table to take the only open spot on the table, opposite Horikita and next to Ayanokoji.
When I was seated Horikita began, "You seem to get yourself into trouble time and time again, Sudou."
"Yeah, sorry…also where are Ike and Yamauchi?" He asked.
I looked at him, "I threatened them to shut up. They were turning the class against you. I do not think they will be coming."
"For real?" He didn't believe me and no one else spoke.
They had left it up to me. Fine, I tilted my head, "Well then, 'Man, isn't Sudou just the worst?' was the first thing Ike said when you left."
He looked taken aback but his eyes narrowed, "No way! Ike would never—"
"Ike and Yamauchi tried to sabotage you, Soudu. If you don't believe him," said Horikita, "then ask Hirata or Kushida."
Immediately he turned to Kushida, "Are they telling the truth?"
She lowered her head and gave a hesitant nod.
He looked a little lost when he heard that, "Okay, look guys it is not that I do believe you but can I go and…confirm with—"
Horikita cut him off, "You can talk to them after we have gotten you out of this."
A hesitant nod later we began. Well, he began, "I'm sorry, Horikita. I've caused trouble for you guys again. But it wasn't my fault this time. All I did was blow up those Class C jerks' plans." He spoke with a callous tone about the problem. More bothered by the Ike and Yamauchi thing than his possible suspension.
"Sorry, but I don't feel like helping you this time." Horikita flatly refused Sudou's pleas for help.
"For Class D to rise through the ranks, it's important to recover the class points we lost as quickly as possible. However, we probably won't get any points now, thanks to you. You hindered those plans."
"Wait. You might be right about that, but I'm not the one at fault here! Those guys picked a fight with me! What part of that is my fault?"
"You keep focusing on who started the fight, but that's a trivial detail. Did you never consider that?"
"What's trivial about it? It makes all the difference! I didn't do anything wrong!" Hearing this, Horikita's expression degraded.
"Is that so? Well, best of luck to you then." Horikita picked up her untouched tray and stood.
"So you're not gonna help? I thought we were friends!"
"Don't make me laugh. I've never once considered you a friend. Nothing makes me more uncomfortable than being around someone who doesn't recognize his stupidity. Goodbye."
Her eye caught mine for a second. She wasn't angry, rather, annoyed.
"What the hell is her deal anyway!?"
I stood up. Friends are not fun. Sometimes. And for a moment locked eyes with Ayanokoji and Kushida and gestured to the big idiot who slammed his hands onto the table. My meaning was clear and after getting a nod from both I went over to her table, one at the other end of the cafeteria.
She looked down at her plate irritated as I sat down next to her. At least she didn't stop me.
"So, you angry?"
"No…" She hissed, "Just irritated I guess."
I took a bite from my set, "That he doesn't see his fault?"
She nodded, a sigh leaking from her lips, "I understand he will be important in the future, I can think of it, I know it too but I just can't see it."
Nodding I pulled my head back to look at my previous table, Ike and Yamauchi were there, cowards had come after I left—at least Kushida and Ayanokoji were still there.
"Well he is a bull," I shrugged, "You need to train it well if you are going to take it to a china shop."
She looked confused for a moment, "Explain."
"Sudou is a bull, he is reckless, callous and completely ignorant." I dug my spoon through the food, "And we need to take him through multiple situations that need none of what he has till we hit one where he will carry us through."
"It's such a stupid analogy, it barely works you know?" She said, still looking down, I could not see her expression.
"You know," I looked at her, "You are correct."
She looked up, and her eyes widened, she was surprised, "I was sure you were going to admonish me."
I tilted my head, "You are correct, Sudou is an idiot who got caught."
Her eyes narrowed, "Caught?"
Oh fuck me, I said the wrong thing, "Look," I locked my eyes with her. "You saw me that day with your brother."
She nodded, hesitation evident, "So?"
I had to pick my words carefully, "I neither like nor dislike violence. It is a tool. That night I was using it to protect you."
It took her a minute to respond, tasting her words before using them, "It is. But it is not the issue under discussion. You said the word caught."
"That night. When the president grabbed your arm, it was violence correct?"
She denied it, "No it was just—"
"Did you feel pain? Yes or no?"
She looked down, "Yes."
"Alright, that is violence. Why is he still the president now? Getting caught hurting a 1st year girl, regardless of his position or standing is enough to force an expulsion." I didn't know, I was just guessing.
Still, I continued, "We did find him doing this but we didn't report it, he did not get caught. Simple as that. If we had reported it and he got convicted then he would be one of those idiots who got caught, right now, he is the most respected in school."
It took a sigh for her to acknowledge it, then she began, "Sudou is an idiot who got caught, yes, you are correct. Regardless of which, it was wrong for him to have fought in the first place. More than anything he does not realise that the fight itself is just a symptom. He needs to understand why. All of this is just a result." In other words, all of this is just a symptom of the real disease? And what is that disease? His attitude? His aggression? His idiocy?
I nodded, gripping the table we sat on and landed back, "You think a bull will know that without being beaten over the head with that knowledge?"
She nodded, "I suppose not…now I feel as if I was getting irritated for nothing—"
"Not nothing," I let my hands go, letting me lean back till my hair felt the floor, "A human being should not need to be treated like an animal to understand simple things." I pulled back up, "But would he be in class D if he was not defective?"
"Defective huh?" She let the word settle in, "Why are you here?"
I didn't know.
How could I ever?
There was only one answer, "I don't know. Horikita…I am just lost I guess. I am just a lost idiot bumbling through a new life."
"I see."