Chapter 69: A Victory Strategy Never Considered
Unlike what they'd claimed, Sudo's injuries were visibly worse than Ishizaki's group, even to the naked eye.
For a moment, Ishizaki and the others were dumbfounded, speechless.
However, Class C's homeroom sensei, Sakagami Kazuma, remained composed.
He spread his hands, fixing his gaze on Sudo Ken.
"Such slanderous behavior is meaningless, Sudo-kun."
Sudo ignored him, silently taking his seat.
Seeing the red-haired boy stay silent, Sakagami Kazuma pressed on, addressing Student Council President Horikita Manabu: "These injuries are clearly from the last couple of days. Given Sudo Ken's situation, it's not impossible he got into another fight. Instead, the student council president should ask if Sudo-kun has been causing trouble again."
Sakagami Kazuma's tone was clearly mocking Sudo, but that wasn't the point. When Horikita Manabu looked at Sudo Ken, asking if Sakagami Kazuma's words were true, Sudo didn't know what to do.
In his mind, he'd done this because Hikigaya told him to, but he hadn't considered how to answer questions.
How should he respond now? Admit or deny? What could he say to turn the situation in his favor?
Sudo lowered his head, silent. Saying the wrong thing could harm their case, but admitting he injured himself to frame the others would render his wounds meaningless.
'This won't do… but…'
He glanced at Horikita, who took a deep breath, understanding his signal.
Her brother was here, an unchangeable fact. If she crumbled now, her brother would truly see her as useless.
Adjusting herself, Horikita Suzune stood, her gaze fixed on Ishizaki's group.
"First, I apologize. I'm sorry our class's Sudo-kun caused you trouble."
Hearing this, Ishizaki's group smirked, thinking Class D was conceding for a peaceful resolution. Even Sudo, hearing Horikita Suzune's words, thought they were about to lose.
But the next moment, Horikita's tone shifted sharply, her words cutting like a blade.
Horikita: "Sudo-kun's injuries were undoubtedly self-inflicted, as I instructed him to do. Not to frame you, but to show the student council… the possibility of such framing."
Horikita Suzune locked eyes with Horikita Manabu. Though facing her brother diminished her confidence, she was clearly in her element.
Horikita Manabu nodded, acknowledging her point, and signaled her to continue.
'What a move—courtesy before confrontation. Is this a Horikita family teaching?'
Hikigaya observed Ishizaki's group and Class C's sensei. For now, the initiative was still in their hands.
"Then, I have a few questions for you. Please answer truthfully."
Horikita Suzune took out a prepared note, likely containing questions she'd thought over for a long time, pinpointing things that didn't add up.
"First, how did Sudo get you to come out? Please answer."
Komiya paused, then responded: "After club activities, he said he wanted to talk to us."
Horikita listened carefully to Komiya's answer, then continued: "Second, why was Ishizaki at the special classroom building? He's not in the basketball club. What was his reason for being there?"
This time, Komiya didn't hesitate, answering directly: "I asked him to come protect us."
"Protect you? You don't look like you were protected."
"I heard Sudo has a bad temper and is stronger than us. If he dragged us to a place with no one around, then…"
"So, you're saying you anticipated being attacked, correct?"
"Correct."
Their back-and-forth seemed flawless, likely because these were rehearsed answers.
Since they aimed to frame Sudo, they wouldn't slip up here.
Hikigaya wasn't surprised, sitting quietly with his arms crossed.
Horikita Suzune didn't sit down. As Class D's representative, she had to maintain control: "Based on my investigation, Ishizaki was known for fighting in middle school, a notorious delinquent. That's why you asked him to protect you, right?"
Komiya was getting impatient but continued answering Horikita Suzune's questions: "We were just defending ourselves."
Horikita Suzune closed her eyes, speaking calmly: "I know a bit about fighting. Normally, it's hard to take on multiple opponents. Including Ishizaki, the three of you were supposedly beaten one-sidedly. That doesn't make sense."
Hearing Horikita's question, Komiya's tone grew agitated, and he lightly banged his bandaged hand on the table.
"That's… because we didn't want to fight and didn't resist."
"Oh? If you didn't want to fight and didn't resist, the odds of all three of you getting injured—especially as severely as we can see—are extremely low. Can you guarantee all three of you were injured, and to this extent?"
Horikita Suzune's tone was forceful, far from her initial polite questioning, clearly in her element now.
Chabashira gave a faint smile: "That's generally the case."
Komiya was intimidated by her intensity but, after a moment of hesitation, stammered: "Of… of course! And Sudo can't be judged by normal standards—his violent tendencies are severe!"
Horikita Suzune listened to Komiya's rebuttal, showing an amused smile before saying: "This incident was witnessed by a student."
The meeting room fell silent.
Horikita presented a photo, clearly showing Sakura and the four in the special classroom building.
Though Sakura was only partially visible, it captured the four in a heated argument.
"That's right. The witness is our class's Sakura Airi."
Hearing her name, the pink-haired girl beside Hikigaya flinched.
But feeling Hikigaya's trusting gaze, she gradually calmed down.
Horikita Manabu gave a meaningful look, then turned to the girl: "Sakura Airi, this photo proves you were there. What did you see?"
Sakura: "I… I-I-I can prove it was Class C who attacked Sudo first… and, and Sudo-kun never acted violently from start to finish."
Sakagami Kazuma took out a pen from his suit pocket, speaking calmly: "Sakura-san, though you can testify as a witness, lying isn't good. Even if you say this, as a Class D student with a Class D bias, without evidence, we can't confirm your words are true."
"And why didn't you report it immediately? Were you preparing mentally… to lie?"
Feeling Sakagami Kazuma's terrifying hostility, Sakura lowered her head, murmuring: "I… I'm just telling the truth…"
Sakagami Kazuma waved his pen, addressing Sakura Airi with ease: "Even for a classmate, lying like this isn't good."
"No… I'm not… lying."
Sakura's voice grew softer, barely audible even to Hikigaya beside her.
Her confidence was crushed by Class C's sensei. For Sakura, getting this far was already a huge effort.
Hikigaya reached out, gently holding Sakura Airi's hand under the table.
Feeling the warmth in her palm, Sakura instinctively glanced down. Realizing it was Hikigaya holding her hand, her cheeks turned as red as if kissed by the sun, her head practically steaming.
"I, Sakura Airi, swear that what I said here today is exactly what happened, with no lies or coercion. Even without my Class D status, I wouldn't change a thing."
Sakura's sudden shift in tone startled Sakagami Kazuma. Realizing he couldn't disrupt her with words anymore, he changed tactics.
"Alright, Sakura-san, even so, you can't prove who struck first or whether Sudo acted at all, because you lack decisive evidence."
Sakagami Kazuma's words were sound. A witness could push toward the truth, but without conclusive physical evidence, no final judgment could be made. All hearings were the same—beyond a key witness, decisive physical evidence was needed.
No one could guarantee a witness wouldn't lie. That was Class C's final shield.
Having pushed Class C this far, Sakura had completed her task.
Hikigaya signaled, and Sakura Airi obediently sat down.
Even now, Hikigaya didn't let go of her delicate hand, even after her part was done.
Seeing her hand still held tightly by Hikigaya, a contented smile spread across the girl's face.
Horikita Manabu glanced at Sakura Airi, soon to join the student council, and nodded silently.
After Sakura sat, Sakagami Kazuma continued his statement.
"Without decisive evidence, this hearing is meaningless. Since Sudo's violence can't be proven false, that fact remains unchanged."
He kept spinning his pen, pointing it at Class D's sensei, Chabashira Sae:
"How about a compromise?"
"Oh? A mutual compromise?"
"Though the photo proves your Class D student was there, it could be part of a planned frame-up against Class C. So, how about…"
Sakagami Kazuma looked at Sudo. Honestly, today's Sudo made him doubt if this was the legendary Sudo. He wasn't making a scene, just quietly accepting his punishment.
"How about Sudo-kun gets a two-week suspension, and Class C's students get one week each?"
"The severity of the punishment depends on whether harm was done, and neither side can prove that now."
Sakagami Kazuma's words were flawless. Sudo seemed to accept this outcome. If he avoided expulsion and didn't drag the class down, he'd just have to chalk it up to bad luck.
But… if he wasn't unwilling, he was still deeply resentful. He'd done nothing wrong, never acted violently, yet being framed like this—Sudo resolved to swallow the pain, etch this feeling into his memory, and never let himself be targeted again.
'By now, the situation is calming down. Without Sakura Airi, Sudo would've been expelled already.'
'But since Class C chose to frame Sudo, have they considered… this could happen to them someday?'
Hikigaya looked at the other side. Class C's three students were already smiling victoriously.
Horikita Manabu, sitting in the center as student council president, likely knew the truth already. But if Class D couldn't provide decisive evidence, he'd turn a blind eye and accept this result. That was probably the student council's longstanding rule.
Even knowing the truth, they'd ignore it.
Completely… a false facade.
'Faced with this compromise, Chabashira-sensei would probably agree.'
'Sudo would likely have no choice but to accept.'
'Horikita? Horikita would probably fight for the truth, since she doesn't lie…'
Though Hikigaya judged their actions based on his own understanding, Horikita reminded him of an old acquaintance who claimed never to lie.
"Chabashira-sensei, what do you think?"
"The conclusion's already clear, isn't it?"
"Hahaha, then it's settled. So, Class D's representative, Horikita, what's your opinion?"
Horikita stood, speaking without a trace of deceit: "I understand. I believe Sudo, who caused this incident, has significant issues. He's caused trouble for those around him, and this outcome was inevitable…"
Sudo nodded, unable to deny it.
"But that was the old him. In the second month of school, his changes are obvious. As a classmate, I've clearly seen his growth and evolution."
"So… regarding the current matter, I believe Sudo has no fault…"
"Horikita…"
"This isn't a random incident but a deliberate plot by Class C. I assert that Sudo Ken is completely innocent."
Horikita's reversal stunned everyone for several seconds. But… Sakagami Kazuma soon laughed.
"A deliberate plot? Hahaha, Horikita-san, you need evidence to make claims. How amusing. The president's sister is… quite funny."
'Trying to provoke Horikita Manabu? Too bad you don't realize how much he cares about his sister. His usual demeanor is just a mask to hide his true feelings.'
Indeed, Horikita Manabu wasn't fazed by Sakagami Kazuma's words. From start to finish, like Hikigaya, he calmly observed everything.
'This guy… he didn't watch the footage, did he? He's trying to find the truth directly through the hearing. What a terrifying person.'
'But… it ends here.'
Tachibana: "Since neither side has decisive evidence, under my and the president's decision, we will…"
"This farce… ends now."
Hikigaya's lifeless tone cut through Tachibana's voice.
Horikita Manabu's hands finally left the table. He leaned back in his chair, showing a meaningful smile.
Sakagami Kazuma, puzzled, began to ask: "This student? If you can't prove anything, don't waste everyone's time."
Ishizaki's group smirked. This guy Ryūen was so focused on didn't seem that impressive. By now, Class D's cards were probably spent.
Horikita and Sudo looked at Hikigaya in confusion, while Sakura Airi's gaze never left him.
At that moment, he became the center of attention. Though he never wanted this, accepting such a false outcome was even more unacceptable.
He took out a USB drive, containing the footage recorded in the surveillance room, and handed it to Tachibana.
"The evidence is here."
The meeting room fell silent.
Class C's group panicked.
Though they still wore smiles, those smiles held no life.
The video Hikigaya compiled began playing in the meeting room.
It started with Sakura entering the special classroom building, followed by the four others.
The building's cameras clearly captured Sakura Airi, but the four were nowhere to be seen.
Until sunset, when dusk fell, Sakura Airi ran out first. Then… in the must-pass route's camera, an angry Sudo appeared, followed by the three, completely uninjured.
"So? What does this prove?"
Komiya, pretending to see nothing, asked knowingly.
Hikigaya stood, facing the four.
"First, you can't explain why you deliberately avoided the school's cameras."
"Second, you can't explain why, if Sudo dragged you to the special classroom building, the footage shows the opposite."
"Third, you can't explain why you knew how to avoid the school's cameras so well, while our class's Sakura and Sudo didn't."
"And finally… the most critical point: in this footage, you show no injuries and are practically bouncing around. Compared to your photos and current state, isn't the difference too stark?"
Hikigaya took out the photo Horikita had taken and handed it to Tachibana again.
"Even if you say that, you can't prove… you can't prove these surveillance videos are real. Right… right! You spliced them, didn't you!"
Hikigaya didn't bother responding to such behavior. After all, the one making the judgment was Horikita Manabu, and he was the key.
After presenting the footage, Sakagami Kazuma froze, glanced at Horikita Manabu, and said nothing more.
Since Hikigaya had obtained the school's surveillance, no matter what was said, the outcome couldn't be changed.
This time, Class C had thoroughly lost.
Horikita Manabu: "Class C representative Komiya, can you explain the points raised by Hikigaya-kun?"
Komiya: "It's spliced footage!"
Horikita Manabu gave a cold stare, speaking in an icy tone: "Unfortunately, this is internal student council footage. Sakura Airi, sitting across from you, is a student council member, so her footage isn't spliced. Or are you saying my judgment is flawed?"
Komiya was speechless, unable to respond.
Thus, the result was clear.
'Even before the hearing began, Sudo's actions had already made negotiations unnecessary.'
It was to make the student council form a preconceived notion, showing them Class C's tactics.
Unfortunately, when he walked in, it was mistaken for a joke.
Too bad. Since Sudo, Horikita, and Sakura had gone this far, Hikigaya felt out of place not stepping up himself.
'Though I never wanted to fit in.'
Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses, glanced at Hikigaya as he sat down, then looked at Class C's three. They hadn't said another word, so the verdict could be finalized.
He stood, gazing at everyone present, and slowly said: "Then, I, Horikita Manabu, declare… First-year Class C's Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondo, for orchestrating a false accusation against first-year Class D's Sudo Ken, are suspended for one month. Class C will lose 300 class points, and each individual will lose 100,000 personal points."
"First-year Class D's Sudo Ken is declared innocent."
(End of this chapter)