Chabashira's departure left an oppressive silence in the classroom, broken only by the rustling of students taking pictures of the handout.
Why was there just a single handout for the whole class, you might ask? That might seem like a trivial matter, but it has some deep meaning, which could be understood, if you observe the class carefully, after a few moments.
A student was expelled from each of the four classes except class B. They were just in their first year, but they had spent considerable amount of time to form some sort of bonds with their classmates, and friends.
With the expulsion, the relations between such students with feeble minds, would definitely be strained to some degree, which is a fact that the school is aware of. Perhaps, their goal was to make the whole class get together and discuss the rules among themselves, by providing a single handout.
And, likewise, their discussion started.
However, it was not a welcome one for me. Why?
Because Akito, from Ayanokouji's group stood up directly and asked the question that has been hunting everyone from the voting result declaration. The room seemed to hold its breath, every eye now focused on our confrontation.
"I would ask this directly. Yamauchi, what did you do?"
The question, heavy with accusation and frustration, hung in the air. I could see the anger etched on Akito's face, the raw emotion of losing a group member driving him to demand answers.
Beside him, Yukimura also glared at me, his usual calm demeanor replaced by visible tension.
Yup. Everyone's attention was on me, as I was picking out a piece of paper.
How should I answer his question? The rage on his face was quite visible to the whole class. Sakura was a member of his group after all.
But, what dealt a damaging blow to his heart must be the fallout of Haruka.
The voting result has been declared. Sakura has been expelled. That fact alone, won't change, howsoever.
"What are you talking about?" I feigned ignorance, though I could feel the collective suspicion from the class bearing down on me.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about. What did you do to Airi?" Akito's voice wavered with barely suppressed rage.
I admit that I cheated on the exam itself, to sacrifice a totally innocent person. I won't ask for forgiveness, but that's the best option I could choose.
I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. "Listen here, I don't know how she got that many criticism votes. I had already confessed, didn't I?"
"That obviously was an act. You were planning to expel Airi all along. Am I wrong?" Akito's intensity didn't waver.
"Absolutely wrong. Like I said before, I don't know how this happened."
"Then how would you explain the results?" Yukimura pressed, his tone demanding clarity.
"Do I need to explain? Moreover, Chabashira sensei already rechecked the results. What's the point of discussing this now?"
"Your avoidance of the question itself is proof of your involvement somehow," Yukimura insisted.
I sighed, realizing the need to address their accusations directly. "Okay. Let's say for the sake of argument that I am involved somehow in getting Sakura expelled. Then how was I, myself, just one vote away from being expelled?"
"You must have controlled the criticism votes somehow, so that no one would point a finger towards you," Yukimura argued, though I could see the uncertainty flicker in his eyes.
"In that case, is it not due to the whole class, instead of me? You all targeted me as I targeted Ayanokouji. But I had already confessed all about that before the voting and retracted any promises I had made. In the end, it was you people who decided to cast the votes. I had no influence over it."
"That's..."
"Anyway, the thing is the result has been declared already. Sakura Airi has been expelled. This fact cannot change, howsoever you discuss things or argue with me. As a matter of fact, we would be losing our precious time if we continue this further, right, Horikita?" I turned to her, seeking an ally in reason.
Horikita, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. "It's true that the results were unexpected, and I still can't fathom how this happened. However, it's also true that you are somehow involved in this whole predicament we're facing."
"Horikita, I didn't expect you to act on emotions too," I replied, my voice tinged with disappointment.
The class murmured, the tension palpable. Some students looked uncertain, while others, like Akito and Yukimura, remained unconvinced.
Horikita's gaze hardened. "This isn't about acting on emotions. It's about finding the truth and ensuring this doesn't happen again. We need to focus on the upcoming exam and work together. But we can't ignore the fact that trust has been broken."
A ripple of agreement moved through the class. The reality of Sakura's expulsion and the looming threat of the next exam weighed heavily on everyone's minds.
"You're right," I conceded. "We need to move forward and prepare for the Event Selection Exam. But I maintain that I had no direct hand in Sakura's expulsion."
The classroom fell into a tense silence, the unresolved distrust hanging in the air. It was clear that, while we had to unite for the upcoming challenge, the shadow of past actions would not easily fade.
As the students resumed their discussions, albeit with an undercurrent of unease, I couldn't shake the feeling that this fracture within the class could have far-reaching consequences. The road ahead was fraught with challenges, not just from the exams, but from within our own ranks.
"We have no proof of what you did behind the scenes. However, I have a suggestion for you to prove your innocence."
"Wait, Wait, Wait a second. Why do I need to prove myself when you can't prove whatever I did. Also, I insist that I didn't do anything."
"Although you had admitted your mistakes, you still are a traitor in the eyes of others."
Voices of agreement rose throughout the class.
"So, here's my proposition, Yamauchi-kun should become the commander for the next special exam."