"Alright, don't say any more."
The moment the other party uttered the words 'yesterday noon,' Kagura Hikaru had already understood what she wanted to say, and just how thorny the issue was.
Ai Cheng Hua Lian had witnessed the scene where Hina was 'bullying' him.
In other words, she was the third witness apart from the two of them involved!
This information absolutely could not reach Ayakoji Chiyoko.
"Senior, besides me, have you told anyone else about this?"
Kagura Hikaru stared intently at her.
Ai Cheng Hua Lian shrank her neck, guiltily shifting her gaze: "I, I only told one of my friends...."
"Senior... a secret is only a secret when kept by one person."
Kagura Hikaru's gaze carried reproach and a touch of helplessness.
"I'm sorry! Did I cause trouble for Mr. Kagura?" Ai Cheng Hua Lian's face turned pale as she repeatedly bowed in apology.
"...Things aren't as you saw them, there's a lot of hidden info here." Kagura Hikaru rubbed his temples with a headache.
"Did I really trouble you that much, I'm terribly sorry! I'll try my best to clarify it!!"
"Rumors have already started, it's not something you can stop on your own."
"This, I..."
Ai Cheng Hua Lian, at a loss, lowered her head: "I'm sorry, Mr. Kagura. I originally wanted to discuss it with you first, but I couldn't help myself and mentioned it to a friend, which led to this situation... I'm really very sorry."
It seemed she thought all the school rumors were her fault for talking too much.
But Kagura Hikaru knew it wasn't so; behind it all were the shadows of Kiryu Hina and Ayakoji Chiyoko.
"What's done is done, it's meaningless to pursue whose fault it is."
Kagura Hikaru looked at her earnestly: "Senior Ai Cheng, can you promise me something?"
Ai Cheng Hua Lian nodded eagerly: "Yes, please tell me!"
"If someone asks you about this matter later on, make sure you don't admit you were a witness, especially to Ayakoji Chiyoko."
"Eh? President Ayakoji? Is she investigating this matter?"
"That's right, and I don't want her to know the truth, do you understand?"
Ai Cheng Hua Lian looked at Kagura Hikaru with a deeply puzzled gaze, not understanding why he, the victim of bullying, would want to protect the Student Council President like this.
It seemed just as he said, there was much more hidden in this affair.
"The break between classes is about to end; you should head back now," said Kagura Hikaru. "Also, please come to the Student Council room during lunch break. I'll be waiting for you there."
"Eh?"
The Student Council, that was President Kiriyu's territory...
"I, I understand..." Ai Cheng Hua Lian replied cautiously.
"Then it's settled."
Kagura Hikaru nodded and turned towards the classroom.
As he walked, he pulled out his phone from his pocket, slowly typing an email address he knew by heart, and sent a message.
[This is Kagura Hikaru. Someone witnessed yesterday's noon incident, second-year Ai Cheng Hua Lian. I'll bring her to the Student Council during lunch break. You should talk to her personally, I can't explain it all by myself.]
After sitting in his seat, the bell for the start of class rang a little while later, and he received a reply.
[Understood.]
[Also, reciting your ex-girlfriend's email address is really gross, Classmate Kagura.]
Kagura Hikaru read the message and immediately deleted the conversation, put away his phone, and took out the textbook for the next class as he prepared for the lesson.
Elsewhere,
Ai Cheng Hua Lian was hurrying back to Class 2-C.
She could already hear the bell halfway there and had to hurry or else she would be later than the teacher to the classroom.
However, just as she was about to reach the classroom door, she suddenly noticed a person who should not have been there, standing in the corridor, gazing out the window as if waiting for someone.
Because the bell had rung, most students had already gone into their classrooms, leaving her still and conspicuous, and it highlighted her remarkably untouchable air even more.
It was a beautiful girl, tall and dignified, looking like a frigid Princess from the Snow Country—so beautiful and cold that she made others feel inferior.
Seeming to notice the gaze upon her, the Princess turned around, her eyes instantly locking onto Ai Cheng Hua Lian.
Then, she strode over.
"You're Ai Cheng Hua Lian?"
".....Yes, that's my name."
Ai Cheng Hua Lian was feeling panicked.
If this were an anime, she would be sweating buckets by now.
Just minutes ago, she had been warned by Kagura Hikaru, and now she was already facing the person in question!
Was she laying a trap for herself?
So indeed, it was about the incident from yesterday....
"You know who I am, don't you?" Ayakoji Chiyoko said.
Ai Cheng Hua Lian hesitantly nodded.
"I am here because of the case where the Student Council President is suspected of bullying a student. I heard you witnessed the scene?"
Ayakoji Chiyoko adopted the demeanor of a police officer dealing with a witness, her expression serious, stern, meticulous—it was only missing a notebook for her to take notes.
Overwhelmed by her imposing manner, Ai Cheng Hua Lian felt even guiltier, her voice getting softer and softer, "I'm sorry, about that... I lied. I didn't see the Student Council President bullying anyone!"
Remembering Kagura Hikaru's request, she finally mustered the courage and sincerely bowed to Ayakoji Chiyoko.
Ayakoji Chiyoko, who had not expected to hear this, was stunned on the spot.
".....Why would you tell such a lie?"
"I believed the rumors outside and bragged to a friend, never thinking it would inadvertently spread.... I'm truly sorry, President Ayakoji!"
Ai Cheng Hua Lian bowed her head the entire time like a child who had done something wrong.
Even the head of the academic affairs department, seeing a female student admit her mistake with such sincerity, couldn't help but show leniency.
But Ayakoji Chiyoko was different.
The killing intent emanating from her had filled the entire hallway; teachers just stepping out of the office would retreat silently upon seeing her.
She suspected someone had gotten to her first, and that person might be Kiryu Hina.
"Did you really not see anything, or did someone tell you to say so?"
Under the intense focus of the killing intent, Ai Cheng Hua Lian trembled, tears in the corners of her eyes, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."
Ayakoji Chiyoko remained unmoved, staring at her sharply, as if she might swallow her whole the next moment.
The heavy atmosphere continued, the air growing thinner, making it hard to breathe.
Just when Ai Cheng Hua Lian thought she wouldn't hold up and was about to spill the truth, Ayakoji Chiyoko looked away and walked past her without a word.
After a stunned two or three seconds, Ai Cheng Hua Lian dared to look back and confirm that Ayakoji Chiyoko was out of sight; she exhaled with relief and almost collapsed to the ground, her legs giving way.
Surviving the ordeal, Ai Cheng Hua Lian was so moved she was close to tears.
Thank goodness.
Mr. Kagura, I didn't let you down, I successfully kept our secret!
The office door opened again, and a male teacher holding textbooks coughed twice, "Classmate Ai Cheng, the bell has already rung, why are you still in the hallway? Get back to the classroom."
"Teacher, were you scared by the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee just now, too scared to come out?"
"Stop talking nonsense, how could a teacher be afraid of a student, now get going!"
"Aye, aye~"
Amidst the teacher's embarrassed urging, Ai Cheng Hua Lian giggled and sprinted into the classroom.
In the stairwell.
Ayakoji Chiyoko walked downstairs, frowning as she recalled Ai Cheng Hua Lian's words.
She said she lied, but was that really true? Perhaps the lie itself was the real lie?
She had a feeling there was more to dig into with that girl.....
But regardless, the witness plan had fallen through.
If she were a bit more unscrupulous, maybe she could have found someone to bear false witness. Who can say exactly how many witnesses were there at the scene? A little manipulation could have easily tangled Kiryu Hina in a mess.
But Ayakoji Chiyoko didn't want to, nor was she willing to stoop that low.
What she wanted was to defeat her opponent fair and square, to get satisfaction only when her adversary silently conceded defeat from the bottom of their heart.
It seemed that she would have to save that moment for later.
Ayakoji Chiyoko shook her head and disappeared around the corner in the stairwell.