"What are you talking about? Hikagay!" Yamauchi and the others looked confused, leaving Hikigaya at a loss.
As he listened to their conversation, Hikigaya wondered if they genuinely thought violence was acceptable at this school. If this were a lower-tier high school, street fights might be common, and teachers might not care.
But this school upheld rigorous standards.
Here, naivety didn't stand a chance.
"I understand now," President Horikita said, his expression growing icy as he turned to Yamauchi and his friends.
"You three—his name is Hikigaya Hachiman. Aren't you mature enough to remember your classmates' names?"
"Y-Yes, sorry," the trio stammered, with Sudou also quickly apologizing.
President Horikita's commanding presence made his gaze enough to unsettle anyone.
While Hikigaya didn't care much about being called by the wrong name, it was evident that President Horikita was not in a forgiving mood today.
"Hikigaya, you too," President Horikita's attention shifted back to him.
"Why didn't you correct them when they mispronounced your name?"
His voice was colder than before.
"As a student council member, you need to set a proper example. I've stressed this before."
"...Sorry," Hikigaya said, sensing the intensity of President Horikita's anger. Even though he had faced his reprimands before, this time it felt particularly harsh.
It was genuinely intimidating.
"Alright, let's get down to business," Horikita said, clearing the oppressive atmosphere. Hikigaya took a seat quickly and prepared to take notes.
The difficult part was about to begin. The trio was incoherent, each emphasizing their innocence without providing a clear explanation.
Hikigaya summarized their claims: A month ago, Ike and Yamauchi had befriended Manabe and several other girls from Class C. Over time, tensions arose when some Class C boys became displeased with this new friendship and decided to confront Ike and Yamauchi. Fearing trouble, the two boys had enlisted Sudou's help.
The confrontation quickly escalated into a fight, with both sides blaming each other for starting it.
This account mirrored Class C's accusations, with each side claiming the other had initiated the conflict. Additionally, the girls from Class C felt harassed and asked Ishizaki and his group to mediate. However, Ike and Yamauchi interpreted this as romantic jealousy, assuming that Ishizaki and the others were simply envious.
Hikigaya was sometimes amazed by people's self-delusions.
"President Horikita, please believe us!" Ike pleaded loudly.
"We never wanted to fight. It was Class C that came at us first, and I was pushed hard while trying to hold Sudou back!"
"Yes, I didn't start the fight," Yamauchi chimed in, "I was there to mediate!"
"Why am I the only one being blamed? I was just defending myself!" Sudou added.
Despite their claims, Yamauchi and Ike's attempts to assert their innocence fell flat and lacked credibility.
"So, your position is that Class C was the aggressors?"
President Horikita summarized with a cold, impartial tone.
The trio nodded eagerly, their faces relaxing as if they believed Horikita was on their side.
"I'll give you a week to gather evidence proving that Class C started the fight," Horikita said calmly.
"Next Tuesday, both sides will present their statements here in the student council office, and we'll conclude."
"What? You don't believe us?!"
Sudou protested, but Horikita's stern gaze made him shrink back.
"Alright, you may go. Hikigaya, please deliver the relevant documents about this incident to the homeroom teachers of both classes."
"...Yes," Hikigaya replied weakly, hoping to avoid additional work. He had already suggested the best course of action: Class C had injuries and complaints, while Ike and his group were unscathed.
The outcome seemed predictable.
Apologizing and seeking leniency would have been a wiser approach.
After all, if Hikigaya were representing Class C, he would ensure that the three troublemakers were despised by everyone in the class.
During the afternoon class meeting, Chabashira-sensei stood at the podium with a stern expression, ready to address the entire class.
"Let's begin the meeting. Before we proceed, I need to inform you about an incident from yesterday. Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudou from our class were involved in a dispute with Class C, which escalated into a fight."
The classroom erupted in chatter, especially at the mention of potential class point deductions.
Hirata, the class leader, was the first to speak up.
"Why hasn't a conclusion been reached yet?"
"Class C initiated the complaint, claiming they were attacked without provocation. However, Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo assert that Class C started the fight. The school is verifying the details, and we should have an explanation in a week."
Upon hearing this, the three troublemakers began shouting in protest.
"We're innocent!"
"Yes, I didn't hit anyone!"
"It was self-defense, self-defense!"
Their protests were met with skepticism from their classmates. Although some still believed them, considering Ike and Yamauchi were generally well-liked among the boys, Sudou's isolation made his claims less convincing.
"Ike, did you hit anyone?"
"Impossible! I was the one being threatened!"
"Who attacked Class C?"
"It was Sudou... I mean, Class C attacked us first!"
Ike's attempt to clarify only seemed to make matters worse, leading to murmurs of doubt about Sudou.
"So it was Sudou, huh? That makes sense."
"I had my doubts about Ike and Yamauchi being the aggressors. But it seems it was Sudou."
Frustrated, Sudou slammed his hand on the desk.
"Stop spreading lies! I was only defending myself!"
"Do you have any evidence to support that?"
"Ike and Yamauchi can vouch for me!" Sudou's declaration was met with stunned silence from everyone, who found his statement rather absurd.
"In summary, we don't yet know the full truth," Chabashira-sensei said, raising her voice to regain the class's focus.
"The student council will decide the outcome in a week. Depending on who is found at fault, the consequences will vary significantly."
"We are innocent, and I will not accept any verdict other than 'not guilty,'" Sudou insisted firmly.
Despite his protests, most of the class regarded him with cold, skeptical stares.
Hikigaya observed the reactions and realized that Sudou's situation was deteriorating.
It seemed clear that, in the eyes of their classmates, Sudou was already viewed as the primary culprit, with Ike and Yamauchi being seen as mere victims caught in the crossfire.