Hikigaya had always thought that, when it came to intelligence, Ike and Yamauchi were just slightly above Sudo. They weren't the brightest bulbs in the box, but at least they weren't as foolish as Sudo.
But he was wrong there are considerably more clever than Sudo. In the current situation, it was Sudo who was bearing the brunt of the entire class's wrath.
Sudo, of course, hadn't meant to put himself in this position. He just couldn't stand the thought of anyone doubting his words. Whenever someone questioned him, he would immediately snap back, loud and defensive.
On the other hand, if Ike and Yamauchi were accused, they'd simply play the victim, sulking instead of snapping.
Despite the trio's protests of innocence, their behavior in everyday life had led to this moment. Although Ike and Yamauchi had caused this mess, Sudo never once pointed fingers at them.
Perhaps… both of them had simply forgotten about that.
Clap! Clap!
Chabashira-sensei clapped her hands, pulling everyone's attention back to the front of the classroom.
"I know this is an emotional time, but I need you all to listen carefully. If there are any witnesses to the incident, things could change. Did anyone see the fight that day? If so, please raise your hand."
Silence followed her request. Not a single person reacted to Chabashira-sensei's words.
"It seems there are no witnesses from our class. We'll have to hope that someone from another class steps forward."
"What?! Does that mean the whole school knows about this?"
For the first time, Sudo looked genuinely panicked, likely because he realized this could affect his chance of making the basketball team as a regular member.
But this was just the way things worked at this school. When a student caused trouble, the news inevitably reached the teachers and spread quickly.
"Anyway, that's all I have to say. The school has given us a week to gather evidence and find any witnesses. The final decision will be made next Tuesday, so that's the end of our class meeting."
With that, Chabashira-sensei left the room.
Seeing her leave, the three troublemakers—Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi—began to follow, likely sensing that staying in the classroom any longer could only bring more trouble.
"Ike-kun, Yamauchi-kun, Sudo-kun, wait a moment!"
Kushida suddenly called out, stopping them in their tracks.
"Please, don't leave just yet. I have something to ask."
"W-what, Kushida-chan? You don't believe us either?"
Ike stammered a hint of desperation in his voice.
Kushida shook her head, smiling warmly.
"No, I believe in my classmates. I just want to help you."
"…Kushida-chan!"
"She is the angel of Class D!"
The three boys were immediately moved, and the other boys in the class looked at her as if she were a saint. Hikigaya, knowing the truth about her, couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
Or perhaps… a fallen angel.
Even so, Hikigaya mused, even if Kushida's true nature were exposed, her looks and figure would still attract plenty of admirers. It was just one of the sad truths of the world—that appearance could be everything.
With a sigh, Hikigaya watched as Kushida took her place on the podium, preparing to address the class.
"Everyone, please listen to me for a moment. Sudo-kun and the others were indeed involved in a fight, but I believe they've been wrongly accused and were simply caught up in the situation."
As one of the most popular girls in the class, Kushida had nearly everyone's ear, especially since she had recently helped organize study sessions that many had benefited from. Because of that, even though Sudo often acted out, her classmates were willing to listen.
"I'll ask again—if anyone here, or anyone among our friends or seniors, witnessed the incident, please contact me at any time."
Kushida's words mirrored Chabashira-sensei's, but the class's reaction was entirely different. Almost immediately, they began discussing among themselves, some even pulling out their phones to message friends for information.
Why not just let Kushida be the homeroom teacher?
Hikigaya thought sarcastically.
But just as he was mulling over this, Kushida suddenly turned to look at him.
"Hikigaya-kun, you and Ike-kun were called to the student council room at noon. Was it because of this?"
In an instant, every pair of eyes in the room was on Hikigaya. The class fell into an uncomfortable silence, leaving him bewildered. Why was he being dragged into this when he was just trying to stay out of it?
"If it's convenient, could you tell us the details?" Kushida asked, her voice sweet but insistent.
"…Why don't you just ask them?"
Hikigaya muttered, nodding towards the three boys. He had no desire to answer her question. The class meeting was over; wasn't it time to go home?
"I want to hear Hikigaya-kun's thoughts first. After all, you're a member of the student council and directly involved in this."
Kushida wasn't letting him off the hook. She likely knew that Sudo, Ike, and Yamauchi wouldn't be able to explain things clearly and would just keep insisting on their innocence, so she kept her attention on Hikigaya.
With no other choice, Hikigaya stood up.
"In short, Ike and Yamauchi were accused by some guys in Class C of harassing their female classmates. Sudo was dragged into it by these two to act as their bodyguard, and things escalated into a fight."
"…Huh?"
The classroom plunged into a heavy silence, only to erupt in a storm of chatter moments later.
"So Ike and Yamauchi were the real culprits?!"
"I knew something was off with those two, always showing off pictures of girls!"
"Sudo, you stepped up for your friends…"
The class's initial anger towards Sudo quickly shifted to Ike and Yamauchi, turning them into the primary targets of everyone's ire.
"Wait! That's not how it happened!"
Ike shouted.
"Yamauchi and I didn't harass anyone! The guys from Class C are just jealous because Manabe-chan and I are close!"
"Yeah! I'm popular—why would I need to harass anyone?"
Yamauchi chimed in, nodding furiously.
But their explanations fell on deaf ears. At this critical moment, it was the class hero, Hirata, who stepped forward.
"Everyone, I believe them," Hirata said, his voice firm.
"Ike-kun and Yamauchi-kun aren't the type to harass women. We all know that. It's understandable to be wary of students from other classes, but it's wrong to immediately suspect our own. Friends should support each other."
"I agree too—if this is a false accusation, it would be too cruel," Hirata's girlfriend, Karuizawa, added, standing by his side.
Hikigaya, however, suspected that she wasn't so much agreeing with Hirata as she was trying to maintain her status as the class hero's girlfriend.
Honestly… it's disgusting.
But just as the class seemed ready to follow Hirata's lead, Hikigaya casually pulled out his phone.
"But the girls from Class C posted your chat logs on the forum. It's anonymous, but… it's pretty clear who they're talking about."
"What?!"
Everyone quickly whipped out their phones, checking the forum for themselves.
Seconds later, the classroom exploded into laughter.