As Hikigaya had anticipated, both Horikita Manabu and Class C agreed to move the judgment date to Friday.
After school, students from both classes, along with their homeroom teachers, gathered in the student council room.
Hikigaya waited outside the door.
Although Tachibana-senpai was presiding over the meeting, as usual, he had to stay behind to take "minutes of the meeting" afterward.
...It's a miserable job when you think about it.
"Are you ready, Sudou?" Horikita asked, her voice steady, masking the concern she felt.
In the dimly lit conference room, where tension hung as thick as the air, Horikita and Ayanokouji sat with the three accused—Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi—awaiting the showdown. Their homeroom teacher, Chabashira-sensei, stood at the back, her presence commanding silence.
Horikita's eyes lingered on Sudou. Unlike Ike and Yamauchi, who had resigned themselves to their fate, Sudou was unpredictable. She feared he might lash out or say something reckless.
"It's fine. I know what needs to be done," Sudou replied, his arms crossed tightly against his chest. His gaze was firm, resolute.
On the opposite side of the long table sat three boys from Class C, still wrapped in bandages, their injuries a testament to the severity of the altercation. Alongside them was a girl with twin ponytails, Manabe, who was central to this incident.
A man in his thirties, glasses perched on his nose, sat next to her—Sakagami-sensei, the homeroom teacher of Class C, is known for fiercely defending his students.
At the head of the table sat Manabu Horikita, the student council president, his focus unwavering as he scanned the documents before him. His indifference was palpable, yet there was a shift in his demeanor that didn't go unnoticed by his sister, Horikita Suzune.
Could it be... is he just acting cold?
"Let's begin," announced Akane Tachibana, the Student Council Secretary, her voice slicing through the tension like a blade.
"We are here to determine the truth behind this violent incident."
As Tachibana laid out the sequence of events, she emphasized the importance of discerning which side was telling the truth. Her words were calm, and measured, but they carried the weight of authority.
She turned her attention to Class D, signaling the start of the questioning.
Before she could begin, Sudou abruptly stood up. "Before you ask your questions, there's something I need to say."
"Sudou!"
Horikita hissed, alarmed by his sudden outburst. But as she met his gaze, she saw the determination burning in his eyes and chose not to intervene.
Tachibana hesitated, glancing at President Horikita for guidance. With a slight nod from him, she permitted Sudou to speak. "Please keep it brief," she instructed.
Sudou took a deep breath, then bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry! Even though Class C started it, I admit I lost control and went too far!"
The room fell into stunned silence.
"Ike and Yamauchi didn't do anything. It was all me. I'm sorry!"
Sudou's confession echoed through the room, heavy with the weight of truth. He sank back into his seat, the tension around him palpable.
Sakagami-sensei was the first to break the silence.
"Well, it's commendable that this student is owning up to his mistake. As an educator, I'm pleased to see that. But, in light of his admission, doesn't that mean Class C has won this case?"
Horikita immediately countered, her voice sharp.
"No, these are two separate issues. Sudou admitted to overreacting in the heat of the moment, but the focus should be on what triggered the incident, not just the outcome."
Sakagami-sensei fell silent, unable to refute her point.
"Let's proceed with the questioning," Tachibana said, her eyes returning to Class D.
"According to Class C, Ike, and Yamauchi from your class harassed Manabe-san, leading to the confrontation. Is that true?"
"Yes," Horikita responded before Ike or Yamauchi could react, catching them off guard.
Ishizaki, one of the boys from Class C, looked confused.
"Wait, what?"
"I don't deny the harassment occurred," Horikita continued, her tone measured.
"But I won't admit to it either. It's a matter of perspective. What's more important is why only Class C's students were injured in the confrontation."
She leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she assessed the situation.
"Ishizaki and the others are strong. Ike and Yamauchi are, frankly, not fighters. Even if they tried, they wouldn't have stood a chance. But Sudou... he's different."
Her words struck a chord. Ike and Yamauchi winced, but Sudou remained stoic.
"And just now, Sudou admitted he was the only one who fought. So, how is it that three strong boys were injured by one? That doesn't add up."
"That's because we weren't trying to fight," Ishizaki protested.
Horikita shook her head.
"In a fight, both sides engage. But if one side isn't resisting, it's hard to believe they'd suffer such injuries."
"He's violent!"
Ishizaki shot back, "When he saw we weren't fighting back, he attacked us even more viciously."
Ishizaki's words were met with suspicion. He tore off the bandages on his face, revealing the wounds underneath.
"Look at this! It's proof!"
Horikita, unfazed, pulled out a document and slammed it onto the table.
"This is the report from your most recent visit to the infirmary."
Ishizaki blinked, caught off guard.
"It's been days since the incident. Why haven't your injuries healed? They've gotten worse."
"That's because... we weren't careful," Ishizaki stammered.
"Really? Then why are there new wounds?" Horikita pressed.
The members of Class C fell silent, unable to answer. Even Sakagami-sensei struggled to find a way out. In the midst of this, Ishizaki suddenly slammed the table.
"Damn that Hikigaya! I thought he was on our side, but this is all a setup!"
"Hikigaya?"
Horikita echoed, momentarily thrown off. Then she realized this was likely part of her brother's plan. She glanced at Manabu, who, for the first time, looked up with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
My brother... smiled?
The unexpected sight left Horikita reeling, emotions swirling within her.
Meanwhile, the students from Class D exchanged looks of relief. They weren't out of the woods yet, but Class C's lies had bought them some time.
"Chabashira-sensei," Sakagami-sensei interjected, attempting to regain control. "Perhaps we should consider a compromise."
"What?"
Horikita snapped.
"Given the circumstances," Sakagami-sensei began, choosing his words carefully, "it's clear that some students from Class C acted out of anger. However, your class also bears responsibility for the violence. I propose that all six students involved be suspended for two weeks. It's a fair compromise, don't you think?"
Manabu Horikita remained silent, listening intently. He knew that if Class C continued to push their lies, their credibility would be irreparably damaged. Yet, Ike and Yamauchi seemed almost pleased by the prospect of suspension, as though it were an opportunity to escape the grind of school.
Even Sudou appeared relieved, as though he'd braced himself for a far worse punishment.
But Horikita wasn't satisfied. She stared at the table, her lips pressed into a thin line, frustration etched across her face.
Tachibana's voice cut through the air. "Class D, your response?"
Horikita stood, her resolve firm.
"I won't deny that our class has its faults. They need to reflect on their behavior and the trouble they've caused. But not on this incident, because I'm certain that this was a deliberate setup by Class C. I won't just sit back and take it."
The room fell silent as everyone processed her words.
"Then, what do you propose?" Manabu finally asked, his voice calm.
"I want to clear Sudou's name and the others'," Horikita declared. "We won't accept any suspension, not even for a single day."
Sakagami-sensei chuckled, shaking his head.
"A deliberate setup? That's absurd. While I admit some students in my class made mistakes, the fact remains that your class initiated the fight. That's indisputable."
Horikita didn't back down.
"But you have no proof to support that claim. And given your class's blatant lies, it's clear that Sudou and the others are the real victims here."
"We're the victims, President!" Ishizaki shouted.
"No, we are!" Sudou and Ike retorted.
The room erupted into chaos as students from both classes yelled over each other.
"Enough!" Manabu's voice silenced the room instantly.
"If both sides insist the other is lying, then we'll reconvene tomorrow at noon. If no one presents evidence by then, we'll rule on a solution. That's all. Dismissed!"
Horikita clenched her fists, anger bubbling within her. Manabu's verdict felt like a defeat, yet she knew that walking away with nothing would only lead to disaster.
---
Hikigaya had been waiting outside for what felt like an eternity. As the door finally creaked open, he prepared to step inside. But before he could move, Horikita Suzune emerged first, shooting him a piercing glare.
"Uh...what?"
Hikigaya barely had time to process Horikita's icy stare before Ishizaki and his two cronies followed, each giving him a similar look of disdain. Even Sudou seemed to deliberately avoid making eye contact with him.
Despite the tension, no one said a word, likely because President Horikita was still in the room.
What the hell is going on here?!
Hikigaya was completely bewildered. Sure, he could understand why Ishizaki and his friends were upset with him, but what was up with Horikita?
"President, what's the verdict?" Hikigaya asked Horikita Manabu, hoping for some clarity.
But the response Hikigaya received was unexpected.
"We'll hold off on the decision until tomorrow at noon."
"What? But tomorrow's Saturday!"
Horikita Manabu's silent stare immediately silenced Hikigaya, who quickly realized this wasn't the moment for jokes—even if he hadn't been joking.
"Why the delay?" Hikigaya asked, puzzled. "The evidence Horikita presented should at least lessen the punishment, shouldn't it?"
"No," Manabu replied calmly. "She's aiming for complete exoneration."
"...What?"
Hikigaya was momentarily stunned.
"What do you think they'll do?" Manabu asked.
"They'll... wait, 'they'?" Hikigaya suddenly found the word choice odd. "Who else do you mean by 'they' besides Horikita?"
Given the situation, Sudou and his crew hardly seemed like formidable strategists in Manabu's eyes.
Which meant...
"It's Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, the one who sparred with me last time."
As expected, Manabu confirmed Hikigaya's suspicion by mentioning that name.
"So... it was Ayanokouji who suggested the strategy that could prove Horikita's claim of innocence?" Hikigaya asked, feeling a bit defeated.
"Sounds like you don't think Suzune could have come up with it on her own," Manabu observed, adjusting his glasses.
"That's ridiculous," Hikigaya replied, annoyed. But Manabu didn't seem offended.
"Do you think they'll succeed?"
"Who knows..."
Despite his nonchalance, Hikigaya knew this situation was anything but simple.
After all, Horikita's true challenge wasn't dealing with the three buffoons or the Ishizaki's crew.