After Sakura revealed her hidden side to Hikaru, the dynamic between them shifted. She began to take the initiative in their conversations, discussing photography and sharing snippets of her daily life.
Hikaru welcomed the change. Now that a foundation of trust had been established, he could use Sakura as a planted observer within Class C, giving him insight into their activities. Unlike Suzune or Kushida, Sakura posed no risk of interfering in class strategies, which made interacting with her much simpler.
The upcoming Student Council hearing about Sudo's altercation was scheduled for this week. Whether Class C could clear his name remained to be seen, but Hikaru was more curious about how the entire process would unfold.
By the time Friday morning arrived, Class A's classroom remained calm and relaxed. Aside from the witness statement collection Hikaru conducted on the day the fight was reported, there had been no further action. As far as his classmates were concerned, the hearing was irrelevant to their class.
That said, there was one other person besides Hikaru who was interested in the outcome.
"Good morning, Hikaru-kun!" A familiar, cheerful voice greeted him as he entered the classroom.
"Good morning, Ichinose-san. Have you had breakfast?"
"I did! Blueberry bread and milk. I feel energized for the entire morning." Ichinose smiled, her expression content.
"That's good to hear. Breakfast is the most important meal, after all."
As Hikaru retrieved his textbooks, Ichinose spoke again, this time more softly. "The hearing's happening today, right? We'll finally know what happened with that fight. Do you think they'll win?"
"Hmm… hard to say."
He placed the book down and glanced at her expression. It was clear that she was genuinely curious about the result.
"I guess it depends on how well they perform during the hearing. Besides verifying the accusations, these hearings often come down to which side presents a more convincing argument to the Student Council."
"Yeah… I just hope Kushida-san handles it well."
"We'll find out soon enough."
Hikaru smiled faintly. He knew Sakura would appear as the crucial witness. He'd even helped her practice her statements a few times to ensure she wouldn't freeze up during the hearing.
Let's see how well she handles it.
---
Meanwhile, the Student Council's conference room was already occupied by all the key participants.
At the head of the table sat Horikita Manabu, arms crossed on the desk in front of him. Beside him stood the Student Council secretary, Tachibana Akane. Her eyes scanned the people seated on both sides while she clutched her ever-present notebook.
On the left side sat Class C's representatives, led by their homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae. Alongside her was Sudo Ken, the accused, as well as Horikita Suzune, the class's chosen spokesperson. Next to them sat Hirata Yosuke, who wasn't directly involved but wanted to support the class.
Opposite them sat Class D's representatives: their teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, along with the two injured accusers, Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Kyogo. Both boys still had bandages wrapped around their heads and arms, making their injuries appear far more severe than they were. Seated behind them, rather than Ryuen Kakeru, was Ibuki Mio, who was now serving as the class's spokesperson.
Earlier that morning, Ryuen had given her final instructions. He explained that this hearing was Class D's first offensive move against Class C—aimed at getting Sudo expelled and lowering Class C's Class Points. If the plan succeeded, Class D would reclaim its former standing.
Ibuki had no desire to participate in Ryuen's schemes, but she understood that this wasn't a simple, straightforward case. Her nerves were on edge as she clutched the phone Ryuen had given her.
"This video is your trump card," Ryuen had said with a smug grin. "It's the key to sinking that red-haired idiot. You know how to use it, right? After all, you did something similar to get me suspended last time."
"Yeah, I know what to do," Ibuki had replied, gripping the phone with a mixture of dread and resolve.
Now, sitting in the hearing room, she tightened her grip on the device.
"Since everyone has arrived," Tachibana began, her voice calm and formal, "we'll proceed with the hearing regarding the violent incident that occurred last week. I will serve as the chair, while the Student Council President will listen to the arguments and issue a final ruling."
She paused, flipping open her notebook. "The accusers, Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Kyogo from Class D, claim that they were lured to the Special Building by Sudo Ken from Class C, where he assaulted them. Sudo denies these allegations, stating that he was the one who was called there and that he acted in self-defense."
"Since the facts are disputed, we'll now proceed with the debate. Let's begin."
Tachibana closed her notebook and gestured toward the Class C side.
Sudo immediately shot to his feet. "I didn't start anything! Those two kept harassing me because they're jealous that I became a regular on the basketball team. They came after me during practice and picked a fight—"
"Please remain calm," Tachibana interrupted. "Shouting doesn't add credibility to your statement."
Sudo bit his lip and sat down, shoulders tense.
"The defending party has the right to question the accusers first. Is your representative ready?"
Suzune stood up without hesitation. Her eyes flicked toward her brother before turning to face the two boys across the room. She recalled Hikaru's advice during their meeting at the café: This is your opportunity to shine. Make the most of it.
"I'm ready to proceed."
"Go ahead," Tachibana prompted.
Suzune inhaled deeply and fixed her gaze on Komiya. "You claim Sudo called you out to the Special Building. What reason did he give?"
"He said he needed to talk to me about something," Komiya responded smoothly. "So I went."
"And why did Ishizaki accompany you? He isn't in the basketball club."
"That's a question for Sudo, not me," Komiya said with a frown. "I asked Ishizaki to come along because I was worried. Sudo had been hostile toward me ever since I joined the club."
Komiya clenched his fists. "I was competing for a regular spot, but Sudo got chosen instead. He told me during practice that I should give up or I'd embarrass the team. When he called me to meet, I thought he might try to threaten me, so I brought Ishizaki for protection."
"Yeah!" Ishizaki chimed in. "That guy's temper is scary. We figured it was safer if I tagged along."
"You're lying!" Sudo shot up again, his fists clenched. "I never said anything like that! I got the regular spot fair and square!"
"Please sit down," Tachibana said firmly.
Suzune gave Sudo a subtle nod, signaling him to remain calm. Then she turned back to the boys.
"I see. So you brought Ishizaki as a precaution," she said, her voice steady. "Let me ask something else: When the fight broke out, why didn't you fight back? There were two of you against one. By all logic, you should have had the upper hand."
Komiya exhaled sharply. "We didn't want to fight. We knew getting into a fight would result in suspension or expulsion, so we tried not to resist."
"But if you were merely defending yourselves," Suzune pressed, "why are you the ones with injuries while Sudo has none?"
"It's obvious!" Komiya snapped, his tone shifting to one of righteous indignation. "He was out of control! I told you—he wanted me to quit competing for the regular spot. When I refused, he started hitting us!"
Ishizaki scowled. "Yeah! That guy's a violent maniac. He kept hitting us even when we tried to back off!"
Suzune's mind raced. Their answers were perfectly rehearsed. The story flowed so smoothly it almost sounded plausible.
Almost.
She glanced at her brother. His face was unreadable.
"Let's proceed with the next phase," she said at last. "We have a witness who can clarify what happened."
Suzune turned toward the conference room's door and raised her voice.
"Sakura-san, please come in."
(TL/N - Special Building is Special Annex of the Science Building btw. I just shortened it.)
~~~
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