Chapter 071: Using Underhanded Means? Ryuen Kakeru, You've Fallen from Class C!
Horikita Suzune wanted to prove herself.
So—
She stood up and looked at Komiya and Ishizaki Daichi.
"Are you sure your injuries were caused by Sudo?" Horikita Suzune asked.
"Yes, Sudo hit us without holding back. We were in pain for quite a while," Ishizaki Daichi replied.
"Oh, so you're saying Sudo injured you this badly?" Horikita Suzune continued.
"In that case, please drop out," she said, turning toward Horikita Manabu.
Facing her older brother was stressful.
But—
Her performance just now probably made him think about expelling her again.
Yet, she still wanted his approval.
"I want to defend Sudo and prove his innocence."
"Because all of this is a false accusation by Class C students."
"They planned this fight from the start, and now that everyone is here, I formally request, as student council president, that you punish Class C for their false accusations."
Horikita Suzune lifted her head stubbornly.
At that moment, the student council president finally changed his posture.
He had remained unresponsive even when his sister was being provoked earlier, but now he seemed ready to make a statement.
However—
"Hey, hey, hey..."
The Class C homeroom teacher, a slightly thin man with glasses, immediately spoke up upon hearing Horikita's words.
"Please do not falsely accuse my students!" he said quickly.
"This is a dispute between students. As teachers, we shouldn't interfere, right, Sakagami- Sensei?" Chabashira Sae interjected.
"..." Sakagami Kazuma.
What was up with Chabashira Sae? She had suddenly become more aggressive.
It's her second time leading Class D.
This school valued ability above all else, even among teachers, and their salary and benefits were linked to their class's performance.
As Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma had always been wary of Chabashira.
But—
In the previous year, she had done nothing.
In other words, she had no offensive presence before.
Yet now—
Was she finally starting to fight back?
"What evidence do you have to prove Sudo's innocence?" Horikita Manabu asked. "Don't change the subject."
"We have eyewitnesses who saw the fight," Horikita Suzune replied. "They can testify that Ishizaki Daichi, Komiya, and Kondo from Class C deliberately framed Sudo."
"And they even reversed the blame with a false accusation," she added.
"Yes, yes, I'm completely innocent!"
Sudo Ken, who had been struggling to get a word in, immediately defended himself. "Komiya and the others are just jealous that I, a first-year, became an official member of the basketball team. That's why they're trying to set me up!"
But his defense clearly missed the main point.
"That's impossible," Ishizaki Daichi quickly countered. "We are the victims here. Everyone knows Sudo is violent. And look at our injuries!"
In reality, they had rehearsed this trial.
Their entire preparation had been focused on accusing Sudo. But now that they were being counter-accused, they were completely thrown off.
This wasn't part of the script.
They couldn't keep up with the act.
"Do you have any evidence?" Sakagami Kazuma asked. "You claim to have eyewitnesses—then bring them out! Let's see them!"
"Or are you just trying to trick my students?"
"Even if you find a so-called witness, they could be lying."
"If it turns out to be false testimony, then Class C will hold you accountable." Sakagami Kazuma unleashed his full force.
"Sakagami-Sensei!"
Chabashira looked over.
Sakagami was now actively interfering in a student dispute.
He was an adult and a former student of this school himself.
So—
He was sharp.
He was subtly giving hints to Ishizaki and the others.
Because over the past week, Class 1-D had searched everywhere for eyewitnesses to Sudo's fight.
Unfortunately, despite all their efforts—even using the student council's bulletin board—they had found no witnesses.
Based on this fact, Sakagami was warning his students that Class D's claims might be a bluff to extract the truth from them.
And Ishizaki and the others seemed to understand.
Because if Class C were proven to have made false accusations, the consequences would be severe.
To a degree that Sakagami himself couldn't accept.
So they wanted to save themselves.
This was the courtroom-style debate between both sides, led by Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma.
Normally, both sides in a trial could prepare a defense. However, Class C did not have one.
Besides Ryuen's arrangements, there was also the presence of their reliable homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma.
This teacher was doing everything in his power to steer things in Class C's favor.
The reason Ryuen was able to unify the class so quickly was partly due to his own methods, but also thanks to Sakagami Kazuma's secret support.
In other words, Sakagami believed that this generation of Class C had the potential to rise.
And if they managed to climb up, he would reap enormous benefits—an increase in salary and, more importantly, a boost in dignity and personal recognition.
After all, Class C and Class D were both seen as "trash classes," meaning he had little to be proud of.
...
"Present the evidence," Horikita Manabu said calmly. "If you have a witness, bring them out. If you have evidence, show it."
If the previous exchanges were considered mere debate, they were nothing special.
Fights between students weren't uncommon, and the school had a set process for handling such incidents.
However, since this was part of the Behavioral Standards Exam, the penalties would be harsher.
So—
Would there be any surprises now?
At this point, Horikita Manabu was no longer focusing on his sister.
Instead, he shifted his gaze to another person.
That male student had yet to assert his position.
Previously, this student had taken proactive measures—destroying surveillance cameras and exposing class evaluation points.
Now, in a simple case of a fight, Horikita Manabu felt that this person must have more up his sleeve. It wouldn't make sense for him to just sit there doing nothing.
And under Horikita Manabu's scrutiny—
"Yes, we have evidence."
The one who spoke up was none other than Hikigaya, who had earlier switched seats with Chabashira-sensei and even provocatively touched the student council president's sister right in front of him.
"Horikita Suzune is the eyewitness," Hikigaya stated. "And this is the footage she recorded."
As he spoke, he pulled out an SD card from a camera.
"..."
Horikita Manabu did not respond immediately.
Instead, he turned to look at Tachibana Akane.
Understanding his intent, Tachibana promptly stepped forward to collect the SD card.
She then operated the equipment, preparing to project the footage onto the screen.
"..."
Sakagami Kazuma, on the other hand, remained calm.
But deep down, he realized the situation had become dangerous.
If it had only been an eyewitness testimony, there might have been various reasons why the witness didn't come forward immediately.
However, if they had recorded footage—this was an entirely different matter.
Wasn't this kind of evidence terrifying?
Because once such footage was exposed, it would place Class C at an absolute disadvantage.
This meant that Class D could have countered Class C's claims from the very beginning with evidence.
So why wait until now—until even the student council president had shown up?
In other words—
Had Class C been completely set up?
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sakagami took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat forming on his forehead.
As Tachibana Akane operated the equipment, the contents recorded on the SD card were projected onto the screen.
The footage showed several first-year Class C students gathered near the Special Experiment Building.
"Relax, he'll come."
A delinquent with brown hair flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it underfoot with disdain. "That idiot who loses his temper over a single provocation—there's no way he'd hold back after reading our letter."
"That's true."
The red-haired delinquent who had spoken earlier also laughed. "If he weren't this stupid, we wouldn't have chosen him in the first place."
"Hey, shut up!"
Class C's Ishizaki Daichi snapped, "Sudo is coming soon. Be careful not to let him hear anything. If we mess up Ryuen's plan, we'll all be in trouble."
"I got it."
At the mention of Ryuen's name, the brown-haired delinquent trembled slightly and nodded.
"Bastards! Where are you?! Get out here!"
Just as the red-haired delinquent was about to say something, an enraged voice rang out from the staircase below.
What followed was a full recording of Sudo being restrained, then beaten by Ishizaki Daichi—before Sudo finally fought back.
And Komiya—
"We're screwed."
Seeing the footage, Ishizaki Daichi and the others paled with fear.
Because the video showed everything from the very beginning—how this was Ryuen's plan, how they attacked Sudo first, and even… the state of their injuries when they left.
In other words—
When they separated, they had no injuries.
Which meant that the injuries they later presented to the student council as evidence had been deliberately inflicted.
"Shit! So I was framed?!"
Sudo exploded in anger.
He had been trying to hold back, wanting to avoid losing points, so he had only fought in self-defense.
He was sure of it—he had only acted in self-defense.
But now, even that wasn't true.
From the beginning, he had been set up!
The video showed Ishizaki and the others explicitly stating that this was Ryuen's plan.
Which meant—it was all that bastard Ryuen's doing!
"Everyone, quiet down."
Horikita Manabu spoke. "The evidence is undeniable."
"The accusation that first-year Class C made against Sudo for assault is officially classified as false."
"As per standard procedure, this will result in a deduction of 100 class evaluation points."
"However, since this incident involved the student council and constituted contempt toward the council, I will impose an additional penalty of 100 points."
"Furthermore, since this occurred during the Behavioral Standards Exam, the severity of the offense will be escalated, and the same penalty will be applied again under the exam's rules."
That meant—
100 points plus another 100, then doubled.
A total deduction of 400 points!
"This… this can't be happening…"
Ishizaki Daichi and the others immediately turned to look at their homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma.
But Sakagami's face had already turned pale.
Because the student council president wasn't finished speaking.
"And then, once the results are officially announced, the class evaluation rankings will be updated the following day."
"As a result, first-year Class C will become Class D."
"This is the first case of its kind during my tenure."
Indeed.
To drop from Class C to Class D within the first month of enrollment—
This was unprecedented in the school's history.
But—
"There must be some mistake!"
Sakagami Kazuma hurriedly protested. "I believe something is definitely wrong here!"
"And what exactly is wrong, Sakagami-sensei?" Horikita Manabu asked expressionlessly. "As a homeroom teacher, you are already overstepping your bounds."
"That…"
Sakagami Kazuma was immediately at a loss for words.
Because unlike in the outside world, the student council at this school held immense power—sometimes even surpassing the faculty.
In certain situations, not even homeroom teachers could override the student council president.
"Then why, if you had such evidence all along, didn't you reveal it earlier? Why wait until now to bring it out?"
Sakagami Kazuma pressed forward despite the pressure. "That's why I suspect this is all part of Class D's scheme!"
"You deliberately let things escalate so that you could counterattack at the most damaging moment!"
It was a reasonable argument.
And immediately, everyone's eyes turned to Hikigaya Hachiman—
Or rather, to the one who had just been identified as the key eyewitness, Horikita Suzune.
That fox-eyed girl.
Because if she had been the eyewitness all along, why hadn't she provided the evidence earlier?
Why had she waited until this crucial moment to present it?
Was it so that Class C would receive the harshest possible punishment?
What a terrifying level of scheming.
But—
"..."
Horikita Suzune remained silent.
She had always been alone.
She was used to solitude, and she never cared about how others looked at her.
So even with everyone staring at her now, she remained composed.
But inside—she was anything but calm.
Because—
She had no idea why Hikigaya had pushed the role of eyewitness onto her when he was the real witness.
It felt like she had been made the scapegoat.
But now, there was no room for denial.
"Perhaps Horikita-san simply didn't expect your Class C to be so shameless," Hikigaya spoke at just the right moment. "To the point of intentionally worsening your injuries just to falsely accuse a student from our class."
"So, from the very beginning, it was Class C that abandoned all sense of integrity."
"We have merely been responding appropriately all along."
"Isn't that right, Student Council President?" Hachiman said.
Everyone turned their eyes to the president.
He had already lifted his chin from resting on his hand.
With a slight push to the bridge of his glasses, he spoke.
"The ruling stands," he said.
In other words, the punishment would not be revoked.
"First-year Class C, while this school emphasizes strength and allows for simulated real-world experiences, there are some actions that will never serve you well—even in society."
"I hope you take this as a lesson."
With those words, the student council president walked out.
"President!"
Secretary Tachibana Akane cast a glance in their direction before quickly gathering her notes and following after him.
This marked the end of the trial.
.
.
.
"So… not only am I completely innocent, but Class C also lost 400 points?"
Sudo finally grasped the situation. "Then our class actually moved up a rank?"
"Yes," Hachiman confirmed. "Sudo, you endured humiliation and stuck to self-defense, ultimately preserving our class's points. I'm truly moved."
"Heh!"
Sudo immediately straightened up, brimming with pride.
"I told you—I was only defending myself! I did nothing wrong!"
"Damn it, Ryuen!"
So, it was all Ryuen's doing.
"By the way, do you have some kind of history with Ryuen?" Hachiman continued to ask.
Normally, questioning a victim wasn't ideal—because the blame always lay with the perpetrator.
But—
If there was absolutely no prior connection, that would also be hard to believe.
Why had Ryuen specifically chosen Sudo?
"Uh…" Sudo's expression turned awkward.
It seemed likely that he had privately been bullied by Ryuen before.
Despite his aggressive and rough demeanor, Sudo was actually more bark than bite.
Hachiman had noticed this on the very first day of school.
"Hikigaya-kun."
At that moment, Horikita Suzune looked directly at him.
Because—
Even though their class had won the trial, she hadn't forgotten the fact that she was never informed about the evidence proving Sudo's innocence.
She only learned about it ten minutes before the trial began.
And just now—
She hadn't even been notified before being named as the eyewitness.
So, she was trying to understand where exactly she stood in his eyes.
Did he not trust her?
Yet still had no problem using her as a scapegoat?
But—
Hachiman didn't immediately respond to Horikita. Instead, he turned back to Sudo.
"You guys keep talking, you keep talking," Sudo said, sensing the atmosphere. "I'm heading out first. Thanks, Horikita—for recording that evidence. If not for you, I'd have been done for."
With that, Sudo took off.
Because of the fight, not only had his classmates looked down on him, but even his club had shunned him.
The club captain had outright revoked his position as a regular team member.
But now, he had to rush off and tell the upperclassmen about the student council's ruling—proving that he had done nothing wrong!
His character was fine!
His physical ability was fine!
And his passion for basketball was definitely fine!
.
.
.
With that, Hachiman and Horikita also exited the room.
They stepped into the hallway.
After taking a few steps, Hachiman finally responded to Horikita's unspoken question about why she was made the eyewitness.
"It was simply a strategy."
"Our goal is to climb up to Class A"
"But while Hirata and Kushida are well-liked, you still lack popularity within our class."
"You need to build some credibility, so that in future exams, when you give orders, your classmates will be more inclined to follow them."
That reasoning… made sense.
Hachiman had once tampered with a surveillance camera.
Even though Hirata had helped smooth things over, many students still viewed him negatively.
So, if he were the one leading the charge, there would be those who simply wouldn't listen.
So, if someone else were propped up instead, perhaps the outcome would be different.
If that was the reason, then Horikita Suzune could accept it.
"Besides," Hachiman continued, "your brother was present today. You wouldn't have wanted to be completely useless in front of him, would you?"
"So… you orchestrated everything against Class C, executed the counterattack, and then credited it to me?"
"Was that to help me gain some recognition in front of my brother?"
Horikita Suzune's voice trembled slightly. "I do appreciate that, but my brother would never believe I was capable of thinking this far ahead."
"So next time, you don't have to do this."
Suzune then shook her head lightly.
"..."
Meanwhile, Chabashira watched them from a distance.
She felt that Horikita Suzune resembled her past self in some ways—but not entirely.
Because she herself had never been this easy to fool.