Natsukawa Sosuke finished organizing his books and was about to stand up when a cool, aloof figure approached his desk.
It was Horikita Suzune.
Her expression was as cold as ever. Her sharp eyes, now carrying a hint of contemplation, looked toward the direction Sudo had left. Her gaze then shifted to Natsukawa, and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who remained silent beside him.
"Don't you think something is strange?" Horikita Suzune asked bluntly. Her voice was soft, but clear enough for the two nearby students to hear.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka maintained his usual expressionless demeanor and offered no response.
Natsukawa Sosuke calmly lifted his eyelids and looked at her, "Such as?"
"The points haven't been distributed on time." Horikita's gaze swept across their faces. "The school system has been running smoothly for so long; I don't believe the issue originated with the school."
She paused slightly, connecting two seemingly unrelated matters with an invisible thread.
"Then, on the very day the delay was announced, Chabashira-sensei specifically called Sudo-kun away."
"Don't you think... this is too much of a coincidence?"
Horikita Suzune didn't offer a conclusion, but the suspicion contained in her words was self-evident.
What the school called a minor matter might not be a system glitch or an administrative issue at all.
Its source was likely related to a certain student.
And Sudo Ken, who was called away at this critical juncture, was undoubtedly the prime suspect.
The air seemed to be filled with the scent of an approaching storm... The next day, early morning.
In the D Class classroom, students sat listlessly in their seats. The preparatory bell for the morning meeting failed to dispel the low pressure hanging in the air.
It wasn't until the figure of Chabashira Sae appeared at the classroom door, like a moving wave of cold air.
She still wore her eternally unchanging cold expression. She surveyed the students below, who were either agitated or numb, then walked onto the podium and dropped a bomb in a monotone voice.
"Regarding the delayed distribution of points yesterday, a conclusion has now been reached."
The entire class instantly perked up.
"Because a student in this class, Sudo Ken, committed an act of violent assault against three members of the C Class Basketball Club and their classmates near the Special Instruction Building after school on the 28th. The nature of the act is malicious."
"According to school regulations, this action has caused a severe negative impact on D Class's class evaluation. Therefore, the class points originally scheduled for D Class this month will be deducted by 100 points as punishment."
—100 points.
These two words exploded like a clap of thunder in everyone's minds.
The classroom fell into a deathly silence that lasted for several seconds.
Following that, the silence was instantly shattered.
"Huh?! Are you kidding me!"
"100 points? Doesn't that mean all our work last month was for nothing?!"
"What the hell! It's Sudo again!"
Anger, astonishment, and undisguised resentment instantly materialized into a wave of sound, converging from all directions, like invisible arrows aimed straight at the red-haired figure.
"Shut up!"
Sudo Ken slammed his hand on the desk and abruptly stood up. His already fierce face was now flushed red with anger and a sense of being wronged. He glared intensely at Chabashira Sae on the podium, veins bulging on his neck like an enraged beast.
"Those guys started it! They were unhappy that I made the starting lineup, so they deliberately came over to provoke me! I barely even fought back!"
His defense was full of agitation, but it seemed incredibly weak and ineffective.
Chabashira Sae looked at him coldly, without the slightest hint of emotion in her eyes. "That is your unilateral statement. The three students from C Class unanimously claim that you provoked them without cause and were the first to strike them. They have witnesses and physical evidence in the form of injuries."
Her words were like a bucket of ice water, nearly extinguishing Sudo Ken's rage.
"Th-They're lying!" Sudo Ken's voice weakened. He looked around, trying to find a trace of trust on his classmates' faces, but all he saw was indifference, suspicion, and blame.
"However," Chabashira Sae's voice didn't pause, "you have no evidence to prove your innocence. If you can find a witness to prove what you call'self-defense,' there is still room for negotiation."
"A witness..." Sudo Ken's eyes dimmed. In such an isolated place, after school, how could there possibly be a witness?
Just then, a gentle yet firm voice broke the suffocating deadlock.
"Um... excuse me!"
Kushida Kikyo raised her hand and stood up from her seat. Her face showed an appropriate amount of concern, and her clear, large eyes were full of worry for her classmate.
"May I ask if any students here happened to pass by the Special Instruction Building around that time and saw Sudo-kun and the others? Or, can any student provide any relevant clues?"
Her angelic voice echoed in the silent classroom. However, the only response she received was silence.
No one spoke. Although most students looked at her, not a single one could provide useful information.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Kushida Kikyo's face. Subconsciously, she secretly glanced out of the corner of her eye toward the corner of the back row of the classroom.
Natsukawa Sosuke was calmly staring out the window, propping up his chin with one hand. There was no expression on his face, as if the turmoil concerning the interests of the entire class was nothing more than a boring farce to him.
Sensing Natsukawa's indifferent and seemingly unconcerned attitude, Kushida Kikyo bit her lower lip and finally sat down slowly with a hint of apology.
Chabashira Sae took all of this in. She adjusted her glasses and made her final announcement.
"Since there are no witnesses, this matter will be handled and adjudicated by the Student Council. One week from now, the involved parties from D Class and C Class will hold a final negotiation at the Student Council. The final punishment will be decided based on the negotiation results. Whether class points are deducted, or if there are additional penalties, will be up to you."
"The morning meeting is adjourned."
...After the oppressive morning meeting, it was break time.
The atmosphere inside the classroom did not improve simply because the teacher had left. Sudo Ken was like an isolated island, excluded from all circles. Whispers converged into an undercurrent of malice, silently swirling around him.
"How unlucky, to be put in the same class as a psycho like him..."
"Exactly. The class points we worked so hard to earn were completely ruined by him alone."
"I think he's a ticking time bomb; sooner or later, he'll ruin the whole class."
These complaints and accusations, small enough to be dismissed but clear enough to pierce his ears, finally pushed Sudo Ken's patience to its limit.
"What are you guys whispering about over there!" He abruptly turned and roared at the students discussing him. "I already told you, they started it! That was self-defense! And I barely fought back!"
However, his roar only earned him more eye rolls and scornful snorts. Under these circumstances, no one would believe a "repeat offender" violent student.
Just as the antagonism within the class was about to fully erupt, a gentle yet strong voice spoke up.
"Everyone, please calm down first."