We don't have witnesses

Horikita was stumped, her face slightly contorting with stress. Ayanokoji observed this before shifting his gaze toward Sae Chabashira.

Noticing his stare, Chabashira stood up to address the council. "Student Council President, may we request an extension?"

Horikita Manabu narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "With respect, what is the reasoning?"

Chabashira, her calm expression unwavering, replied, "To bring in any available witnesses and reassess our approach to this matter. Surely, that is reasonable?"

"There's no need. He must face the consequences of his actions, an—"

"Sakagami-sensei, please do not interrupt the hearing." Horikita's tone remained composed, yet firm.

Turning back to Chabashira, he continued, "As for your request, I can see the merit in it. Given the severity of the situation and the fact that your student's fate hangs by a thread…" His words carried a tone of understanding.

Chabashira gave a curt nod and headed for the door, followed by Ayanokoji, Sudo, and Horikita.

---

Class C

Tension suffocated the room. Ryuen and Ibuki stared daggers into Nero's soul, but he remained indifferent to their scrutiny.

"You know, glaring at me like that isn't going to do shit," Nero muttered, his voice tinged with disinterest.

"Not that I doubt you," Ryuen mused, tilting his head slightly. "But given the weight of the situation, I have to wonder—why are you so calm?"

Nero responded sharply, "This plan only serves one purpose—to understand the school's system better. Nothing more, nothing less."

Before Ryuen could reply, the classroom door slid open, revealing Sakagami-sensei, followed closely by Ichizaki and Kyogo.

"Everyone, settle down." Sakagami's voice cut through the murmurs. "I am here to inform you that Sudo Ken will face the consequences of his actions."

A wave of hushed whispers spread across the room, but Nero remained detached from the commotion.

"For now, you all have a free period. Make the most of it." Sakagami said before exiting.

Nero's gaze shifted to Ichizaki and Kyogo. Without hesitation, he approached them, pulling up a chair to sit across from them.

"Yo, so what's the update?"

Ichizaki, acting as the spokesperson, responded, "I think we've backed them into a corner. They managed to extend the hearing by a day or two, saying they need time to bring in a witness."

Nero raised an eyebrow at Ichizaki's explanation, his thoughts becoming clearer. I didn't play a major role in this incident—just gave Ryuen a few suggestions to make it harder to counter. But with the right approach, this could have been avoided… He pondered for a moment before a realization struck him. A witness, huh? I guess that's where she comes in.

"So they're desperate." Nero leaned back, mulling over the situation. "If they had a solid witness, they would've presented them today. The fact that they haven't means the person is either unwilling or unaware of their own importance."

Ibuki frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Think about it. If your classmate was about to be expelled, would you hesitate to step in? In a normal school, maybe. But in a system like this, where expulsion affects class points and standings, people have more at stake. Yet, no one has come forward."

Ryuen smirked, his sharp eyes narrowing. "So you're saying there is a witness, but they've chosen to stay silent due to the competitive nature of this school?"

"That, I do not know, If they were in Class D, they should've spoken up by now. But they haven't."

Ichizaki perked up. "So that means they don't have a witness yet?"

"Not necessarily." Nero folded his arms. "It just means the witness doesn't want to exist. At least, not yet."

Ichizaki and Kyogo exchanged uncertain glances. Meanwhile, Nero remained confident in his conclusion.

"So what's the plan, Ryuen?" Nero asked.

Ryuen, unfazed, leaned back in his seat. "Nothing. We wait and watch how this plays out. Even if they bring forth some form of evidence, we won't retract our complaint. At worst, we'll negotiate to reduce Sudo's punishment."

Nero nodded in understanding. "A safety net, huh? Even if the truth comes out, we still maintain plausible deniability while leaving just enough doubt to sow frustration."

Stretching his arms, Nero stood up. "Well, I'll be heading out." He made his way to the door without looking back.

Ibuki, still skeptical, turned to Ryuen. "You really trust that guy? Something feels off about him."

Ryuen smirked. "He's sharp, no doubt. But yeah… something about him doesn't add up."

Ibuki slowly nodded. "Yeah…"

---

Class D

The atmosphere in Class D was equally tense. Horikita stood at the front, explaining the predicament surrounding Sudo's case. But without a witness, their options were limited.

Kushida, the class's supposed angel, stood up, her voice dripping with concern. "Please, if anyone saw what happened with Sudo, we need you to speak up for the hearing."

Silence.

Eyes scanned the room, but no one was willing to come forward. Either they truly had no idea, or they simply didn't want to get involved.

Ayanokoji's gaze landed on Sakura Airi. Her posture screamed discomfort, her head slightly lowered, avoiding eye contact. He noted something peculiar—her glasses. The frames were uneven, and upon closer inspection, there were slight distortions in the lenses. They're fake.

"Ayanokoji."

Horikita's voice pulled him from his observations.

"What?"

"We need to talk."

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and exited the classroom. Ayanokoji sighed before following. Whis took mental notes, already piecing things together.

---

Stairwell

Leaning against the wall, Ayanokoji looked unimpressed. Horikita stood before him, arms crossed, exuding frustration.

"What do you think about this situation?"

"I don't know."

Horikita's brow twitched. "You don't know?"

"Yeah. I don't know."

"Stop being ridiculous. We're in a tight spot here."

Ayanokoji let out a small sigh, straightening his posture. "Well, in hindsight, all accusations point to Sudo. But something feels off."

Horikita's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"The timing. The incident occurred right before the gym was set to close. Why would they show up at that time?"

A moment of realization dawned on Horikita. "They must've been waiting for others to leave."

Ayanokoji nodded. "Exactly. Why would they show up at that specific time? Most likely, they were waiting for everyone else to leave the gym before provoking Sudo—since that's the best way to get under his skin. Plus, they weren't wearing gym clothes, only their school uniforms, which means they had no intention of training in the first place."

Horikita's expression hardened. "They weren't dressed for training… They came just to provoke him."

"Which means this was premeditated," Ayanokoji confirmed.

Horikita exhaled slowly, absorbing the information. "Even if we've figured this much out, without proof, it's useless."

Ayanokoji shrugged, slipping his hands into his pockets. "It's all we have right now. A witness is our only hope."

Horikita's gaze fell to the floor, deep in thought. "I suppose so…"