Motivation for Koji

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The hearing was about to begin. The room was filled with staff and students who had attended previous sessions, their presence adding weight to the already tense atmosphere. Manabu Horikita, the student council president, stood at the head of the room, his sharp gaze sweeping over the attendees.

"Class D," he began, his voice calm but authoritative. "Have you made any progress? If so, we may proceed with the hearing."

Ayanokoji's eyes flicked toward Horikita, who caught his glance. She stood, her posture firm but her expression unreadable. "We have, President Horikita. We've secured a witness who can attest to Sudo's innocence."

Manabu raised an eyebrow, while Sakagami-sensei leaned forward, his skepticism evident. "A witness, you say? And who might that be?" His tone was laced with doubt, his eyes narrowing as he studied Horikita for any sign of deception.

Horikita gestured toward the door. "You can come in now."

The door creaked open, and a girl with pink hair and glasses stepped inside. Her hands trembled slightly, and her eyes darted around the room as if searching for an escape. "G-good day, everyone," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ayanokoji observed her carefully, his expression neutral but his mind already working to piece together the situation.

"This is Sakura Airi," Horikita declared. "She will serve as our witness."

Sakagami-sensei's lips curled into a faint smirk. "And what makes you think we won't dismiss her as a false witness? If she truly saw what happened, why didn't she come forward sooner?"

Horikita's brow furrowed, but her voice remained steady. "Sakura values her privacy and prefers to avoid involvement in class matters. I'm sure you can understand that."

Sakagami leaned back, his skepticism undiminished. "Very well. Let's hear what she has to say."

Manabu nodded, his tone commanding. "Proceed, Sakura. You claim to have witnessed the incident. Tell us what you saw."

Sakura's gaze flickered toward Ayanokoji, who gave her a subtle nod of encouragement. She took a deep breath, her voice trembling but determined. "I... I was there. Sudo was provoked. He didn't start the fight out of malice."

Sudo, seated nearby, wiped away imaginary tears. "See? She's telling the truth! I—"

"Enough," Sakagami interrupted, his voice sharp. "Your emotional outbursts don't change the facts. Anyone can claim to be a witness and spin the story to their advantage."

Horikita nodded, her expression unyielding. "We anticipated that response, which is why Sakura has provided evidence to support her testimony." She gestured to Sakura, who fumbled with a device before connecting it to the projector.

The room fell silent as the video played. The quality was high, but it was clear that certain clips had been edited or removed entirely. Manabu's eyes narrowed as he studied the footage, while Ayanokoji let out a quiet sigh. Horikita, meanwhile, wiped a bead of sweat from her brow.

Sakagami chuckled, adjusting his glasses. "Interesting. But this video hardly proves anything. It's been tampered with, and the missing clips raise more questions than answers."

"But of course, it doesn't. What we presented was the foundational truth—that this dispute began with an exchange of words, something even Sudo himself has admitted. However, the injuries on his opponents make it clear that he wasn't without fault. This case involves multiple instances of both verbal and physical aggression." Horikita continued, her tone steady yet firm.

"With that said, we propose a two-week suspension for all parties involved."

Her words were met with silence. Ayanokoji gave a slight nod of approval, impressed by her composure and logic.

Sakagami's sly smile returned. "A compelling argument, I'll admit. But we, too, have a witness." He raised his voice slightly, calling out, "You can come in now."

The door swung open, and a girl with short brown hair and piercing blue eyes entered. Her confident stride contrasted sharply with Sakura's nervous demeanor. "Good morning," she said, her voice calm and assured. "My name is Asuka Kuzo, and I'm here as Class C's witness."

Horikita's eyes flickered with interest. *Asuka Kuzo... I've seen her before. A second-year student. What's her angle here?*

Horikita's expression hardened, but she remained silent as Asuka continued. "I can't describe the events in detail, but I have evidence—a video that shows the incident in its entirety."

The room tensed as the video played. Unlike Sakura's edited footage, this one was raw and unaltered. Ayanokoji's mind raced.

"Well, it looks like we're in a difficult position. I did say I would help, but I haven't made a move yet. What stands out, though, is that Sakura's video matches the quality of the one this girl just presented. Thinking back, after helping Sakura with her stalker, she mentioned receiving the video of Sudo's fight—but the sender remained unknown. The number was set to private, making it impossible to trace or respond to. Given that Sakura is a private person who rarely shares her contact information, it begs the question—who convinced her to open up? Could it have been Kushida?"

"Is she doing this to protect two younger students, or is there another motive? A senior interfering in a junior's affairs is unusual—especially in a school like this. Typically, if someone witnessed bullying, they would either blackmail the culprit for private points or report them to the authorities. Yet, she's done neither. If she wasn't trying to extort Sudo, then why didn't she report him outright? Given his physique, she might have hesitated."

Sakagami-sensei's demeanor suggests something deeper. Could it be that she was paid to act as a witness? And if so, was she also sent the video anonymously, just like Sakura?"

Manabu's voice cut through the tension. "This video, while complete, still doesn't prove anything beyond what we already know. The verbal provocation isn't shown, which means it's as inconclusive as the first."

Sakagami's smirk faltered, but he quickly recovered. "Perhaps. But it's clear that both sides have their flaws. We'll reconvene tomorrow to deliver the final verdict."

As the meeting adjourned, Ayanokoji, Horikita, Sakura, and Sudo exited the room. Horikita sighed, her frustration evident. "This is getting complicated. But if we play our cards right, we might still save Sudo from expulsion."

Sudo remained silent, his usual bravado replaced by a look of regret.

Ayanokoji's gaze shifted as he spotted Ichinose Honami approaching. The Class B leader smiled warmly. "Good afternoon! I was just heading back from a study group. How did the hearing go?"

Horikita crossed her arms. "We managed to present our case, thanks to Sakura here."

Ichinose's eyes softened as she turned to Sakura. "That's great to hear. How are you holding up after everything?"

Sakura smiled shyly. "I'm okay, thanks to Ayanokoji."

Ichinose nodded, her smile genuine. "I'm glad. I was actually looking for witnesses to help you all, but it seems you've got it under control."

As Ichinose walked away, Horikita muttered, "Helping other classes like that... Is she naive, or is there more to it?"

Ayanokoji shook his head. "She's not naive. Just honest. And that makes her dangerous in a place like this."

His eyes drifted toward Class C, who were gathered at the other end of the hallway. Asuka Kuzo stood among them, her expression unreadable.

"This isn't over yet," Ayanokoji thought. "Time to make my move."