Chapter 29: The Verdict is Reached

After waiting for about five or six minutes in the student council office, Hikaru and Ibuki turned toward the door as it was pushed open once again. The two student council members who had been sent on an errand entered first, followed closely by a long-haired young man—Ryuen Kakeru.

"Vice President Nagumo, Ryuen has arrived," one of the student council members reported.

"I see. Bring him to the conference room," Nagumo instructed with practiced ease before shifting his gaze to Hikaru and Ibuki.

"Normally, when a formal accusation is made, both students' homeroom teachers are required to be present. However, since both parties involved are from Class C, there's no need to trouble Sakagami-sensei. The student council will handle this matter instead."

"Follow me."

"Understood," Hikaru responded, nodding slightly as he followed behind Nagumo. Ibuki walked beside him, maintaining her usual indifferent expression.

---

"President, should we follow them?" Tachibana asked, concern evident in her tone.

"No need. Nagumo has proven himself capable, and I doubt he will render a biased judgment," Manabu replied, his gaze still fixed on Hikaru's retreating figure, his tone tinged with quiet anticipation.

"A chance, huh?"

"To see how Hashima Hikaru handles himself against Nagumo,"

Manabu clarified. His sharp gaze flickered, recalling their first conversation.

"I see," Tachibana nodded in understanding. However, as she looked at Hikaru's back, an unusual emotion surfaced in her expression.

---

Hikaru and Ibuki followed Nagumo into the student council's conference room, where a long, spacious table occupied the center. Chairs were neatly arranged on both sides.

"You two, sit over there. Ryuen, you sit across from them," Nagumo directed.

As Ryuen entered the room, Nagumo arched an eyebrow. His first impression of the first-year student wasn't great—the long-haired delinquent aesthetic didn't sit well with him. It was no surprise he was being accused.

Still, that wasn't his concern.

"Now then, both parties may begin their statements," Nagumo declared. "I will record all testimonies and deliver a verdict based on the school's regulations."

"Let's begin."

The first to speak was none other than the accused—Ryuen Kakeru.

"So it was you, Ibuki."

Ryuen slouched into his chair with an air of nonchalance, but his sharp eyes remained locked onto Ibuki's face.

"I almost thought you'd finally wised up and decided to join my side," he sneered. "Didn't expect you to pull this off. Not bad at all."

"You want to get me suspended? You have proof?"

"Of course," Ibuki replied without hesitation, arms crossed. "Not only do I have evidence, but I also have a witness."

She nodded toward Hikaru.

"You've already met him. This is Hashima Hikaru from Class B—my witness."

"Oh?" Ryuen finally turned to Hikaru, his expression darkening.

"You got something on me? Let's see it."

"Good afternoon, Ryuen," Hikaru greeted smoothly, completely unfazed by the sharp look in Ryuen's eyes. His tone remained polite and composed as he continued, "While retrieving equipment from the science lab earlier, I happened to witness you assaulting Ibuki. I recorded the entire incident."

"This is the video evidence. Would you like to see it?"

Nagumo, not wasting any time, signaled for a student council member to project Hikaru's recording onto the large screen behind them.

As the video played, Ryuen's expression shifted. The angles were deliberately chosen—only showing his aggressive movements and completely omitting Ibuki's counterattacks.

"You still have something to say in your defense, Ryuen?" Nagumo asked, his tone calm but pressing.

Ryuen clenched his jaw. He hadn't expected the recording to be this strategically edited—it looked as if he had been outright attacking Ibuki without provocation.

"This is a setup. We were fighting, not some one-sided assault!" he barked, pointing a finger at Ibuki. "They planned this from the start—this is entrapment!"

"Oh?" Nagumo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Do you have any evidence to support your claim?"

"I have witnesses. My guys were there when it happened," Ryuen declared. "They can prove that Ibuki challenged me first and initiated the fight."

"Understood. You're entitled to present witnesses in your defense," Nagumo agreed, showing no particular expression. "Contact them immediately."

"Fine."

Ryuen shot a glare at Hikaru and Ibuki before pulling out his phone to send messages.

---

"Hikaru, what do we do now?" Ibuki whispered, leaning slightly toward him. She tugged at his sleeve, clearly concerned. "If they say I challenged him first, won't that change the outcome?"

"Relax. This is exactly what I wanted," Hikaru whispered back, a confident smirk forming on his lips. "Now, Ryuen has already lost."

"Why?"

"You'll see soon enough."

---

Five or six minutes later, two breathless students arrived—Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Kyogo. Sweat lined their foreheads, evidence of how quickly they had rushed over.

"Ryuen, are you okay?" Ishizaki asked, looking worried.

"I'm fine. The student council will follow the rules," Ryuen said, turning back toward Nagumo with a confident smirk. "These two are my witnesses. They can confirm that Ibuki provoked me first and challenged me to a fight."

"Is that so?" Nagumo turned his gaze to the two boys. "You both swear that what Ryuen is saying is true?"

"Yes!" Both nodded vigorously.

"Ibuki was the one who challenged Ryuen first," Ishizaki insisted. "She's trying to frame him!"

"You traitor!" Komiya spat at Ibuki, glaring at her. "How could you turn against Class C like this?!"

Ibuki ignored their outbursts and instead turned to Hikaru.

She didn't know why, but despite all the lies he had told, she instinctively trusted him in this moment.

Hikaru chuckled lightly. "Perfect timing, you two. There's actually one more piece of evidence I haven't shown yet."

He turned to Nagumo with a polite smile.

"Vice President Nagumo, please listen to this audio recording."

A faint beep signaled the playback.

"I don't know what you're up to, but since I'm here, I'll make sure you submit to me today!"

"Don't blame us, Ibuki. You should've just followed Ryuen's orders."

"Yeah, we really didn't want to hurt you, but you forced our hand."

As the recording played, the expressions of Ishizaki and Komiya froze.

"You were saying something about this being a fair fight?" Hikaru inquired lightly.

Nagumo's face darkened. He wasn't stupid—if he tried to brush this off now, his own credibility as the student council vice president would be in question.

"You three will remain here," Nagumo ordered sharply. His piercing gaze locked onto Ryuen and his lackeys. "I will ensure you understand exactly what it means to violate school rules through physical violence."

"Vice President Nagumo, we appreciate your fair judgment," Hikaru said smoothly, bowing slightly.

Nagumo exhaled and looked at the first-year boy standing before him—his sharp wit, his unreadable smile.

For the first time, a new thought crossed his mind.

This student might be worth keeping an eye on.

"Hashima Hikaru, Mio Ibuki, you two may remain to hear the official ruling. As the primary witnesses, you have the right to know the outcome."

"Thank you, Vice President Nagumo," Hikaru replied, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

And with that, the trap was fully sprung—Ryuen Kakeru had lost.