Chapter 96: The Hearing Ends, a Successful Reversal

Inside the Student Council meeting room, the air shifted when Suzune pulled out her phone. Across the table, Ibuki and the other Class D members tensed visibly.

They hadn't anticipated that Class C would still have another move to play. According to Ryuen's plan, the moment they revealed the close-up video of Sudo "bullying" Komiya and Ishizaki—complete with audio—that was supposed to be the end. Sudo would be expelled. Case closed.

But now, Suzune had more evidence. How was that possible?

"You may present your new evidence," Manabu said. He sat up straighter, his gaze sharp as he scrutinized his sister. Her expression was resolute—an indication that she was confident in her next move.

"May I have your phone?" Secretary Tachibana stepped toward Suzune.

But the girl gripped the device tightly and didn't hand it over.

"Before I submit my evidence, I have a few questions." Suzune turned her gaze to Komiya and Ishizaki, who sat across the table. The bandages around their arms and faces were visible proof of the alleged injuries—the crux of their case.

However, Hikaru's advice had led her to dig deeper. Another camera had captured something crucial, something that would shatter their narrative completely.

"My question is simple: are all your injuries really the result of Sudo's actions?" she asked.

"Of course!" Ishizaki responded immediately, slamming his fist on the table to mask his growing unease. "Why else would we look like this? That bastard attacked us out of nowhere!"

Komiya swallowed hard but remained silent. In reality, only a fraction of their injuries had come from Sudo. The rest had been inflicted by Ryuen himself.

After the "fighting video" was recorded, Ryuen decided their injuries weren't severe enough to sell the narrative. So, before heading to the Student Council, he had given them a brutal "enhancement."

"If you're already hurt," Ryuen had said, "why not go all the way? No half-measures. If we want Sudo gone, we need overwhelming proof. Trust me. This is for the class."

Reluctantly, Komiya and Ishizaki had agreed.

"I see," Suzune said coolly, as though she could see through their lies.

She turned to Tachibana. "Secretary Tachibana, if the accusing party is found to have knowingly presented false information, what is the consequence?"

"If there is confirmed deception," Tachibana answered without hesitation, "the accusation is rendered invalid, and the responsible parties face disciplinary action."

"Understood." Suzune handed over her phone.

Tachibana inserted the device into the meeting room's projector.

The screen lit up with surveillance footage. The video showed Komiya and Ishizaki walking past the entrance of a convenience store near the Special Building. Ryuen followed several steps behind them.

"Pause the video when they cross the store entrance," Suzune requested.

The image froze.

The timestamp showed that this footage had been captured just minutes after the fight supposedly occurred. In the video, both boys' faces were bruised—but their arms swung naturally, and their legs moved without any sign of discomfort.

"This video was taken within five minutes of the alleged fight," Suzune explained. "Notice how their limbs move normally? No indication of the broken arms or severe muscle damage we see now."

The room went deathly silent.

"If Sudo had truly injured them so severely, they wouldn't be moving like this. Yet here they are, walking comfortably. The injuries that led to these bandages didn't exist when this footage was taken."

Komiya and Ishizaki exchanged frantic glances, their minds racing for an excuse.

Sakura, seated nearby, watched Suzune with awe. The normally reserved girl found herself admiring Suzune's calm, commanding presence.

Chabashira smiled faintly. She's finally stepping into her potential.

Sakagami's expression soured. He glanced toward Ibuki, whose nails dug into her palms as she realized they had underestimated Class C.

Suzune sat down. "That concludes my presentation," she said, her voice calm.

"Class D?" Manabu stood and looked across the room. "Do you wish to continue your defense?"

Silence.

The two Class D boys shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Ryuen hadn't prepared them for this.

"Very well." Manabu turned to his sister. "How did you obtain this footage?"

Suzune straightened in her chair. "During the investigation, I suspected that the injuries might not align with the timeline Sudo provided. So, I reviewed surveillance cameras along the route from the Special Building to the Student Council office."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "I found this footage after negotiating with the convenience store clerk. It cost me 15,000 private points to access it."

Manabu's lips curled into the faintest of smiles.

Clever. She leveraged the school's reliance on points to bypass the rules.

He adjusted his glasses and addressed the room. "Given the evidence presented, the initial claim that Sudo committed unprovoked assault has been disproven. The footage indicates that Komiya and Ishizaki sustained additional injuries after the fight, suggesting deliberate falsification of evidence."

He exhaled softly, his voice turning cold. "I will now issue the verdict."

The room tensed.

Manabu's eyes locked on Class D's teacher. "Sudo Ken will face no punishment, as the accusations against him are invalid."

"Yes!" Sudo pumped his fist in relief, while Hirata slumped forward with a relieved smile.

Manabu's gaze shifted to the two accusers. "Komiya Kyogo and Ishizaki Daichi… for falsifying evidence and lying during an official hearing, you are both suspended for one week. Effective immediately."

"And if there are any objections," he added, voice low and authoritative, "you're welcome to appeal to me personally."

Nobody spoke.

"The hearing is concluded. Dismissed."

As everyone rose to leave, Suzune met her brother's gaze across the room.

For the first time, he gave her a subtle nod of approval.

Finally… I did it, she thought.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, Ibuki tapped furiously at her phone.

"Plan failed. Class C outplayed us."

The response was immediate.

"Don't worry. We'll hit back soon."

She swallowed.

Ryuen never gave up that easily.

~~~

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