The classroom was silent.
Not the silence of peace, but of tension. Words whispered beneath breath, anger simmering in glares, doubt thick in the air.
Ken Sudō sat at his desk, fists clenched, head lowered. His rage boiled under the surface, but even he knew lashing out now would only dig the hole deeper. Across the room, murmurs swirled.
"Did he really hit them?""They said it was three on one…""But it's Sudō, right? You know how he is."
Rumors were poison, and Class 1-C had poured them into every ear.
Chabashira-sensei stood at the podium, arms crossed. "The matter of Sudō's alleged violence will be addressed formally in a school tribunal. Class 1-D is permitted to provide defense. If you cannot, Sudō will be expelled."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Expelled.
The one word everyone feared most.
Hirata was the first to break the silence. He rose, his voice urgent. "Everyone, let's not give up! We can prove Sudō's innocence if we all work together!"
But the response was lukewarm at best. Some nodded weakly, but others looked away, doubt etched in their eyes.
Horikita stood, her gaze sharp as a blade. "If you'd all stop panicking for once and use your heads, you'd realize this is exactly what Class C wants. They provoked Sudō, then framed him. Expelling him would hand them an easy victory."
Her words carried more weight, but the class still wavered. Trust in Sudō was thin. His temper had always been a liability.
And so the trial began.
I remained silent, as did my group.
From the outside, we were just observers, watching as Horikita and Hirata tried to rally support. Ayanokoji sat at his desk, expression as unreadable as ever, eyes flickering between Horikita and the rest of the class.
But beneath the silence, my group and I were evaluating every angle.
Akito leaned over, whispering low so only I could hear. "So what do we do? Help them?"
I shook my head. "Not yet. Let Horikita take the lead. This is her fight. Ours is in the shadows."
He nodded reluctantly, leaning back again.
The next few days were chaos. Horikita and Hirata organized meetings, discussing possible strategies. Could Sudō provide an alibi? Were there witnesses? Could they expose inconsistencies in Class C's testimony?
Again and again, the same problem surfaced: lack of evidence.
"We need someone who saw what really happened," Horikita said firmly one evening, her arms crossed as she stared at a group of hesitant classmates. "If we can't provide testimony, we'll lose."
But no one stepped forward. No one had been there.
At least, not until one name came up.
Airi Sakura.
It was a quiet afternoon when Horikita and Ayanokoji approached her.
Sakura froze, clutching her camera bag tightly as the two stood before her.
"You were there, weren't you?" Horikita asked bluntly. "You saw the fight."
Airi flinched, eyes darting. "…I-I…"
Her voice trembled. She couldn't look them in the eye.
Ayanokoji's calm voice followed. "We're not asking you to lie. Just to tell the truth. Your testimony could save Sudō."
Her lips quivered. Sweat dotted her forehead. Finally, she whispered:
"…I can't… not yet. I… I have to ask first."
Horikita's brows furrowed. "Ask? Ask who?"
Airi swallowed hard. "M-my group."
The silence that followed was thick.
Horikita's gaze sharpened. "Your group?"
"Yes…" Airi whispered, almost inaudible. "Miyamoto-kun, Yukimura-kun, An-chan… I have to know what they think. I-I can't do this alone."
For the first time, Horikita's composure wavered. She hadn't expected resistance.
But Ayanokoji's eyes flicked to me across the room, lingering for just a moment.
He understood.
That same day, Chabashira called me aside.
Her gaze was cold as ever, but her words carried weight. "Regarding the incident you reported to the student council last week—the harassment case involving Sakura."
I said nothing, waiting.
"The administration has decided to issue compensation. The clerk in question has been permanently banned from campus vicinity, and to maintain the school's reputation, a settlement of 500,000 private points has been transferred to your account."
My phone buzzed. A notification appeared: +500,000 points.
I exhaled slowly, hiding the satisfaction behind a mask of calm.
From 1,200,000… to 1,700,000.
A fortune.
With that much, my group was untouchable. We could buy influence, resources, even survival itself.
And no one else had the faintest clue.
That evening, our group gathered in the dorm lounge.
Airi sat nervously, twisting her hands in her lap. "I-I… Horikita-san asked me to testify… to say what I saw during the fight…"
Akito frowned. "You actually saw it?"
She nodded. "…I was near the stairs. I saw Sudō-kun get surrounded. He… he didn't attack first. They provoked him."
Silence fell.
Yukimura adjusted his glasses. "That testimony could turn the case."
"But it puts her in the spotlight," Haruka pointed out. "And Airi doesn't do well under pressure."
Airi looked at me then, eyes wide and pleading. "M-Miyamoto-kun… what should I do?"
Everyone turned to me.
I let the silence hang for a moment, weighing the options.
If Airi testified, she'd become a target. Class C would dig into her, try to break her. But if she didn't, Sudō would almost certainly be expelled—and the class would fracture further.
I leaned forward, meeting her gaze.
"You tell the truth," I said quietly. "But you don't stand alone. We'll back you. If Class C tries anything, we'll shield you. That's what this group is for."
Her eyes widened. Tears welled, but this time they weren't from fear. She nodded, clutching her bag tightly. "…O-okay. I'll do it. If you're with me… I can do it."
The day of the trial arrived.
The auditorium was tense, filled with whispers and glares. Class 1-C sat smugly together, Ryuen lounging in the back, smirk wide. Class 1-D was scattered, nervous.
At the front, the panel of teachers waited. Chabashira stood to the side, arms crossed. The student council, including Nagumo, observed quietly.
The case began.
Class C presented their accusations first—claims that Sudō had attacked them unprovoked, that they were innocent victims. Their words dripped with false sincerity.
Sudō nearly exploded, but Horikita silenced him with a sharp glare.
Then it was Class D's turn.
Horikita presented logical arguments, poking holes in Class C's timeline. Hirata supported with emotional appeals for fairness.
And then, the moment of truth.
"Our final witness," Horikita said, her voice steady, "Sakura Airi."
Gasps rippled through Class D. Airi froze as dozens of eyes turned to her. Her hands trembled. Her knees shook.
But then her gaze flicked to me.
I gave a small nod.
And she stood.
"I-I… I saw it," she said, voice quivering but clear. "Sudō-kun didn't attack first. They cornered him. They mocked him. He only defended himself after they struck first."
The room buzzed with whispers.
Class C tried to object, but Ayanokoji stepped forward with evidence—Airi's photos. She had accidentally captured part of the encounter with her camera. The image showed the Class C boys surrounding Sudō aggressively.
It wasn't perfect, but combined with her testimony, it shifted the balance.
The teachers deliberated. Tension filled the air.
Finally, the verdict came.
"Sudō Ken will not be expelled. The matter is closed."
Relief exploded through Class D. Cheers, sighs, laughter. Sudō collapsed into his chair, tears in his eyes.
Class C glared, their plan foiled. Ryuen's smirk had vanished, replaced by a cold stare.
But I didn't care.
Because Airi had done it.
That night, in the lounge, our group gathered again.
Airi sat in the center, her face red, her hands twisting nervously. "…I-I did it. I really did it…"
Haruka hugged her from the side. "You were amazing, Airi! You crushed it!"
Akito grinned. "You almost fainted, but hey, you pulled through."
Yukimura adjusted his glasses, smiling faintly. "Your testimony saved him. Remember that."
Airi looked at me then, eyes wide, shining. "…I only managed it because you told me I wouldn't be alone."
I said nothing, just gave her a small smile. But inside, I knew the truth.