"Of course, I know this isn't a courtroom. In the end, this is just a student dispute, so there's no need to follow those rules exactly."
Hikigaya sighed. "So at the root of it, this is still Sudou's own fault."
From Hikigaya's perspective, Sudou didn't have to be in such a weak position. As the accused, and with no surveillance footage or third-party witnesses, the testimony of the three students from Class C alone wasn't enough to "convict" Sudou. However, the injuries on the Class C students, combined with Sudou's bad reputation and his terrible performance in the meeting, completely handed control over to the other side. He basically dug his own grave.
No wonder Chabashira-sensei looked so frustrated just now.
Still, he had to admit that Class C's plan, while ineffective against most people, worked perfectly on Sudou. It was a case of "one willing to hit, the other willing to take it." He walked straight into their trap.
So in resolving this conflict, the biggest factor was how much Horikita Manabu, the student council president, "trusted" either side's testimony and evidence.
Giving Sudou a one-week grace period already showed that Horikita Manabu had doubts about Class C's testimony, despite their visible injuries. But thanks to Sudou's own blunders, he completely lost his advantage.
From Hikigaya's point of view, even with a week's time, finding proof to clear Sudou's name would be very difficult. And even if they did find something, fights like this were hard to judge fairly. In the end, Sudou would likely still be punished—the only question was how severe it would be.
"You've thought this through well."
Horikita Manabu seemed satisfied with Hikigaya's analysis, but then his tone shifted. "But Hikigaya, you're mistaken about one thing. We're not here to decide who's right or wrong. The student council's job is to mediate and resolve conflicts between students. Do you understand?"
Hikigaya paused for a second, then quickly caught on to what he meant—the council wasn't focused on justice, but on solving the problem itself.
"So, President, you also noticed there was an agenda behind this dispute, which is why you gave Sudou a one-week grace period?"
Hikigaya had a realization.
At a school like this, where competition was the norm, many events had hidden motives or were driven by personal gain. Horikita Manabu clearly saw this case as something more than just a simple fight between students. The one-week period wasn't just to wait for evidence but to allow both classes to negotiate behind the scenes.
An out-of-court settlement, so to speak.
Of course, some things were better left unsaid. Horikita Manabu didn't answer directly but instead said, "That may be true, but we still need to give them a proper warning."
Hikigaya understood he was referring to Sudou's "additional punishment," which was also one of Hikigaya's concerns.
At worst, Sudou was originally facing a three-week suspension. However, the additional punishment extended that suspension all the way until summer break. Sudou, Ishizaki, and the others might not have realized the difference yet, but Chabashira-sensei, Sakagami-sensei, Tachibana Akane, and Hikigaya all caught on immediately.
Hikigaya had just explained what a "suspension" meant—students weren't just barred from club activities but also from taking the school's final exams. That meant Sudou would automatically fail, which would result in expulsion!
With just one sentence, Horikita Manabu had sealed Sudou's fate.
And no one could argue against it. Even Chabashira-sensei didn't try to plead for Sudou, because she knew this was entirely his own doing.
Whether it was the fight or the additional punishment, it all stemmed from Sudou's own flaws. He didn't even have an excuse to defend himself.
"As expected…he still hasn't learned a thing."
Hikigaya wasn't surprised or disappointed. He simply felt that humans were creatures who kept making the same mistakes. Maybe even monkeys who hadn't evolved yet would understand this better.
Not long after he returned to his dorm, his phone suddenly buzzed with a message.
[Kushida: Open the door, now!]
[Hikigaya: ?]
The next second, his doorbell rang.
Hikigaya sighed, got up to open the door, and watched as Kushida walked straight in, took off her shoes, and entered his room like she had done it a hundred times before. She even turned back and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Hurry up!"
Hey, this is my place!
Also, why did you treat this room as if it was yours?!
Hikigaya thought Kushida was coming to complain about something again, but this time, he was wrong. Kushida said she was here to give him a "reminder."
"A reminder? For me?"
"Hikigaya, you're a member of the student council, so you should know about the fight between Sudou and the students from Class C..."
It turned out that after Sudou left the student council office, he went straight back to the dorms and found Kushida and Ayanokouji for help. He wanted to figure out how to find proof that he was innocent.
Since Sudou didn't want this issue to affect the basketball team's summer tournament selection, he decided to handle it in secret. As for why Ike and Yamauchi weren't involved, Sudou said those two were idiots who couldn't be trusted and would definitely spill everything.
"But what does this have to do with me?"
"You really don't know?"
Hikigaya was confused about why Kushida mentioned him. Even though he was in the student council, he had no authority to make decisions about this situation.
Kushida noticed that Hikigaya didn't seem to be lying. She suddenly gave him a meaningful smile.
"Heh, this is getting interesting."
It was obvious—Kushida wanted to make a deal with Hikigaya.
But Hikigaya just shook his head and motioned for Kushida to leave.
Seeing that he was still as unyielding as ever, Kushida stomped her foot.
"Fine, I'll let you off this time. But remember, you owe me one!"
Before Hikigaya could refuse, she quickly added, "Not long ago, Sudou ran into Ishizaki and his group near the dorms. Before leaving, Ishizaki said, 'Blame Hikigaya if you want.'"
Hikigaya frowned, looking doubtful.
Kushida continued, "It's true. That's why Sudou and Ayanokouji are planning to get some clues from you!"
Hikigaya narrowed his eyes. If everything Kushida said was true, then he had underestimated Ryuen. He initially thought this was just Ryuen targeting Sudou, but now, it was clear—Ryuen's real target was him.
Using someone else to do the dirty work?
Trying to stir up trouble for him through Class D's students?
It was a clever move, one that even avoided the restrictions of their agreement.
Since the midterms, Ryuen had definitely gotten smarter.
Hikigaya looked up at the girl in front of him, who was smiling sweetly.
"So, Kushida, what do you want in return for telling me this?"
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