Chapter 130: It's Settled. We've Won. There's Nothing to Worry About!
Yamawaki flinched violently when Yuto pointed at him.
"Shimizu Yuto, what are you trying to do?! This is the student council office, and teachers are present! Do you really dare attack me here?!"
"Did I say I was going to hit you? I merely asked for your name. There's no need to be so frightened," Yuto said with disgust.
Sitting beside Manabu, Nagumo clicked his tongue inwardly. What kind of useless subordinate had Ryuen selected? One question from Shimizu Yuto had already thrown him into a panic.
Still, that reaction was not entirely bad. It perfectly demonstrated the fear supposedly left behind after Yuto brutally assaulted him.
"Shimizu-kun, that is Yamawaki, a student from my Class C. Why are you asking about him?" Class C's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, asked.
"No particular reason. I merely wanted to know the names of the people falsely accusing me," Yuto answered casually.
So this was Yamawaki—the one with the worst relationship with Ryuen.
"We aren't falsely accusing you!"
"You're the one who beat us into this condition!"
Ishizaki and the others loudly protested until Manabu adjusted his glasses and spoke sternly.
"Silence. This is the student council office. Loud disturbances will not be tolerated."
As expected of the imposing student council president, a single sentence immediately silenced all three boys.
Manabu looked toward Yuto and Chabashira.
"Representatives of Class D, take your seats. The hearing will begin shortly."
"Understood, senpai."
"Call me Student Council President."
"I understand, senpai."
"..."
Yuto and Chabashira sat across from Ishizaki and the others. Hoshinomiya, present as Class B's homeroom teacher and the school nurse, sat on Yuto's side as well, watching everyone in the room with sparkling interest.
"Now that everyone has arrived, the hearing will begin."
Secretary Tachibana Akane stood and addressed the room.
"We will now examine the violent incident that occurred yesterday afternoon. I, Student Council Secretary Tachibana Akane, will record the proceedings."
She then summarized the circumstances in clear and concise language.
"Based on the statements submitted, three Class C students have requested that the student council investigate the incident and punish the alleged aggressor."
Tachibana turned toward Yuto.
"Shimizu-kun, the three alleged victims from Class C have identified you as the person who attacked them. Do you admit to this?"
"Of course not. I did not cause the injuries they currently have," Yuto answered.
"However, Shimizu-kun, didn't you inform Chabashira-sensei yesterday that you had indeed entered a conflict with those Class C students?" Nagumo asked.
Manabu glanced at Nagumo for speaking without permission. He considered stopping him because of his conflict with Yuto, but remembered the message Yuto had sent earlier and remained silent.
"That's correct." Yuto nodded before clarifying, "I admitted that a confrontation occurred, but I never admitted to causing their current injuries. They were also the ones who initiated the conflict."
"We understand your position," Nagumo said. "However, the location had no surveillance cameras, and no students witnessed the incident. Did you find any eyewitnesses capable of supporting your claim?"
"I did not," Yuto answered.
Ishizaki and the other two immediately relaxed. Relief and joy appeared across their faces.
Sakagami narrowed his eyes and spoke without hesitation.
"If Shimizu-kun failed to locate any supposed witnesses, then the injuries suffered by my three students must have been caused by you."
Sakagami already disliked Yuto. At the beginning of the school year, the boy had trapped Ryuen in a disadvantageous agreement and forced Class C to compensate for the damaged desks and windows.
He was therefore more than willing to strike Yuto while he appeared vulnerable and declare him guilty.
"I object," Chabashira said coldly with her arms crossed. "According to Class C's own complaint, Shimizu faced all three students alone."
"I would like to know how one student supposedly managed to injure three opponents this severely."
"Well..." Sakagami hesitated.
That truly did seem suspicious.
How had one person beaten three others into such miserable conditions?
"That's completely normal!" Ishizaki shouted. "Everyone knows Shimizu Yuto is a monster! He challenged clubs throughout the school and easily defeated the boxing, judo, and mixed martial arts clubs!"
"Yuto is so skilled at fighting that he could easily beat all three of us by himself!"
"Class C's explanation is reasonable." Nagumo nodded approvingly before turning toward Yuto. "How do you respond, Shimizu-kun?"
"I admit that I possess the ability to defeat all three of them, but I have a question for them."
Yuto smiled faintly at Ishizaki and the others, causing unease to spread through them.
Even Ryuen, who had personally beaten them, had not created this same sense of dread. Why did a mere smile from Yuto make them feel so nervous?
Was this what it meant to have a guilty conscience?
"You all knew I was strong, correct?" Yuto asked.
"Of course..."
"Mm."
"That's right!"
"Then if you already knew how powerful I was, why didn't you run when I supposedly attacked you? Even alone, I couldn't have stopped all three of you from escaping in different directions."
"That's because you threatened us!" Ishizaki answered without hesitation.
"You grabbed Yamawaki and said that if Komiya and I tried to escape, you would beat him to death. We stayed because we were afraid you would kill him!"
"Then you beat all three of us into this condition!"
"That's exactly what happened!"
"Afterward, we decided that we couldn't allow you to continue bullying people however you pleased. We gathered our courage and came to the student council so you would finally be punished!"
"Exactly!"
The three supported one another as they delivered their prepared account.
Their story portrayed loyalty, courage, and perfectly reasonable conduct. It sounded remarkably convincing.
However, Yuto's ability allowed him to recognize that Ryuen had taught them every line. Ryuen had clearly prepared a complete explanation designed to deceive both the student council and the teachers.
With no surveillance footage and three matching testimonies, Yuto appeared to be in an overwhelmingly unfavorable position.
One video would immediately destroy that disadvantage.
However, Yuto still had no intention of revealing it.
The most suitable moment had not yet arrived.
"Everything you just said is merely your own testimony. You possess no evidence proving I caused your injuries, so I maintain that you are falsely accusing me," Yuto said.
"Falsely accusing you? That's ridiculous!"
Komiya furiously tore the gauze from his face, revealing a broken and still-bleeding wound.
"Then tell us who caused this!"
The injury certainly looked frightening.
"Who knows? It wasn't me." Yuto shrugged. "Do you possess evidence proving I caused it? Without evidence, your accusation is nothing more than slander."
"You're still twisting the facts!"
"Student Council President, Vice President, secretaries—you must give us justice! Punish that damned Shimizu Yuto severely!"
Ishizaki and the others appealed to Manabu's group.
"What should we do, President?" Nagumo asked Manabu with a troubled expression. "Neither side has presented definitive evidence supporting their claims."
"Then this hearing ends here. Continuing would only waste time," Manabu said coldly.
"Based on the statements from both parties, either the complainants are lying and framing the defendant, or the defendant committed the assault and refuses to admit guilt."
"Therefore, the student council cannot reach a definitive judgment."
"If that is the president's conclusion, we should follow precedent and adopt a compromise by punishing both sides," Nagumo said in an official tone.
"Both parties continue insisting on their own accounts, meaning no amount of discussion will produce agreement. A compromise is the only available option."
"The severity of each punishment will depend on the injuries suffered."
"Shimizu-kun will be suspended for two weeks, while the three Class C students will submit written reflections."
Chabashira's elegant brows furrowed at Nagumo's proposed compromise. Without showing it openly, she glanced toward him.
'A two-week suspension would still cause Shimizu to miss the midterm. Is the vice president deliberately targeting him? Is he working with Ryuen?'
"Vice President, it is still too early to adopt a compromise," Manabu finally said after remaining silent.
He adjusted his glasses, stood, and stared sharply at Yuto.
"Shimizu Yuto of Class 1-D, can you declare that everything you said today is true and that you did not cause the injuries suffered by the Class C students?"
"Of course," Yuto answered with a smile.
"Good."
Manabu looked toward Ishizaki and the others.
"Then I ask the three students from Class C the same question. Can you declare that everything you said today is true and that Shimizu Yuto caused every injury you currently possess?"
"Of course!" Ishizaki answered forcefully.
Komiya and Yamawaki immediately agreed.
"Then this incident will be reviewed again tomorrow at four in the afternoon."
"Before that time, either side may submit definitive evidence proving that the opposing party lied, or voluntarily admit that their own testimony was false."
"If neither occurs, the student council will judge the case based on the evidence currently available and apply the proposed compromise."
Nagumo smiled inwardly after hearing Manabu's decision.
'It's settled. We've won. There's nothing to worry about.'
Manabu's tone then became severe.
"Both sides have guaranteed that their statements are true. In other words, either Class D or Class C is lying."
"Dragging the school administration into a deliberate falsehood is an extremely serious offense."
"If the truth is established, the student council and school must consider expelling the party that knowingly lied."
Ishizaki and the others felt their hearts suddenly jump.
The side caught lying could be expelled?
[It... It doesn't matter. Shimizu Yuto hasn't found any witnesses since yesterday. He can't prove that he didn't cause our injuries!]
[All we need to do is wait until four tomorrow afternoon. Then Shimizu Yuto will receive a two-week suspension!]
"That concludes the hearing. Both parties will now leave in an orderly manner," Tachibana announced.
Yuto stood first and gave Ishizaki and the others a faint, knowing smile before turning and leaving the student council office.
His smile was undeniably handsome, yet it sent a chill through all three boys, as though a demon had marked them as its prey.
Chabashira followed Yuto and quickly caught up with him.
"When do you intend to launch your counterattack?" she whispered.
"Tomorrow," Yuto answered casually while taking out his phone to reassure Airi.
Chabashira wanted to ask for more details, but Hoshinomiya hurried after them, forcing her to remain silent.
"Sae-chan, Shimizu-chan~"
"Chabashira-sensei, stop Hoshinomiya-sensei for me. I'm leaving first!"
"Fine."
Hoshinomiya looked curiously at Yuto's rapidly departing figure.
"Why is Shimizu-chan leaving so quickly?"
"Because he's afraid you'll cling to him," Chabashira answered without hesitation.
"I wouldn't do that. He must be rushing to find eyewitnesses."
"Still, he was remarkably calm. The situation inside the student council office was completely unfavorable, yet Shimizu-chan never lost his composure and continued insisting that he hadn't caused those injuries."
"That is because their injuries truly weren't caused by Shimizu."
"Eh? You trust him that much, Sae-chan?"
"He challenged upperclassmen from multiple clubs immediately after enrolling. That proves he has a bold and reckless personality, doesn't it? A boy like that beating someone so badly wouldn't seem unusual."
Chabashira fell silent.
Shimizu Yuto truly was an outrageously bold and reckless boy.
Otherwise, how had she somehow ended up becoming his caretaker?
…
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