"How ridiculous. Hirata, when will you stop being so naive?"
Amane let out a cold laugh.
If it weren't for her fear that Horikita would get tired leading Class D alone.
She really didn't want to bother with an idealist like Hirata.
He thought too highly of others and conceived of solutions to problems too perfectly, yet he overlooked how few trustworthy people there are in reality?
How many perfect solutions are there?
"Hirata-san, have you forgotten something? 'Rome wasn't built in a day,' you must have heard that idiom. The first half of these expelled students' academic lives were spent in idleness. Can two or three days of tutoring make them realize that studying is actually for themselves? Didn't you invite them when you organized study groups? Do they really not know that failing will lead to expulsion? I believe you, Hirata-san, already have the answer in your heart. In that case..."
Amane glanced around at everyone present.
Then her gaze refocused on Hirata.
"Why do you think others can do better than you, and help them review their schoolwork? And there's an even more realistic problem before you: even if they get lucky this time, what about next time? Do you naively believe that next time someone will still be willing to rescue them? No, they won't, because there's only one Hirata Yousuke, and their future is still expulsion."
As soon as Amane finished speaking, Yamauchi immediately retorted.
"We won't be like that! As long as we can avoid expulsion this time, we will definitely study hard in the future and won't drag the class down again."
Hirata hung his head.
He was wondering what he was thinking.
But from Hirata's expression.
Hirata did not immediately refute.
He had actually already accepted Amane's statement.
Yamauchi's promise was even more superfluous.
Even Hirata expressed doubt about it.
After a long while.
Hirata raised his head, his lips somewhat dry.
"Miyako-san, you're right. What sacrifice? It was just my self-pity. You're right, I was too one-sided. But what I did was..."
Hirata's voice abruptly stopped under Amane's gaze.
He didn't know what he had said wrong again.
But the expression Amane wore looked, no matter how you saw it, somewhat helpless.
"Hirata, are you too deep into character? Did you really buy the exam papers?"
Amane couldn't help but sigh.
If she wanted to save Hirata, she had to find a way to deny the Student Council's accusation against him. Coincidentally, perhaps because Hirata voluntarily admitted his actions, the Student Council neglected the most crucial step.
And it was a step that could overturn Hirata's case.
That was evidence collection.
The Student Council directly overlooked the evidence collection process.
A slight investigation would not be enough to determine that Hirata's actions violated school regulations.
Although this might be unfair to Ayanokoji, for now, Ayanokoji could only bear part of the responsibility. By continuously splitting the responsibility, Hirata would not be expelled.
Hirata knew Amane was hinting at him, asking him to reveal the true person behind the purchase of the exam papers.
When he first confessed, he actually didn't know that such an action would lead to expulsion, so he rashly took all the blame himself.
But now that he knew that privately buying and selling exam papers for cheating was punishable by expulsion, he was even more unwilling to reveal the true mastermind.
Ayanokoji's motivation was entirely out of goodwill.
When he was in despair, Ayanokoji risked being caught to provide him with a solution that almost turned the situation around.
The facts proved that the answers Ayanokoji provided played a huge role. If it weren't for Ayanokoji, Hirata couldn't even imagine how he would face a class where perhaps two-thirds of the people would be expelled.
He also saw Amane's efforts.
He was very grateful that Amane had always wanted to pull him out of the mire.
But the crisis he now faced was a choice where one person had to be sacrificed to be saved.
If he just shifted all the blame onto Ayanokoji, he could be spared from expulsion. But wouldn't that be betraying Ayanokoji-kun's good intentions?
"I don't understand what Amane-san is saying."
Amane noticed the change in Hirata's tone. She knew Hirata still intended to sacrifice himself to protect Ayanokoji.
However... hmph.
He really was an idiot.
Who said it had to be a sacrifice?
"President Horikita, I request a point audit for Hirata-san. If he purchased exam papers from an upperclassman, there would inevitably be transfer records. I believe the Student Council wouldn't overlook this as the most crucial link in the chain of evidence, would it?"
Amane did not continue to argue with Hirata.
Facing someone like Hirata, she could only try to achieve her goal through indirect means.
"Granted. Secretary Tachibana, please retrieve Hirata-san's transfer records."
After Horikita Manabu asked Secretary Tachibana to retrieve the records.
His gaze turned to Hirata.
Even if Hirata didn't admit it now.
Horikita Manabu had probably guessed a bit of the truth of the matter.
But this truth made it even more incredible.
Because if the person who bought the exam papers was indeed someone else.
It meant Hirata was taking the blame for someone else.
If he had initially been unaware of the punishment and accidentally admitted to violating school rules.
Then what about Amane's guidance just now?
If Hirata regretted taking the blame, wouldn't it have been better to just follow Amane's words and speak out?
But Hirata rejected Amane's good intentions.
Which meant... this newcomer who had just entered this school.
Was truly prepared to be expelled as a sacrifice.
Not long after, Secretary Tachibana walked over, holding two printed point statements, looking shocked.
"President! Hirata-san's personal point statement indeed shows no payment to Shimizu-san. Instead, a person named Ayanokoji Kiyotaka paid Shimizu a total of fifteen thousand personal points."
Secretary Tachibana handed the point statement printed from the system backend to Horikita Manabu for inspection.
Horikita Manabu took the point statement and carefully confirmed it, then looked at Hirata.
"Hirata-san, aren't you going to explain?"
Horikita Manabu's tone changed to one of admiration.
There was actually someone who would take the blame for a classmate and face expulsion.
Such a person must be utterly selfless, right?
Hearing Secretary Tachibana's words, everyone present, except for Hirata and Amane, was stunned.
They never expected that Hirata Yousuke, who had always been identified as the main culprit in this unexpectedly discovered cheating incident, was actually taking the blame for someone else!
How could such a thing happen?
Kiriyama couldn't help but raise his hand to ask a question.
"Kiriyama, do you have something to say?"
Horikita Manabu motioned for Kiriyama to stand up and answer.
"I want to ask Hirata-san, are you really taking the blame for someone else? You could be expelled for this!"
Kiriyama looked at Hirata, whose expression hadn't changed at all, in shock.
He was actually planning to get himself expelled to protect someone else?
What a joke!
How could there be such a person?
Could there really be someone who thinks of others so selflessly?
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