"So… what should I do?"
As the afternoon reached its second class, Sudo Ken found himself pacing the corridor leading to the student council room, anxiety etched across his face.
It was no surprise he was panicking. According to Chabashira Sae, if the fight was confirmed, their class would face a deduction in points, and he could be suspended for at least two weeks.
The worst part? There was no way to prove it was self-defense.
Sudo didn't care about class points. What truly terrified him was the suspension.
In a normal high school, a suspension meant staying home and studying alone. But at Advanced Nurturing High School, it meant being barred from classes and—more importantly—club activities.
Two weeks away from the basketball team could cost him his spot as an official member. Someone else would take his place. He couldn't let that happen.
"Relax."
Kure Ragna's voice was calm, unhurried.
Walking ahead with Chabashira, he didn't even glance back.
"Like I said before, this is between me and Ryuuen Kakeru. You don't have to say a word—just sit back and watch."
"Yeah, trust Kure Ragna," Kushida Kikyo chimed in, her voice warm and reassuring.
But inside, her thoughts were anything but.
Will you just shut up, you hot-headed idiot? You've already made a mess of things.
Still, Sudo couldn't shake his unease.
Chabashira, keeping pace beside them, sighed. "If you have a plan, make sure Sudo knows his part. I don't care about your feud with Ryuuen, but this involves Class D and the student council.
They'll question Sudo directly, and if your stories don't match up… well, you know what happens."
"Yeah, yeah," Kure Ragna replied, rubbing his forehead as if exhausted.
He stopped walking, turned, and placed both hands on Sudo's shoulders.
"Listen carefully. You didn't fight anyone today. You were invited to the top floor of the special teaching building for a Yu-Gi-Oh duel. When you got there, no one from Class D showed up. You got stood up. So, you left. Got it?"
"Uh… I think so?"
Sudo nodded hesitantly.
Oh great, he's a complete idiot.
Kure Ragna sighed inwardly, squeezing Sudo's shoulders just a little harder.
"Repeat it."
"M-me… uh…" Sudo struggled, stumbling over his words. Finally, he managed, "...I can't do it."
"Perfect."
"Huh?"
To his surprise, Kure Ragna let go and continued walking. "Just keep repeating that in your head—'I can't do it.' Don't think about anything else. If anyone asks you a question, that's all you say."
"...Okay?"
Still unsure, Sudo nodded again, more out of desperation than understanding.
Behind them, Kouenji smirked knowingly.
---
A few minutes later, they arrived at the familiar student council meeting room.
The door creaked open.
Chabashira entered first, followed by Sudo—practically pushed inside by Kure Ragna. Kouenji and Kushida trailed behind.
Inside, the student council and Class D were already waiting.
Kure Ragna took one glance at the scene and smirked.
It was almost identical to the last time he'd beaten Ryuuen. Sitting at the head of the table was Horikita Manabu, the student council president, with Tachibana Akane, the council secretary, beside him.
From Class D, Ishizaki sat near the window, his face as battered as ever. But this time, three other unfamiliar students were present. Two of them looked just as rough—bandages on their heads, bruised faces. Clearly, they were the other two who had fought Sudo earlier.
The last person, however, was different.
A man in his thirties, wearing glasses, with a sinister smirk.
The moment Chabashira entered, he raised a hand in mock welcome.
"Finally here, Chabashira-sensei."
"Sakagami-sensei…"
She barely acknowledged him, exhaling in mild frustration.
Horikita Manabu took control, his voice composed.
"Everyone is present. Let's begin."
The students quickly took their seats.
Kouenji sat to the right of Horikita, followed by Kushida, Kure Ragna, Sudo, and finally Chabashira.
Horikita's gaze settled on Class D.
"Explain the incident."
The moment he spoke, a boy from Class D—Komiya—sprang to his feet as if he'd been waiting for a signal.
"It was him!" He jabbed a finger at Sudo. "During club practice today, he told me and Kondo to meet him on the top floor after training. But the second we got there, he jumped out and attacked us!"
There it is.
Predictable. Class D was going all in, trying to pin everything on Sudo.
Under normal circumstances, Sudo would've exploded at the accusation.
But Kure Ragna glanced sideways.
Sudo sat still, staring blankly ahead. In his ears, two small blue objects were visible—noise-isolating earplugs.
Knew they'd come in handy.
Originally, Kure Ragna had bought them for… other purposes when playing with Kushida. But their soundproofing was excellent—unless someone used bone conduction, the outside world was completely muted.
The best part? Sudo had no idea what was happening. To him, Komiya looked like a silent movie character, flailing around and making exaggerated faces.
Horikita gave a slight nod. "Class B, your response?"
As a teacher, Chabashira Sae naturally refrained from speaking to maintain neutrality. Kushida Kikyo and Kouenji also remained silent, leaving only Sudou, who sat there with a dazed expression, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He wasn't spacing out—far from it.
Kure Ragna had drilled a single phrase into his head before the meeting: "I wasn't there. I wasn't there."
Now, Sudou was clinging to that line like a lifeline, repeating it over and over in his mind, refusing to let anything else take hold.
No matter what accusations were thrown at him, no matter how the student council tried to press for details, that was the only answer he had.
He couldn't afford to mess up. One wrong word, one slip, and he'd be buried.
Kure Ragna glanced at him from the side, noting the rigid posture and unfocused eyes. Good. As long as Sudou stuck to the script, their plan had a chance.
That left only one person.
Kure Ragna looked up.
"Good speech."
He clasped his hands together, his voice calm.
"But, as always, the rule stands: the one who makes the claim must provide the evidence. So…"
A slow smirk spread across his face.
"Go ahead—show us what you've got."
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