After waiting for about five or six minutes iudent cil office, Hikaru and Ibuki turoward the door as it ushed open once again. The two student cil members who had bee on an erraered first, followed closely by a long-haired young man—Ryuen Kakeru.

  "Vice President Nagumo, Ryuen has arrived," one of the student cil members reported.

  "I see. Bring him to the feren," Nagumo instructed with practiced ease before shifting his gaze to Hikaru and Ibuki.

  "Normally, when a formal accusation is made, both students' homeroom teachers are required to be present. However, sih parties involved are from Css C, there's o trouble Sakagami-sehe student cil will hahis matter instead."

  "Follow me."

  "Uood," Hikaru responded, nodding slightly as he followed behind Nagumo. Ibuki walked beside him, maintaining her usual indifferent expression.

  ---

  "President, should we follow them?" Tachibana asked, evident ione.

  "No need. Nagumo has proven himself capable, and I doubt he will render a biased judgment," Manabu replied, his gaze still fixed on Hikaru's retreating figure, his toinged with quiet anticipation.

  "A ce, huh?"

  "To see how Hashima Hikaru handles himself against Nagumo,"

  Manabu crified. His sharp gaze flickered, recalling their first versation.

  "I see," Tachibana nodded in uanding. However, as she looked at Hikaru's back, an unusual emotion surfaced in her expression.

  ---

  Hikaru and Ibuki followed Nagumo into the student cil's feren, where a long, spacious table occupied the ter. Chairs were ly arranged on both sides.

  "You two, sit over there. Ryuen, you sit across from them," Nagumo directed.

  As Ryueered the room, Nagumo arched an eyebrow. His first impression of the first-year student wasn't great—the long-haired deli aesthetic didn't sit well with him. It was no surprise he was being accused.

  Still, that wasn't his .

  "Now then, both parties may begin their statements," Nagumo decred. "I will record all testimonies and deliver a verdict based on the school's regutions."

  "Let's begin."

  The first to speak was her than the accused—Ryuen Kakeru.

  "So it was you, Ibuki."

  Ryuen slouched into his chair with an air of nonce, but his sharp eyes remained locked onto Ibuki's face.

  "I almost thought you'd finally wised up and decided to join my side," he sneered. "Didn't expect you to pull this off. Not bad at all."

  "You want to get me suspended? You have proof?"

  "Of course," Ibuki replied without hesitation, arms crossed. "Not only do I have evidence, but I also have a witness."

  She oward Hikaru.

  "You've already met him. This is Hashima Hikaru from Css B—my witness."

  "Oh?" Ryuen finally turo Hikaru, his expression darkening.

  "You got something on me? Let's see it."

  "Good afternoon, Ryuen," Hikaru greeted smoothly, pletely unfazed by the sharp look in Ryuen's eyes. His tone remained polite and posed as he tinued, "While retrieving equipment from the sce b earlier, I happeo witness you assaulting Ibuki. I recorded the entire i."

  "This is the video evidence. Would you like to see it?"

  Nagumo, not wasting any time, signaled for a student cil member to project Hikaru's rec onto the rge s behind them.

  As the video pyed, Ryuen's expression shifted. The angles were deliberately chosen—only showing his aggressive movements and pletely omitting Ibuki's terattacks.

  "You still have something to say in your defense, Ryuen?" Nagumo asked, his tone calm but pressing.

  Ryuen ched his jaw. He hadn't expected the rec to be this strategically edited—it looked as if he had been ht attag Ibuki without provocation.

  "This is a setup. We were fighting, not some one-sided assault!" he barked, pointing a fi Ibuki. "They phis from the start—this is entrapment!"

  "Oh?" Nagumo raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Do you have any evideo support your cim?"

  "I have witnesses. My guys were there when it happened," Ryuen decred. "They prove that Ibuki challenged me first and initiated the fight."

  "Uood. You're entitled to present witnesses in your defense," Nagumo agreed, showing no particur expression. "tact them immediately."

  "Fine."

  Ryuen shot a gre at Hikaru and Ibuki before pulling out his phoo send messages.

  ---

  "Hikaru, what do we do now?" Ibuki whispered, leaning slightly toward him. She tugged at his sleeve, clearly ed. "If they say I challenged him first, won't that ge the oute?"

  "Rex. This is exactly what I wanted," Hikaru whispered back, a fident smirk f on his lips. "Now, Ryuen has already lost."

  "Why?"

  "You'll see soon enough."

  ---

  Five or six mier, two breathless students arrived—Ishizaki Daichi and Komiya Kyogo. Sweat liheir foreheads, evidence of how quickly they had rushed over.

  "Ryuen, are you okay?" Ishizaki asked, looking worried.

  "I'm fihe student cil will follow the rules," Ryuen said, turning back toward Nagumo with a fident smirk. "These two are my withey firm that Ibuki provoked me first and challenged me to a fight."

  "Is that so?" Nagumo turned his gaze to the two boys. "You both swear that what Ryuen is saying is true?"

  "Yes!" Both nodded vigorously.

  "Ibuki was the one who challenged Ryuen first," Ishizaki insisted. "She's trying to frame him!"

  "You traitor!" Komiya spat at Ibuki, gring at her. "How could you turn against Css C like this?!"

  Ibuki igheir outbursts and iuro Hikaru.

  She didn't know why, but despite all the lies he had told, she instinctively trusted him in this moment.

  Hikaru chuckled lightly. "Perfect timing, you two. There's actually one more piece of evidence I haven't show."

  He turo Nagumo with a polite smile.

  "Vice President Nagumo, please listen to this audio rec."

  A faint beep sighe pyback.

  "I don't know what you're up to, but since I'm here, I'll make sure you submit to me today!"

  "Don't bme us, Ibuki. You should've just followed Ryuen's orders."

  "Yeah, we really didn't want to hurt you, but you forced our hand."

  As the rec pyed, the expressions of Ishizaki and Komiya froze.

  "You were saying something about this being a fair fight?" Hikaru inquired lightly.

  Nagumo's face darkened. He wasn't stupid—if he tried to brush this off now, his own credibility as the student cil vice president would be iion.

  "You three will remain here," Nagumo ordered sharply. His pierg gaze locked onto Ryuen and his ckeys. "I will ensure you ualy what it means to viote school rules through physical violence."

  "Vice President Nagumo, reciate your fair judgment," Hikaru said smoothly, bowing slightly.

  Nagumo exhaled and looked at the first-year boy standing before him—his sharp wit, his unreadable smile.

  For the first time, a hought crossed his mind.

  This student might be worth keeping an eye on.

  "Hashima Hikaru, Mio Ibuki, you two may remain to hear the official ruling. As the primary witnesses, you have the right to know the oute."

  "Thank you, Vice President Nagumo," Hikaru replied, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.

  And with that, the trap was fully sprung—Ryuen Kakeru had lost.