The moment Suzune called out, the door to the meeting room opened. A red-haired girl with gsses entered, her head lowered.
"A witness?"
Css D's homeroom teacher, Sakagami Kazuma, raised a brow and smirked mogly. "Let me guess—she's from Css C?"
"That's right," Suzune responded calmly. "Sakura-san happeo be present at the Special Building that day, making her a crucial eyewitness."
"Oh? In that case, let's hear what she has to say."
As Sakura stepped further into the room, she felt the weight of tless gazes pressing down on her. Her legs wobbled slightly, but she forced herself to remember the words of encement Hikaru had given her during their practice sessions. Slowly, she steadied her breathing.
"I-I'm Sakura Airi… from Css 1-C," she said, g her fists tightly to suppress her fear.
"Alright, Sakura-san," Suzune said softly, giving her an encing gnce. "Please tell us what you saw that day."
Suzune knew asking the timid girl to testify was a difficult task. Without her, however, the hearing would beuch more plicated.
"Y-Yes." Sakura took a deep breath. "That day… I saw Css D's students attack Sudo-kun first. That's how the fight started."
"Hah. If you really saw that, why didn't you speak up earlier?" Sakagami scoffed, his tone dripping with dession. His gaze shifted from Sakura to Chabashira Sae, then back again. "If you really had a witness, you could've goo the Student cil right away. Why wait until now?"
"I… um…"
Sakura's fidence wavered at his words. But she quickly recalled the sarios Hikaru had prepared her for. His voice echoed in her mind: When they push, stay calm and stick to the truth.
"It was… because my camera broke after that day. I was so focused oing it repaired that I fot to tell my cssmates about the photo I took."
"ve," Sakagami sneered, shaking his head. "Sounds like you're just lying to protect your css. It's admirable in a way—sacrifig your iy for your cssmates—but lying isn't going to help you here, Sakura-san."
"I'm not lying!" she excimed, voice trembling but resolute. "My camera had… evidence from that day."
Her heart pounded as she turo Suzune. "Horikita-san… may I show the photos now?"
Suzune gave a slight nod. "Yes. If you have proof, let's present it."
At the mention of "evidence," Sakagami's smile stiffened. His eyes flicked toward Ibuki, who remained eerily calm.
Sakura retrieved a memory card from her pocket. "I transferred all my private pictures elsewhere, so only the photos from that day remain."
"Secretary Tachibana, please project the images," Manabu instructed.
Tachibana stepped forward, accepted the memory card, and ied it into the ptop ected to the projector.
Seds ter, an image appeared on the s.
The photo captured Sakura's fa a selfie, but the background revealed a critical detail: Ishizaki and Komiya fnking Sudo, their arms raised, fists positioned aggressively. The text clearly suggested that they had been the instigators.
"I went to the Special Building that day to take some selfies," Sakura expined. "While I was looking for a quiet pce… I saw them attag Sudo-kun."
Her words finally out, Sakura slumped slightly, the tension draining from her body. She felt relieved to have fulfilled her promise to Hikaru.
After this, I get to see him tonight… The thought brought a faint blush to her cheeks.
Suzune seized the momentum. "If you look at the timestamp on the image, you'll see the date matches the day of the i. This photograph clearly supports Sakura-san's testimony."
The room fell silent.
Sakagami's smile disappeared entirely. He shifted his gaze to Ibuki. Ishizaki and Komiya, meanwhile, exged panicked gnces.
Finally, Ibuki stood and pulled out her phone. "If Css C is presenting evidence, we'll do the same."
The tension thied instantly.
Sakura froze. Wait… They have evideoo? Panic surged through her.
Ibuki handed her phoo Tachibana. "Please py the video."
The students from Css C stiffe her words. Sudo ched his fists while Hirata and Chabashira exged ed gnces.
As the video began, the s dispyed footage taken from an unusually close ahe shaky camera focused on Sudo, Komiya, and Ishizaki locked in a scuffle. Their versation was audible.
"I won't give up the regur position—no matter what you do!" Komiya's voice sounded over the speakers.
"What are you talking about? I don't get it!" Sudo's fused voice followed.
"Stop hitting Komiya, damn it! If you've got a problem, deal with me!" Ishizaki shouted as Sudo shed out at both of them with force.
The clip ended with Sudo's fist smashing into Komiya's face.
Silence fell over the room.
The mood shifted palpably. Sakagami smmed his hands oable and stood up. "This is uable! We've seen enough. Sudo is a dao this school—he must be suspended!"
Oher side of the room, Ibuki crossed her arms, smirking faintly. Ishizaki and Komiya sighed in relief.
Manabu remained calm, though his gsses glinted ominously. "That is pelling evidence," he admitted, voieutral. "How did you obtain this video?"
Ibuki kept her expression posed. "One of our cssmates was st materials in the sce b when they heard the otion. They took out their phone and recorded the fight."
"How ve," Manabu murmured.
Suzune's stomach twisted. This isn't good. The video looks damning.
"If you ot present further terevidence," Manabu said, addressing Css C, "Sudo's expulsion bees iable."
The color drained from Sudo's face. Ishizaki and Komiya smirked.
Suzuhoughts raced. She felt trapped.
Think, Suzuhink!
Then she remembered Hikaru's words about the potential of surveilnce footage.
"No," she said suddenly. "We would like to submit a sed piece of evidence."
She reached into her pocket arieved her phone.
"I request permission to present additional proof."
Manabu raised an eyebrow. For the first time in the hearing, his expression shifted from stoic disio mild curiosity.
She's growhought. Finally, she's starting to grasp the true nature of these hearings.
"Proceed," he said.
Suzuared at the s of her phone.
Hikaru-ku's see if yuess about the security cameras was right.
*(TL/N - Special Building is Special Annex of the Sce Building btw. I just shorte.)
~~~
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