The next day, ten minutes before the deliberation. The second deliberation meeting was being held in the student council room. Horikita and Sudō were waiting together with the student council president, the teachers and the Class C students, but Ayanokoji had not yet arrived.

“.....What on earth is Ayanokoji thinking? Is she really trying to make me innocent?”

“Tch, that woman really is something else to the very end…”

Because of Ayanokoji’s declaration of Sudō’s innocence at yesterday’s deliberation, a tense atmosphere hung between the two of them. Today, this incident will finally be settled. If innocent, it would be Ayanokoji’s victory. If guilty, Ryūen’s victory.

On this crucial day that would decide the outcome of this long confrontation, Ayanokoji suddenly disappeared after leaving only a single message saying she would not attend the deliberation. The two of them panicked and sent her several mails, but Ayanokoji did not even read them.

Just as Ayanokoji had told them, Horikita and Sudō made no preparations at all. No, it would be more accurate to say they could not prepare. With their abilities, there was no way they could secure innocence. All they could do was wait for Ayanokoji with a hope even thinner than a thread, praying that she might suddenly change her mind and appear.

Reconciliation meant defeat. It was the answer everyone wanted and at the same time, a defeat that Ayanokoji could never accept.

After waiting a few minutes, the door to the student council room opened and the student council president entered. At the same time, Horikita felt her heart tremble.

Horikita was shaken, nervous and dizzy. Even so, she could not repeat yesterday’s disaster. Even if she thought herself pathetic, there was nothing she could do. Ayanokoji had irresponsibly run away, but she herself still had to stand and fight for Sudō.

Soon after, the two homeroom teachers of Classes C and D, Sakagami and Chabashira, entered the room.

“What, Ayanokoji isn’t here?”

“....She said she will not be attending.”

“She will not... attend?”

At those words, Sakagami openly burst into laughter.

“Hahahahaha! After acting so arrogantly, it seems she couldn’t think of a plan in the end. Looks like the winner has already been decided. Why don’t we just finish this now? Of course, we will be demanding Sudō-kun’s expulsion.”

“G, ghh...”

“The Class C students haven’t arrived yet. Please wait.”

Horikita Manabu felt something strange about the fact that Ayanokoji had not appeared, but at the same time, he wondered if this too might be part of her strategy.

“Hmph, the result is obvious anyway. I’ll wait quietly.”

“I don’t mind either. You’re the ones who will decide.”

The teachers took their seats. Now all that remained was for Class C to arrive and the deliberation could begin.

Horikita resolved that if the worst happened, she would refute all their claims. Expose the opponent’s lies and hypocrisy and assert the truth… she believed that was the only path to victory.

But she was certain that Ayanokoji Aoi would never choose that path. Believing that the insane woman must have devised another plan, Horikita clenched her fists, praying... praying that the scheme would succeed.

And finally, the Class C students arrived. They were drenched in sweat.

“That was close. Looks like we won, so come on and sit down.”

The Class C students who arrived just in time all wore dark expressions and Sakagami, relieved that they were not late, urged them to take their seats.

But they did not sit down. Instead... they approached Sakagami and stood in front of him, all three of them.

“Why aren’t you sitting?”

“Um… Sakagami-sensei. About this deliberation... could you please pretend it never happened?”

At those words, Sakagami dropped the ballpoint pen he was holding. Shaken to a serious degree by the unexpected words from his students, he jumped to his feet.

“Y-you... what are you saying? What on earth is this? Cancel the deliberation?”

“In other words, are you saying you want to reconcile? Or that you’ve already reconciled?”

When the student council president Horikita Manabu cast a sharp gaze at the Class C students, the three shook their heads sideways, denying any reconciliation.

“We realized that this incident wasn’t really anyone’s fault. Our accusation itself was wrong. So... damn it! Please cancel the accusation! We’re begging you!”

At their near-screaming plea, Chabashira grasped the full situation and burst into laughter. Displeased by her attitude, Sakagami glared at her anxiously.

“What exactly is so funny, Chabashira-sensei?”

“Kuk... ah, my apologies. I was just surprised by something I never expected. I thought today’s deliberation would drag on until it completely collapsed, or end with a proposal for reconciliation. But... to think you’d ask to cancel the accusation! Kuk, it’s so absurd I can’t help laughing.”

Even the incompetent Horikita and the dim-witted Sudō could now clearly understand what was happening.

This was Ayanokoji Aoi’s work in the shadows.

At the same time, Horikita felt fear. Had that insane woman seen this outcome from the very beginning? Then what method did she use? Was it even a normal method?

...Before that, could this woman even be called a normal human being?

“We sincerely apologize for taking up the teachers’ and the student council’s time. But... but this is the conclusion we reached!”

They looked as if they wanted to end the incident immediately. A flustered Sakagami grabbed Ishizaki by the shoulders.

“There’s no way this will be accepted! You did nothing wrong! This was all caused by Sudō’s one-sided threats and violence! Are you planning to go home and cry yourselves to sleep?”

At that moment, a certain person who could have created this situation flashed through his mind.

“Ayanokoji Aoi! What did she do? Did she threaten you with violence if you didn’t cancel the accusation?”

“You’re joking, surely. If you mentioned Sudō, maybe that would make sense, but how could a delicate girl like Ayanokoji possibly use violence against three sturdy boys like you?”

At Chabashira’s mocking tone, Sakagami clenched his teeth and continued trying to persuade his students.

“Then what on earth is the reason! Tell me the truth here and now. I’ll help you however I can, so speak up. Is this really Ayanokoji’s doing?”

“N-no! Ayanokoji has absolutely nothing to do with this! Canceling the accusation is our own decision!”

“Y-yes! We really just want to cancel this... it’s all our own judgment!”

“P-please cancel it! From now on we’ll never do anything so stupid again, no, we’ll never get involved with Class D ever again!”

All of them strongly denied that it was Ayanokoji’s doing and desperately begged for the cancellation. They even got down on their knees and pleaded and Kondō was in tears. Looking closely, it was clear they were desperately struggling to get the deliberation canceled. The reason was probably...

Their fear of Ayanokoji Aoi.

Unable to understand the situation at all, Sakagami pressed his head and staggered back into his seat.

“If you wish to cancel the accusation, we will accept it. While it is rare to cancel an accusation in the middle of a meeting, it is certainly possible.”

The student council president handled the matter calmly even in this situation and Sudō and Horikita nodded without even daring to object.

Seeing their shocked expressions, Chabashira spoke in their place.

“If you want to cancel the accusation, we have no intention of fighting either. We’ll accept it. However, according to regulations, canceling a deliberation requires paying a certain amount of points. Do you have any objections to that?”

At those words, they looked as if they were hearing it for the first time, but immediately pulled out their student IDs and held them out.

“Please take them! I don’t know how much it will be, but...”

“I-if it’s not enough, we’ll even pay in installments! Please just cancel the deliberation!”

“Please... sniff, we’ll pay whatever you want, just cancel it!”

No one had predicted such a ridiculous ending. No one had ever imagined Class C students crying and clinging to get a deliberation canceled. Even Tachibana seemed flustered by this situation. But in this moment, Horikita Manabu thought:

‘Ayanokoji Aoi... she is truly beyond imagination.’

Recognizing her mind, which had conceived the same plan as his own, as the work of a genuine elite, he calmly decided to declare the end of the case.

“Then we will conclude this meeting. This brings it to an end.”

When the end of the meeting was declared, Chabashira smiled at her dazed students and said, “That concludes the deliberation. Sudō will bear no responsibility at all and he may resume his club activities. Work as hard as you like for your youth. However, if you cause another incident, this one will be brought up again, so remember that. Well, with Ayanokoji around, I suppose it’ll be fine.”

Sudō had been found innocent. With this, he could play basketball again and Kushida and Hirata’s efforts were also rewarded. Sakagami pressed Class C for the truth, but it would surely be pointless.

The only ones left sitting blankly in the student council room were Horikita and Sudō. Then the student council president, her older brother, approached Horikita and spoke.

“Suzune, unlike you, Ayanokoji is a capable woman. She is someone who will cause a great storm in this academy. If you truly want my recognition... become like Ayanokoji. Then you will be able to find your own shortcomings.”

With those words, the student council president left his younger sister’s side.

Horikita, bewildered by the chaos Ayanokoji had created and shocked by her brother’s words, could not say anything and remained seated there.

‘How did it end up like this? What on earth had happened?’

The origin of everything goes back to 3:40 p.m, twenty minutes before the deliberation began.