"How laughable. Hirata, when will you ever stop being so naive?"
Amane let out a cold sneer.
If she weren't worried about Horikita getting exhausted leading Class D alone…
She really wouldn't bother dealing with an idealist like Hirata.
He always thought the best of people, always believed there were perfect solutions to everything, but he completely overlooked reality.
Since when was the world filled with so many trustworthy people?
Since when were there so many flawless solutions?
"Have you forgotten something, Hirata? 'Ice three feet thick isn't formed in a day.' I'm sure you've heard that saying. These dropouts wasted the first half of the school year. Did you really think a couple days of cramming would make them suddenly realize they study for their own sake?"
"Didn't you invite them to your study groups? Do they genuinely not know that failing means expulsion? I believe you already know the answers yourself. So then…"
Amane's gaze swept across everyone present.
Then her focus returned to Hirata.
"How can you assume others would do a better job than you at tutoring them? And there's an even more practical issue staring you in the face."
"Suppose they scrape by this time—what about the next? Do you naively believe someone will bail them out again? No, they won't. Because there's only one Hirata Yōsuke. Their future still ends in expulsion."
The moment Amane finished, Yamauchi immediately rebutted.
"We wouldn't do that! If we can just avoid expulsion this time, we'll definitely study hard from now on. We won't hold the class back anymore!"
Hirata hung his head.
Who knew what was going through his mind.
But judging from his expression…
He didn't refute Amane right away.
He'd essentially accepted her argument already. Yamauchi's promise just felt like adding unnecessary details.
Even Hirata seemed doubtful about it.
A long moment passed. Hirata finally looked up, his lips slightly dry.
"You're right, Miyako. All this talk of sacrifice… it's just me patting myself on the back. You're correct, I've been too willfully stubborn. But what I did was…"
His voice cut off under Amane's steady gaze.
He didn't know what he'd said wrong this time. But the look on Amane's face was unmistakably one of pure exasperation.
"Hirata, are you too deep into this role you're playing? Did you really buy the test papers?"
Amane couldn't help but sigh.
If she wanted to save Hirata, she had to find a way to challenge the Student Council's accusation against him. Coincidentally, perhaps because Hirata had confessed so readily, the Council had overlooked the most critical step.
The step that could overturn the case.
That was: evidence.
The Student Council had completely skipped the evidence-gathering process. A simple investigation would have shown that Hirata's actions didn't necessarily violate school rules.
She felt a bit sorry for Ayanokōji, but for now, he'd have to shoulder some of the blame. By splitting the responsibility, they could prevent Hirata's expulsion.
Hirata knew Amane was hinting for him to reveal the real person behind the test papers and everything else.
When he first confessed, he hadn't known it could lead to expulsion, so he'd rashly taken all the blame.
But now, knowing that buying and selling test papers for cheating meant expulsion, he was even more unwilling to expose the real mastermind.
Ayanokōji's motives had been purely out of kindness.
When he was cornered, Ayanokōji had risked being caught to give him a solution that nearly turned things around.
The fact was, the answers Ayanokōji provided had been crucial. Without him, Hirata dreaded to think how he'd have faced a class where two-thirds might have been expelled.
He also saw how hard Amane was trying for him.
He was grateful she kept trying to pull him out of this mess.
But the crisis he faced now seemed to demand a sacrifice—one person had to fall for him to be saved.
By shifting all the blame onto Ayanokōji, he could avoid expulsion. But wouldn't that betray Ayanokōji's goodwill?
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Amane."
Amane noticed the change in Hirata's tone. She knew he still intended to sacrifice himself to protect Ayanokōji.
But…
Hmph.
Still a fool, as expected.
Who said a sacrifice was necessary?
"President Horikita, I request a point transaction review for Hirata. If he purchased test papers from an upperclassman, a transaction record would be inevitable. I assume the Student Council wouldn't overlook such a crucial piece of evidence?"
Amane didn't press Hirata further. With someone like him, she had to work indirectly to achieve her goal.
"Granted. Secretary Akane, please retrieve Hirata's transaction records."
After Horikita Manabu instructed Tachibana Akane to get the records, his gaze shifted to Hirata.
Even if Hirata didn't confess now, Horikita already had a rough idea of the truth.
But this truth was even more unbelievable. Because if someone else really bought the test papers, it meant Hirata was taking the fall for them.
If he'd confessed initially without knowing the punishment, mistakenly admitting to breaking school rules, then what was with Amane's earlier hints?
If Hirata regretted taking the blame, all he had to do was follow Amane's lead.
But he had refused her help.
Which meant…
This freshman, who had just entered the school, was genuinely prepared to be expelled as a sacrifice.
Soon after, Secretary Akane returned, looking shocked, holding two printed transaction records.
"President! Hirata's personal points show no transaction with Shimizu. However, a student named Ayanokōji Kiyotaka paid Shimizu a total of fifteen thousand personal points!"
Akane handed the printed records from the system to Horikita for review.
Horikita took them, scrutinized them carefully, then looked at Hirata.
"Hirata. Don't you have an explanation for this?"
Horikita's tone shifted to one of respect. To think someone would really take the fall for a classmate, facing expulsion for it.
Such a person… was probably the pinnacle of selflessness. Hearing Akane's words, everyone except Hirata and Amane was stunned.
They never imagined that Hirata Yōsuke, the one they all believed was the main culprit in this cheating scandal, 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, you have something to say?"
Horikita signaled for him to speak.
"I want to ask Hirata… are you really taking the fall for someone else? But this means expulsion!"
Kiriyama stared in shock at Hirata, whose expression hadn't changed at all.
He was willing to protect someone else by getting himself expelled?
What a joke!
How could such a person exist?
Could there really be someone who cared about others so selflessly?
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.