Part 6(B)
Ibuki stood in the way facing Hashimoto and Kidou.
“No, no, seriously, wait.”
“Make Sakayanagi apologize to Ichinose and us about the rumors .”
“You’re wrong. We aren’t the ones who spread them.”
“Don’t make me laugh!”
Ishizaki kicked off the handrail with all his strength. Even Hashimoto started realizing this was getting nowhere.
“What will you do then?”
“We decided. We’ll silence you using brute force, alone.”
“You’re really gonna do it?”
“U-huh. If you don’t like it, stop spreading rumors right now!”
“We already told you that we didn’t spread the rumors.”
And by saying this, Hashimoto concluded that this situation won’t work easily towards his favor.
Sakayanagi had declared war towards Ichinose, proving his innocence would be difficult in the same way.
Hashimoto loosened his lips.
“Don’t laugh.”
“Sorry, sorry. I just don’t get it.”
As long as it wasn’t proved that was he was the source of the rumors, Ishizaki’s demands could only be rejected.
“Then let me talk to Sakayanagi right now.”
“You? No way.”
Hashimoto was firm to not let this happen. He waved his hand dismissively as if to say ‘She won’t bother talking with the likes of you’.
Understanding this, Ishizaki said to Hashimoto
“Kitou. We have to do it.”
Reading the atmosphere, Hashimoto had a hunch that this won’t be over with only talking.
Kitou prepared by taking a fighting pose.
“Attack!”
Ishizaki rushed to Kitou and tackled him. Right beside Ibuki made a jump kick. but Hashimoto avoided it hurriedly.
“You fool!”
Mobile phone together with the student ID fell scattering all over the floor, from Ibuki’s pocket after a forceful jump.
Realizing the powerful kick was far from what he imagined it would be, Hashimoto expressed first his sense of being endangered and then his respect.
“I forgot that Ibuki-chan is used to fighting…”
“Stop it!”
Akito shouted while picking up the phone that laid down near him.
However, D Class didn’t show any sign of stopping.
The phone was scratched and wasn’t turning on.
I also stretched out to reach Ibuki’s student ID that was lying next to my feet.
Suddenly I dropped my eyes on the ID.
Without a natural smile and hard expression, Ibuki was reflecting unfriendliness.
However…
I noticed “one particular point”.
“What’s this…?”
“Where?”
Keisei, who heard me whispering, asked back, but I shook my head, putting Ibuki’s ID in my pocket.
“Nothing. More importantly, it seems like it’s better to stop the fight.”
“But how?”
The second round was about to start and an arrangement of 2 versus 2 was already made.
“That’s right. You better stop this!”
“Careful, Kiyotaka-kun…”
Haruka and Airi shouted, suggesting to stay out of this.
“… Is it wiser to leave it to Akito?”
Akito had already broken in, in order to stop the next collision.
“Stop it, Miyake!”
Said Ishizaki, trying to push him aside with all his might when Akito captured his hand and knocked him down forcibly.
“Let me go, you!”
“Sorry, Ishizaki. It’s nothing personal.”
“Stop it!”
Aiming at Akito’s head, Ibuki threw kicks one after another.
Akito separated from Ishizaki, avoiding a kick by a hair’s breath and then collapsed.
Albert’s big hands captured Akito.
“Hold him, Albert.”
“Ugh…”
Being held by Albert and his superhuman strength, Akito couldn’t resist any further.
D Class had concluded that they would win if they had arranged their fighting plan into a 2 versus 2 mode, without any obstructions.
“Ibuki!”
Ishizaki screamed.
At the same time, Kitou aimed at Ibuki’s bottom of the back and kicked.
“Stop it!”
Ibuki quickly responded to his movement, while kicking off Kitou’s hand.
“They started fighting, for real… What will we do?”
The four of us silently watched, without being able to stop them.
“You can’t do much since it has already started, but it’s bothersome that you guys from C Class are getting in the way…”
Hashimoto was observing both us and the rebelling Ishizaki closely.
“We came here accidentally, but there’s something I want to say. I’m pissed off that Ayanokouji became a target of rumors… Just like Ishizaki and the others”
Keisei complained while Airi nodded intensely.
“Huh, true. But isn’t a cute rumor that he likes Karuizawa?”
“N-not at all!”
Airi protested with an unusually loud voice for someone as shy.
Following his words, I also replied to Hashimoto
“I don’t want to say this, but I also doubt you, Hashimoto.”
“… Really? Well, I was the only one that saw yours and Karuizawa’s secret meeting the other day, after all.”
“S-secret meeting?”
Airi wasn’t the only one that turned around, but Haruka as well.
“That’s not weird at all.”
“Really? B-but Kiyotaka-kun, I got an impression, too, that you’re on very good terms with Karuizawa lately…”
Airi understood this since he had been observing me for a long time. However, it was extremely important to let Hashimoto hear this conversation.
Those who knew about the relationship between me and Kei had a need to inform the others that they knew. The major premise of someone having the role of handing over chocolate as a mediator wouldn’t be possible without a close relationship.
That was a lead-up to test out, how did the classmates comprehend our relationship.
They sealed their eyes to me which I took as a testimony that they knew.
As a result, doubt towards me had become dim.
“Now I’m your opponent, right Hashimoto!”
“Truly… It became troublesome.”
“Stop with this nonsense, Ishizaki-kun. I won’t permit it, even a little.”
Hiyori said to Ishizaki assertively.
Being unable to ignore her, he turned around worriedly.
“B-but!”
“If we suppose that Hashimoto’s group won a fight here, forcibly confessing won’t be evidence. Sakayanagi-san probably won’t confess at all. The truth that someone cannot confess – isn’t that per se a good thing?”
“Ibuki and me are both being compelled to accept a situation.”
“Your words are coming off too harshly, but there’s no other way. Please endure it.”
“You’re the one that brought us along. Why would you say to us to endure something?”
“You will get rewarded for sure.”
Listening to this conversation, Hashimoto let a whistle as if being deeply interested.
“So, Ishizaki wasn’t the one who set up this scene, but Shiina-chan?”
“Release him, Albert-kun.”
As instructed, Albert slowly loosen his grip.
“C Class, I apologize for all the fuss.”
He said, deeply bowing his head.
“Even if things finish here, this isn’t over yet.”
“Will you forgive us?”
Hiyori received Hashimoto’s words straightforwardly. Hashimoto should have known that there was nothing to gain by pulling any more.
“Well, I wouldn’t say I was injured. Let’s finish it here this time, Kidou. But please, stop suspect us from here on. If you’re gonna keep suspecting us, then could you have a specific proof with you, next time?”
We had managed to control the situation before an escalation into a grand fight happened, but the gap in the relationship between A Class and other Classes advanced towards being unrepairable.