The accusation against Horikita was that during the previous obstacle race, she intentionally knocked down Kinoshita, causing her to get injured. When -sensei and the staff reviewed the footage, they did notice Horikita looking back abnormally.
Because of this, Muxia suffered a serious injury to her calf, making her unable to participate in the following events. The medical staff also confirmed that her injuries were far more severe than expected, as if she had been deliberately harmed.
"So you're suspecting me just based on her testimony?"
Horikita sounded calm, but the anger in her voice was unmistakable.
"We can't rule out the possibility. I believe you're innocent, but because we can't eliminate this suspicion, the matter might go to a hearing. That means other teachers and even the student council might get involved, making the situation even bigger."
Chabashira-sensei explained.
"Even if you say that, I'm innocent. I've never deliberately hurt anyone."
Horikita knew that letting this drag on would only be bad for her. But this was obviously a setup by Class C—there was no way she would just give in.
"I understand. For now, the case will be treated as an intentional injury disguised as an accident."
Horikita frowned. Chabashira-sensei continued, "You should understand that, in terms of athletic ability, Kinoshita is very important to Class C. Plus, her injury is more severe than yours. Do you know what that means?"
Horikita understood all too well—this meant the hearing would likely favor the other side.
She hadn't done anything, yet she was being forced to prove her innocence? Worse, both the footage and the testimony were against her. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.
"This is a total setup! A complete trap! I'm innocent, but I have to prove it myself?"
In logic, proving something doesn't exist is much harder than proving something does. If you want to prove a creature exists, you just have to find one. But if you want to prove it doesn't exist, you'd have to search the whole world—and even then, you might miss a hidden corner where it still exists. This is called the Devil's Proof.
And now, Horikita was caught in exactly that kind of situation. Faced with Kinoshita's accusation and the suspicious video, she had to prove her innocence.
"This is just how things are. Even in criminal trials, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. But in reality, the accused often has to prove their own innocence. Right now, they have testimony, video footage, and even a possible motive for you to hurt her. Plus, Kinoshita is the more severely injured, making her the 'weaker' party. All of this is working against you."
Chabashira-sensei sighed.
It was unfair, but that was the reality. The other side was clearly exploiting this loophole—or rather, seizing the perfect opportunity to frame Horikita.
"Chabashira-sensei, I have a question."
Horikita suddenly asked, "How did you find out about this?"
"It was Kushida who came to me."
Chabashira-sensei answered honestly.
Just then, Kushida appeared at the door. Hearing their conversation, she stepped in and explained, "I know Kinoshita. When I heard she was badly injured, I wanted to visit her. But since she didn't want to make a big deal out of it, I decided to consult Chabashira-sensei first."
Horikita nodded. So, the matter was still being kept within a small circle? That meant the other side didn't want it to blow up either.
So… they wanted to settle it privately?
That was the only explanation Horikita could think of.
With Sudou's incident, her own injury, and now Muxia's accusation, it felt like everything was piling up on her, making it hard to breathe.
"I want to talk to Kinoshita."
If they wanted to settle it quietly, then Horikita would see exactly what they were up to.
But before she could do anything, a mocking voice came from the hallway.
"Looks like things are getting serious."
Ryuuen, with his red hair, walked in with his hands in his pockets, a jacket draped over his shoulders, exuding his usual cocky attitude.
The moment Horikita saw him, her face darkened.
During the special exam on the cruise, she and Ryuuen had been in the same group. Back then, he had shown an extremely aggressive side, constantly provoking her, trying to make her lose control and make mistakes.
"So it was you!"
Ryuuen ignored her and walked straight over to Kinoshita. Then, without warning, he grabbed the handles of her wheelchair.
The sudden action startled Kinoshita. She gasped in shock, her face instantly filled with fear and unease.
"Are you okay?"
Ryuen crouched down and spoke near Kinoshita's ear with a smirk, his eyes provocatively glancing at Horikita across from him.
"I… I…"
Kinoshita stammered, unable to form a complete sentence.
"I heard you hurt your foot. That's really unfortunate..."
As he spoke, Ryuen patted Kinoshita's bandaged leg. Only when he saw her wince in pain did he feign concern.
"You do realize how much your absence will cost your class, don't you?"
"I'm… I'm sorry."
Kinoshita lowered her head, seemingly trying to endure the pain, not daring to look Ryuen in the eyes.
"Kinoshita, about your accusation—"
Just as Horikita tried to speak, Ryuen stepped between them.
"Suzune, I heard you deliberately knocked Kinoshita down during the race so she wouldn't be able to compete in the next events. That's what happened, right?"
"Don't call me by my name!"
Horikita's expression twisted in disgust at hearing Ryuen say her name.
"And that was just an accident! It wasn't intentional at all!"
"Oh, really?"
Ryuen smirked.
"But Kinoshita doesn't see it that way, do you?"
He patted the wheelchair's handle, making Kinoshita shiver.
"Y-yes… Horikita said, 'I won't let you win, no matter what.'"
"I never said anything like that! This is a complete setup!"
Horikita clenched her fists, trying to hold back her anger.
Chabashira-sensei stepped in again to question both sides, but the result remained the same—Kinoshita kept insisting that Horikita had intentionally knocked her down.
"Sensei, Kinoshita has already made it clear that Suzune did it on purpose. Even if she called her name from behind, so what? That's not against the rules. But Suzune is different. When she saw Kinoshita about to pass her, she chose to crash into her just to make sure she wouldn't win, even if it meant losing herself. What a nasty move!"
Ryuen kept fanning the flames, pressing Horikita aggressively. Every time she tried to argue back, he would cut her off or twist the facts, keeping complete control of the conversation.
Already in poor condition both physically and mentally, Horikita felt her head getting heavier and heavier.
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