After a busy day, Saiki Kusuo returned to his dorm room, planning to rest briefly before heading home.
'With so many people from the class helping, I probably won't be needed anymore, especially if there's no progress later.'
Saiki thought to himself.
Just then, he picked up several familiar thoughts, and moments later, a knock sounded at the door.
'Should I pretend I'm not here? No, I came back with them...'
After a few seconds of hesitation, Saiki reluctantly got up and opened the door.
"Saiki!"
Standing there were the usual troublemakers: Kushida Kikyō, the Idiot Trio, and Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.
"What's up?"
Saiki asked, knowing the question was pointless.
"We're here to discuss what to do next. We have less than a week left," Kushida said seriously, leading the group into Saiki's room.
Ayanokōji's eyes scanned the room for any useful details but found nothing of value.
Soon, everyone was discussing how to clear Sudō Ken's name as quickly as possible. Saiki remained silent, his expression cold as he observed the group.
'Saiki's room is so clean—perfect for our future meetings.'
'Hey, do you all have to discuss this in my room? Couldn't you do it over chat?'
'I'll find a chance to secretly copy Saiki's room key later.'
'I'd advise against that.'
'Discussing this face-to-face means I can get closer to Kushida!'
'Can you not do that in my room?'
The group argued without reaching a conclusion. Just then, another knock sounded at the door.
'Another troublemaker.'
Using his telepathy, Saiki identified the visitor as Horikita Suzune. He quickly read her intentions and opened the door.
"Horikita, what brings you here?"
Ike asked, surprised.
'Did these guys waste an entire afternoon? The eyewitness is right here, and no one noticed.'
'Actually, someone did, but we pretended not to know.'
"Looks like you've been busy with nothing. Let me give you a hint," Horikita said, shaking her head.
"The eyewitness is right here with us."
"Who is it?"
Sudō asked urgently.
"Sakura from our class."
Horikita replied.
"Sakura... Sakura Airi?"
The others were surprised, as Sakura was practically invisible in class.
"When Hirata gave his speech earlier, Sakura's reaction was unnatural. She definitely knows something."
'Sakura showed signs from the start, but Horikita still figured it out.'
Ayanokōji's thought echoed in Saiki's mind, followed by others.
'Horikita noticed that? Impressive!'
The Idiot Trio agreed.
'Typical Horikita, waiting until now to show off her skills.'
Kushida's annoyance with Horikita grew, though she hid it. She called Sakura, but there was no answer.
"No answer..."
"We finally had a lead..."
Sudō sighed, lying on Saiki's bed.
'Hey, that's my bed. I don't sleep here, but if you leave a single speck of dust, every basketball you touch will go flat.'
"Even if she testifies, it won't matter much. Whether it was self-defense or not, it's still a minor issue."
Horikita left, leaving the group confused.
...
Soon, everyone else left, except Kushida, who stayed behind.
"Saiki, what do you think Horikita meant earlier?"
Kushida asked deliberately.
'Clearly, she meant Sudō's temper caused this. His impulsive nature led to the incident.'
Saiki thought, but only shook his head.
"Not sure."
"Oh?"
Kushida's lips twitched as she stared at Saiki.
'Does Saiki really not know? He and Horikita don't seem close, but she seems interested in him. If I ever clash with Horikita, maybe Saiki could be on my side.'
'Please don't involve me.'
"I'll talk to Sakura myself tomorrow. She's quiet, so too many people might scare her."
"Alright."
Saiki nodded, ending the conversation.
'If Kushida's handling it, I should be out of this now.'
Saiki thought.
...
The next day, during morning break.
Kushida approached Sakura as planned.
"Sakura!"
Kushida greeted warmly, while Sakura looked surprised and uneasy.
"Wh-What's this about?"
Meanwhile, Horikita, Ayanokōji, and Saiki watched from the corridor corner.
'Why did I have to come too...'
Saiki sighed, unable to refuse Horikita's request.