cote react to

part 20

"I don't understand," said Kushida.

"Someone in Class D was prepared to go in for the kill. What if I had still given you the right questions? Come on. Say you scored really high on the exam and then someone accused you of cheating, and they found those papers? What do you think would happen then?"

"Wait, you mean I'd be expelled?! Even though I didn't cheat? That's stupid!" Kushida balked.

"As long as the evidence pointed at you, the school will definitely expell you." Kanzaki said.

"Won't the school hold an investigation?" Ishizaki asked him.

Kanzak looked at him, "Of course the school will investigate the matter, but Kushida did got her hands on the test questions. That alone would be the deciding factor."

"If you were innocent, it would be stupid. But you got your hands on the questions beforehand by working with me. There'd be nothing you could do about it," said Ryuuen.

Of course, Kushida could have claimed she was framed. Even if she pulled through, however, it would've tainted her reputation. It wasn't against the rules for someone to offer their class's questions to another class, but it was considered disgraceful.

That probably would've invalidated Kushida's test results and threatened her position in Class D, even if she avoided expulsion. Class C would have been in grave danger, too.

"When did this cheat sheet get in my—?"

"You really don't have any clue? Have you noticed any strange people around?"

"No way, it can't… No, wait. I went to our final test meeting at a karaoke room last week with Horikita and the others. A girl got angry and poured her juice on me. Afterward, she asked if she could take my blazer to the cleaners. It was understandable, given that situation, but…for some reason, it keeps nagging at me," said Kushida.

"And the girl was Karuizawa-san?" Sakayanagi smiled.

"How would you know that?" Karuizawa demanded.

"Easy, Ayanokoji-kun made you his pawn, didn't he? It's only natural that he would use you. If the topic of the meeting was about the test, then the most prominent members the class will be there, no?" Sakayanagi explained.

"Mainly, Horikita-san, Hirata-kun, Kushida-san, Ayanokoji-kun and you." Hashimoto guessed.

"Correct." Sakayanagi replied.

"Let me guess who that girl was. Karuizawa Kei," said Ryuuen.

"H-how did you know? Don't tell me you saw?"

"How could I have seen? It's simple deduction," said Ryuuen. He tapped his finger against the side of his head.

"Explain what happened from the beginning."

Though Kushida felt disoriented, she told Ryuuen everything. She explained that Horikita and Hirata had invited everyone, and that Ayanokouji, Sudou, and Karuizawa all sat together.

In the middle of their meeting, Karuizawa started a fight and poured juice on her. After quietly listening, Ryuuen took his deduction a step further.

"That looks like a troublesome order." Karuizawa glared at Ayanokoji.

"Don't hold me against my future self's order." Ayanokoji put his hand up.

"Oh, Sudo-kun was also there?" Hashimoto looked surprised.

"He did become the leader during the sports festival." Kamuro snorted.