COTE: Ayanokouji's Return

Chapter 28 - The Interviews

I was expecting more rigorous questioning about everything.

But on the other hand, this was still a school, not a police station.

Since they didn't have much of evidence pointing towards me apart from my closeness with Fuka and my presence on the party, their hands were tied, especially since I wasn't even the primary suspect.

Manabu: "Then, Ayanokouji, come with me to Student Council's room."

The silent up to this moment Horikita Manabu finally opened his mouth.

I guess he wanted to ask me some questions without the presence of adults.

Both of us have left the room.

There was a silence between us as we started to walk.

I decided to act out first in order to obtain information, while trying to lower his wariness towards me.

Kiyotaka: "President, what's really going on?"

Manabu: "And what exactly do you mean by that?"

Kiyotaka: "If something like fireworks were launched without the school's knowledge, the focus of investigation should be on who recently bought the fireworks and who was present in the place where they were launched. Yet, the school started massively questioning the students. This may suggest that the culprit managed to avoid leaving some clear evidence, right?"

Manabu: "..."

Kiyotaka: "..."

Our vision crossed.

Manabu: "I can't tell you anything at this point of investigation."

Kiyotaka: "I thought so."

Manabu: "I will ask you just once... Are you behind this, Ayanokouji?"

His vision didn't leave me for a moment.

I sighed.

Kiyotaka: "As expected, you are suspecting me, senpai."

Manabu: "I don't see why I shouldn't suspect you."

Kiyotaka: "True. Creating the party and making such a mistake doesn't match up for either Ichinose nor Nagumo. I don't know much about Ichinose, but she didn't have a motive to do it sneakily, while Nagumo wouldn't make it in a way that would make him a primary suspect. Since it wasn't a mistake at all, but an intentional act, then I should be the highest on the suspect list, since I had a motive to do so."

Manabu: "So you won't deny it?"

Kiyotaka: "Of course, I'm denying it. I didn't know about the party at all until Fuka's birthday. How was I supposed to prepare something like that in such short amount of time without being caught?"

Manabu: "..."

Horikita Manabu was observing me for some time.

Manabu: "Even if there's no clear evidence or testimony pointing at you, it doesn't mean you are safe, Ayanokouji. While some things may make people think it was Nagumo or Ichinose, the thing that matters is their believability. If the school thought that it was your doing, but you can't prove otherwise, then the truth doesn't matter."

Kiyotaka: "I still would like to think that it's not my problem. But thank you for your kind warning."

Manabu: "We shall see."

I smiled at him.

My experiment was going smoothly.

Learning about the quickness of the school's response after an incident, its procedures, the potential investigators, the level of questioning, etc...