Classroom of the Elite: Prepared

Chapter 28 - Now it's your turn, Horikita

Still sitting in my desk chair, I gazed at the startled Kushida at the front of the classroom, and then my glance turned to the other D class students.

Students: w-what?

All of them reacted the same as Kushida, with the exception of Koenji, who was seemingly not affected by the situation, but merely observed.

Ayanokoji: It's like I just stated, the one at fault in the last special exam and responsible for Airi's expulsion is you, Kushida.

A period of silence followed as soon as those words left my mouth, allowing everybody to slowly process what I had just shared with them and what was about to happen.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere became increasingly tense, and the lighthearted sentiment that had prevailed before Kushida's speech dissipated in the blink of an eye.

One glimpse at Haruka was enough for me to see how angry she was, but she still didn't say a single word.

Ike: Don't try to fool us! You're just trying to sabotage us.

Shinohara: Th-that's right! He's lying.

An infuriated Ike and Shinohara shattered the lingering silence, and after that, the commotion rapidly expanded.

Kushida: Guys, I'm just as bewildered as you are, but I want to be the one to clarify the misunderstandings regarding this situation, so please let me handle the situation, okay?

As soon as Kushida began to talk, the commotion slowly subsided, and unexpectedly Horikita, just like Koenji had been doing so far, only observed from the sidelines.

Meanwhile, Kushida was eyeing me with a scary stare, even though she was wearing a benign expression.

Kushida: Ayanokoji-kun, you told me something completely different the day earlier, so why are you telling them something different this time?

With a gentle smile, she slowly advanced towards me from the front of the classroom, while the other students quietly whispered to each other and turned their gazes towards me.

Ayanokoji: Oh, you're talking about your proposal to blame Horikita for Airi's expulsion? I figured it would be better to tell them the honest truth.

Her eyes widened momentarily after I made that statement, but they soon returned to normal; however, the surprise of the other students all around did not.

While still moving slowly towards me, the stares were getting more intesive with with every passing second.

Ike: He has to be lying. Kushida is an angel!

Keisei: I don't believe him but I don't think he would do something like that without a reason....

Ike: Wait, so you think there's something true about that?!

Sudo: Kanji, calm down. Kushida just told us that she'll take care of it.

Ike: Grr... Alright.

I was expecting him to keep making remarks like that, yet he kept his mouth shut when Sudo addressed him about it.

Kushida made a sad face at this point and was almost on the verge of tears.

It seems she had no intention of just dropping her façade, which was to be anticipated.

In a soft and vulnerable voice, she began to converse again.

Kushida: How could you make such an accusation?

For the first time, she stopped walking toward me, and when she did, some girls began to surround her and comfort her. The gazes of the girls surrounding her soon met mine, and a few moments later they began to advocate for Kushida.