𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙍𝙏 || 𝘼𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙠𝙤𝙪𝙟𝙞 𝙭 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧 || 𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚

10

"Student Council room... where is it?" [Name] murmured under her breath, scanning the unfamiliar hallways as she wandered deeper into the maze-like corridors of the school. The farther she went, the more disoriented she became, frustration creeping in with every wrong turn. Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of her surroundings, but nothing looked familiar.

Just as she rounded another corner, a voice—a chilling, all-too-familiar voice—drifted toward her, sharp and unyielding.

"If you can't prove it, it's nothing but a lie."

[Name] froze, her pulse quickening. She recognized that voice. +What's going on?+ Curiosity and a gnawing sense of unease bubbled up inside her as she edged closer to the source, her steps light and cautious.

A second voice responded, quieter, calm yet unsettling in its composed confidence. "I believe her."

Her heart skipped a beat. +Ayanokouji?+ The realization sent a jolt of both intrigue and anxiety through her, spurring her to move faster. She kept her approach as silent as possible, not wanting to draw attention to herself just yet.

Peeking around the corner, her eyes widened at the scene unfolding before her. The tension was so thick it seemed to charge the air.

Manabu towered over Ayanokouji. His hand slammed into the wall beside Ayanokouji's head with a force that sent a faint echo down the hallway.
[Name] flinched at the sound, but Ayanokouji didn't even blink. He stood there, as unruffled as ever, his expression eerily neutral, as if the aggression didn't faze him in the slightest.

Manabu eyes were hard, practically burning into Ayanokouji. "Can you prove it?" he growled, his voice low and menacing, daring Ayanokouji to offer a rebuttal.

[Name] held her breath, her heart pounding in her chest.

Ayanokouji met Horikita's gaze, his demeanor as cool as ever, seemingly impervious to the tension. "That's a good question..." he replied evenly, his tone devoid of any urgency or emotion, yet carrying an undeniable weight.
It was a simple response, but somehow, it seemed to strip Manabu aggression of its power.

The air between them crackled with intensity. A standoff was clearly underway, though it was more psychological than physical. [Name] glanced around, noticing a girl standing a few feet away. Her purple hair was styled in neat twin buns, and while her face reflected shock similar to [Name]'s, there was an elusive quality in her eyes—something that didn't quite match the moment.

Unable to bear the tension any longer, [Name] stepped forward, her voice hesitant as it broke the silence. "What's going on here?"

Manabu sharp gaze snapped to her, his expression hardening as he recognized her. For a brief moment, his cold exterior wavered, but it was fleeting.
He quickly regained his composure, his eyes narrowing as if weighing whether her presence changed anything.

Without shifting his intense focus from Ayanokouji, Manabu addressed him once more, his tone clipped. "My decision stands. We'll settle this tomorrow."

With those final words, he turned on his heel and walked past [Name] with brisk authority, his assistant—the girl with purple hair—following close behind. As they passed, her eyes flicked to [Name] again, but this time there was something inscrutable in her gaze, a fleeting curiosity or maybe a warning. It was gone as quickly as it appeared.