Practical Classroom: Kaoru Hanayama's Classroom of Merit

An empty classroom located in a special building.

"No. Let's try again."

Kaoru Hanayama said in a calm and composed tone.

As Sudo Ken stood upright in front of the chair, sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall.

He simply stood there answering questions. It was the first time he had realized that such behavior could so drain his spirit.

On the other side of the podium were Suzune Horikita with her arms crossed and Yosuke Hirata staring at the clock hands.

They are currently conducting a mock trial, assuming a deliberation session is held in the student guidance room.

"Sudo-kun. It's true that you were angry in that situation, right? Even if you didn't intend to use violence, you still pushed the opponent's shoulder to intimidate them. Shouldn't you have at least done that much?"

Horikita deliberately threw out barbed and leading questions.

Sudo's brow twitched suddenly, and he opened his mouth.

"So I already said I didn't do anything! It was those guys themselves—"

boom! !

Hua Shan slammed his heavy hand on the table, the sound like the impact of a cannonball.

Sudo's words were physically blocked.

"...Unqualified. You're putting a noose around your own neck."

"W-why?! Didn't I deny that I did anything?!"

Facing the rapidly breathing Sudo, Hanayama stared at him with calm eyes.

"Those guys will only cut out the facts you refuted and the emotionally charged reactions you had, and then write them into the transcript."

Huashan slowly raised one finger.

"'Those guys themselves'... What does that mean? Did they fall down on their own? Did they perish on their own? Who is the one to prove that? Is it you? No. The moment you uttered those words, the burden of proof fell on you."

As if struck by lightning, Sudo froze.

"Any superfluous words will invariably become weapons for the other side. Anger, anxiety, even a sense of justice will all be used against you. Just become a rock. A rock doesn't get angry, nor does it argue."

"rock……"

"That's right. No matter what the other person shouts, whether they're trying to gain sympathy or provoke you, you're only allowed to utter one sentence."

Huashan asserted in a low, yet absolutely unwavering voice.

"—I didn't lay a hand on you. And you're not allowed to say anything else."

......

June 5th, 4:30 PM. Student Guidance Office.

In the center of the room, separated by a long table, two opposing camps stood facing each other.

On one side are Kazuma Sakagami, the homeroom teacher of Class D, and Ishizaki, Komiya, and Kondo, whose faces are wrapped in shocking bandages.

On the other side were Takeru Sudo, along with Yosuke Hirata and Suzune Horikita, who accompanied him.

Behind them sat a man, deeply slumped in a folding chair, remaining silent—Kaoru Hanayama.

At the highest point of the room, student council president Manabu Horikita and secretary Akane Tachibana sat quietly as judges.

"Then let's begin the deliberations."

It was Kazuma Sakagami who broke the silence.

With a faint smile, he gently tapped the documents in his hand.

Like a snake eyeing its prey, the sticky gaze fell upon Sudo.

"The students in Class D claim that Sudo unilaterally summoned them and subjected them to unreasonable violence. The medical report has also been submitted... So, Sudo, do you have anything to say?"

Although the tone was gentle, it was clearly implied that you were the perpetrator.

Ishizaki and the others, while pretending to be victims, cast a look at Sudo that seemed to suggest they were victorious.

If it were Sudo from a few days ago, he would have kicked the table over and yelled, "Stop joking!"

however.

Sudo's breathing was very calm.

"...I didn't do it."

A deep, soft voice.

There was no anger. No anxiety. It was like being a robot without emotions.

Sakagami's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Oh. You didn't lay a hand on them, is that right? But how do you explain the injuries on Ishizaki and the others' faces? If you didn't do it, are you going to say they hit themselves?"

Explicit seduction.

It was a trap set to make him admit that they did it themselves.

The moment he uttered those words, Sudo would be dragged into a quagmire where he would have to prove that others had orchestrated the whole thing.

Sudo clenched his fist tightly on his knee.

There's so much I want to say. I want to yell that it was those guys who started this mess.

But the overwhelming sense of oppression behind him held him back.

"...I didn't do it."

I continued studying for the exam without any wavering.

Faced with this, Ishizaki finally couldn't help but raise his voice.

"You bastard, stop joking! We beat us half to death, and now you're trying to play dumb?! You despicable scoundrel!"

Outrageous remarks. Provocation.

For the hot-blooded Sudo, this was the most unbearable humiliation.

But Sudo suddenly glanced behind him.

He calmly watched Huashan sitting there in front of him.

(…utterly boring.)

Sudo believed this from the bottom of his heart.

Compared to the true aura emanating from Huashan, there was a sense of oppression as if he were staring into the abyss of death.

Ishizaki's incessant barking, literally speaking, sounded like the barking of a small dog.

Sudo turned his gaze back to the front and continued to answer calmly.

"I didn't lay a hand on him."

The confident smile on Sakaue's face vanished, and a light sheen of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

What he prepared was a dialogue process to logically corner emotionally charged students who had violated discipline.

However, the Sudo before them had transformed into a single wall that did not output any information.

"Sudo-kun...aren't you going to have a proper talk? As your teacher, I want to find out the truth behind your words. You were agitated at the time. You were in a state where it wouldn't be surprising if you took your anger out on someone else, right?"

It appeals to emotions and further incorporates sophisticated psychological warfare with hypothetical scenarios.

however.

"I didn't lay a hand on him."

"Tsk..."

Finally, a sound of annoyance escaped Sakagami's lips.

"Sudo-kun. Answer my question. You—"

"I didn't lay a hand on him."

"Here is testimony that you carried out the act—"

"I didn't lay a hand on him."

"What are you talking about! Stop it—"

"I didn't lay a hand on them. That's all I have to say."

A perfect counterattack.

Without the slightest wavering, the defense was forged by an iron will.

Student council president Horikita Manabu quietly narrowed his eyes.

He hadn't expected that Sudo, this hot-tempered man, would be able to implement such a highly effective and thorough tactic of silence and denial on his own.

(...who came up with the idea?)

Horikita's sharp gaze passed over Sudo and landed behind him.

Huashan simply watched the situation unfold in silence.

There was no interruption. He simply existed there, supporting the younger generation's self-respect and patience with his own presence.

(Well done)

Horikita Manabu internally made his assessment.

"...Student council president."

Finally, Class C's homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae, interrupted with a cold voice.

"Both sides are presenting conflicting claims. Class D has offered no objective evidence beyond their stated testimonies. Meanwhile, Sudo has consistently denied everything. Without CCTV footage, continuing this questioning is pointless, isn't it?"

Sakagami's face twisted with resentment, but he couldn't find any words to refute her.

Horikita Manabu nodded quietly.

"Indeed. Given the lack of objective evidence, a decision cannot be made at this stage. Today's deliberations are adjourned, and the decision is to hold the case for the time being. Both parties are requested to submit any new evidence they have."

"...Tsk!"

Ishizaki and the others glared at Sudo with hatred, then left the student council room as if fleeing.

Sakagami could not hide his bitter expression and quickly left the room.

The heavy doors closed, leaving only the members of Class C behind.

"Thank you for your hard work, Sudo-kun. It was absolutely perfect! You didn't say a single unnecessary word."

Hirata breathed a sigh of relief and patted Sudo on the shoulder.

"Don't get caught up in the other person's rhythm. As a form of verbal defense, this is an extremely effective tactic. ... It seems you've received considerable practical training."

Horikita's gaze fell upon Hanayama, who stood behind her.

Huashan was about to take out a cigarette from his pocket when he seemed to remember that he was back at school. He stopped halfway and simply nodded.

"Good for you, Sudo. Well done."

It was just a simple word of approval.

But for Sudo, that was more worthy of pride than any praise, carrying a heavy weight of meaning.

......

The classroom of Class D in the evening.

While other students went home early after school, Long Yuanxiang sat with his legs crossed in his seat, idly fiddling with his smart device.

Nearby, by the window, a girl with silver hair, Hiyori Shiina, was quietly flipping through a thick mystery novel.

"Heh... Right now, that idiot Sudo is probably making a huge scene in the student council room with a long face."

Long Yuan muttered to himself as if talking to the air.

"For the lowest rungs of society, who are utterly useless except for violence, this is truly the most fitting end. ...Don't you think so, Hiyori?"

When Shiina was spoken to, she gently lifted her face from her book and a soft smile appeared on her face.

"Heh. Ryuen-kun's methods are always so perfect and frightening... But..."

She tilted her head slightly.

"In detective novels, culprits with overly obvious weaknesses are often just bluffing to deceive the detective. ...Isn't there that unpredictable guy in Class C? I'm a little worried about whether things will really go as smoothly as the script suggests."

Long Yuan's smile instantly became sharp and elongated.

"...How could that monster possibly be able to handle psychological warfare outside the game as well? My prediction will definitely not be wrong."

Ryuen left with those words, but Shiina Hiyori didn't refute them. She just smiled quietly and turned her gaze back to her book.

Her keen intuition secretly foresaw the worst possible outcome that would soon be reported on Longyuan's smart terminal.