Practical teaching, all I want is your reward.

“I understand, but please don’t make a scene now. There are still many students studying in the library,” Suzuki Toru said. “I will inform the president about this matter. Both of you should calm down first.”

"Honan-chan?" Chihiro Shiranami tugged at Honami Ichinose's sleeve. She remembered that Honami Ichinose was also a member of the student council.

Honami Ichinose snapped out of her daze and forced a smile: "It's okay, I believe Asako-chan. There's no way she could have done something like that."

Please make your voice a little firmer; you can't be a good leader like that.

Suzuki Toru withdrew his gaze from her and glanced briefly at Shiranami Chihiro.

[So small and fragrant, I want to hug her tightly???], [Ichinose's little sister is my substitute, I have to help her taste her], [Lick Chihiro Shiranami's jade feet raw], [I want her to blush and scold me endlessly], [Destroy her relationship with Ichinose]...

"There are quite a few treasure chests in Class B," Suzuki Tetsu thought to himself.

Chapter 77 Everything Must Be Based on Evidence (Bonus Chapter 4/5)

In an effort to quell the incident, Toru Suzuki immediately moved the parties involved to the library's meeting room, a place that is rarely used.

Soon after, Horikita Manabu and Tachibana Akane appeared before everyone.

"What happened, Suzuki?"

According to past practice, disputes involving only a few students are not enough to warrant the personal involvement of a student council president; they are usually handled by the secretary, Tachibana Akane.

But since it was Suzuki Tetsu who was calling for help, Horikita Manabu had no choice but to put down his work and rush to the scene.

In front of everyone, Suzuki Toru briefly reported the whole process to Horikita Manabu, and then said, "I have contacted the library administrator, and they are retrieving the surveillance video."

Horikita Manabu was very satisfied. He handled the unexpected situation so well, as if he had been through countless battles and was impeccable.

"You did very well."

After offering a brief compliment, Horikita Manabu turned his attention to Manabe Shiho and the others.

The students in Class C looked away for a moment when he gazed at them, but then returned to their usual calm.

"Senior, I'd like to know how the student council plans to deal with this thief?" Shiho Manabe immediately began to insist on accusing Asako Amakura of theft.

"I'm not a thief! I have no idea how this thing ended up in my bag!" Netkura Mako couldn't help but retort loudly, her eyes filled with tears of grievance and anger.

"Heh, you're feeling guilty." Manabe Shiho glared at her fiercely, a look that was somewhat intimidating.

Netkura Mako bit her lip, feeling not only angry at her words but also doubting herself. She had clearly never seen this bracelet before.

"Quiet down, I need to confirm a few things," Horikita Manabu said. "First, whose property is this bracelet?"

"Of course it's mine!" Shiho Manabe thought it was an idiotic question.

However, Horikita Manabu only looked at Amakura Asako: "Young lady, are you sure you haven't bought or own a similar bracelet?"

Net Warehouse Mako shook her head: "No, this is the first time I've seen this bracelet today."

Horikita Manabu nodded, then looked at Manabe Shiho and asked, "When did you first notice the bracelet was missing?"

"I just remembered a little while ago. I think I took the bracelet off at the library around noon today and forgot to bring it back," Shiho Manabe answered fluently without the slightest hesitation.

However, upon closer inspection, one can notice that her eyes are darting around, and she avoids meeting Horikita Manabu's gaze.

"Why did you take it off?" Horikita Manabu continued to ask.

"Because wearing a bracelet while doing homework is a bit of a hindrance." Shiho Manabe seemed to have known he would ask this.

"You discovered your bracelet was missing, then went back to the library and saw someone sitting in your old spot, but couldn't see it. So you checked those students' bags and finally found it." Horikita Manabu paused. "That's the whole story, right?"

"Yes, that's right. I think the student council should make a fair judgment on people who forcibly take other people's property and try to get away with it."

Shiho Manabe finished speaking in one breath, as fluently as if she had memorized it many times.

"The misappropriation of classmates' property is indeed a serious matter that cannot be ignored. It will have a negative impact on others, and the school will surely feel ashamed."

Upon hearing Horikita Manabu's words, Amakura Asako's face turned deathly pale, while Manabe Shiho revealed a confident smile.

“Wait, President, I don’t think Asako-chan is that kind of person.” Honami Ichinose finally spoke up to explain, “We were all studying together today, if Asako-chan had taken her bracelet, there’s no way we wouldn’t have seen it.”

"Ichinose, you should not get involved for now," Horikita Manabu calmly rejected her words.

At this time, as a student council member and a classmate of the person involved, she should have avoided any appearance of impropriety.

"But I find it hard to accept something like this without any evidence!" Honami Ichinose tried her best to control her emotions. She knew very well that Asako Amakura could not possibly have taken Shiho Manabe's bracelet.

"Don't panic, Ichinose-san. We'll find out when we watch the security footage together." Suzuki Tetsu observed the girl's expression with great interest. Even with his psychological trauma, he gritted his teeth and stood up for his classmate.

"Everything must be based on evidence. The student council's decision is based on the facts."

As he spoke, Horikita Manabu glanced at Manabe Shiho indifferently.

Shiho Manabe was slightly uneasy, and her companions around her were also fidgeting.

Ichinose Honami was about to say something when Amakura Asako grabbed her arm instinctively, revealing nervousness and unease in her eyes.

She took a deep breath, then patted Ayakura Asako's head as if comforting her younger sister, and smiled at the uneasy girl.

No matter what happened, Honami Ichinose was willing to believe her classmates.

Although they had only known each other for less than two months, she could sense everyone's sincerity; there was no way there would be a thief or anyone who would do anything wrong.

She was probably the only bad person in the whole class.

Seemingly sensing Ichinose Honami's mood, Amakura Asako relaxed considerably, because she was certain that she had never taken any of the bracelets, or even seen them before.

Once everyone sees the surveillance video, this misunderstanding should disappear.

Even now, Wangcang Mazi still holds this optimistic view.

However, sometimes the facts are not necessarily the truth.

After a little while, the library administrator finally retrieved today's surveillance video and projected it onto the screen in the conference room.

Because the surveillance camera was located in a somewhat remote area, it could only show Shiho Manabe and the others studying together, and no clearer footage was available.

In the video, Shiho Manabe was indeed wearing a sparkly bracelet, which she later took off and placed aside, blocking the view of the surveillance camera.

After their lunch break, they packed up and got up, and the sparkling bracelet mysteriously disappeared.

Next, during the library's empty time, the librarian helped jump back to the scene from before, where Shiho Manabe and the others returned to the library and said they were going to search for the people in Class B.

This is the most crucial part.

Because what followed left Class B with no room for argument.

Instead of doing it herself, Shiho Manabe let Class B investigate themselves, and in the end, no one expected that the bracelet would be found in Asako Amakura's schoolbag.

"Heh, that's the truth. Speechless now, you thief from Class B."

Seeing Asako Amakura's bewildered expression, Shiho Manabe almost burst out laughing.

"No, the video doesn't show Asako-chan getting the bracelet, so it doesn't prove anything!" Honami Ichinose tried to argue.

"But how do you explain the fact that my bracelet was in her bag?" Shiho Manabe scoffed. "Maybe she's a repeat offender who found the bracelet before you did and then hid it away."

Honami Ichinose remained silent. Suddenly realizing something, she instinctively looked up at Toru Suzuki.

Unexpectedly, the other person didn't look at her at all, but was teasing the third-year student, Tachibana Akane.

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Seventy-Two Hours

While watching the surveillance video, Suzuki Toru whispered to Tachibana Akane beside him, "Generally speaking, how should this situation be handled?"

"We'll consider the owner's opinion and then handle it according to the school's regulations, depending on their request." Tachibana glanced at him sideways. "You really went all out to call the student council president over for such a small matter. I was enough."

Suzuki Tetsu winked at her, and she paused for a moment before realizing what he meant. She quickly turned her gaze away, blushing and annoyed, and said, "If you look at me again, I'll kill you right now!"

Because her previous statement was slightly ambiguous, making it seem as if she had some kind of relationship with Toru Suzuki.

Suzuki Toru, of course, understood the original meaning behind this senior's words.

She was simply annoyed that she had bothered Horikita Manabu, thinking that she could handle this dispute herself and there was no need to trouble Horikita Manabu.

"Will you drop out of school?" Suzuki Toru asked.

"No, it should be a warning and punishment, a suspension of about a month, and a deduction of corresponding class points." Ju Qian said in a businesslike manner.

Suzuki Toru was a little surprised by Ryuen Sho's behavior after being suspended from school for a month and thinking about the upcoming midterm exams.

This troublemaker in Class C is indeed ruthless; I just don't know if the school has any precedents for this.

"Well, now that the evidence is conclusive, how does the student council plan to deal with this thief?" Shiho Manabe asked, her tone slightly impatient.

The students in Class B dared not speak out against their anger. Netkura Mako looked like she was about to cry, like a college student who had just entered society and had been beaten up, not knowing what to do.

"Suzuki, what are your thoughts?" Horikita Manabu asked Suzuki Tetsu instead.

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes fell on him, somewhat surprised that the student council president would ask a freshman for his opinion.

Toru Suzuki glanced at Shiho Manabe, whose expression clearly showed impatience. If he favored Class C, the situation would be even more unfavorable for Class B.

Moreover, given how much Horikita Manabu values ​​him, a single word from him could decide his life or death!

However, Suzuki Tetsu's gaze quickly shifted to Class B.

Honami Ichinose bit her lip, noticed his gaze, and a pleading look appeared in her eyes.

“I think that although Manabe and the others found the bracelet in Amakura’s bag, we can’t make a hasty judgment yet.” Suzuki Tetsu paused, noticing Ichinose Honami’s stunned expression. “After all, there is no direct evidence that Amakura hid the bracelet.”

Originally filled with despair and bitterness, Asako lowered her eyes, her heart ashen. Upon hearing his words, she suddenly looked up at the boy, her eyes filled with surprise.

Manabe Shiho stared at Suzuki Toru in disbelief. Wasn't that the agreement?

"There are many unanswered questions surrounding this incident, such as where Manabe's bracelet was during the museum's closure, and when Amakura discovered it..."

As he spoke, Suzuki Tetsu paused for a moment and said, "If possible, we could allow a few days for both sides to submit relevant evidence and clues to the student council."

"Why make it so complicated? The fact is she stole my things!" Manabe Shiho was getting a little impatient. Why wasn't this girl playing by the rules?

“I agree with Suzuki-kun’s opinion. Class B has expressed its objection to this matter, and the student council should handle it according to the rules and regulations, and cannot make a judgment immediately!” Ichinose Honami seized the opportunity in time.

"Hey, hey, hey, you're a student council member, you're definitely trying to protect people from your own class!" How could Shiho Manabe let such a prize slip away? Otherwise, how would she face Ryuen Sho when she got back?

"Excuse me, student, please watch your words!" Ju Qian frowned slightly, her face serious. How could these freshmen not even know basic manners?