Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

Countless malicious words swarmed into her ears, the continuous sound waves like a slapping dagger across her face.

Until one moment, she felt that everything around her had become quiet again, and the whole world had shattered like a glass mirror, just like her withered and broken heart.

"..." After a moment, Karasu Saki walked mechanically to the center of the classroom, and as if going to her death, said in a trembling voice:

"I'm sorry... I did... use my position in the news department to do many bad things."

42. The Mad Dog in Court

"I'm sorry... I did... extort money from a classmate..."

Karasu Saki lowered her head, as if someone had grabbed her tongue, and reluctantly uttered the words.

The entire courtroom fell into a deathly silence—this was already the umpteenth time they had fallen silent today.

"What's going on?!" Suddenly, a student in the audience couldn't help but ask loudly, "Karasawa-kun, you...you really did such a thing?!"

The judge, also surprised, tapped his mallet. After a moment, hesitantly asked, "Karasawa-kun... do you mean... you admit to Kyushu-kun's accusations?"

“Yes, that’s right.” Karasukawa Saki glanced guiltily at Kyushu Makoto, her eyes so dim they were devoid of any light: “Kyushu-kun is right, I did threaten him…using the power of the newspaper club.”

"Besides me, is there anyone else?" Kyushu Makoto pressed in a deep voice, "How many are there in total?"

“There are... there are... eight more…” Karasukawa Saki nodded reluctantly, admitting, “Five were given to me by Adachi-senpai, and three were found by me this semester.”

At this moment, a short, chubby boy in the audience hesitated, raised his hand, and shouted in a trembling voice, "Um...I...actually, I was blackmailed by the news department!"

"Oh~ Why were you blackmailed?" Kyushu Makoto asked, looking at the boy.

"Because...because..." The short, chubby boy's face flushed red as he finally mustered the courage to speak: "I was selling adult DVDs at school, and the journalism club found out...and then...they made me provide them with club funds every month...and now I'm almost out of money for living expenses..."

Normally, all the students present would probably have surrounded him and laughed at him. But at this moment, not a single person could laugh.

“Eh~ Selling adult DVDs at school is indeed against the rules, but it only results in a written reprimand and confiscation of contraband.” Kyushu Makoto stared at Karasukawa Sakifumi, his gaze piercing: “You’ve let the newspaper club blackmail you for so long, isn’t that a bigger loss for you?”

Immediately afterward, Kyushu Makoto glanced at the audience and asked sternly, "Among the students present, are there any who have been extorted by the News Club? This is your last chance to save yourselves!"

After a moment of murmurs from the audience, two more students raised their hands.

"I'm sure all the teachers here have seen it, haven't they?" Kyushu Makoto glanced at the teachers in the audience and said, "No matter what mistakes these students made, they shouldn't be blackmailed. I ask you all to handle this matter properly."

Immediately afterwards, Kyushu Makoto questioned, "Karasawa-kun, regarding the matter of me working at the PR shop, is it a rumor spread by your news department? Were those photos taken accidentally or intentionally?"

Karasu Saki almost bit her lip until it bled before she had to admit, "That post was written by our news department, and the photo was taken secretly by a member."

Kyushu Makoto then asked, "Did anyone in the news department see me working as a host at a PR club?"

Karasu Saki replied, "Our news department only took photos; no one actually saw Kyushu Makoto working in the store..."

"Very good, good boy~" Kyushu Makoto snapped his fingers and pulled out another photo from his phone.

This is a photo of a prank note stuffed into Makoto Kyushu's shoe cabinet after the "host club exposure post" appeared.

"Do you know who did it?" Kyushu Makoto's gaze was intense.

"Yes... I had my club members do it," Karasukawa Saki replied, her face ashen and her head bowed.

"Was it to put pressure on me and make me feel like I was isolated by the whole school?" Kyushu Makoto pressed.

“...Yes…” Karasukawa Saki nodded reluctantly, “Any other questions…?”

Makoto Kyushu glanced around the courtroom classroom. The teachers and students present were stunned by the self-disclosure of this "Queen of News," and the entire room fell silent. Even the chairman of the board displayed a sharper gaze than ever before.

"There's one more question," Kyushu Makoto asked meaningfully, narrowing his eyes.

"Were these actions only carried out by the core members of the news department, or were all members of the news department involved?"

This question surprised Karasu Sakifumi for a moment.

Her gaze swept over the other members of the press corps in the courtroom. Most of them were pale-faced, trembling, and looking to their minister for help with terrified eyes.

"..." Karasuka Saki sighed silently and shook her head, saying, "It's all my fault, it has nothing to do with anyone else."

Upon hearing this, the press officers in the audience all breathed a sigh of relief.

Minister Karakawa seems prepared to take all the blame himself, so that other members won't be affected.

That's a wise move. At least that way, the school will only hold [Sakifumi Karasukawa] responsible, instead of the entire [Newspaper Club].

Minister Karakawa may resign and be punished, depriving the news department of a capable leader. However, the news department's reputation and status can be preserved, and it can make a comeback once the storm passes.

Saki Karasukawa is still admired by the members of the news club for her courageous act of taking responsibility all by herself.

"Are you planning to be a good guy one last time?" Kyushu Makoto couldn't help but laugh in anger. "You're the mastermind, that's true! But what about the others? Don't they deserve to be punished?!"

"These things were all my own doing, so consider it my responsibility!" Karasuka Sakifumi retorted angrily, "What else do you want?"

"I mean, all the members who know your plan and are still willing to help you should also be punished!" Kyushu Makoto shouted emphatically.

"Where's my senior, Tetsuya Yamamoto, who came with you to 'interview' me that day?! Step forward!"

Hiding in the audience, Yamamoto-senpai immediately shrank back in fright, crouching down like an ostrich: "Didn't you call me Yamaashi-senpai...? Don't suddenly call me by my name at a time like this..."

"And there's Koizumi from Class 2-2, right? You're the one who called me here for the interview, aren't you?" Kyushu Makoto began rattling off names without any hesitation.

"And Higashino Ichiro, who was in charge of taking photos, you step forward too! You all definitely knew about Minister Karasawa's plan, and you're all aiding and abetting evil!"

As expected, the two students from the journalism department who had been watching from the sidelines suddenly became the center of attention. Under everyone's gaze, the two stood there dumbfounded, their expressions more pitiful than tears.

"What exactly are you trying to do?!" Karasukawa Saki was on the verge of a breakdown. She hadn't expected Kyushu Makoto to be so serious, as if he wanted to put the entire journalism club on trial in front of the whole school.

"I demand you reveal everything about the news department's internal affairs!" Kyushu Makoto roared.

"Including who is in the know, and who is completely unaware of the news department's extortion. Just how many bad things have you done, which classmates have you hurt, and who else are you colluding with!"

"Do we really have to go this far... Makoto Kyushu..." Saki Karasukawa took a deep breath.

"When the news department treated me like that, did you feel even a shred of remorse?" Kyushu Makoto slammed his fist on the table, turning his attention to Suo Takefumi, who remained silent in the prosecutor's seat.

"Suoh-kun, your disciplinary committee is the organization responsible for investigating student misconduct, right?"

Suoh Takefumi painfully raised his head and replied, "Yes, yes..."

"In that case, shouldn't you be on my side?" Kyushu Makoto raised an eyebrow and questioned, "Karasawa Saki and the newspaper club have committed an unforgivable crime, and I am also their victim. Don't you have anything to say?"

"I... Our Disciplinary Committee will definitely investigate this matter, so please don't worry, Kyushu students..." Suoh Takefumi could only answer with a stiff upper lip.

"You'll handle things strictly according to the rules, right?" Kyushu Makoto pressed on, continuing, "I've heard the Disciplinary Committee and the News Department have always had a good relationship~"

"Yes! We will handle this officially!" Looking at the fervent gazes of the teachers and students below, Suoh Takefumi, terrified, placed his fist on his heart and swore a solemn oath on the spot:

"Our disciplinary committee will investigate this matter thoroughly. We must crack down on this kind of organization and prevent it from continuing to pollute the campus atmosphere!"

Upon hearing this, Kyushu Makoto clapped softly, as if to say to the entire school: "That's wonderful! With such a diligent and responsible disciplinary committee that cares about the students, Shujin Academy is truly a great school!"

Suoh Takefumi and the other disciplinary committee members present all frowned upon hearing this. They knew that Kyushu Makoto was mocking them in a sinister way, but they could only grit their teeth and swallow their anger.

"He's a complete mad dog..." That's how some disciplinary committee members described Kyushu Makoto in their hearts.

Having done everything that needed to be done, Kyushu Makoto bowed to the crowd like an actor taking his final bow, and then said to the judge:

"I apologize, Your Honor. My presumptuous decision has inadvertently wasted everyone's time, but I believe it is time for the jury to make a final decision."

Whether I am guilty or innocent depends on the wisdom of the jury.

The judge struck the gavel three times, then sighed for some reason and asked, "Jury, what is your verdict?"

This was perhaps the last time the atmosphere fell into a deathly silence, with everyone's attention focused on the jury box.

Soon, nearly 60% of the jurors raised their hands in support of "not guilty".

The judge counted, but gradually frowned: "I'm sorry, Kyushu, the current number is still one person short of 60%."

Kyushu Makoto sighed softly, somewhat relieved. For him, the main purpose of this "class trial" was to drag the newspaper club into the mess; proving his innocence was secondary.

Just then, Tang Zegui, who was in the audience, suddenly grabbed the railing and shouted, "Hey! The two members of the press jury didn't raise their hands. Are you trying to protect the minister?"

Yuji Suzuki, quick-witted as ever, joined in the outburst, shouting, "That's not fair! Why are the people from the newspaper department on the jury? They're criminals too!"

Genji Takatsuki, growing impatient, yelled, "Hey! Where's the criminal on the jury?"

Upon hearing this, the audience began to murmur and stir again.

"Silence! Silence!" The judge banged his gavel in annoyance and hurriedly reprimanded, "No one in the audience is allowed to disrupt the court proceedings! Get these three students out!"

Several student council members wearing armbands walked up to the three of them and, half-pushing and half-persuading, led them out of the courtroom classroom.

However, thanks to their commotion, the two news department members on the jury finally lost face and raised their hands—their priority now was self-preservation, and they couldn't be labeled as "accomplices" even if they had to immediately sever ties with the news department.

"So, the number of people is exactly over 60% now, right?" Kyushu Makoto asked with a smile.

"Sigh..." The judge looked helpless. But things had come to this point, and he was unwilling to continue maintaining this chaotic courtroom.

"Since more than 60% of the jury members support the defendant's 'not guilty,' the verdict is hereby announced..." The judge picked up a folder and solemnly announced:

"Defendant Kyushu Makoto is innocent! His claim that he worked as a host in a brothel is not supported by sufficient evidence!"

"Adjourn the court!"

43. Settling scores after the fact

"Wow! Sugoi! You're so cool, Kyushu-kun!"

As Kyushu Makoto stepped out of the courtroom, he was excitedly shaken hands with Karasawa Takashi: