Aikiyo Fuuka's Melancholy (1)
Aikiyo Fuuka, the vice president of the Supply Club, was depressed.
The Supply Club had received an F grade in the hygiene management evaluation. It was the second consecutive failure.
Moreover, Shiromi Iori, who had been dispatched as a special evaluator from the Prefect Team, had completely pinned the blame on her.
The real culprit was the poison—well, fresh fruit juice—made by Ushimaki Juri, a member of the Supply Club, which Iori had drunk.
Because of this, a rumor had spread throughout Gehenna Academy that the Supply Club had attempted to poison Iori and then tried to dispose of the body.
Why does my life never have even a single peaceful day—
Due to the aftershock of this hygiene evaluation, the Supply Club's budget would be halved.
The Supply Club's already tight finances were about to face even greater hardship. Fuuka's vision was completely dark.
It was truly the worst. It couldn't possibly get any worse. This was the bottom of her life.
But that was Fuuka's mistake. It was a self-destructive move that had created the current plotline.
Why? Because even the bottom had a deeper bottom.
How did things end up in this state? I really don't understand at all—!?
The re-examination committee for the hygiene management evaluation summoned during the Manma Festival.
In simple terms, it was the Supply Club hearing.
Fuuka had been pushed onto the witness stand as a testifier. It had been one misfortune after another.
Even the committee room was close to a courtroom.
Fuuka was essentially the defendant. As the vice president of the Supply Club, she had been held responsible for this incident.
Am I going to be disciplined after the budget cuts too?!
The public opinion towards Fuuka wasn't favorable either.
In the gallery, there were plenty of students who usually complained about the taste of the school meals.
If you want to eat delicious food, why don't you give the Supply Club more time and budget?!Or, if it's tasteless, why not exterminate the terrorist group that blows up the academy cafeteria—the Gourmet Research Society?
It felt like the whole world was forcing Fuuka to be ridiculed.
The committee members who attended the deliberation weren't friendly towards Fuuka. They were practically enemies.
Moreover, Shiromi Iori is there too······.
Even among the committee members was Iori, the party involved in the food poisoning incident.
The situation was bound to become a witch trial for Fuuka.
Fuuka's future path was fraught with danger.
"Then, starting now, I will begin the re-examination of the hygiene management evaluation for the Supply Club."
With the declaration of the chairman, Hanuma Makoto, who was sitting in the highest seat, the deliberation began.
Fuuka didn't know much about Makoto.
She seemed like the highest person here, but the chances of her supporting Fuuka's side were low.
"First, let me explain the outline of this main deliberation."
Fuuka ended up as a fish on a chopping block, half-accepting her fate and listening to Makoto's words.
"A while ago, the Supply Club received an F grade in the hygiene management evaluation conducted by Shiromi Iori. It's the lowest score that an evaluator can assign."
Iori, sitting on the committee seat, was glaring fiercely at Fuuka.
Her expression was like a mad dog foaming at the mouth.
How am I supposed to overcome this crisis against someone like that?!
Fuuka averted her gaze from Iori's eyes. Honestly, it was scary.
"If the F grade the Supply Club received was a justified evaluation, the situation would have ended at that point."
It really should have ended that way.
Although she received the lowest score due to misfortune, Fuuka had accepted her fate.
"But one of the Supply Club members, Ushimaki Juri, raised an objection to this evaluation."
Fuuka's eyes widened at those words.
That's the first I've heard of that?!
It was an unprecedented story. Fuuka looked for Juri sitting in the gallery.
When their eyes met, Juri was making a fighting pose.
"According to the regulations of Gehenna Academy, if one is dissatisfied with the hygiene management evaluation, they can file an objection within 14 days from the date of the disposition."
Of course, Fuuka had just learned this fact.
Originally, how many students in Gehenna Academy, the hotbed of delinquent students, would care about the rules?
"Therefore, the Manma Festival accepted this objection and convened a committee to deliberate on the re-examination."
"Wait a minute, Chairman Makoto!"
Iori jumped up from her seat and pointed at Makoto.
Her face was full of hostility towards Makoto.
"This objection is unreasonable! It's abuse of power. According to the information obtained by the Prefect Team, the Manma Festival must have been the one who encouraged the Supply Club member to file an objection!?"
Fuuka finally understood the situation.
The Manma Festival had encouraged Juri to file the objection. Juri had fallen for the bait.
"So what? What's that supposed to mean, Iori?"
"You don't know? This is all because the Prefect Team is trying to dig up dirt on the Supply Club! It was a scheme by the Manma Festival!"
The chairman of the Manma Festival and a senior official of the Prefect Team were fiercely arguing.
Because of that, Fuuka's head started throbbing.
Of all times, I got entangled in the conflict between the Manma Festival and the Prefect Team!?
Fuuka despaired at the situation. Unluckily, the Supply Club had become the scapegoat.
The Manma Festival as a scapegoat to provoke the Prefect Team.
"A scheme? Your language is rude. The Manma Festival convened this committee based on reasonable doubts. Don't act emotionally like a hot-blooded person."
"What? Are you challenging me to a fight right now!?"
Iori retorted to Makoto, her anger flaring. The situation was about to explode.
"Actions speak louder than words. It would be better to explain with evidence."
Makoto showed several sheets of documents to Iori.
"This is the original evaluation sheet for this hygiene management evaluation. It's a document that you signed, so you know it well, right?"
Iori wouldn't deny it. It was the evaluation sheet she wrote and signed as the evaluator.
"All the evaluation items on the evaluation sheet were checked as 'Good'. In other words, it's a perfect score."
The hygiene condition of the Supply Club was perfect. Fuuka herself acknowledged that.
Only the poison—fresh fruit juice—at the very end had completely ruined the score.
"What are you saying! Stop making up lies! Throw away the evaluation items and look at the evaluator's summary section carefully!"
Iori was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her composure.
Her expression showed she wouldn't be swayed by Makoto's sophistry.
"In the summary section, I wrote 'Occurrence of food poisoning. Hygiene conditions extremely dangerous'! The lowest score was a justified measure!"
"Unfortunately, I don't think so."
Makoto shook her head at Iori, who was ranting.
"If we add up the evaluation scores, it's a perfect score. But due to the additional summary at the end, the result is the lowest. One extreme and the other. Truly bizarre circumstances."
"That's because the food poisoning incident happened at the very end······!"
"So, it means you completely negated the previous evaluations. It's extremely emotional. It's not something that can be considered rational."
"Kuu······!"
"If the Supply Club's hygiene was truly problematic, the evaluation scores should have been bad from the start. Can you really say that the Supply Club received the lowest score solely because of the final summary? I dare you to say that with your name on it."
Iori couldn't refute Makoto's words.
And Makoto's defense continued.
"If you can't answer, I would rather ask you. Isn't the Manma Festival that informed the Supply Club about proper grievance procedures more guilty of abuse of power than you?"
Makoto continued speaking without hesitation, like a lawyer proving the defendant's innocence.
"As an evaluator dispatched from the Prefect Team, you are the one who unjustly tarnished the Supply Club's honor, committing an unjust abuse of power."
"Kruuuu······!!!"
Iori, who had lost the argument, shut her mouth with a furious expression.
Only trembling fists as she glared at Makoto.
What kind of person is this.
Fuuka didn't know much about Makoto.
But through this incident, Fuuka thought.
The chairman of the Manma Festival······ is quite a person who speaks wonderful words.
The existence that is like the hope of the chaotic Gehenna Academy, that is none other than Hanuma Makoto.
Anyway, Makoto was on the side of the Supply Club.
Gehenna was second, but Makoto was definitely Fuuka's savior.