It's Sunday at an empty Zonzai academy. The Paranormal Club hurriedly make their way through the labyrinthine hallways, desperately searching for the Student Council room. Eventually, they burst through the door like a flood, finding the Student Council waiting, brows furrowed.

Yuzurika watches them and sighs. “No running in the hallways. Even in an important matter like this, you still find time to be late. In the future, do plan ahead,” she says as she closes the door behind her.

Rina looks up. ”Hey, we’ve only been here like...” She stops to count the days, “A few weeks! You can’t expect us to know this place that well yet!”

“Good thing you’re not the defendant here, then,” Yuzurika says with a deadpan. “Please take your seats.” She gestures to a section of desks, neatly labeled ‘Paranormal Club’ with a sign.

The Club takes their seats, opposite the Idol Club on the right side of the room. Between the two of them, at the far edge of the room, is the Student Council. On the opposite side sit Cerys, Naomi, and Uni. Between the Student Council and the suspects is a teacher’s desk, acting as a makeshift pulpit. In front of the pulpit is a lone desk acting as a witness stand.

Yuzurika takes her seat behind the pulpit. “Now that we are finally all gathered...” She begins with a clearing of her throat, “We are here to determine the guilt of one Cerys Alcott...”

Yuudai jumps up and yells at Cerys. “WE’RE GONNA GET YOU OUTTA THIS!”

Cerys’ mood immediately sours. “Sure, I believe you.” she mutters under her breath.

Judge Yuzurika bangs her gavel. “Silence!”

Everyone calms down instantly, turning their attention to Yuzurika.

She nods tersely, content that she has the court’s attention. “Due to the size of the clubs involved, and in order to avoid inane outbursts like that one, each club will be limited to their own court speaker, which will be their president. Can both representatives rise and step forward please?” Yuuri and Haruhiko both rise, stepping forward to a long table in front of Yuzurika’s desk.

The two clubs begin to murmur but are swiftly silenced with another thwack of the gavel.

“Hay!” Mari yelps. “How come tha person speaking fer them is tha one with tha charm powers!?”

“Because he’s the president, as I said,” Yuzurika emphasizes. “And any more outbursts will land you in contempt.” She eyes both sides. “That goes for everyone.”

The two clubs freeze under her icy stare, backs straight and mouths shut.

“Let us proceed to the opening statements. Any questions by either side before we begin?”

Yuuri thaws slightly. “Before I begin, may I ask a question, your honor?” She asks, still timid.

Yuzurika nods her assent.

Yuuri clears her throat, her confidence returning. “Judge Shiina, can you tell me if you have any connections to the Idol club that we might not be aware of?”

“I do not,” Yuzurika says. “Before being elected to the Student Council, I was the Vice President of the Science Club. I have no connection to, nor bias towards, either of your respective clubs. The same goes for all other members of the Student Council. All trials must be headed by one of the four Student Council positions, and I was deemed as the fairest judge for this case. I assure you this is a fair trial, Miss Sayamura.”

“Thank you, Judge Shiina.”

“Now... the prosecution will begin.” Yuzurika points her gavel at Haruhiko, who takes his place on the floor. Yuuri returns to her seat among the Paranormal Club, relieved.

“Now I may be biased, Judge Shiina~,” Haruhiko says with a twinkle in his eyes and a charming smile. “I just can't believe that my dear tiny, clever tutor could have committed such acts!” He puts a hand on his cheek and mouths an exaggerated ‘oh no!’ It draws a groan from the audience and makes Cerys slump in her seat.

Haruhiko gives a wry smile. “Try to maintain your composure, I haven’t even gotten started yet.” He pulls a broken lock from his blazer’s pocket. “Given the gruesome nature of this lock and our clubroom, we just HAD to find out who was behind this!”

He hands the lock off to the judge with a flick of his wrist. “Our little Uni was able to inform us of her captivity and even has photo evidence of Cerys ransacking our attic!” He points at Cerys with a showman’s flair. “Cerys is guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt of breaking, entering, and kidnapping!” He pauses for effect before turning and bowing to Yuzurika, his flair replaced with meekness. “But... If you could be so kind, Miss Your Honor, to limit her sentence to just a light suspension, that would be wonderful.”

The idols begin clapping before being met with a gavel slam. “Thank you for this evidence, Haruhiko. If Miss Alcott is convicted we will take your plea into consideration. The Defence may speak.”

Katsuki leans in towards Yuuri. “They only have two pieces of evidence,” she whispers into Yuuri’s ear, “We have a lot more. Go for it.”

Yuuri takes her place in front of the Judge as Haruhiko returns to his seat with the Idol Club. “Ahem, well... I would like to begin with the fact that, as we continue this trial, you will see that Cerys' actions are hardly the most heinous actions occurring on campus at this moment,” She starts, looking back at Katsuki silently cheering her on. “They may have those two pieces of evidence, but... But I can assure you that what Cerys did was actually for the good of our other witness slash victim, Naomi. Your Honor, please allow us to prove that Cerys was in fact doing a good deed here.” Yuuri bows and returns to her seat.

“Miss Sayamura, are you sure you want your opening statement to be an admission of guilt?” Yuzurika asks.

Yuuri nods gingerly.

“Very well then, we shall begin the deliberations. Let me know which witnesses you wish to call forth.”

Haruhiko points to Uni. "Actually, we'd like to call the victim, Uni Hayabusa, to the stand first."

Katsuki jumps to her feet. “Hey, isn’t that a conflict of interest!? An Idol Club member questioning an Idol Club member!”

Haruhiko wags his finger at Katsuki. “Tut-tut, Little Miss Red, Uni is the prime witness in this case, no?"

“That doesn’t answer my question,” Katsuki says. “The Student Council should be the ones to interrogate anyone related to the clubs of either party, should they not?”

“Are there really no other witnesses you could call for this case, Haruhiko?” Yuzurika asks.

“I’m afraid not, Miss Your Honor. She is the most directly affected party, and as such she’s the witness who’s witnessed the most of any witness.”

Yuudai stands up. “We have witnesses we could call!”

Yuzurika points her gavel at Yuudai like a blade. “I will have order in my court, Akiyama.”

Yuudai sits back down, grumbling.

Haruhiko smirks again. “Well, I could maybe think of another witness...”

“You already have this one, so she has to have at least one question asked of her,” Yuzurika says.

“Also, any witnesses must be vetted by the court, so we’ll have to call a recess before your next witness can even come up,” Katsuki adds.

“The other witness has already been vetted,” Yuzurika says. “A recess will not be necessary.”

Katsuki tsks.

“The prosecution is free to ask their questions to the witness,” Yuzurika says to Haruhiko. “But be aware the defense is allowed to cross-examine the witness as well once she has answered.”

Haruhiko gives Yuzurika a satisfied smile. He glides over to Uni as she takes the witness stand.

“Please state your name for the court,” Yuzurika says to Uni.

“I am Uni Hayabusa! Second-year in the Idol Club,” Uni says, “and the person who was caught and ATTACKED by that EVIL third-year girl!”

The Paranormal Club begins to whisper amongst themselves, causing Uni to glare at them.

“Alright Uni,” Haruhiko says airily, “Can you please tell the council and everyone else what exactly you saw in the attic?"

Uni growls at Cerys. “I won’t pull any punches.” Uni takes a deep breath to collect her thoughts. “Eriri had requested I become a watchdog of our dorm around the beginning of the month. I made the attic my guard post since it’s the most secure place in our dorm and you can hear everything from there. When I heard that girl break in, I took a few pictures of her before smoking her out with a smoke bomb in my dog form. When I caught her, she attacked me and threw me down the attic door like the evil criminal she is!”

“I see,” Yuzurika says, pausing to make sure Uni is done.

Haruhiko nods. “That will be all for us then.”

“Would the defending club like to cross-examine?”

“We would, Your Honor,” Yuuri says, taking Haruhiko’s place in front of Uni. “Is it not required that every club member must be present at the site of competition, even if they would be sitting it out? That was required for all of us during our first competition. Given that the Idols were in competition at that time, would that not mean that you were breaking the rules?”

“Objection.” Haruhiko waggles his finger, "Tut-tut, Little Miss Defendant. We had asked Roka beforehand if Uni could stay behind due to her injury. In Roka’s infinite graciousness, she allowed it.”

“Is that true, Miss Student Council President?” Kirie asks Yuzurika

“The Dean’s word is law,” Yuzurika says, showing hesitation this time. “Objection sustained.”

Eriri stands up, "She had been nursing that injury for a week. Her participation would have only risked greater injury.”

“Oh, it’s good to know her bones aren’t just made of glass then.” Cerys mutters under her breath.

Yuruzika focuses on Cerys. “What was that?”

Cerys gives her an innocent look. “I sneezed.”

“May I ask why Uni was asked to be a guard at the beginning of the month, Your Honor?” Katsuki asks Yuzurika. “As far as we have seen, there have been no security breaches and no incidents during our time here that would warrant that.”

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Yuzurika ponders Katsuki’s question. "Hayabusa, can you please testify as to why you seemed heavily prepared for an attack if you stayed out for bedrest?”

Karen stands up, “Ms. Shiina, if I may...”

Yuuri is quick to cut her off. “Let the witness speak!”

Yuzurika bangs her gavel. “Order! In. The. Court. The witness may speak for herself."

Uni twiddles her fingers, "Well... like I said, the attic is the easiest spot to hear any noise in the dorm... And... I was prepared for this stuff because I uh, I like to be prepared."

“Prepared to sleep on the job?” Cerys says.

“I was tired!” Uni barks at her. “I messed up a bit okay!? I still caught you...”

Cerys leans over her desk. “You didn’t catch me, Uni; you fell from the ceiling. And then I carried you to the violent titty girl to get your leg fixed.”

“And what would you do about an intruder while in the attic? How does that make sense?” Akina asks.

“Miss Shiina. Her statement contradicts what the Idol Club told Roka. I believe they intended for her to stay in the attic to perform a stakeout.” Kirie adds on.

Yuzurika goes to bang her gavel but stops. “That... is true. Gedou and Hoshikawa raise good points. If you were a supposed 'guard', how exactly were you going to catch someone if they hadn't gone into the attic? If your clubmates were concerned enough about your injuries to get the Dean to excuse you from the competition, how were you in any condition to actively pursue the defendant?”

Uni nibbles at her thumbnail. “F-Fine! I’ll talk!”

Yuzurika furrows her brow. “I will remind you that perjury is unacceptable in a courtroom, Uni Hayabusa. Reevaluate your previous statements and resume your testimony.”

Uni stares daggers at Akina and Kirie. “Well to start, I guess I was more of an attic guard than a dorm guard. The smoke bombs were to slow down that girl, but seeing as the smoke didn’t stop her at all, I had to close the attic door behind me.”

“Did you not say it was already closed?” Katsuki asks.

“Objection, Miss Shiina,” Eriri says. “Can the witness please finish her testimony before being questioned?”

Yuzurika nods. “Sustained. Please let her finish, Paranormal Club.”

“T-Thank you.” Uni squeaks. “Anyway, to answer, the door was open as far as I remember. That girl-”

“I have a name,” Cerys growls.

“Cerys wasn't halted by the smoke, so I had to close the door so I could trap her in there. So after I had taken what I assumed were precautionary measures, Cerys attacked me and threw me down the attic door, injuring my already hurt leg with the fall. I passed out after that. When I woke up, I was a hostage.”

“Is that all?” Yuzurika asks.

“Yes, for now that’s all.”

Kirie stands up to cross-examine Uni. “Miss Uni please recount how you came to be situated in the attic. What was so important there that you had to keep watch?”

Yuzurika raps her gavel three times. “Sit. Down. Hoshikawa.” She gives Kirie and the Paranormal Club a severe look. “All questions are to come from your president. If you continue to make a mockery of this court, I’ll make sure to hold each and every member of the Paranormal Club in contempt!”

Saito sighs. “Not like this whole thing hasn’t been a mockery since the start,” He says under his breath.

Yuuri glances back nervously to her club. “Well, I would like to ask Uni Kirie’s question, Your Honor,” she says to Yuzurika, unable to look the judge in the eye.

Uni gives Yuuri an incredulous look. "The attic is where a lot of us keep our performance equipment, which is kinda our most expensive stuff..."

“And has there ever been a history of theft regarding your performance equipment?” Yuuri continues.

Uni fidgets in her seat, taking quick, nervous glances towards her clubmates, “Not exactly...”

“So why were you in the attic if there were no prior attempts to steal your equipment? Not to mention that the room was locked with a key.” Yuuri states.

Uni struggles for a response. “I mean, if someone were to take stuff it'd be something from there right?”

Kirika stands, slamming her hands on the sides of her chair. “Why would someone kidnap you over the equipment? You aren’t rich; your father couldn’t pay a large ransom! If anyone would be kidnapped, it would be I! It just doesn’t make sense, Your Honor!”

Yuzurika pouts. She grasps at her little gavel and holds it up over her head for an emphasized thwack.

“Hold on now,” Haruhiko interjects, before the gavel hits the desk, “That question should be reserved for Cerys.”

“Nuh-uh!” Kirika stomps her foot, “She should know why someone would target her!”

“I...” Uni trails off, “I don’t. I don’t know why Cerys kidnapped me.”

Karen scoffs, “I don’t see what’s so suspicious. We’ve never been stolen from before and if we were, of course, our most valuable stuff would be nabbed.”

“ORDER IN THE COURT!” Yuzurika finally exclaims. She simply sets the gavel back down, her raised tone managing to draw all eyes to her. “I will not accept either side speaking out of turn!”

Kirika and Karen quickly sit down, ashamed.

“Can the defense please continue with its cross-examination?” Yuzurika asks, a weary edge creeping into her voice.

Saito motions to Yuuri.

Yuuri holds her hands up. “O-One moment, Your Honor!” Yuuri runs over to her club.

“I can’t help but think there’s something she’s not telling us.” Saito whispers to Yuuri.

Yuuri nods. She whispers back, “There are quite a lot of holes in her story...”

“They had a good reason to send her back to protect their shit, but they’re keeping it from us. And locking up their attic with explosives?”

“I’ll ask.” Yuuri takes the floor once more. “Uni, does your club normally send someone back to guard your equipment every match?”

“Uh... n-no!” Uni’s eyes dart around the room. “It started when Eriri asked me to guard.”

“Why would she ask this of you now and not back at the start of the school year?”

“Because... Because...” Uni falls silent as she works out what to say.

“Do you have an answer, Ms. Hayabusa?” Yuzurika asks Uni.

Uni squeezes her eyes shut, dog ears flattening in fear. “Because Eriri was suspicious of Cerys the whole time!”

Uni’s words stir the room into a frenzy. Yuzurika hammers the pulpit until she regains control of the courtroom.

Eriri stands up, “If I may clear my name, Your Honor…”

“No need.” Yuzurika shuts her down, “Ms. Hayabusa, continue with your statement on Eriri’s suspicions of Ms. Alcott.”

Eriri gives Yuzurika a forced, brittle smile and returns to her seat.

Uni looks down and away from Eriri’s frosty expression. “W-Well, Eriri saw Cerys being super chummy with her little sis, so uh, she had to uh... She d-didn’t trust her sister with a problem child like Cerys.”

Haruhiko looks over to Yuzurika, a hint of desperation in his voice, “Miss Your Honor, Uni is clearly too distressed for any further questions. May we call our next witness?”

“I have one final question for Ms. Hayabusa,” Yuzurika says, ignoring the male idol, “Do you know if Vice President Motoba was mistrustful of Alcott or of her little sister in that situation?”

Uni’s silence stretches into eternity, “I don’t know,” she finally whispers. “Honest.”

“Very well.” Yuzurika nods crisply and motions for Uni to leave the stand, “The prosecution may call their next witness.”

Haruhiko's confident smile reappears, “We’d like to call to the stands, the surprisingly observant Science Club girl, Miku Kinushima!”

The former distraction faction of Paranormal Club members go white as Touma fetches Miku from a nearby room.

“How interesting!” Miku says, eyes wide with wonder. “What an interesting situation!” She takes her seat with a smile.

“Now Miku dear,” Haruhiko says, smoothly sliding up to her, “Could you please tell the court how you’re related to all this?”

Miku’s face goes blank with thought. “Well...” Her eyes light up as she points out Rina, Suzaka, Yuudai, Hotaru, and Mari, “I saw these five in our dorm on the night of the incident. I also detected suspicious activity coming from the Idol Club dorms.”

Yuuri tilts her head, “Detected?”

Miku beams with pride. “I have a good sense of...sensing!”

“Ms. Kinushima, please give the court your testimony as to what you know of that night,” Yuzurika says.

“Understood!” Miku turns her head to look Yuzurika directly in the eyes. “That night, Yuudai, Hotaru, Rina, Suzaka, and Mari were all in the dorm with me and Tsukasa. I’m not sure as to why, but they were very funny! I know there were other people moving around in the area, but it wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened around here. So I disregarded it and enjoyed their company!”

“Is that all?” Yuzurika asks.

“There was a scream too. I ignored it as well since they left immediately after!” Miku stares silently at Yuzurika long enough to be uncomfortable. “This is how I ‘testify’ right?”

Yuzurika blinks, “Er, yes... Any further input?”

“Nope!” Miku says before her beaming smile reappears.

Haruhiko whistles. “I guess that’s it from us.”

Yuzurika motions to Yuuri, “You may cross-examine the witness.”

Saito catches Yuuri’s shoulder and pulls her back in to whisper, “Not sure what that testimony really brought to the table, to be honest.”

“It’s extremely vague…” Yuuri whispers back. “I think the Idols may have backed themselves into a corner here.”

Saito smiles, “Go get ‘em.”

Yuuri smiles and takes the floor, “Could you tell the court what you were doing with the five members of my club, Miku?”

Miku snaps to attention. “We cracked jokes and talked about California! Both Rina and I come from there!”

“So you could say that they came over to just visit?” Yuuri asks.

Miku nods enthusiastically, “Yes!”

“I fail to see what this has to do with anything,” Eriri says coolly.

Haruhiko nods. “Objection. Irrelevant.”

Yuzurika nods, “Sustained. Ms. Kinushima, can you tell us more about the scream you heard?”

Miku’s face goes blank, then she frowns. “I don’t know much about the scream. Sorry.”

“Were any other members of your club there with you?” Yuuri asks, taking back control of the interrogation.

Miku processes the answer quickly, her eyes wide and confident. “Nope! They were at the competition! It was just me and Tsukasa.”

Yuzurika pinches the bridge of her nose, “This all seems pointless. Does the defense have any questions of substance?”

“I do, actually!” Yuuri counters, “Miku, could you tell us more about the Idol Club?”

Miku smiles, “Of course! They always seem to do late-night stuff, so I don’t really think the noises coming from over there were weird.”

“How late?”

“Around midnight,” Miku answers instantly.

Kirika giggles from her seat, “How scandalous~!”

Haruhiko joins Yuuri in front of the witness stand, “Hold on! I fail to see what this has to do with the current case.”

“Just you wait and see!” Yuudai shouts from the crowd, earning a death stare from Yuzurika.

Haruhiko shakes his head.

Yuuri resumes her questioning, “Can you describe the sounds, Miku?”

Miku tilts her head. “Well, it’s usually one or two people walking and talking. I don’t know what they could be talking about! It’s happened a lot since the school year started.”

“Do they sound like anyone here?” Yuuri asks.

Miku looks up in thought. “Please narrow your parameters.”

Yuuri scratches her head, “Could you say the voices were from the Idol Club?”

Miku smiles, staring directly into Yuuri’s eyes. “Most definitely! If they were suspicious voices, I would’ve done something otherwise!”

Karen stands up, stomping hard enough to crack the floor, “What’s so suspicious about us talking late at night!?”

“Karen!” Yuzurika snaps, “I will not warn you again!”

Karen pouts and sits back down.

“Did the Idol Club ever tell you about their talks?” Yuuri asks.

Miku shakes her head, “No! I didn’t ask either!”

Cerys groans from her seat, “This is boring!”

Yuzurika’s head whips to the redhead, “I’m sorry this is not entertaining for you, but do remember it is you on trial and it can end with your expulsion!”

Cerys hops up, “Look, I’ll make this simple for you, I did break into the Idol Club dorm.”

Yuzurika grabs her gavel, “That does make this simple then.”

“However!” Cerys stops her, “I had a reason for my actions.”

“That being?”

“I have reason to believe that someone in the Idol Club is attempting to murder Naomi!”

Eriri rises, livid. “Objection! This is completely off topic from our original case!”

“Silence!” Yuzurika slams the gavel as hard as possible, “If the Paranormal Club has evidence to back up this claim, then we could have a bigger case on our hands. Alcott, I assume you have evidence for your claims?”

“Why the hell wouldn’t I?” Cerys says.

Yuzurika looks down her nose at Cerys. “Given the way you and your club have acted during this case, it isn’t unreasonable for me to assume you’re merely wasting my time.”

“You see, I agreed to help Naomi get to the bottom of all these accidents happening to her,” Cerys says, motioning for Kirie to join her at the bench. Kirie does so happily, fishing in her purse for something.

Hotaru scrambles up to the bench as well, “We believe this all started with the fire at the Yosakoi dorms.”

Mako tenses up in her seat.

“Foolishness...” Eriri shakes her head. “Even my sister isn’t this foolish! We have absolutely nothing to do with-”

Kirie holds up the bloodied hair straightener, sealed in a sandwich bag. “Found it!”

Eriri’s objections die in her throat.

Cerys takes the bag from Kirie, “This was used in an attack yesterday on Naomi that left her concussed and bleeding from her head! We found her tied up in a room used by a member of the Idol Club to store her track equipment!”

Kotoha tenses up along with Mako.

Yuzurika stares at the bag before finally banging her gavel, “The court will enter into recess as the Student Council decides how to proceed with the new evidence entered by the Paranormal Club. We will let you know when the trial resumes.”