Episode 9 "Captain and Advisor, Whereabouts of the Clash" - "The Courage of That Day, Wavering in the Waves"

-The next day, the morning sea breeze blowing in from the ocean slightly shook the windows of the school building.

It was the usual time to go to school, but today I was carrying a different kind of tension.

Because,Captain, Akira Shinoda, seniorand

He decided to push through the pain in his leg and come to school,

furthermoreDr. Shuji KurokawaHe said, "I want to talk to you directly.

The two have always been at odds with each other, and there has been an atmosphere of mutual suspicion.

Shinoda senior said, "The reason is that the teacher is too concerned about my legs and tries to make me give up the inter-high school competition,

He even thought that I might have stolen the board,

The teacher also stubbornly stopped him from competing in the tournament, saying, "I can't watch your leg get worse.

--Finally, the time comes for the two to face each other head-on.

Many members of the club and a few "cooperating members" including myself (Kohei Aizawa) were watching the scene.

◇◇◇

1. senior Shinoda appears with a limp

After school, the surfing club room.

The door opens and Shinoda-senpai, on crutches, slowly enters.

If you look, you can see a thick taping and supporter on my right leg. It was so painful.

Captain ...... are you okay?"

Hinata (Hinata Tachibana) came up to him with concern,

The senior gives an awkward smile.

'Still sore, but not so bad that I can't move. I only have a few days left until the tournament. ......

　I'm not going to make any headway with my gloomy face."

Yes, that's right. ......

Tomoki Ohtani continues, his voice rising.

But senpai, please don't push yourself too hard on those legs. It's really dangerous."

I know. But I came here today to talk to the doctor."

Shinoda-senpai said again firmly,

Several club members in the clubroom gasp.

"Is Dr. Kurokawa at ...... already?"

He came to check on me a while ago and then went back to the staff room. Maybe he'll be here soon."

Hinata answers, just in time,

Dr. Kurokawa appeared from behind the door.

◇◇◇

2. their confrontation in the clubroom

"Sir, we need to talk about ......."

Shinoda-senpai looks straight at the teacher.

The teacher nodded quietly, his expression a little clouded.

I get it." ...... is this the right place?"

The teacher's voice is low and the air in the club is tense all at once.

I, Hinata, Otani, and even Saki Kawakubo, a senior, watched with bated breath.

The members of the club are also listening closely in the corner of the clubroom.

I'm sorry to say the same thing over and over again, but sir ...... you really don't know the board?"

　It's not that I'm doubting them on my own. But I just can't get over it.

　If you're worried about my legs and want to stop me, you might think it would be quicker to hide the board and "give up the competition. ......

The senior's voice was trembling. It was not the pain in his legs, but the bitterness in his heart.

The teacher's face contorts and he is often silent before answering.

'Sure, I can't stand to watch your leg get worse.

　I don't want you to repeat the mistakes I made in high school.

　......, but I didn't steal anything."

"Then show me the ...... proof. How can I prove that you took the board when only the teacher has control of the keys?"

When Shinoda-senpai raises his voice, Kurokawa-sensei retorts, unable to hide his irritation.

You are the one who should show "proof" of theft. You can doubt me all you want, but you have no evidence whatsoever.
　Even the key, I keep it in my desk in the staff room every day. And there's a security guard patrolling at night. ......"

But in fact, there are rumors that someone tried to sneak into the staff room at night.

Otani interjects from the side.

There's no guarantee that it wasn't the teacher, is there?" I asked him directly,

The teacher is momentarily crestfallen.

"I'll go to the staff room at night ......?

　...... Sure, as I said before, there are times when I have to go back to work overtime, but it has never gone beyond midnight.

"There's no such thing as 'should not be'" is vague.

Otani glares at me with steely eyes.

Hinata is impatient, "Wait, hey Otani ......," but she can't stop now.

At that moment, Mizuki Kiryu, the student council president, entered the club room.

He sharpens his gaze and steps toward the teacher.

'Sir, I also checked the surveillance cameras earlier and it is true that a hooded figure was seen late at night.
　Moreover, he was wandering around the back of the school building.
　If the teacher was working "overtime" back in the staff room, it could coincide with that time period, right?"

(Kiryu-senpai is also bold. You're coming at the teacher head-on here. ......)

The teacher clenches his fist with a bitter look on his face.

"Don't tell me you're trying to ...... surround me?
　Fine, say whatever you want. ...... Sure I come to school at night sometimes.

　But what's in it for me to steal the key and hide Shinoda's board?"

To protect the seniors, right?
　The teacher himself suffered a serious injury in high school, which put his future on hold.

　Shinoda-senpai is going to take the same path, so I tried to force him to give up the competition ......"

The club members were buzzing as Saki-senpai sharply stated.

This guy is a hell of a bull ......, but this is actually the core allegation here.

I want to protect you, huh?
　I certainly don't want Shinoda to take it easy. But I'm not foolish enough to resort to theft.
　No matter how much you may doubt it, it's not true."

The teacher denies it with force, though,

Shinoda-senpai stubbornly scrunched up his expression, "I can't believe it.

The gulf between the two is like a parallel line.

(Damn ...... I guess it's still a roundabout way of confronting them directly, unless you have proof)

I raise my eyebrows.

Otani is also seething.

With teary eyes, Hinata divulges, "Can't you do something about it?" but both the teacher and senpai just shake their heads.

Just when I thought it was going to be a complete breakdown - and it was,

An unexpected person raised his voice.

You said, "...... Hey, sir. Then why don't you check the school's surveillance cameras more closely?

　If we can prove that the teacher really wasn't there that night, no one will suspect him, right?"

I said so,Saki Kawakubo, seniorNot ......sunny placeIt was.

The teacher's eyes widen.

"Surveillance cameras. ...... Sure, they're at the main entrance and some of the hallways, but they don't cover all of them,

　You're not showing the staff room."

But if Kiryu-senpai, the student council president, analyzes the video, he may be able to get a rough idea of the time the teacher entered and left the room.
　If we make this information available to the club members, they will know that there is no evidence of a teacher sneaking into the club in the middle of the night. ......

(I see. It may be one of the alibi proofs, though not a perfect one.

　(If Dr. Kurokawa sneaked out late at night to look for the key, it could be caught on camera somewhere.)

The doctor snorted, exhaled, and chuckled slightly.

I never thought ...... I'd have to be monitored that closely.

　But if Shinoda won't agree otherwise, we'll have to get ...... Kiryu to help us."

Shinoda-senpai is silent with a grim look on his face.

But if "the teacher really is not the culprit," it would be a bit of a relief.

I'm sure ...... would be fine." I agree with checking the alibi.
　If that proves the teacher's innocence, then I can be cleared of suspicion too.

　But ...... still won't make the tournament after all if the board doesn't return.

　I don't know if my leg will ever heal like this ......"

A senior who lets out a weak voice.

The doctor would say to it, "It's not a ...... quick fix,

He falls silent as if swallowing the words.

(Oh, the atmosphere is heavy. An ironic situation where they both seem to care for each other, but can't understand each other: ......)

Kiryu-senpai declared, "For now, I'll try to flush out the surveillance camera logs by the end of the week,

Once there, the situation settles down.

However, the issue of Shinoda-senpai's feet and the stolen board itself remain unaccounted for.

◇◇◇

3. the hidden "card" - another witness?

The club members sensed that the confrontation between the advisor and captain had softened somewhat,

He seems relieved, though, that "we've moved forward a little bit."

Me, Otani and Hinata still can't shake the anxiety.

Kiryu-senpai also comes out into the hallway with a reluctant face.

"Even if the teacher's alibi can be proven, we still don't know who the key culprit is. ......

Hinata mutters in pain.

Otani continues, "Yes,...... and the students who left the club were different, so it would be strange for an outside culprit,......."

At that moment, Saki-senpai suddenly folded her hands and said thoughtfully.

He said, "Hey, I saw Kurokawa-sensei and Shinoda-senpai arguing with each other,
　"You know that one of our members said he used to witness it all the time?"

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've seen ...... a few stories like that here and there."

Otani nodded as if he remembered.

But when I asked him about it, didn't he just say, "I can't give you the details" and run away?

Saki-senpai's lips are tied in a small knot.

'Yes,...... I think that girl knows something, but maybe she's scared.

　In fact, the clash between the teacher and Shinoda-senpai is powerful, and maybe he doesn't want to get involved in the case."

Hinata is flabbergasted.

'Well, if we can get a testimony out of the kid,
　I wonder if the doctor went to the warehouse at night or if he saw anyone else there ...... might tell us something!"

...... But she doesn't seem to be very good at talking to people,
　Right now he doesn't even show up for club activities, so it's just a matter of how to convince him."

Saki senior's words made us all scratch our heads.

(Again, you're asking ...... but I'm grasping at straws when it comes to this)

Otani stands up and says, "Okay, I'll look for it."

With Kohei and Hinata, I might manage to get them to talk."

Hinata also responds immediately.

I'm not afraid if we all go together. This time, let's be patient and ask them what's going on."

Done.
In addition to checking surveillance cameras, we re-approached members of the department who had said or done something suspicious.
We will be attacking with two moves.

(Finally, if this still doesn't reveal the culprit, we may be stuck with it: ......)

I clench my fists as I mutter this in my head.

Shinoda-senpai and Kurokawa-sensei remain on a parallel track, but it cannot end like this.

There must always be a key somewhere.

◇◇◇

4. new information from outgoing students

Then, as I was walking down the hallway, an unexpected person approached me.

The other day I was sneaking into the apparatus room at night.former member of a club that has terminated its membershipIt is.

"...... Um. I'm sorry about the other day. Also, I'm glad you didn't make a scene the other day after all."

No, we're not blaming you like that. ......

Otani shrugs.

Then, the outgoing student continued his words a little awkwardly.

I'm ...... a little concerned about something.
　A few days before Shinoda-senpai's board disappeared,I saw Kurokawa-sensei and a "certain student" arguing unnaturally.I've been there."

What, ...... teacher and student arguing?"

Hinata is surprised.

Who is this student?"

I didn't see his face clearly at ....... I only caught a glimpse of him,
　They were raising their voices like they were arguing with several people and the teacher. ......
　But then I think the teacher said, "Give me back the key.

"Give me back the key. ......?"

My heart is racing.

Was there a problem related to the key to the storage room, warehouse, or apparatus room?

'I was curious, but I didn't have a place in the club and ...... didn't tell anyone.
　But if it has something to do with 'board theft,' I thought I'd pass it along."

The outgoing student bit his teeth, then turned on his heel and said, "See you later.

When we were told this information, we looked at each other and could not hide our upset.

"Give me my keys back...... teacher and multiple students arguing......"

Hinata is puzzled and lowers her eyes.

Ohtani growled, "This makes the earlier 'questioning of suspicious club members' all the more important.

(Multiple students and key trouble ...... what's with this bad feeling)

Dr. Kurokawa himself said he was "in charge of the keys",

Students take and use it without permission. ......
It's not impossible.

Key management can sometimes be sloppy at club sites.

(Wasn't the teacher looking for the key at night, but "pursuing a student who took the key without permission"?

　(Still, since the board was eventually stolen, it is possible that the key problem facilitated the crime.)

Shaking his confused head, Otani continues to speak.

Okay, we're running out of time. The "suspicious member" we're looking for is..,

　They may be involved in this trouble.

　Let's go ask around, Kohei, Hinata."

'Yeah, ...... Saki-senpai is likely to accompany us, so let's hurry up and call on her.'

So we left the hallway and went to prepare for the hearing.

The theft case is now at its climax.

If this information is true, it would suggest that the teacher is not the culprit, but a student who misused the key.

(What did the real culprit erase the board for?)

Shinoda-senpai's leg is unlikely to heal, and both the teacher and the club members are near their mental limits.

Feeling that "there is only a limited amount of time left."
I ran out into the hallway.

◇◇◇

--Episode 9 End--