8.4

Watching the tumultuous end of the first debate, Sakayanagi smiled.

"So, what do you think, Ryūen-kun? The second discussion's first round has ended... Are you not planning to nominate anyone anytime soon? Or could you not find any clues to nominate someone?"

Wanting to see her opponent's reaction, Sakayanagi didn't touch on the tense atmosphere between Shimizu and Tokitō, and instead, she threw taunting words.

"What about you, Sakayanagi? Don't just watch me, nominate someone. It should be easy."

"That won't do. If I proceed with the nomination, the number of people dismissed will rapidly increase. That wouldn't be fun, right? Or do you want to deal with any suspicious individuals sooner rather than later? Fortunately, I've already used up my traitor rights."

"Was Shimizu part of your setup?"

"Not just him. I had the chance to talk with various classmates before the special exam, so I let them know that Tokitō-kun could be a weak point."

Shimizu, wanting to be useful to Sakayanagi and the class in any way, persistently attacked Tokitō.

"Unfortunately, under the current rules, it didn't have the intended impact, but I still want to commend his obedient actions in following my sincere advice."

Though the audio was now cut, Tokitō was clearly growing more irritated by the minute.

"His rampage won't have much of an impact on our battle. However, depending on Tokitō-kun's actions, which your participating Class C classmates can see, may lead to some lingering resentments later on."

In the first round, neither Tokitō nor Shimizu, the one who attacked, were suspicious. Currently, it wasn't possible to determine whether they held a position. However, there was a strong possibility that they still had remaining feelings towards having to deal with this troublesome matter.

"However… nominating Tokitō-kun would make it obvious that you dislike him, Ryūen-kun."

After Sakayanagi finished using her tablet, Sakayanagi looked at Ryūen, who was hesitating with his decision.

Nominate Shimizu or Tokitō, someone else, or safely pass.

Ryūen made his decision... and gently tossed the tablet onto the desk.

"Did you pass? At this stage, nominating those two wouldn't suit your pride, would it?"

"I'm not falling for your cheap provocations."

"So, did you nominate one of them?"

The announcement that followed revealed the answer both had chosen.

'Sakayanagi-san, Ryūen-kun, both of you have successfully identified Asagaya-san  as an executive role, so this nomination is a draw.'

"It seems you didn't overlook it. In the earlier discussion, both Shimizu-kun and Tokitō-kun stood out conspicuously, but Asagaya-san's reaction was clearly out of place. She must be thankful that her presence was diminished."

While Ryūen couldn't ignore Tokitō's uproar, he was still observing the whole view. Sakayanagi hinted at a pass, but she made her decision without being swayed.

"However, if the two noisy ones remain, they will continue to be a problem in the next rounds."

"We'll see. Over here—"

As Ryūen started to say something, Sakayanagi questioned him, but Ryūen just smiled and returned his gaze to the monitor, implying that the answer lay beyond the screen.