"Ichinose-san, could you possibly amend that naive notion of yours? At the very least, spare me from having to laugh any further."
"Sakayanagi-san is the one who should try believing in our classmates for a change. It's no disadvantage to you, is it?"
"It is precisely because I understand them all too well that I know Ichinose-san's proposal is absolutely impossible to succeed."
"How can you know it won't succeed without trying?"
"Please don't make me waste any more breath. I've already given the same answer far too many times."
...
The twelve other students spectating around them exchanged glances, let out a collective sigh, and slumped their shoulders.
"Here we go again..." x12
Hamaguchi Tetsuya covered his forehead and sighed in resignation. "Sakayanagi-san and Class President Ichinose really are fundamentally incompatible. This is the first time I've ever seen Class President argue with another student like this."
Sotomura Hideo, a Class D student whose appearance strongly resembled that of a stereotypical otaku, pushed up his glasses and spoke in an eccentric, theatrical tone. "Sakayanagi-denka is usually an exceedingly elegant and courteous person in Class D as well. I simply don't understand why things have turned out this way."
Hearing this, the corner of Fuyuji's mouth twitched. He silently cast a glance at the Class D students present.
Tell me... is there a possibility... that normally she just treats you all as entertainment, which is why she seems so amiable?
But still...
Fuyuji's eyes shifted slightly, and he once again locked his gaze on the two locked in debate.
Even so, Sakayanagi Arisu's behavior was far too out of character. A young lady of her impeccable etiquette—would she really argue with Ichinose all the way until now just for control of the group's agenda?
"Ichinose-san, if you truly wish to achieve Result One, identifying the VIP within our group is absolutely indispensable. Think about it for a moment—no VIP, knowing full well that the group might betray them, would voluntarily reveal their identity."
She sat upright in her chair, both hands resting elegantly atop her lap, which was wrapped in pure white stockings, and refuted with clear, organized logic.
"That is indeed the case. I don't deny that."
Ichinose Honami straightened her posture, puffed out her chest, and admitted this point with open candor. "That's precisely why I thought—before the classmate who is the VIP steps forward on their own—we should build good relationships with each other and agree together to achieve Result One."
"Heh heh..."
A soft laugh, like the chime of silver bells, escaped from between Sakayanagi's lips, ringing with startling clarity in the quiet room.
She tilted her head slightly, her silvery-white hair slipping past her cheek. Her violet eyes narrowed faintly as she observed Ichinose's reaction with keen interest.
"How laughable. The risk isn't borne by Ichinose-san, so of course Ichinose-san can say such things. If a traitor appears within the group, the class that gets penalized is the one whose VIP voluntarily revealed their identity."
"If such a situation truly arises, I will shoulder that risk." Ichinose lowered her head, her fists resting on her knees quietly clenching.
"And how do you intend to shoulder it? Need I remind you, at present, contracts are completely unusable." Sakayanagi pressed forward, step by step.
"..."
"See? Anyone can say such pretty words. But the moment responsibility becomes involved, the situation immediately turns complicated. No one can bear the future of other students. You are no exception. Heh... as expected, you are a hypocrite after all."
After a moment of silence, Ichinose abruptly raised her head and stared at Sakayanagi without blinking, enunciating each word with deliberate clarity.
"Before that, I'd like to ask Sakayanagi-san one question first. If the VIP within this group truly steps forward—can Sakayanagi-san promise me that she will not betray the group?"
"I can."
Sakayanagi nodded without the slightest hesitation and met Ichinose's gaze head-on.
"If that VIP truly has the courage to step forward and reveal their identity, I can guarantee that I will absolutely not betray the group. And by extension, neither will Class D."
Having said this, she took the lead and pulled out her own phone, placing it on the table.
Ichinose slowly turned her head and looked toward the remaining students of Class A and Class C.
"Can the other's make the same guarantee?"
Fuyuji, putting on a deliberately solemn expression, pulled over Kito and Kamuro beside him and pretended to discuss the matter for a while before nodding gravely.
"We can."
"Class C can as well."
On the other side, Shiina Hiyori and the Class C students had also finished their quiet discussion. A slender arm rose.
"In that case..."
Ichinose let out a long breath, a smile of relief surfacing on her face—like sunlight breaking through the clouds.
Then, drawing a deep breath, she took out her own phone. Slowly turning the screen around to face everyone, she spoke softly.
"The Rabbit Group's VIP... is me."
The words were like a stone cast into a lake, sending ripples spreading outward and lingering in everyone's ears.
[Following strict adjustment, you have been selected as the VIP...]
"Nani!"
Hamaguchi Tetsuya and Beppu Ryota shot up from their seats. The legs of their chairs scraped against the floor with a piercing screech. Both of them stared wide-eyed at their class president in utter disbelief.
"Ichinose... it was you?"
"So that's how it is..."
Kamuro Masumi folded her arms. Her originally crossed legs came uncrossed as she leaned forward slightly, re-examining Ichinose from head to toe.
"No wonder this great philanthropist has been insisting on promoting communication within the group to achieve Result One. If she herself is the VIP, then naturally the risk falls on her."
"But... can a good person like that really exist?" Ibuki Mio stared at Ichinose, seated with such open candor in her chair, and muttered quietly under her breath.
Shiina cast a deep look at Fuyuji, who was still playing dead beside her, and remained silent.
"Ara~ So our Rabbit Group's VIP was you?"
Sakayanagi feigned surprise, covering her lips with her slender fingers and dragging out her syllables.
Immediately after, she picked up her cane, which had been leaning against the desk. Accompanied by the faint tapping of the cane against the floor, she rose from her seat with unruffled composure and walked unhurriedly before Ichinose.
"It seems I misunderstood you. Well then... would you mind if I took a look at that text message and examined your phone?"
Ichinose's extended arm paused perceptibly, the movement halting for a fraction of a second before resuming its fluidity. She handed the phone toward Sakayanagi.
"Of course, no problem."
Two hands overlapped in midair. The instant the phone was passed into Sakayanagi's grasp, an arc curled at the corner of her lips.
"It certainly appears to be an email sent by the school..."
Sakayanagi lowered her eyes, her fingertips sliding across the screen as she swiftly scanned the contents of the message.
"Then, could you return the phone—"
"But Ichinose-san, this does not prove that you are the VIP."
Ichinose's outstretched hand froze in midair instantly.
Having finished her inspection, Sakayanagi not only showed no intention whatsoever of returning the phone to Ichinose, but contrary to all expectation, began pacing about the room.
The sound of her cane tapping lightly against the floor echoed with rhythmic regularity through the suddenly deathly silent room. Her unhurried voice followed close behind.
"Do you know, Ichinose-san? From the very beginning, I believed that if it came down to a fair contest of identifying the VIPs, Class D—compared to your Class A and Class B, with your high average caliber and unity—could never possibly win this exam."
"What exactly do you mean by that, Sakayanagi-san?" Ichinose's smile had grown somewhat strained, her voice carrying what seemed like a trace of unease.
"The moment the rules briefing ended, I thought to myself—if only there were a way to make the VIPs willingly reveal their identities."
Fuyuji's brow slowly furrowed.
"Coincidentally, thanks to the supplementary rules the school added this time, students no longer trust one another. The difficulty of identifying the VIPs has multiplied exponentially. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence could glimpse that, in this exam, misleading others is far easier than finding the true VIPs..."
Sakayanagi shifted gears and continued.
"But it still wasn't enough. There were still misgivings. The text message sent by the school is the most critical piece of evidence confirming the VIP. The VIPs would absolutely never bring it out unless there was no other choice."
At this, the smile on that snow-white face grew more and more pronounced. An expression of pure delight blossomed across her features.
"So, I gave things a little push from behind. I released the information that a VIP's phone could be unlocked with points to swap SIM cards. This way, as long as other records were copied onto the VIP's phone and another student's SIM card was inserted, it could be used with complete peace of mind to mislead students from other classes."
Fuyuji half-lowered his eyes. So that was it. No wonder Katsuragi had suddenly announced that matter at the class meeting that day.
"Wait!"
Kamuro seemed to suddenly realize something. Her expression shifted instantly, and she glared fiercely at Sakayanagi.
"That day you came looking for me—specially to provoke me—it was also because of this..."
"That's right."
Sakayanagi nodded with a beaming smile and frankly admitted it.
"I'm sorry, Masumi-san. I used you... That person in your class seems to be particularly petty. If the provocation succeeded, there was a very high probability he would direct his misleading efforts at me."
Fuyuji: "..."
I feel like you're slandering me...
"Even in the most extreme scenario, as long as Class D is successfully misled into guessing the wrong pattern, the other three classes would each gain at least 150 points. If on top of that, they correctly guess Class D's VIPs, that's an average of 200 points per class."
"Compared to the three classes with a foundation of prior cooperation—Class D is indeed the ideal target for misdirection, is it not?"
Sakayanagi halted her steps and swept her gaze across the representatives of the other classes, whose expressions had turned varied and complex.
"..."
Hamaguchi glanced at Ichinose beside him, who had lowered her head in silence, and was the first to step forward. "Indeed. According to Sakayanagi-san's logic, in order to successfully deceive Sakayanagi-san, the other classes would most likely produce the school's VIP text message to prove their own identities."
"You wanted to devour Class D. But in turn, you must also bear the risk of being devoured by Class D..."
"However, may I ask..." An airy voice broke the oppressive atmosphere in the room.
A pale, slender arm rose high. Shiina tilted her head and asked.
"There is one problem—the text messages sent by the school are confirmed based on the students' SIM cards. In a situation where all other records on the phone have been wiped and the SIM card has been swapped, how does Sakayanagi-san intend to confirm who the phone's original owner is?"
If one couldn't ascertain who the phone's original owner was, then even seeing through the scheme would be of no use. It was precisely because of this that the VIPs had felt safe in handing over their phones and lending them to Ichinose to carry out the plan.
"That is the very core of this entire scheme."
Returning to her own seat and picking up her own phone, which had been left on the table from the start, Sakayanagi lowered her head. On her own, she dismantled the phone Ichinose had handed over. She entered the phone's internal serial number into her own device and sent it.
"Ichinose-san, allow me to give you a piece of hidden intelligence for free. Just as SIM cards can be unlocked with private points, confirming the phone's original owner with private points is also possible."
"From the very moment Advanced Nurturing High School first issued these phones, in order to facilitate management—and just in case any student leaked school information to the outside—the owner of each phone was registered. According to network access permissions, by spending a certain number of points..."
"Look!"
Sakayanagi turned her own phone screen around, facing one person in particular. A radiant smile blossomed across her face.
"As expected, it's you, Fuyuji-kun... Checkmate. That's the match."
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