Classroom of the Elite: Free Will

V4: Chapter 14 - Dragon Among Men

Ayanokouji Kiyotaka POV

The test has now ended for the Snake group. Those in the Snake group are no longer required to participate any further. Please do not disturb the other students.

"Fufufu, it seems we're the only ones left, now," Sakayanagi commented after reading the message.

I wonder what had happened inside that group. There were only ten minutes left before the sixth group discussion ended. After this, we would have the window 21:30-22:00 to get either Outcome #1 or Outcome #2. Yet, before that we had to go through 21:00 and 21:30 without anyone betraying the group.

"What do you say now, Karma?" Nao asked him once again. "Show your emails. We all know Kocho-san's the VIP."

Karma sighed clearly annoyed.

At the beginning of the meeting Karma had declared himself a bystander - just like he had done on the fifth group discussion. However, instead of letting him and Class B be, Nao, taking the initiative of the conversation, had been pressuring them into showing their emails to everyone.

At first, Ichinose had taken the lead, telling Nao to stop accusing them like that. In response, Nao had placed her phone on the table where everyone could see it and recited the name of the twelve VIPs. This had left Ichinose at a loss for words and Karma took over from there.

"Why would I show you the emails if you already know who the VIP is, Nao," he continued talking before Nao could reply. "And don't give me that excuse of wanting to stop this charade again."

"Awww... But Karma, I just want to confirm if Kocho has the email or if you swapped phones."

"Kukuku, the meeting is almost over, so how about this," Ryuuen began. "We're all going to leave our phones on the table where you can see them, Akabane. And the three of you will show the email you have."

Karma appeared to think about it for a second but quickly shook his head.

"What does that change, Ryuuen? Someone will send an email an betray the group either way."

"You seem resigned, Karma," Mikoto told him.

He shrugged.

"Everyone knows that Kocho is the VIP. There's no use hiding that anymore. Class B will lose fifty points here."

"Why are you so reticent to show your emails then?" Nao questioned. "If that changes nothing then there's no harm in showing them, right?"

"I still have my pride, Nao."

"And if showing your emails changed something?" Chikujoin asked while clapping her hands and smiling widely.

"What's on your mind, Chikujoin?" Ryuuen was the one who asked.

"Well," she put her index finger on her chin. "What if we all put our phones on the table as Kakeru-kun~ proposed and we stay all here until 21:30. That way you not only have the guarantee of not losing class points, but you can also choose whether you want Outcome #1 or #2."

"Now, I support that idea," Nao stated with a smile. "What do you say, Karma? I'm willing to forgive the fifty points just to fulfil my curiosity."

That sounded like something Nao would do, and it didn't surprise me that Chikujoin had been the one who put that idea on the table. Still, I couldn't help but feel like this wasn't just a sudden idea Chikujoin had.