"I meant useless people born into prominent families who refuse to work hard and only want to rely on their families and others..." Shizuka Hiratsuka felt that the bastard before her was setting a trap for her. "If you can't support yourself with your own two hands, then no matter how noble your birth may be, you're like smoke without a source—one slight disturbance, and you vanish without a trace... If you possess real ability, that smoke can become clouds in the sky..."
"But wouldn't they disappear when it rains too?" Sogo Doma asked in return.
"It was just a metaphor, a metaphor..." Shizuka Hiratsuka shouted, yet she seemed to have lost all her strength. Sogo Doma had not even brought out his ultimate move yet; they had merely traded a few barbs, and she was already unable to take it. "Doma, just tell me—are you playing dumb while fully aware of what's going on?"
"How could I be?" Sogo Doma looked utterly baffled. "Wasn't I just following along with what Hiratsuka-sensei said? How was I playing dumb in the slightest? Things like how you and Taihei are both actually quite poor—I only muttered about that in my head. I definitely wouldn't take your poverty seriously. As for doing something for the sake of reputation, while I also think that's rather unlikely..."
"But didn't a famous detective once say that once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth? Besides, Hiratsuka-sensei was the one who first asked whether I knew about the reputation thing, right? Clearly, Hiratsuka-sensei cares a great deal about her reputation, so I had no choice but to make that guess..."
Another vein popped out on Shizuka Hiratsuka's forehead. Sogo Doma was certain she would age quickly at this rate, considering she already