Episode 7 of "I am Running Mate" kicks off with a devastating blow to the red team as a video of Won-dae losing his composure during a football match resurfaces online, sending his popularity plummeting to a mere 39%, while Sang-hyeon's soars to 48%. The online spat and bickering between the red and blue camps only fuel the fire, inciting a wave of student boycotts against the elections. Disheartened, Ui-jun and a handful of Won-dae's campaign team members decide to step away from the frontlines of the campaign.
As election day dawns, the final rally commences amidst a cloud of disillusionment. Both teams are weighed down by recent squabbles and personal attacks that have inadvertently jeopardized their academic lives. Meanwhile, Ji-hun is summoned to the disciplinary committee over the forgery scandal, and Gyeong-tae is slapped with a ban from participating further in the election campaigns. Emotions are running rampant, and tensions flair up during the final rally.
In a sneaky maneuver, Won-dae's team overlays their campaign posters over the blue team's on their own podium, sparking a brawl between the two warring factions. The physical altercation results in a startling revelation: 25% of students opt to boycott the elections altogether, leaving the race neck-and-neck with 48% supporting Won-dae and 47% rallying behind Sang-hyeon. The police arrive on the scene and apprehend Jae-won, unearthing a separate saga from the previous night.
Hyeon-jin had traced the IP address of an anonymous social media account back to Hee-chan, a college student. Jae-won, Sang-hyeon, and Hyeon-jin confront Hee-chan, offering to buy his phone and laptop in exchange for silence. Hee-chan, however, declines their offer and provokes a fight. Jae-won, left with no other choice, retaliates. At the police station, Jae-won's mother pleads with Hee-chan to see reason, but he remains unyielding, deaf to their entreaties.
The atmosphere in the school remains charged with tension as the students brace themselves to hear the concluding addresses from the candidates. First up is Won-dae, who steps to the podium with a tone of contrition. He offers apologies for the squabbles, the malice, the brawls, and the fabricated news that his campaign team had indulged in throughout the electoral fray. In a calculated move to deflect blame, Won-dae singles out Gyeong-tae, pledging to the school that, should he be elected, he will hold Gyeong-tae solely accountable for all the devastation and injustices perpetuated during the elections. Claiming that Gyeong-tae acted unilaterally, Won-dae shifts the weight of responsibility onto his shoulders alone. Overcome with emotion, Gyeong-tae collapses in tears and dashes out of the hall.
Won-dae's underhanded maneuvers persist until the eleventh hour. As Sang-hyeon ascends the stage, his impeccable attire and intellectual demeanor command the students' attention. However, just as he begins his speech, two students pelt him with eggs, causing a water bottle to knock over his tablet, which promptly shuts down. Faced with the sudden crisis, Sang-hyeon is plunged into a panic and considers abandoning his speech altogether.
Se-hoon rushes to the stage to lend assistance, but Sang-hyeon reprimands him, furious that Se-hoon's presence on stage only serves to deepen his humiliation. Earlier, Sang-woo had confessed to Se-hoon that their café meeting was no mere happenstance; it was a meticulously orchestrated plan, including Joon-gyu and his mother, to convince him of Sang-hyeon's supposed need for his support. On stage now, Se-hoon whispers a desperate strategy into Sang-hyeon's ear.
To secure their victory in the elections, Sang-hyeon must relinquish all inhibitions and embrace madness. Se-hoon urges him to confess everything, baring his duplicitous nature for all to see. Gathering his courage, Sang-hyeon smashes his costly tablet and proceeds to pour his heart out, unfiltered and unashamed.
Tae-oh elucidates to the captivated students observing from their classroom seats that Sang-hyeon adopted a divergent strategy from Won-dae's. Whereas Won-dae opted to portray himself as a paragon of virtue, shifting all culpability onto Gyeon-tae's shoulders, Sang-hyeon unabashedly embraced his narcissistic nature, shouldering the entire burden of his team's underhanded election tactics.
In this context, Sang-hyeon expresses heartfelt gratitude to his supporters for standing by his side, even amidst his rebukes and outbursts of anger. He extends an apology to Jeong-hui, acknowledging that he had deliberately chosen her as his running mate, fully aware of her intellect and ability to win over the teachers' favor.
With unwavering honesty, Sang-hyeon reveals the truth about the party and admits to having organized similar gatherings in the past. He confesses to having surreptitiously recorded Se-hoon's conversation regarding Ji-hun, subsequently leaking it, and subsequently apologizing to Ji-hun for his actions.
As the episode draws to a close, Sang-hyeon takes full responsibility for his team's conduct during the elections. He诚恳ly requests the school to hold him accountable and allows him to atone for his sins by diligently serving the community for the upcoming year.
