The atmosphere between them fell into silence.
Kaoru blinked, seemingly unsure of what had happened.
Asahina felt a pang of irritation.
Deep down, she had many questions she wanted to ask Kaoru, but if they were mixed with other things, she feared their relationship would change.
She had no intention of getting involved with Kaoru, nor did she plan to deliberately distance herself from him.
Yet, Asahina Nazuna also knew this wasn't right.
Just as Nagumo had been dissatisfied with her—knowing full well that Kaoru might have feelings for her, what would happen if she continued meeting and interacting with him?
Asahina felt lost.
Everything that had happened recently felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Is Mizowaki one of your people?"
Her sudden question caught Kaoru off guard.
He shook his head. "If you don't believe he's one of us, then he isn't."
In other words, if Asahina believed Mizowaki was on his side, then no matter how much Mizowaki explained, the seed of doubt would already be planted in her mind.
Like the parable of the neighbor stealing the axe, from then on, Mizowaki would forever bear the label of suspicion.
Had she not doubted Mizowaki, none of the recent events would have happened.
At this, Asahina forced a weak smile.
Of course, she understood this logic, which was why she had never truly suspected that there was a mole in their class.
Even if there were one, Nagumo couldn't openly investigate.
"Miyabi… Miyabi thinks Mizuto-kun is the one who betrayed him—leaking the competition roster during the sports festival and then revealing the class's plans this month. Because Kiriyama and the others adjusted their strategy yesterday and just happened to outmaneuver our Class A."
As she spoke, even Asahina found herself somewhat doubting Mizowaki.
After all, Nagumo's evidence and reasoning were far too solid.
The motive was to overthrow Nagumo Miyabi's position alongside Horikita Manabu and Kiriyama Ikuyo.
The evidence was simple: if Mizuto Mizowaki wasn't the traitor, why would Katsuragi Kouhei approach him?
If Mizowaki wasn't a traitor, his test questions would either have been used against Class 1-C in the final exams or served as a decoy, just as Katsuragi had claimed.
Yet, Class 1-A remained silent.
It was obvious—the so-called "question leak" was just an excuse.
Mizowaki had been there to make contact, and when accidentally discovered by a classmate, he hastily fabricated a cover story.
Later, in the library, it was the same.
Nagumo already knew that Class 1-A had obtained partial answers before the exam—solid proof of collusion.
More crucially, the words Nagumo had spoken to Sakayanagi in the café had indeed reached Kiriyama Ikuyo, who then adjusted their strategy and narrowly defeated Class 2-A.
Nagumo didn't care about this loss.
What chilled him was the realization that even Mizowaki was a mole.
Just how many more traitors were lurking in his class?
That's right—Nagumo didn't believe Mizowaki was the only one.
He even suspected that Mizowaki had deliberately exposed himself to divert attention, hiding the existence of other moles to lull him into a false sense of security.
So, after the final exams ended that day, Nagumo ordered the entire class to remain in the classroom, forbidding anyone from leaving, and began interrogating them one by one.
It was this very act that finally pushed Asahina to her limit.
Regardless of what fate awaited Mizowaki, given Nagumo's temperament, Class 2-A would soon be engulfed in an even more oppressive atmosphere.
The moment he suspected anyone, expulsion would follow without hesitation.
Asahina felt her childhood friend had completely changed.
Ever since he had distanced himself from women, she thought he had come to his senses and stopped his reckless behavior.
But instead, it marked the beginning of Nagumo's growing paranoia.
He became obsessed with others' opinions of him, flying into rages at the slightest provocation.
Even Asahina faced his constant suspicion and cold indifference.
Unable to endure it any longer, Asahina confronted him in a heated argument.
She had expected others to stand by her side, but the class remained silent—some girls even urged her not to oppose Nagumo.
In that instant, Asahina was stunned.
She had spoken up because she believed Nagumo had gone too far, yet not a single person in the class supported her—not even Mizowaki, who stayed silent.
And so, Asahina ran out.
"No wonder you're here admiring the view, senpai," Kaoru remarked after hearing her story.
"I want to know—was Mizuto-kun really at the café that day?" Asahina stared at him intently.
"Mizuto-kun claimed he wasn't wearing a trench coat, never saw Miyabi, and didn't record anything. He said Katsuragi-kun had called him out at noon."
Under Nagumo's relentless questioning, Mizowaki had repeatedly insisted that while he had been at the café, Katsuragi had requested the meeting.
He had even prepared a phone recording in an attempt to clear his name.
But his explanations only deepened Nagumo's conviction—because none of it made sense.
"Yeah, I framed him," Kaoru admitted bluntly. "I was the one impersonating him. Who else would show up at a café in a suspicious trench coat and glasses, drawing attention like that?"
Asahina froze for a moment, then expressionlessly pulled out her phone.
"How fortunate—I've been recording this whole time."
Kaoru glanced at her phone without even furrowing his brow and replied calmly.
"Go ahead. I won't lie to your face."
Asahina stared at him for a long moment before suddenly smiling.
"Just kidding~ You really know how to charm girls. Scary how smooth juniors are these days."
She put her phone away.
There was no way she could have prepared a recording—she had run out here on impulse.
Asahina just wanted to see if Kaoru would react, but he didn't even flinch, as if her threat meant nothing to him.
"'Won't lie'—does that mean you'll answer anything I ask?"
"Yeah. Even if you don't ask, I'll tell you."
"How do you plan to deal with Miyabi?"
"Let him keep the student council presidency for a few days. Next year, I'll have him step down. The position is somewhat useful to me."
"And then?"
"Might expel him. Depends on how hard he struggles."
"..."
The atmosphere between them returned to its previous silence.
Reading her expression, Kaoru spoke again, "It's not a life-or-death conflict between us. If he backs off, I won't bother him."
Asahina let out a bitter laugh.
He wanted to expel Nagumo Miyabi, and Miyabi wanted to expel him—how was that not a life-or-death conflict?
"Seems like I can't talk either of you down. I never meddle in class affairs anyway. Miyabi and the others handle everything, so I never have to think about it." Her voice grew quieter.
"I know the class has come this far because of Miyabi's abilities, but… I never really cared about advancing academically or finding employment."
[Asahina Nazuna: Lost, lonely, resentful…]
[Suggestion: Take the target's hand and lead her to a hotel. Effective for alleviating loneliness.]
Kaoru studied the prompt.
Was his senpai feeling lost and lonely right now?
"I wanted to go somewhere unfamiliar, meet people I'd never cross paths with otherwise, make more friends… Study hard together, go out and have fun sometimes."
For Asahina, what had drawn her to ANHS was its closed-off environment.
"Senpai, I have a question," Kaoru suddenly said.
Asahina turned to him, her eyes still slightly dazed, but she nodded for him to continue.
"How would you feel… if Nagumo-senpai weren't here?"
The question was blunt, and for a moment, it made her angry.
But Asahina pressed her lips together and seriously considered it—what should she feel?
She had come to Kouyou alone, without a single friend from her past.
To her, this place was filled with unfamiliar faces, every person a new and unknown presence.
"Before coming to ANHS, did you ever think about arriving here with Nagumo-senpai?"
No.
The thought had never crossed her mind.
In fact, the moment she stepped through the school gates, something wonderfully unexpected happened—she made her first friend.
Like the start of a brand-new life, the girl had looked forward to each day ahead.
Yet, when she saw Nagumo Miyabi walk into the classroom, Asahina's emotions had been a mix of joy… and resignation.
"Senpai, do you want to date Nagumo-senpai?"
At this moment, Asahina Nazuna finally couldn't hold back any longer.
She fixed her gaze on Kaoru.
"Could you please stop talking? This is a private matter between me and Miyabi. Even if we're not dating, he still holds meaning for me..."
"Childhood friends, is it?" Kaoru cut her off, and her words abruptly ceased.
"From what I know, Nagumo-senpai sees you as a potential romantic interest—so much so that he doesn't allow anyone else to get close to you."
Asahina Nazuna averted her eyes and fell silent.
"How he feels about you—I think you should know best. After all, you've been childhood friends. Do you really think you can keep hesitating like this?"
"Enough. I've never thought about this. I just..."
"You just thought you could date him, except his usual behavior makes you uneasy, so you hesitate—is that it?"
"Just a mere junior—do you really think your words can shake me?"
"I'm not trying to shake you. But you're already shaken on your own."
As Kaoru pointed it out, Asahina realized she had unknowingly clenched her fists, as if ready to fight him at any moment.
"You're not just worried about Nagumo-senpai's behavior. The truth is, you don't like him at all." Kaoru spoke calmly.
"Do we truly like someone, or do we just convince ourselves that we should like them, and that's why we do?"
"Do you genuinely want Nagumo-senpai to change his womanizing ways before dating him, or is it just because everyone around you thinks you two should be together, so you feel like you should be with him?"
"Why did you choose ANHS in the first place? Why did you hope to meet new people here? Was it because your past felt like a shackle to you, or was it simply that you wanted to spend your high school years here?"
Faced with Kaoru's words, Asahina stared at him blankly.
A sudden wave of goosebumps ran down her body, making her instinctively hug her arms.
The air around them felt like the prelude to snowfall—a biting cold that made her nose and throat ache as if swallowing knives.
She glared at Kaoru and clenched her teeth.
"Did I go too far?" Kaoru studied her expression.
"It's really too much." Asahina gritted her teeth, desperately holding back her tears.
"So much that I wonder if you're deliberately attacking me, trying to drive a wedge between me and Miyabi, forcing me to overthink, making me voice the thoughts in my heart. This is the first time I've seen someone treat a girl—his senior at that—so cruelly!"
Kaoru was certain now—he hadn't misread it.
Asahina was utterly confused about her own feelings.
This senior of his had never harbored romantic affection for Nagumo Miyabi in her subconscious.
Their so-called relationship was merely that of childhood friends.
"Ever since we were little, it's been like this—as if I'm obligated to like him. In my parents' eyes, he's an outstanding, good boy. In his parents' eyes, I'm his future wife. I'm not supposed to have my own thoughts."
And at this moment, Asahina finally voiced her true feelings—the wild thoughts that had long been buried deep in her heart.