Tonokawa received Nagumo's message and immediately instructed the class to report any sightings of Asahina to him or Nagumo.
Since Nagumo hadn't explained clearly, Tonokawa assumed it was just a lovers' quarrel and Nagumo wanted to drag Asahina back.
He had no intention of meddling in personal affairs.
Frankly, he found it ridiculous—why involve the whole class over a mere argument?
It felt like Nagumo was treating them as his personal servants.
Tonokawa only followed Nagumo out of respect for his abilities.
But now, he couldn't understand why Mizowaki would side with outsiders.
If outsiders overthrew Nagumo, what would happen to Class A?
Tonokawa thought his friend must have lost his mind.
Deciding to humor Nagumo, he resolved to confront Mizowaki directly.
Following the location data, he ran into Mizowaki.
Their eyes met, and the latter froze.
"Mizowaki, can we talk?"
Mizowaki gave a bitter smile.
He knew what Tonokawa wanted to discuss, but it was too late—Nagumo would never trust him again.
Even if he warned that Katsuragi was targeting Nagumo, it would fall on deaf ears.
Moreover, Mizowaki felt a chill.
If Class 2-A suffered because of Nagumo's actions, could they really maintain their current standing?
From recent events, Nagumo's decline was becoming evident.
"There's no need to talk anymore. Whether I betrayed Nagumo-kun before or not, I've now sided with them," Mizowaki shook his head.
"It doesn't matter if I did it or not. Nagumo-kun will only believe the truth he's deduced for himself."
Tonokawa understood his meaning, his lips moving slightly.
So it wasn't him after all.
The real traitor was still hidden in their class—someone had been reporting detailed information to outsiders, which led to recent events.
Otherwise, none of this could be explained.
Tonokawa ran through several names in his mind, with Iijima standing out as the most suspicious, his motives clear.
Yet he didn't voice it.
"You'd better not betray the class. Nagumo-kun can't expel you right now. As long as you stay, there's still a chance," Tonokawa suggested, trying to help his friend.
"The fact that they're treating you this way means they must want something from you. Maybe you can use that to turn the tables on them!"
A double agent?
It sounded like a decent idea, but Mizowaki forced a bitter smile.
"They plan to make Nagumo-kun drop out."
"What!?" Tonokawa thought he'd misheard him.
After confirming it again, he immediately grasped their scheme.
"Nagumo-kun is our Class A's biggest asset. If he falls, we might not hold onto our current standing. We can't agree to this."
Mizowaki remained silent, and this reaction suddenly made Tonokawa sober up.
He looked at his good friend with a complicated expression.
Then, Tonokawa stepped forward and patted Mizowaki's shoulder.
"You didn't do anything wrong. If someone's about to kill you, picking up a knife is just self-defense," Tonokawa said quietly.
"But I hope you realize—making a deal with the devil never ends well."
Mizowaki spoke up, "I didn't agree with them. I only said I'd think about it. Maybe there's still a way out."
"No, I want you to agree with them," Tonokawa said seriously.
"Nagumo-kun is even snapping at Asahina now. He won't trust any of us. 'Useless people only drag others down'—those were his exact words. When Yamamoto dropped out, he did nothing."
That was right.
In Nagumo's eyes, even classmates weren't worth spending points to save if they had no value.
Since Nagumo no longer trusted Mizowaki, he might very well make him the scapegoat in the next exam.
For the class, having someone take the fall would ease the pressure on everyone else.
They'd just watch coldly—which was why Mizowaki had gotten no support before.
Because of Nagumo Miyabi's methods, everyone in class lived in constant fear, scrambling to prove their worth to avoid becoming the next sacrifice.
"But wouldn't forcing Nagumo-kun to drop out hurt the class?" Mizowaki asked uneasily.
"There are pros and cons. If they can force Nagumo-kun to drop out, it proves they're capable—we'll accept that. If they fail, it means they're weak, and we'll just watch from the sidelines, supporting whoever wins." Tonokawa analyzed the situation calmly.
"If they want our help, the only thing they can offer us is Class Points. We won't accept anything else."
Mizowaki was startled. "Wait, you seriously want Nagumo-kun expelled?"
"I've never liked him to begin with. The only reason I tolerate him is because he leads us," Tonokawa replied with a faint smile.
"By his own logic, if he loses, getting kicked out of Advanced Nurturing High School is only natural. What we need is a leader who can guarantee our graduation from Class A."
Mizowaki felt somewhat moved.
Tonokawa's words alleviated the guilt of betraying Nagumo, giving him a justifiable reason.
However, neither of them realized that Nagumo was nearby, watching the scene unfold with an expressionless face—his gaze as cold as if he were staring at two dead men.
He had overheard their conversation midway and never expected even Tonokawa to consider stabbing him in the back.
Though Nagumo was well aware of why people followed him, witnessing such treachery firsthand still ignited his anger.
Heh.
So they want me expelled?
Nagumo immediately suspected Kaoru was behind this, likely eager to see him gone so he could freely toy with his woman.
The mere thought of Kaoru's smug face nearly made him laugh in fury.
'I haven't even expelled him yet, and he's already plotting against me.'
'If I'd known it would come to this, I should've cut him off long ago—ended his high school life before he could scheme like this.'
Taking a deep breath, Nagumo regained some composure.
He decided against confronting Asahina now—there was nothing he could do at the moment, and showing up would only give Kaoru the chance to humiliate him to his face.
Better to wait for Asahina in his dorm and demand an explanation directly.
But to his surprise, Asahina didn't return to her dorm that night.
He waited alone in the first-floor lobby until midnight, his face darkening with frustration.