It was after school in the afternoon, and many students were studying quietly in the library.

When Mizuto arrived at the usual seating area, he noticed that Nagumo and Tonokawa Sosuke weren't there.

For some reason, only Iijima was present.

"Where's Nagumo-kun and the others?" Mizuto frowned.

He had some impression of Iijima—apparently, he had dated a girl from their class for a while before breaking up.

Some said the reason for the breakup was that his girlfriend often got too close to Nagumo.

Though Mizuto knew Nagumo wouldn't go so far as to seduce someone else's partner, he was certain Nagumo had something to do with it.

After all, Nagumo didn't have to make the first move—he just had to not refuse.

"I heard the first-years were arguing, so Nagumo-kun and Tonokawa-kun went over there," Iijima replied honestly, clutching his stomach.

"Yamada-kun and the others finished their questions, so Nagumo-kun told them to go back and rest early."

First-years arguing?

Mizuto instinctively glanced around and soon spotted Nagumo and Tonokawa in the distance.

Near them, two groups of students were indeed standing face-to-face in a tense standoff.

Hmm… looks like Class 1-B and Class 1-C?

He could recognize them because he had some impression of the students around Ichinose Honami and Ryuuen Kakeru—people like Kanzaki Ryuji, Amikura Mako, and Shiho Manabe.

Still, Mizuto didn't pay it much mind.

It was probably some trivial reason for the argument, and it seemed like it would be over soon.

Mizuto took a seat a little farther away.

Though the notebooks on the table were closed, he knew they contained the questions they had prepared for Ryuuen.

Although Nagumo hadn't labeled him as a traitor, Kaoru still needed to keep his distance just in case, to avoid raising suspicions that he might peek and secretly report to Kaoru.

Moreover, the fact that Nagumo Miyabi hadn't invited him to help create the exam questions sent a clear message.

Mizuto Mizowaki was smart—he wouldn't make such careless mistakes.

After waiting for a while, Iijima across from him seemed uncomfortable, shifting restlessly in his seat while clutching his stomach with a pained expression.

Mizuto had noticed his odd behavior the moment he entered and couldn't help asking.

"Iijima-kun, are you feeling unwell?"

"Think I ate something bad," Iijima replied weakly.

Mizuto hesitated for a moment, glancing at the nearby surveillance camera before saying.

"Why don't you step out for a bit?"

"Huh? But Nagumo-kun isn't back yet—I need to keep watch here," Iijima said anxiously. "If someone sees the questions here, it'd be—"

Mizuto smiled. "There are cameras here. Anyone approaching would be obvious, and I'm still around. No one could possibly steal the questions."

After a brief hesitation, Iijima thanked him gratefully and hurried off.

Mizuto paid it no mind.

He didn't notice that the library's surveillance camera wasn't glowing red as usual, nor did he see Iijima quickly regain his composure after leaving.

Since Nagumo and the others hadn't returned, Mizuto idly scrolled through his phone, chatting with his senior girlfriend and watching short videos.

After a while, he suddenly received a message from Katsuragi Kouhei.

"Excuse me, Mizuto-senpai, are the questions finished yet?"

Mizuto was surprisingly calm reading Katsuragi's question.

With finals just a week away, it was natural for him to ask.

"Almost done. Should be ready soon."

"Sorry to trouble you, but could you get them to me by Monday?"

"I'll do my best."

Mizuto felt irritated—who did this underclassman think he was, talking to a senior like that?

But considering Katsuragi's ulterior motives, he forced himself to endure it and lied without hesitation.

The questions still needed Nagumo's review.

Katsuragi couldn't know about them yet.

"Can I take a look at the questions, senpai?"

In an instant, Mizuto realized Katsuragi might have guessed his intentions—this was a test.

Should he refuse?

Nagumo had told him to cooperate as much as possible.

Rejecting might alert Katsuragi.

He needed to figure out what Katsuragi was thinking.

"Sure, I'll send you the parts I've finished. If anything seems off, we can discuss adjustments."

Mizuto always carried his bag.

He pulled out his notebook, spread it open, and prepared to photograph a section to send to Katsuragi.

After all, Katsuragi wasn't here—he'd never know the entire set was already complete.

Click—

Mizuto sent the photo, then typed another message.

"Hope these help you out on the exam, kouhai."

Katsuragi Kouhei should be able to understand the meaning behind these words.

These questions either appeared in the actual exam or were merely used as decoys.

If they didn't match what he had said earlier, there was clearly something wrong.

If they were decoys, once Class C obtained these questions, it would mean Mizuto Mizowaki would also know about them immediately.

In that case, at least it was clear that Katsuragi Kouhei's intentions weren't deceptive.

The worst scenario was not knowing what the other party was planning.

However, Katsuragi Kouhei's reply sent a chill down Mizuto Mizowaki's spine.

"Senpai, are you in the library right now?"

"Great, I'm here too. Why don't we meet up later?"

"Or should I come find you now?"

Mizuto Mizowaki felt his scalp tingle.

The other party must have noticed the table in the photo—he had been careless and hadn't checked it thoroughly.

Damn it, should he refuse?

If Katsuragi Kouhei came looking for him, he would definitely realize Mizuto had betrayed their agreement. What should he do?

Without a moment's hesitation, Mizuto Mizowaki began packing his bag.

He needed to hide—maybe stay in the restroom for a while—then tell Katsuragi Kouhei he had already left.

He could say the photo was taken before heading back and ask Katsuragi Kouhei to wait for him at the café.

That way, he could avoid Katsuragi Kouhei discovering him with Nagumo Miyabi in the library.

As long as Nagumo Miyabi gave the okay, Mizuto Mizowaki could immediately take the questions and meet Katsuragi Kouhei at the café.

Killing two birds with one stone—Mizuto let out a sigh of relief at his own quick thinking.

"Mizowaki, where are you going?"

However, Nagumo Miyabi's voice suddenly rang out at that moment.

Mizuto Mizowaki's heart skipped a beat.

When he looked up, he saw Nagumo Miyabi and Tonokawa Sosuke standing right in front of him.

For some reason, Nagumo's expression was dark, and Tonokawa's face was equally grim.

"Katsuragi contacted me. He's also at the library and might come looking for me, so I wanted to step away for a bit." Mizuto explained, though even he felt a pang of guilt.

He hadn't done anything wrong, yet an inexplicable unease and guilt weighed on him, as if he had committed some grave mistake.

"Where's Iijima-kun?" Tonokawa asked.

"He wasn't feeling well, so I told him to leave first," Mizuto replied.

"You do know why he was supposed to stay, right?" Tonokawa pressed.

Mizuto glanced at Nagumo, who remained silent.

"Iijima-kun was worried that Nagumo-kun and I would misunderstand, so he sent us a message saying you voluntarily took over his role," Tonokawa said coldly.

"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't even know when you'd show up."

Mizuto realized his mistake—he should have reported to Nagumo Miyabi right away.

"Sorry, that was my—"

Nagumo cut off his apology. "What were you doing just now?"

Mizuto froze for a moment, his mind racing.

He had been talking to Katsuragi—he had even told Nagumo about it…

Almost instantly, Mizuto's expression stiffened.

"I took a picture of the questions for him, but only part of them. I didn't—"

"Enough, Mizuto-kun." Tonokawa shook his head and sighed, speaking up for his friend.

"From where we were standing, all we saw was you taking a photo of the desk."

The implication was clear—who knew what you were really photographing?

You were alone here, and the questions were right in front of you.

Mizuto finally grasped the issue.

Facing his friend's disappointed gaze, he opened his mouth but couldn't find the words to defend himself.

"If you don't believe me, you can check my phone. There's nothing suspicious on it."

Desperate to prove his innocence, Mizuto handed over his phone, frustration and indignation bubbling inside him.

He hadn't done anything wrong!

"Would that even matter?" Tonokawa, who usually never doubted his friend's intelligence, now felt deeply let down.

If even he could see through this, did Mizuto really think he and Nagumo wouldn't?

Checking his phone was the most basic move—who knew if he had alternate accounts?

Even if he did, who knew if he had deleted any evidence?

Tonokawa hadn't believed Mizuto would betray their class, but now, if Mizuto wanted to clear his name, he needed to provide an absolutely irrefutable reason.

What could that reason be?

Suddenly, Mizuto pointed at the surveillance camera that usually covered this area and said calmly, "There's a camera here. If I did anything just now, you can check the footage."

Indeed, it was precisely because there were surveillance cameras here that he felt reassured letting Iijima leave alone, without worrying about lacking justification to explain the situation.

Tonokawa Sosuke quickly realized it too—nothing was more convincing than surveillance footage.

So he looked up and saw the camera without its red light, a clear sign it wasn't functioning.

"..."

Mizuto Mizowaki soon noticed this as well.

He finally lost his composure.

Why did it have to malfunction at this moment?

Which part of the system had failed?

Nagumo Miyabi's expression darkened.

To be honest, he hadn't really suspected Mizuto Mizowaki in the first place.

The latter was one of his most trusted aides—there was no reason for him to betray.

The problem was that everything was just too coincidental.

Leaving aside the matter of the photos—which couldn't even serve as solid evidence—it would be perfectly normal for someone smart enough to delete the records immediately.

But for the surveillance to fail at this critical moment?

Moreover, Mizuto Mizowaki had left the scene right after taking the photos.

That was far too suspicious.

Nagumo Miyabi couldn't help but overthink it.

Of course, he also had his suspicions about Iijima, but the latter had been so meek even after his girlfriend broke up with him.

It was hard for Nagumo to believe he had the guts to defy him.