"President Nagumo, that's the situation."
As soon as the day's classes ended, Tokito immediately sought out Nagumo to report.
However, he was cautious enough to pick a time when most of the male students had gone to shower after dinner. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about Ayanokoji noticing.
"You're saying that during this morning's run in the mountains, Ayanokoji and Kouenji left the group and went into the woods?" Nagumo asked, frowning.
"Yes." Tokito nodded firmly. "They tried to be sneaky, pretending to leave at different times, but I saw them discussing something. And in the end, they even shook hands. I'm sure they reached some kind of agreement!"
In reality, that never happened. Kouenji had simply gone off chasing a wild boar.
As for the supposed handshake—there was no such thing. Ayanokoji had merely used Tokito's blind spot to create an illusion. From Tokito's perspective, it only looked like they had shaken hands.
"I see. So those two have formed an alliance."
At this moment, Nagumo was completely misled by Tokito. But it wasn't his fault.
Even if they racked their brains, they would never guess the real truth.
After all, who would ever expect someone to actively provoke a wild boar?
Even Ayanokoji had only decided to chase after Kouenji on a whim after seeing him leave the group.
"What kind of cooperation do you think it is? Are they planning to go all out during the exam?" Nagumo continued his questioning.
"I don't think so," Tokito replied, a hint of irritation in his tone. "Kouenji's attitude hasn't changed at all. He still skips morning cleaning, refuses to do any work, and acts the same as before."
It wasn't clear whether classroom behavior and discipline would affect the final exam score, but most students were acting as if they might lose points for slacking.
Even those plotting against others would at least pretend to take things seriously.
Kouenji, however, was the lone exception.
"I see. I thought they were planning to single-handedly boost their group's average score."
Nagumo smirked playfully.
"How are things on your end? Have you convinced everyone?"
"Pretty much. A few are still hesitating," Tokito responded confidently.
And he wasn't bluffing—before the exam even started, he had managed to persuade Yamauchi and Yahiko.
That was more than he had expected. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so sure of himself.
Especially with Yamauchi Haruki. Tokito had assumed it would be difficult to convince him since he was in the same class as Ayanokoji. Initially, he had approached Yamauchi just to test the waters.
To his surprise, Yamauchi had long been irritated by Ayanokoji's rising fame. So after a brief pretense of reluctance, he quickly agreed—to the tune of 500,000 points—to sabotage Ayanokoji during the exam.
As for Totsuka Yahiko, he didn't hold any personal grudge against Ayanokoji.
However, he saw Ayanokoji as a formidable opponent—someone who could become a major threat to his class in the future. That concern alone was enough for him to agree to the plan.
Tokito had said similar things to Hashimoto, but his response was vague. While Hashimoto didn't object, he also didn't show clear support.
Right now, the only real obstacle was the three students from Class A.
Instead of assisting, they had completely opposed the idea—and even tried to talk Tokito out of it.
As for Ayanokoji himself. He just couldn't understand that guy's thought process.
Ayanokoji wasn't just a brilliant student.
He was also a skilled fighter with outstanding athletic ability—practically a cheat character.
If they didn't take this chance to eliminate him, then when?
Did those Class A students think they were untouchable just because they had reached the top?
How naïve.
How laughably naïve.
"It's fine. There's still plenty of time," Nagumo chuckled. "If they're worried about collateral damage, just guide them into thinking, 'If Ayanokoji gets expelled, who will he drag down with him?' That should ease their concerns."
"Yeah. Based on what we've seen so far, the biggest troublemakers in the group are Ishizaki, Yamauchi, and Kouenji."
"Ishizaki's in your class, right? Will that be a problem?"
"Who cares? That guy is just Ryuuen's lackey. If he gets expelled, even better," Tokito scoffed.
"True. Getting rid of dead weight in your class is always a good idea."
Nagumo said this casually, completely unconcerned—after all, he had done the same thing himself in the past.
"If you run into trouble, you could always ask Hikigaya for help. He did promise to assist before."
"I don't need him," Tokito said, slightly irritated. "I've got everything under control. If anything, he'd probably just mess things up."
"Haha, I see. My mistake," Nagumo chuckled.
He didn't particularly care whether Ayanokoji was expelled or not. If this plan failed, it wouldn't matter much to him.
But the idea of Ayanokoji and Kouenji working together...
Now that was interesting.
"Anyway, I'll leave this matter to you. As long as you succeed, everything else is negotiable—whether it's personal points or a position in the student council, I can make it happen."
"Alright, I'll get going then."
After dismissing Tokito, Nagumo immediately summoned his two most trusted subordinates.
"Gokyou, Tonegawa—while you've been keeping an eye on Ayanokoji these past few days, have you noticed anything unusual? Even the smallest detail counts."
Nagumo's group was mostly composed of students from Classes C and D.
The only ones from his class who had joined were Gokyō and Tonegawa—proof of how much he trusted them.
That's why the task of tailing Ayanokoji had mainly fallen to them.
"Not really. Everything seems normal," Gokyō answered, shaking his head.
However, Tonegawa hesitated, his expression subtly shifting.
"What is it?" Nagumo noticed right away, smiling. "Didn't I tell you? No matter how trivial it seems, just say it. Even if you're wrong, there's nothing to worry about."
"Well, um… how should I put this…"
After some hesitation, Tonegawa finally spoke.
"During dinner earlier, Ayanokoji suddenly left in the middle of his meal. I got curious and followed him… and I saw him approach Asahina outside the restroom. It looked like he deliberately waited for the chance."
"What makes you think that?" Nagumo asked.
"Because Asahina went to the restroom alone. Ayanokoji lingered nearby for a bit, then acted like they just happened to meet."
"Oh? I see."
Girls usually went to the restroom in pairs or groups.
For Ayanokoji to wait for Asahina to go alone… he must have wanted a private conversation.
"What did they talk about?"
"Sorry. I didn't dare get too close, so I couldn't hear clearly," Denka apologized. "But… I did catch Asahina asking if he wanted to defeat you."
"That's more than enough."
So that's what this was about. Ayanokoji had probably used the excuse of returning a lucky charm to approach Asahina.
As for what he was after… Nagumo could already guess.
First, he must have been digging for information about Nagumo himself. That much was obvious.
But what if he was also investigating the girls' group formations?
Normally, Nagumo wouldn't have even considered that possibility.
But then he suddenly remembered something Hikigaya had told him a few days ago—Horikita's sister and Tachibana were in the same major group and were asking around about the third-years.
Horikita Suzune wasn't worth worrying about on her own.
However, during the winter break's vote of no confidence, she had worked alongside Ayanokoji. And Ayanokoji was closely tied to Horikita Manabu…
Could it be that Horikita-senpai has figured it out?
Nagumo briefly entertained the thought.
But it didn't matter.
No matter who made a move now—this was already a checkmate.
But if Horikita-senpai somehow manages to stop this unexpectedly… that would make things even more exciting.
Besides, the fact that Ayanokoji is also secretly plotting to take him down made Nagumo feel all the more entertained.
This is what a fulfilling school life should be, isn't it?
"Gokyou, Tonegawa, I need you two to do something for me."
To uncover the truth behind all this, Nagumo immediately issued his instructions.
"When you go running in the mountains tomorrow, follow Ayanokoji. If he leaves the group and enters the forest, chase after him and see what he's up to. There's a high chance he's meeting up with Kouenji, so try to eavesdrop on their conversation if possible."
Although Tokito had been discovered, Gokyouand Tonegawa had always remained well hidden. They had also managed to overhear Ayanokoji's conversation with Asahina this time.
Sending these two would ensure they wouldn't be noticed.
Nagumo was confident in that. He was determined to find out what Ayanokoji was up to.
The next afternoon, the boys resumed their long-distance running training in the mountains.
Sensing the second-year students trailing behind him at a distance, Ayanokoji muttered quietly to himself.
"Everything seems to be going smoothly."
Yesterday, he had deliberately sought out Asahina for a conversation—an act meant solely for the person watching from behind.
The purpose was clear: to show that Ayanokoji was still unaware that he was being monitored.
The content of the conversation had also been carefully chosen, focusing mainly on Nagumo without touching on any other topics.
Originally, Ayanokoji had intended to ask Asahina about the girls' group allocations. However, doing so might have aroused Nagumo's suspicion, so he decided against it.
He already had enough trouble dealing with the issues within his group. There was no need to get further entangled in Nagumo and Horikita Manabu's rivalry.
Unfortunately, Ayanokoji had no idea that someone had already been secretly pulling the strings for him.
Today marked the sixth day of training camp. In just two days, it would be Thursday—the day of the final exam.
Even now, the atmosphere within his group remained terrible. However, as long as everything went smoothly from here on out, the worst outcome would merely be placing last among the larger groups.
As for his small group, it shouldn't be in danger of falling below the passing line.
While contemplating the road ahead, Ayanokoji soon realized that Kouenji had already vanished from the group.
No one paid it any mind.
Everyone was already used to it.
After passing by that familiar notice board, Ayanokoji found an opportunity to slip away from the group, all the while keeping a close eye on the movements behind him.
Sure enough, two people were following.
Perfect. Now for the final step.
Feigning ignorance, Ayanokoji picked up his pace as he ventured deeper into the forest.
As expected of second-year Class A students—their physical abilities were far superior to Tokito's from yesterday. There was no need to worry about them losing track of him.
That said, breakfast today had been prepared by the second-year students.
Waking up at four in the morning must have been exhausting. Hopefully, they hadn't used up too much of their stamina.
Leading the two deeper into the forest, Ayanokoji suddenly stopped after advancing about a kilometer.
That fleeting black shadow just now—it was most likely a wild boar.
Not missing a beat, Ayanokoji immediately followed its trail and soon spotted his target.
Then, he picked up a fist-sized rock from the ground.
A rock like this could easily crack a human skull, but for a thick-skinned wild boar, it would probably feel like nothing more than a light scratch.
Still, if he threw it with full force, it should be enough to completely enrage the beast.
With that thought, Ayanokoji discreetly glanced behind him.
I hope you two senpais are ready.
The next moment, he used the surrounding trees and terrain as cover, concealing his presence.
At the same time, Gokyou and Tonegawa also came to a halt.
They were some distance away from Ayanokoji, and with the forest's poor visibility, they could barely make out his silhouette.
But in just the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Just as the two were feeling puzzled, a blood-curdling scream suddenly rang out.
Before they could react, Ayanokoji suddenly appeared out of nowhere, sprinting straight toward them.
"Eh…?"
The inexplicable scene left them completely bewildered.
They instinctively wanted to ask what was happening, but before they could, Ayanokoji dashed right between them without even looking back.
"Hey, hey!"
Gokyou tried to call out to him, but the guy was running way too fast—there was no stopping him.
And then, they saw the reason Ayanokoji was fleeing.
From the depths of the forest, a wild boar with bloodshot eyes suddenly burst forth, charging straight at them without hesitation.
"Wah!!"
Both of them screamed in unison and bolted.
Hearing the terrified cries behind him, Ayanokoji didn't slow down in the slightest.
Without looking back, he continued running toward the main road.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled a saying:
— You don't need to run faster than the bear, just faster than your companion.
However, in this case, there was no bear, and those two weren't his companions, so it didn't really matter.
Besides, to avoid responsibility, it was necessary to find someone to help.
Feeling pleased with how smoothly his plan was unfolding, Ayanokoji ran toward the turnaround point, intending to seek assistance from the teachers there.
But there was no need to rush. Letting those two suffer a little wouldn't hurt—at the very least, they should be in no condition to participate in the relay marathon the day after tomorrow.
If that happened, their group placing last would be almost certain.