Because he knew who was behind it, Houtarou had several matters to discuss with Manabu.
After leaving the library, he sent an email to the Student Council President.
At around 5:30 PM, Houtarou followed the GPS directions to their meeting location.
It was a bathhouse located at the far end of the shopping district.
"It's 800 points per guest, providing bathing and sauna functions, though drinks and milk are charged separately. But today it's been booked for private use, so it's free."
When he arrived at the entrance, the staff immediately attended to him.
It seemed that few students visited this place. After Houtarou briefly described himself, he was promptly informed that Manabu had already arrived.
Specifically: "If a student with green eyes arrives, please bring him to me."
Manabu had instructed the staff like this in advance, paid a tip, and booked the place for private use.
So Houtarou was escorted in by the staff as soon as he entered.
It seemed that guy had a lot to say.
Following protocol, Houtarou removed his clothes in the changing room and walked in with a towel. After washing his body, he could proceed to soak in the bath.
Bathing can relax and soothe both body and mind. Houtarou used the shower to thoroughly clean himself in the public bath area.
But he hesitated at the edge of the communal bath.
He could see Manabu already soaking in the pool. Since the place was booked for private use, Manabu was the only one inside.
"What's wrong, just standing there instead of coming in?" Manabu noticed him lingering at the edge of the pool.
No. Houtarou was simply curious why this guy wore glasses even while bathing — wouldn't they fog up?
Since they were both men, and considering his future relationship with Suzune, Houtarou entered the pool, showing respect to his potential brother-in-law.
"As expected." Manabu said after studying his face, "You're quite popular among the senior female students. You certainly have good looks."
Oh. So you say things like that too.
I'm surprised you would make such comments.
"And the fact that you invited me out…" Manabu continued, more perceptive of social cues than his sister, "Means you've discovered that I was behind the rumor incident, right?"
He was getting straight to the point.
Having already confirmed his suspicions with Hiyori, Houtarou wasn't surprised by Manabu's direct admission of responsibility.
But spreading rumors didn't seem like a particularly effective approach compared to what Suzune had gained from the incident.
So why did he do it?
"Two reasons." Manabu removed his glasses and wiped them gently with a cloth he had placed nearby, "One, which I think you already know. This is the second semester of our third year, and until graduation, we have less than 4 months left.
My classmates and I have worked hard to reach this point. Now we face the final test, and I especially must give it my all."
This reasoning was interesting — the approaching graduation meant he needed to focus completely on his class.
Otherwise, he would end up like Sae Chabashira, burdened with regrets for over a decade, unable to move on from the past — a truly terrible situation.
Naturally, Manabu would know about Sae and have investigated her past, understanding this point perfectly. Not wanting to leave with regrets is crucial, which means avoiding distractions.
But what could distract him?
Most likely his sister. They're family, and as her older brother, Manabu couldn't simply ignore Suzune.
Initially, he wanted Suzune to withdraw from school, believing she wasn't suited for this environment. Her placement in Class D would make advancement difficult.
However, he soon realized that having his timid sister withdraw might be worse. She could face bullying or harm outside, and with him needing to remain at school, this would create a concerning situation.
It was better to keep her nearby where he could watch over her while allowing her to gain experience and grow stronger.
As Student Council President, Manabu understood that even without graduating from Class A, students who endured the school's many tests developed better experience, mentality, and problem-solving methods than typical students elsewhere.
So Manabu, both as Council President and brother, made arranging his sister's affairs his priority before his final push toward graduation.
Did "arrange" refer to spreading these rumors? Did he expect his sister to benefit significantly from them?
Indeed. Being known as the Student Council President's sister held value. It could earn her votes effortlessly and establish a foundation for eventually entering Class A.
Simultaneously, if she could withstand the rumors, it would strengthen her character. After his graduation, Suzune would be able to survive independently at school.
One could say this was Manabu's painstaking consideration.
But...
"Then what's the other reason?" Houtarou asked directly.
Indeed, Manabu was training his sister, giving her what he could offer — this reason seemed sufficient. Yet using rumors didn't appear to be a method he would typically employ.
So what truly prompted him to act might have been something else.
"Ten days ago, someone approached me." Manabu said, "They spent 10,000 points to buy 5 minutes of my time. In those 5 minutes, they asked only one question: if I was Suzune's brother. The person was quite aggressive."
I see.
Houtarou understood. Discovering his sister might be targeted, Manabu had preemptively moved to strengthen her.
"This is Suzune's greatest flaw." Manabu continued, "She's overly concerned about her own abilities and worries about holding me back. She's always been chasing my footsteps, moving toward me.
It's a thorny path. Not entirely suitable for her, but I can't deny that my timid sister, trying hard to keep up, is quite endearing."
His words felt like casual conversation.
He was simply explaining his understanding of his sister. This made Houtarou reflect on his relationship with his own sister.
"..." Houtarou listened, nodding in response.
But he didn't think Manabu fully understood his sister.
Because during the Island Exam, on the ship, Houtarou had asked Suzune about her future life goals.
Apart from chasing her brother to become excellent, she had no life goals of her own. When he suggested becoming a lawyer, she merely responded that it "might be good too".
This revealed that Suzune actually lacks self-identity. She simply believes that as the sister of an excellent brother, she too must become excellent.
This crucial point, Manabu hadn't grasped. He was only giving what he thought his sister needed.
The rumor incident was just his unilateral decision based on what he thought needed to be done. He mistakenly identified her greatest flaw and arranged in advance to address it.
"Horikita-san…" Houtarou said, "Do you truly understand your own sister?"
"What do you mean?" Manabu put his glasses back on.
"You think she's just chasing after you, but I disagree. I have an excellent sister at home, so I understand what it's like as a younger sibling. You admire them and want to follow their path.
But while she seems to be walking in your direction from your perspective, haven't you considered that this is merely your interpretation? She's being influenced by you.
I'm influencing her too. She has no life goal of her own, and when I suggested becoming a lawyer would be good, she simply echoed that becoming a lawyer might be good too.
So, Horikita-san, you don't truly understand your sister's greatest flaw."
Therefore, Suzune isn't being herself.
Manabu thought he had addressed his sister's greatest flaw, but that's not the case.
Because her true flaw is only known by Houtarou.
⍟⍟⍟
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)! You can have access to almost 15 books!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/827204