"Suzune, to think you'd follow me all the way here."
Late at night, in an alley beneath the dorms, Manabu Horikita stood in the shadows, his gaze fixed on Suzune Horikita, who was trying her best to appear calm. He delivered his opening line in a tranquil tone.
Suzune Horikita, his own sister, connected by blood.
As her older brother, no one was more concerned with Suzune Horikita's growth and well-being than Manabu Horikita.
Perhaps his own excellence had put too much pressure on his younger sister.
When he noticed that Suzune was constantly trying to get closer to him, imitating him to the point of neglecting her own personality, he accepted the invitation to the Advanced Nurturing High School. He hoped that the three years he was away would allow Suzune to find her true self.
He just hadn't expected that Suzune would follow in his footsteps to this very school. And no one knew whether he felt anticipation or worry when he saw her name on the enrollment list.
Anticipation that she might escape his shadow, and worry over whether she could survive in this school where merit is everything.
"Can you tell me what state of mind led you to ask for this meeting?" Pushing up his glasses, Manabu Horikita's words held a hint of expectation.
Suzune Horikita looked up to meet his gaze and said seriously, "I've come to understand the truth of this school, and I'll soon rise to Class A to prove to you..."
Smack!—A kabedon!
Hearing the word "prove," Manabu Horikita raised a hand and pinned Suzune Horikita against the wall. Leaning in to meet her eyes, he spoke coldly, "While this is somewhat unexpected, you, having shown no growth, are incapable of doing so."
Suzune Horikita stubbornly lifted her head. "I can!"
"In the first year, there's Class A's Arisu Sakayanagi and Kōhei Katsuragi, Class B's Honami Ichinose, and Class C's Hiyori Shiina and Kakeru Ryūen..."
"While you're still treading in my shadow, these individuals have already entered my line of sight on their own merit."
With those words, Manabu Horikita delivered his final, cold judgment: "Drop out. You lack the ability and the qualifications to climb the ranks in this school. If people find out that you, assigned to Class D, are my sister, I will be the one who is ultimately shamed."
Perhaps due to a lack of information, Suzune Horikita actually detected the worry in his words this time. In a soft, gentle voice, she said, "Are you saying these things because of the conflict in the student council? I'll protect myself, and I can also join the student council to help you."
"..."
Receiving such an unexpected reply, Manabu Horikita fell silent for a moment, his tone softening. "You still need to grow. Just tell me who told you this."
The conflict within the student council had never been brought out into the open. Aside from a single hint he had dropped at the club information session, even the upperclassmen were largely in the dark. Besides, it wasn't much of a conflict, merely dissatisfaction with the choice for the next president.
"I... I overheard it in the library." Seeing her brother treat her with such rare gentleness, a slight blush appeared on Suzune Horikita's pretty face.
"If it was in the library, it must have been Hiyori Shiina. I've looked into her."
Manabu Horikita instantly knew who it was. He said calmly, "The only first-year to miss the entrance ceremony, who had also understood the S-System before that... indeed, only someone like her could have naturally understood what I said at the information session."
"If you can get her to withdraw from her student club and submit an application to the student council with you, I will approve it."
"!!!"
Having made his demand, Manabu Horikita turned and left the alley. Whether or not Suzune could accomplish it was not his concern—the scene was remarkably similar to a client who only makes demands.
Rooted to the spot, Suzune Horikita was dumbstruck—should she call out to her brother now and tell him that she had actually just eavesdropped on Hiyori Shiina's conversation with someone else, and had even been scolded for it?
Meanwhile, by the vending machine outside the alley, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, hiding in a corner, watched the departing Manabu Horikita and came to a realization—the Horikitas... they really are brother and sister.
The next day—
After the morning homeroom, under the quiet gazes of her Class C classmates, Hiyori stood before Ryūen's desk and handed over the "gift" from Sakayanagi.
After opening and reading it, Ryūen let out a sneer. He thought for a moment before speaking, "Is this a threat from that shorty?"
Some of the girls from Class C had been keeping an eye on the library. He knew exactly who in the school had been in contact with Hiyori Shiina, so Arisu Sakayanagi's deliberate approach naturally didn't escape his notice.
Hiyori thought back for a moment and said in a gentle voice, "It's not really a threat. Sakayanagi-san wasn't wrong. This kind of behavior is too brazen and won't stand up to scrutiny. It would be best if you didn't continue, Ryūen-kun."
"No, I have other ideas."
Ryūen put the envelope away, unconvinced.
He had been picking fights all over during the weekend, mainly to gather intelligence. Now that Class A and Class B were playing ostrich, wasn't there still Class D?
He recalled the student council president's sister in Class D, then glanced at the unbelievably gentle Hiyori Shiina before him. Ryūen's eyes swept towards the front of the classroom.
There, a blue-haired girl was staring at him, ready to charge at any moment. Ryūen remembered her well:
Mio Ibuki. Skilled in martial arts, impulsive and quick-tempered, a loner, but she'd been fiercely protective of Hiyori Shiina from the very beginning.
He guessed it was precisely because she lacked those qualities herself that she admired Shiina's gentle and intelligent nature so much.
With her prickly way of speaking, what would happen if she encountered that thorny woman, Suzune Horikita, and the rest of that Class D bunch?
Time moved to noon. Ryūen, who already had a plan, got up, took Ishizaki and Albert with him, and called Mio Ibuki over, leading her to a deserted alley.
"You can talk now," Mio Ibuki said, seemingly oblivious to her gender. "What did you call me to a place like this for?"
Ryūen leaned against the wall, hands in his pockets, and spoke calmly, "I have a job for you. After the first period this afternoon, go to Class D and find a woman named Suzune Horikita. Remember, don't be the first one to make a move."
"And the reason?" Ibuki crossed her arms, frowning. "And why should I listen to you?"
Ryūen sneered. "Just think of it as standing up for that woman, Shiina."
Ibuki scoffed on the spot. "Hah! You'd better explain yourself!"
Ishizaki was also confused. "Ryūen, what's going on?"
...
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