Chapter 145: The Two Tsunderes of the Horikita Family!
Suzune watched Yuto end the call and immediately asked, "Shimizu, what does my brother want to discuss with you?"
"He wants to ask why his little sister still hasn't gathered five million points for him," Yuto replied with a smile.
Suzune immediately glared at him in annoyance, but then deflated like a punctured balloon.
"I'm not like you, Shimizu. I can't win points from other students. My only source of personal points is our class points..."
"But our class currently has zero."
That meant Suzune had not received a single personal point this month!
She increasingly felt that the version of herself from a month ago had been ignorant and arrogant.
She had actually believed she could earn five million points before Manabu graduated.
"Don't be discouraged. That doesn't suit you, Horikita," Yuto said with a smile.
"Hmph. You say that as though you understand me so well."
Suzune gave him a tsundere snort before quickly pulling herself together.
That was right.
She could not become discouraged.
There would surely be opportunities to earn points in the future.
"So, Shimizu, what does my brother actually want to discuss?"
"Probably joining the student council. I can't think of any other reason why your brother would insist on speaking with me face-to-face," Yuto answered helplessly.
Seeing his expression, Suzune became slightly gloomy again.
She wanted her brother to personally invite her into the student council too...
Although Suzune envied Yuto for receiving a personal invitation from Manabu, she did not believe it was undeserved.
Yuto had every qualification to receive one.
His abilities were not merely well-rounded—they were absurdly outstanding in almost every area.
The Class D students trusted him, and he naturally possessed the presence of a leader.
The more Suzune thought about it, the more she felt that the boy beside her was hardly human.
Did someone this perfect really exist in the world?
...
The three entered the quiet library and sat in their usual corner.
Not long afterward, Manabu appeared within their sight.
Suzune immediately went to greet him, while Yuto and Kei remained seated.
Kei glanced at Manabu as he approached, then leaned close to Yuto's ear and whispered.
"Yuto, so that's Horikita-san's brother? He looks just like her. They both seem so cold."
Kei's sweet breath brushed the fine hairs beside Yuto's ear, creating a faintly ticklish sensation.
Yuto turned toward the girl leaning close to him and boldly gave her glossy lips a quick kiss.
Kei's cheeks instantly flushed bright red.
Her lively eyes looked shyly at the smiling Yuto.
"This is the library... What if someone sees us?" she whispered bashfully.
She certainly did not dislike Yuto kissing her. If anything, she was delighted.
But there were too many people here, and the lighting was bright. This was nothing like a dark movie theater.
"I was worried someone might notice, so I only kissed you once. We should be fine," Yuto replied with a smile.
Kei glanced at the approaching Horikita siblings and touched her burning cheek.
"Yuto, I'm going to the restroom."
"Go ahead."
"Mm."
Still blushing, Kei left Yuto's side and headed toward the women's restroom.
Manabu and Suzune then sat across from Yuto.
Perhaps because of his personality—or simply because he disliked wasting time—Manabu immediately went straight to the point.
"Shimizu, Nagumo and Tonokawa have both left the student council, so we're short-handed. Join the student council ahead of schedule."
A month had already passed, meaning first-year students were now eligible to join.
Previously, Manabu planned to have Yuto join after the midterm because Nagumo was still part of the council.
He worried Nagumo would target Yuto and interfere with his preparation for the examination.
Now Nagumo was gone, so that concern no longer existed.
"Senpai, I already kicked Nagumo out of the student council. Doesn't that mean I no longer need to join?" Yuto asked.
Manabu adjusted his glasses.
He had expected Yuto, who had little interest in joining, to refuse. Therefore, he had already prepared an argument.
"Shimizu, you originally intended to join because you feared Nagumo becoming student council president and using that position against you. Correct?"
"Yeah." Yuto nodded.
"Then you have even more reason to join."
"You've seen the student council roster. Nagumo still has people inside."
"If I step down, Nagumo could use those people to enter the student council again."
"But if you join, there would be almost no possibility of Nagumo returning."
Manabu was correct.
Although Nagumo himself had left, one of his followers, Mizowaki, still served as a secretary.
Once Manabu retired, Nagumo might return regardless of who became the next student council president.
Unless the next president happened to be Yuto.
"Tch. My greatest regret is not managing to get Nagumo expelled entirely," Yuto clicked his tongue.
"Joining the student council has advantages. You'll possess considerable authority and be able to manage other students."
"Shimizu, between controlling others and being controlled yourself, do you prefer the latter?"
"Of course not."
Yuto rolled his eyes.
"I don't want others controlling me, but I don't particularly want to control them either."
"I hate the first, and the second sounds troublesome!"
"Then decide for yourself whether to join."
"I won't force you. You've already helped me more than enough," Manabu said slowly.
Yuto had eliminated Nagumo, the student council's greatest problem.
Manabu was genuinely grateful.
If Yuto truly refused to join, he would not force him.
He would merely consider it unfortunate, because Manabu believed that with proper experience in the student council, someone like Yuto could become the finest student council president imaginable.
Without exception.
"I'll join," Yuto answered casually.
Manabu smiled faintly.
Suzune, who had been quietly watching them, widened her foxlike eyes.
Her brother had smiled?!
Unbelievable!
Suzune could count on one hand the number of times she had seen Manabu smile.
Still smiling, Manabu extended his hand toward Yuto.
"Then welcome to the student council, Shimizu."
"Yeah. I'll be in your care, senpai."
Yuto shook his hand.
"Since the midterm is approaching, I'll wait until after the exam before officially starting work."
"Fine." Manabu nodded.
After releasing his hand, Yuto turned toward Suzune.
"Horikita, you should prepare to join the student council too."
"Huh? M-Me too?" Suzune looked at him hesitantly.
"Of course!"
"Didn't we already agree a month ago that you'd join with me? Don't tell me you're going back on your word."
'If your brother is dragging me into the student council to work, then I'm absolutely dragging his sister in with me!'
Aside from her terrible personality, Suzune possessed excellent grades and strong abilities.
She would make an extremely useful worker.
There was no chance Yuto would let her escape.
The hesitant Suzune looked toward Manabu.
"Nii-san, what do you think?"
"You're old enough to make your own decisions, Suzune."
"Stop asking for my opinion on everything," Manabu answered.
Suzune immediately shrank slightly.
Yuto rolled his eyes at him.
'Don't scare away my useful worker!'
"Horikita, ignore your brother."
"He intends to make me vice president, and the vice president has the authority to recruit people."
"So regardless of what he thinks, you're joining."
"Mm..."
Suzune weakly nodded.
A trace of disappointment flashed through Manabu's eyes at her reaction.
"Suzune, leave us for a moment. I still have something private to discuss with Shimizu."
"Okay."
Suzune hurriedly left.
Yuto looked curiously at Manabu, whose expression had become more serious.
"What private matter do you want to discuss, senpai? Something even your sister can't hear?"
"Because what I intend to discuss concerns Suzune. That's precisely why she can't hear it."
"I see."
Under the table, Yuto tapped his phone while keeping it outside Manabu's sight and quietly activated the recording function.
He had a feeling Manabu was about to say something interesting.
Naturally, Yuto intended to record it and later let Suzune hear it.
"Shimizu, in your eyes, am I an incompetent older brother?"
"Someone who treats his younger sister with such coldness?" Manabu asked slowly.
"I've never thought that."
"I actually think you've always cared quite a lot about Horikita," Yuto answered.
Yuto genuinely believed that.
Back when the Horikita siblings had confronted him near the dormitory, Manabu had been facing the threat of expulsion from Yuto.
Yet even then, he still used the situation to teach Suzune how she should respond when trapped in a crisis.
Yuto did not know whether Manabu was a competent brother.
But he knew Manabu cared deeply about Suzune.
"When Suzune was young, I sensed tremendous potential within her, like an unpolished gemstone."
"With only a little refinement, she could shine brilliantly and eventually develop abilities surpassing my own."
"I've always believed that."
"I agree." Yuto nodded approvingly.
If Suzune were not genuinely talented, he would never have dragged her into the student council to help him work.
Manabu glanced toward Suzune, who was secretly watching them from some distance away.
His voice carried a trace of regret.
"Unfortunately, the younger sister I saw as an unpolished gemstone became overly influenced by my existence."
"At some point, Suzune began believing she could never equal or surpass me."
"She stopped trying to walk her own path and merely followed behind me, hiding inside my shadow."
"That's why I left her and enrolled at this completely isolated school."
"I thought that once I was gone, Suzune would finally have the opportunity to grow independently and escape my influence."
"I never expected her to follow me here."
A faint, bitter smile appeared on Manabu's face.
"And Suzune hasn't changed at all."
"Even after the two years I spent away from her, she remained exactly the same."
"How did you determine that?" Yuto asked.
"It was simple."
Manabu adjusted his glasses.
"Suzune used to prefer short hair."
"But because I once casually said, 'Your brother prefers long hair,' she began growing it out."
"When I saw Suzune at the entrance ceremony, she still had long hair."
"That alone told me she hadn't changed and remained deeply influenced by me."
Yuto could not help laughing helplessly.
"Senpai, isn't judging whether your sister has changed entirely from her hairstyle a little too simplistic?"
"I admit that judgment was somewhat narrow."
"However, Suzune still possesses the same personality that rejects interaction with others. That further confirmed she hadn't changed."
Manabu stared directly at Yuto.
"Shimizu, you have a good relationship with Suzune, and your abilities are exceptional."
"I hope that under your influence, Suzune can finally grow."
"So, Shimizu... I'm entrusting my little sister to you."
Yuto's expression became peculiar.
The way Manabu said that almost sounded as though he were handing his younger sister over in marriage.
"I'll do my best, senpai."
Manabu nodded.
"Mm. Shimizu, that concludes everything I wanted to discuss. I'll take my leave."
"Take care, senpai."
"One more thing."
Manabu handed Yuto the document envelope he had brought.
"These are the first-year midterm papers you wanted."
"I'm not the one who wanted them, so I'm not accepting them."
"Give them to whoever asked you for them," Yuto said, waving his hand.
"..."
Manabu said nothing.
Still holding the envelope, he walked away from Yuto and approached Suzune, who had been secretly watching them.
He handed the envelope directly to her.
Manabu apparently did not say much else before simply leaving.
A smile appeared on Yuto's handsome face as he tapped his phone and saved the recording of their conversation.
"I wonder what kind of expression Horikita will make after hearing her brother's true feelings."
"I'm looking forward to it."
…
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