"Big brother... you've gone too far!"
Faced with Horikita Suzune's accusation, Horikita Manabu pondered for a moment. His first thought was the same as Amane's.
Both felt that the previous act they'd put on had been exposed.
Anyway, it wasn't a big deal to him. So what if it was exposed?
Suzune shouldn't have any overly extreme thoughts about him because of it.
"You know about Miyako and me?" Just to prevent any missteps, Horikita Manabu deliberately brought it up to make sure they were on the same page.
Seeing her brother admit it so readily.
Suzune grew even angrier. "What? Afraid I'd find out? Afraid I'd learn about your little arrangement with Amane?"
Faced with Suzune's questioning, Manabu wasn't annoyed; instead, he smiled.
That little girl who used to follow him calling 'Onii-chan' had finally grown up. She was no longer the Suzune who dared not even raise her voice to him.
Manabu felt a surge of joy, wanting to laugh heartily.
But since they were still on the call.
He didn't want Suzune to notice his lapse.
"Why would I be afraid of you knowing? Suzune, your flaw is that you overestimate yourself. Even if you know now, what can you do? Haven't I done all this for your own good?"
His words made Suzune grit her teeth so hard they almost creaked.
For her own good?
Getting into a... sponsorship relationship with her roommate was for her own good?
Brother.
No.
Horikita Manabu, have you really no shame at all?
No good. She had to see him face to face.
She would confront this shameless man personally.
"Nine o'clock tonight. Behind the dormitory." Suzune hung up without another word.
"Huh? I barely got to say anything... though I guess it's fine not to, hehe." Amane, catching Horikita's glance, immediately stood obediently to the side.
"You'll stay quietly in the dorm later, understood?" Seeing Horikita's stern instruction, Amane nodded rapidly.
Satisfied, Horikita patted Amane's head.
She then walked to the kitchen.
She carefully looked over the knife rack.
In the end, she chose to give up.
After all, making her raise a blade against her own brother...was still a bit too difficult. But the action gave Amane quite a scare.
"Suzune, don't do anything rash! Maybe... maybe I should go with you?" Amane circled around Horikita, repeatedly pleading to be taken along.
Finally, driven to distraction by the noise, Horikita thought of a simple, effective method.
"How about we play a game?"
The moment she heard 'game,' Amane perked up.
"What game?"
"I'll tie you up in the room. If you can get free, I'll let you come with me to see my brother. If you can't, you wait here obediently for me to return. Understood?"
Amane thought for a moment, then finally nodded. After all, breaking free from ropes wasn't particularly difficult for her.
"Take your clothes off."
However, Horikita's first instruction immediately made Amane blush.
"Th-That's not really proper, is it?" Amane put on a bashful expression, but her clothes swished onto the bed in a flash.
Her skilled movements even made Horikita pause for a second.
Since when were Amane's movements so... practiced?
After completing the first step, Amane looked on expectantly, waiting for Suzune's next command.
"Lie down on the bed."
"Hehe."
Amane's laugh was somewhat suggestive.
This made Suzune's face flush slightly.
"And then?"
As soon as Amane finished speaking, Suzune produced two ropes from somewhere.
She tied Amane's hands and feet firmly.
Throughout the process, Amane was remarkably cooperative. This saved Horikita a lot of effort.
"Is that it? It feels pretty easy."
Horikita gave a speechless look at Amane, who was still rolling around on the bed.
Hands and feet tied tight, and she actually looked happy?
Could it be that Amane had... those kinds of preferences?
"One last step."
Horikita pulled out a newly purchased black... ahem. It was only because she couldn't find a proper black eye mask or anything similar.
The moment Amane saw what Horikita was holding.
She let out a teasing sound. "I never knew you were into such kinky play, Suzune."
"Shut up!"
Amane shrank back, scared by the murderous look in Horikita's eyes.
Blushing, Horikita blindfolded Amane. "Starting now, count down from one hundred to zero. Then you can start trying to break free."
Faced with this strange rule, Amane didn't overthink it.
She happily began the countdown.
It was fine at first.
Until she heard the sound of a door closing.
Oh no!!!
Has everyone started reading Sun Tzu now?!
Amane rolled off the bed onto the floor.
Then she hopped, bunny-style, towards the kitchen.
Fortunately, the room wasn't big.
Otherwise, just hopping would have taken forever.
Though blindfolded.
She knew the layout of the entire kitchen like the back of her hand.
Soon, she managed to grip a knife handle with her teeth.
Then, without the use of her sight, she sawed through the ropes on her hands.
She yanked off the blindfold—the black... ahem.
"Suzune, you're so mean! I hope President Horikita will be okay..."
After skillfully cutting the ropes on her feet, Amane found a place to stow away her... acquired trophy.
Then she secretly followed after Suzune. Horikita Suzune knew her little trick probably wouldn't hold Amane for long.
So she rushed frantically to the back of the dormitory.
Horikita Manabu was already there, waiting punctually as always.
His hands clasped behind his back.
A cold expression on his face as he watched Suzune run towards him.
"Three minutes late. Can't even keep to the time you set yourself? Don't always disappoint me, Suzune."
Slap.
The moment he finished speaking, Suzune's hand connected with his cheek.
Horikita Manabu froze.
This wasn't right. Since when did his little sister, who supposedly admired him, greet him with a slap?
Even if this brother had staged a performance with someone else to help her grow. It shouldn't have made Suzune this angry, should it?
Perhaps... this was just Suzune being shy? Maybe after the slap, she'd immediately throw herself into her brother's arms?
Unfortunately.
Horikita Manabu only saw Horikita Suzune looking at him as if he were something filthy.
"That slap was for Amane."
Suzune's opening statement threw Manabu into complete confusion. What in the world happened?
Why did Miyako Amane make Horikita Suzune slap him?
Before Manabu could process the situation.
Slap.
Another slap from Horikita Suzune landed on his other cheek.
"And that's for our parents. I'm utterly ashamed for them."
Hearing Suzune say this, even someone as obtuse as Manabu sensed something was seriously wrong. As Suzune raised her hand for a third strike, Manabu caught her wrist.
"What's gotten into you? What exactly is going on?"
Caught in his grip, Suzune didn't struggle. She just stared fixedly at Manabu, her eyes blazing with fury.
"Did you... do that with Amane?"
That? Did she mean the act they put on in front of her?
"Correct. We did what we did to facilitate your growth. You should understand my good intentions." Horikita Manabu snorted coldly.
"Good intentions? Growth? And how exactly do you plan to make me 'grow,' President Horikita?" Suzune looked at Manabu with open mockery.
Manabu's brow furrowed deeply.
He knew something was off, but he couldn't pinpoint what.
"Naturally, providing a direct, personal demonstration in front of you is more effective."
"??? Horikita Manabu, why don't you just go die!!!"
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T/N: man this misunderstanding is funny asf
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.