The afternoon sun slanted into the empty classroom. Horikita Suzune sat alone by the window, several reference books spread out in front of her. She sat ramrod straight, her expression focused, as if nothing outside the classroom had anything to do with her.
Fūki Ran stood in the hallway, quietly watching her through the window. This was already the third time he had seen Horikita studying alone at this hour. Unlike the other students, who preferred the Library or group study rooms, Horikita always chose a quiet corner like this.
Inside the classroom, Horikita seemed to have run into a difficult question. She stared at a problem in her textbook, her brows drawing tighter and tighter as her fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk. Fūki noticed that it was a philosophical question requiring thought from multiple angles; textbook knowledge alone would hardly be enough to find a perfect answer.
"Need any help?"
Fūki pushed open the classroom door, his voice calm.
Horikita jerked her head up, surprise flashing in her eyes before her usual cool expression returned. "No need. I can handle it myself."
"Stubbornness won't make you more efficient." Fūki walked over to her, his gaze settling on the difficult question. "The key is understanding the implicit premise in the question."
Horikita's fingers paused slightly, but she still didn't look up. "I said I don't need help."
Fūki didn't leave. Instead, he pulled over a nearby chair and sat down. "You know, at this school, looking after yourself alone is the most dangerous Way of Survival."
That finally made Horikita look up. Her gaze was sharp, and she was clearly displeased. "Are you lecturing me?"
"I'm just stating a fact." Fūki's tone remained calm. "The Special System at Kōtō Ikusei High School means that no one can keep going alone forever. Even the best students need support from others."
Horikita gave a cold laugh. "Depending on others will only become a weakness. My brother said..."
"Your brother is the Student Council President," Fūki interrupted, "but he doesn't manage the entire Student Council by himself, either."
Horikita's expression wavered. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but in the end, she said nothing.
Fūki pressed on. "True strength isn't refusing all help. It's knowing when to draw on other people's strength."
The classroom fell silent for a moment. Horikita lowered her gaze to the exercises on the desk, her fingers curling unconsciously.
"This question..." she finally said, her voice very soft. "I really have no idea."
It was the first time she had shown weakness in front of Fūki. He didn't let the opening pass. Picking up a pen, he began drawing a diagram on the Draft Paper.
"Look, this problem is really about the relationship between Free Will and determinism. The question contains an implicit premise..."
Fūki explained everything clearly and thoroughly. At first, Horikita kept her distance, but soon she was drawn in by his analysis and leaned closer without realizing it.
"I see..." she murmured. "I was too fixated on the surface wording."
"Often, the answer isn't in a book, but in conversations with other people." Fūki set down his pen. "Thinking on your own is important, of course, but the right conversation can offer a new perspective."
Horikita fell silent for a moment, then gently closed her reference book. "Thank you. But..."
"But you still think it's better to be alone?" Fūki finished for her.
Horikita didn't deny it. She simply turned her gaze toward the window. The sunlight cast a faint shadow over her delicate profile.
"My brother once said that relying on others meant exposing your weaknesses."
"But you've seen for yourself," Fūki said softly. "Even your brother needs the other members of the Student Council."
Those words seemed to strike a chord with Horikita. Her fingers tightened slightly, and a complicated look flashed across her eyes.
Just then, the classroom door opened, and several students from Class D walked in, chatting and laughing. When they saw Horikita with Fūki, surprise showed on all their faces.
Horikita immediately put on her usual cool expression and quickly gathered her books. "I'm leaving."
Fūki didn't stop her as she hurried away. He knew change took time. Their conversation today had planted a seed in Horikita's heart, and that was enough.
In the hallway, Fūki noticed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka approaching from the other end. Their eyes met briefly. Ayanokoji remained expressionless, and they soon passed each other.
Fūki understood that everyone at this unusual school had their own way of surviving. Horikita built a wall with her aloofness. Ayanokoji hid his abilities behind a veneer of mediocrity. And he had chosen to seek a breakthrough through observation and understanding.
Today marked an important first step toward changing Horikita Suzune. But Fūki knew it was only the beginning. It would take more opportunities to make her truly understand the value of cooperation.
Outside the window, the sun was setting. Fūki watched Horikita's retreating figure, already planning his next move. In this competitive, calculating school, perhaps he could help this proud, solitary girl find a path of her own—a path where she neither depended on others nor shut herself away completely.
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