Horikita Suzune: Why Do You Want to Get Along with My Brother?

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the situation in the dormitory, then lowered her voice and gave Kanzaki Ryuji a very important task. As for why she arranged it in advance, it was because he might be very busy tomorrow and the day after.

After all, this day and a half of rest was very important. Apart from the girls he had entanglements with, Hashiba Hikaru also needed to discuss some more important matters with Horikita Manabu.

"Okay, I understand. I'll do as you say tomorrow."

After listening to Hashiba Hikaru's instructions, Kanzaki Ryuji nodded seriously, his expression solemn. "Please rest assured Classmate Hashiba."

"I believe in Kanzaki's abilities, but please keep this a secret from everyone else. I don't want anyone else to know until the final results are in, not even our own classmates."

"I see."

Kanzaki Ryuji suddenly smiled, his tone relaxed. "It's really exciting to be able to participate in Classmate Hashiba's plan."

"Everything I've done is for our class to achieve final victory, please remember that."

"Um."

After giving the instructions, Hashiba Hikaru stretched and slowly walked into the dormitory.

The third day at the Forest School, Saturday morning.

Having already experienced the "wake-up" effect of the indoor alarm clock yesterday, everyone's reaction was relatively calm when the cheerful music played again today. They just mumbled a few words and then got up.

Once everyone had tidied themselves up, Hashiba Hikaru led them to their first stop of the morning: the meditation room.

This is a regular course outside of rest days, and everyone must attend on time.

"Time for meditation again. Today I'm going to learn Classmate Hashiba's movements."

"Let's give it a try, hopefully it will make you feel better."

"Hehe, everyone needs to work hard!"

Upon arriving at a somewhat familiar Matoba, the group members entered a meditative state. This time, everyone's feelings were much milder than on the first day; after all, practice makes perfect.

After the meditation, it was time for breakfast. The teachers had already explained yesterday that today's breakfast would be prepared by the third-grade members of the large group. When we arrived at the dining area, Horikita Manabu and his third-grade students had already laid out a table full of food.

"It smells so good, is this the breakfast prepared by our seniors?"

"That sounds amazing! Won't we be under a lot of pressure when it's our turn?"

"Relax, I can still cook."

The other members of the group were in good spirits. Hashiba Hikaru glanced at the table and then walked over to Horikita Manabu.

"Thank you for your hard work, Horikita-senpai."

"Cooking isn't a difficult thing,"

Horikita Manabu turned on the tap to wash his hands. "Hashiba- kun didn't just call me out for small talk, did he?"

"Of course not, this afternoon and tomorrow are my days off. Are you free, Horikita-senpai?"

What are you planning to do?

Horikita Manabu dried his hands with a towel, pushed up his glasses, and asked the boy about his true purpose.

"We should continue with yesterday's arrangements. If it comes to a critical moment, I hope that Horikita-senpai will step in to make our actions more convincing."

Hashiba Hikaru spoke frankly, without hiding anything from the person in front of her.

"Is Hashiba- kun not confident he can handle this?"

"Hehe, of course not."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled and shook her head. "It's just a smokescreen, because I have a backup plan."

"Oh, I understand."

The quick-witted Horikita Manabu immediately understood Hashiba Hikaru's meaning: he was summoned not to actually do anything, but to lull Miyabi Nagumo into a false sense of security.

After all, when Horikita Manabu and the boy appear in the same place, they will definitely be more conspicuous than imagined.

"It seems that Hashiba- kun has devised many plans. Is this related to the outcome of the competition?"

"Certainly."

Hashiba Hikaru nodded. "And Horikita-senpai's answer?"

"Just come find me when you need to do something; I'll be in my dorm."

"Yes, I understand."

After having breakfast, Hashiba Hikaru and his group members headed to the classroom. As they arrived at the school building, he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye. The person was standing by the roadside, seemingly having arrived quite some time ago.

After making eye contact, the girl quickly turned around and disappeared beside the road.

"Horikita?"

Shibata, with his sharp eyes, immediately recognized who had been standing over there. "The girls' classroom isn't this way, what's she doing?"

Who knows?

Hashiba Hikaru smiled slightly.

"They're probably lost."

494

Chapter 494 Horikita Suzune: Why Should I Try to Get Along with My Brother?

Saturday morning's class was different from yesterday's. After Hashiba Hikaru sat in the same seats as yesterday with Horikita Manabu and Kiriyama Ikuto, the teacher explained the new content to everyone.

"Today I'd like you to introduce yourselves in this way, but I hope you remember that this isn't just a simple matter of stating your names; it's part of the course."

"Every day from now on, I will have you give a speech. The topics and details for each grade will be different, but the criteria for judgment will be the same."

The teacher's gaze swept across the students in the classroom, emphasizing four different words.

"These are [volume], [demeanor], [content], and [style of expression]."

The course content regarding public speaking was written in the handbook, Hashiba Hikaru naturally remembered. Moreover, after the teacher stated the requirements, everyone immediately realized that this was very likely to be the exam item on the last day.

Furthermore, given the arrangement of mixing the three grades together, it seems that everyone in the large group will have to publicly share their proposed speech content. While this may not be a complicated matter for Hashiba Hikaru, it would be an absolutely harsh challenge for those who are not good at communication, or those who are timid or even a bit stage-frightened.

The boy suddenly thought of Sakura Airi, and a sense of worry crept into his heart.

On the platform, the teacher continued to explain the rules of this project.

The speech topics for the three grades are different. First graders have to give speeches about what they have learned at school and what they want to learn in the future. Second Year and third graders have similar topics, such as what they want to do in the future or employment, since third graders will be leaving school this March.

"Isn't this kind of project a bit too outrageous? Does everyone have to give a speech?"

"This part is the real Trial, isn't it? I've never given a speech in front of an audience before."

"What a hassle!"

Although everyone in Class A of the First Year is a good student, giving a speech is something that not everyone will experience during their school years.

Apart from Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami, who often host class meetings, other students basically have no opportunity to do this.

"But public speaking is something that can be mastered with practice, right?"

Hashiba Hikaru glanced at his group members behind him and shared his thoughts, "Everyone can write their scripts first, and then practice in their dorms or in a clearing in the forest. The others can act as listeners and offer feedback. As long as you practice enough, you'll definitely see results."

"Good idea."

"Let's do it this way. I'll ask for your guidance later, Classmate Hashiba."

"Yes, Classmate Hashiba is definitely handling this project with ease, considering she was standing on the podium and making plans on the very first day of school."

"Really."

"Yes, you're all welcome to ask me questions."

This morning, apart from announcing the lecture schedule, the other courses were still plentiful, and everyone in the group took them seriously.

"That concludes today's lesson. get out of class dismissed!"

After the alarm rang, the teacher in charge closed the book and began arranging the follow-up matters.

"Today is Saturday, so this afternoon is your rest time. Tomorrow is Sunday, so you can relax a bit. Of course, you're allowed to practice if you want."

"The other rules are the same as those explained on the first day. Although it's a rest day, the person in charge of making breakfast in the group still needs to work. This is the rule, so please take note."

"Alright, students, please disperse now."

After briefly explaining these arrangements, the teacher turned and left.

The students, hearing that they were on holiday, were naturally all smiles. Hashiba Hikaru glanced at Horikita Manabu, then said a few words to the students in her group before leaving alone. After all, she had just seen Horikita Suzune, and the other party's intentions were quite clear.

After entering the forest, Hashiba Hikaru quickened her pace and headed towards the place where she had met Horikita Suzune that day. This was one of the benefits of meeting on the first day; as long as she knew the location in advance, she could arrange a meeting after just a brief encounter.

Upon arriving at the designated spot, the boy saw a black-haired girl in sportswear under the tree.

"Horikita, I'm here."

Hashiba Hikaru leaned closer with a gentle expression, while Horikita Suzune trembled and slowly turned her head to look at his face.

"Yes, Classmate Hashiba."

Although they had already embraced intimately before, Horikita Suzune still felt a little shy this time. After boldly expressing her feelings of love, the girl was now in a sweet state of mind, feeling both hopeful and uncertain.

"Why does Horikita seem a little shy? Honestly."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled gently, having probably sensed the girl's emotions. He then stepped forward and gently embraced her delicate body. "It seems a bit chilly today. It feels so warm to be holding you like this and talking."

"Hmm... you can decide."

After being embraced by the boy, a blush rose on the black-haired girl's cheeks. She subconsciously reached out and tightened her arms around his waist, something Horikita Suzune had longed for.

"How did you feel after all the classes were over yesterday, Horikita? Are you confident about the exam?"

The two embraced under the tree and chatted leisurely.

"Hmm, I feel okay. The intensity of the exercise isn't too high, so I can handle it. As for the academic classes and meditation, once I get used to them, there won't be any problems."

The black-haired girl rested her head against Hashiba Hikaru's chest, listening to her strong, powerful heartbeat, a feeling that she found strange and wonderful.

"That's good. So, where are your group members?"

Hashiba Hikaru smiled gently, "Who is your [person in charge]?"

"The person in charge is Karuizawa, and everyone is working really hard because they all want to win the prize."

"Is that so?"

Hashiba Hikaru thought for a moment and realized that Karuizawa must be referring to Karuizawa Kei. The boy had even established a cooperative relationship with her on the Cruise Ship because she agreed to help him after he resolved the threat from Ryuen.

"What's wrong, Classmate Hashiba? Is there a question?"

Lifting her head from Hashiba Hikaru's embrace, Horikita Suzune studied her thoughtful face, a sense of curiosity stirring within her.

"No, I was just thinking about something else very important."

He grinned, his smile carrying a deeper meaning. "I have some things to do later; I'll be going with Horikita's older brother."

"Is that so?"

The girl wasn't surprised. She already knew that her brother and Hashiba Hikaru were close, and now that they were in the same group, it wasn't unexpected that they would act together.

"Yes, after all, I want to get along well with Horikita-senpai, so I still need to keep working on it."

"Huh? Why do you want to get along with your brother?"

Horikita Suzune was slightly taken aback and didn't react for a moment.

"Because he's also my older brother~"

Hashiba Hikaru suddenly tightened her grip, pulling the girl in her arms even closer to her.

"Hmm!"

Upon hearing this, Horikita Suzune's face flushed even more. Feeling the boy's warm breath so close to her, she immediately understood.

After all, they already had this kind of relationship, so the implication of him calling him "brother" was quite obvious.

Am I wrong?

Hashiba Hikaru, inhaling the girl's delicate fragrance, teased her softly.

"... right."