Classroom of the Elite, It's Not About Meritocracy, It's About Me Ruling the World! Chapter 37

"Because..."

Hearing this, Horikita Suzune felt a surge of emotion, as if she were about to pour out all her grievances:

"For a long time, Brother, you have been distancing yourself from me. I thought you must have come to hate me."

"Hmm?"

Horikita Manabu paused for a moment before explaining with a bitter smile:

"I never expected such a misunderstanding. That was never the case. It's just that from a young age, I saw a brilliance in you like an uncut gemstone. But later, I realized that by trying to emulate me, you had completely lost your luster. That was when I knew I couldn't continue like that, so I chose to distance myself, hoping you would eventually shine with a light that was truly your own."

"Is that so?"

A wave of joy washed over Horikita Suzune, but she was more concerned with something else, and she whispered with a hint of excitement:

"Does that mean I have finally earned your recognition, Brother, and that is why you came to see me?"

"..."

Horikita Manabu looked at the adoring gaze in Horikita Suzune's eyes, then at her waist-length hair, and sighed inwardly before saying in a low voice:

"No..."

"Hmm?"

Horikita Suzune was stunned, even more confused:

"Then why did you come to find me?"

"Because..."

Horikita Manabu said with a touch of bitterness:

"Yesterday, I met someone, also from your first-year grade—Kijima Tsukur!"

Chapter 34: The Naive Fool in Horikita Suzune's Eyes

"Kijima Tsukur?"

Horikita Suzune was momentarily stunned.

She never expected to hear that name from Horikita Manabu's lips!

"Yes..."

Every time he thought of Kijima Tsukur, Horikita Manabu felt a sense of bitterness:

"You might not know this yet, but in this school, only those who graduate from Class A have the freedom to choose their own career path."

"Originally, I didn't intend to see you. If I hadn't, you would likely have strived toward Class A to prove yourself, and by then, you would have been able to shine with your own light through your own strength."

"..."

Horikita Suzune bit her lip, unable to refute him.

Horikita Manabu was right; if he had continued to distance himself, she would indeed have been determined to reach Class A to prove her worth.

"But..."

However, Horikita Suzune was even more puzzled: "Then why did you suddenly change your mind, Brother?"

"Because he came to the Student Council yesterday."

Horikita Manabu took a sip of his coffee and looked at Horikita Suzune with a sense of helplessness:

"The moment I saw him, I understood that with him around, you would never be able to reach Class A. Continuing to distance myself would be meaningless, so I thought it better to mend our relationship as siblings before graduation."

"Hmm?"

Horikita Suzune looked stunned, finding it hard to believe.

Only from his words just now did she realize:

Horikita Manabu must have possessed some special talent since childhood, allowing him to roughly gauge a person's strength, which was how he had seen the brilliance of an uncut gemstone in her.

And now, Just by looking at Kijima Tsukur once!

Horikita Manabu had already judged that she would inevitably lose.

He hadn't even recognized everyone in the first year, yet Horikita Manabu had already arbitrarily concluded that none of them could win!

How could that be possible?

In Horikita Suzune's eyes, Her brother, Horikita Manabu, had been the most outstanding and strongest person she had ever known since she was a child.

Yet now, Horikita Manabu had made such an irrational judgment?

If they weren't siblings, Horikita Suzune would almost suspect that the brother in front of her had lost his mind.

"Actually, Brother."

Horikita Suzune said hesitantly: "That Kijima Tsukur you mentioned, he made quite a bit of information public to the entire first-year grade this afternoon..."

Very quickly.

Horikita Suzune recounted all of this information in its entirety.

Actually, Kiyotaka Ayanokoji had pulled her into the class group chat after school, and she had learned about this matter from Yosuke Hirata and the others.

If it weren't for the testimonies of Yosuke Hirata, Kikyo Kushida, and Kei Karuizawa, it would have been unlikely for her, or anyone else in the class, to believe these things.

After all...

This was simply too absurd...

Could this really be the existence that Manabu Horikita deemed impossible to oppose?

"Is that so?"

Manabu Horikita was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "It's just as I told him; it seems he has no intention of hiding anything at all."

"Hm? You were the one who told him this information, Brother?"

"Yes, most of it. The disciplinary review must have been something they deduced themselves in Class A."

Manabu Horikita nodded, also feeling a bit surprised.

It seemed Tsukur Kijima was truly striving toward an ALL-A goal.

Thinking of this, Manabu Horikita looked at his younger sister before him, let out a sigh of relief, and smiled:

"Congratulations, Suzune. If that's the case, you won't need to make an enemy of him to graduate from Class A."

That's right!

Manabu Horikita had never doubted the strength of Tsukur Kijima for a single moment.

Even though Tsukur Kijima had done something that seemed foolish, like making his information public, Manabu Horikita did not harbor the slightest doubt about his capabilities.

Upon hearing his words, Horikita Suzune was truly dumbfounded.

Had her brother been possessed? Just how much did he believe in the strength of that Tsukur Kijima?

In the eyes of Class A, Tsukur Kijima was an utterly infuriating existence.

In the eyes of Honami Ichinose, Tsukur Kijima was somewhat dangerous.

In the eyes of Manabu Horikita, Tsukur Kijima was a terrifying existence that was absolutely impossible to defeat.

But in the eyes of Horikita Suzune, He was someone who threw away a massive advantage, made his intelligence completely public, treated his predecessors and those around him like idiots, and naively wanted the entire grade to graduate in Class A.

This... was completely just a naive fool!

Of course.

Because they were in different classes, Horikita Suzune didn't dislike such a naive fool at all.

"Brother..."

Horikita Suzune hesitated, not quite daring to refute Manabu Horikita's words, but after thinking for a long time, she still asked:

"In your eyes, is that guy named Tsukur Kijima really that strong?"

"Hmm..."

Manabu Horikita's tone was filled with bitterness: "He is the strongest person I have ever met. In fact, I can almost assert that unless there is some special opportunity, I will certainly never see anyone that strong again."

"..."

Horikita Suzune could no longer believe it.

Just how high was the evaluation her excellent brother had for Tsukur Kijima? This had already exceeded the scope of rational thought, hadn't it?

"Could it be that he is even stronger than you, Brother?"

"Me?"

Manabu Horikita shook his head with a bitter smile:

"I don't even have the qualifications to be his opponent. If he were my opponent, I would choose to concede voluntarily."

"How is that possible..."

Horikita Suzune clearly didn't believe it: "Brother, you are being too modest. There is no need to use such self-deprecating language, is there?"

"..."

Manabu Horikita did not respond; he simply picked up his coffee and took a sip.

In his eyes, Kijima Tsukur was exactly that kind of existence.

Horikita Manabu had the courage to fight anyone, even if he knew he would lose, but when facing Kijima Tsukur, he lacked that courage entirely.

The gap was simply too vast; there was no need to even engage in a battle.

Seeing her brother so lacking in confidence, Horikita Suzune couldn't help but feel worried, while simultaneously feeling a bit angry. Kneeling on the floor, she said anxiously:

"Brother, what on earth happened over these past three years? How could you have such thoughts?"

"Hmm?"

Horikita Manabu was clearly taken aback.

Only then did he realize that Horikita Suzune likely thought he had suffered too many setbacks over the last three years, to the point where he had completely lost his self-confidence.

"No, it seems I've let you misunderstand."

Horikita Manabu shook his head, his smile once again filled with confidence.

"Although I encountered some trials over these three years, I have managed to keep winning until now. Compared to the past, I have grown significantly, and I am more confident than ever before—it is just that Kijima Tsukur is special."

"..."

Horikita Suzune observed Horikita Manabu's expression, Seeing that he was not lying at all, and that he truly thought this way...

In that instant, for some reason, Horikita Suzune felt a glimmer of joy at their reunion, yet also a slight sense of disappointment, followed by a touch of irritation.

In the end, her complex emotions only distilled into a single phrase:

"Is that so..."

"Yes."