Each One's Resolve (Continued)

But in this short semester, Horikita Suzune has already tasted enough fresh failures, big and small.

Horikita Suzune only admits that she is not as good as Horikita Manabu, has suffered countless defeats against others. This makes the girl feel confused, but also curious.

"I don't know how this Sports Festival will ultimately be conducted, but I hope my brother can watch over me."

"I will face this Sports Festival."

She no longer uses the terms "win" or "victory" from the past.

Horikita Suzune's will could be transmitted to Horikita Manabu's heart even through the telephone, and Kitagawa Ryo was right in front of him, nodded secretly.

"Does Suzune like this school?"

Faced with Horikita Manabu's sudden question, Horikita Suzune was also somewhat surprised, but she quickly composed herself and replied:

"I don't know if I like it or not, but I don't feel bored here."

"Okay. Have you made one or two friends you can talk to?"

Horikita Suzune's gaze shifted immediately, and she, who had been speaking fluently just moments before, suddenly began to stammer:

"Perhaps, maybe."

"What I can tell you is that there will definitely be team events in this Sports Festival."

"... Yeah?"

Horikita Suzune fell silent. Just moments ago, she had begged her brother to watch her at the Sports Festival, but in reality, she wasn't even qualified to participate in team events. Apart from the nice guy Hirata Yosuke, no one in Class D would want to team up with her.

"To ask another question, what is your opinion of Kitagawa Ryo?"

Upon hearing their names, both Kitagawa Ryo and Horikita Suzune were taken aback. Perhaps out of consideration for Kitagawa Ryo sitting opposite them, Horikita Suzune found it difficult to speak.

"Just say what you're thinking."

Horikita Manabu noticed his sister's silence and spoke up to encourage her.

I want to get closer to him.

As soon as she opened her mouth, Horikita Suzune realized the narrowness of her statement and quickly explained:

"It means the same thing as with my older brother. Although he's ahead of me now, I will surpass him one day."

"I see."

Horikita Manabu showed neither obvious disappointment nor particular joy in response to Horikita Suzune's answer, making it impossible to tell that this was a conversation that had lasted for more than three years.

"I'll be watching you at this Sports Festival."

At the end of the phone call, Horikita Manabu began by saying this.

He seemed to have something urgent to deal with, and the call ended there.

"Congratulations! Congratulations!"

Kitagawa Ryo quickly tried to take this opportunity to slip away, and Horikita Suzune did not try to stop him.

She just stared blankly at her reflection on the smooth tabletop.

At least the first step has been taken, even if it's just a tiny bit of progress.

Like eleven goldfish swimming in a fish tank in your own room.

Apart from the ten that Kitagawa Ryo gave her, she finally caught one that belonged to her.

"I never imagined that Horikita Suzune from Class D is actually the younger sister of Horikita Manabu council president."

Ryuen Sho, sitting arrogantly on the sofa in the Student Council lounge, glancing at Ryuen Kakeru Horikita Manabu as he walked back in after closing the door behind him.

You were eavesdropping on me?

Horikita Manabu's gaze sharpened.

"It was information I already knew; provided by Kitagawa as a favor."

Ryuen Kakeru casually wiped the juice stains off his pants.

"I'm very curious about your actions in preventing me from contacting Kitagawa."

"The upcoming Sports Festival -related meeting will be extremely disadvantageous to him."

Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses. He didn't look down on Ryuen Sho because of the other's thuggish behavior. In fact, although Ryuen Kakeru Kitagawa Ryo from Class B was the most popular student in the entire grade, the man in front of him also played a very important role in many of the plans.

From this perspective, he also qualifies to join the Student Council.

However, his style was completely at odds with Horikita Manabu's philosophy.

"Yes. You mean the vice Student Council, Miyabi Nagumo, right?"

Ryuen Kakeru smiled knowingly.

"I see. So you were planning to use Kitagawa to stop Nagumo. It's quite famous how the second-year students are dominated by that guy. The only way to deal with him is to use the First Year. Tell me something, Horikita. When did you start keeping an eye on Kitagawa?"

Ryuen Kakeru did not use honorifics when addressing Horikita Manabu, and even his attitude was somewhat condescending.

I fell for him immediately after enrolling.

Horikita Manabu responded calmly to Ryuen's aggressive tactics.

"But it seems he doesn't fancy you, or rather, he's not interested in the Student Council."

"That's him, not you, Ryuen."

Facing the arrogant Ryuen, Horikita Manabu spoke to him as if lecturing him.

Ryuen Kakeru seemed to sense this as well, and his gaze sharpened even further:

"If you think my skills aren't anything special, how about giving them a try here?"

He issued a blatant provocation.

"No need, I'm not interested in that kind of thing."

Horikita Manabu responded calmly.

"I knew it."

Ryuen scoffed lightly and put his raised foot back on the ground.

"But I still really hate your exploitative behavior."

He stood up and punched Horikita Manabu without hesitation.

"It's just a matter of each party getting what they need."

Horikita Manabu took a step back, easily catching the sneak attack. He frowned and looked at the upper right corner of the wall. The surface of the monitor, which should have been working normally, seemed to have been splashed with something, probably ink from the break room.

"Oh, sorry, sorry, I accidentally spilled it there, but I'll still pay the 8,000 points cleaning fee as usual."

Ryuen Kakeru grinned, seemingly aware of the difference in their physical abilities, and promptly plopped back down on the sofa.

"It seems Kitagawa has truly made a remarkable friend."

Horikita Manabu sat down opposite Ryuen Kakeru.

"What a coincidence, that's what I was thinking too."

Ryuen Kakeru's attitude of relentlessly pursuing his opponent, regardless of who they are, remains unchanged.

Moreover, Horikita Manabu keenly sensed that when the topic turned to Kitagawa Ryo, this man would bite even harder than usual, like a hungry wolf.

"Fine. Just knowing you're a capable man is enough for me to give you some praise."

"After all, we still need to cooperate this time, right, Horikita-senpai?"

Although it still sounded sarcastic and mocking, at least Ryuen Kakeru honestly added a respectful address.

"I think so too. Although you're not suitable for the Student Council, I still think I have a certain positive opinion of you."

"I never expected to be praised by the Student Council. I really want to tell Kitagawa when I get back."

Ryuen Kakeru didn't really accept it; he just raised his hand and answered casually.

After their conversation, Horikita Manabu got down to business:

"If you decide to take Kitagawa Ryo's place on the mission, remember everything I'm about to say."

"What I want Kitagawa to do is to uphold and maintain order in this school, by any means necessary. Make the incoming Student Council Miyabi Nagumo, step down, or restrain himself from making any indiscretions, or even stop him altogether. Choose the method that is easiest to implement. Starting in October, Nagumo will take over as my Student Council, and his real power will increase accordingly. This Sports Festival is his way of building momentum before taking office."

"What exactly is he planning to do at this Sports Festival? Does the Student Council have that kind of authority?"

Ryuen Kakeru, who was not a member of the Student Council, raised a question.

"The Student Council is certainly not omnipotent. However, unlike the decorative Student Council in other schools, it is true that it is granted certain powers. In fact, when problems arise at the school, the Student Council is the central figure in resolving them. In fact, you, Ryuen, should know this even better."

After all, in the past semester, Ryuen Kakeru had been recklessly testing the school's rules, and had dealt with the Student Council countless times just because of incidents related to surveillance cameras.

"The Student Council has also been given the right to think about and decide on some Special Exam. This year, the First Year held a wilderness survival exam on Uninhabited Island, which was based on a plan that the Student Council had come up with in the past."

These words made Ryuen Kakeru take a more serious look. If they possessed this power, then the Student Council was indeed more dangerous than he had imagined.

"You mean, Nagumo might create something completely different from what we've done so far at this Sports Festival?"

"Um."

Horikita Manabu handed over a document and explained:

"In fact, as of today, eleven second-year students have dropped out. According to the interviews conducted before their withdrawal, as far as we know, Nagumo was involved in seven of these incidents."

"That's just his style; dropping out of school is like the most ordinary punishment to him."

"In that case, why don't you, as the Student Council, stop him?"

Ryuen Kakeru said lazily, crossing his legs.

"If it were just Nagumo alone, it wouldn't be so bad."

"But the problem is that the other side has already unified the entire second year, and there are also signs of infiltration into the third year."

Horikita Manabu pointed to the photos and corresponding names in the document and read aloud:

"As one of the two vice presidents in the entire Student Council, Miyabi Nagumo already wielded considerable power. Furthermore, two of the Student Council secretaries were classmates of Nagumo from the very beginning, both of whom were in Class B."

"Given that only Ichinose was recruited into the Student Council in the First Year, and that he was also recruited by Miyabi Nagumo, he practically controls more than half of the Student Council's power."

Ryuen Kakeru smacked his lips:

"It seems even Horikita-senpai is hailed as the best Student Council in history, can't solve this."

Horikita Manabu did not respond much to Ryuen Kakeru's taunts; having said everything, he simply waited for Ryuen Kakeru's choice.

He wanted to know if the man who had approached him today and prevented him from contacting Kitagawa Ryo truly had the courage and ability to do so.

"If you really find it difficult, then let Kitagawa do it."

"I've already prepared an application form for him to join the Student Council anytime."

Horikita Manabu looked at the man in front of him who had been silent for a long time and seemed to be bluffing, and spoke.

Because if you become an enemy of Miyabi Nagumo, she will definitely retaliate in the most cruel way, until you are expelled from school.

He himself used this method to unite the entire second year.

Perhaps Ryuen Kakeru felt fear.

"For a long time, I believed that the world was ruled by violence. The 'power' of the world was determined by the strength of 'violence.'"

"But then one day, I realized that this understanding was too superficial."

Ryuen Kakeru raised his head and smiled, but a crazed coldness flashed in his eyes:

"The person who told me this principle was Kitagawa."

"But what I want him to know is that he might be the only special person in this world."

Ryuen Kakeru casually tossed the documents in his hand onto the ground, then stepped on the portrait of Miyabi Nagumo, the student vice president.

"Most of the time, people succumb to absolute violence."

He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth:

"No matter what tricks Nagumo might pull against Kitagawa at the Sports Festival."

"I accept this on behalf of Class 1-B."