Siblings

Eight o'clock at night.

Having just finished dinner at Horikita's dormitory, he was hurriedly shooed out by her.

Arriving at the dormitory entrance.

Sure enough, Ayanokoji was lingering by the vending machine downstairs.

It seemed Horikita's strange behavior was indeed due to her brother.

Walking over, Suzuki Tsubame greeted him.

"Good evening, Ayanokoji. What do you want to drink? My treat."

Ayanokoji replied expressionlessly:

"Mm... it's Suzuki-kun. As per my usual habit, I like to have a hot milk at this hour. It's just that, because of points..."

"Is that so? Then let me order for you."

Ayanokoji was lying. Judging by his state, he'd been here for a while but hadn't placed an order yet.

As for the points reason, that was too far-fetched.

Suzuki Tsubame reasonably suspected the guy was standing here waiting for someone.

Or rather, waiting for someone who seemed to be in a hurry.

After all, this spot was inconspicuous. Unless someone came specifically to buy a drink, hidden behind the machine, it was hard to be spotted.

He ordered a 250-point hot milk for Ayanokoji.

Suzuki Tsubame had no worries about points at all. Adding the 1.5 million points Class A had transferred yesterday, he now had over 5.5 million points in hand.

Indeed, the original 3.8 million hadn't decreased last month—instead, it had increased by several hundred thousand. All thanks to the support of those enthusiastic senpai.

"Suzuki-kun, aren't you drinking anything?"

Seeing Suzuki only order one cup for him and stop, Ayanokoji asked curiously.

"I'm waiting for someone. Finish your drink and head back quickly."

"Oh."

After finishing the milk, Ayanokoji took his leave.

Just as he was about to enter the elevator, Horikita rushed out of it anxiously.

She looked toward the vending machine, but Suzuki Tsubame's figure was gone.

"Strange."

Though curious why Horikita was in such a hurry, Ayanokoji had no intention of investigating.

If the two of them were sneaking off into the bushes, wouldn't it be awkward if he followed and got caught?

The anxious Horikita Suzune completely failed to notice the figure trailing her from afar.

Following all the way to the supermarket corner, the rolling shutter door was already closed, leaving only a few vending machines and the streetlights still lit.

Suzuki Tsubame stopped at the corner and peeked out.

One tall, one short—both had their backs to him.

"Suzune, I never thought you'd chase me all the way here."

A familiar male voice, with a mature, reliable feel to it.

It was the current Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.

Also Suzune's brother.

"I came here to follow in my brother's footsteps."

Her voice was urgent. It seemed she hadn't yet recovered from her sprint.

Horikita Manabu adjusted his glasses. At the words "brother," a rare flicker of softness passed through his eyes.

But more than that, he found this stubborn sister of his a headache.

"Follow me? You still haven't noticed what you lack."

Is it really fair for you to say that? Wasn't this what you taught her?

Knowing you taught her wrong, you just walked away. Instead of helping her correct her mistakes, you thought Suzune could adjust on her own.

Someone like you—do you really have the right to say that?

"I'll definitely move up to Class A soon. If that happens..."

"It's useless!"

Horikita Manabu spun around abruptly, grabbed Suzune's hand, and pinned her against the supermarket's side wall.

"Having a little sister assigned to Class D—the one disgraced is me."

"Now, get out of this school immediately."

"Drop out, Suzune."

Disgrace... I've brought disgrace upon my brother!

Resentment.

Frustration.

Through Suzuki Tsubame's explanation, she could perceive the gap between Class A and Class D.

But why was she placed in Class D? Why couldn't she have been given more time?

Suzune lifted her head stubbornly, meeting Horikita Manabu's icy gaze, and said through gritted teeth:

"Brother, I..."

"You lack the strength and the right to rise upward. Show some self-awareness!"

Cutting off his foolish sister's words, Horikita Manabu coiled strength into his right hand, intending to teach this disobedient sister a lesson.

Anywhere would do—with Suzune's abilities, she could sail smoothly no matter where she went.

She just couldn't stay at Advanced Nurturing. While it was still early, leaving now would be best for everyone.

Click!

The crisp sound of a shutter rang out.

At the same time, a blinding flash of white light burst forth, illuminating Horikita Manabu's face in an instant.

Meeting Horikita Manabu's livid expression, Suzuki Tsubame said with a mocking grin:

"Yo, what a coincidence."

"The current Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, caught using violence against a freshman who's only been enrolled for a month."

"This is definitely tomorrow's headline material."

Realizing he'd been photographed.

The next second, Horikita Manabu moved.

Horikita Suzune only felt a blur before her eyes.

Her brother shot past her in an instant, charging straight toward Suzuki Tsubame.

She knew her brother's strength all too well.

"Suzuki Tsubame, watch out!"

Almost at the same moment.

Before Suzune's words had even fully fallen, Horikita Manabu's fist had already arrived.

What seemed like a lightning-fast strike to others was agonizingly slow in Suzuki Tsubame's eyes.

Staring straight into Horikita Manabu's cold gaze.

Suzuki Tsubame tilted his head slightly and dodged the punch with ease.

"Huh?"

Missing his strike, Horikita Manabu felt a flicker of doubt, but he had no time to dwell on it.

He threw another punch, once again aimed at Suzuki Tsubame's face.

Facing this new blow, Suzuki Tsubame decided not to waste any more time with him.

He shot out a hand, caught it precisely, borrowed the force, and used the momentum to spin Horikita Manabu a full circle.

Then he flung him away.

The immense force sent Horikita Manabu stumbling, nearly face-planting.

Suzuki Tsubame wasn't about to let him off that easily.

After all, he'd just tried to attack his handsome face.

That face—rivaling the readers' own—was worthy of an art exhibition.

He raised his foot and kicked.

BAM!

A loud crash.

Horikita Manabu, still unsteady, truly ate dirt this time.

1.

2.

3.

KO!

Three seconds passed, and he still hadn't gotten up. Guess he finally felt the shame.

"Get up already. Sleeping's not allowed here."

Suzuki Tsubame walked up to Horikita Manabu, crouched down, and poked him on the head.

"Big brother!"

Not far away, Horikita Suzune, who had witnessed Suzuki Tsubame's entire act of aggression, finally snapped out of it.

She stumbled over, reaching out a hand to help her brother up.

"No need, Suzune."

Refusing his sister's offered hand, Horikita Manabu stood up on his own.

His steps were steady, his movements fluid.

There was no sign at all that he had just fallen.

The injury wasn't serious to begin with; he simply didn't want to face his sister right then.

After all, in his sister's eyes, he was supposed to be invincible.

The two siblings were practically cut from the same mold when it came to tsundere tendencies.

Come to think of it, if Horikita Manabu turned into Horikita Yuki, wouldn't that have a certain charm to it?

Horikita Manabu reached up to straighten his glasses and spoke calmly:

"Suzune, introduce your friend."

"Big brother, this is..."

"Suzuki Tsubame, currently Suzune's suitor. Pleased to meet you."

Cutting off Suzune's words before she could finish, Suzuki Tsubame extended his right hand to Horikita Manabu.

"A pleasure. I'm Horikita Manabu, Suzune's brother."

Their hands touched and parted in an instant—no power play, unless the fall counted.

"Your movements... have you studied any martial arts, Suzuki?"

Facing his future brother-in-law's question, Suzuki Tsubame answered without hesitation:

"I occasionally practice with cars, and calligraphy."

Suzuki Tsubame's flippant reply didn't put Horikita Manabu off.

"Is that so... Would you be interested in joining the Student Council?"