A Confrontation with Manabu Horikita

After much deliberation, he could only conclude that Xia Mu had taken a fancy to the potential of Suzune Horikita.

Although his younger sister's current abilities were not particularly strong, her capacity for growth was quite promising.

Or perhaps, the current Suzune was simply standing in Xia Mu's way.

"What right do you have?"

He raised his gaze, fixing his eyes on Xia Mu, a faint red glow flickering within them as a dangerous aura emanated from his body.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Xia Mu pulled his hands out of his pockets and began to applaud slowly. "As expected of the Student Council President, your words are truly imposing."

At this moment, Xia Mu looked more like a villain.

However, in this school, there was no real distinction between heroes and villains.

Everyone was simply moving forward in their own way, striving for their own goals.

The watching students were bewildered, and those familiar with Xia Mu and Manabu Horikita were burning with anxiety.

Why on earth was he clapping?

The situation here had attracted the attention of every student present.

The Student Council President was a legendary figure, and now that he was clashing with someone, this was gossip that simply had to be consumed.

"I will guide your sister's growth and resolve her current issues; perhaps in the future, she might even take over your position and become the Student Council President."

Xia Mu dangled his bait. "You are graduating soon, and you no longer have the time to change your sister, do you?"

"Furthermore..."

"You wouldn't know how to, anyway."

A smile played on the corners of Xia Mu's mouth. Although Manabu Horikita was an A++ level individual in every aspect, he was a complete failure when it came to communicating with his sister.

He was practically hopeless; all it would have taken was finding some time to have a heart-to-heart talk with her.

But he couldn't let go of his pride, nor did he know where to start, and the long-term lack of communication had caused the siblings' understanding of each other to drift further and further apart.

This, in turn, had fostered Suzune's current personality.

It could be said that Manabu Horikita had single-handedly created the Suzune Horikita of today.

"Do you have that capability?" Manabu Horikita countered.

"Of course. In any case, there is still half a year left; you can watch and see." Xia Mu stepped forward, his mind calm. "Besides, if the Student Council President didn't think I had any capability, you wouldn't be standing here talking to me right now, would you?"

The reason he had taught those two blockers a lesson earlier was, in fact, just a token of his sincerity.

Otherwise, Manabu Horikita wouldn't have bothered to look at him at all.

Manabu Horikita did not refute this; he had indeed been paying attention to Xia Mu.

When he received the file, he had been somewhat surprised.

Because Xia Mu was a talent with potential who, aside from his social skills, had perfect scores in every other category.

"If you have the qualifications to do so." Manabu Horikita's peripheral vision shifted toward Suzune Horikita in the distance, scaring her so much that her face turned pale and she took several steps back.

Xia Mu remained silent, waiting for Manabu Horikita to continue.

"Let's start from here." Manabu Horikita looked toward the largest pool in the facility.

That pool was built according to the standards of the venues where national athletes trained daily, possessing professional, Olympic-level quality.

Although it was usually just a place for students to play in the water.

Its competitive nature was, without a doubt, official.

"What? You're going to have a Swimming race!?"

When Shiina learned that Xia Mu was actually going to race the Student Council President in Swimming, she was stunned.

One had to know that the Student Council President was the school's recognized Mermaid; it was even written in the promotional materials.

In competitions against students from other classes, he was always far in the lead.

Although Xia Mu's academic ability was indeed good, how could he possibly win in a Swimming race?

She had never even seen him get in the water during Swimming class!

"Xia Mu, why don't you reconsider..." Shiina grabbed Xia Mu's hand, her face turning slightly pale.

Even though it was conventionally understood to be a friendly exchange, she didn't want to see Xia Mu lose and look dejected.

At this moment, Xia Mu revealed that same confident expression he had worn when they made their bet. "Don't worry, it's fine."

The chubby guy on the side chimed in, "That's right, just trust Little Xia, okay? He is an invincible god!"

Seeing this, Shiina hesitated for a moment before nodding gently.

"Go, go, Xia Mu..." Sakura hid in the crowd, her small hands clenched tight, whispering to herself.

And aside from Shiina, the chubby guy, and Sakura who believed in the protagonist, no one else—including Suzune Horikita and the others—thought the protagonist could win.

Suzune Horikita, in particular, thought Xia Mu was being overconfident, relying on his bit of strength to foolishly provoke her Onii-chan, Zhao Si!

The match began in no time.

Xia Mu and Manabu Horikita stood at their respective starting positions, locking eyes with each other.

"Do not disappoint me."

Without his glasses, Manabu Horikita looked even colder, more overbearing, and imposing, causing many of the young girls who admired him to swoon.

Xia Mu said nothing, instead turning his gaze toward the referee.

To ensure fairness, a second-year student had been specifically chosen to act as the referee.

However, everyone could see that he was biased toward Manabu Horikita; to them, Xia Mu was nothing more than a green, arrogant frog in a well.

"Are both contestants ready?"

He waved the small flag in his hand, and after confirming that neither Xia Mu nor Manabu Horikita had any objections, he swung the flag down. "The match begins!"

Splash.

As the words fell, both of them hit the water simultaneously. Unlike the other students, whose entries into the water created massive splashes, their forms were graceful and propelled their bodies forward with significant momentum.

It was clear they both possessed real skill.

The rules of the match dictated that the winner would be decided by swimming one lap of the pool.

A round trip totaled two hundred meters, and this ultra-short distance was a rigorous test of a contestant's short-term explosive power.

Taking the lead at the start was Manabu Horikita.

His form was agile, barely creating a ripple on the surface, and within seconds, he had already covered half the distance.

The gathered students were not surprised; they simply felt it was only natural.

However, those who kept their attention on Xia Mu would have noticed that the moment he entered the water, he became like a water sprite, his hands and feet working in unison like a spinning propeller, moving at high speed.

He caught up to Manabu Horikita just as the latter was about to reach the end of the first lap.

Both of them touched the machine placed on the floor to confirm their arrival, then turned back simultaneously.

Seeing this, Manabu Horikita's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly accelerated, unleashing a burst of speed even more ferocious than before.

He was getting serious.

No wonder Xia Mu dared to provoke him in public; he actually had some real ability.

But it still wasn't enough.

Facing the suddenly accelerating Manabu Horikita, the corners of Xia Mu's mouth curled into a slight arc.

In his eyes, Manabu Horikita's speed was like a toddler learning to walk.

The moment he entered the water, he felt his skin bloom, becoming incredibly attuned to the element, as if he had returned home.

He straightened his body and kicked off with his legs, shooting forward like a sharp arrow. With a whoosh, he suddenly overtook Manabu Horikita, who was straining to swim toward the finish line.

A rare trace of surprise flickered in the latter's eyes.

Just as they were about to reach the finish line, he was narrowly overtaken by Xia Mu, who arrived first.

Xia Mu had won!!