The Horikita Family's Household Affairs

Mikage Touji's gaze softened.

So you were the victim of that blond upperclassman...

"What did you want with me, Horikita-senpai?" Feeling a touch of pity, Mikage Touji's tone softened.

"Nagumo said that after I graduate, you'll become his rival. So I wanted to find out whether you'd be able to stop him if he ever tried to impose his rule on Kouiku." Horikita Manabu got straight to the point.

"And how do you plan to find that out?" Mikage Touji narrowed his eyes.

"Like this." A backfist shot out in an instant, heading straight for Mikage Touji's face.

"Good grief. Is this really an appropriate way to test someone? You're the Student Council President, you know."

Mikage Touji released his spirit energy without a sound. Watching the fist fly toward him, he sidestepped with a helpless sigh. Judging by the way Horikita Manabu's muscles were tensing, though, he was holding back. The punch looked like it was aimed straight at Mikage Touji's face, but Horikita Manabu could have pulled it aside at the last moment.

His first attack missed. Horikita Manabu immediately drove off his thigh, building up more speed as he swung a beautiful side kick toward Mikage Touji's waist.

"If that hits, I'll be stuck in bed. Want me to get my senpai to teach you a lesson?"

Mikage Touji took a small step back and dodged Horikita Manabu's attack again.

"You're trying to follow up with another kick? Is this what the Student Council President is like? By the way, do you practice karate? Aikido? Or both?"

Mikage Touji kept talking as if they were just making small talk, but Horikita Manabu paid him no heed and continued attacking.

After a few moves, Horikita Manabu stopped when his attacks failed to land. He pushed his glasses back up after they had been knocked askew.

"You're impressive. You seem to have seen right through my movements. Why didn't you counterattack?"

"Because I don't know how." Mikage Touji, a transmigrator and a well-mannered student, answered honestly.

"I see." Horikita Manabu didn't seem to believe him. He took his phone out of his pocket. "What's your account?"

"Huh?"

"My apology. You're right; the Student Council President shouldn't be attacking students."

A minute later, Mikage Touji stared at the notification for the 500,000 points on his phone, his eyes shining. He cleared his throat and looked at Horikita Manabu with a solemn expression.

"Actually, I could fight you all day."

"No need. I've already tested your abilities, and the standardized tests at the start of the year covered your other strengths. Nagumo was right. You really are someone who can compete with him. Nagumo's already invited you, but just to be sure, I'll ask again: are you interested in joining the Student Council?"

"I refuse."

"I see. That's a shame." Seeing that Mikage Touji wasn't interested, Horikita Manabu didn't press the matter.

"Actually, couldn't you stop Senior Nagumo?"

Over the past few days, Mikage Touji had heard some rumors about the Student Council President. He had become the Student Council President as a first-year and was hailed as the most outstanding president Kouiku had ever seen. Judging by that title, people seemed to rate Horikita Manabu even more highly than Miyabi Nagumo.

"There'd be no point. The Student Council will have to be handed over to him eventually," Horikita Manabu replied coolly.

Mikage Touji raised an eyebrow. Nagumo was a lovesick idiot, sure, but why was Horikita Manabu the same way? Their ideals were so incompatible, yet they still recognized each other's abilities?

"Come to think of it, you don't seem to be planning to recruit any first-years, do you?"

"Right. That includes Katsuragi Kōhei from your class. They're all excellent, but I'm certain they can't beat Nagumo. To be safe, I'd rather not drag them into the Student Council conflict." Horikita Manabu nodded, then glanced at Mikage Touji again. "But if you're behind Katsuragi Kōhei, Nagumo probably won't be interested in causing him trouble."

Was he trying to draw me into this mess indirectly through Katsuragi? Mikage Touji understood the implication behind Horikita Manabu's words.

"Do whatever you want." The blond was already harassing him with messages, so it wouldn't hurt to trade that for a Student Council position.

"But, Horikita-senpai, you're not as serious as you look."

"Anyone who's survived three years at this school will have some schemes of their own."

Horikita Manabu didn't deny what Mikage Touji said. He took out his phone and checked the time.

"I still have Student Council work to handle. Let's call it a day."

"I won't see you off."

Mikage Touji didn't dislike this good Samaritan who had gone out of his way to give him money. After seeing that lovesick idiot Nagumo and all sorts of people in Class D, his tolerance for Kouiku's eccentric students had already been pushed sky-high.

Since the road back to the classroom building was the same one leading to the Student Council room, the two of them had to walk together for a while.

Then, another figure appeared in their path.

Her waist-length black hair fluttered in the wind, and a pair of straight legs in black thigh-high socks emerged from beneath her white pleated skirt.

The ice-cold beauty he'd run into in the teachers' office a few days earlier looked flustered in a way that didn't suit her at all as she faced the two people who had suddenly appeared in front of her.

Mikage Touji looked at the ice-cold beauty, who was staring straight at Horikita Manabu, then at Horikita Manabu, who met her gaze expressionlessly.

He thought the girl's name was something like Horikita... Tomiko?

Horikita... Horikita Manabu?

"Here to see you?" Mikage Touji turned his head toward Horikita Manabu.

"She's... my younger sister." His voice was completely different from the one he'd used with Mikage Touji just moments ago. It was cold and distant.

The siblings clearly had things to say to each other. As a third wheel, Mikage Touji figured he didn't belong there, so he carefully slipped around them and left first.

"Suzune, I didn't expect you to come all the way here."

Suzune? Wasn't her name Tomiko?

"Brother... I'm not—"

"You haven't changed at all in three years. I can tell just by looking at you."

"No, that's not it. I came to this school so I could catch up to you."

"And you ended up in Class D. What a useless little sister."

"Th-That has to be a mistake. I'll move up to Class A right away. Then—"

"Naive. I can say for certain that you'll never make it to Class A!"

Their argument faded as Mikage Touji walked farther away.

Mikage Touji found a bench, sat down, and took a long swig of cola to vent his frustration over failing to get his Pokémon.

What a strange pair of siblings. Mikage Touji could tell Horikita Manabu clearly cared about his little sister, yet he kept a cold face toward his own sis—

"Coo..."

Mikage Touji immediately turned around. Fat Pigeon, who had flown away earlier, had folded its wings and perched on the back of the bench, gazing toward the Horikita Siblings.

This pigeon liked gossip too?!

Mikage Touji watched the pigeon's eyes take on a strangely lively glint, his mouth twitching.

It hadn't noticed that an ill-intentioned person was watching it intently from nearby.

"Coo..." ("Whoa, they're fighting!")

Fat Pigeon cheerfully flapped its wings, its cooing full of excitement.

What? They're fighting?

Mikage Touji immediately turned his attention back to the Horikita Siblings.

From a distance, Horikita Manabu had curled his hand into a hook and was swinging it at Horikita Tomi... no, Horikita Suzune.

But...

Mikage Touji's eyes gradually narrowed.

What were they doing? Breakdancing?

Horikita Manabu's moves looked vicious, but he clearly wasn't trying to hit Suzune hard. Most of his attacks didn't even touch her. Compared to the crisp way he'd fought Mikage Touji earlier, this was barely more than playing house...

The other one was even more ridiculous. She didn't even try to fight back, just standing there and silently taking the hits.

Come on, you two! You're not going to kill anyone like that!

The fight... or rather, the one-sided domestic abuse of a younger sister, lasted only a short while. It ended with Horikita Suzune falling to the ground and Horikita Manabu stopping.

The brief show was over in no time.

"Ah..."

"Coo..."

Two disappointed sighs rang out. The lowered heads of a person and a pigeon stopped, and they looked at each other at the same time.

A shared feeling spread through them.

Some things didn't need words. A glance was enough to understand.

Kindred spirits (pigeon)!

Ding! Wild Pigeon's intimacy with Mikage Touji has increased!

After staring at each other for a few seconds, Fat Pigeon confirmed that it had met a kindred spirit. It pecked Mikage Touji's palm twice, then flapped away.

It was going to the docks to get some fries!

Before long, Horikita Manabu passed in front of him. Without saying a word, he calmly took out his phone.

[Ding! 300,000 points received!]

Mikage Touji silently nodded at him and brought a finger to his lips, sliding it across as if zipping them shut.

Some things were better left unsaid...

A few minutes later, Horikita Suzune walked past Mikage Touji with her head down. She looked like a completely different person from the cold, aloof girl who had walked into the office earlier.

She didn't look seriously injured, but the wounds in her heart were probably much worse.

Perhaps noticing that Mikage Touji had been walking with Horikita Manabu earlier, Horikita Suzune stopped. She held one arm with her other hand and stood there.

Mikage Touji took another swig of cola and looked at her in confusion.

That conflicted expression, like she wanted to leave but couldn't...

Was she waiting for me to say something to her?

Just then, Mikage Touji's phone suddenly vibrated, and the screen lit up.

[Horikita Manabu: I want you to take her to get her injuries checked.]

What the heck! I thought you'd left. You were hiding in some dark corner spying on us, weren't you?

And weren't you the one who beat her up? Is this some kind of weird fetish? Or are you actually a twisted siscon?

Come to think of it, you and that blond senpai really are two of a kind. Not only do I have to act out the year's most tragic romance with him, now I have to star in the year's most twisted domestic-abuse drama with your little sister.

Still...

A cold smile appeared on Mikage Touji's face. Right in front of Horikita Suzune, he tapped on his screen.

[Hikari, When Are You Coming Back: Senpai, my time is very valuable. Every day, I have to outwit my archenemy, rack my brains to help my class advance, and even go to remedial lessons so I won't get expelled after scoring only nine points in Japanese Literature.]

To sum it up, I'm expensive. You'll have to pay more!

A little while later, Horikita Manabu's transfer notification finally arrived.

[Ding! 200,000 points received!]

[Hikari, When Are You Coming Back: Wait, why are you paying less and less? You're the Student Council President, and she's your little sister! Which matters more, your little sister or your money?]

[Horikita Manabu: Being Student Council President doesn't mean I have a lot of points.]

Mikage Touji had been about to ask for an even higher price, but he stopped. His mouth twitched as he stared at the message on his phone. The words practically reeked of poverty...

Could that million have been most of his private savings?

Being Student Council President was so much less impressive than it sounded. Mikage Touji had heard that the blond senpai had tens of millions of points.

Thinking about the miserable days of a man without money in his pocket, Mikage Touji felt a little sympathy for him.

[Hikari, When Are You Coming Back: How about... I send some back to you?]

[Horikita Manabu: No need. Since I've transferred the points to you, it means I agreed to this deal. There's no reason to take them back. If you can, give Suzune a talking-to...]

[Hikari, When Are You Coming Back: Sorry, dealing with other people's family matters isn't part of my job. You two both seem to enjoy it. One likes to hit, and the other likes to take it.]

[Horikita Manabu: Do as you like. Just take her to get checked out. Don't tell her I asked.]

[Hikari, When Are You Coming Back: OK]