Classroom of the Elite, Oh No, I've Become a Stand-in

Mikage Touji pinched his throat and mimicked the cutesy, high-pitched tone of an anime girl with great dramatic flair, only to be met with a freezing glare from Horikita Suzune.

"Between regretting while in pain and despairing while regretting, which one do you prefer?" Horikita Suzune asked, enunciating every word.

"Unfortunately, I'm the type who prefers to move forward while laughing at the painful expressions of others," Mikage Touji said, popping the strawberry from his cake into his mouth. "So, have you decided what you're going to send?"

Only the sound of Mikage Touji stirring his coffee remained at the table.

After a moment, Horikita Suzune lowered her head and said, "I really haven't decided."

"Then why did you send him so many messages before? Or did you send them knowing he wouldn't respond? You haven't even figured out what kind of stance you want to take when facing him, have you?"

The three consecutive questions seemed to strike a nerve with Horikita Suzune.

She countered with a cold face, "Don't meddle in other people's business. This is my own affair, and it's none of your concern!"

"I certainly don't want to get involved in your strange relationship," Mikage Touji said, extending his palm toward Horikita Suzune. "But could you please return my phone?"

Looking at the hand extended toward her, Horikita Suzune's face cycled through shades of blue and purple before she finally gritted her teeth.

"Take it!"

With a slap, she slammed the phone into Mikage Touji's palm, tossed her long hair, stood up, and walked straight out of the cafe.

Faced with the brother she admired and hadn't spoken to in ages, Horikita Suzune didn't say a single word and simply ran away in a clean, decisive manner.

"Don't forget to pay the bill," Mikage Touji reminded her.

"I naturally keep my promises," a cold, clear voice drifted back from the front.

Having shaken off her cowardice, Horikita Suzune had returned to her state of being able to defy the heavens, the earth, and the very air itself.

Indeed, as long as she discarded her cowardly self, Horikita Suzune was invincible.

"Moshi moshi~ Horikita-senpai?"

The same Horikita Suzune who had just made a stylish strategic retreat a second ago suddenly pulled a sharp U-turn, her small leather shoes clicking as she hurried back to the table.

"I've handled the matter. Was anyone hurt? Wasn't that your doing? Don't you know yourself?"

Seeing that Mikage Touji hadn't noticed her return at all, Horikita Suzune leaned in involuntarily, wanting to hear clearly what her brother was saying.

"No problem at all, after all, I did take 500,000 from you."

500,000? Wasn't it 200,000? This damn profiteer!

Horikita Suzune clenched her fists, and a violent killing intent erupted from her eyes.

"Your sister?"

Horikita Suzune's ears perked up instantly.

"She left. She wanted to send you a message earlier, but after I said a few words to her, she made a very graceful escape." Mikage Touji delivered his mockery without mercy.

Horikita Suzune ground her teeth until they creaked. From the moment she was born until now, she had never wanted to kill someone so badly.

It wasn't out of any public or moral obligation; she simply wanted to kill him!

"You said a few words to her? Well, that can't be helped. She should have already left—"

Horikita Suzune instantly grabbed Mikage Touji's wrist, forcibly turning his gaze toward her, her eyes as cold as the ice of the far north piercing straight into him.

Facing the suddenly returned Horikita Suzune, Mikage Touji blinked.

Why are you still here?

Give it to me!

No, you only get one chance.

Withdrawing his gaze, Mikage Touji continued to focus on the call. "What about Nagumo-senpai? There hasn't been any news lately, has there?"

The clock in the cafe ticked away. Horikita Suzune watched Mikage Touji chatting and laughing with her brother, her mood growing increasingly frantic. The chance to speak properly with her brother... this was the only one she'd had in three years...

"Mm, okay, I understand. That's all, see—"

In an instant, Horikita Suzune forcibly pulled Mikage Touji's wrist to her ear and shouted at the phone: "No, Brother, I still—"

Horikita Suzune, her emotions having suddenly erupted, froze.

What came from the phone was neither Horikita Manabu's voice nor the busy signal of a disconnected call.

She took a deep breath, her face dark, and pried Mikage Touji's hand open bit by bit to light up the screen, revealing the phone's standby interface.

There was no call with her brother at all! This guy! He had been playing her for a fool from start to finish!!

A black aura rose from Horikita Suzune's body, ravaging the entire cafe; wherever it touched, even the nearby flowers began to wither.

Horikita Suzune gripped Mikage Touji's wrist, leaning in toward him inch by inch.

She was going to make him regret everything he had done in pain and despair!

"Hello, is there anything else?"

Horikita Manabu's calm voice came from the phone's speaker.

Horikita Suzune, in the midst of her rage, held it for only 0.1 seconds before releasing Mikage Touji's wrist in a panic.

Mikage Touji, who had actually dialed the number, winked at Horikita Suzune and, suppressing a laugh, turned on the speakerphone. "Your sister seems to want to have a chat with you. How about it? Would you like to offer an explanation for what happened before?"

Amidst the anxiety of Horikita Suzune, the person on the other end of the line seemed to ponder for a long time before saying, "Please, hand the phone to her..."

Mikage Touji smiled and handed the phone back to Horikita Suzune, saying:

"Do you want it, or not?"

With an incredibly complex expression, Horikita Suzune took the phone from Mikage Touji, a surge of indescribable emotions welling up in her heart.

Without waiting for Horikita Suzune to say anything, Mikage Touji had already picked up his fork and continued to tackle the remaining strawberry cake.

Horikita Suzune sat back in her original seat, gathering her thoughts for a long while.

"Brother, it's me..."

Chapter 38: You Two Connect Quite Well

5 minutes later.

Mikage Touji rested his chin on his palm and looked to the side, where Horikita Suzune was staring blankly at the now-black screen, lost in thought.

"After all that trouble, you only said a few words, and ended it with a single 'thank you.' You siblings are really..."

Mikage Touji shook his head, looking as if they were beyond saving.

"I haven't settled the score for what happened just now."

Having solved her family issues, Horikita Suzune was emboldened once again, and in the blink of an eye, she grabbed Mikage Touji's wrist.

"Hey, hey, I helped you resolve the problem between you two, you know. I don't expect you to be moved, but the least you could do is say thank you, right?"

"In that regard, I express my gratitude to you."

"Then could you please let go of my hand? Although I'm slightly flattered to be held by a beautiful girl, the increasing pain tells me she seems to want to commit an act of violence against me."

Horikita Suzune remained unmoved. With a stern face, she picked up the fork from the table with her other hand, her cold gaze fixed on Mikage Touji's unflappable face as she spoke:

"So, I plan to take revenge for you toying with me earlier. I'll send you to the infirmary, and then, to show my gratitude, I'll visit you every day until you are discharged."

"..."

Mikage Touji, who had been trying to break free, froze. After a long silence, he finally said, "You really are someone who distinguishes love and hate clearly."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"Can't we just call it even? You solved your family issue, I got my 500,000 points, and we go our separate ways, forgetting each other in the vast world. Why must we be pulling at each other in public like this?" Mikage Touji said emotionally, like a wandering swordsman about to embark on a long journey.

"Unfortunately, I am not the type of person who cares about the gazes of others." Sadly, having practiced the Iron Head Technique, the now-overconfident Horikita Suzune was in a state of invincibility. She gripped the fork and said, "Are you ready to go to the hospital, carrying the despair, pain, and regret of having toyed with me?"

"Such violent behavior wouldn't be good for your class, would it?" Mikage Touji tried to struggle a bit more.

"Don't worry about that. Our Class D is at zero points right now; it won't drop into the negatives. As long as I sincerely apologize to you after sending you to the hospital, you won't report me to the school, and I can even avoid suspension."

"You've got it all planned out, haven't you? If you apologize sincerely, I won't report you?"

"Yes." Horikita Suzune nodded. "I have quite a bit of confidence in my cooking." With that, she raised the fork in her hand. "Have you finished your last words? Go to hell, Mikage Tou--"

"Who said I was going to report you to the school?"

Mikage Touji calmly raised his phone, opened the Horikita Manabu contact page, and with one move, brought this incredibly inflated girl back to reality.

Defeated by the same trick three times in a row, Horikita Suzune glared at Mikage Touji with humiliation.

"You... if you have the ability, don't use my brother to threaten me."

"Can't do that. Who told you this move is foolproof and works every time?" Mikage Touji, having seized Horikita Suzune's fatal weakness, revealed a kind smile. "Maybe one day when your Class D faces our Class A, I'll hand this weakness of yours over to our class leader."

"Despicable guy!" With no other options, Horikita Suzune reluctantly released Mikage Touji's wrist.

Mikage Touji rubbed his wrist, which had been pinched red. "This is a school that prioritizes ability, isn't it? Isn't it normal for me to use this method?"

As if she had suddenly understood all of Mikage Touji's previous actions, Horikita Suzune's expression shifted. "A person like you, how are you not the leader of Class A?"

Although it was shameful to recall, the person before her who had toyed with her time and again clearly had a grasp of psychology far superior to her own. When they were in the infirmary, the fact that she could identify he was in contact with her brother was likely something he had intentionally allowed. Of course, more importantly, someone who could be recognized by her brother shouldn't be lacking in any aspect.

"Unfortunately, I am not. The leader of our class is named Katsuragi Kōhei." Mikage Touji spread his hands and said helplessly, "He handles most of the matters in Class A, and there's nothing for me to do, so I can enjoy a pleasant school life."

"..."

Looking at the teammate of the Class A leader, Horikita Suzune thought of the group of "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" in her own class who had squandered all their points in the first month...

Reluctantly putting down the fork in her hand, Horikita Suzune threw out a harsh threat: "I'll let you off this time. When the special exams come, I will settle this score. Also, I will definitely rise to Class A."

"That won't work, Horikita-san." Mikage Touji said with a smile. "Although I don't really care about the benefits of graduating from Class A, the guys in my class do. So, the position of Class A cannot be given to you. If you come, I will crush you without mercy."

"That's exactly what I want!" Horikita Suzune retorted sharply.

"However," Mikage Touji touched his chin and teased, "who exactly is the leader of your class? Have you even unified yet?"

"..."

This sentence silenced Horikita Suzune.

"It seems you haven't." Mikage Touji couldn't help but laugh. "Horikita-san, it's not good to brag when you don't even have the qualifications to compete."

"In any case, I will beat you."

"...You really have a sharp tongue."

Draining the last of her coffee, Horikita Suzune gathered her thoughts, preparing to take her leave.

"Um..."

"Hm? Is something the matter?"

After hesitating for a moment, Horikita Suzune finally spoke up, "Let's exchange contact information."

"...Why do you look like you're heading to the battlefield to die just by adding a friend?" Mikage Touji said gloomily.

"Because I have never made a friend before."

At that moment, Horikita Suzune was so righteous and self-assured that it briefly gave Mikage Touji the illusion that in this world, not having friends was the true common sense, and those who did were the heretics.

"I think I finally understand why you were placed in Class D, and why Horikita Manabu is so awkward with you; it turns out you don't have a single friend." A mask of pain appeared on Mikage Touji's face.

"Friends are only needed by the weak. If one is excellent enough, they can solve all problems on their own," Horikita Suzune insisted on her stance.

"But aren't you unable to solve the problems between you and your brother?" After adding her as a contact, Mikage Touji put his phone away.

"That is for a reason!"

"Then are you as excellent as your brother? Your brother seems to have a whole bunch of friends, doesn't he?"

"..."

Faced with this absolute kill-shot of a question from Mikage Touji, Horikita Suzune once again bravely chose to run away, leaving behind the harsh parting words, "I will answer that once I have thought of a response."

Watching Horikita Suzune's retreating figure as she fled in a panic, Mikage Touji smiled helplessly.

This girl doesn't seem as cold as she appears on the surface.

Sorting through the gains of the day, Mikage Touji stretched in his seat, preparing to leave.

Then, another figure appeared and sat down in front of Mikage Touji.

"..."

Looking at Kushida Kikyou, who wore a sweet smile, Mikage Touji stared blankly for a long while before finally blurting out: