Between Siblings and Between Teacher and Student

After Ichinose left the conference room.

Secretary Tachibana contacted the final student to be interviewed, Horikita Suzune from Class 1-D.

Due to the minor incident with Ichinose just moments ago, Secretary Tachibana no longer dared to rely on her own subjective assumptions to gauge the thoughts of President Horikita.

"Hello, Senior Tachibana. My name is Horikita Suzune. Thank you for taking care of my brother, and I look forward to working with you in the future."

An excellent upbringing, a gentle tone, and a refined face.

This was that person's sister; there was no doubt about it.

Tachibana Akane tilted the folder she was holding slightly forward and returned the bow to the younger sister:

"Hello, Junior Horikita. I am Tachibana Akane from the third year. The President is waiting for us, so let me take you to him. By the way, I look forward to working with you as well."

Just like that, Tachibana brought Horikita Suzune to the conference room.

After they entered the conference room, Horikita Manabu dismissed Tachibana from the room for the first time.

Tachibana pursed her lips, bowed, and left.

Inside the conference room.

Horikita Suzune looked at her brother, her thoughts swirling with a myriad of emotions.

This was the second time she had seen her brother since arriving at this school.

The last time she saw him, Horikita Suzune hadn't been able to say anything, only pouring out her own feelings to him.

But this time, everything was different. She had more concrete ideas.

Horikita Suzune wanted to join the Student Council, wanted to become a help to her brother, wanted to watch her brother's back, and wanted to become a person like him.

She was serious.

And she would definitely be able to do it!

Although this school was filled with oddities and had many strange rules.

The essence of this school was nothing more than evaluating whether a student was excellent through exams.

Horikita Suzune still refused to admit that she was the same as the underachievers in her class.

So, if the school insisted on labeling her as Class D, then she would defy the school, insist on leading Class D to challenge Class A, and prove herself to her brother.

In fact, given the current situation of the first years, Horikita Suzune's idea had a high degree of feasibility.

Because this year's first years were the most likely to achieve the outcome of zero point deductions across all four classes in the first month's exam.

The gap between the current Class D and the higher-ranked classes could be said to be negligible.

If they achieved outstanding results in the subsequent special exams, the script of a Class D comeback was not impossible.

Horikita Manabu naturally understood this logic, which was why he felt even more dissatisfied with Suzune's naivety.

The premise for all of this was the existence of Kujo among the first years.

What if Kujo hadn't revealed the school's rules?

What if Kujo started exerting his full strength in the upcoming exams?

What if Kujo wanted to lead his own class to Class A?

Horikita Manabu asked that question as usual:

"What is your take on Kujo Makoto from Class 1-C?"

Horikita Suzune was different from Ichinose and Katsuragi.

She would not lie for the sake of others, nor would she spout dogmatic analyses to her own brother.

But she was still able to answer her brother's question.

Because Horikita Suzune had also investigated Kujo; just as her brother investigated Ayanokoji, she would also investigate Ayanokoji.

Ayanokoji was the person Horikita had found most inscrutable since school started, and Kujo was Ayanokoji's friend from another class.

If Ayanokoji was someone who was inconsistent in his words and actions and kept his true self hidden, then Horikita Suzune was well aware that Ayanokoji was not good at making friends.

Unlike her own reasons, the other party's dictionary had nothing to do with ordinary people from the very beginning.

That someone like Ayanokoji, who hid his own strength, would one day say he had made a normal friend.

Horikita Suzune could not ignore the other party's existence.

Everything had to be done to perfection.

Since this school was based on the principle of meritocracy, it was worth sacrificing some study time to try and analyze her opponents.

Then, Horikita Suzune stated her evaluation of Kujo one by one.

Excellent physical fitness, a tall build, good relations with some of the boys in Class D, and a girlfriend in the same class.

These were all the traits Kujo had displayed in front of her.

Horikita Manabu closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and sighed softly.

These were indeed all just the surface of Kujo; if anything, any ordinary person would hold the exact same opinion of him.

It seemed his younger sister was still as naive as ever.

If he let her join the student council now, let alone Nagumo, she would likely struggle to gain any advantage even when competing against a junior like Ichinose.

And most importantly, Horikita Suzune was his, Horikita Manabu's, own biological sister.

As one of his few weaknesses, it was impossible for Horikita Suzune not to be targeted by Nagumo, who was always looking to compete with him.

This school would not see cross-grade battles for the time being, and by the time such battles occurred, it would likely be time for him to step down.

Therefore, Horikita Manabu would not allow her to join the student council and give Nagumo any opportunity to exploit.

It was not because Horikita Suzune was not excellent enough, but because he, Horikita Manabu, was not yet powerful enough.

Ever since she was a child, she had listened to him in everything.

He said he liked long hair, so she kept her hair long.

He had good grades, so she worked desperately to make her grades better.

He trained in martial arts, so she followed along to exercise her body.

Were they really going to return to those days now...

"Suzune, there is only one person from this year's first-year class who has joined the student council. Her joining has already resulted in there being no more vacancies."

Horikita Suzune clenched her fists tightly, her heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

The school's rules were above all else.

Her brother would graduate in only one year; even saying a year was a stretch, it was not even a full year anymore.

Time was running out if she wanted to earn her brother's recognition.

"I understand, brother. Because I am a student in Class D, I don't even have the opportunity to compete with students from higher-ranking classes..."

Horikita Suzune's bangs obscured her eyes, her words revealing the girl's helplessness.

"I will prove myself to you, brother. Once I promote to Class A, I will come to see you again."

Horikita Suzune turned and left.

Watching Suzune's retreating figure, Horikita Manabu offered his own advice:

"Suzune."

"..."

"It is precisely because your goal is limited to promoting to Class A that you are still not up to the mark."

Hearing her brother's final words, Horikita Suzune quickened her pace as she left.

In the very end, the siblings still parted on bad terms.

Horikita Manabu, who had guarded the status of Class A for three years, and Horikita Suzune, who was single-mindedly focused on promoting to Class A.

The distance between the two was simply too great.

This was the cruelty of this school.

Teachers' office.

Unlike the squabbles between students.

Adults always take action with specific purposes and targets in mind.

Class D homeroom teacher Chabashira Sae and Class B homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie were both graduates of Advanced Nurturing High School.

Upon graduation, Chabashira chose to stay at Advanced Nurturing High School as a teacher.

And Hoshinomiya, upon learning of Chabashira's choice, also stayed at Advanced Nurturing High School to become a teacher.

Why?

Because Hoshinomiya wanted to stop Chabashira.

She did not want the class led by Chabashira to promote to Class A.

Back when they were students, Chabashira had never let her, Hoshinomiya, have an easy time.

So why should she let Chabashira have an easy time as a teacher?

Hoshinomiya of Class B was exactly that kind of adult.

And recently, she had heard a rumor that made her scalp tingle.

That group of losers in Class D wanted to come and ask her Class B for help?

Their goal was Class A?

Hoshinomiya could no longer sit still.

This news was simply too terrifying for her.

After all, Sae had done such terrible things to her back then.

At this point in time, does she still intend to hold onto the status of Class A?

This year, her class already has an excellent student like Ichinose.

And who does the Class D that you lead, Sae, have?

On what grounds do your students think they can deceive the students in my class?

Harboring such sentiments, Hoshinomiya arrived at the desk of Chabashira.

"Sae-chan~ are you there?"

"..."

"Not here? Are you really not here?"

"..."

If she isn't here, then my apologies!

Hoshinomiya quickly began rummaging through Chabashira's desktop and drawers.

Recently, Hoshinomiya had been physically and mentally exhausted by the various administrative tasks issued by the school.

Especially that one where teachers had to circle and check off ratings for the first-year freshmen in their classes; it was an absolute nightmare.

However, since she was grading her students, Sae must be suffering from the same distress.

Hoshinomiya was looking for the evaluation sheets of the Class D students.

Found it.

Unexpectedly easy.

After all, it was the top priority assigned by the school.

Uh...

Hoshinomiya looked at the disastrous ratings on the sheet.

She was speechless inside.

What is this.

Class D this year...

Is the overall quality of the students really this poor?

The so-called ratings were not the teacher's subjective evaluations of individual students.

For every item, there were mountain-high standards deliberately prepared by the school.

If she could choose randomly, Hoshinomiya would probably mark all her students as excellent.

But with the grading criteria in place, she had no choice but to follow them regardless.

This was also the reason why this job was thankless and exhausting.

Hoshinomiya hated Chabashira because Chabashira had hurt her in the past.

But at the same time, she also trusted Chabashira.

Chabashira was a serious person who would never slack off on her class duties; if she could stop daydreaming about rising to Class A every day, perhaps Hoshinomiya would have a change of heart toward her.

Yet, someone like her had given such low evaluations to the students in her own class.

Hoshinomiya gave a wicked smile.

It seems~

Class D this year is truly beyond saving~

What a piece of good news.

Hoshinomiya happily whistled a little tune, her feet unconsciously drawing circles in the air.

"Goodness~ why is Sae-chan still writing notes on this?"

Hoshinomiya looked at the timestamp on the evaluation sheet.

It turned out to be a copy.

The office printer would even forcibly add the time of reproduction.

So this must be the latest document.

The content of the notes consisted of five names.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Horikita Suzune, Hirata Yosuke, Koenji Rokusuke, Kushida Kikyo.

Without exception, every name was followed by a checkmark.

It seems Sae is also having a hard time.

Hoshinomiya shook her head; she was still the lucky one, possessing a trump card like Ichinose.

As expected, any talk of Class D wanting to form an alliance with Class B or something.

It seems that is impossible.

The first-years this year are too chaotic.

Rumors are just rumors; they are simply not to be trusted!

Hoshinomiya left the office.

On the other hand.

On the school rooftop.

Horikita Suzune found the homeroom teacher of Class D, Chabashira.

"Horikita? What kind of information are you looking to get from me?"

Although it was a question, there was no hint of hope in Chabashira's voice.

"I want to promote to Class A. I will prove that being assigned to Class D does not mean we will be Class D forever. I will no longer run away, and I will catch up to my brother. So, Chabashira-sensei, please give me—no, please give us in Class D your help."

Chabashira looked at the girl with long black hair before her. In Horikita Suzune, she saw the shadow of her past self.

"I am a teacher. In this school, due to my duties and obligations, I cannot provide effective help to you, or to any other student..."

Before Chabashira could finish her sentence.

Horikita took out her phone, interrupting her:

"This school allows you to purchase anything with points. In that case, there shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Chabashira put down the sugar substitute she had been holding and looked out at the furthest scenery visible from the school rooftop.

It was a view she had seen countless times since her own student days.

Chabashira did not speak, only giving the girl a look filled with history.

Horikita Suzune watched the stubborn teacher and continued, her voice sharp:

"If my points are not enough to make you speak, then please give me a number, and I will gather them for you to see."

"Perhaps choosing 20 million points to promote one person to Class A would be easier."

Horikita Suzune clenched her fists, unable to understand the only sincere piece of advice the teacher had offered.

Horikita Suzune's right hand instinctively pressed against her chest as she shouted:

"Perhaps the school defines us as defective products, but I will not be satisfied with the status quo. The school has given us a chance, and I will prove that even Class D can promote to Class A."

Chabashira took out the evaluation sheet that had been crumpled into a ball in her pocket.

Usually, she would make many copies of important documents.

This was the bitter experience of an adult.

The names of all the students in Class D were printed on it.

The handwritten sections were densely packed with checkmarks.

Chabashira took out a pen, bit off the cap, and used the tip to draw a circle around Horikita Suzune's name.

Then, Chabashira looked at the nervous Horikita and smiled:

"I never said from the beginning that I wouldn't help you."

"But Horikita, I need to remind you that the first-years this year are all monsters. The help a teacher can provide is limited."

That's right.

It was a class with no hope to begin with.

Why, then, had she started to feel hope again?

Chabashira complained to herself in this way.

It was precisely because she had experienced so much at this school that her emotions had gradually begun to grow numb.

Horikita Suzune.

Your current thoughts, your current situation—I understand them all.

But precisely because of that, I feel a sense of regret.

In this school, there is no place for people like us.

Time will prove everything.