Chapter 34

Although Yuan Yuyuan had made a good point, what was done was done. Manabu Horikita didn't see what good it would do to bring it up now. "I remember, but is there anything I should keep in mind?" "That's the problem! There's way too much distance between you and Suzune. You're her brother, not the person she has a crush on—cough, not that it's impossible, but that wouldn't be healthy!" Manabu narrowed his eyes. It wasn't because Yuan Yuyuan's words had hit a nerve, of course. It was because the guy had said a whole lot, but only one thing that actually mattered. Still, Manabu needed his help, so he couldn't snap at him. "Then what should I do? Suzune's already like this." "First, you need to tell me what happened between you two. Otherwise, what am I supposed to do, lecture the void?" "I'm ashamed to admit it, but to make a long story short, my parents had high hopes for me from a young age, so I spent most of my childhood at school and in various extracurricular classes..." Manabu claimed he'd keep it short, then launched into his childhood. Yuan Yuyuan, who hadn't wanted to come in the first place, grew even more impatient and cut him off. "Stop! I'd rather hear about Suzune." "All right. The truth is, Suzune started copying everything I did when she was little. At first, I cared a lot about her, and she'd copy the way I spoke to show that she cared about me too. She even copied my habits of thought, my schedule, and the way I walked. To test my theory, I gradually grew cold toward Suzune, and our relationship was never the same. It troubled me deeply. I believed Suzune was a rough gem, shining with potential—she had even more talent than I did. With a little polishing, she could become a dazzling jewel. Her life shouldn't be about copying me. She should..." "Stop! I don't want to hear what you think. Tell me what happened between the two of you." "...I started putting Suzune down, hoping she'd give up, but this time she didn't imitate me. Instead, she chose to become even better. That was the main reason our relationship truly started to turn strange. It was as if everything she did was to earn my approval." Manabu took a sip of water. If he could have avoided it, he would never have brought up that painful past. "I did well in school, so Suzune studied hard, trying to catch up to me and even surpass me. I'd learned martial arts, so she threw herself into training too. And as I mentioned, I liked long hair, so she grew hers out. To help her escape my influence, I chose to come to Advanced Nurturing High School, where students couldn't contact the outside world for three years. But I never expected..." "You never expected Suzune to follow you to this school, right?" Yuan Yuyuan interrupted the story, which Manabu had promised would be short but had still dragged on. By now, the situation was clear. As for how he felt about it, he wanted to give each sibling a hard slap. "So that's your problem. If you'd just explained things to Suzune from the start, none of this would've happened. She's not exactly the brightest either—she's never treated her own life as her own. But I have a plan. It's up to you whether you're willing to try it." When Manabu nodded, Yuan Yuyuan got straight to the point. "First, you need to understand why Suzune imitates you. You're so far above her that all she sees are your good points. She started copying you because she figured that if she followed your lead, she couldn't go wrong. So in her mind, you can do anything, right?" Manabu nodded without a word. It was a little embarrassing to admit, but that did seem to be the case. Yuan Yuyuan continued, "So first, you have to break that fixed image she has of you. Let her see you doing something you're bad at, for example. Then she'll realize that even the brother she thinks can do anything has his limits. Once she does, she won't blindly imitate you because of that distance between you." Manabu thought it over. It did make sense. If Suzune realized that the image she had of him was just a fantasy, they could break free of that fan-and-idol dynamic. But Yuan Yuyuan spoke again. "Don't think it'll be that simple. Getting rid of the distance between you is only the beginning. The important part is something you've been avoiding, but you can't change things without doing it: you need to have an honest talk with her. Make her understand that everything you did before was to help her escape your shadow, not because her own brother truly looked down on her. Otherwise, when her dream comes crashing down, she'll give up on herself." "You're right. Looking back, everything I did had the opposite effect." "I'd say it depends on the person. Suzune's stubborn. The more you tell her she can't do something, the more she wants to prove she can." Manabu sighed. He hadn't expected Yuan Yuyuan to understand Suzune better than her own brother after just over a month, but there was nothing he could do about it. He could only keep asking for advice. "But what should I do tonight? I haven't closed the distance between us yet. If I talk to Suzune now, she'll just think I'm pitying her." "Doesn't matter. I'll handle it tonight." Yuan Yuyuan didn't give Manabu a chance to speak. "I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush. You've still got me, right? Then I'll make my entrance when the time comes. Whether I'm with you from the start or pretend to run into you and join halfway through, once you leave, I'll persuade Suzune. 'Aw, your brother did it all for your sake.' I'll plant that seed in her mind. Then you can break the image she has of you, and she'll be more receptive when you talk. Perfect, right?" Manabu pondered for a while. He couldn't be sure, either—otherwise, the problem wouldn't have lasted nearly ten years. But things had come to this, so they might as well try anything. "It's the only option we have." "Don't worry! With the number-one big brother on the Japanese server stepping in, dealing with little Suzune will be a piece of cake. By the way, after all this help, shouldn't the student council president show a little appreciation?" Manabu stared impassively at Yuan Yuyuan, who was rubbing his thumb and index finger together so fast they were practically sparking. "Are you trying to start a fire by rubbing sticks together?" "You damn siscon, trying to get something for nothing?" Yuan Yuyuan raised his hand toward the sky. "Pay up, damn it!" "Stop testing me. Aside from the class funds we needed, I've already given you all my points." "What is this, a zero-yen shopping spree? Fine, you owe me a favor. Let's call it settled." First Semester: Chapter 33 — Try to Grow Up

Seeing someone who shouldn't have been there standing beside her brother, Horikita Suzune looked confused. But unlike usual, she wasn't forceful; she only asked meekly, "Brother, why is he here too?" Yuan Yuyuan didn't butt in because he'd noticed another uninvited guest. Both siblings had brought in outside help. They really were on the same wavelength. Seeing that Yuan Yuyuan had no intention of speaking, Manabu couldn't explain things to her just then, so he changed the subject. "That doesn't matter. What surprises me is that you followed me all the way here, Suzune." Horikita Suzune looked dejected at her brother's cold words. Forgetting that there was an outsider beside her, she defended herself, even though she usually didn't care what other people thought. "I'm not the useless little sister you knew anymore, Brother. I came here to catch up to you..." "Enough. The fact is, you got into Class D, which only makes me feel ashamed. When all's said and done, you're no different from three years ago. You still only know how to imitate me, and even now you haven't recognized your own shortcomings. Choosing to come to this school was your biggest mistake." "That's not true. I..."