Chapter 34

Yuan Yuyuan's words made perfect sense, but since the die was already cast, he didn't see the point in dwelling on them now. "I remember, but is there anything I need to pay attention to?" "That's the problem! The distance between you and Suzune is far too great. You're her brother, not her secret crush—ahem, though that's not entirely impossible, it's unhealthy!" Manabu Horikita narrowed his eyes. It wasn't because Yuan Yuyuan's words had struck a nerve, but because this guy had said so much, yet only one sentence had hit the mark. Still, since he was the one asking for help, he couldn't exactly lash out. "Then what should I do? Suzune is already like this now." "First, you have to tell me what happened between you two. Otherwise, am I just lecturing into the void?" "It's embarrassing to say, but to make a long story short, my parents held high expectations for me since I was young, so my childhood was basically spent in school and various training classes..." Seeing Manabu Horikita say he would make a long story short, only to start talking about his childhood, made Yuan Yuyuan, who hadn't wanted to come in the first place, even more impatient. He interrupted directly. "Stop! I'd rather hear the part about Suzune." "Fine. Actually, it's because Suzune started imitating my every move from a young age. At first, I cared for her, and she would learn to care for me using my own words, my habits of thought, my schedule, and even the way I walked—she would deliberately mimic them all. To test my theory, I gradually became cold toward her, and our relationship was never the same. It distressed me greatly. I believed Suzune was a raw stone shining with brilliance; she possessed even greater potential than I did. As long as she was polished, she could become a dazzling gem. Her life shouldn't just be about imitating me; she should..." "Stop! I don't want to hear your thoughts. Please continue with what happened between you two." "...I started using words to strike her down, hoping she would know when to retreat, but this time she didn't imitate me; instead, she chose to become more outstanding. This is the main reason our relationship truly became strange, as if everything she did was to gain my approval." Manabu Horikita took a sip of water. If he could, he really wouldn't want to bring up this painful past. "My grades in school were excellent, so Suzune would study hard, striving to catch up to or even surpass me. I studied martial arts, and she would practice desperately. Including what I just said about liking long hair, she grew her hair long. To let her break free from my influence, I chose to come to Advanced Nurturing High School, where I couldn't contact the outside world for three years, but I didn't expect..." "You didn't expect Suzune to follow you to this school, right." Yuan Yuyuan interrupted this story, which was supposed to be short but was actually quite long. Hearing this, it was already clear enough. As for his feelings, he just wanted to give this pair of siblings a good slap each: "So that's your flaw. If you had just explained things clearly to Suzune from the beginning, there wouldn't be all this mess. She isn't very bright either, not taking her own life seriously at all. But I have a way, it just depends on whether you're willing." Seeing Manabu Horikita nod, Yuan Yuyuan didn't keep him in suspense. "First, you have to understand why Suzune imitates you. It's because you are too far away from her. She only sees your strengths, and her original intention for imitating you was that following your lead wouldn't be wrong. So in her heart, you are omnipotent, right?" Manabu Horikita nodded without speaking. Although it was a bit embarrassing to admit, it seemed to be the case. Then Yuan Yuyuan continued: "So, first you have to break her stereotype. For example, do something you aren't good at in front of her. She will realize that even the brother she considers omnipotent has things he can't do. That way, she won't blindly imitate you because of that sense of distance." Manabu Horikita thought about it, and it really did make sense. As long as Suzune realized that the image she had of him was just a fantasy, they could break free from this fan-and-idol relationship. But then, Yuan Yuyuan spoke again. "Don't think it's that simple. Eliminating the sense of distance is only the key; the next step is the one you've been avoiding, but it's unavoidable if you want to change: have an honest, open conversation with her. You have to let her know that everything you did before was to help her escape your shadow, not because a brother truly looked down on his sister. Otherwise, she will become self-destructive because her dream is shattered." "Indeed, looking back now, my previous actions were completely counterproductive." "I can only say it depends on the person. With someone as stubborn as Suzune, the more you say she can't do it, the more she wants to prove she can." Manabu Horikita sighed. He didn't expect that in just over a month, Yuan Yuyuan's understanding of Suzune would surpass his own as a brother. But he couldn't do anything about it, so he had to continue asking Yuan Yuyuan for advice: "But what should I do tonight? I haven't eliminated the sense of distance between us yet, and talking to her now will only make her think I'm pitying her." "It doesn't matter, I'll handle it. You just keep provoking her tonight." Yuan Yuyuan didn't give Manabu Horikita a chance to speak. "I know you're anxious, but don't be. Aren't I here? I'll make my appearance when the time comes. Whether I'm with you from the start or I pretend to bump into you and intervene, I'll persuade Suzune after you leave. I'll tell her, 'Oh, your brother did it all for your own good,' and plant a seed in her heart. When you break the image she has of you later, she'll be more receptive to your conversation. Isn't that perfect!" Manabu Horikita pondered for a while. In truth, he wasn't sure, otherwise, why would this problem have persisted for nearly ten years... But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to treat a dead horse as if it were alive. "That's all I can do." "Don't worry! With me, the number one best brother on the Japanese server, taking action, little Suzune will be a piece of cake. By the way, since I've helped so much, shouldn't the Student Council President show some appreciation?" Manabu Horikita looked indifferently at Yuan Yuyuan, who was rubbing his thumb and index finger together until they were almost sparking. "Are you performing a fire-starting ritual?" "You damn sister-complex, trying to play me for a fool?" Yuan Yuyuan raised his hand toward the sky: "Pay up!" "Don't test me. Aside from the necessary class funds, I've already given all my points to you." "Are you trying to get a free ride here? Then you owe me a favor. It's settled."

Seeing someone who shouldn't be there standing next to her brother, Suzune Horikita was a bit confused. However, she wasn't as tough as usual, only asking weakly: "Brother, why is he here too?" Yuan Yuyuan didn't interrupt, because he sensed there was another uninvited guest on the scene. The fact that both siblings had found outside help was truly a case of great minds thinking alike. Seeing that Yuan Yuyuan had no intention of speaking, Manabu Horikita couldn't explain it to her for a moment, so he had to change the subject: "That's not important. What I didn't expect was that you would actually follow me here, Suzune." Facing her brother's cold words, Suzune Horikita felt a bit dejected. Ignoring the outsider present, she, who usually didn't care about others' opinions, defended herself: "I am no longer the useless sister my brother remembers. I am here to catch up to you..." "Enough. The fact is that you entered Class D, which only makes me feel ashamed. In the end, you haven't changed at all compared to three years ago. You only know how to blindly imitate me, and even now, you haven't realized your own flaws. Choosing to enter this school like this is your biggest mistake." "That's not true, I..."