Horikita Manabu: I will specially allow you to call me brother!

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the time Ju Ji and the others had agreed upon with Student Council President Horikita Manabu arrived.

"As expected, you two showed up at the same time, didn't you?"

"It's a coincidence, Horikita-san, it's really just a coincidence... right, Ju Ji?"

"Ah... yeah, that's right."

The meeting place the three had agreed upon was right at the base of the dormitory building. It was currently around nine in the morning, the time when the July sun was at its most scorching. Yet, Suzune stood under the blazing sun with an imposing air, as if this level of weather couldn't affect her in the slightest.

"Suzune, you're here really early. We still have some time before the meeting, don't we?"

Ju Ji's original plan was for the two of them to head out early and then pretend they had just bumped into each other when Suzune arrived. But he hadn't expected Suzune to leave even earlier than them. The plan was ruined, so he had to come up with a makeshift excuse.

"My brother said he had something important to discuss, so I thought it was better to leave early. Let's head over now. And Ju Ji, cheer up. You're so lethargic early in the morning. Do you plan on being like this all day?"

"Yes, I understand."

Suzune looked at Ju Ji's listless appearance and felt a bit helpless. She remembered he hadn't been like this before. If she had to say when the change started, it was probably within the last two days. On top of that, the distance between Kikyo and Ju Ji seemed much closer than it had been before.

Suzune felt that something must have happened between the two of them. Even when she asked, she was just brushed off. This feeling of being the only one kept in the dark was inexplicably irritating.

The location they had agreed upon was the student council office where the fateful trial of Sudo had taken place. The Student Council President was sitting solemnly in his exclusive chair, with Secretary Tachibana standing by his side as always; these two were truly inseparable. They might as well just get married.

Because it was the weekend, there was no one else in the student council besides Horikita Manabu and Secretary Tachibana. Because his aura was simply too intense, Ju Ji almost wanted to turn around and leave to avoid getting dragged into any trouble.

"Pick a seat and sit down."

"President... please tone down your aura a bit. Little Suzune and the others are getting nervous because of it."

"My apologies."

It seemed that because of Secretary Tachibana's remark, Horikita Manabu's intimidating aura softened slightly afterward. But why did the atmosphere in the room still feel so serious?

Nevertheless, Ju Ji and the others chose seats nearby, specifically on Horikita Manabu's left, near the door. But what was with this atmosphere, as if an emergency meeting were about to begin?

"Since my surname and Suzune's are both Horikita, you can just address me as Student Council President."

"President, shouldn't you bridge the distance a bit and let them call you Manabu-senpai?"

"It's fine, call me however you like."

Saying something akin to casual small talk with such a serious expression made Ju Ji feel a bit strange. Horikita Manabu was indeed an odd person. But looking at the way Secretary Tachibana interacted with him, they were likely used to it.

"Then, I'll call you Manabu-senpai. Manabu-senpai, is there something you wanted to discuss by calling us out today?"

It was true that changing how one addressed someone was the easiest way to bridge a relationship; hearing that title from Kikyo, the two really seemed like a senior and junior who had known each other for a long time. If he could get on good terms with the Student Council President, he might gain a lot of conveniences. In that case, he should also...

"That's right, Manabu-sen..."

"No, Shinomiya-kun, you should still call me Student Council President. We aren't that close."

It really was a society that judged by appearances; Kikyo had easily bridged the relationship between them, yet when it came to Ju Ji, he was flatly rejected.

"President, don't play favorites just because of your own reasons. Isn't Shinomiya-kun pitiful?"

"So, Brother, do you have something important to tell us?"

Suzune, who was always serious about her work, finally couldn't stand this meaningless farce and spoke up to interrupt it.

After being stopped by Suzune, Horikita Manabu's expression finally turned serious again.

"It's not actually anything particularly important. But it is quite significant for some of the people present. However, before that, let me see your strength. Shinomiya-kun, come with me to the Gymnasium."

"No, showing off my strength doesn't really benefit me."

"I'll give you 100,000 Private Points if you beat me."

"Alright, then let's compete to see who is better."

Ju Ji hadn't wanted to participate in this meaningless contest, as it was both physically exhausting and a waste of time. But he had no choice; Horikita Manabu was offering way too much. Outside the Gymnasium was a practice track about 1,200 meters long, which was also where students practiced running. Now, Ju Ji and Horikita Manabu were doing warm-up exercises at the starting line of the track.

"Good luck, President!"

"Don't lose, Ju Ji!"

"So, what exactly are we here for?"

Kikyo and Secretary Tachibana seemed to have completely immersed themselves in this sudden recreational activity; it appeared they were very interested in seeing who would win.

"Student Council President, if you lose in a moment, don't try to welch on the debt."

"Of course, and you must also use your full strength to compete with me."

"Ready, go!"

At Secretary Tachibana's command, the two at the starting line shot off like arrows released from a bow, speeding across the track. At the start, their speeds were evenly matched. It was worth noting that although Ju Ji hadn't specifically practiced running, years of martial arts training had made his physical fitness much better than the average person. Yet, Horikita Manabu's current speed was actually on par with his. It seemed he hadn't slacked off in his physical training either.

"Sorry, for those 100,000 points, Student Council President, I can't lose."

"Is that so? If you can do it, then give it a try."

In the final hundred meters, Ju Ji exerted almost all his strength, utilizing every martial arts technique he knew for generating power. Finally, at the very last moment, he overtook Horikita Manabu by half a body length. This was clearly Ju Ji's victory; yes, 100,000 Private Points were in the bag, this was absolutely fantastic.

"Not bad at all, Shinomiya... no, Ju Ji. I acknowledge your strength."

"No, the Student Council President's strength is also very formidable. I almost lost."

Although the Student Council President looked like he was panting quite heavily, it was clear he still had some stamina left. Compared to him, Ju Ji collapsed directly onto the ground after finishing. In terms of pure stamina, Horikita Manabu was still stronger.

"Since I've acknowledged your strength, calling me Student Council President is a bit distant. I'll make an exception and allow you to call me Brother!"

"What?"