Horikita Suzune turned her head impatiently, meeting her deskmate Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's perpetually expressionless face.
"Ayanokoji, I told you not to touch me without asking."
"Horikita, it might be too soon to give up on the entire class."
"Oh? Do you have some brilliant idea, then?"
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka tilted his head slightly, as if thinking for half a second, then offered a suggestion that sounded somewhat out of left field:
"I wouldn't call it brilliant, but perhaps you could find some time... to ask Kitagawa from Class B?"
The instant he finished speaking.
Horikita Suzune had already made her move. She opened her Metal Compass and jabbed Ayanokoji with it.
"Stay out of it. He and I have nothing to do with each other."
Ayanokoji slowly lowered his head and looked at his arm, where a clear little red mark had appeared.
"Ts!"
He let out a gasp a moment later, sounding somewhat bewildered.
Ayanokoji quickly considered the usefulness of Horikita Suzune as a tool.
Still no good?
Horikita Suzune often visited Kitagawa Kai's dormitory, so why was it like this?
He would observe a little longer. If the situation worsened, it seemed he would have to switch to another tool.
Four in the afternoon.
"President, you called me to the Student Council in such a hurry. Was there some important instruction?"
Kitagawa Kai pushed open the door to the Student Council President's Office, wearing just the right amount of confusion and a hint of a junior's deference.
Horikita Manabu set down his Fountain Pen and looked at Kitagawa Kai with the scrutinizing gaze of someone handling official business.
"Kitagawa, according to the Student Council's work records, you haven't taken a single one of your regular secretary shifts since joining."
He paused, lightly tapping a duty roster on the desk with his fingertip.
"Can you explain?"
A shift?
"Senior?" Kitagawa Kai called softly, his tone full of a junior's reliance on and desire for confirmation from his senior. "So... we have shifts?"
"..."
Tachibana Akane's heart gave a jolt under that innocent gaze. It seemed she really had forgotten.
"Um, President, I... I don't think... I've actually had a chance to explain the shifts in detail to Kitagawa." Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was barely audible, and her head drooped lower and lower.
Horikita Manabu looked away from Kitagawa Kai and turned to Tachibana Akane, who looked as if she wished she could vanish on the spot.
"I'll deal with Secretary Tachibana's oversight separately."
"But as a Student Council member, you're expected to take the initiative to learn about and fulfill your basic responsibilities. You'll make up the vacant shift periods this week. I'll tell you the specific times shortly."
"Understood, President. Hontou ni sumimasen."
"Tachibana, go take care of filing the backlog of meeting minutes first."
At that, Tachibana Akane quickly steadied her breathing. "Yes, President."
She bowed slightly, her eyes flicking quickly over Kitagawa Kai. It seemed she wanted to say a few more words of guidance to the junior who had made her "forget what she was supposed to do," but in front of Horikita Manabu, she ultimately just nodded hurriedly and left at a brisk pace.
"Horikita, you went out of your way to send Senior Tachibana away. I take it the matter we're about to discuss is the real reason you called me here today?"
Kitagawa Kai spoke unhurriedly, with the air of someone who understood without needing to be told.
"Both matters. How has Suzune been lately?"
"Horikita, you care so much about your younger sister. You're at the same school, so keeping in touch should be easy." Kitagawa Kai looked at Horikita Manabu with clear eyes.
"Why not just ask her yourself? Or... have you two not exchanged contact information?"
Horikita Manabu's hands, clasped in front of him, paused slightly.
"Not yet."
"I see. So, you're... well, a little embarrassed to bring it up first?" Kitagawa Kai kindly supplied a reason for Horikita Manabu's "not yet," then smiled more broadly.
"What's so difficult about that? Come on, give me your Terminal, and I'll take care of it."
He held out his hand, keeping it steady in midair. Even his fingertips curled slightly, as if urging Horikita Manabu along.
Horikita Manabu stared at the hand extended before him, then looked at Kitagawa Kai's "helpful" face. He sighed softly and reached into his uniform's inner pocket for his Terminal.
His movement was tinged with a hint of hesitation. His fingertips rested on the cold device for half a second before he handed it to Kitagawa Kai.
Kitagawa Kai accepted it as naturally as could be.
"I remember Suzune's ID is..." he murmured, skillfully typing in a string of characters.
"Mm, let me make sure. This is the right one." Kitagawa Kai paused briefly before tapping the button, as if checking the information, then quickly typed out a line.
Horikita Manabu watched in silence, the muscles in his face seeming even tenser than usual.
Only after Kitagawa Kai tapped send and turned the Terminal screen toward him did Horikita Manabu's usually placid expression finally show a hint of change.
The verification message on the screen read:
[Suzune-chan, accept my request. I'm your brother.]
Suzune-chan?
Horikita Manabu stared coldly at Kitagawa Kai for several seconds. Even the light coming through the window seemed to dim a little.
"Ding."
[Horikita Suzune accepted your friend request.]
[Horikita Suzune: ?]
"Horikita, it's done."
Horikita Manabu took the phone and, ignoring the somewhat flippant verification message, clearly typed a line.
[I'm Horikita Manabu.]
"Now, Kitagawa, can you explain?"
"President, about that, I don't think you need to worry too much about the details."
"After all, I'm taking good care of Suzune-chan, and I've always done my best to help her grow. Using a more familiar way of addressing her is also meant to bring us closer."
Kitagawa Kai spread his hands, looking as if he had only been trying to help.
Some unpleasant scenes almost involuntarily flashed through Horikita Manabu's mind.
He trusted his younger sister's character and judgment, of course, but Kitagawa Kai... was unpredictable in his actions and bold and ambiguous in his words!
"Kitagawa, I heard Suzune often visits your dormitory at lunchtime?"
Horikita Manabu went straight to the most important point, and the fact that bothered him most, without any more circumlocution.
Faced with Horikita Manabu's direct question, Kitagawa Kai's smile became even more natural, and even carried a hint of dawning realization, as if to say, "So that's what you're worried about."
"Ah, it's nothing."
"We just have lunch together."
"You have lunch together?"
"Yeah." Kitagawa Kai nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Cooking for ourselves in the dormitory saves quite a few Personal Points."
"Besides, it's quieter there, and more convenient for us to discuss things. It's much more efficient. The cafeteria can get too noisy sometimes, and it's impossible to have a proper conversation."
Silence spread through the room for several seconds.
Horikita Manabu finally spoke.
"...All right."
"But as Suzune's older brother, I have to remind you to be mindful of how things look."
He clearly stressed the words "older brother" and "how things look."
"Of course."
Kitagawa Kai answered promptly and decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
"...You can go now." Horikita Manabu said no more and dismissed him.
"Yes, President. I'll take my leave." Kitagawa Kai gave a slight nod and left the office.
Horikita Manabu looked at the latest message on his Terminal.
"Older brother."
Now he needed to think about how to have an effective conversation with Suzune, but he didn't know what to say.