Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, tree-lined path.
Watching her brother—the man who had always seemed as insurmountable as a mountain and had always spoken to her coldly—being driven back several steps by the malicious Class A student before her, Horikita Suzune's mind went blank for a moment.
But immediately afterward, her fierce pride and the humiliation that had built up over the years quickly brought her back to her senses (in plain English: Haki Code had kicked in). Gritting her teeth and forcing down her trembling, she looked past Amasawa Reigetsu, who stood in front of her, and glared at him.
"Amasawa... why are you here?"
Suzune's voice was slightly hoarse from the shock she had just experienced, but it still carried its usual sharpness and arrogance.
"Who said you could butt in? This is my—this is a matter between my brother and me. I don't need an outsider interfering!"
In her eyes, whether it was being overpowered by her brother or being coldly rejected by him, those were twisted but private entanglements between the two of them. She absolutely didn't want an unrelated outsider—especially a malicious guy like Amasawa—to see her in such a pathetic state, much less feel indebted to him.
Amasawa Reigetsu didn't care. Only Ayanokoji Kiyoko blushed a little, since they were here because they were getting ready to start a game.
No, no, no! They were here to take a shortcut!!!
Ayanokoji Kiyoko had fried her own CPU. Holding her flushed face, she went back to crouch in the bushes.
Amasawa Reigetsu: ...Idiot?
Ayanokoji Kiyoko: ///
"Ahem... Well, senpai, as you can see, we did record this. We've been here since you started arguing."
Though the process had been a little awkward, and the reason for it was hard to explain, Amasawa Reigetsu still waved the recording device in his hand. The image on the screen was frozen on the moment Horikita Manabu had just pinned his sister forcefully against the wall.
"Horikita-senpai, you wouldn't want this video spreading across everyone's forums, would you?"
"Ten million points to buy the footage."
"Decisive as ever. You've got a lot on your shoulders, Horikita-senpai~ It seems that if the people around you lost you... Don't worry, don't worry. I'm not that underhanded."
At Amasawa Reigetsu's follow-up, Horikita Manabu's eyes wavered almost imperceptibly. His opponent was far too perceptive; he had revealed an even bigger weakness.
Horikita Manabu's gaze swept over the small screen. His eyes behind his glasses remained calm, but his clenched jaw betrayed his inner calculations. After a brief silence, he took out his terminal and made a few swift transactions.
With a chime, a huge amount of points had already been transferred to Amasawa's account.
"Now then—"
"What are you doing?! Why are you using my brother's weakness to extort points from him? I don't agree to this deal!"
Before Amasawa could put away his terminal, Horikita Suzune suddenly rushed forward, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
Looking at Horikita Suzune, who had triggered Haki Code once again, Amasawa Reigetsu chuckled. The amusement in his eyes, however, didn't reach their depths.
"Oh? You don't agree? That's a shame."
He deliberately drew out the last word and wagged a finger in the air.
"Since the buyer's family member objects... How about this: fifteen million points. What do you say, senpai? Think of it as paying your sister's tuition in advance."
Complex emotions flashed through Horikita Manabu's eyes. Fifteen million was already close to the number of points needed to protect someone from expulsion. The extra five million, meant to keep Miyabi Nagumo in check, had struck right at his weak point. So there really was a formidable student in the first year. Was this just luck, or had he actually thought that far ahead?
He had to negotiate further.
But Horikita Suzune didn't give him the chance, though Horikita Manabu wouldn't truly blame her, as her brother.
"You—!"
Horikita Suzune was completely enraged. Ignoring the difference in strength between them, she clenched her fist and swung it at Amasawa Reigetsu.
Amasawa didn't move even half a step. The instant Suzune's fist was about to hit him, he leaned slightly to the side to evade it, caught her wrist, and gave a gentle pull and push. Horikita Suzune lost her balance and fell into Amasawa's arms in an extremely intimate pose.
The two of them now looked as if they were dancing a waltz. Horikita Suzune realized this too and blushed as she tried to struggle, only to find her muscles locked in place, leaving her almost completely unable to move.
"When you don't have the strength to back it up, acting tough will only make you look worse. That's what senpai wanted to tell you, too."
Amasawa Reigetsu's face was an ambiguously close distance from Horikita Suzune's. She felt her heart beating so fast.
I'm blushing. Don't look at his face. I'm furious, I'm angry, I hate this guy. The suspension bridge effect doesn't exist. Don't let him fool you!!
Horikita Suzune gave herself a rapid-fire pep talk, but her body had never been capable of lying to itself.
And so Horikita Suzune arrived at a world-shattering conclusion, creating a phrase that brought her flexible thinking skills all the way to A+—
I'm getting wet.
But nobody else knew what Horikita Suzune was thinking. They only saw her breathing heavily.
No, one person knew. As the White Room's greatest masterpiece, Ayanokoji Kiyoko felt a powerful sense of crisis!
Her master was about to get a new puppy (╥Д╥)
No! Anything but that!!!
Amasawa Reigetsu turned his gaze back to Horikita Manabu's dark expression.
"Leave something behind today, so we can meet again tomorrow. Ten million points, plus Horikita apologizes to me. How does that sound?"
Horikita Manabu's reason told him this was the best outcome. Don't get greedy! But then he saw tears welling in his sister's eyes—
"Fifteen million points, and you join the Student Council."
Siscon. Disgusting.
"It's fine, brother. It's not like this is the first time."
Horikita Suzune stepped away from Amasawa Reigetsu, then bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry. I acted impulsively and offended you, Amasawa. I apologize."
A surge of humiliation welled up inside Horikita Suzune, and she could no longer hold back her tears. She went over to the bushes where Ayanokoji Kiyoko was and crouched down to wipe them away.
But along with the humiliation, a strange sliver of pleasure began to spread through Horikita Suzune's heart, like a drop of ink falling into clear water.
Watching his crying sister walk away, Horikita Manabu clenched his fists and suppressed his emotions, making one last attempt to negotiate.
Wait, what did she mean by "it's not like this is the first time"? Had Suzune's first time already been taken by this man!?
Never mind. Given Suzune's personality, having Amasawa around might actually help her grow. He was about to graduate, after all; he couldn't help her for all three years.
"Join the Student Council as vice president. I'll clear any bureaucratic obstacles for you."
"Deal."
Amasawa Reigetsu saw the burden on Horikita Manabu's shoulders and admired his sense of responsibility.
They shook hands and bumped shoulders.
No words were needed.