Goodbye, Manabu Horikita! Manabu: Yeah, I'll stop by your place early! (continued)
Manabu Horikita is indeed very confident now.
"In the past, Suzune was just following in my footsteps and trailing behind me."
"This isn't the real her."
"And the real her, if she can find her true self, then she can become even stronger than me."
Oh?
Is that so?
That Suzune Horikita?
Hachiman was once again filled with doubt.
He doesn't deny that Horikita has improved, but it would be difficult for him to surpass Manabu Horikita.
"So what is the real Horikita... um, Suzune like?" Hachiman asked.
He also became interested in the topic.
Now all I see is Horikita, who is aloof but also hardworking and cooks delicious food.
Is the real Horikita, that is, the Horikita we know now, not her true self, but rather an act like Kushida's?
If that's the case, how terrible would that be?
Because it wasn't just Kushida who disliked Horikita's true nature; in fact, Horikita was one of only two people Hachiman had ever met who were truly true to themselves.
Then there's his Komachi.
So, Manabu Horikita is now saying that this isn't the real Suzune Horikita, which means he really underestimated Horikita?
"Suzune is a cheerful girl who likes to act cute," Manabu Horikita added.
But.
Thump—
Something rolled to the ground near Secretary Akane Tachibana.
But it wasn't just her; Hachiman was also frightened.
Because.
Suzune Horikita loves to laugh.
Cute.
She likes to act cute and affectionate.
Brother, are you lying to me?
Because.
You've been staying here too long tonight, it's disturbing my reading. You should go home now.
[It's not that I don't want to lend it, it's just that my clothes don't suit Ichinose. There's no other reason.]
[Hmm? This kind of question is easy to understand once you look at it, so why do you find it difficult?]
[Kushida is a real pain, but I lost to her, so I have no choice but to keep my promise.]
[A smile? What's that? I don't think it's necessary.]
His mind was filled with the meticulous and impartial Suzune Horikita.
So things like being cheerful and acting cute.
Hachiman couldn't even imagine it.
"This is the real Suzune, but she imitated me and became what she is now." Horikita's brother continued, "But when she was very young, I was actually the kind of person who followed in her footsteps. In other words, although it's not nice to put it in my words, my sister has gone astray."
Horikita's brother continued, "So, Hachiman Hikigaya, I hope you can turn her back to her original form."
Indeed.
Suzune Horikita admires her brother and strives to emulate him.
But is her current aloofness and hard work all because she's imitating Manabu Horikita?
Horikita's brother's explanation was also very simple.
Let Suzune Horikita be herself.
Tell her to stop imitating Manabu Horikita. Suzune Horikita had actually already done that in the Uninhabited Island Exam last semester.
Therefore, Manabu Horikita probably hopes to rediscover his younger sister's original talent.
Find the stronger version of herself from the past, and then survive and succeed in this school.
"Wouldn't it be better if you said these words to her yourself?" Hachiman said after thinking it over.
"It's impossible. My position isn't suitable for her to change. Even if I tell her to her face, she'll just be following orders. What I want is for her to choose to change," Manabu Horikita said. "And the only person who can make her do that is you, Hachiman Hikigaya. You've already changed her once, so naturally you can change her again."
These words silenced Hachiman.
Because Horikita was changed by him once.
So, was it changed once?
It has been changed.
Otherwise, the harmonious relationship with Horikita wouldn't exist now.
After a moment's thought, Hachiman Hikigaya decided to take on the job.
He was also curious about the extent of Suzune Horikita's talent and how far it could develop.
As for how to bring out her true self, it's actually not difficult.
Because.
To emulate an excellent older brother is to strive for excellence.
But this version of her is fake.
She started imitating her excellent older brother when she was very young, but she never succeeded.
In other words, it is fission, so since it is fission, there should be gaps.
All you need to do is open her heart again.
There is a way, and it's quite simple. Just make her break down once.
Suzune Horikita's greatest talent is studying.
It's devastating when someone becomes worthless in their area of expertise, so beat her in academics.
And now.
"You're a devil—"
"That's what Suzune said."
This was the sixth time she had lost to Hachiman paper.
And this guy is poisonous.
Not only did he win miserably on the Japanese Language and Literature test, but he also invited Ichinose over for a quiz together.
Then Suzune Horikita lost to Ichinose several times in a row.
She clearly loves studying and believes that there must be someone more outstanding, so it's normal to lose occasionally. But how could she lose ten games in one day?
My mental state is on the verge of collapse.
This is how Hachiman made a bet with her about her exam results, and how he thought that if he scored higher than her, she would definitely be furious.
"Since you can't take it anymore, then just be honest."
Hachiman deliberately dimmed the lights in the room to completely immerse her in the atmosphere created.
"Eh—"
With both hands sweeping the lost test papers into the trash can, Suzune Horikita chose to confess.
This was the first time she had opened up her heart to someone else.
"Creak—"
Invited here to do a test and compare scores with Horikita, Ichinose accidentally moved her chair.
"Ichinose, thank you for your help today. You can go back now," Hachiman said, noticing that Ichinose was still there.
Forehead.
This argument is like hiring someone as a tool and then getting rid of them once they're no longer needed.
But.
Ichinose was invited, wasn't angry, but left with a bit of curiosity.
Only.
She felt that Hachiman and Horikita had a particularly good relationship. Although they both said they weren't dating, they had only been here for half a day today, which almost made her think that she was... the extra one.
After Horikita's mental state was completely disrupted, she finally began a life-long conversation.
Who am I? As whom do I exist?
Or is it merely a fake, a counterfeit, a person who has never shown their true self to anyone?
"Looking back on my life so far, I realize that I have been playing a false version of myself."
Whether it's appearance, personality, or grades, she wants to imitate her brother, to be as excellent as him, and to gain his approval.
"But it failed."
"I hadn't proven myself by the time my brother was about to leave the school."
"So, isn't that sad, Hachiman?"
Suzune hugged her head.
Her imitations were utterly worthless, meaningless, and even made a mess of her own life.
"It is indeed very sad." Hachiman listened to her confession with a slight frown. Because Horikita's confession was not what he wanted.
And if this is Horikita's confession.
So.
"But there's one thing I think is wrong, not just you, but even your brother Manabu Horikita," Hachiman said. "You two siblings have the same personality."
"What?"
Suzune looked up.
"It's you two siblings who always go too far... you're so self-righteous!"
Hachiman was very disappointed.
Because Horikita's brother isn't a good older brother; unlike him, he doesn't fully understand his younger sister.
The date was March 10th.
All the students gathered in the gymnasium.
Attending the graduation ceremony for third-year students.
Today, the third-year students are graduating and will all be leaving the school.
As a member of the Student Council, Hachiman had been collecting graduates' cell phones for three days and then making them sign Confidentiality Agreement.
As for the matter of converting points into cash, that's a matter for the chairman to handle.
Student Council members don't handle money.
And now.
Hachiman stood in the ranks, gazing ahead.
"Let us offer our final blessings to the third-year students."