Chapter 434

"Congratulations on their graduation."

The graduation ceremony was hosted by a second-year student, but for some reason, when they got to this point and saw the third-year students really leaving the school, they suddenly became tearful.

Although this school is Meritocracy, it cannot be denied that seniors are still seniors, and one will also level up like them, graduate, and eventually leave this school.

And the third-year students really did graduate on this day.

As a representative of the outstanding graduates of Third-year Class A, Manabu Horikita also delivered his speech.

"I assure you all that what you learn at this school will become your most valuable asset in the future."

"The person giving the speech next year, or two years from now, will surely have a moment when they can understand these words."

As if to be in time for the occasion, the cherry blossoms, which had been waiting to bloom for a long time, quietly opened in the early morning.

The fragrant aroma filled the entire campus.

After the ceremony, the third-year students left the campus one after another.

Apart from the students in Third-year Class A who received recommendation letters that allowed the school to fulfill its promotional promises, the students in other classes received graduation certificates from other schools.

However, since they completed three years of high school without any living expenses, the school did not let them down.

So for a time, the area near the school gate was filled with a slightly somber atmosphere of graduating seniors.

"Horikita-senpai— "

As Manabu Horikita slowed his pace along the campus path toward the school gate, he was suddenly called out to.

He turned around. "I thought you weren't going to catch up, Hachiman Hikigaya."

After the ceremony, Hachiman Hikigaya gave a box to Akane Tachibana separately.

But I didn't greet Manabu Horikita then.

So Manabu Horikita thought it was Hachiman Hikigaya who hadn't completed his task. Turns out, this kid's back again.

"Then, what about Suzune?"

Because the only person who came to see him off was Hachiman, not his sister Suzune.

"She'll be there later, but before that, I have something to say to you."

"Oh?"

Manabu Horikita sensed the seriousness in Hachiman's tone.

"Is it about the reward for the mission to help Suzune find herself?"

"No, I'm not the kind of person who would act on money alone," Hachiman said. "Besides, I know you Horikita's brother, are out of money."

"..."

This reaction prompted Manabu Horikita to adjust his glasses.

Because.

This doesn't sound like something Hachiman Hikigaya Aizen would say at all.

Even Akane Tachibana, the former secretary, who was following behind him, looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Originally, I accepted your mission, but I discovered that it is impossible to accomplish." Hachiman shook his head.

"Hmm?" Manabu Horikita pushed up his glasses.

"Because you completely...don't understand your own sister." Hachiman continued. "You know less about her than I do."

"..."

"..."

The air seemed to freeze.

"... Hachiman Hikigaya, are you kidding me?" Horikita's brother asked. "I'm her older brother."

"Then let me ask you, how old is your sister, as far as you know? Kindergarten, or elementary school?" Hachiman did not back down.

"How old were you when you noticed she was imitating you?"

"... Hmm."

This question stumped Manabu Horikita.

But he quickly realized, "It was probably third grade."

"Then that's your problem."

Hachiman said, "The gentle, spoiled younger sister you're talking about, the younger sister with a true heart, is she in the third grade, right?"

"Perhaps, back then or even earlier, Horikita... well, Suzune would have been that type of person, but former student council president Horikita, I think you need to understand one thing: people change. It's like how I didn't like money when I was a child, and I still don't like money when I grow up, but now I have to like it because having money can make my future better."

"So, it's all because of your fixed mindset. The sister you know isn't actually the sister you know now."

"And your current sister is actually your real sister. You just haven't realized it yet."

"..."

This caused Manabu Horikita to fall silent once again.

Meanwhile, Secretary Akane Tachibana remained silent on the side.

Although Hachiman's theory that he didn't love money when he was a child but now loves it is not credible, his words cannot be denied.

The president knows his sister from when she was little, but people really do grow up and change.

Nothing can remain unchanged.

"No, you're wrong." But after thinking it over, Manabu Horikita decided to give Hachiman another lesson. "My sister is unique, and she's still imitating me just like she was in third grade. Of course, she says she no longer takes me as her role model, but I believe she's still putting on a false version of herself."

This calm tone made Secretary Akane Tachibana feel that the president was right again.

But Hachiman sighed.

"Eh—"

"So, Horikita's brother, you and Suzune are very similar. If Suzune doesn't understand people's hearts, you're pretty much the same."

"Just like when Suzune enrolled, you knew how dangerous the school was, so you made your sister, who was just imitating you, drop out. You even resorted to violence for it."

"Because you find that your younger sister is still learning from you, or even chasing after you, you feel that this is a huge sin and you want to stop her, but you can't find a good way."

"However, this is all just your one-sided understanding, Horikita's brother. You don't understand at all that Suzune isn't actually imitating you, because what she's showing now is the real her."

"...What's the meaning?"

Manabu Horikita frowned.

"Because you haven't realized it yet. You think Suzune is imitating you, but..."

"She... is actually quite incompetent."

"Her imitation is completely off!"

"So, that wasn't imitation at all! She wanted to be as Academic Ability excellent as you, but she can't be absolutely excellent."

"She wants to be like you, and since you have many friends, she should logically be inclined to make friends as well, but she isn't," Hachiman concluded. "In short, she's rather naive. She thinks she's imitating you, copying you, not being the real her, but that's not it. That inferior, weak, fledgling-like version of herself is the real her."

"She's clumsy, cowardly, and stubborn, but easily discouraged. These are the true Suzune Horikita."

"Wow—"

Akane Tachibana felt that these adjectives were a bit excessive.

"..."

But Manabu Horikita opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't find an excuse to refute it.

That's enough—

Just then, a new voice came from behind the three of them.

The three of them also met the real Suzune Horikita.

I could clearly feel the sound of Horikita's brother and Akane Tachibana's hearts about to stop beating.

Because this was probably due to some kind of stimulation.

In fact, Hachiman was also shocked when he first saw it.

"Although I wanted to come earlier, Hachiman Hikigaya told me to wait, so I came at this time."

"That's what Suzune said."

"I thought you were going to say something nice, but those adjectives really made it seem like you were deliberately slandering me."

Horikita spoke rather quickly.

But everyone's attention wasn't on what she was saying, but on her current state.

Yes.

The current Suzune Horikita is very different.

She was absolutely brand new.

Horikita was a very pretty girl with long, black hair, but now, although her appearance remains the same, her aura is completely different.

There's a certain something about her; it's her, but it's not quite her.

It feels like it has evolved.

"Suzune... you are now... this is indeed how I remember my little sister."

Manabu Horikita was the first to share his thoughts.

Because this was indeed my younger sister from the third grade of elementary school, whom I remembered. She was dignified and spirited.

"No."

But Suzune Horikita gently shook her head. "Actually, I am still me. Or rather, there's something I want to tell my brother."

"In the past, I did follow in my brother's footsteps, hoping to see the view he saw from where he was standing."

But Hachiman told me that if I had that kind of mentality, I would never catch up with my brother, and then he suggested that I do this—"

"What should I do?" Manabu Horikita suddenly felt a little flustered.

He had just come to think that this younger sister was an excellent younger sister.

But.

Suddenly I felt something was wrong.

"Let's go where my brother can't catch up," Suzune Horikita continued. "To see a view that's even wider than what my brother sees."

In other words, in the past, Suzune only regarded Manabu Horikita as her goal, but now, does she want to surpass her idol?

Manabu Horikita immediately looked in the direction of Hachiman.

Hachiman gave a graceful yet polite smile.

In other words...

This younger sister hasn't grown up at all; instead, she's set an even more terrifying goal and is blindly arrogant.

"If this is your choice, then I hope to witness an even brighter future for you." Although he wanted to get angry, Manabu Horikita knew very well that this school did not have a system for repeating grades.

Immediately cracking down on one thing at a time would only backfire.

So even if she wanted to protect her younger sister from repeating a grade, it wouldn't be allowed.

Moreover, he had already used up all his points.

In this way.

Although somewhat reluctant, Manabu Horikita had no choice but to passively board the bus that had once brought them to Advanced Nurturing High School, along with the other graduates.

The school stopped holding exams and classes starting in March.

They were also given an extra month's living expenses.

For students who don't have much money, it's best to go home for vacation as early as possible.

Because the mountain vegetable set meal and the like really weren't tasty.