Brother and Sister Meet

After seeing Karuizawa Kei back to her dormitory, Wu Qiao was in no rush to return and rest. He walked along the quiet campus paths at night, feeling an unprecedented sense of ease; he was genuinely happy.

If he were in the outside world, he might have been able to make friends normally, but in this school where he knew the plot by heart, he actually had little intention of making real friends.

It couldn't be helped; he knew too much. His thorough understanding of the plot and the characters' fates made it difficult for him to truly care for anyone. Thus, he was more like a player in a game of chess, treating everyone around him as pieces on the board.

However... when a person truly lets their guard down and opens their heart to you, the feeling of being trusted wholeheartedly is completely different. It was no longer cold data or a script, but living, breathing warmth.

Wu Qiao now wished he had a bottle of wine at hand to properly celebrate this unexpected gain.

Unfortunately, minors in this country were not allowed to drink, unless he were to steal it like Kamuro Masumi from Class A.

In the end, Wu Qiao chose to go to the Commercial Street to buy some ingredients to brew his own wine, and while he was at it, he bought two liters of mineral water, intending to have a good drink to soothe his overly excited emotions.

However, just as he was passing a secluded corner with his bags full of items, Wu Qiao keenly noticed two figures in the corner. Subconsciously, he lightened his footsteps and hid in the shadows.

Not far away, Horikita Suzune looked at Horikita Manabu, who had asked to meet her, her heart filled with extreme tension. She had always held this brother of hers in awe, even fear, while simultaneously harboring complex feelings of longing and admiration for him.

Yet today, facing Horikita Manabu's characteristically harsh rebukes and merciless biting words, Horikita Suzune did not feel hurt or aggrieved as she usually did.

Because her gaze was locked tightly onto the system panel that only she could see—

[Name: Horikita Manabu]

[Current Favorability: 98]

98, an unprecedentedly high favorability score, almost reaching the system's limit.

"You are always like this, self-righteously trying to prove yourself, yet you can't even distinguish between the most basic aloofness and loneliness." Horikita Manabu's voice was as cold and hard as iron. If this were in the past, Horikita Suzune would have already retorted with reddened eyes.

But now, all these harsh words were coated with a thick filter in Horikita Suzune's eyes, thanks to that bright red "98." She suddenly understood the deep meaning behind that severity; it wasn't disgust, but the anxiety of someone who wanted her to succeed; it wasn't rejection, but a protective instinct born from the fear that she might get hurt in this cruel competition.

So, has Brother always been looking at me like this?

Horikita Suzune's originally tense body gradually relaxed. She raised her head, and for the first time, she did not dodge her brother's oppressive gaze, instead listening earnestly to every word of his admonition.

Wu Qiao, hiding in the dark, raised an eyebrow at this scene. Although he couldn't hear the specific conversation, seeing the student council president—who was usually extremely strict with his sister—and Horikita Suzune's expression of sudden enlightenment, he had a rough idea of what was happening.

It seemed tonight was destined to be a sleepless one. Not only for him and Karuizawa Kei, but this awkward pair of siblings also seemed to have finally reached some kind of turning point. Was this his butterfly effect?

Horikita Suzune tilted her head up, her eyes, which were usually cold and stubborn, now staring straight at Horikita Manabu without a hint of fear.

This scene caused a rare flash of satisfaction to cross the depths of Horikita Manabu's calm, unruffled eyes. It seemed that his sister had indeed made some progress after being polished by this period of time.

However, Horikita Manabu's words remained as mercilessly sharp as ever. He pushed up his glasses and said coldly, "You might as well drop out and go to another school. This Advanced Nurturing High School is not suitable for someone naive like you."

Horikita Suzune listened quietly to her brother's attempt to persuade her to quit, words that would have crushed an ordinary person's psychological defenses. She took a deep breath and said with a firm tone, "I know this school is dangerous, and I know there is no point if I don't reach Class A. But I want to try. If I don't even have the courage to try and get scared away immediately, then I would be a true coward."

Hearing these words, the coldness in Horikita Manabu's eyes dissipated slightly, replaced by a touch of gratification. Since that was the case, he didn't mind giving her more time to see what kind of brilliance Horikita Suzune could eventually radiate.

Just then, Horikita Manabu's keen eyes caught an unnatural reflection in the shadows—it was the edge of a plastic bag. He instantly withdrew all his gentleness, turned his head, and said coldly, "Who's there! Come out!"

Wu Qiao sighed "a miscalculation" in his heart, then walked out of the shadows helplessly. He lifted the plastic bags filled with mineral water and brewing ingredients quite openly, wearing an innocent smile as he said, "President Horikita, Horikita-san, good evening. Sorry, I saw the atmosphere here was a bit off and was worried a conflict might happen, so I intended to come over and see what was going on."

Horikita Manabu looked Wu Qiao up and down, seemingly recognizing him as the victim from Class D who had been pushed down the stairs earlier. He paused, his gaze shifting between Wu Qiao and his sister, and said with surprise, "Suzune, you have friends too, then."

Hearing this, Horikita Suzune subconsciously wanted to refute it. She opened her mouth and said, "It's not like that; we are just ordinary classmates for now."

Hearing Horikita Suzune's words, Horikita Manabu frowned, his eyes filled with scrutiny. However, he quickly caught the subtext in that sentence. Since she said "just ordinary classmates for now," it meant she did indeed have the intention to develop social connections and hadn't completely blocked off the path.

"Ordinary classmates, huh..." Horikita Manabu repeated with a meaningful tone, then looked at Wu Qiao, his voice returning to its usual authority. "Since you've met, get along well. Although Suzune has a difficult personality, she isn't a bad person. If she does anything wrong, as a classmate, you can remind her appropriately."

Wu Qiao nodded with a smile, "Of course, Horikita-san is very excellent, and I also look forward to improving together with her."

Horikita Manabu didn't say anything more. After giving his sister a deep look, he turned and merged into the night. Not until her brother's back had completely disappeared did Horikita Suzune let out a long sigh of relief. She turned her head and looked at Wu Qiao with some discomfort, "Why are you here?"

Wu Qiao shook the bags in his hands and laughed, "I came out to buy some things, and incidentally... witnessed a historic moment. Congratulations, Horikita-san, it seems you are one step closer to your goal."

Horikita Suzune froze for a moment, then said coldly, "Meddlesome."

"Alright, alright, it was meddlesome of me. Let's go, back to the dorms."