Suzuki Toru ignored Totsuka Yahiko and said to Katsuragi Kohei, "The Student Council's selection list will be announced next month. Give me an answer by the end of the month at the latest."
He had originally thought Katsuragi Kohei would consider it for a long time, but unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the latter made up his mind.
"No, I'll give you my answer now." Katsuragi Kohei looked at Suzuki Toru with serious eyes. "I accept your conditions, Suzuki."
In response, Suzuki Toru nodded, not asking why.
So, he operated his phone and sent a message to Horikita Manabu, and in less than a moment, the other side replied.
"You've been accepted, Katsuragi." Suzuki Toru turned the chat interface to Katsuragi Kohei, displaying the most prominent text content, just as he had said.
"It seems to be true…" Totsuka Yahiko leaned closer, seeing it clearly, and was completely stunned.
Katsuragi Kohei saw it even more clearly; he stared at the screen for a long time, not saying a word.
In class yesterday, Suzuki Toru's performance wasn't very striking; he was more like a student called on by the teacher, giving off a feeling of helplessness.
Regarding the explanation of personal points, Katsuragi Kohei thought he was a relatively perceptive student, with good reactions and thinking.
However, Suzuki Toru had completely shattered his impression now.
If he hadn't happened to go to the Student Council, he might not have known that Suzuki Toru had joined the Student Council until now.
Not only could he join the Student Council, but he could also get others to join the Student Council.
This was no longer just an ordinary student; he was exceptionally outstanding and prominent no matter where he was placed!
More importantly, Katsuragi Kohei suddenly realized another, more terrifying problem.
"Suzuki, may I ask something?"
"What?"
"How many personal points did you have before?"
"Over a million."
"..."
It was completely confirmed; this was a man who surpassed him.
Moreover, he was very likely superior to Sakayanagi Arisu, in every sense of the word.
Katsuragi Kohei suddenly felt a surge of ambition; with such a monster in the class, he couldn't imagine Class A having any possibility of losing.
Surely Suzuki Toru wouldn't be expelled?
...
The same day.
Class D classroom.
Facing the teacher's lecture, most students were busy with their own things; those playing on their phones, sleeping, and whispering were too numerous to count.
As for the situation below the stage, the teacher seemed to turn a blind eye, continuing to lecture on his own.
Horikita Suzune felt that these people were beyond saving.
However, no matter how hopeless they were, she wouldn't meddle.
After class, Horikita Suzune took out a book by Dostoevsky, turned to the page with the bookmark from last night, and continued to read as if no one else was there.
"Hey, Horikita, do you want to eat lunch together today?" a boy next to her asked.
"No thanks, because your group is too vulgar," Horikita Suzune replied without lifting her head.
"While I don't deny that, are you eating a bento again today?" the other person pressed.
"The supermarket has free ingredients; using them, I can make a nutritious bento," Horikita Suzune explained in a somewhat formulaic manner.
Although the school issued 100,000 personal points, Horikita Suzune was not a girl who spent a lot.
Since there were free ingredients, why not?
The boy observed her reaction, seemingly showing a very envious expression.
"Your expression is disgusting, Ayanokoji," Horikita Suzune cast a rather icy gaze at him.
The boy's name was Ayanokoji Kiyotaka; on the first day of school, she and he rode the same bus to Advanced Nurturing High School, which was a bit of fate.
Because they were in the same class and sat next to each other, Horikita Suzune would occasionally respond to him with two or three sentences, but only to that extent.
Seeing her reaction, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka immediately shifted his gaze and stopped talking, afraid that she would stab him with a compass again.
At this moment, a girl suddenly walked up to Horikita Suzune, making Horikita Suzune instinctively frown.
The other person was Kushida Kikyo, a baffling individual who, on the first day of school, announced to everyone that she wanted to be friends with everyone, and simultaneously pestered her relentlessly.
Not long ago, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Kushida Kikyo had tricked her into a cafe together, saying that they felt she was always acting alone, looked too lonely, and wanted to be her friend.
Horikita Suzune didn't feel lonely at all when she was alone; friendship itself had little meaning.
Before entering this school, she had never made friends, never added anyone's contact information, and never played with classmates.
Yes, since kindergarten.
Just as Horikita Suzune was about to refuse Kushida Kikyo, she heard Kushida Kikyo say something with a hint of embarrassment.
"Horikita, I ran into someone you know on the way earlier and chatted for a bit. He wants to meet you. When are you free?"
In an instant, Horikita Suzune froze.
Could it be her brother?
There's an illustration here, which can be viewed after the updated version.
Chapter 28: You've Disappointed Your Brother Too Much
Although she hadn't told anyone, she had a brother, and he happened to be at Advanced Nurturing High School as well.
At the club orientation, Horikita Suzune had always kept her eyes fixed on her brother.
A third-year senior, the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu.
Perfect and irreproachable, watching Horikita Manabu on stage, Horikita Suzune once felt inferior.
However, the siblings meeting here was not by chance.
Ever since she learned that Horikita Manabu had been accepted into Advanced Nurturing High School, Horikita Suzune had sworn to follow in her brother's footsteps.
As expected, Horikita Suzune successfully enrolled in Advanced Nurturing High School this year, becoming Horikita Manabu's schoolmate.
Thus, Horikita Suzune was satisfied; as for whether to join the Student Council or anything else, she couldn't be bothered.
If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka hadn't shown some self-awareness, Horikita Suzune wouldn't have bothered with him either.
Because socializing was an extremely boring and tedious activity; no matter how unforgettable a friendship, it was ultimately just a fleeting moment in life.
She had many things to do and needed to focus her precious energy on herself.
Therefore, Horikita Suzune didn't need friends.
When Kushida Kikyo approached her with a beaming smile, Horikita Suzune refused her without a second thought, very straightforwardly.
Even Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Horikita Suzune had warned him not to include her in his circle of friends.
No matter what happened, Horikita Suzune felt that she would not be swayed in the slightest regarding the two of them.
Well, it should have been like that.
"To be honest, I'm a bit surprised. I didn't expect Horikita to have acquaintances at this school too," Kushida Kikyo's face showed a gentle smile, while observing Horikita Suzune's reaction.
"You saw him?" Horikita Suzune tried her best to hide her expression. "When was this? What did he talk to you about?"
This reaction was truly easy to read, Kushida Kikyo smiled broadly.
"Yesterday, after shopping for clothes with the others, I ran into Suzuki-kun on the way back to the dorms. If he hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known you two knew each other."
Huh, Suzuki-kun?
Horikita Suzune's previously tense expression couldn't help but falter. Who was this guy? Wasn't she talking about her own brother?
"I don't know him."
In an instant, Horikita Suzune returned to normal, her expression becoming cold and indifferent.
"Eh, isn't he your friend?" Kushida Kikyo was a bit surprised.
"I've always been alone; I don't have such things," Horikita Suzune said faintly. "If you encounter such people in the future, they are all liars. Please don't bother me because of them."
"But Suzuki-kun said he's friends with your brother, and he knows you too."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kushida Kikyo noticed that Horikita Suzune froze again, her reaction even stronger than before.
"…Do you know who my brother is?"
"Suzuki-kun said the Student Council President is your brother, is that right?"
Horikita Suzune fell silent, her hands unconsciously gripping her book tighter.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was nearby, seemed to have heard something as well, casting a subtle glance this way, his thoughts unknown.
"Horikita?"
Kushida Kikyo tentatively called out, but then saw Horikita Suzune suddenly close her book and look up at her with a blank expression.
"If I heard correctly, you just said he wants to see me? When? Where? Did he say anything?"
Kushida Kikyo was startled by her interrogation and hesitated, "Suzuki-kun didn't tell me anything, but he said if you have time, you can meet after school today. He'll wait for you behind the gymnasium."
"Okay, tell him I'll be there as promised," Horikita Suzune replied, believing herself to be very calm.
Kushida Kikyo mustered her courage and asked, "Horikita, can I go with you?"
"No," Horikita Suzune almost didn't think, directly denying her request.
However, Kushida Kikyo not only didn't get angry but continued to smile.
"Alright, if you're free next time, let's go out and have fun together again."
...
Afternoon.
Walking alone on the way to the gymnasium, Horikita Suzune told herself to calm down more than once.
It was just her brother's friend, nothing remarkable.
Perhaps out of curiosity about his sister, Horikita Suzune had encountered similar situations a few times before.
After all, her brother was an excellent person, so it was normal for him to be interested in his sister.
Logically, Horikita Suzune shouldn't bother with such things.
But Advanced Nurturing High School was a closed school, and she had no idea about Horikita Manabu's situation there. There were two missing years between the siblings, with no news whatsoever.
Therefore, Horikita Suzune wanted to know how her brother was doing there; she wanted more information about him.
Perhaps due to this impatient feeling, Horikita Suzune forgot to ask Kushida Kikyo a crucial question.
Who exactly was this so-called Suzuki-kun?
And Kushida Kikyo also wanted to know that question.
In a corner where Horikita Suzune didn't notice, two sneaky figures closely followed her footsteps.
Kushida Kikyo and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
There was nothing to say; they both wanted to know what would happen next.
Especially since Kushida Kikyo expressed a desire to understand Horikita, she immediately pulled the seemingly unwilling Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, and the two of them followed along.
"Won't this be unfair to Horikita?" Ayanokoji Kiyotaka said. "She probably wouldn't allow us to peek and eavesdrop from the side."
"It's fine, I've already talked to Suzuki-kun, and he'll help me become friends with Horikita too," Kushida Kikyo's eyes sparkled.
But if Horikita Suzune knew we were following her, she would definitely beat me, not you, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka rationally kept that thought to himself.
"By the way, who is Suzuki-kun?"