"Hikigaya-kun, would you be willing to come with me at that time?"
...I never expected that even eating a simple lunch could lead to trouble.
Hikigaya cursed his carelessness while feeling utterly speechless at the situation.
He initially thought Horikita was about to make some unreasonable request, only to realize that it was just this... No, this was still pretty unreasonable.
"Wait, this is way too weird," Hikigaya said with a helpless smile. "It's a rare chance for just you and your brother to go out together. You can talk about whatever you want—wouldn't that be nice? Why drag me into this?"
"...It's not as simple as you make it sound," Horikita muttered under her breath.
"This isn't really... Uh, yeah, I get it. You're not mentally prepared yet."
Hikigaya originally wanted to say, This isn't that hard, but upon reconsideration, he realized that everyone's situation was different, and forcing the issue wouldn't be right.
Just because he and Komachi got along well didn't mean everyone else did. In reality, many siblings barely had a better relationship than strangers.
After all, not everyone could be like the Chiba siblings.
"But since you want to improve your relationship with your brother, you have to take that first step, right?" Hikigaya continued persuading her. "Besides, weren't you studying and playing games with Horikita-senpai in my room before? And back at the camp, he even praised you in front of everyone."
"Mm... yeah."
Maybe she was recalling that moment, as a faint smile naturally appeared on her face.
This girl is really easy to understand.
Her situation was both similar to and different from Yukinoshita's. The similarity was that both of them were chasing after their older siblings' shadows.
The difference was that Yukinoshita struggled to deal with the power dynamic between her and Haruno and ultimately chose to avoid it.
Horikita, on the other hand, was able to openly admit that she liked her brother. However, Horikita-senpai was also a stubborn person, which led to the current situation.
That being said, both older siblings shared a similarity—they deliberately played the 'villain' for the sake of their younger sister's growth.
Fortunately, Horikita-senpai probably no longer needed to play that troublesome role.
All that was left was for these two to sit down and have an honest conversation.
If Hikigaya intervened at this point, it would only make it harder for them to improve their relationship.
"So, there's no need for you to worry anymore. Horikita-senpai has already acknowledged you as you are now."
"...I used to think my brother was a perfect person."
Horikita fell silent for a moment before continuing on a different tangent, "If I hadn't enrolled in this school, I would have never seen my brother's true self, and we wouldn't have had a chance to improve our relationship... Thinking back, I guess that was just the idolized version of him in my mind."
"That makes sense."
"And then… there's also what happened this time." Horikita gave a bitter smile. "I thought my brother was only bad at cooking, but it turns out his judgment of people is also... flawed. I just can't understand how Nagumo, as the successor, could do something like that."
From the perspective of someone focused on reaching Class A, Nagumo's actions must seem completely meaningless to Horikita.
Even if the second-years managed to defeat the third-years, there was no actual benefit to it. And even if the plan succeeded, it would still result in an unnecessary loss of twenty million points.
There was no other way to describe it—this was pure self-destructive behavior.
"If you have the guts, say that to Horikita-senpai's face," Hikigaya teased mischievously.
"No, that's a bit..."
Even though her idealized image of her brother had crumbled, Horikita still respected him and wasn't comfortable making lighthearted remarks about him.
But if she could gather the courage to express her thoughts directly, even if she wasn't good at conversations, her sincerity would come through. And Horikita-senpai would surely accept it.
"Horikita, you've probably heard this before: sometimes, your enemies understand you better than your friends."
Of course, that was just an exaggerated way of putting it. The simple truth was that sometimes, you just needed to argue.
If you constantly tiptoe around someone's feelings and suppress your thoughts, thinking you're doing it for their sake, all you'll end up with is a growing rift that will eventually become irreparable.
"Some things can only be understood through confrontation."
Hikigaya's arguments with Komachi were a good example—even if they fought fiercely at times, they always made up in the end. At the very least, it was much better than bottling everything up.
To resolve an issue, the first step was to confront it head-on.
"Big brothers always worry about their little sisters, so you should be a little more selfish with Horikita-senpai. Saying something harsh to him now and then is fine—it'll remind him what it means to be an older brother."
"...What kind of nonsense is that?"
Horikita gave him a helpless look, but she still smiled slightly.
"Um... thanks."
"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Hikigaya said as he picked up his chopsticks again. "If we don't eat quickly, we won't have time to finish. Let's speed it up a bit."
"Ah, you have to finish everything. I don't want to deal with leftovers, and wasting food is just bad behavior."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it."
It seemed like she was worried he wouldn't be able to finish his meal… Seriously, don't underestimate a high school boy's appetite!
Judging by the way she quickly devoured her yakisoba bread, she must have enjoyed it.
Then, seizing the moment when Hikigaya had his mouth full, Horikita suddenly declared, "Alright, it's decided then. Tomorrow at 8 AM, we'll meet in front of Keyaki Mall. Don't be late."
"Mm—mm?!"
Wait... based on how our conversation went, wasn't she supposed to decide to face her brother on her own?
Did that whole conversation amount to nothing?!
Hikigaya quickly swallowed his food and was about to protest, but before he could get a word in, Horikita had already stood up from the steps.
"Since you have no objections, it's settled. I'm heading back to class to prepare for the next period. You can return the lunchbox to me after school."
"Wait a minute! Who said I don't have objections?!"
But no matter how loudly Hikigaya objected, Horikita completely ignored him. She casually flipped her hair and briskly walked away.
Before leaving, she turned back and added one last thing:
"Oh, by the way, I don't think it'll come to this, but if you stand me up, I will knock on your dorm door loudly and repeatedly shout your name."
"Stop! That would be a huge nuisance to my neighbors!"
Wait… isn't my neighbor Ayanokoji?
In that case, maybe causing a little trouble wouldn't be such a big deal after all.
But if possible, I still hope Horikita doesn't do this.
At the very least, couldn't she schedule it later? Saturday at 8 a.m. is prime time for sleeping in!
Damn it, I knew I shouldn't have eaten that bento.
Just as Hikigaya was regretting it immensely, his phone suddenly received a message.
Opening it, he saw that it was from Horikita-senpai.
[Hikigaya, I've arranged to meet Suzune this Saturday. But if it's just the two of us, I feel like there will still be a barrier between us, and I won't be able to properly convey my thoughts. That's why I'd like you to be there too. Can I count on you?]
From: Sadistic Glasses Horikita
…What the hell is this siscon up to now?
Hikigaya was speechless. Why did both siblings have to drag him into this?
He was busy too, okay?!
So, he immediately replied: [Sorry, Horikita-senpai, I have plans that morning.]
Not long after, another message came in.
[If you're just watching cartoons, the TV in your dorm has a recording function.]
…Weird.
Could this sadistic glasses-wearing guy read minds through a phone screen?
And it's not cartoons—it's tokusatsu, okay?!
[Anyway, come to Keyaki Mall at 8 a.m. tomorrow. I'll take you to a nice place. I have some connections there, so we can use a private room without interruptions. I'll also prepare an appropriate thank-you gift. It's a bit troublesome, but please look forward to it.]
Just like that, Horikita Manabu unilaterally decided everything.
Ugh… I don't want to go.
Hikigaya remained disgruntled. Should he say that the two of them were really siblings after all?
Not only did they look similar, both with that imposing aura, but they were also equally hopeless in areas they weren't good at.
Seriously, what a pair of useless siblings!
—
Despite his reluctance, at exactly 8 a.m. the next day, Hikigaya arrived at the mall, yawning.
He had no choice—he was a man of his word.
And just to be clear, it's definitely not because he was afraid of the Horikita siblings!
"Hikigaya-kun, good morning. If you were a few minutes later, I was planning to knock on your door."
"I told you not to do that…"
By the time he arrived, the siblings had already been waiting for quite some time. Perhaps to ease the awkward atmosphere, Horikita immediately started teasing him.
Sigh, what a hopeless little sister… Go act spoiled to your own brother!
"Let's talk inside. If we're seen, it might cause unnecessary trouble," Horikita Manabu reminded them.
He was probably referring to Nagumo's informants. That was likely the reason he set the meeting so early.
Aside from them, there were barely any other students around.
Now that he thought about it, would any stores even be open this early?
Given the school's fixed customer base, most stores would've shut down long ago without government subsidies. Since they weren't that eager to make money, they usually didn't open until after 9 a.m.
Seeing Hikigaya's concern, Horikita Manabu took the initiative to explain. "I know the owner. I asked them to open early today."
"Wow, aren't you important?"
Hikigaya made a casual remark, but Horikita Manabu seriously shook his head.
"It's not because of me. I'll explain later."
"Oh…"
Following his lead, they arrived at a small café in the corner of the mall.
Wait a second—why did this place seem so familiar?
Wasn't this the same café he had visited with Shiina last time?!
And the waiter… wasn't he the same sunshine-boy type who looked a bit like Hirata?
Working overtime even on weekends… tough life.
"Excuse me, I made a reservation yesterday. Horikita."
"Understood. Please follow me."
Unlike last time, they weren't seated randomly. The waiter opened a door to a private room and led them inside.
Wait, isn't this a café?
Why does it have a room like this?!
This feels like some kind of secret chamber…
"This café is actually owned by the Yukinoshita family."
As soon as they sat down, Horikita Manabu suddenly dropped a surprising statement.
Yukinoshita…? Wait, Yukinoshita Haruno?!
"Brother, by Yukinoshita, do you mean the intern teacher who taught us?" Horikita Suzune asked curiously.
"Yes. She was a third-year when I enrolled," Horikita Manabu explained. "Her family has business ties with this school, and this café is one of them. Back then, as student council president, she often called me over to discuss various matters. So don't worry—no one will overhear our conversation here."
Though he didn't say it outright, it didn't sound like a pleasant experience.
"I see… I never knew you had such a past, Brother."
Horikita Suzune glanced around. The more she looked, the more this place felt like a secret meeting room.
If it were the old her, she might not have cared. But now, she understood the importance of secrecy.
Class C's tactics during the sports festival had been a painful lesson.
"Technically, we could've talked in the dorms, but with so many students living on each floor, it would be troublesome if someone overheard. So… here, take this. Use it when necessary."
As he spoke, Horikita Manabu pulled out a thick stack of papers and placed them in front of Hikigaya.
"What's this?"
Hikigaya picked one up—it looked like a voucher of some sort.
"Exactly what it looks like—meal vouchers for this café."
Horikita Manabu stated matter-of-factly. "Just show one to the staff, and you can order anything for free. You can also use the VIP room whenever you want."
"Uh… Huh?"
This sounded way too convenient. Hikigaya couldn't help but hold up the little voucher.
"Seriously? That's all it takes?"
"…Yes, that's all it takes."
Horikita Manabu's voice carried a hint of helplessness now, as if the earlier indifference was just an act.
"I once asked Yukinoshita-san the same question, and she answered, 'Precisely because it's simple, it can't be faked'... Anyway, I earned all of this through my own labor. Since I'm about to graduate, just consider it a thank-you gift for making the effort to come here today."
"I see… That must have been tough."
It wasn't hard to imagine what Horikita-senpai had gone through… He had definitely been put through the wringer by Miss Haruno.
Feeling a bit of sympathy, Hikigaya couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "By the way, Horikita-senpai, that waiter outside just now—have you seen him before?"
"No, he must be new this year."
Horikita Manabu seemed to misunderstand something and added, "Don't worry. I heard that all the employees in this café were personally hired by Yukinoshita-san. So even if you wanted to discuss something confidential, you don't have to worry about it leaking out."
"Is that so..."
Even so, Hikigaya still felt that the waiter looked oddly familiar, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall where he had seen him before.
Logically speaking, that shouldn't be possible. If he had no prior encounter with that person, why would he have any impression of him at all?
Maybe he should find an opportunity to ask... but that would be weird too.
The only silver lining was that the waiter wasn't a woman, so at least he wouldn't be mistaken for trying to flirt—
No, no, that's still weird!
While he was getting caught up in such pointless thoughts, Horikita Manabu spoke again.
"Hikigaya, the reason I called you here today, besides introducing you to this place, was also to thank you for what you did last time—for helping Tachibana... no, for helping me and my class. You did us a huge favor."
As he spoke, Horikita Manabu bowed deeply.
"There's no need for that—please, lift your head! Besides, the main credit doesn't belong to me." Startled, Hikigaya quickly tried to stop him.
"Hikigaya-kun, there's no need to be humble at a time like this," Horikita said with a smile. "I've already explained everything to my brother. No matter how you look at it, the credit goes to you. I simply followed your instructions. Most importantly… without you, I never would have had the courage to reach out to my brother myself."
"Yeah, and Tachibana is also really grateful to you. But she still hasn't fully sorted out her feelings. She probably feels too ashamed to face you right now."
"That's an exaggeration… Is she okay?"
"Ah, she should calm down in a few more days."
Tachibana Akane was a girl with a strong sense of pride.
Especially in front of Hikigaya, her junior, she always acted like a reliable and enthusiastic senpai.
This time, due to her incompetence, she nearly caused great harm to her class, and in the end, it was her junior who saved the day… Hopefully, she will be able to recover soon.