"Alright, that concludes today's work. Good job, everyone."
Inside the Student Council Office of Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, secretary Tachibana Akane closed the file in her hands. She stood up slightly behind Student Council President Horikita Manabu and bowed toward the student council members who had just finished handling their daily tasks.
Due to the school's unique system, the Student Council held considerable authority, overseeing all student affairs and even possessing influence over special exams and certain school policies. They were also the first to receive insider information and updates about the campus.
This was one of the reasons why Kitagawa Ryo had insisted on placing Horikita Suzune into the Student Council.
There weren't many members to begin with, and before long, they had all left the room—leaving only Suzune, who was on duty today.
She diligently sealed and filed the drama club's award documents and returned forms after their trip, then stood up with the folder and walked over to the archive cabinet in the corner to store it according to chronological order.
"Suzune, you're as meticulous as ever."
Akane, who had somehow appeared behind her, smiled warmly as she spoke.
Having joined the Student Council nearly two months ago, Suzune had become adept at handling all kinds of tasks. And because Horikita Manabu was her biological brother, Suzune was naturally categorized under the Horikita faction.
Perhaps because she was considered impossible to recruit, even the always-smiling Vice President Nagumo Miyabi had largely ignored her. His faction followed his example. Among the few people in the council who treated Suzune kindly, Akane stood out.
"The report Ryo submitted was too long. It was a pain to go through."
"And you, Senpai? Staying behind to keep me company for duty?"
Suzune, aware of Akane's fondness for her older brother, spoke more familiarly.
"If you want me to stay, I don't mind," Akane replied, her twin buns bobbing lightly.
She then glanced at the stack of folders in Suzune's hands with curiosity.
"Your Class D's drama club won another award, right? Since the school's founding, no club has been such an award magnet—not even the famous basketball or soccer teams have a 100% success rate."
"Soccer did okay. Vice President Nagumo led them to a summer tournament win last year. Basketball hasn't had results for two years, which is why they risked putting a first-year in as starter—hoping for some new fire."
Unlike the relatively new Suzune, Akane had been in the council for over two years and was deeply familiar with the school's inner workings.
"Also, it's not just us in Class D. The drama club includes students from other classes too."
As she found a slot for the folder and slid it in, Suzune casually replied.
"But most of the club is from your class, right? And everyone knows your club president Kitagawa Ryo used to be a child prodigy actor. He's won Best Actor multiple times."
Akane's voice was full of admiration. After all, students who shone in club activities could win personal points and even help their classes earn valuable class points.
"You're a bit off, Senpai. This time, Best Actor wasn't Ryo."
"It was Karuizawa-san from Class B."
At this, Suzune's expression grew slightly strained.
She had long suspected that Ryo hadn't just altered her past or Sakayanagi's. Going further back, Karuizawa Kei also seemed highly suspicious.
But confronting her directly wasn't an option. Even Suzune herself tended to bury memories involving him deep down, so naturally, others would too.
"Karuizawa-san?"
Akane blinked, then suddenly remembered something. She pulled out her phone and, after a few taps, showed the screen to Suzune.
"Is it this Karuizawa?"
"BREAKING: Famous Stage Actors Kitagawa Ryo and Karuizawa Kei Spotted Returning to Hotel Together Late at Night—Close and Intimate, Suspected of Dating!"
"...Well, Ryo's name is there too."
Suzune barely glanced at the headline before turning away. She shoved the file folder deeper into the slot.
"Paparazzi, huh. These tabloids are getting bold."
Akane scrolled down, revealing a blurry image of the pair walking close together.
Below it were countless ambiguous, teasing comments.
Maybe it was the photo, or the wording, or something else—Suzune fell into silence.
Akane also stopped talking. She typed "Karuizawa Kei" into the search bar and carefully read a fan-made wiki compiled by a user named [K&K].
"I really envy their relationship."
Her quiet sigh startled Suzune out of her thoughts. She looked at Akane, confused. Wasn't this the same Akane who liked her brother? That line sounded more like something she should say.
"Suzune, have you ever heard of the power of imagery?"
"Some behaviors gain special meaning depending on the situation. Like two people walking along a beach, leaving footprints side by side—it feels romantic, right?"
Though she wasn't sure what Akane was trying to say, Suzune nodded honestly.
"That's a common interpretation."
"Walking side by side often implies something deeper too."
As the secretary of the Student Council and a student of Class 3-A, Akane was always behind Horikita Manabu.
Just one step behind.
"I heard you once saw your brother as your role model."
"That was a long time ago."
Suzune quickly denied it, flustered. She definitely didn't want to revisit that time Ryo always teased her about.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Actually, all of us in Class 3-A see him as a role model."
Akane smiled and continued:
"But unlike you, we looked up to him because of his setbacks. We wanted to help him."
As if thinking Suzune had a right to know, Akane continued without holding back:
"Horikita-kun has always fought alone. With second-years, and even third-years. You know that, don't you?"
"Yes."
Suzune nodded. Her brother had explained everything after acknowledging her growth—including Nagumo's faction in the council. That, in itself, had been his way of accepting her.
"To put it bluntly, Class 3-A owes its status solely to your brother."
"If he were to fall, our class wouldn't stand a chance."
Akane bit her lip, frustrated.
"We've lost too many class points, even personal ones. He keeps sacrificing himself to protect others."
Suzune processed those words, thinking again of Kitagawa Ryo.
"Tachibana!"
A sharp voice interrupted. Horikita Manabu had returned, standing at the doorway.
He seemed to have overheard their conversation, and for once, a rare frown creased his face.
"Step outside. I need to speak with my sister."
"...Yes. I'm sorry."
Akane wiped her face quickly and left, head lowered, eyes still red from emotion.
"Forget what she said. I'll take care of it."
But then he added:
"Except for one thing—she wasn't wrong."
"Walking side by side carries many meanings."
"Couples walk side by side too. That's how you move forward together. In every way."
Suzune stared at him, stunned. Was this really her brother?
"So... Secretary Tachibana..."
"Shh."
Manabu made a rare smile.
"Do your best, Suzune."
"Some people seem to start at the finish line, but maybe that's just furthest from the true beginning."
"Just walk beside him. You don't have to lead. You don't have to chase."
"So, what do you want to do with him next?"
"Shopping for clothes?"
Suzune blurted out her long-delayed plan—something she'd originally wanted to suggest before bumping into Sakayanagi Arisu, then postponed when Ryo left campus.
"Then ask him out. Give it a try."
-------------------------------------
"Then Hiyori, we'll be leaving first. You two enjoy your chat."
"I left the key on the shelf. Lock up on your way out."
At Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, in the Tea Ceremony Clubroom, the last upperclassman cheerfully shut the door, leaving just Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori behind.
This was a quiet little hideout the two had only recently discovered. The library was peaceful, sure, but not suitable for loud conversation. And given that Miss Hiyori tended to raise her voice whenever she got excited about plot points in novels, they had no choice but to find a better, more secluded meeting place.
As a member of the Tea Ceremony Club, Shiina Hiyori immediately thought of their activity room. In exchange for exclusive access, Ryo agreed to sponsor all of the club's tea snacks for the next three years. Thus, they secured the perfect spot.
The tea on the table was freshly steeped by Hiyori, while the sweets had been handmade by Ryo.
Amidst the gentle rising steam, Hiyori smiled sweetly, her tone as soft and fluffy as a cloud of cotton candy.
"Ryo, the play you did off-campus—it was Edogawa Ranpo's The Human Chair, right?"
"Yeah. Didn't expect you to know that…"
"The student council already posted about the award on the forum. Not only that, the Drama Club was given a reward of 100,000 private points."
"It's nothing special."
Ryo didn't care much about private points—his account still had over ten million, after all.
"If you don't want them, you can give them to me."
"Did you have something in mind, Hiyori?"
"I've found a few great novels I want to buy and save for summer break. Reading them on the cruise will be wonderful."
"Oh, speaking of the cruise—have you bought a swimsuit yet? Everyone's been talking about it in class."
"I'm going this weekend. Suzune invited me."
"Oh…"
Hiyori nodded, then quickly changed the subject as though she'd forgotten the previous topic entirely. Her curiosity reignited, she leaned forward slightly.
"By the way, Ryo—found any good mystery novels lately?"
"Of course!"
Ryo eagerly pulled a book out of his bag.
"The Castle of the Queen's Realm. The author is a hardcore Ellery Queen fan—his style is very similar. He's even called the Japanese Ellery Queen."
"This book is his magnum opus and won the 2008 Honkaku Mystery Grand Prize. Whether it's the narrative twists or—"
It was the first time Shiina Hiyori had ever interrupted Ryo mid-sentence. She didn't seem to like the book, frowning slightly.
"The author is Arisugawa Arisu, isn't it?"
Arisugawa Arisu—a famous mystery author who chose his pen name so that his works would be listed early alphabetically (with 'A' being the first letter).
"I don't read his books. No matter how good they are—I just don't."
Shiina Hiyori adored Ellery Queen, but not Japan's so-called Ellery Queen—Arisugawa Arisu.
Perhaps that wasn't such a difficult riddle to solve.
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