Chapter 44: You Guys Fight, I'm Just Silently Eating Popcorn
As if guessing the shock in Horikita Suzune's heart, Katsuragi Keima spoke up to explain:
"I saw the same edition in the library, so I recognized it."
"..."
Horikita Suzune bit her lip.
Even if he had seen it in the library, it should be impossible to remember it to that extent, right? Was this guy's brain a bit too exaggerated?
"Speaking of which, I suggest you try playing the game too. It might actually help you."
"I refuse!"
Without a shred of hesitation, Horikita Suzune rejected Keima's proposal. She already believed that games were things that hindered one's studies. Moreover, with a subject matter like that... rather than being unwilling, it was more like she didn't even have the courage to open it.
"There is no real difference between games and books. In fact, in terms of the efficiency of acquiring information, books are the most archaic."
Keima pushed up his glasses and looked down again, focusing his gaze back on his handheld console.
"Forget it. We're even now, but I'm warning you: you are not allowed to tell a single soul about this!"
"It's not that big of a deal, is it? You're making it sound like some sort of illicit underground transaction—"
"Do not say a word! Did you hear me?! If you breathe a word of this, I will absolutely never forgive you!"
"I get it, I get it."
"Then I'm leaving."
After leaving those words behind, Horikita Suzune turned to depart.
"Hey, the dorms are in this direction?"
Keima spoke to Horikita's retreating back; she was walking in the completely opposite direction. However, Horikita didn't respond to him; she only quickened her pace. Because Horikita Suzune had another matter to attend to tonight...
Soon, Horikita Suzune came to a halt. A person was standing there, seemingly having waited for a long time.
Horikita Manabu.
After learning she had been assigned to Class D, Horikita Suzune had been incredibly unwilling, even somewhat lost. After hearing the words Keima said to her today, combined with the failure of her study group's formation, she had become even more flustered. Therefore, she had arranged to meet Manabu, hoping to gain his recognition.
It had been nearly a week since enrollment, and this was the first time Horikita Suzune was seeing her brother alone.
"Brother..."
The usually dominant Horikita Suzune now spoke in a significantly lower tone.
"Suzune. I didn't expect you to chase me all the way to this place."
Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses, his tone as cold as his expression.
"I... I am no longer the incompetent person you used to know. I came here to catch up to you!"
"To catch up to me... is it? You still haven't realized your own defects..." There seemed to be a trace of disappointment in Manabu's voice. "Choosing this school was a massive mistake."
"I will reach Class A soon, and then I can—"
However, before Horikita Suzune could finish her sentence, she was directly interrupted by Manabu.
"It's impossible."
"I will absolutely do it..."
Suzune's voice trembled, seemingly losing the confidence she had just a moment ago.
"Having a sister assigned to Class D is a stain on my reputation. Get out of this school immediately."
Creak, creak.
"Brother, I just..."
"You lack the ability, and you lack the qualification to aim for the top. To make you understand..."
As Manabu spoke, he raised his hand, seemingly prepared to throw a punch.
Click-clack, click-clack.
It was the sound of fingers rapidly tapping on buttons.
Manabu stopped his movement and tilted his head slightly, glancing toward the source of the sound out of the corner of his eye.
Katsuragi Keima was standing not far away, looking down at his handheld, his gaze never having drifted toward the Horikita siblings.
"You are... from first-year Class D."
Manabu narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he knew Keima's identity.
"Katsuragi-kun..."
Suzune was somewhat surprised. Why was Keima here?
"Continue with whatever you're busy with. I won't disturb you."
Keima's head didn't lift once, as if the Student Council President before him was an entity that had absolutely nothing to do with him.
"Oh? Just here to watch the show? I thought you would say something to stop this."
"Stop it? Why would I stop it?"
Keima's fingers didn't slow down in the slightest.
"After all, just now, you weren't actually going to hit her, were you?"
Manabu's brow twitched slightly.
What Keima said was correct; Manabu had indeed only intended to intimidate Horikita Suzune. He didn't think Suzune was incompetent; on the contrary, he believed his sister might possess talent that surpassed his own. However, she was constantly imitating him, living in his shadow.
Manabu hoped Suzune would find her own path, which was why he used this method to "scare her away."
"Furthermore, I agree completely with your words. For the current Horikita-san, trying to promote to Class A is a complete impossibility," Keima said in a calm tone, as if stating an immutable fact.
"No, I..."
Suzune immediately wanted to retort, but Keima didn't give her the chance, continuing on his own:
"Viewing those around you as burdens and believing your current predicament doesn't match your abilities—this lack of self-awareness is the greatest obstacle limiting your progress."
Manabu looked at Keima. He hadn't expected the boy to bluntly state Suzune's personality flaws right in front of him, the Student Council President.
"If I remember correctly, among this year's freshmen, there is a very special existence."
Manabu pushed up his glasses, looking at the boy before him with great interest.
"Full marks in every subject on the entrance exam. In the history of this school, that is extremely rare."
No matter how much of a top student someone was, getting a perfect score on the entrance exam was usually impossible. Even Manabu, who was first in his year at enrollment, hadn't achieved it. One would usually lose a few points here or there.
Yet, Keima had scored perfectly across all subjects... and even so, he had still been assigned to Class D.
However, for Keima, the "entrance exam" never actually happened. Because he was a transmigrator, reality and people's memories would automatically adjust based on the situation. In other words, "If Katsuragi Keima had lived in this world from the start, this is what would have happened."
Keima simply possessed the strength to get full marks.
"Full marks... in every subject?"
Horikita Suzune looked at Keima in shock. She knew Keima's academic ability was quite good—the previous quiz had proven that.
But she never imagined his grades were that high.
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