Chapter 46: Horikita Suzune's Conquest Mission, In Progress
A trace of imperceptible astonishment flashed through Horikita Manabu's eyes. For a split second, he even thought he had misheard. However, he simply shook his head slightly and spoke:
"Forget it. If the day comes that you change your mind, you can come find me. I look forward to your future performance, Katsuragi Keima."
After saying this, Manabu tilted his head slightly and looked at Horikita Suzune.
"Suzune, I didn't expect you to actually have a friend."
His gaze seemed to have changed compared to before.
"I..."
"And a very special friend at that. Treasure it."
Without waiting for Suzune to make any response, Horikita Manabu left the scene. Katsuragi Keima didn't look at Suzune either; he just focused intently on playing his game and started walking away.
"Wait a moment, Katsuragi-kun!"
Just as Keima was about to leave, Suzune hesitated for a moment but still called out his name.
"What is it?"
"I'm sorry for letting you see a scene like that, but... thank you..."
As Suzune spoke, she bit her lip. Just now, Keima really had spoken up for her. And... he seemed to have voiced the inner thoughts of her brother, Horikita Manabu.
After all, Manabu hadn't refuted Keima's words at the time. This allowed the knot in Suzune's heart to unravel slightly. She had always viewed Manabu as her goal, constantly chasing after him. All she received in return was his increasingly cold attitude.
This had caused Suzune to misunderstand, believing she simply wasn't doing well enough, which drove her to chase him even harder.
Only now did she realize her line of thinking had been wrong. Was that what her brother really meant?
However, the thought that these words came from Keima's mouth made Suzune feel very embarrassed. It wasn't annoyance, nor was it frustration. She didn't quite know what the feeling was. But she did realize one thing: perhaps she didn't understand Katsuragi Keima at all.
"No need to thank me. I told you I was just passing by."
"Passing by? This isn't the way back to the dorms."
"Just taking a random stroll."
Keima still didn't look up. "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."
"Wait."
"What now?"
"Are you busy with something in a bit?"
"Yes."
"Doing what?"
"Playing games. There are still several titles I haven't played yet. Because of that study group, I lost over an hour of gaming time tonight!"
Hearing Keima's words, Suzune wasn't surprised; it was a very "Katsuragi Keima" answer.
"Then you're free. Let's talk for a bit."
"I'm not free."
"I did give you a game today, didn't I?"
"Wasn't that a promise you made yourself earlier?"
"Just now, you seemed to take the opportunity to scold me quite thoroughly. I feel like there was a bit of a personal grudge involved; I haven't settled that score with you yet."
Suzune glared at Keima.
"I suppose talking for a bit is fine."
Keima followed Suzune and sat on a nearby bench. It was late, so there weren't many people around.
"Katsuragi-kun, were the things you said to my brother earlier serious?" Suzune turned her head, her gaze focusing on Keima's profile. "Or was it just to help me out of a tight spot?"
The boy was fully absorbed in his game. Suzune had to admit that although he looked like a total game otaku no matter how you sliced it, his grooming was actually quite decent. Unlike the stereotypical image of a shut-in, Keima looked clean and refined. She hadn't paid attention to this before.
"Is that important?"
"It's very important," Suzune repeated, her expression turning serious.
"First of all, I wasn't 'helping you out of a tight spot.' You help someone when they are in distress, and you weren't. Although Senpai looked like he was going to strike, he actually had no intention of doing so."
Keima's fingers didn't slow down despite being distracted by the conversation.
"Furthermore, the possibility of you promoting to Class A at this current stage is zero. There is no doubt about that."
"You..." Suzune lowered her head, a hint of defiance still in her eyes.
"As for what happens later, I'm not sure. Whether a new possibility exists depends entirely on you."
Hearing this, Suzune looked at Keima thoughtfully without saying a word. Keima continued to speak:
"Your flaws are very obvious. Self-righteous, socially reclusive, arrogant, sharp-tongued..."
"You!"
"And your emotions are easily swayed by others. For someone so beautiful, you have a personality like this."
Suzune's mouth hung open. She had wanted to strike back verbally, but suddenly didn't know how to respond, falling back into silence. He was clearly attacking her with words, yet he ended with such an out-of-the-blue remark.
At this moment, she couldn't help but recall the conversation between her brother and Keima. Was she really wrong before? Viewing everyone around her as a burden... come to think of it, school hasn't been in session long, and she hasn't tried to understand anyone else at all.
But...
While Suzune was agonizing, Keima's voice rang in her ear again:
"However, Horikita, there's no need for you to change anything."
"Huh? You just said a bunch of bad things about me, and now you're telling me this? What on earth do you mean?" Suzune frowned at Keima, completely unable to grasp his meaning.
"What I said are indeed your flaws, but they are also your defining traits."
Keima suddenly put down his handheld and turned his head to look at Suzune. Their gazes collided; the sudden eye contact made Suzune freeze for a moment, and she instinctively averted her eyes.
"Don't worry about others. Just do what you think is right. Taking action for your own ideals is not something to be ashamed of—being able to stick to your individuality... Horikita, that is your third merit."
"You..."
Suzune's gaze drifted back to him.
'This guy... why does he suddenly say such inexplicable things?! Honestly!'
At this moment, the two were sitting very close. Keima could even feel Suzune's soft, rapid breathing.
"You absolutely cannot tell anyone about what happened tonight!"
"I know, I know."
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