Chapter 45: Do You Know Your Sister Bought a Galgame?
"This isn't a very difficult thing to do. But returning to the previous topic—I strongly agree with your words, Senpai," Katsuragi Keima said slowly.
"Horikita-san is self-righteous, socially reclusive, arrogant..."
Keima rattled off Horikita Suzune's flaws as if reciting a sutra.
Suzune's expression became incredibly unsightly. Because Horikita Manabu was right there, she could only lower her head like a child who had done something wrong. She didn't realize that Keima was saying these things in front of Manabu on purpose. Normally, even if he said these things bluntly, Suzune might not necessarily listen. But with Horikita Manabu present, the situation was different. Furthermore, since the current Suzune had no way to talk back, Keima found the verbal lashing quite cathartic.
"Heh. You see? Even your own classmate recognizes this. You haven't grown in the slightest," Horikita Manabu said, turning to Suzune, who could only bite her lip and keep her head down.
"However, regarding that one sentence, Senpai, you are mistaken," Keima interjected.
"Oh? I am mistaken?"
Manabu's brow twitched, and Suzune also lifted her head, casting a bewildered gaze toward Keima.
"While Horikita-san is indeed full of flaws and her interpersonal relationships are a total mess, she has experienced some growth."
"Growth?"
"Today, Horikita-san even gave me a gift."
Keima put down his handheld and pulled out the game cartridge he had just received.
"You... would actually give someone a gift?"
Manabu glanced at Suzune with a look of pure astonishment, while the latter wore an expression of total horror.
'Wait, wait a minute! Surely he's not...!?'
"Don't, Katsuragi-kun!"
A terrible premonition flooded Suzune's mind. Her voice, which had been timid before Manabu, suddenly spiked in volume. But before she could stop him, Keima had already pulled out the game cartridge.
The title of the game was displayed with agonizing clarity right in front of Horikita Manabu's eyes.
"Youthful Love: Ruthlessly Discipline My Tsundere Little Sister (Collector's Edition)"
For the first time, a look of genuine confusion appeared on Manabu's usually expressionless face.
'Suzune... bought this? And then gave it to a classmate?'
For the first time in his life, Horikita Manabu felt a sense of unreality.
"I, I, I just... I promised..."
Suzune's speech system seemed to have been possessed by Sakura Airi; she couldn't get a full sentence out to save her life.
"Horikita-san knows I like playing games, so she gave me this cartridge. Before that, she even spoke with me about how to improve the class's grades. She is indeed full of flaws right now, but she has also grown."
Keima walked right up to Manabu, standing less than a meter away. He spoke with a composed, neither humble nor arrogant attitude.
"For the current her, reaching Class A is impossible. But you cannot guarantee that the future Horikita won't be able to do it, can you?"
"Do you have a lot of confidence in her?"
"Not particularly, but even if it's only a one-percent chance, isn't that still a possibility?"
"Katsuragi..."
Suzune's brain, which had been on the verge of fainting, gradually cleared. She finally realized that Keima was speaking up for her. The streetlamp cast a dim, yellow glow over Keima, but his gaze through his glasses was incredibly earnest.
This was the first time Suzune had seen this side of him. He was serious when discussing games, too, but she could feel that these two types of "seriousness" were fundamentally different.
"As long as she remains like this, further growth is impossible," Manabu said, his tone thick with disappointment.
"But that is also your problem as her older brother," Keima replied.
"What did you say?"
Manabu's expression turned stern. His gaze became like a sharp blade directed at Keima. Most people would have been terrified just by making eye contact. But Keima's expression didn't change at all as he continued:
"In truth, you care deeply about your sister, but you find it difficult to say so directly. You simply resort to using these kinds of words to beat her down, which only produces the opposite of the intended effect.
I assume you want your sister to find her own path. You could clearly just state your true thoughts, but you don't. In that regard, you're even worse than your sister—at least she says what's truly on her mind.
Honestly, you siblings are quite a pain. Something that could be solved with a proper conversation has turned into this. If you want to continue, I don't mind; just consider me someone who happened to be passing by."
Keima criticized Manabu mercilessly, causing the latter's eyes to widen slightly. Keima was the first person to ever speak to him like this.
And... this was only the first time they had met. Had Keima seen through his true attitude toward Suzune in a single glance?
Manabu didn't know that Keima had encountered countless characters with similar setups in games, allowing him to see through the essence of these siblings instantly. Regardless of the reason, Manabu found himself increasingly curious about Katsuragi Keima.
At this moment, Keima seemed to have lost interest in the two people before him and looked down at his game again. Manabu suddenly clenched his fist and swung it toward Keima's face.
Keima didn't dodge. He stood perfectly still, his eyes focused on the screen. Manabu's fist stopped exactly one centimeter from Keima's face.
"You didn't even flinch?" Manabu asked. He had intended to test Keima.
"Why would I? There's a surveillance camera right there, and the school rules explicitly prohibit fighting. I assume that as the Student Council President, you wouldn't make such a low-level mistake."
Keima answered with total calm, not even looking up. Manabu studied him; for the first time, he felt as though he was the one being seen through.
Beside them, Suzune heard their exchange and looked up, only then noticing the surveillance camera nearby.
"Katsuragi Keima, you truly are a very special student."
Manabu withdrew his hand. The corners of his mouth seemed to turn up in an imperceptible curve.
"Would you like to join the Student Council? We happen to have an opening for a Secretary—"
"I refuse."
Keima's rejection came without a moment's hesitation.
"And what is the reason for your refusal?"
"If I join the Student Council, it won't be convenient to play games, will it?"
"?"
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