Chapter 84: You Have Changed— No.

Just as Nagumo was about to say something Manabu's phone buzzed and a puzzled look flashed across his eyes.

His phone was on 'Do Not Disturb' and only a few specific people could contact him while it was on.

He checked the message he received and fell silent.

"Who is it?" Nagumo asked curiously.

"None of your concern. I have something to do so I'll leave." Manabu got up and left Nagumo alone in the Student Council Room.

Nagumo didn't argue and just watched the Elder Horikita leave.

"Your thought process is so rigid, Kaicho. Maybe that's why your relationship with your sister is so distorted..." Nagumo muttered to himself and raised his hand, silently staring at his empty palm.

"What you see is only the unfortunate consequences but what I see is the opportunity to break free!"

His eyes were full of fiery passion, an expression he rarely showed.

...

Manabu headed towards the 1st year's dorms with a head full of jumbled thoughts.

Suzune, Yamamoto, Nagumo, and himself.

An inevitable circle of relation had formed between them.

A very dangerous circle.

It wasn't like he could keep Nagumo on a leash, all he could do was advise him. Ignoring the eyes of the juniors who looked at him with admiration he entered the lift and pressed the button for the 13th floor.

Suzune had messaged him, saying she wanted to meet. It was 6:15 pm and Manabu decided to give her 10-15 minutes to speak her mind. If she wasn't going to talk about anything meaningful then he would leave early.

As simple as that.

As the Student Council President he had no time to waste, especially when graduation was near.

He soon reached his destination and knocked on the door. Immediately the sound of flustered footsteps entered his ears and he couldn't help but smile bitterly yet the disappointment he held squashed those tender feelings.

It took more than a minute before the knob turned and the door opened.

"Nii-san..." Suzune muttered yet Manabu was frozen in place, sporting a blank look. Suzune grew a bit flustered and repeated herself, "Nii-san."

Her call shook the usually calm Elder Horikita out of his reverie and he walked in with an inexplicable expression.

"I'm sorry for calling on such short notice!" Suzune apologised after she closed the door and Manabu stared at his nervous sister with gentle eyes.

The cold and distant look gone.

"You've... Changed." He muttered and Horikita was stunned.

"I've changed?" She asked back and Manabu frowned before shaking his head.

"Let me rephrase... You've returned to your own self Suzune." Manabu eyed Suzune's short hair.

(Image in paragraph comment above, as well as in the chapter comments)

Suzune's face contorted into one of guilt.

"So many years have passed. Why couldn't I return to my past self earlier… I've always felt regret over that."

"Then what is the current you thinking about now?"

"Honestly, I'd be lying if I didn't say my heart was all over the place right now." She stumbled over her words before adjusting her breathing. "But, the only thing I can say for certain is this. The old me…always, always just followed your shadow, but I'm no longer that person anymore."

"You've certainly given me a surprise, Suzune." Manabu said, "So tell me, have you decided how you'll live in the future? The you, who is no longer chasing my shadow."

"I'll carve my own path. I'll make companions, I'll make allies... I'll make friends. I will no longer mistake isolation as independence." Her gaze was firm and full of resolve. Such a bright light... It couldn't be faked.

Her determination was clear for him to see.

Manabu couldn't help but smile, "Do you know the reason why I've been pushing you away till now?"

Suzune froze for a second before her eyes went blank. Manabu stared at her silently, waiting for her answer.

Suzune involuntarily remembered all of her conversations with Yamamoto Tatsuya. His words had been deeply embedded in her heart, how could she forget? How could she not know the answer?

"I've always chased your shadow but that wasn't what you wanted. I might sound presumptuous but if I'm not wrong you saw potential in me, potential to surpass you." Suzune took a deep breath, "You were disappointed that I set the bar at you. That I limited myself to you. What you want for me is to surpass you. That is what I believe. Tell me Nii-san, am I wrong!?"

She raised her head and deeply stared at her brother, the brother she admired for most of her life.

A soft smile spread across Manabu's face.

He extended his hand and under Suzune's astonished gaze, patted her head softly.

"You're right."

"Do you know, I once told you that I thought you looked better with longer hair? It was a lie I said that to confirm something and much to my disappointment seeing you at this school for the first time I knew you hadn't changed. You were still the lost soul chasing after my illusionary image."

"I'm sorry for lying." Manabu apologised.

Suzune looked shaken, not only because of her brother's sudden apology but also because of how similar his words were to Yamamoto.

"Nii-san, you don't have to apologise," she waved her hands in a fluster before a look of hesitation flashed past her face.

"Say it. There's no need to hesitate around me anymore. I'm glad to have been reunited with Suzune who was lost far back into some corner of my memories. Seeing you like this, it really warms my heart."

Suzune never expected her brother to say such words. She was used to him conversing in only a single sentence or sometimes even a single word. He had never spoken with so much joy before—

No, it wasn't that he had never spoken joyfully to her but that it had been so long that she forgot.

"Nii-san... Did you tell Yamamoto-kun about our relationship?" She was originally not going to use honorifics but that would make her brother confused.

What mattered was that she suspected that she was being played with. Had her brother told these things that he was saying to her to Yamamoto as well?

She was still unaware of the relationship between him and her brother. The nature of their relationship and the weird contract... It was all but one big mystery to her.

Was Yamamoto orchestrating an elaborate lie just to manipulate her?

Suzune felt a chill in her heart as she waited for her brother's answer.

"Yamamoto Tatsuya..."

Manabu muttered before staring at his sister silently.

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Ps. I apologise, double updates will be quite impossible. My wishes don't conform to the time I have but there will be several days with double updates, it's just they'll be at random and not daily. For now updating daily has been quite the achievement considering the lack of updates the last month.

I apologise once again.