-262- The hidden reason?

The pleasant dinner ended in about half an hour.

Afterward, Horikita Manabu stood up from his seat, prompted by Tachibana Akane's reminder.

"I have work to do, so I'll be leaving first. You can contact me anytime," he said, placing a piece of paper with his phone number in front of Hori, then left the restaurant with a glaring Tachibana Akane in tow.

Only Hori, Horikita Suzune, and Kushida Kikyou remained seated there.

"Phew…"

It wasn't until Horikita Manabu left and his figure disappeared that Horikita Suzune seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, yet also appeared somewhat disappointed.

This usually imposing girl, in front of her brother, had been reduced to not daring to breathe loudly, which was quite an eye-opener.

However, this wasn't hard to understand.

Horikita Suzune had come to this school to follow in the footsteps of her highly capable, admired brother.

Now, being able to sit down and have a meal with her brother must have been a happy occasion for Horikita Suzune.

However, she couldn't truly feel happy.

After all, from beginning to end, Horikita Manabu hadn't even looked at Horikita Suzune directly, nor had he spoken a word to her, treating her as coldly as if she were a stranger, not his own sister.

This was due to Horikita Manabu's personality.

Hori noticed that although Horikita Manabu hadn't spoken to or looked at Horikita Suzune, his attention was subtly focused on her.

It was clear that Horikita Manabu wasn't truly ignoring Horikita Suzune. His personality, or perhaps not wanting others to know their relationship, made him act this way.

As the student council president of Advanced Nurturing High School, Horikita Manabu undoubtedly had many competitors. Letting these people know about Horikita Suzune wouldn't be good.

Of course, his personality played a role as well.

Given Horikita Manabu's cold nature, it was hard to imagine him acting warmly and caringly just because the other person was his sister.

Unfortunately, Horikita Suzune didn't understand all this.

In her view, this was her brother not acknowledging her and not wanting to admit they were related.

Therefore, Horikita Suzune felt both disappointed and complicated.

Kushida Kikyou, on the other hand, after glancing at the unusual Horikita Suzune, looked at Hori.

"Why didn't you join the student council, Nanaya-kun?" Kushida Kikyou asked curiously. "I heard that students who join the student council receive very high evaluations and considerable authority. So far, it's almost always been students from Class A who have the qualifications to join. If you join, you would definitely receive high evaluations and attention from the school. Why did you refuse?"

Kushida Kikyou seemed genuinely puzzled about this.

Hearing this, Horikita Suzune also gathered her thoughts and looked at Hori.

"When did your relationship with my… with the student council president become so good?"

Horikita Suzune's tone, having somewhat recovered, turned unceremonious again.

This question must have been on Horikita Suzune's mind for a while.

There was even a hint of envy in her words.

It seemed that this girl longed for the treatment Hori received from Horikita Manabu.

However, Hori merely smirked.

"I don't know where you all got the idea of a 'good relationship,' and I know you won't believe me, but I'll still say that I'm not as familiar with the student council president as you think," Hori said, picking up the piece of paper on the table and playing with it. "And I have two reasons for not joining the student council."

"Two reasons?" Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyou both looked puzzled.

"Yes," Hori continued to play with the paper, seemingly talking to himself. "For example, I don't want to be used as a pawn."

Used as a pawn?

What did that mean?

Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyou both frowned.

Hori glanced at Horikita Suzune.

"Others may not know, but don't you understand?" Hori asked. "Do you think the student council president is someone who would lower himself to invite an outstanding junior to join just because he values talent?"

"This…" Horikita Suzune was at a loss for words.

However, it was irrefutable.

Given Horikita Manabu's cold nature, it was unlikely he would go to great lengths to invite a first-year student to join the student council simply because he valued talent.

"But he did, which suggests there's another reason beyond valuing talent. I can't think of another possibility," Hori said calmly. "And what he mentioned earlier was also questionable."

"Questionable?" Kushida Kikyou tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"The student council's recruitment situation," Hori said, not hiding his doubts. "Honestly, I was quite surprised to hear that even Sakayanagi from Class A and Katsuragi couldn't join the student council."

Regardless of Sakayanagi Arisu, Katsuragi Kouhei's capability was top-notch.

In the elite Class A, Katsuragi Kouhei could become a faction leader, and his ability was beyond doubt.

Yet, even such a person couldn't join the student council.

Hori was suspicious of this.

"If even Katsuragi doesn't meet the requirements to join the student council, who else in the first year could? Not to mention the mysterious Sakayanagi," Hori said. "If the student council members all need to be above Sakayanagi and Katsuragi, the council would be down to two or three members, if not zero."

Such a student council couldn't function.

Naturally, it was impossible.

So…

"There must be another reason why the leaders of the two factions in Class A were rejected, and why the aloof student council president is willing to invite me repeatedly," Hori concluded.

"Although I don't know what it is yet, the student council president clearly wants to use me for something, and I'm not about to beg him to take me in."

Because of this, Hori refused to join the student council.

This was the first reason.

"What about the second reason?" Horikita Suzune, seemingly displeased with Hori casually discussing her brother, asked stiffly.

Hori's response was simple.

"The second reason?"

Hori raised an eyebrow and suddenly smiled.

"Simple. I'm not interested."

With that, Hori crumpled the piece of paper.

"Ah…"

Horikita Suzune gasped and quickly covered her mouth.

"It's really complicated…"

Kushida Kikyou sighed with a wry smile.

Hori casually tossed aside the paper with the student council president's contact information and continued to leisurely sip his tea under Horikita Suzune's angry gaze and Kushida Kikyou's wry smile.

The summer vacation continued.