Chapter 4 : From a Brother to a Sister

The second day, 31st of March.

For me, this was a special day that had finally arrived.

That's right, it was the day when the elder Horikita embarked on his next journey.

We agreed to meet at noon. I was early, as usual, and reached the main entrance of the school.

He seemed to have kept his word and hadn't told anyone else that he was leaving then. There was no one around, except for me.

My eyes were drawn towards the figures of the students who were headed to Keyaki Mall as I quietly waited for his arrival.

A year ago, I came to this school through this very entrance.

Although you might hang out near here occasionally, this was not a place people went to often.

If it was a club activity or a special exam, you could take the bus that passes through here. Still, if you wanted to walk out of the entrance, it had to be because you graduated, or you were expelled.

Since you couldn't repeat a year, one of those two situations would inevitably occur within the 3 years.

"I've been thinking about this a lot recently."

It was almost the start of the second year.

I reflected on my own change in attitude, and it was like I turned into a different person.

Just 20 minutes before the agreed time, Horikita's brother finally arrived.

After confirming it was me, the elder Horikita lightly looked at the area around me. It was obvious what he was looking for.

"Unfortunately, your sister isn't here yet."

"That seems to be the case."

The time now was 11:40 AM.

It wasn't too late. But considering that there wasn't much time left, she should really have arrived earlier.

I thought about the talk with Ichinose yesterday.

I remembered what Horikita looked like as she did what she needed to during then.

Was there something going on?

"I'll call her."

I suggested this. If it was me who was calling her, the elder Hroikita would agree to it.

Although, that was what I thought… 

"That's alright, there's no need."

The elder Horikita gently stopped me with his hand, stopping me from doing so.

"If she wasn't feeling well, she would have contacted me in advance."

"She might just be oversleeping."

Although that was unlikely, I still mentioned that possibility.

"If that's the case, there's no need to wake her up."

He was saying that if she had overslept on such a momentous occasion, then she wouldn't be worth acknowledging.

Even though it was his last day, his attitude was the same as ever.

"Oh well! There shouldn't be a problem. After all, there's still time."

She might be nervously staying in her room until the last moment, because of the fact that it was her brother that she was going to meet.

"Let's not talk about that for the time being. I didn't expect you to come so early."

"I thought that you would come early as well."

We agreed to meet at noon.

There was more than enough time before the bus departed.

But for their final farewell, I expected the Horikita siblings to have a long talk here.

And so unsurprisingly, the elder Horikita came 20 minutes early.

What both of us did not expect was that the younger Horikita, who should have been the central character here, had not arrived yet.

Anyways, since she hadn't arrived yet, we could only talk about things relating to both of us.

It was just a waste of time if nothing was said, and if we just waited for the time to pass.

After thinking a bit, I mentioned something that I started to care about recently.

"Sorry. If only I could have done more for you when you were on the student council."

The elder Horikita had discussed with me how to stop Nagumo from doing whatever he wanted.

However, at that time, due to my wish to live a peaceful life, I did not agree to his request.

Although he introduced me to Vice President Kiriyama, our relationship ended there.

As a result, Kiriyama still had no plan to act to this day.

"That was my responsibility. It was my fault to impose it all on you, so don't mind it."

For the elder Horikita, this school was now a thing of the past.

What the school would look like later, Horikita did not need to care.

"But even so, I'll give you this last piece of advice. I've always adopted an assured attitude towards the rules of the school. Although it's a meritocracy, the lower-ranked classes still have a chance for victory. It's by no means an easy fight for any class."

"I don't think that's very reasonable considering the fact you've stayed in Class A for three whole years."

"Yet, I think most of the students haven't noticed the essence of that fact. Of course, many things can be improved on the school's side. But you just need to look at the past to understand that no matter if it was the unmanned island test or the end of year exam, there is always an opportunity for the lower classes to beat the upper classes."

Competence was needed not only in written exams, but also in special exams.

In the unmanned island test, as long as we were united, defeating Class A and B wasn't difficult. 

The same was true at the end of year exam. Although luck was a factor, it was also proof that a lower class might take wins.

"Luck largely determines victory or defeat for the immature first years in the lower class to defeat the upper class. But… it's also difficult for the upper classes to accept that. That's one of the elements that's irritating."

If the school was too considerate for the lower levels, the upper levels would be dissatisfied.

Without mentioning the method of using 20 million private points to move up, the system at the school was based on the classes fighting as a whole in order to move up the rankings, and as such, was a structure that didn't ignore the students with low abilities.

No matter which class, there were outstanding students, as well as students on a lower level than them.

Nagumo, who had experienced a year of these examinations, came up with an idea.

That was to create a system that favoured the powerful, allowing people to with their own personal strength.

The strong would keep climbing, while the weak would keep falling.

"Perhaps what Nagumo wants to do isn't necessarily wrong."

There would be people who would be dissatisfied by it, but there would also be a lot of students who would approve.

Most of the current 2nd years would agree with it.

Of course, not everyone actually agreed from the heart.

Driven by their surrounding trends, the number of students who agreed because they had no other choice would not be small.

If every person had strong abilities, then all the classes would be engaged in fierce competition.

"Is there a big gap between the 2nd years? I mean in terms of class points."

"There is. Nagumo's Class A had 1491 points in March, Class B had 889, Class C had 280, and Class D had 76 points."

Considering there was only one year left, Class A was already in a stable situation.

And so under those circumstances, Nagumo was bold enough to go forward with a proposal to help the lower classes.

With only 76 points to their name, Class D's situation would be impossible to reverse.

"There are a lot of people who agree with him. If they can't win with the whole class, people who want to go to Class A can only hope for a system that would allow them to win with their own power."

"That might be the case. But Nagumo's approach would leave many people misfortunate."

If you become too powerful and individualistic, your classmates would become overly suspicious towards you.

And then everyone around you would turn into enemies.

The elder Horikita, no, Horikita Manabu still believed that the cooperation within the system known as a class was still necessary.

This was the type of system that had been selected after clearly considering what the future would hold.

"Isn't it the same with the current system? The three classes outside of Class A are all unfortunate."

What Nagumo's ideal system would be, we could only imagine.

If the system of personal victory was implemented and successfully established, it may be beneficial for classes that didn't have 40 students in them any more.

"Exactly. So it's like-"

As soon as I started speaking, the elder Horikita cut in.

"Using the collective private points of Class B and below, and use them to gamble on who gets the right to move up to Class A."

As he had the same thoughts as I did, I nodded.

If we ignore the expelled students, there were 120 students from Class B to D.

If they pool up their personal points, they would easily exceed 20 million points.

It was even possible to reach 40 or even 60 million private points.

Of course, not everyone would agree to participate in that gamble.

Although I don't know how the system had changed now, we were able to cash in these private points at graduation until recently.

Even if you were in Class D, as long as you had enough cash in hand after graduating, there would exist some students who didn't care anymore.

If there really were people with money who met the conditions, it would be better for them to choose participation.

Anyway, if the class's victory couldn't be achieved, gambling with the points as a last resort wasn't a bad thing.

It would increase the number of students getting into Class A.

For the academic year that had the largest gap between Class A and the classes below, this was realistically the last chance to achieve that dream.

"Didn't that happen in your year?"

"It would be a bit deceptive if I say that this idea didn't arise. But it didn't happen. Because Class A and B were constantly competing, Class C and D didn't gain enough points."

I thought about the time I came into contact with the 3rd year Class Ds just after I enrolled, when they were in an awkward position in terms of points.

If a class lost continuously, it would get harder and harder to gain personal points. It wasn't good at all to spend several months with 0 personal points.

"If it's only to this extent, it won't have that much of an impact. However, if Nagumo's plans mean that even his own Class A will be affected by, his classmates will also be at risk."

This way, students who lacked strength in Class A had the risk of falling behind. This was the obvious risk.

In Class A, if only Nagumo was within the safe range, then the meritocracy wouldn't be supported by his own classmates.

All classes should be treated fairly, whether it was Class A or Class D.

"Although I don't know what he intends to do, it's a decision that requires courage."

"That bastard is bored with what it takes to win as it is now. That's probably the reason for all this. Joining the student council was probably just to kill some time."

Noone would have the right to express any dissatisfaction towards him and his ability which was the foundation for him gaining support.

"A class is a community with a shared destiny. I don't think this system should be broken."

"So you don't agree with Nagumo's approach."

Although he did not nod in response, the elder Horikita accepted what I said just like that.

Although I understood what he wanted to say, neither side could be considered correct. However…

"I plan to observe what Nagumo wants to do. If he really plans to change the entire grade, no, the entire school into a meritocracy, I'll have to witness it first before making any judgements."

I decided to tell him about my future plans without hiding it.

"So that's it, huh. You're advancing to a higher level than me."

"You flatter me."

It just meant that I had no intention to stop Nagumo, as well as having no means to stop it.

It wouldn't be so bad if I merely observed what Nagumo would do to this school.

After all, the elder Horikita's efforts in defending against Nagumo's attacks in his final year had already cut deep in his body.

"I'm not the person you think I am."

"No, I'm sorry, but I don't think so."

Facing my modesty, the elder Horikita strongly rejected it.

"In any case, it seems like your evaluation of me won't drop."

"If my evaluation would drop, it would already have done so."

Speaking of this, the elder Horikita hadn't changed his evaluation of me for about a year now.

No matter what he knew and what he didn't, his evaluation didn't change.

"I can't seem to understand. What part of my body, what essential factor of it that allowed me to gain your approval."

Why did he think I was different from other students?

The elder Horikita had data, which was my joke-like score from my entrance exam, as well as the brief confrontation we had when I tried to intervene to save his sister.

In addition to those encounters, my running speed had been revealed to this man when I ran against him in the relay race.

But in reality, he didn't know the true extent of my academics and athletics.

"I think that using my own perception and intuition, I can figure out the skill of my opponent to some extent."

Rather than say this was specific, this was more of an abstract way of expressing it.

It was amazing that I could be judged to this extent through that method.

"Relying on what you call perception, what do I look like? I want to hear your answer, as a parting gift."

Because this was interesting to me, I decided to ask him. 

In fact, I wanted to find out how similar his evaluation of me was to my own self-evaluation.

The elder Horikita probably would answer honestly. 

"Yes. In my eyes…"

After a pause, Horikita recalled what he thought of me during the previous year.

"You have greatly surpassed my prediction based on my experience in life so far. There are no flaws in your strategies. Aside from your strategic ingenuity, you are not someone I can beat in terms of physical strength. Of all the opponents I faced, you are that one person I don't want to fight." 

Another exaggerated evaluation. If this were just his perceptual evaluation of me, then it would be truer. 

"So you're saying that you concede defeat to me?"

"That is a different matter. Even facing a perfect opponent, there are still chances to win.

I felt relieved after hearing the elder Horikita's response. 

"Not to mention that the students compete along with their classes. No matter how outstanding the individual is, there must be a limit. 

"Yes. This is the exact reason I find it interesting."

"Ayanokouji. What kind of environment did you grow up in? These abilities are certainly not inherently possessed. Even if you were educated thoroughly by your family, it's not an easy task to reach that territory."

"Didn't you grow up in an unordinary family environment as well?

An elite capable of even being president of the student council should be able to understand how the climb upwards worked.

"No matter what it was, nothing would be given to you, just like that. There was also a period of time when I was distressed, because I was making no progress. However, I've made unremitting efforts to overcome all of this. No matter if it's from childhood to now, or from now to the future. "

He stood on top of all of his accumulated efforts. That was what the elder Horikita was saying.

"Based on your theory, I should've put in more effort than how much you've put in. 

"…Yes."

To beat a hardworking person, more effort was needed. 

Although this was not all, it was still an answer. 

Horikita took out his phone and showed me the screen which displayed a phone number. 

Then he switched the screen to show another number. 

"Remember these two numbers. One is mine, and the other is Tachibana's. If you have any problems after you graduate, you can always talk to us. If you can't remember these numbers, you can save it now, but it has to be deleted later."

Contact with people outside the school was prohibited. If I noted the number down carelessly, it would only hurt me. 

I nodded slightly to indicate that there was no problem, and saved the 11-digit number in my brain. 

Although it was impossible for me to imagine a day where those numbers were needed, I wouldn't lose anything just by memorizing them.

"I haven't asked you yet, where do you plan to go afterwards?"

Because he told me Tachibana's number, I now knew that they would keep in touch after graduation. 

"About that-"

Horikita, who was about to speak, stopped after confirming the time on his phone. 

"I'll tell you about it after you graduate, it's almost time."

It was almost noon. 

In other words, it was the appointed time to meet the younger Horikita. 

However, Horikita was nowhere to be seen. Even if the elder Horikita's expression was the same as usual, I felt a little lonely.

"I'll contact her."

I don't think that that person would go against her feelings and not show up now.

If she hadn't overslept, it is more realistic to think that she was involved in some sort of incident.

"No, that still isn't necessary."

Even if an incident did occur, the elder Horikita had already prepared in the case that she didn't show up.

Although I understood that he did not hate his sister from the events that had happened up until now, but this was a bit… 

"There's no need to be so stubborn, there's no harm if you sometimes be the one to initiate contact."

"I'm afraid that temporarily showing emotion could hinder my sister's growth. It's fine if she was late because she was caught in some sort of accident, but if she decided that she would experience growth by not seeing me here, then that's even better. If that's the case, my behaviour here will only be an obstacle. 

"Just by avoiding you, she'll grow? Is this what you think your sister believes?"

"Suzune will decide on that."

This was not something that an outsider could make thoughtless remarks about. The elder Horikita said that, allusively.

"I haven't seen you indulge her at all."

"I was just judging on what situation in which I should indulge her."

I think that this was the right situation for him to do so.

A minute had passed after reaching noon.

I thought that he would immediately head towards the main gate, but he did not start walking. 

Although it didn't seem like he indulged her by doing so, this could be considered something like that.

"I also have something to confirm with you. I also want you to answer me, as a parting gift.

The elder Horikita looked at me and said that.

I nodded my head, going along with the very last time he was going to show this side of his.

"It's fine if you can't answer this fully."

After this exchange happened, perhaps the elder Horikita would finally head towards the main entrance.

"Why do you hide your abilities?"

Although I wasn't surprised, this really was a question that got straight to the point.

"I simply just don't like attracting attention to myself."

"Even if you truly want to conceal your true self, is this something you can stick by?"

"How do I say this, I haven't thought of that."

I wanted to enter this school and live a normal student's life.

But having been asked this question, I had a bit of doubt creep up on me.

"I decided to live the life of a normal high school student that you can find anywhere. I had to solve some problems by myself to keep that life a reality.

"Do you plan to continue doing this in the future?"

"It's hard to say. There's been an increase in things that attracted my attention. I won't have to get serious for most of these things, but it's still more than before."

To be honest, there were still many parts I wasn't sure about, so I bluntly told him what I was feeling now.

Hearing that, what kind of answer would the elder Horikita have?

"What I accomplished at the school, and what I couldn't. I've been thinking about those things recently."

With that said, the elder Horikita looked in the direction of the school for a while.

"Have I completely shown my strength, did I still have room to grow, those kinds of things."

In other words, he lived in almost completely opposite circumstances to mine.

It was for this reason that he climbed to the position of student council president.

"Do you really think that continuing like this will have any meaning in the future?"

"If you look at it from my perspective, wanting to live a comfortable life, I'd say that has meaning."

"Maybe so. But don't you want to leave something here while at this school? If that's the case, then I think the question "Do you really think that continuing like this will have any meaning in the future?" is something you should think about carefully.

"Leave something behind… that's something that only someone that stands out as much as you can do."

I denied the possibility, but the elder Horikita did not agree with me.

"If you can't imprint your legacy at the school itself, you just need to do it to the students. Let the student known as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka be carved into the minds of the students, and they will not forget your existence."

Carve my existence into someone's mind. I've never thought of doing such a thing.

"I'm very grateful to you for helping my sister to grow. You have hidden your great power, and throughout the year, I have come to fully understand that. You are not a man who would stop at just this level. And that's why… don't disappoint me."

This was a strong piece of encouragement from the former president of the student council of the Advanced Nurturing highschool.

"If you are truly going to pursue yourself despite the restrictions, then in these three years, you will be an existence that will be remembered by others."

"Becoming an unforgettable existence? It's still possible for me to be expelled during the second and third years."

"Even if you were involved in some number of incidents these three years and face the fate of dropping out, you will still remain in the memory of others. As long as there are students looking back at the three years and thinking that "The existence of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is truly great," I think it can already be considered a success."

The elder Horikita said it once more, and I felt his words slowly sinking into my heart. 

"I understand….yeah. I will think about this more carefully."

That was the best answer I can give right now. 

"That's alright. The answer to this question is not something I have to reach, it is something you, Ayanokouji, have to figure out yourself."

No matter if it was about issues of the student council led by Nagumo, the younger Horikita, or the school itself.

The final decision was mine. 

This world was full of ingredients which would allow growth. Wherever it is, there are always reminders to improve yourself.

This was also the case with the elder Horikita. Even if I spent my school life silently, there would undoubtedly be something I left behind.

I wanted memories. 

Random memories which could make me feel happy. 

At the beginning, I was satisfied with what I was. So in the past year, I've tried my best to live a quiet life. 

But this might not be the correct answer. There had to be a meaning for me to come to this school. And so because of this.

"For our final moments, I spoke about a lot of weird stuff. Sorry."

"No, I think these are the most meaningful words an underclassman has spoken to me."

You leaving, it made me feel a bit lonely.

I swallowed this sentence as soon as it reached my lips.

"Ahh… It seems like we've both seen a side of each other we hadn't before."

We both understood the distance between us, allowing us to talk to each other.

Moreover, some things can be understood even if they were not expressed in words.

"It's almost time to go."

The elder Horkita was probably saying that he didn't think the younger Horikita would show up after 12:10.

He then reluctantly looked towards the school, in the direction of the first year's dormitory.

The sister who should have arrived didn't. Noone expected it to be like this.

Was that your answer? Horikita. I couldn't help but ask that.

I admit that the relationship between those two siblings was indeed a bit different.

However, you had suffered for many years in order to break this relationship.

And now it was almost time for the final answer to be revealed.

I reached into my pocket and grabbed my phone. I'll use forceful methods if I had to, if it meant getting her here.

Even if it was just for a moment, even if it was just a glance, as long as this can serve as food for Horikita's psyche, then being forceful…no-it would only be counterproductive.

It might even create a rift between this relationship between siblings that had just begun to heal.

It didn't matter if I wanted the meeting to happen or not, in the end, it was based on the thoughts and feelings of those two people.

It wasn't something that an outsider should interfere with.

"I'm really sorry. My sister is still causing you trouble at the very end."

As if he saw through my feelings, the elder Horikita quietly apologized.

"It's not like I've lost anything from this."

As he turned around, the man who was at the forefront of the school for 3 years prepared to leave.

"I can say that these three years, I have continuously walked at the forefront of the school itself."

This was his conclusion. The elder Horikita's final words after reviewing his past 3 years.

"Halfway through, I've lost a lot of classmates. Other students in other classes have the same experiences."

The elder Horikita didn't show joy in graduating from Class A.

Even so, he was not pessimistic. Just a solemn reflection of past events.

"There were 24 dropouts before our graduation. There were 13 in our 3rd year alone."

I didn't know if that number was particularly large compared to previous years.

In Nagumo's 2nd year, there should be 17 dropouts in the winter semester.

"In your first year, only 3 have dropped out so far."

It wasn't difficult to imagine that as the school years passed, the situation would become more and more serious.

"Of course, students who cannot complete a task will be expelled."

"True. The students who get left behind are the ones with low-level abilities. However, sometimes, an excellent student gets left behind as well."

In order to protect someone, or being trapped by a more powerful opponent.

How an excellent student could get expelled wasn't hard to conceive.

"Now, I also have some doubts about how the school approaches this. But I'm still thankful towards the school."

Occasionally, fellow classmates would drop out unexpectedly, but the elder Horikita did not criticize the school's way of doing things. 

"The students of this school are educated for the future of Japan. In a hundred people, not all of them will be able to adapt. The same is true for finding a university or finding a job in a company." 

It was not only about passing or failing, but there could be various influences which decided whether a person was qualified. 

"I've come to understand this concept. I can feel it from my skin, after leaving this place, I won't fail in any future selections due to any tactlessness or impulsiveness."

It seems like he had achieved this amount of growth. How many students in the same year have reached the same heights?

"Let's call it a day here."

The main entrance. Elder Horikita looked at the main entrance, which was a few meters in front of him. Then-for the last time, he looked back at me. 

"Although this is a one-sided request, I'll leave Suzune in your care."

While saying this, elder Horikita stretched out his hands toward me. 

"Can I shake your hand?"

"Sure."

I shook the hand he held out. 

Shaking hands was the act of gripping the other's hand with my own hand.

The elder Horikita's grip contained incredible power. 

Afterwards, both hands naturally let go. 

"Until we meet again, Ayanokouji."

After leaving this farewell message for me, the elder Horikita headed towards the main entrance. 

If he was going to leave now, then no one can do anything about it. 

The shortest time would be 2 years until I could see the elder Horikita again, or if I took the path of dropping out.

But I will never see this man again.

"Brother——!"

A shout came from behind me.

As for whose voice it was, there was no doubt it was that person. 

After hearing this voice, the elder Horikita stopped walking. 

It seems at the very end, she was able to catch up. 

Noon had passed, and the elder Horikita was a few steps away before leaving this place. 

If she arrived even a minute late, she wouldn't have been able to see his face. 

When elder Horikita turned around, he had a surprised expression which I've never seen before.

Was it his sister's arrival which surprised him?

This was, of course, a possibility. 

Although that's what I thought, that didn't seem to be the case.

No, it should be said that's not the only reason.

I immediately found out the real reason the elder Horikita was surprised.

"You…"

Arriving after the appointed time, Horikita Suzune hurriedly stood to my side as she panted.

But right now, to Horikita Suzune, there was no difference between me and the background. 

I was not in her field of vision. 

She took a step towards her brother while catching her breath. 

"I'm sorry, I'm late…!"

She apologized to her brother with her head down.

But why were you late?

That was the question everyone had on their mind.

"No-"

But this time, she did not need to answer that question.

Just once glance towards her would tell you the reason behind her lateness.

Confusion. No, pure amazement.

Because the Horikita I was looking at now was a lot different from the one I saw yesterday.

So that's what happened.

This was why right after she entered this school, the elder Horikita was able to immediately understand why she was unable to grow.

The elder Horikita stared blankly at the condition of Horikita.

I was the same.

I had fully understood on the day of her brother's farewell, Horikita came here, fully aware of her lateness.

The elder Horikita could never find fault with having such a sister.

"You've changed."

The elder Horikita, who after seeing his sister felt relieved, said softly.

"I've…changed?"

"No-let me correct myself. You've returned back to your own self, Suzune."

This wasn't a new beginning, but instead a return to one's roots.

"One year, No… many years have passed."

As Horikita adjusted her breathing, she slowly answered her brother's questions.

"What couldn't I return to my past self earlier… I've always felt regret over that."

With one step, Horikita closed the distance with her brother.

"What is the current you thinking about now?"

"What is it… honestly, I'd be lying if I didn't say my heart was all over the place right now."

Horikita's face was full of perplexment as she stumbled over her words.

The elder Horikita looked at her gently while waiting for her to sort her words out.

"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."

Horikita Suzune had only thought about her brother's affairs, and therefore had only lived for her brother so far.

It was all about learning more and getting more athletic to gain approval from her brother.

"Then I ask you this, to you who has finally stopped chasing after me. How will you live in the future?"

The brother raised this question.

Horikita got her breathing under control and chose her words carefully.

"I'll no longer chase the backs of others, so I'll have to find my own path."

The Horikita now had just got rid of her confusion.

She had just become able to see her surroundings as they were.

Even so, she wouldn't just stop there.

"And then-"

Walk on her own path.

What seemed like a simple task here was actually extremely difficult.

But just by letting him see this, it was already the perfect farewell present for the elder Horikita.

However, Horikita didn't seem like she's going to be done with just that.

"After that, for my classmates, I'll walk ahead of them."

Becoming a role model for the people around you, guiding them to success.

That was an important element to becoming a leader.

"And in order to find my own way, I will learn together with my companions at this school."

When I met Horikita a year ago, I didn't expect her to grow to this extent.

A bit better than ordinary people, a little arrogant top student. We were just neighbours who sat next to each other.

For better or worse, it was her own personal strength that made that impression.

"That's it. You've finally… returned to the past. This is the past you that I remember, lurking in the corners of my memories."

Only the elder Horikita had seen this before, unlike me.

He was someone that knew and believed in the potential of his sister more than anyone else.

The elder Horikita put down his luggage and walked towards his sister.

The emotional distance between them was finally realized, but they were about to be separated.

The siblings have reached the distance where if you'd just extend your hand, you could reach the other.

"Do you know the biggest reason I pushed you away?"

"…I don't."

Perhaps Horikita didn't know what her brother was thinking now.

She had just been freed from her chains known as the past.

It was like forcibly breaking open a locked treasure chest.

Meaning that she had not yet found the 'key' to the answer.

Why did the elder Horikita always refuse his sister?

Why did he push her away with such a severe expression?

"I've always considered the affairs concerning you to be very important."

"!?"

As if telling her what that 'key' was, the elder Horikita gave her his final gift. 

"And, when you were still a child, I sensed great potential in you. Although not yet mature, I saw an unpolished diamond. I was looking forward to seeing that rough stone getting polished, gaining a power surpassing me."

The elder Horikita took the last step. 

The distance already reached the point where you just needed to raise your arm to touch the other.

"However, you were trapped in an illusion. You decided that you were inferior to me, and gave up because you thought it was impossible to surpass me. And you chose to abandon the space for your own personal development. I just can't forgive such a thing."

She just wanted to pursue her brother's shadow, and be on the same level as him. 

That wasn't a bad thing. 

It could even be considered to be a grand goal. 

But in other words, her goal is to be on the same level as her brother. Basically, that would be the endgame.

The sister who wanted to be on the same level as her brother, and the brother who wanted his sister to surpass him. 

This was the reason for the huge rift between the siblings. 

"You must become even stronger, and even kinder than everyone else."

The brother hugged his sister gently.

As the elder brother, the Horikita that had done all he could while standing, hugged her tightly.

Horikita's short hair fluttered in the wind. 

"Brother——"

"You're all good. I'm sure of that now."

I can't say anything aloud.

This has turned into a place where words were forbidden.

"There's something that I've kept quiet about in the past few years, so I need to apologize to you."

"Apologize?"

Not knowing what it was, Horikita asked, while still hugging her brother. 

"So far, our relationship hasn't been the best, and one of the reasons was because of me."

"What, does that mean…?"

Horikita asked in a low voice.

"In the past, I said I liked your long hair. That was a lie that I told on purpose."

"Eh? Is, is that so!?"

Horikita, who didn't know about this, spoke in a surprised tone. 

"Back then, you, who liked keeping your hair short, listened to my opinion, lost your character, and kept your hair long. I did that in order to confirm it."

In other words, Horikita decided to keep her hair long in order to match her brother's preferences. 

So when they met again at this school, the elder Horikita immediately understood. 

That Horikita Suzune hasn't changed at all.

Facing the younger sister only chasing after her brother's silhouette, the elder Horikita welcomed her with disappointment.

There was even not a need to confirm whether her academic or athletic ability was good enough.

"-Excuse me for lying."

"…That was excessive, brother."

"I won't make any excuses."

I suppose the elder Horikita intentionally did not reveal this lie up until now.

He sensed it, and so he firmly believed that one day, his sister would incur a change.

"I'll forgive you for lying. Because that lie made me what I am now."

Horikita also recognized this fact, so she laughed and forgave him.

The elder Horikita gently placed his hands on his sister's shoulder, and looked straight at her face.

And Horikita spared no effort as she showed her smile to her brother.

After seeing that smiling face, the elder Horikita also let loose a smile, as if he were taking off a mask.

He wasn't a person that never smiled.

But it's also the first time I've seen him smile so tenderly.

This smile, I'll never see it again.

Having one year.

If I could spend 1 more year on this same campus as him,

Then I would become even closer to the man named Horikita Manabu.

And I might even incur some change because of it.

This really was a pity.

"Suzune, 2 years later, I'll be waiting for you outside the main entrance. Let me see you all grown up then."

"Yeah. I will do my best…until the very end."

The obstructions to Horikita's growth have already been removed.

From now on, Horikita would turn towards the front and never look back.

"Ayanokouji, I look forward to when we meet again."

The elder Horikita and I had the same feelings about that.

"Likewise."

Despite knowing that would never happen, I strongly agreed with what the elder Horikita was feeling.

"It's almost time."

It was almost half-past twelve.

If you listened closely, you could hear the bus approaching.

The two slowly distanced themselves reluctantly.

"We'll meet later."

The elder Horikita crossed the main entrance, leaving that as his last words.

And so a man walked into the distance.

Horikita stared straight at his back, constantly watching, cherishing every last moment.

This scene was as if Horikita Manabu and his sister was leaving me a roadsign.