COTE: Class D's Masked Guardian

Vol 1. Chapter 20 - Horikita, He Loves you

"So, what did you want to talk about, Ayanokouji-kun?"

Horikita is as blunt as always. Well, at least she's mostly let go of her superiority complex when talking to me. She's trying her best to be polite with me, and I really appreciated it. Come to think of it, there could also be a chance that Horikita has come to admire me.

Although I highly doubt that possibility to be true, if Horikita was indeed starting to view me in the same way as her brother, then that would prove to both be troublesome, and beneficial.

Troublesome as in I would have the same problems as president Manabu, and beneficial in the sense that Horikita will be able to completely dispose of her defect if I were to develop her correctly.

"Ayanokouji-kun? You're staring at me again, would you like me to stab you with my compass to bring you back to reality?" Horikita asked innocently, reaching into her bag and pulling out an abnormally sharp utensil.

Wait, was she actually going to stab me? Surely it's just a joke, right?

"H-haha, there's no need for that, Horikita. I'm okay now," I hastily replied, gesturing for her to put the weapon away, "And as for your question, I just wanted to have a conversation with you about something."

"I see. Then, if I may, could I please enter? Talking while standing can be quite uncomfortable."

"Ah, right," I said, stepping to the side to create space for Horikita, "come in."

We both sat down at the coffee table located in my bedroom, opposing each other rather than sitting side by side.

"So, I'll just get to the point here,why have you rejected Ksuhida's attempt at being friends with you?" I questioned her.

"I don't think I can make friends, especially with someone like Kushida. In the first place, I don't even know what constitutes friendship," she answered, completely serious and deep in thought.

"A friendship just seems... unnecessary. My brother has become the person he is today by being independent, so shouldn't I do the same?" she added.

Horikita was undoubtedly confusing isolation with independence. While Horikita refuses to work with anyone she doesn't deem worthy of her time, her brother is obviously the opposite. His position as the student council president is proof of his ability to cooperate and collaborate with anyone he needs to.

What was confusing was that Manabu had not directly talked to her little sister about her obvious misconceptions. Did he not put in an effort to guide her on the right path, or did he believe that Horikita could have found that problem herself?

To be completely transparent, it is quite disappointing to have realised that Manabu had not done nearly as much as I'd hoped he had to help Horikita Suzune. The girl had an abundance of potential, and a late start such as this one could stint her growth.

But no matter, I'll pick up the minimal, or rather, non-existent, crumbs that the president had created and ensure that Horikita's potential would be fulfilled.

"Horikita, there are differences between independence and isolation. What your brother has done to achieve all he has through independence does not mean he has isolated himself from creating friends. The fact that he is the student council president makes it obvious that he is the best at cooperation and collaboration in this school, don't you think? After all, without those two essential skills, he would never have won the election or whatever he had to go through to secure his esteemed position," I rebutted.

"That's... then why?" Horikita said, her face falling right before me.

"Why did your brother never tell you about the depth of independence and how it differentiates from solitude? Horikita, I'm sorry, but your brother isn't as perfect as you believe he is."

"Preposterous. I won't let you insult my brother like that," she said, determined to protect her brother's name.

I shook my head in response to her stubbornness. "It's not an insult. I agree that your brother is definitely successful and amazing in his own right. But everybody has their flaws, and in his case, that's his inability to communicate to the ones he loves."

"The ones he... loves?" she whispered, her body trembling and her eyes widened.

"Yes, Horikita. He undoubtedly loves you. Whatever you've thought about throughout your life, whatever he's said to you, he loves you. He loves you as his precious little sister."

Suddenly, tears started to stream down her face. She then lowered her head to hide the smile that had made its way onto her tear ridden face.

"You... really believe that he loves me?" she asked, her voice weak and shaky.

"Of course. There's no doubt in my mind after my talk with him last week. He loves you, Horikita," I affirmed.

Horikita let out a few sobs before quickly wiping her eyes and composing herself, stopping her tears.

It seems like Horikita will always be Horikita; a tsundere will always be a tsundere, essentially. But I had cracked the wall that surrounded her heart today, and all I had to do was to affirm that her brother indeed loved her.

Perhaps if Manabu had done so years ago, then I would not need to be doing this now.

Although, I had to be thankful for Horikita Manabu's incompetence. It has allowed me to tighten my bond with Horikita. Heck, maybe she would allow me to call her Suzune in the near future?

No, don't be delusional, Kiyotaka. That's never happening.

"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun," she displayed her gratitude. 

"To tell you the truth, I've always been following my big brother's shadow. He's so successful, and all I wanted was to be acknowledged by him, someone who is superior to me. However, we parted ways on bad terms when he left home to come here. When I came here, I was determined to show him that I wasn't the same girl he knew from three years ago," she confessed somberly, grasping at her skirt. "But, now that I know that he really loves me, maybe I can settle for just that."

"You know, your brother was only so harsh with you because he believed you had the potential to surpass him," I revealed. "And I believe that too. But Horikita, the way you are now, it won't be possible for you to fulfil your potential. Isolation isn't good for someone who wants to improve; you can be independent, but there are limits to that. You need to let people help you, and you need to find someone to lean on in tough situations. Your brother also knows that."

"I have the potential to... surpass him? I can surpass him? I can surpass onii san?" she repeated herself.

"Of course you do, you just need to do as I told you before," I assured her.

"Th-thank you, Ayanokouji-kun, for believing in me," she said, standing up, gathering her things and heading towards the door. "Before it gets too late, I would like you to accompany me."

"Accompany you? To where?" I asked with my eyebrows raised.

"I'm going to talk to my brother, and I want you there with me."

"Why do you want me there with you, would this reunion not be private?" 

"You told me to find someone to lean on, did you not? Well, I have chosen you for that role, so hurry up, Ayanokouji-kun, it's already 5:30."

Wait... what? 

Author's notes:

A short chapter filled with dialogue to establish the relationship between Kiyotaka and Suzune, and also to set up the long-awaited reunion of the Horikita siblings. 

Sorry it took so long to write, I just had a change in vision for this chapter after I thought I had finished it. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it, and see you in the next chapter.