Chapter 95: Horikita Suzune, You're Not Human
"..."
Sakura Airi nodded, half-understanding, and then looked at Katsuragi Keima. "Keima-kun, aren't you afraid of him?"
Katsuragi Keima answered without hesitation. "Why should I be?"
"Because, because he's the Vice President... he looks like... like a very powerful person."
"So what?"
Airi was stumped by his question.
'That's right, so what?'
Keima-kun was that kind of person. He didn't care about titles or how others saw him; he only cared about what he chose to care about. Like games, like...
She stole a glance at him, her heart rate accelerating again.
"Airi." Keima suddenly spoke.
"Y-yes!"
"Are we still practicing or not?"
Airi froze for a second, then nodded vigorously. "Practicing!"
She stood at the free-throw line again and picked up a basketball. Karuizawa Kei also walked over, standing beside her and picking up a ball as well. The two exchanged a look.
"I'm not going to lose to you," Kei said.
In the past, the timid and shy Sakura Airi would never have dared to respond to such a challenge. But things were different now!
"I—I won't lose either!" Airi gathered her courage to reply.
The two stared at each other, sparks seemingly flying between their eyes. Their blood was starting to boil!
Then—One hit the rim. One hit the backboard. Both balls hit the ground simultaneously with a sharp thud.
Kiryuin Fuuka was doubled over laughing nearby.
Keima watched this scene, pushed up his glasses, and a nearly imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. These two... were truly pushing it. He lowered his head again and continued playing his handheld, even though the constant clack-clack-clack echoed in his ears.
Keima actually took out his terminal to check how many points it would cost to compensate the school if they broke the machine. Fortunately, Airi had plenty of points right now, so it should be fine. Forget it—back to the game.
Airi was practicing hard; although her hit rate was still pathetic, she could at least occasionally touch the rim now. Kei was competing right alongside her; neither made many baskets, but the atmosphere was unexpectedly intense.
Kiryuin Fuuka leaned against a machine, propping her chin on one hand, and turned to Keima. "Your year is the most interesting one I've ever seen."
"Have you paid attention to other years, Senpai?" Keima asked while playing.
"The third-years, and the year that just graduated—I've observed them all," Kiryuin said with a smile. "Including my own year, there have been exactly two people who previously caught my eye."
"I assume you mean Nagumo and Horikita-senpai?" Keima's first instinct pointed to those two.
"Smart. But I quickly found those two to be too boring." Kiryuin shook her head. "I believe, Katsuragi, that you are the more interesting one."
"I'm just doing ordinary things."
"No, you possess a talent they don't. For example, look at these two girls whose personalities seem completely incompatible, yet because of you, they are drawn into your orbit." Kiryuin's gaze landed on the two "blacksmiths" hammering away at the hoops.
Horikita Manabu protected his classmates, but he was aloof, always standing alone in front of everyone. Nagumo Miyabi united nearly the entire second year, but he did it through points and threats; everyone did it out of interest or self-preservation.
But Katsuragi Keima was different. He was like the sun; others naturally gravitated and revolved around him.
"You noticed, didn't you? That they had been following us the whole time."
Keima stood there, fingers moving rapidly on his handheld—appearing to play a game, but actually observing the situation with his peripheral vision. Although he had discovered Airi's stalking long ago, the simultaneous appearance of Airi and Kei had exceeded his expectations. While they were getting along for now, who knew what would happen next? There were too many variables.
To conquer multiple targets, the most important thing is to learn how to be fair. If anyone perceives favoritism, it turns into a negative event that tanks affection levels. Things looked okay now, but Keima felt the risk was too high. He had to act.
Ten minutes ago, he had texted Elsie, roughly explaining the situation and telling her to "bring someone." In his mind, Elsie would understand the subtext: bring anyone who can break the current deadlock. Like Hasebe Haruka, or Kushida Kikyo, or even Shiina Hiyori. Adding a variable to change the three-way standoff into a group scramble would effectively disperse attention and lower the chance of conflict. Today's outing would change from a "date" into a "group hang."
That way, no one would overthink it. It was a classic "group dilution strategy."
He had calculated everything. But he missed one thing—Elsie's logic.
"This is it! This is it!"
The automatic doors of the Game Center slid open, and a figure rushed in like a whirlwind. Elsie held her hands high, her face filled with the pride of a mission accomplished.
"Nii-sama! You're here!"
Behind her, a tall and cool figure walked in slowly. Long black hair, sharp eyes, expressionless.
Horikita Suzune.
She was wearing simple casual clothes and holding a small booklet that looked like study material. She looked completely out of place in this Game Center filled with electronic noises and colored lights.
"..." Keima's fingers stopped on the buttons. His brain completed the following calculation in 0.3 seconds:
Recipient of the message = Elsie.
Instruction "Bring someone" received and executed by Elsie.
Elsie's definition of "someone" = a human being.
Elsie's choice of "human" = likely the first one she bumped into, which was Horikita Suzune.
'How the hell did you manage to bring Horikita Suzune?!'
Keima didn't even know where to start his critique. Anyone else would have been fine, but not her! She was the definition of "incompatible" with an arcade. Plus, she had a sharp tongue; if she clashed with someone as strong-willed as Kiryuin Fuuka, it would be a disaster.
And yet... she actually came?
"Katsuragi." Horikita Suzune's gaze swept the room, landing on him. Her tone was as flat as a weather report. "You called for me?"
Keima didn't answer. He looked at Elsie with eyes full of resentment.
'Sister, please, use your brain for once. You could have made up any excuse! Did you have to tell her I specifically asked for her? Doesn't that make this more awkward?!'
Elsie blinked, looking innocent. "Nii-sama, didn't you tell me to bring someone? I ran into Horikita-san as I was heading out. I said it was your idea, and she came with me! Is there a problem?"
The problem is massive!
Keima pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting a cold light.
"Keima-kun... specifically called for Horikita?" Airi and Kei had noticed the arrival. Hearing that Horikita was "specifically called," their minds began to wander.
'Why did he ask for her? Could it be...?'
Keima walked over to Elsie and whispered urgently, "I said bring someone! Why is it Horikita?! I meant a normal person!"
"But Horikita-san is a person!"
Elsie still didn't get it. But logically, she wasn't wrong. Keima fell silent.
"...Forget it." He sighed and turned to Horikita Suzune. "Suzune, since you're here... just take a look around."
"Take a look around?" Horikita scanned the machines. "This is a Game Center. You called me to a Game Center? Exactly what is going on?"
A deeper spark of interest flashed in Kiryuin Fuuka's eyes. "Another one," she whispered with amusement. "Today is... quite a harvest."
Horikita finally noticed the others. "Can someone explain the situation?"
No one answered. Airi wrung her fingers nervously. Kei looked at the ceiling. Kiryuin smiled in silence. Elsie looked like she had just won an award.
Keima's brain worked overtime. Horikita's presence was drama enough. If he let her leave now, her affection levels would likely tank. He had to find a way to integrate her into the environment.
How? It had to be this.
"Suzune, I called you here to play games."
"Huh? Are you joking with me?" Horikita's brow furrowed.
Actually, after hearing that Kiryuin Fuuka wanted a date with Keima, Horikita had been somewhat concerned. She had been thinking about it all day. She wasn't like Airi or Kei—she didn't plan on spying. But after meeting Elsie, she decided to come. On one hand, she was genuinely curious. On the other... Elsie said Keima was looking for her. Otherwise, Horikita Suzune would never have stepped foot in here.
"Games can train the brain! They help with studying!" Keima nodded seriously.
Horikita paused. "...They help with studying?"
"Mhm!" Elsie nodded hard. "Look, basketball requires calculating angles and force; racing needs reaction speed; fighting games require predicting opponent moves—it's all brain training!"
Keima pushed up his glasses. Logically sound.
Horikita was silent for a few seconds. "Are you serious?"
"Absolutely." Keima suddenly remembered something and turned to Kiryuin. "Senpai, the... President from the Student Council was just here, right?"
"Indeed he was," Kiryuin nodded.
Nagumo Miyabi, the Vice President, had been here. But through Keima's intentionally ambiguous phrasing, Horikita understood it differently.
'Wait, the President was here? That means... Nii-sama was here! Does Nii-sama come to places like this?'
Horikita's brain raced, and she turned to Airi and Kei to ask about what just happened. They didn't know about the sibling relationship, and since Keima mentioned "the Student Council person," they confirmed he was telling the truth.
Horikita underwent another mental brainstorm and then put on an incredibly serious expression. "...What game did he play just now?"
"The basketball machine."
"I want to play too—I'll give it a try."
Total silence. Kei's eyes widened. Airi covered her mouth. Kiryuin's smile deepened.
Keima pointed to the basketball machine next door. Horikita followed his finger and stepped forward. "I'll go see."
Elsie followed immediately. "I'll go with you!"
The remaining three watched them walk to the corner.
"...She's really going to play?" Kei was incredulous.
"Horikita-san... plays games too?" Airi asked softly.
Kiryuin Fuuka laughed. "Interesting. I thought that girl was all about studying; I thought she was the boring type. It seems I was wrong." She glanced at Keima.
'Is he the reason for her change?'
At the machine, Horikita Suzune stood straight, staring at the hoop with a piercing gaze, as if it weren't a hoop but a complex math problem.
'Nii-sama played this machine... Katsuragi is right, in a sense, this is a simulation of basketball. It counts as physical training.'
Elsie bounced excitedly beside her. "Go Suzune! Go Suzune-chan!"
"Don't call me Suzune-chan."
"Okay, Suzune-chan!"
Horikita took a deep breath, deciding to ignore the strange girl.
'Did Keima call me because of my Nii-sama? But why is Nii-sama gone? Did he say something to Keima?'
She pushed the thoughts aside. She picked up a ball, felt the weight, and narrowed her eyes, performing mental calculations.
"Suzune-chan?" Elsie asked. "Why aren't you shooting yet?"
"I'm estimating the angle and force to guarantee my hit rate."
"But the timer already started?"
"What? This thing is timed?!"
Horikita was genuinely shocked. She had never played a game, let alone an arcade cabinet.
'I can't believe you're such a dinosaur...'
Horikita fell silent for a moment, then finally picked up the ball and began to shoot.
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