"Is this coffee something you bought specifically for me, Horikita?"
Shikime Natsu looked at the coffee in front of him but didn't immediately reach out to take it. Instead, he turned his head to look at Horikita Suzune.
'Do you even have to ask? Wasn't it you who just said it?'
Horikita Suzune's small fists clenched tight. This guy was truly detestable, absolutely detestable!
"Is it?"
Shikime Natsu's unhurried voice continued to reach Horikita Suzune's ears, as if he were seeking confirmation.
'Does this kind of thing need confirming? Isn't it obvious?'
But Shikime Natsu just looked at Horikita Suzune like that, not saying another word. Horikita Suzune also stared back at Shikime Natsu, her arms crossed over her chest.
The two of them just stared at each other for two minutes.
"Yes, this is for you!"
Horikita Suzune couldn't stand it anymore and spoke directly, her tone quite aggressive.
"Then I'll offer my thanks. Pity, the coffee has gotten a little cold."
Hearing this, Horikita Suzune's small face looked a few shades uglier. This guy was absolutely picking faults on purpose.
But... she couldn't say anything more, lest this guy trip her up again. Was her brother really right to seek out this guy?
Horikita Suzune couldn't help but doubt Horikita Manabu's judgment. Besides having a terrible personality, what good points did this guy have?
"Well then... Horikita, continue using your methods to make me want to be friends with you."
Shikime Natsu looked at Horikita Suzune with a faint, ambiguous smile.
'I really want to punch this detestable guy!'
"My name is Horikita Suzune. Can I be friends with you?"
Horikita Suzune took a deep breath, forcing out these words while enduring the shame. This kind of speech was completely not her style!
But she had to do this. Even if she had to endure the shame, she had always followed in her brother's footsteps. If her brother could make friends, then she certainly could too.
She wanted to make friends with this annoying guy and then prove to her brother that she had grown!
If Shikime Natsu knew about this thought of Horikita Suzune's, he would probably just laugh it off. Having such a thought proved she hadn't grown at all.
Horikita Suzune was still too green.
"No, you can't."
Shikime Natsu spoke softly, the corners of his mouth carrying a smile that was hard to conceal. Fortunately, he had undergone professional training; otherwise, looking at Horikita Suzune's appearance, he really might have laughed out loud.
"Why?"
Horikita Suzune's wine-red eyes were full of anger. Was this guy toying with her?
"Are you really sincere? Looking at you, I don't see any intention of wanting to be friends with me at all."
Shikime Natsu looked at Horikita Suzune and shook his head.
"Aren't you taking making friends a little too lightly?"
Hearing this, Horikita Suzune was momentarily speechless. Indeed, she didn't take making friends seriously; she was just thinking about completing the task so she could prove herself to her brother. As for being friends with Shikime Natsu, she didn't want to!
With this guy's terrible personality, she would never be friends with him.
"Then what should I do?"
"Use your brain."
"..."
Horikita Suzune felt that if she could make friends with this hateful guy in front of her, there would be no one in this world she couldn't be friends with.
"I don't know. Weren't you coming over to teach me how to make friends? Why are you just sitting there drinking coffee?!"
Horikita Suzune's patience was just about exhausted, and her tone became even more nasty.
"This is also part of the education. I want to see just how rotten your basics are, Horikita."
Mm, quite blunt words, stabbing straight into the girl's heart.
"If it's making friends, it doesn't necessarily have to be you, right?"
Horikita Suzune spoke coldly. Others would do just as well.
"That is indeed true. However, I am the only person your brother has acknowledged. If you want to give up, I won't say much more."
Shikime Natsu didn't seem to have much of a reaction; he just slowly savored the coffee in his hand.
What did he mean by 'won't say much more'? Didn't he just bring up her brother's name?
However, Horikita Manabu's name was indeed effective on Horikita Suzune. At least after hearing that sentence, Horikita Suzune didn't think about switching friends anymore.
"So, who do you plan to switch to? Maybe I can help you."
Shikime Natsu's fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, making a rhythmic sound.
"No need."
Horikita Suzune refused directly, looking at Shikime Natsu as if she wanted to eat him alive.
Seeing Horikita Suzune's appearance, Shikime Natsu lamented that this girl was simply too easy to manipulate. Thanks to the 'Imperial Sword' he got from Horikita Manabu, otherwise, Horikita Suzune definitely would have walked away.
"Is that so? Horikita has a bit more perseverance than I imagined."
'If it weren't for my brother, I'd tell you to get lost immediately!'
Horikita Suzune knew that this Shikime Natsu in front of her was definitely laughing at her. This feeling of being manipulated didn't feel good at all!
And... her brother had said, if she didn't get Shikime Natsu's acknowledgment, she shouldn't go see him!
Truly detestable!
Just what did she have to do to get this guy to acknowledge her?
Horikita Suzune felt a bit anxious in her heart, but she had absolutely no idea how to apply the right remedy. Her understanding of Shikime Natsu stopped at 'this guy is very annoying'; aside from that, she knew nothing.
"There's still a chance, Horikita."
Shikime Natsu threw the finished coffee cup into the trash can and shifted to a more comfortable position, leaning back on the sofa.
Even if there was a chance, what was the right thing to do?
As a top student, Horikita Suzune was excellent in both academics and physical ability, and Horikita Manabu, whom she worshiped, was equally excellent.
In Horikita Suzune's view, Horikita Manabu was a very solitary and noble person, so she imitated Horikita Manabu's manner. But she misunderstood the meaning of solitary nobility versus loneliness. She hadn't learned how to make friends at all, and now she found it hard to imagine how Horikita Manabu actually made friends.
Generally speaking, if it were her brother, others should be the ones actively seeking him out to be friends, right?
But in her case, the situation was completely different. She had to think about how to get the acknowledgment of the guy in front of her. It was truly quite troublesome.
Especially since this guy's personality was so terrible; it really made one unhappy.
Horikita Suzune didn't know how many times she had complained about Shikime Natsu's terrible personality today. Of course, she completely failed to realize that her own personality was actually quite terrible too.
"What is the most basic thing in making friends?"
For the sake of the coffee Horikita Suzune had delivered, Shikime Natsu decided to give Horikita Suzune a little hint.
"The most basic?"
Horikita Suzune frowned, seemingly pondering what exactly the most basic thing in making friends was.
Unfortunately, for five minutes, the entire karaoke room was quite silent. It was clearly a place for singing, yet it had turned into a pantomime.
"Smiling."
It seemed Miss Horikita's comprehension was still insufficient. Shikime Natsu made a rather exaggerated gesture of disappointment, which instantly made the girl's fists harden again.
Fine, smile then. But what was with that expression?
"My brother doesn't show a smile either, right?"
Horikita Suzune directly brought out Horikita Manabu as an example. The girl basically never showed a smile; she hadn't shown one for so many years. Asking the girl to smile now could be said to be fraught with difficulties.
Good grief, success is due to the brother, and failure is due to the brother, is that it?
These two siblings both wore expressions of bitter resentment. Shikime Natsu was also very curious—Tachibana Akane had such a good relationship with Horikita Manabu; is this kind of aloof, cold male character really that popular with girls?
How about... I ask Horikita Manabu to send a picture of him smiling?
___
🔥 New stories are available now! 🔥
We're handing out that '25% bonus' that makes your wallet smile. 😄
✅ Access up to 40 advanced chapters of ALL stories!
✅ Receive exclusive content and updates!
Help us hit our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone
🚀 180 MEMBERS = +5 extra chapters of ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan