At the school gate.
Watching Horikita Manabu's back gradually disappear.
The three of Hikigaya remained in place, looking in the same direction.
Even though he had only met Horikita Manabu a few times.
When he thought about how.
He might never see this senior again in the future.
It was inevitably a bit saddening.
"It's going to get lonely after this."
Ayanokouji stood between the two and looked at the girl on his left.
She had finally cleared the misunderstanding with Horikita Manabu, but now they wouldn't be able to meet for a long time.
Presumably, any person would be a bit saddened.
Hearing this.
Horikita Suzune's expression was tense, but her eyes were somewhat red.
"Yes. Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun, Hikigaya-kun. If only I had been here to see my brother off on the day he left, it would have been very sorrowful."
The Hikigaya on the side was slightly stunned.
Clearly, Horikita Manabu was the leader of the third-year Class A, yet only a few of them were here to see him off. This certainly wasn't because he was unpopular.
Presumably.
They had all been rejected by Horikita Manabu.
Only now did he discover that Horikita Manabu was actually a loner as well.
"There's no need to endure it when you're sad."
Ayanokouji said expressionlessly: "It's okay to cry, isn't it?"
"How could that be? I'm already satisfied with this. There is no reason left to feel sad."
"Ugh..."
Before Horikita Suzune could finish her sentence.
The two of them heard a sudden sound of sobbing. They quickly looked toward the source of the noise and saw Hachiman with bloodshot eyes, unable to suppress his undignified whimpers.
"???"
Ayanokouji's head was filled with question marks.
It made sense for Horikita Suzune to react since she was his younger sister, but Hachiman and Horikita Manabu didn't seem to have that close of a relationship.
What are you crying for?
Right beside him.
Influenced by Hachiman.
Horikita Suzune could no longer control herself.
She sniffled ungracefully, tears streaming down like a broken dam. With a sobbing voice, she said:
"What are you doing? That's my brother. Why are you crying?"
"I'm not crying. Sand got in my eyes..."
Hachiman's eyes were red as he sniffed.
That was Horikita Manabu!
The Horikita Manabu who left him over 27 million private points!
Even my own mother has never been this good to me!
Hachiman felt that he would never meet such a good person again in his entire life.
Just then.
Ayanokouji expressionlessly took out some tissues and handed them to the two. Horikita Suzune took them and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Hachiman looked at the tissues offered to him.
He kind of wanted them.
But he really didn't want to get involved with Ayanokouji. He reflexively patted around his trench coat, wondering if the tissues he bought last time were still there.
Soon.
He felt a whole pack of tissues and a clean handkerchief in his pocket.
"No thanks, I have my own."
Hachiman used the handkerchief to wipe his tears.
He was quite surprised.
But he quickly realized that Ichinose must have put them there. As expected of Ichinose—what a great wife.
"Is that so."
Ayanokouji didn't mind. He calmly continued handing tissues to Horikita Suzune. With Hachiman present, it wasn't a good time to say much else.
After a long while.
Horikita Suzune finally managed to steady her emotions. Her sobbing grew faint, but she felt a bit irritated looking at Hachiman.
This guy was still crying?
He was crying even harder than her, the actual sister!
"That's enough already."
Horikita Suzune said, somewhat speechless, "Don't you think it's a bit disgusting to cry this much?"
"Oh, oh..."
Hachiman nodded apologetically.
He felt it was a bit disgusting too.
But he even cried while watching Pretty Cure. He simply couldn't suppress the sadness of this parting.
"Since Senior Horikita has left, I'll head back first."
Hachiman wiped his eyes and turned toward the dorms to avoid being a nuisance.
"Wait a moment."
Suddenly.
Horikita Suzune spoke up.
Whether it was in the past or when facing Ayanokouji.
This was the first time she had seen Horikita Manabu smile so happily.
Unlike the gentle, relieved smile of an older brother caring for his sister, this was a smile from the bottom of his heart.
What exactly was the relationship between this man and Horikita Manabu?
Horikita Suzune asked with some hesitation:
"If it's okay, could you tell me what you and my brother talked about?"
"Uh..."
Hachiman stopped in his tracks.
Since she was Horikita Manabu's sister, she did have the right to ask.
Aside from looking out for Horikita Suzune.
There didn't seem to be anything inconvenient to share.
"It was nothing much."
Hachiman said with a slight sob, "Senior Horikita just wanted me to lead the class and ideally stop Nagumo Miyabi from changing the school."
Ayanokouji remained calm and did not speak.
The current Horikita Suzune had already grown into a competent leader.
"I see. So, does that mean you will be leading your class starting next semester?"
"How could that be...?"
Looking at Horikita Suzune's serious expression, Hachiman was quite speechless.
"How on earth did you reach that conclusion? Naturally, I refused."
"Hmm?"
Horikita Suzune furrowed her brows in confusion. "But I saw my brother looking quite happy. Why was that?"
"I wouldn't know."
Hachiman didn't hide anything. "He just said that I would eventually take up the responsibility of my own accord—just some nonsensical talk. I didn't expect your brother to have such a naive side."
"Is that so? Well, we'll be going now. See you when school starts."
Horikita Suzune nodded indifferently and turned to leave with Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
It didn't really make a difference.
In her eyes, Hachiman was a rival to be wary of anyway.
In the end.
The three of them walked toward the dormitory together, though Hachiman intentionally stood a bit further away.
On the other side.
Following behind Horikita Suzune, Ayanokouji couldn't help but glance at a nearby flower bed. A girl with long purple hair was hidden around a corner. Although he didn't know when she appeared.
At least.
When he was speaking with Horikita Manabu, he hadn't sensed any signs of being followed. She was likely following Hachiman.
It seemed.
After her duel with him.
Sakayanagi Arisu was planning to make a move on Hachiman.
That wasn't a problem.
In fact, Hachiman was drawing the fire for him.
If Sakayanagi Arisu could shift her attention to Hachiman.
For him.
It would naturally be a good thing.
Moreover, if Class A and Class C clashed, it would definitely be a positive development for Class D.
It had to be said.
At this point in time, dissolving the cooperation with Ichinose's side.
Horikita Suzune had indeed made the most correct choice, allowing the situation to become so favorable for Class D.
If that's the case.
Class D has a greater chance of climbing to the upper classes.
Unknowingly.
Horikita Suzune has already grown to such a level.
However.
Ayanokouji had some doubts.
Can Sakayanagi really deal with Hikigaya Hachiman?
It wasn't that there was anything wrong with Sakayanagi Arisu's strength, but rather that Hikigaya Hachiman as a person was simply too absurd.
Simply put.
With the current Hikigaya.
Before the match even begins, Hikigaya would directly raise the white flag.
How do you deal with that?