COTE: A Man On A Mission || Love is War?

“You are a monster—---”

Because this was already 6th test paper she lost to Hikigaya-kun.

’This guy is poisonous. Not only did he win so easily on Japanese paper, but also invitedIchinose-san to come over and take a small test together!’

Then, Suzune also lost to Ichinose several times in a row.

She obviously likes studying very much and believes there must be people who are better than her. ’It is normal to lose occasionally, but how could I...10 games in one day? My mentality is almost broken.....’

This was the situation when Hachiman made a bet with her about test scores, and thought if he scored higher than her, she would definitely be furious.

“Since you can’t hold it anymore, just confess, Horikita!” Hachiman deliberately dimmed light in the room so that she could completely immerse herself in the atmosphere created.

Flick! Flick!

“Eh——”

Suzune was frightened completely and lost papers into trash can with both hands and chose to confess.

This was first time she opened her heart to others.

“Crack—”

Ichinose-san, who was invited here to do the test paper and compare scores with Horikita-san, accidentally moved her chair.

“Ichinose-san, thank you for your help today. You can go back now,” Hachiman noticed that girl was still here, so he said.

’Eto...what? Come again? This statement is like hiring a tool, then sending me away when I am no longer useful.....’ Ichinose, who was invited, was not angry, but left with a little curiosity.

’I felt that Hikigaya-kun and Horikita-san had a very good relationship.....Although both of them said they were not dating, I had only stayed here for half a day today, but I almost thought that I was...extra one.’

xxxxxx

After Suzune’s mentality was broken, she finally started the life talk. ’Who am I? Who do I exist as? Or is it just a fake, a counterfeit, real self that has never been shown to anyone.’

“Looking back, I have been playing a false self throughout my life until now......”

Whether it is appearance, personality, or academic performance, she wants to imitate her brother, to be as good as him, and to be recognized by him.

“But it failed. I hadn’t proven myself until my brother was about to leave this school. So, isn’t this very sad, Hikigaya-kun?”

Suzune hugged her head.

Her imitations are totally insignificant and meaningless, and she has even messed up her own life.

“It’s really sad,” Hachiman frowned as he listened to her confession, because Suzune’s confession was not what he wanted.

“But there is one thing, not only you, but also your brother Horikita Manabu is wrong. You two siblings have the same personality.....”

“....What?” Suzune looked up, her eyes no longer resembling a deep regret, full of disappointment and worthless in her eyes.

“It’s you two siblings who always go too far...you’re so self-righteous!” Hikigaya-kun is disappointed. ’Because Horikita Manabu is not a qualified brother. He doesn’t fully understand his sister like I do!’

xxxxx

Time came to March 10th.

All students gathered in gymnasium.

Attend the Ceremony for 3rd graders, who will all leave school at the same time.

As a member of Student council, Hikigaya has been collecting cell phones from graduates since 3 days ago, arranging for them to sign confidentiality decree.

As for exchanging points for cash, that is job of the Chairman. Members of council do not handle money.

Hachiman stood in team, looking ahead.

“Let us send our final wishes to 3rd Graders!”

“Congratulations to everyone making this journey safely and Graduating from Advanced Nurturing High School!”

“Do your best in the future!”

Graduation ceremony was hosted by a sophomore, but for some reason, when they got to this point and saw that 3rd-year seniors were really about to leave the school, tears suddenly welled up.

Although this school is a place where competition is fierce and strength is paramount, it cannot be denied that seniors are always seniors, and will also be promoted like them, then graduate, and finally leave.

As the outstanding graduate representative of Class 3A, Horikita Manabu also read out his speech.

“I promise you all. What you learn in this school will become the most valuable asset in your future life. Next year, or two years from now, people who give the speech will surely have a moment when they understand these words.”

As if to suit occasion, cherry blossoms that had been deliberately blooming for a long time also quietly opened in the early morning.

The fragrant aroma spread throughout campus.

After ceremony, 3rd years left the campus one after another.

Except for students in Class A of the 3rd grade who received a letter of recommendation allowing the school to fulfill its propaganda, students in other received a graduation certificate with sign of ANHS.

But after all, completed three years of high school for free with no living expenses, and school did not let them down.

For a while, area near the school gate was filled with a slightly sad atmosphere of senior graduation.

“Horikita-senpai——”

When Manabu slowed down his pace and walked along the campus path towards the school gate, he was suddenly stopped by someone.

He turned back, “I thought you wouldn’t catch up, Hikigaya.”

After the ceremony, Hikigaya gave a box to Akane Tachibana alone. But didn’t say hello to Manabu at that time.

So Manabu thought that Hikigaya had not completed his task. But now this guy is here again.

“So, what about Suzune?” Because the person who came to see him off was only Hachiman, not his sister.

“She’ll be here later, but before that, I have something to say to you....”

“Oh?” Manabu could hear the caution in Hachiman’s tone, “Is it about reward for the mission to get Suzune back?”

“No, I’m not the kind of person who will act just for money. Besides, I know that you, Horikita-senpai, have not got any....”

“…” This reaction made Manabu push up his glasses. Doesn’t sound like something Hikigaya would say at all.

Even Tachibana Akane, who was following behind him, looked as if she had seen a ghost.

“Originally, I accepted your mission, but I found that it cannot be accomplished,” Hachiman shook his head, even sighing inside his heart for missing out.

“Explain,” Manabu pushed up his glasses, he doesn’t have any other special movements which I can write about.

“You don’t know your sister at all. You know her even less than I do!”

“….”

“• ? •”

Air seemed to be frozen.

“...Hikigaya, are you kidding me? I am her biological brother.”

“Then let me ask you, how old is the sister you know? Kindergarten or elementary school?” Hikigaya-kun did not give in, “How old were you when you noticed she was imitating you?”

“…Hmm.” This question really stumped Manabu. But he quickly realized, ”Probably third grade.”

“That’s your problem. The gentle, spoiled sister you are talking about, a girl with her true heart, is during your third grade, right? Perhaps, at that time or even earlier, Horikita... well, Suzune would be that type of person, but former President Horikita, I think you need to understand that people change. Just like when I was a child, I didn’t like money, but when I grew up, I realised that having enough can make my future better, I have to start liking it. So, it’s completely your mindset of complaining ’The sister you knew was not the sister you have now.....’ But the sister now is actually your real one. It’s just that you haven’t discovered it yet.”

“…..”

This made Manabu close his eyes, as if he couldn’t understand what guy was spouting in front of him, complete bullshit and nonsense which he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Tachibana stood aside, speechless.

Although Hachiman’s theory that he didn’t like money when he was a child but likes now is not credible, it is impossible to deny what he said.

The sister that President knows is when she was a child, and people really do grow up and change.

It’s impossible to remain unchanged.

“No, you’re wrong,” But after thinking about it, Manabu decided to give Hachiman another lesson, “My sister is very unique, and she is still imitating me like she was in 3rd grade. Of course, although she said that she no longer targets me, I believe that she is still acting out a false self.....”

This calm tone made Tachibana Akane feel that president was right, and didn’t lose his way.

But Hachiman sighed even more.

“Eh——”

“So, Horikita-senpai, you and Suzune are very similar. If she doesn’t understand people’s hearts, then you are actually similar.....Just like when Suzune entered school, you knew how dangerous it was, so you forced your sister to drop out just because she was imitating you. You even resorted to violence to do so....Because you found that your sister was still imitating you, even chasing after you, and you felt this was a very serious sin. You wanted to stop her, but you couldn’t find a good way....But, these are all your one-sided understandings, Horikita-senpai. You don’t understand at all that Suzune is not imitating you, because what she is showing now is her true self!”

“……What’s the meaning?” Manabu was frowning now.

“Because you haven’t noticed yet. You think Suzune is imitating you, but she...is actually not capable enough. Her imitation is not even close to being like your real one! So, that’s not imitation at all! She wants to be as good as you in academics, but can’t be absolutely good. She wants to be like you. You have many friends, so she should also take the initiative to make friends, but she doesn’t. To sum it up, she is stupid. She thinks she is imitating you and copying you, not the real her....In fact, girl is not. The inferior, weak, like a fledgling, is the real her....Stupid, cowardly, stubborn, but easily discouraged. These are real qualities of Horikita Suzune!”

“Wow—” Tachibana felt these adjectives were a bit excessive.

“…” But Manabu opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn’t find an excuse to refute.

“That’s enough—” Just then, a new voice came from behind 3 of them.

The three of them also met real Suzune. Even you could clearly feel the hearts of Manabe and Akane Tachibana almost stopping.

Because this can be said to be a stimulus.

In fact, Hachiman was also shocked when he saw it for the first time.

“I wanted to come earlier, but Hikigaya-kun asked me to wait, so I came at this time....I thought you were going to say something nice, but those adjectives really make me feel like you were deliberately slandering me.”

Suzune spoke a little too fast.

But everyone’s attention was not on her words, but on her current state.

Suzune is very different. It should be said that she is absolutely brand new.

In the past, Horikita Suzune was a very pretty girl with waist-length black hair.

But now, although her appearance remains the same, her aura is completely different.

It feels like it’s her, but it’s not her. It feels like girl has evolved.

“Suzune...you now...this is exactly how I remember my sister being,” Manabu was the first to express his thoughts. ’Because this is indeed 3rd grade sister in my memory. She is dignified and high-spirited.....’

“No....” But Suzune shook her head gently, “Actually, I am still me. Or rather, there is one thing I want to tell my brother.....I did chase after your shadow, hoping to see the view where you were standing. But Hikigaya-kun told me that if I kept this mentality, I would never catch up with you, and then he suggested that I do this——”

“How so?” Manabu suddenly felt a little nervous. He just felt girl was an excellent sister, his heart is being complicated. ’Suddenly I felt something was wrong....’

“Go to a place where my brother can’t catch up with me. See a wider landscape than you see.” In other words, in the past, Suzune only regarded Manabu as her goal, but now, she wants to surpass her idol?

Manabu immediately looked in the direction of Hachiman, who gave an elegant yet polite smile. ’In other words. This sister hasn’t grown up at all. Instead, she has set a more terrifying goal and is blindly arrogant.....’

“If this is your choice, then I hope to witness a brighter future,” Although he wanted to get angry, Manabu knew very well this school did not have a system of repeating a grade.

’To strike back now would only backfire. So even if I wanted to protect my sister by repeating a grade, it would not be allowed. What’s more, I have already used up all the points that I wanted to save. Damn you both Nagumo and Hikigaya....you reallymad------’

xxxxxx

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