บท 88: So, You're a Sis-con Too, President!
Hikigaya found himself dragged onto a treadmill by Horikita Manabu. Fortunately, the speed was manageable, allowing Hikigaya to keep pace despite his lack of fitness. With a resigned sigh, he asked, "President, did you drag me here just to keep you company while exercising? Why not ask Senior Tachibana?"
"She's not suitable," came Manabu's brief and final dismissal of his most trusted subordinate.
Not suitable? Tachibana? Why? And why me? Wait, could it be...?
A flood of ridiculous thoughts filled Hikigaya's mind. He began to question his safety in this school. Were there too many people like Nanami here?
As they continued jogging, the conversation, perhaps spurred by the gym's atmosphere, grew more personal. Manabu even asked about Hikigaya's class.
"How many class points does Class D have for the last month?"
"Zero."
"As expected."
Manabu showed no surprise. He seemed to have anticipated this answer.
"So, Class D won't have any points coming in for the foreseeable future. What are your thoughts on this?"
"What thoughts could I have?" Hikigaya shrugged. "Until we figure out how to raise points, I guess I'll just keep drifting along."
"That makes sense." Manabu nodded, showing no concern for Hikigaya's indifferent attitude. "Do you need points?"
"Yeah, I do."
Hikigaya thought for a moment and decided to be honest. Given Manabu's position as student council president, it was best to lay some groundwork for future interactions.
Manabu looked surprised by the response, clearly not expecting Hikigaya to have any interest in accumulating points. He'd assumed that someone like Hikigaya wouldn't care about such things.
"Why do you want points?" Manabu asked, genuinely curious.
"I'd like to save up enough so I can leave school occasionally and visit my little sister," Hikigaya admitted honestly.
"Your sister?"
The answer seemed to catch Manabu off guard, even causing him to falter for a brief moment on the treadmill. He quickly regained his composure, though, and resumed his steady pace.
"You must care about your sister a lot," Manabu said, his tone laced with a hint of something odd.
"Of course! My sister is the cutest person in the world!" Hikigaya suddenly felt energized. "This school's system is so unfair—locking us in for three whole years without a chance to see family. I can't imagine going that long without seeing Komachi!"
"…"
Manabu fell silent, his face taking on a complicated expression. Unlike Hikigaya, he could see his sister anytime he wanted, but expressing his feelings toward her was something he found much harder to do.
"You and your sister must have a great relationship," Manabu remarked.
"Obviously," Hikigaya replied, feeling a bit smug. "I mean, what kind of brother doesn't adore his sister?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Hikigaya froze. He suddenly remembered the strained relationship between Manabu and Horikita Suzune. It was hard not to feel like he'd just made an accidental jab.
He quickly tried to backtrack. "Ahem, of course, that's not always the case. It depends on the person, you know…"
"No, you're right," Manabu said calmly, surprising Hikigaya. "There isn't a brother in this world who doesn't care about his sister."
"…"
Hikigaya was caught off guard by Manabu's unexpected admission. For a brief moment, he felt a strange sense of kinship with the usually stoic president.
However, when he recalled that Manabu's sister was the sharp-tongued Horikita Suzune, while his sister was the sweet and lovable Komachi, that feeling quickly vanished.
Yeah, no way we have anything in common, Hikigaya thought smugly.
Just as Hikigaya was mentally celebrating his "victory," Manabu shifted the conversation.
"What about Class D's situation? What does Suzune think about it?"
"You mean Horikita?"
Hikigaya blinked in surprise. Seeing Manabu nod, he quickly replied, "She's aiming to get Class D to the top—Class A. I'm not sure why she's so determined, but she's working hard for it."
"I see. That's typical of her."
Manabu fell silent again, seemingly lost in thought.
Just when Hikigaya thought the conversation was over, Manabu turned to him with a serious expression and asked, "Hikigaya, what do you think it takes to become the student council president of this school?"
"Huh?"
Hikigaya was completely caught off guard by the question. He had no desire to become president—he didn't even know why he was being asked.
After mulling it over for a few seconds, he could only offer a confused, "I… don't know."
"There's only one answer: standing at the pinnacle of this school."
As if he had anticipated Hikigaya's confusion, Manabu calmly increased the speed on the treadmill. "To do that, you need a lot more training."
"What?!"
Before Hikigaya could process what was happening, Manabu turned up the speed on his treadmill too, throwing Hikigaya's already unstable rhythm into chaos. His breathing quickly became labored.
In contrast, Manabu ran effortlessly, showing no signs of fatigue. He even continued to gradually increase his pace.
Hikigaya felt like crying. "President—no, big brother—please! Torture yourself all you want, but leave me out of it! I never asked to stand at the top of anything!"
But Hikigaya's protests went unheard. Manabu remained focused on his run, his determined gaze fixed straight ahead. Hikigaya had no choice but to grit his teeth and endure the torture.
Finally, when Manabu slowed the treadmill down, Hikigaya thought his suffering was over.
But then Manabu casually remarked, "That was just the first round. Let's rest for five minutes and start the second."
"Huh?!"
Hikigaya stared down at his trembling legs, wondering if he'd survive long enough to see his beloved sister Komachi again.
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