Chương 39: -39- Join the student council
The next day, early in the morning.
Hori changed into his sports attire and embarked on his usual morning run around the Advanced Nurturing High School campus.
After a month, the mornings at Advanced Nurturing High School were still bustling with activities from various clubs, and the sounds of club activities could be heard everywhere.
Especially with the freshmen joining the clubs, the morning club activities became even livelier.
As Hori occasionally passed by members of the Track and Field Club who were also out for their morning run, he could hear discussions like these:
"Isn't that the freshman the former club president was trying to recruit?"
"Yeah, that's him."
"Is he really fast?"
"Why? Do you want to challenge him?"
"Haha, better not."
"If you don't have the confidence to beat the Student Council President, it's better not to embarrass yourself."
"Good choice."
Such discussions had reached Hori's ears many times over the past month.
At first, there wasn't such harmony; there were a few Track and Field Club members who didn't believe Hori had such abilities and came to challenge him to races, trying to see his skills.
Hori didn't refuse. Whoever came knocking, he nodded and accepted the challenge.
Then came a rather legendary experience.
The first challenger, Hori tied with.
The second challenger, Hori tied with.
The third, fourth, and fifth challengers, Hori tied with them too.
This turned the initial contempt, ridicule, and sarcasm from the Track and Field Club members, who thought Hori was just seeking fame, into surprise, astonishment, and silence.
After all, achieving a tie with people of different running speeds proved that Hori's true abilities far exceeded this, enough to match others' speeds easily.
This made the members of the Track and Field Club have an unbelievable thought.
"Could it be that even the Student Council President is in this situation, unable to force out his true abilities?"
After all, didn't Horikita Manabu only tie with Hori?
This inevitably led to speculation among the Track and Field Club members.
Since then, the Track and Field Club no longer came to challenge Hori to races, nor did they invite him to join the club again.
Because, they finally realized, Hori looked down on the Track and Field Club.
This was exactly the effect Hori wanted.
"As long as people realize the gap, they will involuntarily distance themselves from distant figures."
Thinking about these things, Hori shook his head with a wry smile and continued running forward.
However, someone unexpectedly approached Hori during this time slot.
"It seems like yesterday's 'truth' didn't have much impact on you."
The familiar voice came from beside him, but Hori didn't turn to look even though he knew who it was.
"Even the Student Council President of this school is quite free, still paying attention to a D-class student like me during his morning run?"
Hori's pace remained steady, his breath orderly, showing no signs of change even while running.
Running alongside Hori, Horikita Manabu seemed to want to demonstrate his ease and spoke in a tone no different from usual.
"Don't you have any thoughts about being labeled as a D-class by the school?"
Horikita Manabu's words sounded like a casual question but also seemed intentionally provocative.
However, Hori was not affected at all.
"Even if you know my thoughts, what can you do about it?" Hori asked nonchalantly. "Even though I'm in Class D, it doesn't matter to you, who is hailed as the most outstanding Student Council President since the school's founding, right?"
Compared to Hori, who was at the bottom, Horikita Manabu was on the opposite extreme.
As a third-year student, Horikita was the president of the current Student Council and also a prominent figure in Class A, standing at the pinnacle of the entire school.
As long as this year passed, when the third year graduated, as a member of Class A and the president of the Student Council, Horikita Manabu would undoubtedly enjoy the best guarantee this school could offer.
For someone like him, there was no reason to keep paying attention to a student who had just entered Class D.
Unless...
"Is there something that even you can't be at ease with right now?" Hori asked, increasing his pace suddenly.
"——!"
Horikita Manabu's eyes narrowed slightly, and almost reflexively, he too quickened his pace, as if entering a sprint, swiftly catching up.
However, this time, as if to completely leave Horikita Manabu behind, while him entered a sprint, Hori's body shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.
In the blink of an eye, a distance opened up between them.
(He's so fast!)
Horikita Manabu was amazed.
Now, Hori's speed was much faster than the last time they raced.
(Is this his true strength...!?)
Suppressing his astonishment, Horikita Manabu gritted his teeth and exerted all his strength, striving to catch up.
As if squeezing out all the potential from the depths of his body, Horikita Manabu desperately increased his speed, barely managing to catch up with Hori.
To this, Hori made no reaction, as if feeling it was enough, he didn't increase his speed further.
However, Hori maintained his speed just enough for Horikita Manabu to barely keep up, maintaining the advantage just beyond Horikita Manabu's reach.
It was only then that Hori spoke again.
"Tell me, why are you targeting me?"
Even when he increased his speed to this extent, Hori's tone remained calm and indifferent.
This turned Horikita Manabu's astonishment into shock.
(Is... this still not his full strength...!?)
As this thought flashed through his mind, despite exerting all his effort, Horikita Manabu, without thinking, answered Hori's question.
"I want you to join the Student Council!"
As soon as the words fell...
"Tap!"
With crisp footsteps, Hori suddenly stopped, halting his movements.
"...!?"
Caught off guard, Horikita Manabu, who had been following closely behind Hori, couldn't stop his steps in time and could only crash into Hori's back.
If it had been a solid collision, both would likely have been injured.
However, Hori seemed to have anticipated everything. He turned around, reached out, and abruptly supported Horikita Manabu, forcefully stopping him in his tracks.
"Huff... Huff..."
Horikita Manabu could only gasp for breath incessantly.
It was only when Hori's voice reached his ears again.
"What's your relationship with Horikita Suzune?"
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