Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Self-Test

The following Monday night, I was finishing the study materials for the new lessons when I heard my stomach growl lightly in hunger.

"I could cook something, but I don't wanna sleep too late. 'Guess I'll just buy something at the convenience store..." I murmured to myself.

When I arrived on the first floor, I saw Horikita, still dressed in her uniform, walk out of the building. That's strange...

I didn't really need to hide. I can just call out to Horikita, but I decided to hide my presence and follow her anyway. The place around the building was well-lit, but she headed to a very inconspicuous place. After Horikita's sharp turn, I sensed another person with her.

"Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me this far." A male voice could suddenly be heard.

I remember this voice. I've heard it before...

"I'm not the useless girl you once knew, Nii-san. I'll eventually catch up to you," replied Horikita.

Nii-san, is it? Well, that confirms my suspicion.

My instincts were telling me to stay hidden. His figure was hidden in the dark, but I'll be discovered if I try to move a muscle.

"Catch up to me, huh...? I heard you were placed in Class D, but you got promoted to Class B this May. That's certainly impressive," he commented.

"Yes, I'll definitely reach Class A," said Horikita.

"Hmph, you got arrogant after a fluke? Then, tell me Suzune. Were you the reason for your class's achievement? Were you the one who prevented the defects from falling apart?" he asked.

"I..." Horikita wavered. Her confidence instantly took a hit.

"As I thought. It's pointless, Suzune. You neither have the abilities nor qualities to reach Class A. Even if, by some miracle, your class reaches Class A in the future, I'd doubt the contribution you've given," he elaborated.

"That's not—..."

The person stepped closer to the docile Horikita and his appearance became clear from my hiding spot. It was Student Council President Horikita Manabu, Horikita Suzune's older brother. She tried to protest, but the elder Horikita grabbed her by the wrist. Horikita got pushed into a wall without any resistance whatsoever.

"The fact that you're my little sister remains. I would be humiliated if people learned that my own little sister is nothing but a defective failure. Leave this school immediately," he coldly ordered.

"I-I can't do that... I'll definitely reach Class A with my own abilities! I'll... I'll prove it to you!" she petitioned.

"How stupid..." The change in his grip was visible. This is dangerous.

I approached them as fast as I could. Before he could do anything, I grabbed his right arm and made my presence known.

"What? You..." He stared at his arm and slowly turned to me with a sharp gleam.

"A-Ayanokouji-kun?!" cried Horikita.

"You were about to throw your sister to the ground, weren't you? You do realize that the floor here is concrete, right? You might be siblings, but you should know the difference between right and wrong." I said.

"Eavesdropping is not an admirable quality," he replied.

"Fine, then let go."

"That's my line."

We glared at each other in complete silence.

"Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun..." said Horikita, her voice strained. This is the first time I've heard her voice like that.

Reluctantly, I released her brother.

?!

He instantly tried to backhand me in the face. I took a step back to avoid it. For such a lightly built guy, he was a nasty attacker. He then aimed a sharp kick at my unguarded spot, which I barely dodged. His attacks show that he's well-versed in karate. Even I can feel the impact of each blow, and they didn't even hit me.

He looked slightly confused but this wasn't the time to act passively. I had to get Horikita away from him. I dashed forward and released a teep kick to his waist. I made it fast but predictable. Horikita Manabu could easily dodge it, but he'd have to leap away from his sister.

"Hmph."

Contrary to my expectations, he didn't dodge but instead went for a Nikyo. He knows Aikido, too. When he caught my leg, I used the extra momentum to elevate myself off the ground, twist my body, and kick his head with my other leg.

"-?!"

Horikita Manabu got caught off-guard, so he had no choice but to let go of my right leg and dodge the left. He leaped back and fixed the position of his glasses. He looked at me with a smirk.

"You move excellently. Do you practice something? Taekwondo? Muay Thai? Karate?" He bombarded me with questions. Those martial arts are reasonable deductions. After all, I only used kicks.

Well, I guess that was over. At least, I have Horikita behind me now.

"Yes, I was taught piano and calligraphy," I replied. "I won a national music competition during elementary school, as well."

"You're in Class B, aren't you? What a unique boy, Suzune." He addressed his sister.

"I'm Horikita's friend," I declared.

"A friend, huh?" To both my and Horikita's surprise, Horikita Manabu had a genuinely shocked expression. "Is that true, Suzune?"

"He's..." Horikita was reluctant to say it. Somehow, that hurt.

"There you go again, confusing independence with solitude. That in itself shows just how much of a failure you are. And you, Ayanokouji... Were you the one?" he asked after scolding his sister.

"What do you mean 'the one'?" I feigned ignorance.

"Hmm... Well, no matter. Things might just get interesting with you around." he said.

With that, Horikita Manabu walked past the two of us and disappeared into the night.

So that was the student council president of this school. His presence explained some of Horikita's weird behavior.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"Yes..." she answered meekly before turning to me. "Did you hear... everything?"

"I think so. When I went down, I saw you walking suspiciously. I was kind of curious so I decided to follow you. I'm sorry if I meddled in your business. That wasn't my intention," I replied.

"It's... fine," Horikita muttered softly before falling silent. She leaned against the wall, looking down on the ground.

"Your brother was really strong. He doesn't lack ferocity." I tried to salvage the conversation.

"He's ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido," she replied.

So it was those two, after all. What a strong fighter.

"You also practice martial arts, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun? You must hold a dan rank."

"I told you, didn't I? Just piano and tea ceremony."

"You said calligraphy before," she glared slightly.

"I... did calligraphy in addition to those." It's true, though. If there were a piano here, I could probably perform "Für Elise" for her. I'm pretty confident with the other two, as well.

"Why don't you just tell me outright? What's the point of hiding it?" she snapped.

"Fine, I do practice martial arts. Just a little bit."

"After seeing those movements, you don't seriously think I will believe that, do you?"

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me anyway," I replied, turning away from Horikita.

"So you're saying that the truth is on the same level as the one you told me regarding your academic abilities?" she mused. "After seeing you almost break a swimming world record and seamlessly ace the surprise mock test... I don't think I have any choice but to believe you now, do I?"

Then, Horikita's expression turned melancholic.

"You've told me that you don't like talking about yourself, and I respect that. I won't pry on your life if you don't want me to... But even I'd feel displeased if you blatantly lie to me. If you really don't want to tell me anything, at least tell me straight."

Hearing her plea, I sighed.

"Karate, muay thai, taekwondo, aikido, jiu-jitsu, kung-fu, judo... and some others— I practice them all."

"That's..." Horikita braced herself for my ridiculous answers, but her shock couldn't be more noticeable. "How strong are you on all of them?"

"That's it. I refuse to tell you any more," I replied.

"I see... I understand, I'll stop asking now." Horikita sighed before looking back at me. "You saw a strange side of me."

"I didn't understand why you acted the way you did at first, but this coincidence opened my eyes to some stuff." I turned around and faced the direction of the convenience store. "However, you don't have to worry, Horikita. I'll definitely get you and everyone to Class A."

Horikita's eyes brightened as she looked at me.

"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun..."

"But remember what your brother said. Don't confuse independence for solitude. No matter how capable you are, you won't survive in this school without relying on your allies," I preached.

After all, even I wouldn't be able to do it alone.

"That's..." Horikita bit her lip.

"We've been seatmates and friends for the past month and a half. In my honest opinion, you can change, Horikita," I said before walking away.

"I'll... try my best, Ayanokouji-kun. I'll show my brother... and I'll show you... that I'm someone worthy of Class A," she declared.

Her fixation on Class A is both a strength and a weakness.

I continued walking without looking back, letting Horikita ponder her words while watching my fading figure.