Cote: A Simple Order

C3: Elder Horikita's Call 

I got out of my bed a few minutes after Kamuro left when the sound of my phone was heard throughout my room… I sighed as I got out of my bed before looking for my phone… luckily or coincidentally the phone was very close so I just had to reach out and grab it to lay back down on my bed… 

Hello— I spoke on the phone after answering, the person who actually called was someone unexpected, older Horikita, to be precise Horikita Suzune's older brother and that was Horikita Manabu… 

I have some things to talk to you about— I was a little surprised that older Horikita called me and I was also surprised by the fact that she ignored my greeting completely… what she is going to tell me is so important… 

Is it urgent? – I asked… it didn't take long for her to answer me…

Depending on the situation it might be too late already, it's about my sister—said senior Horikita on the other end of the phone... 

About your sister? – I must say that this was unexpected… Senior Horikita didn't mention her sister unless the situation was extreme…

Kushida Kikyou. She contacted Nagumo Miyabi—said senior Horikita on the other end of the call…

Seriously—I was surprised, but at the same time, impressed by the speed of senior Horikita's information network… 

I thought you were surrounded by enemies. You did a very good job in getting this kind of information. Where did you hear it from? – I couldn't help but ask where she heard it from…

This information came from Kiriyama. It's clear that my relationship with Nagumo deteriorated at the end of the training camp. He's definitely going to try something. I'll have to act at this point— Vice President Kiriyama He, While I was silently thinking, Senior Horikita continued…

You can't completely trust him, can you? – Senior Horikita said

I don't know Kiriyama as well as you do— I replied

It's okay. You always err on the side of caution— As the former student council president, Senior Horikita always approached others with a certain amount of trust, whether it was Kiriyama or Nagumo. Until there was suspicion or he was betrayed, his trust in them was stone-cold. I could never imitate this kind of behavior… 

So what happened? – I asked…

He asked her for assistance in expelling Suzune. A very bold move— Senior Horikita replied to me… 

I wonder what happened that made her change her strategy? –As a punishment for losing the bet with Horikita, Kushida gave her word that she wouldn't interfere in the future, but of course she clearly had no intention of keeping it, just as she tried to use Ryuuen to achieve her goal, now she went to Nagumo as well, after seeing what Nagumo did during the training camp, it's not a surprising action that she took…

Of course, Kushida should have noticed, even though she managed to drive Horikita into a desperate situation, she also got herself into one…

However, need has no limits, I feel like she had come to that conclusion and I must say that to be honest I thought she was hasty in allying herself with Ryuuen, but getting close to Nagumo here was not a bad idea for her, if she allies herself with a senior, there would not be an additional person who knows about her past after she graduates…however, that assumes that Nagumo is a trustworthy person in the first place… 

After this, Nagumo or the people close to him are going to take action against Suzune— said older Horikita taking me out of my thoughts… 

What do you want me to do? You are not asking me to protect your sister, are you? – I asked her with curiosity and interest… 

If Suzune leaves school in the future, it will be her responsibility. However, Kushida also noted your name as a problematic existence— answered older Horikita… 

I see—While Nagumo may not have much interest in me, hearing my name over and over will eventually give him a clue anyway, in other words, if I don't cut the connection before it's too late, I'll find myself involved in bigger trouble… 

What's the possibility that Nagumo has gotten in touch with Hashimoto? – I asked, since Hashimoto's actions suddenly changed and I'm sure that has nothing to do with Sakayanagi…

What's your reason for asking such a question? — I wonder…

I noticed a slight change in Hashimoto's behavior between the beginning and the end of training camp. I wasn't sure back then, but after meeting him recently, I realized that change wasn't my imagination, making the matter seem more suspicious. I mean, Hashimoto heard something about me from someone near the end of training camp—The number of people in a position to tell Hashimoto what they know about me is extremely limited to just Sakayanagi, Ryuuen, Nagumo, and senior Horikita, but Sakayanagi gains nothing from doing that, Ryuuen doesn't care at all right now, senior Horikita wouldn't do anything to get me in trouble, I only have Nagumo left by elimination…

It's as you say. During training camp, Nagumo told Hashimoto about you. That said, Hashimoto probably hasn't come to the conclusion yet that you're the student who's manipulating Suzune— Senior Horikita answered me, which means that it was actually Nagumo who said something to Hashimoto… 

I see— I answered her… 

So he's snooping around to find the truth? – I wondered, but I stayed silent…

I don't think there's any need to ask, but… Are you dissatisfied with this? – I asked myself again, but this time a different question…

No. Even if I had known, the situation would have ended the same way— I answered her 

I guess— Senior Horikita muttered in response… 

It doesn't matter if one of Sakayanagi's followers distrusts me, as long as I don't do anything, they won't find out anything no matter how many clues they look for and if they think of a strategy, once Sakayanagi gives them the thumbs down, the matter will be over… it was much easier than dealing with Ryuuen or Nagumo… 

Nagumo, however, has all his bases covered. It's a bit inappropriate to just wait and see what happens at this point. 

I've given you the information. It's up to you to decide what to do with it— he told me… 

I will— I answered him… 

Wait before you hang up— suddenly older Horikita spoke before he hung up… 

What happened? – I asked him, I had suspicions about what he was going to tell me now… 

Stop stealing beers, it's bad for your health— he told me seriously… if as you noticed, the elder Horikita discovered my fixation with alcoholic beverages, you'll wonder why not, I ran into him at the mall a while ago and to my bad luck he instantly noticed that something metallic rang in my bag, so he questioned me about it and in the end he found out… 

Why are you telling me that if you don't do anything to stop it anyway— I told him, since it was true, he discovered my fixation but he only told me not to do it again and at the same time he told me that it was bad for my health, but I epically ignored him and I keep doing it even though he keeps telling me… 

By the way, I've been curious how you realized that I keep stealing beers— I told him, although I have my suspicions about how he knows, but I want to hear it come out of his mouth… 

They report the disappearance of alcoholic beverages from the stores around campus— he told me, if he knew he read the reports and that led him to me…

I see— I said calmly…

Also, about alcoholic beverages, why are you so fixated on them? — the elder Horikita asked me, it seemed strange to me that he had taken so long to ask me… thank goodness I already thought of a lie to tell him…

My father is never home, so one day I found a beer without knowing what it was and I drank it, since that day I became fixated on it, I am like other people nothing special just because of family problems— I told him even though I am lying to him I don't feel bad or anything… 

I see— that was the only thing that came out of the elder Horikita's mouth, I don't know if he believed what I said or not, but that depends on him… 

Back to the previous topic, thanks for the information— I thanked him for the information about Nagumo's actions and especially Kushida's… after thanking him I ended the call so I wouldn't have to talk about the topic I made up with him anymore…

The call ended.

Now going back to what Senior Horikita told me, one thing I'm sure of is… 

In this school, this kind of information means a lot, every day someone is making a plan to surpass someone… in that sense, Senior Horikita is useful as one of my sources of information… while she's not as adaptable as Nagumo and doesn't have as large an information network, her credibility and accuracy are much higher… 

In any case, sparks are starting to fly… in order to stop the problem as soon as possible, I will have to be the one to make the first move…

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