Classroom of the Elite: Alter - Solace

Vol. 5: Chapter 16.1 - Growth and Regression

As Horikita slowly dragged herself to the infirmary with Azuma, Ichihashi, and Nishimura, a couple of unexpected people crossed paths with them. Horikita froze up, and the three immediately noticed.

One of them stopped in their tracks to look at her, and the other followed. Even Horikita didn't expect this.

"Suzune."

"Nii-san..."

It was Horikita Manabu, her older brother. He instantly noticed the injury on her leg. After heaving a sigh, he spoke to his flustered little sister.

"Do you understand Class 1-A's situation right now?"

"Yes... I do."

"It seems like you're starting to feel the burdens of being a leader."

The three girls behind Horikita gave her a worried look.

"After he led us, everything... started to become clear," Horikita answered with a pained look. "My class has potential, but they're not realized just yet... That's why they-- we were called defects."

"Hm, I see."

Her older brother looked down and gave her an almost imperceptible smile. However, it only took a second before he looked over with his customary sharp stare.

"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka..." he muttered softly, careful so that no one other than them could hear his name. "Now that he'd stepped down, you're just Class A on paper. Without him, you're simply back from where you've started."

Horikita knew that her older brother was probing her for an answer-- a show of her resolve. She steeled herself and looked straight into his eyes.

"That... may be right. But I don't think that's entirely true, either. I don't think... we're the same as we were back then. It may not be true for every single one of us, but most of my classmates were inspired by him. We're trying our best to maintain the position that's been granted to us."

Her older brother walked away without any parting words as Tachibana followed him with a vacant expression. That said, Horikita understood the meaning of Manabu's soft sigh right before he left.

"That's not enough," he must've been thinking.

"Horikita-san..." Nishimura called out to her with a concerned voice.

"It's okay. Let's go."

The girls chose to stay silent. Now wasn't the time to pry, but they'd also made their decision. They wanted to be of help to their leader, so they'll try and get to know her, and hopefully... become friends, even.

"Your condition won't get worse, but it won't get better either, at least for today. Participating in any more events would be difficult," said the nurse.

"Thank you, Sensei." 

Horikita could've stayed rested inside one of the tents in the field, but she didn't want to stand out. After she got herself checked, Minami Hakuo, their classmate, rushed to the infirmary to find them.

"H-Horikita-san, I found you!"

"Minami-kun?" called the surprised Ichihashi.

"Is everything okay?" Horikita asked.

"There's trouble! It's Sudou!"

Minami, Azuma, and Ichihashi, hurried back to where everything went down. Horikita couldn't follow them back due to her injury, but she gave them some advice before the others went off, leaving her and Nishimura inside the infirmary.