The Superior Elite (Ongoing)

Chapter 12 : Right

"You seem quite insistent on getting an answer."
I keep my tone of neutral and emotionless, but a small sense of irritation is starting to build in me.

I feel as though I'm being interrogated, even though I suppose that's to be expected given the circumstances.

Horikita's facial expression is serious as she waits for my response. She seems determined, even stubborn, in her insistence on learning the truth. I can tell she's not going to let this go easily, so I decide to give her a short answer to satisfy her.

"What do you want me to say?"

"Don't play dumb with me."
Her words hold more force this time as she looks me up and down, searching for any sort of weakness.

It's clear she wants a clear answer from me, and not any more games.

"Fine."
My tone is starting to get more cold and emotionless than before, and I can feel my irritation building.

"Do you want me to admit that I used you?"

"Well, then I'll humor your curiosity this time."
I keep my tone even and unemotional, but inside I'm starting to feel annoyed with her insistent attitude.

"Yes, I did use you."

"In what way?"
She isn't satisfied with my bare-bones confession, but I'm not giving her any more details than what she's asking.

"I only used you to find ways to improve Class D's performance."

"And then you went on to form a relationship with Kei."

I pause for a moment, processing that she brought up my relationship with Kei again.

"And I'm guessing you wanted to know how genuine that relationship is, too."

I don't elaborate any further, waiting to see if she'll ask the question outright.

"You're right, I want to know how genuine your relationship with her is."

Her tone is still serious, and she seems determined to keep pressing me until she gets all the answers she wants.

"What do you think?"

I decide to turn the tables on Horikita and ask her a question in return.
I'm genuinely curious to hear what she thinks about my relationship with Kei, whether it's authentic or not.

"I think that you're probably just playing her for your own advantage."

She speaks without hesitation, but her response makes me feel a little annoyed.

"Is that so?"
For a moment, I genuinely consider her response.
And unfortunately, she's probably right. I'm aware of the way I'm using Kei, so while her wording may have been blunt, she's still correct.

"Let's assume that's true. What else do you wanna know?"

"That's not enough for me."

She looks up at me defiantly, not willing to accept my response.

"I want to know the full truth, no more playing dumb."

"The full truth."

As I repeat her words, I wonder what she really means by it.
It's like she's demanding some deeper, hidden truth about me, but I don't think I have any secret to reveal that I haven't already told her.

"You're being awfully insistent for someone who seems uncertain."

"Is that how you think of it"

Her tone is still serious, but there's a hint of suspicion towards my words.

"It's almost as if you're avoiding the actual truth, like there's something else you haven't told me."

I pause for a moment, taking her words into consideration.
She has a point, my responses so far have been vague and evasive. I suppose she's looking for a more direct and sincere answer, not the ones filled with half-truths that I keep giving her.

"Alright then. If that's what you want, I'll explain the whole truth."
My tone is as neutral and emotionless as before, but the hint of irritation that's been building is starting to show.

"If you promise not to interrupt me."

"Promise."
She says in a quick reply, but her words lack a sense of sincerity. Still, I'll take her word for it for now.

"Then I'll begin."

"So let's start with the facts, shall we? First, let's go back to the time when I helped you with the exam. You're right, I did use you in order to elevate Class D. I used your efforts to create situations where Class D could gather more points, such as when we formed our study group."

"My intentions for forming the study group were genuine, though. I did want to improve our academic performance and raise the Class D's average."

"Yes, that much is true."
She responds quickly.

"Although, I must admit that I used you again and again to guide us through situations so we could maximize our growth potential and score more points than our rivals."

"And this leads us to your relationship with Kei."
I keep my tone neutral, but the annoyance I've been feeling is becoming harder to suppress.

"Do you really think my relationship with Kei is only for my own benefit?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I think."
She replies with a level of confidence that's getting on my nerves a bit.

"I understand that having a girlfriend can help improve a student's image, but I doubt that's your primary reason for going out with Kei."

"And what do you think my true reason is?"
I'm really starting to get annoyed, especially at her nonchalant attitude towards me and my relationship with Kei.

"Maybe you just don't want to admit that I might actually like her."

"I highly doubt that's actually the case."

Her tone is dismissive enough that I can't help but feel a little irritated.

"You're definitely using her for some reason. Maybe you're trying to manipulate her emotions or using her as an extension of your own social status. But I'm sure that's it. You don't actually care about her."

"Wow, is that really how you see me?"
My neutral facade is finally starting to fade, and instead of annoyance, I'm feeling a mix of resentment and annoyance.

"Do you not think I have the ability to care about someone else? Is it seriously so difficult for you to believe that I could have genuine feelings for someone?"

"Based off of our interactions so far, yes, that's exactly what I believe."
Horikita appears to be completely convinced that no amount of affection I might have for Kei is genuine.

I wish I could tell her that she's wrong, but I can't fault her for feeling that way.