A Liquid Inspiration

Summary: (A re-telling of Classroom of the Elite sparked by a certain conversation between Masterpiece and Professor.)

One day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka receives a surprising invitation from his father, Ayanokouji Atsuomi, to join him for a drink. It was unusual for Kiyotaka, who normally wouldn't be summoned by his father without a hidden agenda.

That's why even the emotionless Kiyotaka was surprised when his father began to open up about his own experiences with love and relationships.

For the emotionally distant "masterpiece," this conversation is a rare moment of connection with his father, and it sparked a curiosity within him to explore the world of human relationships, to be more specific: romance and intimacy.

It was that spark that pushed Kiyotaka to demand something from his father:

"Father, teach me everything about human relationships."

This then begins a ripple that changes how Ayanokouji Kiyotaka would approach the world in the foreseeable future.

Do check out this fic on Wattpad. It has the same title and content, but we do have illustrations there to increase immersion for the fic. Thanks, and here's the chapter!

Vol 1. SS 2 - Horikita Suzune

Horikita Suzune

The gentle sound of a bird's chirp from my phone gradually reached my ears, signaling that it was time to wake up.

As I stirred from my slumber, I glanced at the clock hanging on the wall while climbing out of bed; it was 6:05 in the morning. Waking up like this had become a routine for me, a habit ingrained in my body that I couldn't forget.

This habit has remained unchanged since I started attending this school.

Barring any special circumstances that kept me up late, I always woke up at 6 am. After that, I would tidy myself up a bit and begin preparing breakfast. Although I didn't have much of an appetite, I consistently ate three meals a day, maintaining a balanced diet and leading a life that prioritized good nutrition.

By 8 o'clock, I would leave my room and head to school. This sequence of actions had remained the same since my elementary school days.

In the past, I would go to school alone, study alone, eat lunch alone, and return home alone. This was the life of Horikita Suzune, and at the same time, it was my nature.

I was well aware of the pitiful gazes from those around me who perceived me as a solitary individual, but their concern was just meddlesome. Actually, calling it meddlesome might not even be the right word.

I was confident in my ability to excel at whatever I did, be it academics or sports. I knew I was superior to my peers. More importantly, I found it impossible to trust other people. At first, many would put on a friendly facade in an attempt to get close to me, but they would inevitably leave in no time. As a result, I naturally distanced myself from others and never experienced feelings of loneliness or inconvenience.

I had resigned myself to the fact that this situation would persist indefinitely.

However, recently, things have begun to change.

It had only been two months since I had been admitted into Advanced Nurturing High School, and in this short amount of time, I had found myself experiencing certain feelings that I initially believed were impossible for me to feel.

And the cause of this?

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.

Looking back, it should be impossible for our relationship to go to the trajectory that it was currently going at.

When we first met, I was sure I left a bad impression on him, one that made me believe that he would never bother me again should our paths once again cross.

However, that never came to pass.

In fact, when we met each other again in our shared classroom, his first reaction upon seeing me was to look at me in amusement and then saying words that, to my shame, irritated me to the point of wanting to inflict physical harm:

"Living up to your reputation as a creepy stalker who stares at innocent people, I see."

It reminded me of how he skillfully turned around my accusations against me earlier in the day, leaving me confused and dumbfounded.

Then, just as I was resolute in my decision to ignore him for the entirety of the day, Ayanokōji-kun surprised me by apologizing for his actions earlier— a sincere apology that exhibited that he did not mean the words he had spoken to me.

It... unnerved me how quick it was for him to let go of the immense pride that I initially assumed that he had. Of course, I eventually found out that Ayanokōji-kun displayed zero arrogance at all, but at the time, those words surprised me.

And as the class went on, I discovered that Ayanokōji Kiyotaka was indeed more brilliant than he had initially let on, as he cornered Chabashira-sensei in her vague and misleading orientation, eventually leading our homeroom teacher to leave out clues she did not plan on leaving.

But just when I thought Ayanokōji-kun would head fully on the offensive, he retracted from his charge, a satisfied smile forming on his face as if he had found a much better solution than what he had initially thought.

That... intrigued me.

Then, the next day, my curiosities were finally answered, as Ayanokōji-kun, alongside Tsubaki Yuki-san, and Hirata Yōsuke-kun, revealed the veiled truth behind this prestigious high school.

From their words, alongside sentiments from the rest of their unit, and the surprising input of Sudo Ken-kun, one thing was made clear:

We were going to be preparing for battle.

And in addition to that, a realization that provided me with much frustration that could be traced back to my childhood years and beyond.

I was deemed a defective student.

With everything that I had gone through, everything that I had achieved, everything that I had done... I was deemed a defect.

A failure.

A disappointment.

Upon realizing these things, the words of nii-san rang back in my mind:

"You are walking yourself into failure, Suzune. With how you are, it does not matter what you do or reach because, at the end of the day, one thing about you will remain: you are a disappointment."

It was unfair.

I haven't worked so hard over the years to catch up to nii-san, only for my efforts to be invalidated like that.

As I contemplated the matter, Ayanokōji-kun strolled back to his seat, a quizzical expression on his face as he looked in my direction, his eyes penetrating deep into my mind.

I could remember that scene as if it had happened just yesterday.

His demeanor that day showed no trace of anger or frustration. Despite his exceptional intellect and intuition, he seemed unfazed by his assignment to a subpar class.

Instead, what I saw on his countenance was the resolute expression of someone fully prepared to take on a challenge.

And after steadying himself, he swiveled his head in my direction, and like nii-san from years ago, Ayanokōji-kun spoke a merciless truth:

"I don't think you have a defect, Horikita. I know you have a defect."

But unlike nii-san, Ayanokōji-kun took a different approach.

After knocking me down, he wasted no time lifting me back up, attempting to ignite a fire within me.

"But it's not like you're hopeless, aren't you?"

A rhetorical question that bore more power than it was supposed to have.

As ashamed as I was to admit this...

That was the first time I received a semblance of encouragement from another person.

Not even my parents, and especially not nii-san, ever attempted to lift me up.

My parents had simply thought of me as brilliant, a daughter they could be proud of, but they were unaware of my inner struggles, and I do not think they would even be able to drag me out of where I found myself in.

Nii-san... knew of my plight, but he simply saw me as nothing more than a disappointment— a taint to his reputation.

Ayanokōji-kun, unlike them, realized what was going on in my head...

And, in a surprising act of kindness, he gave me a lift.

As the days and weeks went by, the time that I had spent in solitude gradually reduced. Initially, I was just talking with Ayanokōji-kun, and on some occasions, with Kushida-san, but mainly due to her constantly bombarding me to go with her. Naturally, I rejected every single advance she had made.

She's... a troublesome individual, after all.

That being said, as time went by, I found myself finding more acquaintances in the class, such as Matsushita Chiaki and Wang Mei-Yu. While they weren't my friends, I was able to engage them in healthy conversations that, to my surprise, hadn't bothered me.

But I suppose that came from the fact that Wang-san was a humble girl, who was competent in the things she did and not carrying any malice behind her eyes, and that Matsushita-san was a great conversationalist that had plenty of insights to give, as well as her awareness of the boundaries between us.

Slow, it might be, but I felt like my life had begun to change in ways I could never expect.

Then, May 1 came.

Ayanokōji-kun had proven his brilliance once more as our former Class D had ascended from the ranks, becoming the new Class B and only trailing Class A by 20 points.

My respect for the brown-haired boy had admittedly increased even more as he displayed incredible insight that had immediately shown results.

And a couple of days later...

News came out that Ayanokōji-kun had been appointed as one of the Vice Presidents of the Student Council.

A Student Council that was currently being led by my brother, Horikita Manabu.

It was like the universe had been conspiring against me by making two of the people I had the most complicated relationships with join forces in such a powerful position.

I wondered about these questions: How would they react to one another? Would they ever get along? Would I ever come up in a conversation between the two?

And it seemed... they have gotten along in ways that I wouldn't have expected.

The day after his formal induction into the Student Council, Ayanokōji-kun attacked me once again with his pranks... but this one was the most surprising of the bunch.

He caught me off-guard by playing a recording of my brother's words...

"If you do end up having an interest in Suzune, you have my approval to pursue her."

Those words... weren't words that I would ever expect to come out of nii-san's mouth.

Since when did he even care about romance?

He never did... which was why... I never did as well.

If the key to being as successful as nii-san was to keep out all distractions, then there was surely no room for romance.

And Ayanokōji-kun didn't help the situation by blatantly flirting with me.

"How could he even say those things with a straight face?" I mused, shaking my head at the thought. "No... he was simply messing with me... that's it."

I sighed and mentally pushed the thought to the back of my mind.

Where was I again?

Oh, that's right.

About nii-san and Ayanokōji-kun.

Almost two weeks after that incident, I finally mustered up the courage to confront nii-san, to show him my newfound conviction... to tell him that I was ready to reach the summit of the lonely mountain he occupied.

But, as I had found out that night... it was foolish.

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same, as, despite nii-san's admittance that I had shown progress, he wasn't impressed at all.

Instead, he invalidated my efforts and simply declared that my progress wasn't my own...

But one that was orchestrated by Ayanokōji-kun.

As much as I wanted to deny it, his words were true.

I was left frozen as nii-san continued on with his attack, up to the point that he began raising his arm, fully intending to inflict harm on me...

And then, it happened...

Ayanokōji-kun swooped in out of nowhere as if he were a superhero out of the comic books I've heard kids rave about, and without hesitation, took down nii-san in a single throw.

I thought that time that a fight was about to commence between the two, and I attempted to muster up the courage to stop it from happening, but... I couldn't find the voice in me to do something about the situation.

I remained frozen, eyes widening as I was turned into a witness to what was to come.

But to my surprise... nothing happened.

Instead of a battle between two of the people I looked up to, both of them had come to a shared understanding.

And before I knew it, I found myself in nii-san's dorm room, preparing dinner for the three of us. The heavy and suffocating atmosphere from an hour ago, long since forgotten, and replaced with a light-hearted mood befitting for a reunion.

This was all thanks to Ayanokōji-kun.

For the first time in more than two years, I've gotten the chance to finally talk and share a dinner with my older brother. While our relationship remains estranged and distant... I was happy.

Because even if he didn't outright say it, I could tell... that he was waiting for me to prove him wrong.

To show him that I wasn't a failure.

But of course, that wouldn't be enough to erase all the bad memories that I have had, the words that I had to endure, the pain that I had to feel.

It will stick with me for a long time, perhaps, even forever.

Soon, the dinner concluded, with Ayanokōji-kun and me finally departing nii-san's dorm room and heading back to the first-year dormitory building.

This... was where everything that had been placed ever since I enrolled in this school began to shape into form.

While enjoying the calm and quiet of the elevator ride, as well as sharing small pleasantries, Ayanokōji-kun caught me off-guard with the words he had just said.

"Are you content with your goal of just imitating Horikita-senpai and hoping to be his equal?" Ayanokōji-kun asked that night, staring at me intently.

"You're Horikita Suzune. While you may think of senpai like some sort of a higher being, you're better off being just yourself... and forging your own path."

But he did not stop there, as he began bombarding me with more bombs...

"Perhaps, there's a reason why no matter how much you improve, senpai would never acknowledge you," he added cryptically.

I wasn't able to give him a reply that night as my mind struggled to take in the deeper meaning behind his words.

The days went by, and I couldn't stop thinking about Ayanokōji-kun's words. They gnawed at me, forcing me to reevaluate my life, my goals, and the person I was trying to become.

Was it really wrong to attempt and emulate my brother, who I had looked up to ever since I was a child? Was the reason for nii-san's constant disappointment a byproduct of my stubborn pursuit of becoming just like him?

That... doesn't make sense.

Why would nii-san treat me the way he had treated me if that was what he wanted me to be all along?

If all he wanted was for me to pursue my own path... why did he have to be so cruel about it?

...

Was Ayanokōji-kun perhaps... wrong?

No... he was probably not.

The more I thought about it, the more it became clear that Ayanokōji-kun was right. I have stubbornly set on my path since childhood, never even evaluating the direction that I was headed in. I had been so desperate to prove myself to my brother that I never considered what I truly wanted for myself.

All that I had wanted since childhood was to stand by nii-san's side as an equal, as an anchor that would be able to help him traverse through the lonely place atop the mountains.

But... was this actually what was best for me?

What is it that I yearn to achieve?

Who is it that I wish to become?

In my quest for individuality, have I somehow misplaced the essence of who I am?

No, surely not...

I am still Horikita Suzune.

But this...

This was a strange feeling.

Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, like a blazing comet, you've shattered my world, leaving me to question everything I knew.

Why... why do you affect me this much?

End of Short Story

A/N: Evil Manabu = Kiyopon

All jokes aside, this had been quite tiring to write. I had another draft for this SS, but I decided to remove all of it and start from scratch. Wrote this in, like idk, one hour? But I felt satisfied with the output, so hopefully, this made Suzune's character throughout the volume more relatable, so to speak.

In a lot of the Vol 1 Chapters, since they were told from Kiyo's perspective, we simply saw him subtly influencing Suzune, teasing her, and having some fluff. This is essentially Suzune's introspection of everything that had just happened. Hopefully, hopefully, I did it just fine despite the short amount of time that I wrote this.