A crossover anime, where people are in Classroom of the Imaginary Era, and behind the scenes, the ki

"I don't know if you bought the encyclopedia and scanned the ripples. But Sakayanagi Arisu and I did scan and compare the items."

"The information obtained from the illustrations is much clearer than what your brother conveyed verbally."

"Ripples are never about blindly copying; they are about 'a sense of life' and 'intuition'."

As he spoke, Su Wei glanced at Nanase Tsubasa, who was sitting opposite him, about to speak.

"You see, the reason why Nanase was able to reach the beginner level so quickly is not only because of her excellent physical qualities, but also because she is an intuitive type of player."

"She doesn't rely on rigid logic, but on her feelings; she doesn't suppress her instincts, and dares to unleash the power of life."

Su Wei's gaze returned to Horikita Suzune:

"And what about you, Horikita?"

"Extremely rational, locking oneself in a shell called 'perfection,' suppressing all superfluous emotions and instincts."

"Ripples need flow, but you desperately try to 'control' them; ripples need the passion of life, but you demand that you constantly 'suppress' them. You're going against the grain completely, so how can you possibly resonate with them?"

Hit so directly on her sore spot, Horikita Suzune stubbornly pursed her lips.

“But… Ayanokouji succeeded too!” she retorted instinctively. “His methods are pretty much the same as mine, even more so. There’s no reason why if he can do it, I can’t…”

The girl lowered her head, looking at her palm, and said dejectedly, "I feel... it's probably just that I simply don't have the talent in this area."

"Do not."

You're wrong.

Su Wei shook his head, his tone resolute: "Horikita, do you know? Many times, the effort most people put in doesn't even get to the point where they have to rely on talent."

Are repression and calmness the same thing?

"Your current predicament is entirely due to your own inner conflict."

"And I know why."

Why?

Horikita Suzune suddenly looked up, and her eyes, which always kept people at a distance, now revealed a hint of longing.

Suwei looked at her.

He reached out his hand, paused briefly in mid-air, and finally gently placed it on the girl's soft black hair.

“After the last black ball exam, your brother came to see me and we talked alone for a while.”

Horikita Suzune's body stiffened slightly, and even her breathing paused for a beat.

Su Wei, however, seemed oblivious to her unease and continued speaking to himself:

"After exchanging information as agreed, we talked a lot. He specifically asked me to look after his secretary, Tachibana Akane, if he encountered any danger in the examination room."

"And of all that... he didn't mention your name at all."

Upon hearing this, Horikita Suzune bit her lower lip lightly, but quickly let go, looking bewildered.

"While I believe he wasn't lying, I'm even less inclined to believe that Horikita would place Tachibana Akane above you, his own sister."

"So I stopped him as he was about to leave and bluntly told him that he probably came for you."

Su Wei felt the girl's trembling body beneath his palm and continued:

“He didn’t explain. He just turned his back to me and said that you’ve always liked to imitate him since you were little. When he was cold to you, you became cold to him too; when he casually told a lie that he liked long hair, you’ve kept your hair long for so many years… You’re like a puppet chasing its own shadow, which makes him very distressed.”

"Combined with the sacrifice your brother made to save you at the crater."

"Then I understood everything."

Su Wei withdrew his hand, looking at her with a deep gaze:

"Horikita, because of a casual remark from your brother, you forcibly suppressed your true self, turning yourself into an emotionless machine. You're constantly on edge, afraid of making even the slightest mistake..."

"I ask you, if someone can't even find their true 'self,' do you think they can master Ripple, the energy that represents pure life?"

Horikita Suzune fell silent.

She opened her mouth slightly, but no sound came out.

Or rather, she simply had no way to refute it.

Because Su Wei was not wrong.

Moreover, secrets like her growing her hair long because of her brother's words could never be known through observation alone, unless her brother confessed it himself; there is no other possibility.

My brother... he knew all along.

Moreover, he was troubled by this.

"Could it be... that I really did something wrong?"

Horikita Suzune's voice was barely audible, tinged with a sense of bewilderment.

No, you're not wrong.

Su Wei once again denied her self-doubt: "Horikita, there is a goal to guide you, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with moving forward to chase after a beautiful silhouette. Chasing the light is human nature."

"But if you lose your shadow and your true self in the pursuit of light, then you have put the cart before the horse."