<h4>Chapter 479: Chapter 3 -?Lost Lamb</h4>


    As the spring break passed by, the 30 days of April would inevitably arrive.


    I didn''t do anything in particr during these past days, as I mostly just spent my time in my room, enjoying the holiday.


    I wanted to wee the new school year carefreely, just like this...


    I woke up just before 8 and noticed I had received a text message on my phone.


    It was from one of ss B''s students, Ichinose Honami.


    It was an invitation to meet sometime during the spring break.


    It seemed like the rest of the break wouldn''t be as uneventful as it had been up to now.


    The date was still in consideration, and she also wanted Horikita toe along.


    From that, I could guess that Horikita was the main event, and I was just in the undercard.


    I could roughly predict what the contents of the conversation were going to be.


    It should be about the final examination of our 1st year, the event selection exam. Although Ichinose would have collected some information about it already, she would want to know the details of our own 3 wins and 4 losses against ss A.


    The topic of bing 2nd-year students will alsoe up.


    It would rte to the cooperative rtionship between Ichinose''s ss and mine. Would it continue? Or would it end? She should want to confirm and decide what would happen to it.


    The conversation was probably going to be a mixture of those two topics, rather than only one of them.


    Especially about thetter topic, discussion on that should take priority during this spring break.


    "Has Ichinose recovered from what happened yet?"


    I thought about the girl who I haven''t seen at all during the spring break.


    It seemed like the results of the end of year exam were still weighing on Ichinose''s heart.


    They got 2 wins and suffered 5 losses, a miserable defeat.


    Although we fell back into ss D, the differences in the scores were shrinking.


    A change in the ss ranks due to a new special exam was now very likely to happen. ss B and the sses below it were now evenly matched, so sooner orter, we had to discuss what our sses would do in the future.


    The cooperative rtionship established in the first year between our two sses wasn''t bad for either of the sses.


    If we were to continue this cooperative rtionship, it would reduce our mental burden by a bit.


    But in the future, the fact that this rtionship would eventually be detrimental to both sses had finally crossed the mind of both parties.


    And when the situation escted, we would have to dissolve the rtionship forcefully.


    Which would make us seem dishonourable if it came to that.


    Basically, the situation was that the lower ranking ss didn''t need to do anything, as it was the higher ranking ss that needed to decide what their ns were for the future.


    If Horikita knew about Ichinose''s invitation for a talk, she would be able to figure out as much as I had.


    This wasn''t going to be a simple conversation. Instead, it would be an important point of divergence which would consider what the future held for the two sses.


    Even if Ichinose wasn''t nning to talk about that, Horikita would probably bring that topic up herself.


    Essentially, this conversation was going to happen, no matter what.


    Then there''s the issue of time. I was avable all day today, but what about Horikita?


    Horikita''s brother said that he would leave on the 31st.


    And deep down, Horikita should still be eager to want to talk to her brother.


    If they wanted to do something together today as siblings, it wouldn''t be surprising.


    As for whether her brother would be willing to do it, and if Horikita had the courage to go meet him, that was a separate matter.


    I''ll send a message to Horikita first.


    I also added another line, [Are you ready to talk to your brother?]


    I simply wrote up what Ichinose wanted to do and sent it to her, so it''ll be read after a few seconds.


    She didn''t take long to reply.


    [I''m avable at any time.]


    That was her answer. No, you''re not avable at any time.


    As I said that within my heart, I wanted to know what her response would be if the time was set to be tomorrow. But deliberately poking at things she cared about would prove troublesome for me.


    Her reply had ignored everything to do with her brother leaving.


    [So how about April 2nd?]


    Pay attention to that day, and leave your thoughts of today and tomorrow behind.


    [I''m free today.]


    Her immediate reply had a sort ofmanding manner to it, meaning that I shouldn''t be sticking my nose in this.


    Although admitting that she wanted to spend time with her brother was hard for her, all she needed to say was that she was busy.


    Even if I said I had ns myself, it would be tough to convince her.


    [Yes. I want to deal with the troublesome things first.]


    It would be troublesome to go against her now, so I decided to go along with it.


    After the meeting ended, she still would have enough time to meet with her brother if she wanted.


    [...That would be difficult]


    It seemed like those two would not meet any time before the scheduled meeting they had tomorrow.


    I replied to Horikita, agreeing to meet with Ichinose today.


    After confirming it with Ichinose, it was decided that our meeting would ur at 10 in the morning, at the cafe on the 2nd floor of Keyaki Mall.