It could be meaning number 4 here:
Passive form can be used like that.
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Is this jisho.org?
尊敬語: I thought of that, but rejected the idea, as高橋君 didn’t even use敬語 the rest of the time. It seems weird for him to suddenly switch to super respectful speech after being so casual from the beginning. Also, wouldn’t it be the final verb that got the treatment?
Also, I love the phrase “suffering passive.” I’ve never come across that, although I’m familiar with that usage. I think of it as the “being done to me” or “being done on me” usage of passive voice. “Suffering passive” is simultaneously more succinct and funnier.
Also, what is #3 “spontaneous occurrence”???
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Yes, it is jisho.org 
The reason why I thought it could be 尊敬語 is that Takahashi-kun is addressing Kiriyama directly. He is saying “Kiriyama-san, you became a professional (go player) and after a year [of not going to school], you are now back in school, right?” and then he asks him why is that so. I don’t think it’s weird to use a more polite phrasing when talking about others’ situations or when asking them directly, compared to when you’re talking about yourself and your own situation.
Just for clarity in case you didn’t know, the red part is when he is talking to himself out loud. Otherwise he uses desu/masu, which is polite, when talking to Kiriyama
I still don’t know for sure if he used 尊敬語 or whether that was something else.
Not sure what you mean with “wouldn’t it be the final verb that got the treatment?”, though.
I’m not familiar with that use either, tbh 
This online dictionary says:
3 自発の意を表す。自然と…られる。つい…られてくる。「故郷に残した両親のことが思い出さ れる 」
So, something that happens automatically? …spontaneously out of nowhere?
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Yes, that’s what I meant. That’s interesting. In real life situations, would you do that? I.e. talk to yourself casually, in front of someone else… It is it a manga thing?
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Tofugu has written an article that I think will answer your question It is because of this article that I knew he was talking out loud to himself.
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Oh, that was an interesting article. Thank you for sharing!
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I finally reached that part 
Just wanted to say that I fully agree with your assessment: it’s passive voice being used as 尊敬語.
This is a normal way of expressing respect towards somebody else in direct conversation, especially towards somebody who is perceived as being “higher in rank”.
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