The Room

"So this is Hoshino-kun's room..." Shiina Hiyori's gaze calmly swept around.

The refreshing and tidy space was almost bland, with only a simple bed, a few books piled on the cabinet beside it, and a glimpse of some daily necessities from the open bathroom door.

It was not much different from the standard dormitory uniformly equipped at the beginning of the semester. The air was filled with a clean, refreshing scent with a hint of laundry detergent, the typical atmosphere of a single male's room.

It was the first time a female had set foot in this space, and a subtle quietness permeated the air.

The three stepped inside, as if the tense air of the library was completely blocked outside the thick wooden door. The room was Hoshino Kanade's own peaceful world.

Hoshino Kanade rubbed the back of his neck somewhat uncomfortably, "It's a small place, please sit wherever you like."

He placed his books on the desk, then quickly put a shirt draped over the back of the chair into the wardrobe.

Ayanokoji Kina put down her school bag and naturally walked to the chair by the small table, "Excuse me for intruding."

Shiina Hiyori, however, walked straight to the desk by the window leaning against the cabinet. Her gaze fell on the neatly stacked books and a pen stuck in the pen holder.

"It's very simple, Hoshino-kun," her eyes carefully scanned every inch of the desk, her tone carrying an unconscious hint of scrutiny.

"Mm... I'm used to it," Hoshino Kanade walked to the small electric kettle by the window, trying to cover his slight awkwardness with busyness, "Shall I boil some water? Is plain water okay?"

"Thank you for your trouble," Kina replied, taking out her notes from her school bag and spreading them on her lap, looking as if she was about to enter study mode immediately.

"Okay," Shiina also responded, but didn't sit down right away.

She turned her attention to the cabinet piled with books, her slender fingers gently brushing past the book spines, " Detailed Explanation of Basic Calculus, Introduction to Programming Algorithms..." she read softly, then glanced at Hoshino Kanade with a hint of amusement, "That's a very practical reading list."

Hoshino Kanade paused, "Cough... They're just reference books I need."

A faint humming sound arose, and white steam curled up from the spout.

When the water was boiled, Hoshino Kanade took out three clean mugs and carefully poured in hot water. "Be careful, it's hot."

He handed the cups to the two one by one.

When he handed one to Kina, her cool fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of Hoshino Kanade's hand.

Both of them froze for a moment. Kina took the cup as if nothing had happened, but her slightly red earlobes betrayed her shyness, "Thank you."

Kina took a small sip of the hot water, the warmth spreading through her throat, slightly easing her tense nerves.

She looked up and saw Shiina already sitting at Kanade's desk, in the only chair with a backrest, while Kanade sat on the edge of the bed.

The corner of Kina's lips curved into a shallow arc, and she quietly lowered her head to flip open her book.

The three occupied their own spaces, and the room was filled only with the rustling sound of pages turning and the occasional slight metallic ping as the electric kettle cooled.

After an unknown amount of time, Shiina looked up, reached up to rub her brow, and her gaze unintentionally swept over Hoshino Kanade beside her.

He was engrossed in his reading, a lock of dark, messy hair falling down, resting on his forehead.

Shiina Hiyori looked at that unruly strand of hair and very naturally raised her hand.

Her fingertips were extremely light and quick as they brushed past Hoshino Kanade's temple, gently tucking the strand of hair back for him.

The movement was fluid, but the sensation of her fingertips grazing his skin was like a pebble dropped into a lake, stirring up huge ripples in her own heart.

How could I... Kina is still watching...

This touch was as quick as an illusion.

Hoshino, however, felt as if he had been struck by a tiny electric current. He suddenly looked up, his eyes meeting Shiina's still calm, placid purple eyes.

Shiina's expression didn't change, "Your hair, it was covering your eyes."

But only she knew that the residual warmth on her fingertips and the suddenly accelerated heartbeat were almost breaking through her surface calm.

"...Oh." Hoshino Kanade's mind went blank for a moment, only managing to let out a muffled syllable.

His cheeks began to heat up belatedly, and he could even clearly feel the faint cool sensation left by that extremely brief touch.

Although he was usually close with Kina, Shiina herself was a beautiful girl with a cool and unique temperament. This unexpected touch brought a stirring that was so unfamiliar and intense.

Moreover, Kina was right beside them, which inexplicably made him feel guilty and illicit. He subconsciously turned his head to observe Kina's reaction, only to find her still looking down at her book, her expression focused. This scene inexplicably reminded him of the subtle sense of "a drunken husband."

Kina, sitting across the desk, seemed to sense a subtle stillness in the air.

When she looked up, she only saw Shiina already engrossed in her book again as if nothing had happened, except her small earlobes seemed even redder than before.

And Kanade was as if nailed to the spot, looking down slightly, intently staring at the pages on his lap, as if trying to see through the paper.

Kina's gaze paused subtly between the two, then she lowered her eyelids. Her long eyelashes concealed a fleeting understanding in her eyes, while the faint smile on her lips quietly deepened.

In her understanding, the strong naturally had more choices. It wasn't a bad thing for someone like Kanade to be surrounded by excellent girls, as long as they were sincere and harmless.

As for herself, she was naturally an ordinary person, and being able to quietly stay by his side was already enough.

The room was still as quiet as before, but the air seemed to have an added subtle sweetness.

After a period of studying, while packing her school bag, Shiina Hiyori softly mentioned, "It seems hard to find a seat in the library lately."

"Yes," Ayanokoji Kina carefully put away her notes and agreed, looking up, "It's getting harder and harder to find quiet places."

Hoshino Kanade was tidying the cups on the desk when he heard this, and his movements paused.

He thought of the crowded people at the library entrance every day, then glanced at his own room, which, though small, always seemed spacious.

"Hmm... I really can't fit in there." As if thinking of something, his tone became casual.

"How about... we just use this place from now on? I don't have much stuff in my room anyway..."

As he spoke, he pulled open the desk drawer and fumbled out two semi-transparent white cards.

"Here," he handed one access card each to Shiina and Kina. "Anyway... I don't keep anything I shouldn't be showing."

He mumbled the latter half of his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

This room could now serve as their fixed "study group" base.

Shiina Hiyori looked at the cool access card in her palm, a flicker of surprise in her purple eyes.

She closed her fingers, gripping the card tightly. "Okay, thank you for the trouble, Hoshino-kun."

Ayanokoji Kina accepted the access card politely and calmly. "Alright, thank you for having me."

She didn't ask any more questions; this was the natural next step.