Room

"Is this Hoshino's room...?" Shiina Hiyori calmly looked around.

The clean, tidy space was almost austere. There was only a simple bed, a few books stacked on the cabinet beside it, and a glimpse of some toiletries through the open bathroom door.

It was nearly identical to the standard dorm rooms assigned at the start of the school year. The air carried a clean, fresh scent with a faint hint of laundry detergent—the atmosphere of a typical boy living alone.

It was the first time a girl had set foot in this space, and a subtle silence settled over them.

The three stepped inside, as though the tense atmosphere of the library had been shut out completely by the heavy wooden door. Within lay the peaceful world that belonged solely to Hoshino Kanade.

Hoshino Kanade rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little ill at ease. "It's a small place, but make yourselves comfortable."

He set his books on the table, then quickly put away a shirt that had been draped over the back of a chair.

Ayanokoji Kina set down her school bag and walked naturally over to the chair beside the small table. "Sorry to intrude."

Shiina Hiyori went straight to the desk by the window, which stood beside the cabinet. Her gaze fell on the neatly stacked books and the pen in the holder.

"You keep things very simple, Hoshino." Her eyes carefully swept over every inch of the desktop, her tone carrying a trace of scrutiny she seemed unaware of.

"Yeah... I'm used to it." Hoshino Kanade walked over to the small electric kettle by the window, trying to hide his slight awkwardness by keeping busy. "Shall I boil some water? Is plain water okay?"

"Sorry for the trouble," Kiyona replied. She took her notes from her school bag and spread them across her lap, looking ready to get straight to studying.

"Sure," Shiina replied as well, but she didn't sit down right away.

Instead, she turned to the cabinet piled with books and lightly ran her slender fingers over their spines. "'Detailed Explanation of Basic Calculus,' 'Introduction to Programming Algorithms'..." she murmured, then gave Hoshino Kanade a teasing glance. "A very practical reading list."

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

A faint hum sounded, and white steam curled up from the kettle's spout.

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

He handed a mug to each of them.

As he handed one to Shiina, her cool fingertips brushed the back of Hoshino Kanade's hand by accident.

They both paused. Shiina accepted the mug as though nothing had happened, but the slight redness of her earlobe betrayed her embarrassment. "Thank you."

Kiyona took a small sip of the hot water. Warmth spread from her throat, easing the tension in her nerves a little.

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

The corners of Kiyona's lips curved into a faint smile. She quietly lowered her head and opened her book.

The three of them each settled into their own spot. The only sounds in the room were the soft rustle of turning pages and the occasional faint metallic click as the kettle cooled.

After some time, Shiina looked up and rubbed her brow. Her gaze inadvertently swept over Hoshino Kanade beside her.

He was reading intently, a stray lock of dark hair slipping out of place and falling across his forehead.

Watching that unruly strand, Shiina Hiyori raised her hand with a natural ease.

Her fingertips skimmed across Hoshino Kanade's temple, light and quick, gently brushing the lock of hair back into place.

The movement was smooth and effortless, yet the feeling of her fingertips brushing his skin was like a stone dropped into a lake, sending enormous ripples through her own heart.

How could I... Kiyona's still watching...

The touch was so brief it was almost an illusion.

But Hoshino reacted as if struck by a tiny electric current. He jerked his head up and met Shiina's still-calm violet eyes.

Shiina's expression didn't change at all. "Your hair was in the way."

But only she knew that the warmth lingering on her fingertips and her suddenly racing heartbeat were almost enough to shatter her composure.

"...Oh." Hoshino Kanade's mind went blank for a moment, and all he could manage was a vague syllable.

His cheeks began to warm a moment later. He could even clearly feel the faint coolness left behind by that fleeting touch.

He was usually close with Kiyona, too, and that felt natural. But Shiina herself was a beautiful girl with a cool, distinctive air about her, and the unexpected touch stirred a strange and powerful flutter within him.

What was more, Kiyona was right there beside him. That gave him a strange, guilty sense of impropriety. He instinctively glanced over to see how she had reacted, only to find her still reading, her expression focused. The scene somehow reminded him of the peculiar feeling of being a "husband coming home drunk."

Kiyona, seated across the desk, seemed to sense a faint tension in the air.

When she raised her eyes, she saw only Shiina calmly returning to her book, though her small earlobe seemed a little redder than before.

Kanade, meanwhile, seemed rooted to the spot. He had his head slightly lowered, staring intently at the page on his lap as though he meant to bore a hole through it.

Kiyona's gaze lingered between the two for a moment. Then she lowered her eyes, her long lashes concealing a flash of understanding. The faint smile at the corner of her lips quietly deepened.

In her view, the strong naturally had more choices. It wasn't a bad thing for capable girls to gather around someone like Kanade, as long as they were sincere and meant no harm.

And she was, of course, an ordinary person. Being able to quietly stay by his side like this was enough for her.

The room remained as quiet as before, but the air seemed to have gained a faint sweetness.

Once they had finished studying, Shiina Hiyori mentioned quietly as they packed their school bags, "It seems like the library's been full lately."

"It has," Ayanokoji Kiyona agreed as she carefully put away her notes. "It's getting harder and harder to find a quiet place."

Hoshino Kanade was tidying the cups on the desk. When he heard that, he paused.

He thought of the crowds jammed outside the library every day, then glanced at his own room, which was small but always seemed spacious.

"Yeah... It really is hard to get a seat." As though he'd just thought of something, he spoke casually.

"How about... studying here from now on? I don't have much stuff in my room anyway..."

As he spoke, he opened the desk drawer and fished out two semi-transparent white cards.

"Here." He handed a key card to each of Shiina and Kiyona. "It's not like I've got anything to hide, anyway."

He mumbled the last part a little, but his meaning was clear.

From now on, they could use his room as their regular "study group" meeting place.

Shiina Hiyori looked at the cool key card in her palm, a hint of surprise flashing in her violet eyes.

She curled her fingers around it and gripped it tightly. "All right, then. Sorry for the trouble, Hoshino."

Ayanokoji Kiyona accepted her key card politely and calmly. "Okay. Sorry to intrude."

She didn't ask anything more. This was only the natural next step.