The afternoon of the second day.
For First Year Class A, the results of This Mini Exam were as mixed as expected.
"The results are out."
Majima Tomoya stood on the podium, his voice was as calm as ever, and he couldn't hear too many emotional ups and downs.
He held the stack of Report Card in his hand and glanced at the students below.
"Most people got Perfect Score. This is what it should be for Class A. After all, the difficulty of the questions is there. If you can't even pass the basic questions at the junior high school level, then there is a problem."
Next comes the main event.
Group.
"According to the rules, students will be given priority to be paired with classmates with larger score differences to ensure that everyone can pass. However... given that there are too many people in our class Perfect Score."
"The remaining Perfect Score people will be randomly matched."
This is like an innocuous Lucky Draw.
After all, as long as it is a combination between Perfect Score people, no matter who is in a group with whom, the "security" of the group has already overflowed.
Kazehara Tetsu and Yamamura Miki.
When he saw this line of words, Kazehara Tetsu raised his eyebrows slightly.
Yamamura Miki.
That girl who always sits in the corner, whose presence is so thin that she seems to be one with the air.
Even in a classroom full of classmates, she is like a faint shadow. If you don't pay attention deliberately, even the teacher may miss her during roll call.
"... that."
The after-school bell just rang, and the crowd in the classroom began to disperse in twos and threes.
A voice as thin as a mosquito sounded beside Kazehara Tetsu.
Kazehara Tetsu turned his head and moved his gaze slightly downward.
Yamamura Miki stood there, twisting the strap of his schoolbag uneasily with his hands.
"Kagihara..."
Her voice was so low that it seemed like it would be swallowed up by the noise around her at any time.
"About grouping. If you don't mind, can we study together?"
Although both of them are Perfect Score, in theory there is no need to sharpen their weapons in battle.
But Yamamura Miki clearly belongs to the extremely cautious and insecure type.
Even after getting Perfect Score, she still felt anxious when faced with the unknown Final Exam and the "Communal Body" mechanism that required the cooperation of two people.
"Okay."
Kazehara Tetsu did not refuse.
Anyway, I have nothing to do, so I might as well find a quiet place to read some books.
"Thank you."
So, the two of them went to Library together without even exchanging too much greetings.
Although they are said to be "together", in fact, there is a subtle distance between the two.
Yamamura Miki is always half a step behind, as if walking in his shadow is the safest position for her.
"Many people..."
Yamamura Miki couldn't help but exclaimed softly.
Indeed, Library was almost overcrowded at this time.
The pressure of Final Exam, coupled with this special "Communal Body" system, filled the entire first-year students with a sense of crisis.
Looking around, Study Area, which is usually deserted, is now crowded with students.
Kazehara Tetsu's eyes swept across the crowded crowd and locked onto a corner deep in the bookshelf.
"Over there."
He pointed to the one that was sandwiched between two rows of tall bookshelves. It was a little crowded, but it was better than being quiet.
There were only two chairs there, and the lighting was a little dim, which seemed to be disliked by most people.
"Okay, okay."
Yamamura Miki followed obediently.
After sitting down, Yamamura Miki quickly took out the textbook, Notes, from his school bag.
Spreading out the Notes book, she took a deep breath, isolated the noise from the outside world, and instantly entered a state of concentration as if no one else was around.
Kazehara Tetsu, on the other hand, seems much more laid-back.
He didn't bring any review materials.
For him, the things in his mind are more complete than those in books.
He stood up and walked among the bookshelves for a while, and randomly pulled out a Hardcover Book with a yellowish cover.
An unpopular book whose name alone is enough to make 99% of high school students doze off.
Kazehara Tetsu returned to his seat and opened the pages of the book.
When he was at First Semester, he had already memorized most of the valuable books in this Library.
The remaining miscellaneous books that I thought were "of no use" at the time have now become a good pastime to pass the time.
Time passed like this for half an hour.
Occasionally, Yamamura Miki will encounter steps that are really incomprehensible.
She would hesitate for a long time, secretly raising her eyelids to observe Kazehara Tetsu's face, and only after confirming that he was not reading with special concentration, would she muster the courage to ask.
"Kagihara, the derivative of this question..."
"It doesn't have to be so complicated, as long as..."
"Ah... so that's it."
There is no unnecessary nonsense, no so-called "teaching and learning", just simple questions and answers.
But for the social-phobic Yamamura Miki, it is the most comfortable way to get along.
A sound of light footsteps stopped beside their table.
The footsteps were very light, as light as a cat passing by, but to Kazehara Tetsu's keen hearing, it seemed particularly clear.
"Sure enough... it's here."
A sound of Sound System sounded, with a hint of unnoticeable joy.
Kazehara Tetsu looked away from the book and raised his head.
What catches the eye is a touch of silvery white.
Shiina Hiyori.
She was holding a thick hardcover book and stood at the shadow junction of two rows of bookshelves.
"So it turns out that Tetsu-kun also came here to 'take refuge' and read a book?"
She tilted her head slightly, with a faint smile on her lips.
"That's right."
Kazehara Tetsu closed the book in his hand, leaned back on the chair, and looked at this "book friend" whom he had not seen for a long time.
After the start of the second semester, the time when we exchanged reading experiences in the corner of Library seems to have been a long time ago.
"Long time no see, Shiina."
"Yes... it's true that I haven't spoken much for a while."
Although Shiina Hiyori felt a little regretful about this, he did not show any complaints.
She looked around and frowned in confusion.
"Although I have expected it for a long time, there are really too many Library people recently."
"I originally wanted to find a place to quietly read this newly borrowed suspense novel, but I turned around and couldn't even find a deserted place."
There are students cramming for their time everywhere, and there are discussions everywhere.
"If you don't mind, sit here."
Kazehara Tetsu pointed to an empty seat next to him with his chin.
It was a small space near the wall inside. Although there was no chair, it could barely fit in if one was moved.
"Then I'm sorry to bother you."
Without any courtesy, she dragged a chair from the side and sat down next to Kazehara Tetsu very naturally.
"Huh..."
After sitting down, she sighed contentedly and put the book in her arms on her knees.
At this time, her eyes naturally fell on the girl sitting opposite Kazehara Tetsu.
Yamamura Miki The moment Shiina Hiyori appeared, he shrank into a ball.
Two girls who also belong to the "quiet" type.
But the essence is completely different.
The tranquility of Shiina Hiyori comes from the inner indifference towards external objects.
The quietness of Yamamura Miki stems from self-protection from the outside world.
"This is..."
Shiina Hiyori blinked.
She is not the kind of person who enjoys socializing.
But this does not mean that she is impolite or lacks observation skills.
The girl in front of me exudes an extremely strong aura of "doesn't want to be watched".
Moreover, someone who can sit at the same table with Kazehara Tetsu and study...
"Class A's partner Yamamura Miki. This Exam."
Kazehara Tetsu gave a brief introduction without saying much.
"That's it."
"First time meeting, Yamamura. I am Shiina Hiyori from Class C. Please give me some advice."
When he heard his name being called, Yamamura Miki's body stiffened.
She didn't expect that the other party would take the initiative to say hello to someone like her.
"Uh... hello."
"I am Yamamura... please give me some advice."
This kind of response can even be said to be a bit rude and cold.
But Shiina Hiyori didn't care.
"Yamamura, are you also a person who likes reading?"
"No... just learning..."
Yamamura Miki replied, "In order to... not hold back."
"That's right, you worked really hard."
Shiina Hiyori nodded slightly and said no more.