On Saturday morning, sunlight streamed through the window and fell across Kazehara Tetsu's room.
The air still held traces of the passion from the night before.
The bed was in disarray, with a few telltale marks still left behind.
When Kazehara Tetsu opened his eyes, the space beside him was already cold.
The shower was running in the bathroom.
A few minutes later, the water stopped.
The bathroom door opened, and a rush of steam spilled out.
Kamuro Masumi was wearing the same school uniform she'd had on yesterday. Her shirt was buttoned neatly, as if the previous night had been nothing but a dream.
But the faint dark circles beneath her eyes and the slight awkwardness in her steps still betrayed her body's true condition.
"Are you okay?"
Kamuro Masumi's body stiffened. She shook her head without turning around. "I'm fine."
With her back to him, she straightened her collar and skirt, then headed straight for the door.
"You're leaving just like that? How about breakfast? I'm a pretty good cook," Kazehara Tetsu said, watching her go with a hint of teasing in his voice.
"No, thanks."
Her hand rested on the doorknob. She paused. "I... need to go back and get some sleep."
The door opened, then closed softly behind her.
Kazehara Tetsu lay in bed for a few more minutes before lazily sitting up and stretching.
He'd used up quite a bit of energy the night before, but at that moment, he felt unusually exhilarated.
He got out of bed barefoot, tidied up the traces left behind, and then went into the bathroom.
Steam still hung in the air.
He turned on the Shower Head, and icy water poured down over him, enveloping him in an instant.
The water pounded against his body, sending a bone-chilling cold through him, but it also drove away the last of his sleepiness.
After showering, he changed into his school uniform. But instead of heading out, he sat down at his desk.
His consciousness sank into the system interface in his mind.
``` [System Store]
[Skill: Eidetic Memory]
[Effect: Grants the host perfect memory. All information received through sight and hearing can be selectively stored in the brain permanently.]
[Price: 200 Points.]
For the Special Exams ahead, as well as any contests of wits with others, a powerful memory was undoubtedly the most basic and most important weapon.
The hazy memories of the plot from his previous life alone were far from enough.
[Purchase: Skill: Eidetic Memory - 200 Points]
[Confirm.]
[Points -200. Remaining Points: 273.]
[Skill: Eidetic Memory equipped.]
A refreshing sensation spread from deep within his brain, and his thoughts felt clearer than ever.
He picked up a book from the desk, flipped to a random page, glanced over it once, then closed his eyes.
Every word and punctuation mark on the page rearranged itself in his mind, as though he were reading a copy engraved directly into his consciousness.
"Perfect."
Kazehara Tetsu closed the book with satisfaction, slipped his phone into his pocket, and walked out of his room.
It was the weekend, and he had only one thing planned: the Library.
The Library at Kouyoku High School was a multistory building with an exceptionally modern design.
Its enormous floor-to-ceiling glass walls filled the entire interior with light.
Kazehara Tetsu walked in. The Library was unusually quiet, with only the occasional rustle of turning pages and the soft sound of footsteps.
Rows of towering bookshelves divided the space into countless aisles.
Rather than look for a book right away, he first checked the Library's floor plan at a search Terminal in the first-floor Lobby.
The Library's collection was astonishingly vast, covering nearly every field of study.
Just as he was about to start searching for a few books that interested him, a figure nearby caught his eye.
It was a girl with smooth, silvery-white hair cascading over her shoulders and purple eyes that made her look like some harmless little animal.
She stood in front of a row of towering bookshelves, up on tiptoe with one arm stretched out, struggling to reach a book on the very top shelf.
She tried several times, but her fingertips always fell just short. She couldn't reach it.
Her cheeks puffed up with frustration. It was an adorable sight.
A regular NPC in the Library.
Shiina Hiyori.
A student in Class C, a pure and passionate book lover.
Kazehara Tetsu strode over and quietly came up behind the girl.
As she rose onto her tiptoes and stretched out her arm again, a large hand reached over her head and effortlessly took the book down from the shelf.
Shiina Hiyori froze. She felt the shadow of someone tall looming behind her.
She turned around and looked up to see a boy much taller than her, holding the book she'd been trying to reach and smiling at her.
"Were you looking for this?"
"Ah... y-yes! Thank you so much!"
Shiina Hiyori hurriedly bowed and accepted the book with both hands, her face alight with gratitude.
It was a thick hardcover, its cover bearing the title Offering to the Void.
"A book by Nakai Hideo," Kazehara Tetsu remarked casually as he looked at it. "An anti-novel structure, along with a deconstruction and critique of mystery fiction itself... It's an excellent choice, but it might put off someone who's new to it."
Shiina Hiyori had been basking in the joy of getting her beloved book. At his comment, she abruptly looked up, her eyes suddenly shining with the delight of finding a kindred spirit.
"Y-you know this book too?!"
Her voice rose with excitement, then she realized they were in the Library and quickly covered her mouth, lowering her voice. "Sorry... It's just that not many people know about this book."
"As a fellow mystery-fiction fan, isn't it only natural to know a few classics?" Kazehara Tetsu replied, his smile unchanged.
"A mystery-fiction fan!"
Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up even more. Clutching the book, she unconsciously edged closer to Kazehara Tetsu. "Um... what kind of mystery novels do you like? Honkaku, with its logical deductions? Shin Honkaku, with its innovative tricks? Or Hard-boiled, with its atmosphere?"
She fired off a string of technical questions, her gaze fixed on Kazehara Tetsu, full of anticipation.
For a true bookworm, meeting someone who might share their interests was every bit as exciting as Columbus discovering a new continent.