Kazehara Tetsu stood in front of Entrance Mirror and straightened his collar one last time.
He turned around and picked up a dark brown satchel from the shelf.
The satchel was heavy and contained several beautifully packaged small boxes.
"Then, let's get started."
He whispered and pushed Room Door away.
"Ding."
Lobby on the first floor has arrived.
The elevator doors slide open to both sides.
Although there is heating, the sense of open space Dormitory Building Lobby still makes people feel a bit cold.
Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the white snow reflects the morning sun.
And among that brightness, there is a touch of elegant color on the Lounge Area bench of Lobby.
Shiina Hiyori.
She did not wear her usual school uniform today, but changed into private clothes.
An off-white coat with a soft-looking gray Scarf around the neckline made her already delicate face look even fairer.
The lower body is wearing dark gray thick pantyhose, the legs are close together, slightly tilted sideways, holding a not too thick library book in both hands, with his head lowered, immersed in the world of words.
The iconic long silver hair hangs smoothly on the shoulders, glowing under the sunlight.
Hearing the movement in the elevator, Shiina Hiyori raised his head.
She closed the book and stood up, with a slight smile on her lips.
"Good morning, Tetsu-kun."
Kazehara Tetsu walked forward quickly, took a look at the tip of her nose which was slightly red from sitting quietly for a long time, and probably had an idea.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
He didn't make any specific excuse, he just smiled apologetically.
The so-called "something happened and was slightly delayed". The more you explain in front of such a smart girl, the more guilty you will appear. It is better to be honest about being late.
"No."
Shiina Hiyori shook his head slightly, holding the book in front of his chest with both hands, his eyes so sincere that no one could doubt it.
"I just arrived. The heating here is very strong, and the content of these pages is very exciting. Before I knew it... you see, I didn't even have time to move the bookmark back."
This is a considerate lie just for girls.
Kazehara Tetsu didn't expose it, just looked at her softly.
"Really? Then I can rest assured. Let's go, you will be the one to navigate today's itinerary."
"Hmm."
Shiina Hiyori nodded.
The two walked out of the Dormitory building side by side.
Although the sun is shining brightly, the temperature outside is still frighteningly low.
As soon as he went out, the biting cold wind hit his face. Shiina Hiyori subconsciously shrank his neck and buried half of his face in Scarf.
"Is it cold?"
"It's okay... As long as I move around, I'll feel warm."
Shiina Hiyori's voice came muffledly from under Scarf, with a hint of smile.
"Besides, when I think about going to that place, I feel very eager in my heart."
For her, the so-called Christmas date does not necessarily mean going to a commercial amusement park or Cinema.
As long as you can be immersed in the world of books with someone who can understand you, that is the highest romance.
Following the guidance of Shiina Hiyori, the two did not walk towards the bustling Keyaki Mall, but walked along a relatively quiet road towards the edge of Commercial District.
The two walked on the still slippery road and chatted.
"Speaking of which, I also found that bookstore by accident when I got lost."
Shiina Hiyori seemed to be talking very happily, and his tone had the mentality of offering a treasure after discovering it.
"Although the location is very remote and the storefront is not big. But... there is a very special collection of books there. Many Mystery Novel that cannot be found in Library or large chain bookstores, or pure literary translations from the last century, are actually available there."
Speaking of this, her eyes sparkled.
"The boss is also a very strange person. He doesn't like to talk much. He sits behind the counter drinking tea all day long. There are almost no customers in the store..."
"That sounds like a very suitable secret base for you."
Kazehara Tetsu echoed with a smile, looking at the girl beside him who became lively because of talking about books.
We walked for about twenty minutes.
The noise around him could no longer be heard at all.
This is a street behind Commercial District, with only a few half-dead shops still open.
"Here we are, right here."
Shiina Hiyori stopped in front of a dark brown wooden door.
It was an inconspicuous little shop. There were no fancy Christmas decorations.
Shiina Hiyori opened the door.
"Ding bell..."
A crisp and melodious bell rang.
The space inside the store is narrower than expected.
The towering bookshelves reach the ceiling, and each shelf is filled with books. Even the floor in the corridor is piled with stacks of unorganized books, leaving only a path that can only be passed by one person.
The light was a bit dim, with only a few retro chandeliers emitting a halo.
"..."
No noise, no cold.
The old man behind the counter just raised his eyelids, glanced at the two of them, and then lowered his head to play with the pipe in his hand. He was obviously not interested in the Christmas couple who came to dig into the pile of old books.
"The Mystery Novel here is great."
Shiina Hiyori lowered his voice.
She skillfully passed through the maze-like stacks of books and led Kazehara Tetsu to the deepest part of the store.
There is a somewhat worn Leather Sofa placed there, next to it is a small Round Coffee Table.
In the corner, an old-fashioned Kerosene Heater is burning, emitting pleasant heat.
"Huh..."
Shiina Hiyori took off the heavy coat and hung it on the hanger nearby, revealing the light pink Turtleneck Sweater underneath.
"Tetsu-kun, look at this."
She couldn't wait to pull out a hardcover book with a yellowish cover from the bookshelf, and handed it to Kazehara Tetsu.
"This is the early Edogawa Ranpo First Edition Anthology. When I came here last time, I hesitated for a long time and didn't buy it. I didn't expect it was still there..."
Kazehara Tetsu took the book.
"Indeed."
He nodded. Although he did not have a deep study of this kind of literature, he knew how to appreciate this enthusiasm.
"It's hard to see publications nowadays. It's really a rare treasure to be preserved in such good condition."
"Right!"
Shiina Hiyori seemed very happy to be recognized.
The two of them sat down on this small sofa.
Shiina Hiyori was not in a hurry to start reading, but picked out a few more books before sitting back next to Kazehara Tetsu.
The distance between the two of them is very close.
So close that Kazehara Tetsu could smell the faint, vanilla-like Shampoo smell on her hair.
"Since it's a rare date..."
Kazehara Tetsu watched her open the book, her tone softened.
"Although I really want to just watch you reading, if I don't participate a little bit, wouldn't it make me look like a superfluous decoration?"
"Haha, how can Tetsu-kun be a decoration?"
Shiina Hiyori turned her head sideways, and the strand of silver hair fell down, covering half of her face. She reached out and tucked it behind her ear.
"Actually... rather than reading alone, I would rather have someone to share the puzzles in the book with me."
She spread the book between their knees and leaned her body towards Kazehara Tetsu.
"For example, this case... actually laid a deep foreshadowing. Can Tetsu-kun see it?"
Her fingers were slender and white, and her fingertips gently touched the densely packed words.
Kazehara Tetsu followed her guidance.
It was a description of the murderer's alibi.
"Here...?"
He also lowered his head slightly, and their heads came together.
At this moment, time seemed to slow down.
In this small bookstore, in this quiet corner, there is nothing else except the sound of turning books and the sound of the stove burning.
There were only two figures, nestled on the old sofa, immersed in the same story together.
Occasionally, when they took their eyes away from the book, they looked at each other for a moment.
Shiina Hiyori's eyes reflected the light and Kazehara Tetsu's face.
"Christmas like this..."
She murmured softly, her voice so low that it seemed like she was talking to herself.
"I think... I like it very much."