The Library Girl

"Amasawa, you became the vice president the moment you joined the student council? That's amazing!" Ichinose's mouth formed an 'O' shape.

"I'm not entirely sure myself. I suppose the president and vice president are trying to maintain a balance by selecting one person from each grade level."

It was more reasonable to claim it was about balance than to admit his position as vice president had been earned through a fight.

"That's great! Now I don't have to bother Nagumo-senpai anymore." Ichinose smiled, a weight seemingly lifted from her heart.

"Did you meet with Nagumo, Ichinose?"

"Yes. Nagumo-senpai said he faced quite a bit of obstruction when he first joined the student council, but he managed to pull through in the end. He said we were similar, both coming from Class B, and offered to help me get into the student council." Ichinose recalled her conversation with Nagumo Miyabi from the afternoon:

"He seemed to have something to attend to afterward, so we exchanged contact information and parted ways."

Helping Ichinose get into the student council was likely a recommendation slot from the vice president.

But why would Nagumo want to help Ichinose join the student council? Was it, as Horikita Manabu had suggested, to expand his influence among the first-years?

"In any case, we are partners from here on out. I look forward to working with you, Ichinose." Amasawa Yuto took the initiative to extend his hand.

Ichinose nodded and shook his hand with great energy. "I look forward to it too, Vice President Amasawa!"

Today, Arisu Sakayanagi was invited by some girls from her class to go out for coffee.

Yuki also seemed to have things to do; being able to contribute something to Class D seemed to make her quite happy.

To Amasawa Yuto, this was a good sign.

Sometimes, he thought that simply spending three years of school life quietly with Yuki wouldn't be so bad.

Perhaps Yuki's depression would quietly dissolve amidst the mundane, everyday life of the campus.

He decided to head to the library today.

Amasawa Yuto had no particular preference for books; as long as they were meaningful, he would read anything.

However, since it was a rare moment of relaxation, he felt he would prefer a light novel like The ABC Murders over something like General Covariant Derivatives and Flat Spacetime Invariance.

He had been in a good mood, but the moment he stepped into the library, he heard a commotion that had no place there.

"What did you say, you bastard!"

The sheer volume made the "Please Keep Quiet" sign at the library entrance look like a joke.

It also drew the dissatisfaction of others.

Amasawa Yuto looked toward the source of the noise and discovered it was the Class D study group.

Sudo Ken stood there, losing his temper at Horikita Suzune.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Horikita Suzune did not back down. "You can't even solve such a simple system of linear equations. Your level is worse than an elementary school student!"

"You bastard, and here I thought I was doing you a favor by skipping club activities!" Sudo Ken roared.

Sitting at the same table were Kushida Kikyo, Ike Kanji, and Haruki Yamauchi; the main group of the Class D study session was at another table.

None of them seemed capable of calming Sudo Ken down.

If this continued, other people in the library might become dissatisfied, potentially leading to a major disturbance.

"Alright, student. You are already disturbing everyone in the library. Please follow the rules and keep it quiet!"

Suddenly stepping between Sudo Ken and Horikita Suzune was a girl with long, water-blue hair.

Amasawa Yuto had seen her before. Having played chess with Sakayanagi so many times, he ran into her almost every single time; she was practically a library spirit bound to the place.

However, Amasawa Yuto had never spoken to her.

The girl held books in her arms. Her cute face lacked any sense of intimidation, but her serious expression was quite earnest.

Sudo Ken didn't seem prepared to waste any more time. He grabbed his bag and left. "Damn it, what a waste of my time!"

"Let's go too, Kanji?" Haruki said to Ike.

"Yeah. Horikita, if you're going to teach, then teach properly. We only came to study because of Kushida, not to listen to you insult us."

Horikita crossed her arms and didn't budge. "Hmph, suit yourselves. Don't come crying to me when you get expelled."

Just like that, the commotion in the library ended on a sour note.

The girl with the water-blue hair seemed to want to return to the reading area on the second floor, and Amasawa Yuto followed behind her.

Halfway up the stairs, the girl suddenly stopped and stood still on the steps.

Amasawa Yuto walked past her and continued up.

He grabbed a copy of The Da Vinci Code in the second-floor reading area, intending to head back downstairs to find a quiet place to sit and read for a while.

As it turned out, when he went back down, he was surprised to find that the girl was still standing in the exact same spot. She hadn't moved an inch in those five minutes.

Amasawa Yuto stepped closer and realized she was looking down, reading a book intently.

Is she so absorbed that she's just standing there reading? She really is a little bookworm, isn't she?

"How about you find a chair and sit down? Standing here is a bit dangerous, don't you think?"

Amasawa Yuto spoke up to remind her.

It would be dangerous if she forgot she was still standing on the stairs in a moment.

"Eh?" The blue-haired girl seemed to have been suddenly called back from the world within her book, looking a bit dazed.

It was as if she had just woken up from a nap.

Following that, she seemed to think she was blocking Amasawa Yuto's path and subconsciously leaned to the side to make way.

But she forgot that there were descending stairs behind her.

"Eh?" The blue-haired girl stepped into thin air, and it was clear she was about to fall backward.

However, the pain of falling she had imagined did not come.

A strong, powerful hand grabbed her hand, pulling her back from the edge of a fall.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have disturbed you."

The boy's voice seemed to be right in her ear. Because she had been pulled back, the momentum caused her to press directly into his chest.

"No, it was my fault. I shouldn't have been reading on the stairs." She shook her head, not minding that the distance between them was so close.

"Here, your book." Amasawa Yuto picked up the book that had just fallen and returned it to her. "It's Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely."

"Yes, I really like this book. Just now, I got lost in it without realizing."

"Remember to be careful next time."

"Yes, thank you. This is your first time coming to borrow a book today, right?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes. Usually, I come here to play chess, don't I? I often see you, too."

"Because I come to the library every day. The book in your hand is The Da Vinci Code, right? It's also a very famous mystery-adventure masterpiece."

"Yes, I've heard a lot about it, but I've never read it. I wanted to take a look today."

Their conversation ended there. The girl headed to the second floor, and Amasawa Yuto went down to the first.

It wasn't until she reached the second floor that Shiina Hiyori remembered she had forgotten to ask the boy's name.

She glanced down from the second floor, but the boy's figure was already out of sight.

What a pity. It seemed she would have to wait until next time.

He seemed to come to the library often and enjoyed reading, even though he spent most of his time there playing chess with a white-haired girl.

A faint sense of anticipation stirred in her heart. Could she finally make a friend to read books with?

Thinking of this, her chest, which had just been pressed against his, began to feel slightly warm.