The air in the classroom seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
After Horikita briskly turned her down, the sweet smile that was almost always on Kushida Kikyo's face stiffened for a moment. Then she smiled again as if nothing had happened and said, "All right. Maybe we can go together another time, Horikita."
With that, she turned and returned to her seat, leaving everyone with a back that still looked cheerful.
Shangguan Che, sitting not far away, had seen the whole thing.
He propped his chin on one hand, as if he'd just watched a short, compelling slice-of-life drama, and muttered to himself, Horikita really doesn't budge an inch. Kushida was being so proactive. Anyone else would've agreed by now.
He'd only pieced together the surname Horikita after Kushida had invited her over several times recently. She was the only Horikita in the class, so it was easy to remember.
The Student Council President's surname was Horikita too, wasn't it? The thought suddenly occurred to Shangguan Che. Their hair and eye colors are pretty similar. In an anime, that'd be the standard sibling setup, wouldn't it? One's in Class D, while the other's the president over in Class A. That contrast is kind of interesting.
"Shangguan, shall we get started?"
A slender, fair hand waved lightly in front of him, pulling Shangguan Che's wandering thoughts back. He turned, stifled a yawn, and met Sakura Airi's clear eyes, which held a hint of concern.
"Right, right. Sorry, Sakura. I zoned out again." Shangguan Che hurriedly put his random thoughts aside and sheepishly scratched his head.
"It's okay. I understand," Sakura Airi said softly, a faint smile on her lips.
By now, they'd been studying together like this for two weeks.
Four to six days a week, without fail, they headed straight to the library after school and studied until dinner. Sakura had long since figured out Shangguan Che's little habit—he would suddenly zone out, his gaze going blank as he clearly thought about something else.
At first, she'd been a little nervous, thinking she'd done something wrong. Later, she realized Shangguan Che simply had a habit of "leaving his body," and got used to it.
At least when he zones out, he doesn't keep staring at me. Otherwise... Sakura Airi sneaked a glance at Shangguan Che, then quickly lowered her head, the tips of her ears turning faintly red.
In her eyes, Shangguan was amazing. He was good at studying, explained problems clearly and simply, and even took great photos, making her look especially pretty.
"Come on, show me the problems you're stuck on." Shangguan Che pulled Sakura's workbook in front of him and took out his pen, ready to explain.
Sakura Airi pointed to several math problems she'd marked in red and said quietly, "These ones. I especially can't figure out the domain for this function problem."
Shangguan Che nodded and began patiently explaining.
They called it "studying together," but most of the time Sakura worked on problems while Shangguan Che tutored her.
Shangguan Che thought this was the most efficient arrangement. Sakura's fundamentals were a little weak, so she needed targeted guidance. And explaining the material also helped him reinforce what he'd learned—a win-win.
While Sakura worked through a problem with her head lowered, Shangguan Che's thoughts began to "wander" again.
Karuizawa Kei hasn't done anything particularly unusual lately. She's still the same as always, hanging out with a few girls...
As for Ichinose Honami, I complimented her yesterday on how thoughtfully she looked after her classmates. She was even happier than when I complimented her personally. Looks like I picked the right angle. But why is she so concerned about what other people think? I'll have to keep observing her.
As for Hirata... He's a grown man. He can manage himself. I'll just leave him alone.
Shangguan Che mulled over his "social observation plan" and didn't forget to give himself a little credit. I've put in a lot of effort to maintain good relationships in the class. I've been chatting with people and keeping an eye on them.
He'd put especially much effort into Ichinose, seeking her out for a chat every few days and picking out the sorts of compliments that would be embarrassing to say aloud in person. He'd even secretly used Clairvoyance to see how she reacted when she read his messages, then adjusted his "compliment strategy" for next time.
"Shangguan, I still don't quite understand this part." Sakura Airi's voice interrupted his self-congratulation.
"Oh, this part. Look..." Shangguan Che immediately refocused and explained the problem again, until Sakura's face lit up with understanding.
"Do you get it now?"
"Mm, more or less!"
"Then keep working on the problems. I'm going to look for a book over by the shelves."
"Okay." Sakura Airi nodded. As Shangguan Che stood up, she even raised her right arm and gave him an encouraging gesture, unable to stop herself from smiling.
At first, Shangguan Che had planned to secretly play on his phone while Sakura worked. But after reconsidering, he'd decided it would be disrespectful and make it seem like he wasn't taking her seriously. So he'd gotten into the habit of going to the shelves to find a book instead.
Advanced Nurturing High School's library certainly lived up to its reputation. It had an astonishing number of books, from literary classics and specialized textbooks to original editions in all sorts of languages.
At first, Shangguan Che had wanted to challenge himself, so he'd picked up a French edition of The Little Prince to revisit a timeless classic.
In the end, he'd simply reread Andersen's Fairy Tales, One Thousand and One Nights, and Aesop's Fables.
Children's books really are great—simple and pure, and they don't make you think too hard. Shangguan Che read with great enjoyment, occasionally murmuring a comment about something that happened in a story.
Once he'd nearly finished flipping through the fairy tales, Shangguan Che stretched and decided to look for some fresh "food for the soul." He wandered casually between the shelves and, before he knew it, had reached the mystery section.
"Are you looking for a mystery novel?"
A soft, breathy voice came from behind him. Shangguan Che turned and saw a white-haired girl standing there.
She looked very delicate and held several thick books in her arms. Her voice was soft, like a feather brushing against his heart. Judging by her clothes and the ID badge on her chest, she was probably a student librarian.
Shangguan Che paused, then gave her a polite smile. "No, thank you. I'm looking for science fiction, something along the lines of The Three-Body Problem." He added the example in case she hadn't heard of the book.
The white-haired girl tilted her head, looking a little dazed. After a moment's thought, she said, "I think the science fiction section is over there."
"Okay, thank you very much." Shangguan Che nodded and turned to leave.
He'd already used Clairvoyance to confirm where the science fiction section was. He'd only ended up in the mystery section because his thoughts had wandered. But faced with such a polite, delicate girl, he naturally didn't point that out.
No one should underestimate my bond with the science fiction section, Shangguan Che thought to himself.
He remembered the first time his high school deskmate lent him The Three-Body Problem and several science fiction magazines. He still hadn't figured out a lot of the hard-core physics concepts in them, but their grand worldbuilding and strange, imaginative ideas had deeply impressed him. From then on, he'd fallen completely in love with science fiction.
With that small obsession in mind, Shangguan Che strode toward the science fiction section. Sunlight streamed through the library windows, casting dappled shadows across the shelves as if guiding him along. He knew he'd soon be able to lose himself in the world of science fiction once more.
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