A Bookstore Date, and the Approaching Shura Field

"Can."

After his invitation fell through, Hashiba Hikaru returned directly to the Student Council's Activity Classroom. He sorted out his gains for the day and then began to formulate his plan to seize power.

This time, quite a few new students were recruited. There are three in Class A of the First Year: Kanzaki Ryuji, Himeno Yuki, and Minami Kozue; two in Class B of the First Year: Katsuragi Kohei and Morishita Ai; Ibuki Mio and Shiina Hiyori in Class C of the First Year; and finally, two in Class D of the First Year: Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo.

With this calculation, there are a total of nine new members, which is a significant improvement for the Student Council, which is currently short-staffed. These individuals possess excellent overall qualities and are capable of handling many tasks.

"If we want to implement this plan, we need to have a suitable network of stakeholders."

Hashiba Hikaru tapped lightly on his desk. He didn't lack Private Points, but he lacked intelligence.

"Drop!"

Just as the boy was thinking about this, a new message suddenly appeared on the screen. It was from Kiriyama Ikuto. He had been assigned by Hashiba Hikaru to investigate some internal affairs of the Second Year, and it seemed that he was quite efficient.

"I see..."

As she gazed at the text message on the screen, a smile slowly crept onto Hashiba Hikaru's lips.

Miyabi Nagumo is indeed far inferior to Horikita Manabu.

This has always been the boy's belief, and after experiencing so much, he is even more convinced of it.

--

After finishing his busy work at the Student Council, Hashiba Hikaru carried his bag back to his dormitory. The things that had piled up over the past few days were indeed a bit troublesome, so he planned to relax properly this weekend and start working hard again next week.

However, just as the boy stepped into the dormitory elevator, his phone rang.

Chat interface.

Shiina Hiyori: Classmate Hashiba, are you free this weekend?

"Shiina?"

Hashiba Hikaru looked at the new message on her phone, slightly puzzled. But then she thought about it and realized that it had indeed been a long time since she had spent time with this book-loving, literary girl. Her stock price had been stuck at 100, so it was definitely worth a shot at.

Hashiba Hikaru: I'm free tomorrow. Is there anything Shiina?

Shiina Hiyori: I bought a really rare mystery novel set! I heard it even comes with props to help you recreate the cases. Classmate Hashiba, are you interested in playing with it?

Hashiba Hikaru: Of course, let me check the schedule first.

As a seasoned time management master, Hashiba Hikaru always organizes her chat history before making any appointments to ensure that the meeting time is arranged reasonably and without any mistakes.

"Tomorrow Honami will be going shopping with Ando and the others, and tonight I'm staying overnight at Kushida's dorm..."

The boy repeated the message in his phone's notepad, "I'm going on a date with Honami the day after tomorrow. Airi's been busy learning to sing lately, so tomorrow seems pretty good."

After confirming the Good Time, Hashiba Hikaru reopened her chat history with Shiina Hiyori.

Hashiba Hikaru: I'm free on Saturday. Shiina, do you have any plans for Saturday?

Shiina Hiyori: I'm free all day tomorrow, how about we meet in the morning?

Hashiba Hikaru: Okay, where shall we meet?

Shiina Hiyori: It's on the fifth floor of the Keyaki Mall. A new bookstore opened there, and that's where I found my book. There are plenty of seats available.

Hashiba Hikaru: No problem.

Shiina Hiyori: Mm-hmm.

After putting down her phone, Hashiba Hikaru pondered for a moment. Logically speaking, Ichinose Honami shouldn't pass by bookstores when she goes shopping with her group. Moreover, the bookstore is on the fifth floor of the shopping center, while the clothing and jewelry stores that girls like are on the third floor.

In this way, the chances of a rollover are still very low.

Anyway, my relationship with Shiina hasn't reached the point where we can go to each other's dorms yet, so let's leave it at that for now.

Hashiba Hikaru stroked her chin. The conditions for boosting this literary girl's stock price were not complicated. She quite enjoyed spending time with her, and there was no need to do anything else.

Meeting tomorrow should be a safe and successful opportunity.

~~~~~

335

Chapter 335 A Bookstore Date: A Quietly Arriving Battleground

Saturday morning, the sky was clear and the air was crisp.

In November, as the summer heat gradually subsides, the weather is quite pleasant, making it a perfect time for meeting and encountering someone.

After finishing her morning exercise and taking a shower, Hashiba Hikaru stood in front of the mirror deciding on her outfit for the day. As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and since dating Ichinose Honami, he has accumulated quite a few more clothes than before, all carefully chosen by the girl, offering a wide range of options.

"I feel like a simple outfit will do, since my relationship with Shiina isn't that close yet."

Hashiba Hikaru touched her freshly dried hair, a smile appearing on her lips.

The boy in the mirror has a strikingly handsome face. He wears a casual color-blocked hoodie on top, dark blue trousers on the bottom, and a pair of white sneakers. It looks simple and refreshing, an easy outfit that won't put any pressure on anyone.

"Is this good enough?"

The boy glanced at the weather forecast on his phone. The temperature had dropped considerably since November, but the sun was shining brightly today, so he didn't need to wear thicker clothes for the time being.

However, just in case, he put on a loose gray jacket over his existing coat before leaving the house, so he could take it off if it got hot in the bookstore.

After getting dressed, Hashiba Hikaru prepared to go out and meet Shiina Hiyori. Although boosting her stock price was important, he was equally interested in the books the girl had mentioned yesterday.

This is a win-win situation.

Chat interface.

Hashiba Hikaru: Shiina, I've already set off! Are you ready?

Upon seeing the message, the gray-haired girl, who was struggling to choose clothes in her bedroom, froze. She quickly glanced at the time and hurriedly typed a reply.

Shiina Hiyori: I'm almost ready. Could you wait for me at the bookstore entrance, Classmate Hashiba?

Hashiba Hikaru: No problem.

Hashiba Hikaru: Shiina, don't worry, we have plenty of time.

Shiina Hiyori: I'll be there as soon as possible.

After putting down her phone, Shiina Hiyori looked at the clothes she had thrown everywhere, her expression somewhat dejected. This was the first time the girl had taken the initiative to meet with Hashiba Hikaru privately, and since the setting was no longer the Library, she had been feeling excited since yesterday.

However, her excessive excitement caused Shiina to feel conflicted when choosing clothes this morning. She wanted to leave the most perfect impression on the other person in such an important Matoba.

"Hmm, how about this one?"

After spending another five or six minutes choosing, the gray-haired girl decided she really couldn't delay any longer. She quickly changed her clothes, grabbed her bag, and rushed out of the room.

Meanwhile, Hashiba Hikaru had already arrived at the fifth floor of the shopping mall. To avoid the possibility of running into Ichinose Honami, who was also shopping today, he didn't even take the elevator. Instead, he ran straight down the stairs to the fifth floor from the emergency exit.

The bookstore on the fifth floor of the shopping mall has a rather exquisite storefront. The owner seems to have a good sense of style. It not only has various book covers and posters, but also unique sculptural decorations. Through the outside glass, you can see a dazzling array of bookshelves. It is a great place that book lovers should definitely not miss.

"This place is really nice; it's a shame I've never been here before."

Hashiba Hikaru stopped in front of the bookstore's poster. Since Shiina Hiyori hadn't arrived yet, he decided to take a look at the information on the poster to see if there were any best-selling books recently.

However, the wait didn't last long. About ten minutes later, Hashiba Hikaru's phone rang.

Shiina Hiyori: Classmate Hashiba, I've arrived.

Shiina Hiyori: You can see me if you turn around.

"Yeah?"

Hashiba Hikaru, holding her phone, turned her head and saw, sure enough, that slender, elegant figure not far behind her.

Good morning, Shiina.

As she approached, the boy smiled and greeted her.

Good morning, Classmate Hashiba.

Although there were still a few minutes until the agreed time, Shiina Hiyori was still quite embarrassed as the latecomer.

"Let's go inside then. I heard you have a bar that sells drinks; that sounds really stylish."

Hashiba Hikaru and the gray-haired girl walked side by side into the newly opened bookstore. As soon as they stepped inside, he smelled the familiar scent of ink. Not only that, but there was also a citrus fragrance in the air, which must have been from aromatherapy.

"Since Shiina was the one who suggested this gathering today, I'll follow your arrangements. What should we do first?"

A smile appeared on the boy's lips as he looked around the bookstore, quite satisfied.

"Then let's go take a look at the book I mentioned to Classmate Hashiba yesterday."

Shiina Hiyori's outfit today was quite fashionable. She wore a black, white, and gray cardigan with a cute bow tie on her chest, and a light blue pleated skirt that reached her knees. She wore white stockings underneath the skirt, which accentuated her smooth and straight legs, making her look quite charming.

"Okay, whatever you say."

Since Shiina Hiyori was a regular customer here, Hashiba Hikaru decided to follow her arrangements completely, as this was the option that would never go wrong.

As the girl walked through the rows of bookshelves, the two quickly arrived at the left corner of the bookstore. When they saw the rows of neatly arranged mystery novels, Hashiba Hikaru's eyes lit up.

"We've arrived. This is the mystery novel section."

Shiina Hiyori's pretty face beamed with a loving smile. After bringing Hashiba Hikaru here, she immediately transformed into a book-loving saleswoman, enthusiastically introducing books to the boy.

"The arrangement of books here is actually quite different from our Library. Library have fixed display rules to ensure the stability of the book numbers and positions, but this place is a bit different."

Shiina Hiyori and moved them across the row of books. As someone who had loved books since childhood, she could quickly calm her heart whenever she entered Matoba filled with books.

"Because the books here all belong to the shop owner, she can visit according to her own habits and preferences. Doesn't that sound quite capricious?"

"Indeed, but that's understandable, after all, this is also the shop owner's little world."

Hashiba Hikaru smiled. When he came in, he had noticed the figure sitting at the cashier. It was a long-haired woman holding a book, with a pretty face and an elegant demeanor, which was indeed impressive.

"That's right, and I found that my preferences and the shop owner's are very compatible, such as the layout here."

After seeing Shiina Hiyori Hashiba Hikaru's interested expression, Shiina Hiyori enthusiastically began to reveal her discovery.

"For example, if we're talking about the king of locked-room mysteries, everyone would generally agree that it should be John Dickson Carl, but this row of books with the billboard for the king of locked-room mysteries is entirely written by Awasaki Danro, such as my favorite, 'The Murder Case in the Golden Age of Locked Room Mysteries'."

The gray-haired girl pulled out a beautifully bound mystery novel and handed it to Hashiba Hikaru, her eyes seemingly capable of speaking.

"This must be the shop owner's personal preference, hehe."

Hashiba Hikaru took the mystery novel from the girl. Judging from the printing style of the cover and the naming, the book must have been written by a mystery writer of the new era.

"That's certainly an interesting discovery, but I'm still more curious about that book Shiina mentioned to me last time, the one with the case props."

"Oh, this one is here."

Upon hearing this, Shiina Hiyori immediately stood on tiptoe and pulled out another book from the highest shelf.

"This is it. Classmate Hashiba should understand what it means very quickly."

This was a very large book, several times larger than a regular book, and the boy immediately raised his eyebrows upon seeing the title.

"<The Crime of Doctor Watson> is a book that allows readers to participate in the crime-solving process,"

Shiina Hiyori carefully explained to the boy in front of her, "The main story here is that one day, a fire broke out at 221B Baker Street, and after the fire was extinguished, several bodies were found inside."

"And then Doctor Watson became a suspect?"

As a long-time reader who has read countless Sherlock Holmes Collection, Hashiba Hikaru is certainly familiar with the name Watson and reacts to it very quickly.

"Yes, and this book is written from Doctor Watson's perspective. It recounts many of Doctor Watson's experiences before the fire and includes some real props that can serve as key elements for readers to overcome."

Shiina Hiyori and gently took out some props from inside. The props in this book were very detailed, including not only torn letters, but also theater tickets and newspapers, which made the reader feel very immersed in the story.

Wow, is this really how it's designed?

Hashiba Hikaru stroked the newspaper clipping tucked between the pages of the book, feeling goosebumps rise on his skin. He couldn't wait to start reading.

"Then let's try to solve the mystery Classmate Hashiba today. I haven't seen the ending before, so I don't know who the culprit is yet."

Shiina Hiyori pushed the book in front of Hashiba Hikaru, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

"Then let's give it a try."

Hashiba Hikaru rolled up her sleeves, revealing a very energetic look.

However, what the boy didn't know was that just as he turned to the title page of the book, a pink-haired girl who had already wandered around the shopping area on the third floor several times overheard a new suggestion from her companion.

"Honami, I heard there's a new beverage shop that opened on the fifth floor. Shall we go try it?"

"All right."

"Let's go then, I'll lead the way!"