The Library NPC / I Don't Usually Read

On top of that, she worried that being someone so unlikeable would only hurt his image, so her first thought was to refuse.

But after imagining the three of them working together on the Student Council, she began to waver.

In the end, she sent the message, "Does Aoyama want me to join the Student Council too?" and left the decision in his hands.

His reply basically meant, "It's your own business. You should decide for yourself."

Then Yamamura found herself in a new dilemma. She didn't know whether she wanted him to invite her to join the Student Council or not, and worried he might hate her if she made the wrong choice.

"My opinion is that I'll support whatever decision Yamamura makes for herself." Aoyama felt both amused and helpless. In the end, all that remained was worry.

How could she be so easy to fool? Just show her a little kindness and concern, and she'd let him walk all over her.

How could he possibly feel at ease?

"Still, next time you can't make up your mind, just tell me."

"For now, don't join the Student Council. I'll invite you once I become Student Council President."

Since she couldn't make the decision herself, Aoyama simply made the choice for her. He planned to do the same in the future.

He was also prepared to shoulder the consequences of doing so.

"Okay, I understand." As if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Yamamura smiled.

"Remember to pay attention in the next class. You barely listened during the last one."

Aoyama rose from the bench and held out his right hand to Yamamura, whose smile had stiffened.

Though she hesitated a little, Yamamura blushed and placed her hand in his. With his help, she got up from the bench.

Yamamura's hand was so small. It was a little cold, but soft, too.

As the thought crossed his mind, Aoyama's lips curled into a smile. "There are less than two minutes until class. Let's run, Yamamura. I won't wait for you."

He let go of her soft, boneless hand and started jogging.

Yamamura glanced at her phone and realized she was going to be late. She no longer had time to worry about keeping up appearances in front of Aoyama.

Like elementary school kids chasing each other around campus, they ran toward the classroom, one after the other.

They made it back to class with less than five seconds to spare. The teacher walked in almost immediately after them.

As expected, both Aoyama and Yamamura drew plenty of attention from their classmates. Most of it was directed at Aoyama, with a hint of reproach for nearly being late.

His rude, delinquent-like behavior before the last class had already made a deep impression on everyone.

Does this make me a handsome guy with a disappointing side?

With a self-deprecating thought, Aoyama returned to his seat with a smile and opened his textbook.

The Library NPC

The morning of the third day of school.

Class 1-A was a little noisy. A bald student had just announced that he'd failed to get into the Student Council.

The green-haired boy who was always by his side was shouting in disbelief.

"Didn't you say you were going to join the Student Council? Katsuragi told me you didn't even show up to apply. Did you give up?"

A visitor came to Aoyama Shiki's desk. At the far end of a tall figure stood a pretty face wearing a displeased expression.

Recruitment for the Student Council and clubs would continue until the end of April, but students interested in joining usually submitted their applications and interviewed on the first day, just like Katsuragi, who had already failed his interview.

"I'm still preparing something to win over the Student Council President."

Aoyama explained to Kamuro, who'd come over to question him because she thought he was messing with her.

His plan involving Yamamura was going smoothly. As expected of the trump card he'd had his eye on. The other side, however, couldn't be rushed, so all he could do was wait patiently.

With the advantage of knowing the school's hidden rules in advance, you'd be a fool not to make a profit.

But to make a profit, the other three classes first needed to produce the rough outlines of leaders willing to spend their personal points.

As for Class A, it wasn't that they didn't want to profit. They simply couldn't.

According to the original story, when the teachers announced the results on May 1, Class A had an astonishing 940 Class Points, while Class B came in second with 650 points, a difference of almost 300.

Class A's students were a little more talented, but they weren't overwhelmingly better than Class B's.

Aoyama attributed the result to Katsuragi, who'd just failed to get into the Student Council.

Katsuragi had been student council president in middle school, and he was undoubtedly capable.

He was willing to help his classmates, and he could also mediate their disputes. When they broke the student rules, he knew how to advise them appropriately.

He was neither servile nor arrogant, and he had the courage to correct his classmates' inappropriate behavior.

In the original story, when the class chose its leader in early May, Katsuragi won the support of two-thirds of his classmates. That clearly showed how much Class A recognized him.

And just last night, Katsuragi had visited his dorm alone, trying to "lead him back onto the right path."

Even during their conversation, Katsuragi's words and actions hadn't made him feel too resistant.

If it weren't for his own circumstances, Aoyama thought being friends with Katsuragi wouldn't be a bad thing.

"So mysterious."

Realizing Aoyama wasn't ready to tell her what he was up to, Kamuro rolled her eyes and returned to her seat.

Then Totsuka, who'd just asked Katsuragi whether Aoyama had lost their bet, smugly took Kamuro's place.

"Katsuragi said you didn't even dare to show up for the Student Council interview. Were you afraid of the Student Council President?"

"If you don't even have that much courage, you might as well give up now."

If Katsuragi were really as you say, so many people wouldn't trust him.

Besides, you're the one who's afraid of the Student Council President, aren't you?

Aoyama rolled his eyes at the smug Totsuka.

The recruitment event had been held at five yesterday afternoon, and Horikita Manabu had naturally made an appearance as Student Council President.

He'd stood onstage for less than a minute, but through his imposing presence and other means, he'd managed to silence the noisy gymnasium.

Then he'd delivered the Student Council's recruitment speech, but no matter how you read it, the subtext was, "We don't need trash here."

As a result, only two first-year students applied, and both of them got knocked out in the interviews. The first-years had achieved the feat of having no one join the Student Council.

"If you're here to raise the stakes, you're welcome. If you're here to bark, go somewhere else." Aoyama's voice was full of disdain.

He was already trying to make Aoyama's morning miserable. If they weren't surrounded by so many people, Aoyama would've taught Totsuka how to behave.

"Why are you so vulgar?!"

"None of your business. If you've got energy to burn, go jump off a building or find a toilet and drown yourself in it."

"You! You!"

Like a red-faced monkey, Totsuka screeched twice before leaving in a huff.

With no one blocking his view, Aoyama saw Yamamura's slightly worried face. Her blue-gray side ponytail hung quietly over her shoulder.

How could someone be so cute? You little troublemaker, Yamamura Miki.

He smiled and raised a hand to give Yamamura a victory sign.

Less than two seconds later, the girl realized he'd noticed her watching him. Her face flushed, and she turned away.

It was another peaceful day.

Pushing the noisy Totsuka out of his mind by imagining the adorable Yamamura, Aoyama Shiki turned his attention to his studies.

The hours that followed passed in quiet, everyday routine.

Until the fifth day of school.

After school today, Aoyama didn't go to the sports field to exercise. Instead, he took his schoolbag and visited the school library for the first time.

Though it was only a high school library, its size and beautiful decor rivaled a university library, and its collection was among the best.

Since he'd deliberately waited a little before coming, some students were already inside, reading with absorbed expressions.

Shiina Hiyori, Shiina Hiyori, Shiina Hiyori...

Thinking of the name of the person he was looking for, he began his search.

As a character known as a bookworm and the Library NPC, Shiina Hiyori spent almost all her free time in the library. Aoyama wasn't worried he wouldn't find her.

The students from Class 1-B and Class 1-D, the ones he'd sell the school's hidden rules to, would be easy enough to deal with. The only exception was Class 1-C, where Shiina Hiyori was.

Without anyone interfering, Class 1-C's leader in early May would be Ryuen Kakeru. He would establish his authority through violence and fear.

Unpredictability and underhanded tactics were practically Ryuen Kakeru's trademarks.

That was why Aoyama decided to invite another Class C student to the transaction. Shiina, whom Ryuen considered clever, was the best choice.

"Sorry to bother you. Are you Shiina from Class 1-C?"

After searching for a while, he found the girl absorbed in a book beneath one of the bookshelves.

Her lustrous hair fell to the floor like liquid silver. Shiina Hiyori was not only very cute, but had skin as pale as fine jade.

Her air was a little soft, but she didn't seem weak at all.

"Mm. May I ask who you are?" Shiina looked up from the book in her hands. Her voice was as pure and pleasant as a clear spring.

"I'm Aoyama Shiki from Class 1-A."

As he spoke, Aoyama sat cross-legged in front of her so she wouldn't have to look up at him too much.

"I have information worth several million points to Class C. I'd like to invite you and Ryuen to come negotiate."

"If you have information worth several million points, Aoyama, you should know that Class C can't afford it."

"When negotiating with Ryuen, it's better to quote a higher price." Aoyama smiled at Shiina, who'd considered the question for only a moment before answering.

"Why me?"

"Because I could tell at a glance that you're clever, Shiina."

Watching Shiina's beautiful purple eyes, Aoyama rested his chin on his fist, looking calm and confident.

I Usually Don't Read

A merchant's favorite deal was one that cost them nothing.

All he had to do was show up somewhere at a certain time, and he might make a deal in his favor. It was easy to persuade Shiina to accept the invitation.

They settled on five in the afternoon the following Monday, in the counseling room beside the teachers' office.

"What kind of books do you usually like, Aoyama?"

They'd finished discussing business, and Aoyama had been about to end the conversation, but Shiina had other ideas.

It had already been five days since school began, but she was still waiting for a classmate to strike up a conversation and become her reading companion. Her father, a writer who used to share her love of reading, was also off-limits because of the school rules.

The boy who'd suddenly approached her was handsome and had a bookish air about him. So even though it felt a little awkward, she'd worked up the courage to ask.

Finding something wonderful in a book but having no one to share it with could be a little lonely.

"I don't usually read books." Aoyama answered without hesitation.

Beneath her bangs, which came just past her eyebrows, her purple eyes clearly showed her anticipation. Then, seeming a little shy, Shiina hugged the book to her chest with both hands.

The girl before him was honestly very cute—almost unbearably cute.

If he said he shared her interest, there was no doubt they'd become friends, and maybe their relationship would go further.

But there were lies you could tell, and lies you couldn't.

"I see... Sorry, Aoyama. That was an awkward question." Shiina lowered her eyes, and her voice grew a little quieter.

"It's not something you need to apologize for." Bracing his right hand against the floor, Aoyama slowly stood. "When I get into reading, I'll ask you to recommend me some books, Shiina."

In middle school, he'd worked hard to keep his grades in the top three at school so he could earn a scholarship.

Behind those excellent grades was a long period of disciplined study, and that hadn't changed after he entered Kouiku.

With the extra energy he spent exercising, all Aoyama wanted to do in his fragmented free time was rest. Reading for fun wasn't going to happen.

"Then I'll look forward to that day."

"Just look forward to it a little. If you expect too much and I can't do it, I'll feel guilty."