Dormitory

As midterms approached, the library seemed to have been set to fast-forward; every inch of air was saturated with the sound of turning pages and invisible pressure.

For Hoshino Kanade, Ayanokoji Kiyona, and Shiina Hiyori, finding this table by the window was almost a stroke of luck amidst the chaos.

They did not belong to those small groups that constantly called upon friends—though Hoshino and Kiyona often moved together in Class D (the classroom, the cafeteria, and the library, a three-point line), they remained detached from the class's mainstream social circles; Shiina Hiyori, meanwhile, was that quiet observer in Class C who was always clutching a thick tome, as if automatically shielding herself from the clamor of her class.

This "low-profile" attribute, conversely, allowed them to occupy a corner with relative tranquility at this moment.

"Here, Shiina-san, the summary of modern history outlines you wanted." Hoshino Kanade pushed a neatly organized sheet of notes toward Shiina Hiyori, his voice kept extremely low, almost swallowed by the rising and falling sound of pages turning in the library and the continuous low hum of the air conditioning.

"Ah, thank you, Hoshino-kun." Shiina Hiyori looked up, thanking him in a soft, delicate voice as she reached out to take the stack of papers.

However, this serenity was ultimately superficial.

From all directions, invisible intrusions spread silently—like countless fine probes quietly piercing the skin, leaving behind an indescribable itch.

Kiyona frowned slightly, subconsciously tucking a strand of long hair that had slipped down behind her ear, her gaze sweeping coldly toward the surroundings.

Most of the gazes came from nearby students in Class C and Class D.

This cross-class combination was eye-catching enough on its own—Shiina Hiyori, the "strategist" of Class C known for her keen insight and scholarly temperament, second only to Ryuen Kakeru in status, was actually sitting so closely with two "mysterious figures" from Class D.

The light touch of Hoshino's fingertips as he handed over the notes, and the brief yet clear smile Shiina gave Hoshino as she received them, both revealed a sense of familiarity that could not be ignored.

"Hey, look... is Shiina-san with those two from Class D again?"

"Tsk... but it seems like Boss Ryuen hasn't said anything about it?"

"Anyway, those two are just bookworms who hide in the library all day, pretty much the same as Shiina..."

The whispers, deliberately lowered yet intermittently drifting over, could not be completely blocked out.

The students of Class C exchanged glances, their curiosity mixed with assessment.

In the general perception of Class C students, Shiina Hiyori's position was indeed special—at the beginning of the school year, it was she who, relying on her astonishing powers of observation, first detected the latent problems in the point system. Through her own unique channels (cautious information exchanges with a certain upperclassman), she secured a key deal for Class C, greatly preserving the class's points and solidifying her status as a core strategist.

Therefore, even Ryuen Kakeru, who possessed a strong desire for control, maintained a tacit attitude toward her certain "personal interests."

"That guy Ryuen..." Hoshino Kanade seemed to have caught a few words. He didn't even look up, his pen drawing seemingly random lines on his scratch paper, though a closer look would reveal a simple sketch of the library's crowd distribution. His tone was flat, devoid of any emotion, as if he were stating an established fact: "He must have checked us out. With his style, it would be strange if he didn't get to the bottom of things."

Ryuen Kakeru had indeed used his own channels to investigate the two.

He could not access official files, but relying on the information network and connections controlled by Class C (such as having Ishizaki and others follow and observe, or extracting information from students in the same class as Hoshino and Kiyona), the report he eventually pieced together pointed to one conclusion: their backgrounds were clean, their trajectories were singular, like two screws fixed to the coordinates of the library.

It was a recognized fact that Kiyona's grades were in the middle tier of Class D, while Hoshino Kanade displayed a contradictory trait—his public exam scores were always at the top, firmly holding a leading position, and his academic ability was impeccable. However, his daily performance, especially in situations requiring deep analysis and on-the-spot adaptability, seemed too methodical, lacking sharpness, and even appeared to be deliberately maintaining the template of an "ordinary honor student."

This state of "high scores but daily low profile," combined with his regular three-point life with Kiyona, led Ryuen to completely categorize them as the same type as Shiina Hiyori, but as "harmless bookworms" with zero threat level.

This report caused Ryuen to lose all interest in Shiina's choice of friends, believing it to be nothing more than like-minded people gathering together.

Kiyona did not respond, simply turning a page of her book with composure, shielding the surrounding noise from her focus.

Shiina Hiyori clearly took in all those probing gazes.

If it were the former her, with her delicate heart and heavy concerns, seeing these gazes would have inevitably caused intense anxiety to well up within her—she would have worried: would her "identity" bring unnecessary trouble to Hoshino-kun and Ayanokoji-san?

Would the potential suspicion or alienation from her Class C peers become an invisible wall standing between them and a pure friendship?

She might have even taken the initiative to distance herself from them, deliberately keeping her space, just to reduce potential trouble.

But now, that concern had faded significantly.

She took a gentle breath, her fingertips feeling the delicate texture of the pages.

At this moment, she was already able to face these gazes more calmly.

Friends are friends.

Every collision of thoughts in the library, every silent understanding was real; what did the speculations of others matter?

She looked at Hoshino and Kiyona, who were immersed in their respective worlds of books across from her, her heart filled with peace and tranquility.

"...However," Shiina Hiyori's soft voice broke the silence between the three.

She tilted her face slightly, her gaze sweeping over those gazes that were still clinging to them, and a subtle arc of slight distress appeared at the corners of her mouth, "Although I can understand their curiosity, being in a state of being observed for a long time really does distract and interfere with one's train of thought. This efficiency..."

"Agreed," Kiyona immediately chimed in, her voice as cold as ever, "Low efficiency. Unable to focus." She closed her book decisively.

Hoshino Kanade also stopped his pen and rubbed his slightly strained eyes: "Yeah, the feeling of being watched really isn't great. So... shall we change locations? But," he hesitated slightly, "the library doesn't seem to have any truly quiet corners left; there are people everywhere."

Kiyona's gaze swept across the crowded library, and she calmly suggested: "There are too many distractions here; let's study in the dorms?" She looked at Hoshino Kanade and Shiina Hiyori, adding, "Although they are single rooms, the space is about 13 square meters, which is enough for the three of us to sit."

Shiina Hiyori looked up, her calm eyes meeting the other two: "Then, whose room would be appropriate?" She asked directly.

The three were quick-witted, and almost the moment Shiina's voice fell, they reached a silent understanding—it was indeed inconvenient for boys to go to the girls' area on the higher floors. The answer was self-evident.

Hoshino Kanade reacted quickly and immediately replied: "Fine, then let's go to mine." As he spoke, he had already begun to neatly organize his books.

Kiyona simply nodded: "Good."

The three said no more, quickly packing up, ignoring those gazes that had become either surprised or curious, and under the silent watch of the library, they rose from their seats calmly and naturally, heading toward the dormitory area that could provide a truly quiet space.

As midterms approached, the library seemed to have been set to fast-forward; every inch of air was saturated with the sound of turning pages and invisible pressure.

Hoshino Kanade, Ayanokoji Kiyona, and Shiina Hiyori finding this table by the window was almost a stroke of luck amidst the chaos.

They did not belong to those small groups that constantly called upon friends—though Hoshino and Kiyona often moved together in Class D (the classroom, the cafeteria, and the library, a three-point line), they remained detached from the class's mainstream social circles; Shiina Hiyori, meanwhile, was that quiet observer in Class C who was always clutching a thick tome, as if automatically shielding herself from the clamor of her class.

This "low-profile" attribute, conversely, allowed them to occupy a corner with relative tranquility at this moment.

"Here, Shiina-san, the summary of the modern history outline you wanted." Hoshino Kanade pushed a neatly organized sheet of notes toward Shiina Hiyori, his voice kept extremely low, nearly swallowed by the constant rustle of page-turning and the low, persistent hum of the air conditioning in the library.

"Ah, thank you, Hoshino-san." Shiina Hiyori looked up, thanking him in a soft, delicate voice as she reached out to take the stack of papers.

However, this tranquility was ultimately superficial.

From all directions, invisible intrusions spread silently—as if countless fine probes were quietly piercing the skin, leaving behind an indescribable itch.

Kiyona frowned slightly, subconsciously tucking a stray lock of long hair behind her ear, her gaze sweeping coldly toward the surroundings.

Most of the stares came from the nearby Class C and Class D students.

This cross-class combination was eye-catching enough on its own—Shiina Hiyori, the "brain" of Class C known for her keen insight and scholarly temperament, whose status was second only to Ryuen Kakeru, was sitting so closely with two "mysterious figures" from Class D.

The light touch of Hoshino's fingertips as he handed over the notes, and the brief yet clear smile Shiina gave Hoshino as she received them, both revealed a sense of familiarity that could not be ignored.

"Hey, look... is Shiina-san with those two from Class D again?"

"Tsk... but it seems Ryuen-boss hasn't said anything about it?"

"Anyway, those two are just bookworms who hole up in the library all day, they're about the same as Shiina..."

The deliberately lowered yet intermittent whispers could not be completely blocked out.

Class C students exchanged glances, their curiosity mixed with appraisal.

In the general perception of Class C students, Shiina Hiyori's position was indeed special—early in the semester, it was she who used her astonishing observational skills to first detect the hidden issues in the point system, and through her unique channels (cautious information exchanges with a certain upperclassman), she secured a key deal for Class C, greatly preserving class points and solidifying her status as the core strategist.

Therefore, even the highly possessive Ryuen Kakeru maintained a tacit attitude toward her certain "personal interests."

"That guy Ryuen..." Hoshino Kanade seemed to catch a few fragments of the conversation. He didn't look up, his pen tip drawing seemingly random lines on his draft paper, though a closer look would reveal a simple sketch of the library's crowd distribution. His tone was flat, devoid of emotion, as if stating a settled fact: "He must have checked us out. With his style, it would be strange if he didn't get to the bottom of things."

Ryuen Kakeru had indeed used his own channels to investigate the two.

He could not access official files, but relying on Class C's information network and connections (such as having Ishizaki and others follow and observe, or extracting information from students in the same class as Hoshino and Kiyona), the final report pointed to one conclusion: their backgrounds were clean, their routines were simple, like two screws fixed to the coordinates of the library.

It was a recognized fact that Kiyona's grades were in the middle of the pack in Class D, while Hoshino Kanade displayed a contradictory trait—his public exam scores were always at the top, firmly holding a leading position, and his academic ability was impeccable. However, his daily performance, especially in situations requiring deep analysis and on-the-spot adaptability, seemed too methodical and lacked edge, even appearing to deliberately maintain the template of an "ordinary honor student."

This state of "high scores but low-key daily life," combined with his and Kiyona's routine, three-point-one-line lifestyle, led Ryuen to completely categorize them as "harmless bookworms" similar to Shiina Hiyori, but with zero threat level.

This report caused Ryuen to lose all interest in Shiina's choice of friends, believing it was merely like attracting like.

Kiyona did not respond, simply turning a page of her book, shielding herself from the surrounding noise with her focus.

Shiina Hiyori clearly took in all those probing gazes.

If it were the old her, delicate and full of worries, seeing these stares would have inevitably stirred up intense anxiety—she would worry: would her "identity" bring unnecessary trouble to Hoshino-san and Ayanokoji-san?

Would the potential suspicion or alienation from her Class C peers become an invisible wall standing before their pure friendship?

She might have even taken the initiative to distance herself from them to reduce potential trouble.

But now, that concern had faded significantly.

She took a light breath, her fingertips feeling the delicate texture of the book pages.

At this moment, she was able to face these gazes more calmly.

Friends are friends.

Every collision of thoughts in the library, every silent understanding was real; what did the speculations of others matter?

She looked at Hoshino and Kiyona, who were immersed in their own worlds of books across from her, her heart filled with peace and tranquility.

"...However," Shiina Hiyori's soft voice broke the silence between the three.

She turned her face slightly, her gaze sweeping over those stares that were still glued to them, and a subtle arc of slight trouble appeared at the corners of her mouth, "Although I can understand their curiosity, being under observation for a long time really does distract and interfere with one's train of thought. This efficiency..."

"Agreed," Kiyona immediately chimed in, her voice as cold as ever, "Low efficiency. Cannot focus." She closed her book decisively.

Hoshino Kanade also stopped his pen, rubbing his slightly sore eyes: "Yeah, the feeling of being watched really isn't great. So... change of venue? But," he hesitated slightly, "the library doesn't seem to have any truly quiet corners left; there are people everywhere."

Kiyona's gaze swept over the crowded library, and she calmly suggested: "There's too much interference here, let's study in the dorms?" She looked at Hoshino Kanade and Shiina Hiyori, adding, "Although they are single rooms, the space is about 13 square meters, enough for the three of us to sit."

Shiina Hiyori looked up, her calm eyes fixed on the other two: "Then, whose room would be appropriate?" She asked directly.

The three were quick-witted, and almost the moment Shiina's voice fell, they reached a silent consensus—it was indeed inconvenient for boys to go to the girls' area on the higher floors. The answer was self-evident.

Hoshino Kanade reacted quickly and immediately replied: "Alright, let's go to mine." As he spoke, he had already begun to neatly pack up his books.

Kiyona simply nodded: "Good."

The three said no more, quickly packing up, ignoring those gazes that had become either surprised or curious, and under the silent watch of the library, they rose from their seats calmly and naturally, heading toward the dormitory area that could provide a truly quiet space.