Hunter

Light footsteps rippled through the quiet library, like a pebble tossed into a still lake.

They easily caught the attention of Shiina Hiyori, who looked up slightly to see two first-year students.

She hadn't expected anyone else to head straight for the library on the very first day of school just like her.

Perhaps they could become friends.

Shiina Hiyori appeared to be reading, but her gaze remained fixed on the pair as they moved.

They wandered between the shelves, many of which contained books she had already read.

Hoshino Kanade's fingertips brushed unconsciously against the edge of the shelves, his pupils sweeping over rows of spines amidst the interplay of light and shadow, finally coming to rest on a yellowed mystery novel.

"Swish—"

The sound of the book being pulled from the shelf seemed to echo throughout the library.

Shiina Hiyori couldn't sit still, but it was too fast; she might scare them off. Calm down, stay composed, Shiina Hiyori.

Shiina Hiyori forced herself to remain calm. There was still plenty of time; she should plan this slowly.

"Do you like mystery novels, Kanade?"

Kiyona leaned in and asked in a low voice.

"I've dabbled in all sorts of books, and the cover of this one looks quite vintage."

Of course, that was only because Shiina Hiyori was watching. Otherwise, Hoshino Kanade would have just grabbed a random book on the spot and refined it instantly.

That way, the knowledge within the books would be rapidly absorbed.

"I see. I want that one."

Kiyona pointed to a book on the very top shelf, Midnight Cinderella. Based on what she knew, it was also a mystery novel.

Well, given Kiyona's height, she probably couldn't reach it even on her tiptoes. Is she choosing to ask for help before even trying? Haji-na, you really...

However, Hoshino Kanade wasn't much taller than Kiyona, though he was just tall enough to successfully reach Midnight Cinderella.

Seeing that both Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona had picked up mystery novels, Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up.

Watching the two of them find seats after getting their books, she knew they certainly wouldn't sit next to her in the empty library.

Shiina Hiyori had to consider if this might be the only chance she would ever have.

After much deliberation, Shiina Hiyori still didn't approach them.

With her introverted personality, combined with the fact that the two were clearly very close, it was too difficult to walk up and start a conversation without any preparation.

Next time, Shiina Hiyori would make thorough preparations and carefully plan a "chance encounter" so she could successfully gain some book-loving friends.

After memorizing their appearances, Shiina Hiyori pretended to read while actually beginning to plot her script.

Hoshino Kanade wasn't in a rush to talk to Shiina Hiyori either. Although he had read some mystery novels in middle school, they didn't seem to overlap much with Shiina Hiyori's tastes, so a conversation now wouldn't yield the best results.

Besides, he had plenty of time, and he was with Kiyona today.

After that, only the sound of pages occasionally turning remained in the library.

In the future, Hoshino Kanade would have to be more selective with his reading, focusing first on books that could be used to communicate with Shiina Hiyori, followed by practical subjects like psychology and logical reasoning.

As for the textbooks for his various classes, he had already finished them back in middle school.

Formal classes only began on the second day of school.

Although most teachers had only completed the preliminary design of their curricula on the first day, each possessed a unique teaching style and knowledge system in terms of professional ability.

In terms of attitude, they displayed an exaggerated level of tolerance, almost indulging the students' behavior in class—regardless of whether the room was noisy or silent, they maintained a programmed cheerfulness. For students like Sudo Ken, even if they slept through the entire lesson, the teachers wouldn't intervene.

This abnormal phenomenon failed to trigger any reflection within Class D; they were all intoxicated by the relaxed learning environment.

Hoshino Kanade went about his daily routine of "brushing" books, starting by finishing everything Shiina Hiyori liked to read, then moving on to genres she enjoyed, and finally, books she might potentially like.

As the first morning passed, the students in the class became increasingly brazen. With the atmosphere set, even some of the top students who wanted to study joined the ranks of those slacking off.

He had lunch with Kiyona as usual. In the eyes of some boys in Class D, Hoshino Kanade was already a winner in life, having landed the ultimate beautiful girl only on the second day of school.

It is worth mentioning that while they were eating, Kushida ran over to ask for Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona's contact information, incidentally adding them to the class group chat.

Hmm, 39 people.

He couldn't guess who the final missing person was.

Hoshino Kanade felt that Kushida's attitude toward him seemed unusual. This was a man's sixth sense, not narcissism.

There had been two people missing from the entrance ceremony yesterday, and the popular Kushida had volunteered to take on the task of finding them. With only half a day of school passed, it was undoubtedly a difficult task to match names to faces.

After much effort and the use of elimination, she had locked onto Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona. Coming over today, she simply wore a sweet smile, claiming she was worried that Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona might have run into some trouble by missing the entrance ceremony.

She patted her chest while acting relieved, saying things like, "I'm so glad you're okay."

As for why he felt she was acting differently toward him, it was mainly because Kushida stood closer to him when she approached, to the point where he could even smell her perfume.

During her conversation with Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona, she kept her eyes fixed mostly on Hoshino Kanade.

Perhaps it was because of the "stay away" expression on Kiyona's face, or maybe the argument with Horikita yesterday had led Kushida to categorize him into the "anti-Horikita" camp?

After all, the enemy of an enemy is a friend. If Kushida were to secretly do something in the future to escalate the conflict between herself and Horikita, it could still cause trouble for Horikita.

After finishing lunch and returning to the classroom, there was still some time before class started, and many students who had just finished eating or were simply gnawing on bread in the classroom were already present.

Before long, music drifted from the school's broadcast system, followed by a cute female voice.

"Starting at five o'clock this afternoon, a club orientation will be held at Gymnasium 1. Students interested in clubs, please gather at Gymnasium 1. I repeat..."

The topics of conversation among the students in the classroom gradually shifted toward club activities.

"Kanade..."

Kiyona's voice rang out from behind.

"I'm not interested in clubs."

"I haven't even said anything yet."

"Then what do you want to say?"

"Is Kanade going to attend the club orientation this afternoon?"

Hoshino Kanade knew it would be like this.

"I don't want to go; I have no interest in clubs."

"I've never joined a club from childhood until now, so I want to go take a look."

"Oh~"

"Kanade, you're so mean~ Even though I've always stayed by your side whenever you had something going on..."

As Kiyona spoke, she poked Hoshino Kanade in the back repeatedly.

Hoshino Kanade had no choice but to turn around.

Kiyona suddenly lowered her head, covering her face with slender fingers, her teeth biting her lower lip as she let out a sobbing sound. Her eyes, peering through the slight gaps between her fingers, showed no attempt to hide the shifting light in her gaze—that look was stealing a glance at Hoshino Kanade's reaction in the intervals between her sobs.

"Fine, fine, I'll go, okay?"

Hoshino Kanade reached out and gently brushed aside the wrist covering her eyes, his fingertips touching her cool skin.

I really can't handle her; her acting is getting more and more dramatic, even if she is cute.

Kiyona took the hand that Hoshino Kanade hadn't pulled away yet and pressed her head against his palm. She nudged her crown against his knuckles, her eyes narrowing slightly, and a puppy-like whimper squeezed out of her nose: "I knew Kanade was the best to me."

Kiyona's actions were too cute, like fireworks blooming unexpectedly, shaking Hoshino Kanade until his breathing stalled.

By the time he came to his senses, her fingertips had brushed against his cuff, and the breeze carrying the scent of orchids had swept away all of Hoshino Kanade's ability to think.

It wasn't until the sound of dogs barking came from behind that he turned his head mechanically, only to discover that countless eyes were staring at this spot; some of the single guys in Class D were letting out painful wails.

Light footsteps rippled through the quiet library, like a pebble dropped into a still lake.

It easily caught the attention of Shiina Hiyori, who looked up slightly to see two first-year students.

She hadn't expected there to be others like her who headed straight to the library on the first day of school.

Perhaps they could become friends.

Shiina Hiyori appeared to be reading, but in reality, her gaze followed the pair as they moved.

They wandered between the bookshelves, where many of the books were ones she had already read.

Hoshino Kanade's fingertips unconsciously brushed the edge of the shelf, his pupils sweeping over rows of spines amidst the interplay of light and shadow, finally stopping on a yellowed mystery novel.

"Swish—"

The sound of the book being pulled from the shelf seemed to echo through the library.

Shiina Hiyori couldn't sit still, but it was too fast; she might scare them. Stay calm, be reserved, Shiina Hiyori.

Shiina Hiyori forced herself to calm down. There was still plenty of time; she should proceed slowly.

"Does Kanade like reading mystery novels?"

Kiyona leaned in and asked in a low voice.

"I've come into contact with various types of books, but the cover of this one looks quite vintage."

Of course, that was only because Shiina Hiyori was peeking; otherwise, Hoshino Kanade would have just grabbed a random book on the spot and refined it instantly.

That way, the knowledge within the book would be quickly absorbed by him.

"Is that so? I want that one."

Kiyona raised her hand to point at a book on the very top shelf, Midnight Cinderella. Based on her understanding, it was also a mystery novel.

Hmm, given Kiyona's height, it seemed she really couldn't reach it even on tiptoes. Choosing to ask for help without even trying, huh? Hagi-na, you really...

However, Hoshino Kanade wasn't much taller than Kiyona, just barely enough to successfully reach Midnight Cinderella.

Seeing that both Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona had picked up mystery novels, Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up.

Watching the two of them start looking for seats after getting their books, she knew that in the empty library, they certainly wouldn't sit next to her.

Shiina Hiyori had to consider if this might be the only chance she would have in her life.

After much deliberation, Shiina Hiyori still did not go up to strike up a conversation.

With her introverted personality, combined with the fact that the two people opposite her were clearly very close, it was too difficult to approach them without any preparation.

Next time, Shiina Hiyori would have to be fully prepared and meticulously plan a "chance encounter" to successfully gain a book friend.

After memorizing their appearances, Shiina Hiyori pretended to be reading, but in reality, she had already begun to construct a script.

Hoshino Kanade was in no rush to strike up a conversation with Shiina Hiyori. Although he had read some mystery novels in middle school, they didn't seem to overlap much with Shiina Hiyori's tastes, so any current interaction wouldn't yield good results.

Besides, he had plenty of time, and he was with Kiyona today anyway.

After that, only the sound of pages occasionally turning remained in the library.

From now on, Hoshino Kanade would have to be more selective with his reading, focusing first on books that could be used to communicate with Shiina Hiyori, followed by practical subjects like psychology and logical reasoning.

As for the textbooks for his various subjects, he had already finished them back in middle school.

Formal classes only began on the second day of school.

Although most teachers had only completed the preliminary design for their curriculum on the first day, each teacher possessed a unique teaching style and knowledge system in terms of professional ability.

In terms of attitude, they displayed an exaggerated level of tolerance, almost completely neglecting classroom behavior—regardless of whether the students below were noisy or silent, they maintained a programmed cheerfulness. For students like Sudo Ken, even if he slept through the entire class, they would not intervene.

This abnormal phenomenon failed to trigger any reflection from Class D; they were all intoxicated by the relaxed learning environment.

Hoshino Kanade went about his daily routine of reading, first finishing all the books Shiina Hiyori liked, then moving on to the genres she enjoyed, and finally, the books she might potentially like.

As the first morning passed, the students in the class gradually became more unrestrained. With the atmosphere set, even some of the top students who wanted to study joined the ranks of those slacking off.

He still ate lunch with Kiyona. In the eyes of some boys in Class D, Hoshino Kanade was already a winner in life; only on the second day of school, he had already pursued the ultimate beautiful girl.

It is worth mentioning that while eating, Kushida ran over to ask for Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona's contact information, incidentally adding both of them to the class group chat.

Hmm, 39 people.

He couldn't guess who the last missing person was.

Hoshino Kanade felt that Kushida's attitude toward him seemed unusual; this was a man's sixth sense, not narcissism.

There were two people missing from yesterday's entrance ceremony, and the popular girl Kushida had volunteered to take on the task. With only half a day since school started, it was undoubtedly a difficult task to match the students' faces with their names.

After much effort and using the process of elimination, she had locked onto Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona. Coming over today was just to flash a sweet smile, claiming she was worried that Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona had encountered some accident that prevented them from attending the entrance ceremony.

She patted her ample chest while putting on a look of relief, saying things like, "I'm so glad you're okay."

As for why he felt she was being unusual toward him, it was mainly because when Kushida came over, she leaned closer to him, and he could even smell her perfume.

During the conversation with Hoshino Kanade and Kiyona, she kept her eyes fixed on Hoshino Kanade for the most part.

Perhaps it was because of the "stay away" expression on Kiyona's face, or because yesterday's argument with Horikita had led Kushida to categorize him into the "anti-Horikita" camp?

After all, the enemy of an enemy is a friend. If Kushida did something in the shadows later to intensify the conflict between him and Horikita, it could also cause trouble for Horikita.

After eating, he returned to the classroom. There was still some time before class, and many students who had just finished eating or were eating bread directly in the classroom were already there.

Soon, music came over the school's broadcast system, followed by a cute female voice.

"Starting at five o'clock this afternoon, a club orientation will be held in Gymnasium 1. Students interested in clubs, please gather at Gymnasium 1. I repeat..."

The students in the classroom who were originally chatting gradually shifted their topics to club activities.

"Kanade..."

Kiyona's voice sounded from behind him.

"I'm not interested in clubs."

"I haven't even said anything yet."

"Then what do you want to say?"

"Is Kanade going to participate in a club this afternoon?"

Hoshino Kanade knew it would be like this.

"I don't want to go, I'm not interested in clubs."

"I've never joined a club from childhood until now, I want to go take a look."

"Oh~"

"Kanade is so mean~ Even though I've always accompanied you whenever you had something to do..."

As Kiyona spoke, she poked Hoshino Kanade in the back.

Hoshino Kanade had no choice but to turn around.

Kiyona suddenly lowered her head, covering her face with her slender fingers, biting her lower lip with her pearly teeth, and emitting a sobbing sound. Her eyes peeked through the slightly parted gaps in her fingers, making no effort to hide the shifting light in her eyes—that gaze was stealing glances at Hoshino Kanade's reaction in the intervals between her sobs.

"Fine, I'll go, okay?"

Hoshino Kanade reached out and gently brushed aside the wrist covering her eyes, his fingertips touching her cold skin.

He really couldn't handle her; her acting was getting more and more elaborate, even though it was very cute.

Kiyona took hold of the hand Kanade hadn't pulled back yet, pressed her head against his palm, and nudged her forehead urgently against his knuckles. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out a whimper like a puppy from her nose: "I knew Kanade was the best to me."

Kiyona's actions were too cute, like fireworks blooming unexpectedly, shaking Hoshino Kanade until his breathing stopped.

By the time he came to his senses, her fingertips had brushed against his sleeve, and the wind carrying the scent of orchids had swept away all of Hoshino Kanade's ability to think.

It wasn't until the sound of dogs barking came from behind that he turned his head mechanically, only to realize that countless eyes were staring at this spot, and some of the single men in Class D were letting out painful wails.