A Conversation with Hiyori Shiina

The clamor of the pool and its shimmering reflections gradually settled, becoming a bright stroke in the memories of summer.

On the last day of the break, thick, marshmallow-like white clouds piled across the sky. Sunlight streamed through gaps in the clouds, no longer scorching, carrying a lazy gentleness.

Even the wind seemed to slow its pace, brushing over the tree-lined paths of the campus with the damp scent of grass and earth.

Yuefeng emerged from the library, cradling several newly borrowed books on data analysis and behavioral psychology.

The break was about to end, and his research group's project was about to enter the data analysis stage. He needed to make preparations in advance.

More importantly, he needed to constantly, greedily absorb every piece of knowledge that might prove useful in the future.

As he walked back toward the dormitory, his pace unconsciously slowed.

The campus was much quieter than usual. Many students had chosen to go shopping or have fun on the final day of the break, leaving behind empty paths and only scattered figures.

Just as he passed the small Garden connecting the dormitory area and the academic buildings, a familiar figure came into view.

Hiyori Shiina was sitting alone on the bench beside the hydrangeas where they had "run into each other" so many times.

She was neither reading nor doing anything else. She simply sat there quietly, her head slightly raised as she watched the clouds drift slowly across the sky.

Today, she wore a simple light-blue dress, its hem brushing gently against her calves. Her dark brown hair fell smoothly over her shoulders.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the leaves, casting dappled shadows across her and making her look as peaceful as a painting.

Yuefeng paused. Should he nod and walk past as usual, or...

As though she had sensed his gaze, Hiyori Shiina turned her head.

When she saw Yuefeng, her light brown eyes brightened slightly, and a faint, gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Classmate Yuefeng." She greeted him softly, her voice like a feather brushing against his heart.

"Classmate Shiina." Yuefeng walked over and sat in the empty spot beside her, leaving a small but polite distance between them. "Watching the clouds?"

"Mm." Hiyori Shiina nodded and looked back toward the sky. "The break... is almost over." There was a faint, barely noticeable wistfulness in her voice.

"Yeah." Yuefeng followed her gaze. The white clouds drifted leisurely, changing shape. "It feels like it was over before I even had a chance to rest."

"Classmate Yuefeng... have you been studying all break?" Hiyori Shiina turned to look at the thick stack of books in his arms.

"Most of the time. There's the research group's project, and..." Yuefeng paused without finishing.

There was also dealing with Ryuen's "assignments," guarding against Ishizaki's retaliation, gauging Sakayanagi's intentions, and staying wary of Kiyotaka's observations... None of that could be spoken aloud.

Hiyori Shiina seemed to understand what he had left unsaid. She did not press him, merely giving a soft "Mm."

She fell silent for a while, her fingers unconsciously rubbing at the hem of her dress as though she were hesitating over something.

"Classmate Yuefeng," she spoke again, her voice even softer, "next semester... it feels like we'll be even busier."

"Probably." Yuefeng nodded. The special project group would enter its crucial stage, and competition between the classes would only grow fiercer.

Ryuen would definitely have more new "instructions," and Yuefeng's own plans to improve his "strength" could not be put on hold either.

"I..." Hiyori Shiina bit her lower lip, as if she had finally made up her mind. "I'm a little worried.

Classmate Sakayanagi... and Classmate Katsuragi, they're both incredible. Classmate Ichinose and Classmate Hirata are outstanding too. We... Class C..." She did not continue, but the meaning was obvious.

In such a group filled with elites, the pressure on them as students from Class C went without saying.

Yuefeng looked at the slight furrow in the girl's brow and the fleeting worry in her eyes, and something stirred within him.

Hiyori Shiina usually appeared composed and calm in the group, with clear logic, but in private, she too felt anxiety and pressure.

That pressure came not only from academic competition, but perhaps also from the label of Class C itself.

"It's normal to worry." Yuefeng spoke slowly, looking toward the treetops swaying in the distance. "But I think you, Classmate Shiina, are already more than good enough.

Your logic and insight are unique within the group.

No matter how capable Classmate Sakayanagi is, no matter how meticulous Classmate Katsuragi is, they might not be able to start from the most fundamental principles and find the heart of a problem the way you can."

He paused, then turned to look seriously at Hiyori Shiina. "So what if you're from Class C? Ability comes first. What matters is individual capability and performance, not a class label.

At least in our group, no one will look down on your opinions just because you're from Class C."

Hiyori Shiina listened in a daze, a thin blush gradually coloring her cheeks.

She had not expected Yuefeng to affirm her so directly, much less say something like that.

The small measure of anxiety and inferiority in her heart seemed to have been gently brushed away by his words.

"Th-thank you..." She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, though the corners of her lips lifted slightly despite herself.

A breeze drifted past, carrying the faint fragrance of hydrangeas and stirring Hiyori Shiina's hair.

She raised a hand to tuck a mischievous strand behind her ear, revealing her delicate earlobe. The blush spread all the way to the tips of her ears.

The atmosphere suddenly fell quiet, but it was not awkward. There was only the rustle of wind through leaves, the faint calls of birds in the distance, and the quiet sound of their breathing between them.

"Classmate Yuefeng," Hiyori Shiina suddenly spoke again. This time, she did not look at Yuefeng, instead staring at the hands resting on her lap. "Why... did you transfer to Advanced Nurturing High School?"

The question came rather abruptly. Yuefeng's heart skipped a beat.

What could he say? That he had a control-freak father, a younger brother who was CPU-kun, and some inexplicable mission?

"There were... some arrangements at home." He chose the vaguest and safest answer, adding just the right amount of helplessness to his tone.

Hiyori Shiina seemed to accept his explanation. She did not pursue the matter, merely letting out a soft "Oh."

After a while, she said quietly, "I... actually had a hard time adapting at first.

The atmosphere in Class C, and... Classmate Ryuen and the others. I always felt out of place with everyone around me.

I could only hide in the library."

Her voice was soft, carrying a touch of confusion and loneliness from those memories.

"Later... I met Classmate Yuefeng in the library, and then... being together in the group..." She raised her head and quickly glanced at Yuefeng before lowering it again. Her fingers twisted together more tightly. "It felt... like I wasn't so alone anymore."

She spoke those words softly and slowly, yet they were like a small stone dropped into Yuefeng's calm lake of a heart, sending out faint ripples.