After Reading, It Was Time to Look at Legs

The weekend. The library.

Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows between the bookshelves, casting dappled shadows.

Uesugi Hara wandered among the shelves, his fingertips brushing over row after row of spines. For a moment, he felt as if he'd returned to his days at the White House.

Back then, on top of the intensive coursework, he'd had to plow through stack after stack of classics. He hadn't even been allowed to choose what he read.

Now, at least, he could pick books that suited his tastes.

Sakura Airi hadn't messaged him since last night.

Uesugi Hara suspected that without what had happened yesterday, they probably wouldn't have exchanged more than a couple of words, even if they'd added each other as friends.

What an introverted girl, Uesugi Hara thought.

He wandered through the library.

Uesugi Hara browsed the books.

Romance?

Thinking of the book he'd read yesterday, Uesugi Hara shook his head. It wasn't for him. Pass.

Literature?

He casually pulled one out and flipped through a couple of pages. The dense philosophical discussions made him sleepy, so he gently put it back. Pass.

Mystery?

Uesugi Hara walked over to take a look. There were detective novels, crime novels, thrillers, and more.

A pretty comprehensive selection.

He couldn't say he was especially fond of them, but they'd do to pass the time.

Uesugi Hara picked a detective novel with an appealing cover. He flipped through a couple of pages, found the writing decent, and decided it would do.

As soon as he left the mystery section, he nearly bumped into a white-haired girl.

Her attention had been drawn to Uesugi Hara—or, more precisely, to the novel in his hand.

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow. Another white-haired girl?

"Can I help you?" he asked first.

The girl's gaze shifted from the book to Uesugi Hara.

"No. Do you like reading mystery novels too?"

Is this some new way to strike up a conversation? Uesugi Hara vaguely recognized her. She was from Class C, and her air was so at odds with the class's atmosphere that she was hard to forget.

"I've read a few," he replied coolly.

"I see." A hint of disappointment flickered in the girl's eyes. She asked, "Could you tell me where you found the book you're holding?"

"On that shelf up ahead, but I think it was the only copy."

"Then, would you mind letting me have it after you've finished?" The girl sounded hopeful. "I've been waiting for it for ages. The school only bought it today."

Uesugi Hara waved the book in his hand and suggested, "How about this? Find me an interesting book, and I'll let you have this one. I'm only trying to kill some time anyway. I picked it just because the cover caught my eye."

"That's way too casual," the girl said with a helpless laugh.

Uesugi Hara shrugged without replying, then pointed to the reading area nearby. "Go ahead and look. I'll wait for you over there."

"Okay." The girl turned and hurried to the mystery section. Before long, she returned carrying a stack of novels and piled them on the table like a small mountain.

Uesugi Hara stared at the books, the corner of his mouth twitching. Is all this really necessary? I came here to slack off, not to serve a prison sentence!

"I'd recommend these," the girl said, pointing to the books. "Take a look."

Uesugi Hara glanced over the covers. Most were books he'd read at the White House. He casually pushed them aside, then picked out one he hadn't read. "This one will do. Here, it's yours."

"Thank you. I'm Shiina Hiyori, from Class C." The girl accepted the book and introduced herself.

"Uesugi Hara, Class A."

"Uesugi?" Shiina Hiyori repeated softly. Her gaze fell on the books he'd set aside. "Have you read all of these?"

"Yeah."

"That's a lot more than 'a few.'" The books she'd picked were all classics. If he could recognize them at a glance, he'd clearly done more than just casually browse.

"I read them a while ago. I haven't touched them in some time," Uesugi Hara said vaguely.

"I see." Shiina Hiyori didn't press him. She took the novel she'd traded for and found a seat. Before long, she was absorbed in its pages and said no more, though she seemed noticeably happier than before.

Uesugi Hara watched her lower her head and turn the pages, feeling a little puzzled. It's just a novel. Is she really that happy? Maybe she'd truly been waiting a long time.

He looked away. Perhaps the girl's quiet, bookish air had rubbed off on him. The novel he'd chosen just to pass the time had somehow drawn him in.

As everyone knew, time flew when you were focused.

Uesugi Hara glanced at the clock on the wall beside him. Its hands pointed to six in the evening, and the sky outside had begun to darken.

He rolled his stiff neck and looked at the girl across from him, still absorbed in her novel. How could a girl like detective stories this much?

He kindly reminded her, "Shiina, you should keep an eye on the time."

"Hm?" Shiina Hiyori finally looked up. Her eyelashes fluttered twice, and she gave him an elegant smile. "How are you finding the book, Uesugi? Was my recommendation any good?"

"It's pretty good." Uesugi Hara closed the book, his tone sincere. "The plot's great, the foreshadowing is subtle, and the twists don't feel forced."

"I thought so too." Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up, her voice bright with the excitement of finding someone who shared her interests. "And that seemingly irrelevant postman in Chapter Three was actually foreshadowed as a key witness, wasn't he? The pattern on the stamps in his hand every time he appeared matched the design on the envelope left at the crime scene. At the time, I thought it was just the author adding a bit of detail. I didn't realize until the reveal at the end—such early foreshadowing!"

She paused, then added, "And the killer's alibi—I was fooled by his 'timeline' at first. It wasn't until the protagonist realized the old clock in his house was ten minutes slow that I suddenly understood what was wrong... That feeling of suddenly putting it all together is why I like this book."

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow, surprised by how closely she'd read it. "You're very observant. I didn't notice the clock at first either. I thought the protagonist had suddenly developed an all-seeing perspective. But the killer's motive at the end felt a little rushed. It could've used more buildup, which was a shame."

"Exactly." Shiina Hiyori nodded in agreement, a hint of regret in her voice. "If the book had shown more of the past conflicts between him and the victim, it would've made more sense... But overall, it was still a great read, wasn't it?"

"Shiina, it's getting late." Before they knew it, the clock on the wall had reached six thirty, and two of the library lights had gone out.

Shiina Hiyori's fingertips lingered on the page, reluctant to leave. Clearly, she hadn't had enough of discussing the plot. "Well, Uesugi, let's talk about mystery novels again sometime. See you."

"See you." Uesugi Hara turned and headed for the door.

He'd only taken two steps when Shiina Hiyori's voice suddenly came from behind him. "Oh, right. You should be careful around Ryuen lately, Uesugi."

Uesugi Hara stopped and looked back. The girl remained in her seat, smiling with arched brows, her posture elegant. Her voice had been so calm when she spoke that it was as if she hadn't said anything at all.

He raised an eyebrow. "Got it." He didn't ask anything else and turned to leave the library.

What a strange girl.

Ryuen Kakeru? Did I do something to provoke him? Is he a sore loser?

Uesugi Hara looked at the photos Sakura Airi had sent him.

"This one's nice. Save. This one's good too..."

The girl lay on her side on the bed, her legs lightly crossed. Black stockings hugged her slender calves, their tops digging into her thighs and leaving a distinct line.

Her toes curled slightly. Through the sheer black stockings, the delicate flesh beneath showed faintly, glowing with a soft sheen under the warm bedside lamp. There was an unselfconscious, youthful charm to it.

Premium-grade!

Save. Definitely save!

Ahem, back to the point.

Uesugi Hara picked out a few less remarkable photos. "These will do."

"Okay." Sakura Airi trusted Uesugi Hara completely.

On her alt account.

"Lick, I want to lick them so badly! Shizuku-chan, send me more!"

"That's all for today." Sakura Airi replied in a calm tone, her cheeks flushed.

"Hmph, I'll let you off today. Tomorrow, I want to see white stockings! Or else... Heh heh heh..."

"Phew~ Looks like the method Uesugi recommended really works."

Another safe day.

"Tomorrow, I'll keep looking at legs... Heh..."