Shiina

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Shiina Hiyori (稚名)
Alias(es)	Shiina
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Class C; Advanced Nurturing High School
Occupation/Role	Student; Xia Mu's reading companion
First Appearance	Chapter 4

Appearance

Shiina is a soft-spoken student with white hair that fades to apricot-red at the ends. She is usually seen in her school uniform and is frequently encountered reading in the library. 4

• Long hair, tied with two black ribbons. 4
• Wears gray stockings, distinguishing her from most students around her. 4
• Has bright eyes and a gentle, polite smile. 4
• Her hairstyles vary, including twin tails tied with red ribbons. 11
• On a swimming outing, she wears casual shorts and a simple white top with her hair tied up. 38

Personality

Shiina is intelligent, gentle, and deeply devoted to books. Her love of reading makes her unusually persistent when discussing literature or knowledge; upon seeing Xia Mu rapidly skim textbooks, she refuses to let him leave until he proves that he understood them. 4

She is curious and trusting, initially believing Xia Mu's fabricated “knowledge” ritual and trying the chant herself despite the embarrassment involved. She takes the joke well after learning the truth, though she lightly scolds him for deceiving her. 5

Although generally reserved, Shiina becomes increasingly assertive around Xia Mu. She worries about his well-being, grows jealous when she believes he is close to other girls, and asks him to tell her clearly if he ever gets a girlfriend. 23 28 Her feelings for him deepen over time, but she struggles to state them directly. 28 31 35

Shiina has little interest in Class C's competition for promotion to Class A. She instead values peaceful reading, friendship, and an idealistic view of the world. Her email signature reads, “I hope for world peace.” 13 16

Abilities & Skills

Academic Ability

Shiina is an excellent student who is confident in her examination performance.

• Usually scores above 90 in every subject. 29
• Has achieved perfect scores in several subjects before her wager with Xia Mu. 28
• Believes she can score at least 95 after Xia Mu challenges her academically. 29
• Loses the wager when Xia Mu earns perfect scores in every subject. 35

Literary Knowledge

Shiina is highly knowledgeable about books and actively recommends reading material to Xia Mu.

• Tests Xia Mu's claimed ability to memorize textbooks by quizzing him on random pages. 4
• Invites Xia Mu to study and read with her regularly. 5 11
• Recommends books to Xia Mu, including Kokoro as a return gift after he recommends Dragon Clan to her. 14

Relationships

• Xia Mu — Her reading companion and close friend. They first meet in the library after Shiina tests his extraordinary recall, then begin regularly studying and reading together. Shiina becomes concerned for him, jealous of his interactions with other girls, and gradually realizes that she likes him. 4 23 28 35
• Long Yuan Xiang — A Class C student who pressures Shiina to assist his efforts to reach Class A. Shiina rejects his recruitment and protects Xia Mu when Long Yuan confronts them in the library. 16
• Wang Meiyu — Shiina invites Wang to join her group during the swimming-complex outing, helping her socialize with the others. 38
• Sakura Airi — Both support Xia Mu during his swimming race against Manabu Horikita. 40

Story Role

Meeting Xia Mu

Shiina meets Xia Mu in the school library while he is using the system-enhanced knowledge skills to master first-year textbooks. Assuming he is reading carelessly, she challenges him to answer questions from random pages; his flawless responses leave her impressed. She apologizes for doubting him and invites him to dinner, formally introducing herself as Shiina Hiyori. 4

At dinner, Shiina asks Xia Mu to teach her his memorization method. He invents a ritual for “absorbing” knowledge, which she later attempts herself out of curiosity. Xia Mu admits it was a joke, and Shiina reacts with embarrassment and mild frustration. 4 5

Reading Partnership

Shiina asks Xia Mu to join her in the library after school, establishing the routine that becomes central to their relationship. She enjoys his company because he is neither a conventional bookworm nor an attention-seeking student. 5

She continues to meet him for reading sessions, sometimes teasing him about supposedly dating other girls. Her concern about his absence and lateness reveals that their library meetings matter deeply to her. 7 11 14

Conflict with Long Yuan

Long Yuan confronts Xia Mu and Shiina in the library, objecting to a Class D student spending time with someone from Class C. He also attempts to recruit Shiina for his ambitions, claiming her talents should be used to help Class C reach Class A. Shiina refuses, declares that she and Xia Mu are only discussing books, and attempts to shield Xia Mu from him. 16

Fearing that Long Yuan may retaliate against Xia Mu, Shiina temporarily avoids him. She later visits Xia Mu's dormitory because he has not responded to her messages and she worries that Long Yuan has targeted him. 23

Wager and Growing Feelings

After seeing Xia Mu with Kushida, Shiina misinterprets their interaction and withdraws from him. When Xia Mu confronts her, she admits that his frequent interactions with female students make her feel as though she may be intruding on his life. Xia Mu reassures her that she is a friend he genuinely recognizes. 26 28

The two make a wager over their midterm scores. Shiina proposes that the loser must serve as the winner's servant for a day; Xia Mu counters that the loser will become the other's maid. Though confident in her grades, Shiina loses when Xia Mu receives perfect scores in every subject. 28 29 35

As the penalty, Shiina calls Xia Mu “Master” once. The incident leaves her intensely embarrassed, while also making her recognize that she has gradually fallen for him. 35

Support During the Swimming Race

Shiina is alarmed when Xia Mu challenges Student Council President Manabu Horikita to a swimming race, believing Manabu to be the school's recognized “Mermaid.” She asks Xia Mu to reconsider, but accepts his confidence and supports him alongside Sakura and Zhu Xincheng. 40

After Xia Mu narrowly wins, Shiina is impressed by his apparent versatility and asks whether there is anything he cannot do. She becomes more attached to him after witnessing his victory. 41

Notable Quotes

“I want to read and study with you.” 5

“Then, if you get a girlfriend in the future, you must tell me clearly, or I will really be angry.” 28

“Mas... Master...” 35

Trivia

• Shiina's first dinner with Xia Mu is at a restaurant serving Mapo Tofu, which she enthusiastically introduces as Huaxia cuisine. 4
• She is sufficiently curious to research an unfamiliar explicit term after seeing it in Xia Mu's dormitory, only to become deeply embarrassed by its meaning. 23
• Shiina's original wager plan was to make Xia Mu wear a maid outfit and serve her for a day. 28 35