The whole story went back to the second day of school.
In a new environment, faced with unfamiliar people and an entirely different atmosphere, eighteen-year-old boys and girls were always a little cautious and reserved.
Fortunately, the school was astonishingly generous.
At this tuition-free school, every student's account had been credited with a full hundred thousand private points on the first day.
According to their homeroom teacher, there was nothing in the school that private points couldn't buy.
At the beginning of every month, students would receive enough private points from the school to support them for the rest of the month.
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Generally speaking, even the most awkward person could use that enormous sum of points to find companions with similar interests.
But unfortunately, despite all that, Shiina hadn't managed to make anyone she could call a friend during these first few days of school.
In the past, her world had held nothing but the soft rustle of turning pages.
Whether it was weighty, profound literary classics or fantastical adventures that defied imagination, any book that held a story could make Shiina's eyes light up.
Back then, she had never expected herself to build any kind of connection with other people or their worlds, let alone a friendship.
Her dream was simply to buy lots of books and fill the bookshelves at home.
Shiina loved detective novels and acclaimed works from overseas.
But sometimes, she would read other kinds of books to take a break.
Perhaps that was the influence of her father, who was a writer.
Every effect had a cause; every result had its reason.
Shiina firmly believed in this ironclad rule.
So whenever she finished a book, she would try to put into words why she loved it.
As time passed,
even she began to realize she had changed.
Alongside her clear-eyed love of books, deep in her heart she had always longed for a book-loving friend with whom she could share that excitement.
But how could she find someone like that to hang out with? After observing for a while, Shiina could tell that the first-years all seemed to prefer outdoor activities. People like her were rare.
"Sigh." Shiina had a feeling she might spend the next three years alone again...
But it was all right. She was already used to reading by herself.
After school.
Shiina made her way to the library alone and carefully pushed open the door.
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"Wow." The instant she stepped inside, Shiina couldn't help letting out a silent exclamation.
The sheer size of the place and the abundance of books rivaled the prefectural library. Was this what you could expect from a top school with a nearly one-hundred-percent rate of students moving on to higher education or employment?
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Shiina couldn't help wondering what kind of hard life she'd been living before... Would three years be enough to read every book here? The thought made her vaguely anxious about her future school life.
She pinched her cheek, trying to encourage herself that way.
April's weather was pleasant.
Perhaps because she hadn't gotten used to her new uniform yet, Shiina felt a little warm. She loosened her collar slightly and reached into her pocket for her bookmark, as she always did.
Her fingers found nothing.
She felt around in her pockets for a long time, but her bookmark was nowhere to be found.
She searched her schoolbag, too, but it wasn't there.
Had she... forgotten to bring it?
Shiina couldn't help letting her thoughts run wild. Maybe she hadn't left her bookmark in the classroom, but dropped it somewhere outside?
It was only a bookmark made from a ginkgo leaf, but the thought made her uneasy.
Maybe she should go back and look.
So she reluctantly memorized the page number, closed her book, and decided to search carefully on the way back to the classroom.
It would be nice if she had a friend she could contact to ask for help...
The moment the thought crossed her mind, Shiina was surprised at herself.
Had she... stopped being able to enjoy being alone the way she used to?
Shiina couldn't be sure, but when she looked up and saw couples walking around the campus outside the library, she felt something she couldn't quite explain.
Though she had her own interests, did she also long for someone's company deep down?
Shiina couldn't tell.
After all, she had never had a friend before, so she couldn't say for certain that spending time with someone was better than being alone.
She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then got up and returned the book to its place.
< src="https://e1.kuangxiangit./uplos/chaptersnew/507/178683/260224/1771871225-100437152-113230476.jpg" alt='Hiyori Shiina'>
Once she was done, she went back to the entrance and silently bowed to the librarian in gratitude.
Only then did she gently push open the library doors and leave, as if afraid of disturbing something.
On the way from the library back to the classroom,
Shiina walked with her head slightly bowed, her eyes focused on the ground along the path. She paid special attention to the corners where fallen leaves had gathered.
Soon, she confirmed that what she was looking for wasn't anywhere between the library and the classroom.
Still, it wasn't exactly good news. Shiina could only reassure herself: It must be in the classroom. It has to be. There's no way the wind blew it away, and it definitely wasn't picked up and thrown away by someone.
If someone had simply picked it up, that wouldn't be so bad. After all, she really liked the bookmark, and she would be happy if someone else treasured it too.
But if someone had tossed it aside without a second thought... The mere idea made her heart clench.
At the door to Class C,
Shiina had just placed her hand on the cold doorknob.
Suddenly, the faint sound from inside made her freeze.
Was someone still in the classroom at this hour? Had they forgotten something, too?
Curious, Shiina peeked through the glass in the door.
Was that Kujo? Was his full name Kujo Makoto? Shiina was good at remembering people's names, probably thanks to all her years of reading.
Some people could read novels their whole lives and still forget the protagonists' names, but Shiina really could remember them.
Was Kujo wiping the blackboard?
Shiina was puzzled.
Was Kujo the one on cleaning duty?
Would it be all right to go in now?
Kujo was tall and well-built. What if he had a bad temper...?
Shiina was a little worried.
But if he had a bad temper, would he stay behind to clean? Or was Kujo being bullied by his classmates?
Whenever something caught Shiina's curiosity, she couldn't help letting her imagination run wild.
Perhaps it was another side effect of all those years spent reading.
In the end,
she took her hand off the doorknob and quietly chose to leave.
The next day,
Shiina spotted her ginkgo-leaf bookmark at once. It was intact, tucked beneath the book at the corner of her desk.
The book was tilted slightly, as if someone had deliberately positioned it so the bookmark wouldn't be blown away.
Ginkgo leaves were incredibly fragile; even a little pressure could make them crumble.
She clearly remembered tidying her desk every time she left.
She wasn't a neat freak, but she had long been used to keeping her desk in perfect order.
< src="https://e1.kuangxiangit./uplos/chaptersnew/507/178683/260224/1771871417-100437152-113230476.jpg" alt='Hiyori Shiina'>
Then who had helped her?
Remembering Kujo in the classroom the previous evening,
Shiina hesitated for a long time.
She didn't intend to ask him.
In fact, Kujo rarely showed up in the classroom, so even if she wanted to ask, it would be hard to find the right opportunity.
She'd heard he traded a huge number of points with the teacher for his attendance records.
Why would he do that?
No one would remember a little favor like helping someone out when they happened to be there.
Most people even forgot whether they'd closed the door when they left home.
But... what if?
What if Kujo really had helped her with the bookmark?
Then... how should she thank him?
Once the thought took hold, it wouldn't let go.
Shiina kept asking herself: She didn't even know if he was the one who'd helped her, so why should she thank him?
Why?
Did you need a reason to like someone?
The girl's thoughts suddenly drifted toward the tender romances between the pages of her books.
Literary critics often said that endings tinged with regret were more profound and more moving to readers' wallets, but Shiina was a greedy reader. She loved every kind of story, whether it ended happily or sadly, sweetly or bitterly.
The bookmark's leaf felt cool beneath her fingers, yet somehow full of life and resilience.
Without thinking, Shiina buried her flushed cheeks in her palms. One name silently passed through her heart again and again, carrying a faint, unfamiliar sweetness.
The girl hid her face in her hands, but kept murmuring someone's name under her breath.
"Kujo Makoto."
< src="https://e1.kuangxiangit./uplos/chaptersnew/507/178683/260224/1771871330-100437152-113230476.jpg" alt='Hiyori Shiina'>
Before you continue