Seventh Day of School: Shiina Likes Being Alone

Sunday.

Ever since she learned information she never wanted to know from Ryuen, Shiina began to worry about the situation in her class, even on her day off.

After observing for a few days, Shiina felt that Class C was truly a class filled with the atmosphere of a martial arts underworld.

Shiina decided to head to the faculty office in the school building to find Sakagami.

She had many, many questions in her heart regarding the class atmosphere and the school's graduation rules.

Therefore, she wanted to consult a reliable adult.

In her memory, Sakagami was a middle-aged man who wore glasses.

He seemed to be very fond of the current Class C; rather than the affection a teacher has for students, it was more like he was simply very satisfied with the current state of the class.

Advanced Nurturing High School had a very high tolerance for the words and actions of its students.

Just as the word "freedom" was prominently touted in the school handbook.

But in Shiina's eyes, the level of indulgence Sakagami showed his students clearly did not stem from the school's style.

Faculty office.

"Is Sakagami not here? Thank you, teacher."

In the end, Shiina did not get to see her class's homeroom teacher.

After all, it was Sunday, so Shiina didn't think much of it.

However, Shiina did not choose to turn around and leave the office immediately.

Because although she hadn't seen Sakagami from her own class, she did see Mashima, the homeroom teacher for Class A.

Unlike Sakagami, Mashima carried the aura of a corporate elite in every gesture, possessing even more dignity than the teachers at the schools she had imagined.

Mashima quickly noticed that something was off with the girl beside him, so he asked Shiina gently:

"Is there something you need, Shiina? If you need help, you can tell me directly."

After Shiina snapped back to reality, she hurriedly bowed to thank him, then hesitated before saying:

"I do have one thing I would like to consult you about, teacher."

Upon hearing this, Mashima grabbed a nearby chair and slid it over, then waved his hand to signal for Shiina to sit down and talk slowly.

Shiina felt embarrassed and nervously smoothed out her skirt, her head bowed so low she could only see her own shoes.

After considering it, Shiina slowly sat on the chair, then quietly moved it a little further away.

"I want to make friends with a boy."

Shiina's words left the seasoned Mashima stunned.

But before he could say anything, Shiina realized her words were ambiguous; her face turned half-red instantly, and she hurriedly explained:

"I have very few friends, so I was wondering if I could find a friend to accompany me."

Shiina continued to explain to him, "I like reading books, and the library in the school is very large, which makes me very happy, but I'm not very good at making friends, so..."

Mashima guessed that this girl named Shiina probably hadn't adapted to the new school environment yet.

Young people often feel distressed when they can't find friends after arriving in a strange new environment.

The girl before him was likely encountering just such a problem.

Shiina continued to say to Mashima:

"If I could just spend the next three years of school life peacefully, I would probably choose to spend all three years in the library. But now, someone is telling me that there is no meaning unless I graduate from Class A. Um. I want to know, is this school really like that?"

Hearing this, Mashima fell silent.

As a former student of this school, just like the homeroom teachers of the rival Class B and Class D, Mashima was very familiar with how the school operated.

Sakagami from Class C had entered through regular channels from the outside, so it was normal for him to be insensitive to the pressure students felt at this school.

But the situation for this year's first-year students was different.

Mashima didn't know from what angle to start comforting Shiina for a moment.

Recently, all sorts of rumors had been running rampant among the first-years.

Although most were the truth, the school hadn't stopped them, and he had no authority to interfere with the discussions students held spontaneously in their spare time.

But the girl before him seemed to have been affected by the rumors and had begun to feel anxious.

"Shiina, I have looked at your file; you are a very excellent student. As the homeroom teacher of Class A, I will tell you responsibly: you are excellent. Do not listen to outside rumors. Whether it is our class or Class C, everyone has just enrolled, and being able to enter this school already proves that everyone is a good child."

Mashima wanted to encourage Shiina to pull herself together.

But Shiina wasn't actually denying her own worth.

It was just that Shiina herself couldn't clearly express her current feelings.

Shiina thanked Mashima once more, and this time, she expressed her specific thoughts:

"I want to make a change."

Change?

Does she mean she wants to make a friend?

Mashima also felt that distraction was the best antidote for anxiety; if she could make a good friend, all her problems would likely be solved.

"Do you have a specific direction in mind?"

Shiina shook her head, only saying that she wanted to try making a friend.

She added that she was worried because she had never made a friend before, so she didn't know how to get close to others.

Mashima felt a headache coming on, as he wasn't exactly the type of person skilled at counseling girls.

The girl before him was clearly an introverted child.

If Hoshinomiya, the homeroom teacher of Class B, were here, would it be more effective?

After all, Shiina wasn't a student of Class D, so surely Hoshinomiya would be willing to help?

Mashima thought about it again; since he had already decided to help the student, how could he easily say no?

So, biting the bullet, he finally offered his own advice:

"Perhaps you could try approaching someone who hasn't read many books before? Maybe if you recommend a good book to them, they might become interested and end up reading along with you?"

Seeing the confusion in Shiina's eyes, Mashima continued to add:

"It might be best to look within your own class. You could try telling the other person your most sincere wish. Isn't there a saying among young people today that works quite well? Sincerity is exchanged for sincerity."

Sincerity is exchanged for sincerity?

Shiina nodded.

She understood!

Afterward, Shiina bowed and thanked Mashima once more.

A girl's thoughts are like that—they come and go quickly.

Watching Shiina walk away, Mashima finally leaned back against his chair, feeling a sense of relief.

"Sigh."

This nerve-wracking tension is killing me.

Sakagami, where on earth are you right now?

Are you just going to ignore the students in your own class?

On the other hand.

After receiving guidance from the elite teacher, Shiina immediately jogged from the school building all the way to the library.

After a brief greeting to the librarian at the front desk, she quickly walked to the bookshelves, searching for the masterpiece she hadn't managed to finish a few days ago.

The current Shiina felt like she could do anything.

She believed she was now fully capable of facing her inner feelings.

At the same time, Shiina hoped to pass these feelings on to more people.

It was precisely because Shiina loved reading, and loved reading all types of books, that the wishes and obsessions of many authors had unknowingly been imprinted upon her soul.

However, from this day forward, everything would be a little different.

Shiina decided to start sharing the books she had read with others.

She called this "the desire to share."

She longed to find a companion in this school, longing to share the joy and emotion she had gained from books with someone else.

This was Shiina's sincerity.

But she also understood that even so, companions who could meet her requirements were rare.

It was even possible that in the next three years of school life, she might not meet a single person suitable for book recommendations.

Therefore, Shiina made a bold decision:

She would cultivate a book-loving companion herself!

Shiina would dye someone else in her own colors!

"Hehe."

Shiina bit her lower lip slightly, then, as if possessed, chose a seat by the library window. Usually, this area was crowded and noisy, so she wouldn't normally choose it.

But she felt that changing herself wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Shiina had thought it would be very difficult to accept a life of change.

But this feeling was unexpectedly quite good.

After that, Shiina silenced her phone and began to work through her daily reading plan.

During this time, the image of a certain person would occasionally cross her mind.

In the end.

Shiina ultimately chose not to add Ishizaki as a contact.

Because she did not trust Ryuen, she had no intention of joining his team.

If she absolutely had to choose someone to trust, Shiina had a better option.

<img src="https://e1.kuangxiangit./uplos/chaptersnew/507/178683/250629/1751187532-100437152-113235995.jpg" alt='Shiina Hiyori'>