The days went by at their usual unhurried pace, like the tree-lined path running east to west through the Advanced Nurturing High School campus. It seemed unchanging, yet the light and shadows shifted with the passing of time.
Linmu Fujimiya stuck to his usual way of living—either indifferent to the world or simply lazy.
Schoolwork? To him, it was just a backdrop he had to show up for.
Socializing? He kept it to a bare minimum.
He had a clear plan for his spare time: when the weather was nice and he was in a decent mood, he took his "business gear" to the plaza or some other crowded spot and set up shop, letting fate decide who stopped by.
There, he played the "Divination Immortal," earning personal points that had long since surpassed astronomical levels.
But more often, he liked to spend his time in the library.
He either leafed through hefty, mysterious books on the occult and ancient legends, not to study, but purely to flesh out his "Fortune Teller" persona.
Every now and then, he jotted down a few technical terms that sounded impressive, for use when he was "on the clock."
He would also wander over to the mystery section, pick out works by Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, or Soji Shimada, and read at his leisure, leaning against a bookshelf.
In his view, mystery and divination did have a little in common. Both involved searching for hidden patterns and "truth" amid limited, seemingly chaotic information.
The difference was that one relied on a chain of logical evidence, while the other claimed to predict the future through symbols and intuition.
(One leaned toward reality, while the other leaned toward fantasy.)
That gave his reading a unique kind of appeal.
Since their first meeting in the library, he and Hiyori Shiina had exchanged contact information and added each other as friends.
Neither was the type to enjoy socializing online, so their chat history was sparse.
But every now and then, they briefly exchanged thoughts on the tricks and methods behind a crime in a mystery novel one of them had just finished.
In person, they often "ran into each other" at the library—or, rather, they both tacitly accepted that it was a quiet place to spend time, where seeing the other wasn't a surprise.
When they met, they nodded and exchanged a quiet greeting. Sometimes, they chatted briefly about the books they were reading.
More often, they each settled into a quiet corner, leaving the other in peace while sharing a comfortable silence.
They weren't particularly close, but at this school, aside from Kikyo Kushida, Hiyori was another "friend" Lin Mu could talk to without having to make an effort to entertain her—and their interests seemed to align even better.
That afternoon, sunlight poured through the library's enormous stained-glass windows on the second floor, casting colorful shadows across the floor.
Lin Mu and Hiyori Shiina "ran into each other" once again beside the shelves in the mystery section.
He leaned casually against a cold bookshelf, a newly unwrapped mint lollipop in his mouth. Its cool sweetness helped keep him alert.
(Sometimes, mint candy could bite back.)
Hiyori, meanwhile, held a copy of Edogawa Ranpo's Beast in the Shadows.
Leaning against the opposite shelf, she read quietly, her short silver hair falling beside her cheeks as her violet eyes followed the lines of text.
A few paces separated them. Neither spoke; the only sound was the soft rustle of turning pages. The scene was as laid-back as a moment from some old film in slow motion.
Lin Mu's gaze drifted away from the book in his hands about Nordic Runic Runes. Through the gaps in the ornate railing on the second floor, he happened to look down at the open reading area below.
His eyes landed on a section filled with several tables pushed together, around which a few familiar faces had gathered.
It was the "save Class D's deadweight" study group organized by Suzune Horikita.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, the study group's assistant, sat at the outermost edge with his back to Lin Mu.
All Lin Mu could see was his straight-backed, utterly unremarkable silhouette, like a quiet fixture in the background.
Kikyo Kushida sat near the middle, turned slightly to the side, wearing a patient smile she was clearly struggling to maintain.
She pointed to something in the open textbook before her and quietly explained it to the person across from her, her voice gentle.
The three "stars" of the study group—Ken Sudō, Haruki Yamauchi, and Kanji Ike—were another matter entirely.
Ken sat with his arms crossed, his brows knotted, his face practically shouting, "I'm fed up" and "I don't get a damn thing."
Haruki's gaze wandered, and his fingers fidgeted beneath the table. He was probably sneaking a game on his phone.
Kanji was practically sprawled across the table, letting out an exaggerated yawn every so often.
Standing at the head of the table, Suzune wore the same cool expression she always did, her eyes sharp as blades.
She held a pen, occasionally jabbing it hard against the open notes.
Even from a distance, through the hushed library, Lin Mu could make out the atmosphere of strictness and the unyielding forcefulness in her teaching.
Whenever the three across from her were clearly distracted or looked confused—or, more often, annoyed—she would immediately stop.
In a cold voice, she'd remind them, sometimes with undisguised contempt that seemed to ask, "You can't even understand something this simple?"
(She looked at them like they were trash.)
This high-pressure teaching style, steeped in negativity, clearly couldn't last.
Sure enough, not even ten minutes had passed before the already irritable Ken Sudō slammed a hand down on the table!
"Bang!"
The dull thud sounded especially jarring in the quiet first floor of the library, making several nearby students look up from their books in annoyance.
"That's it! I'm done studying!" Ken stood up, his face red with anger, and the legs of his chair screeched against the floor.
"What kind of stupid study group is this? I can't understand a thing! Who do you think you are, giving us that sour look?"
Haruki and Kanji seemed to have found their leader. They immediately got to their feet and chimed in one after another:
"Exactly! Who'd want to listen with an attitude like that?"
"What a waste of time! We could've been playing ball instead!"
"Come on, let's go!"
The three stormed off, cursing under their breath. They didn't spare a glance for the open books on the table or Suzune's face, which had darkened in an instant.
They strode toward the library entrance, leaving behind a mess and a frozen atmosphere.
Suzune stood still, gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Her beautiful, aloof face was ice-cold. Along with the anger in her eyes, there seemed to be a hint of failure she couldn't quite conceal.
Kikyo's smile had long since vanished, replaced by helplessness and worry. She looked at Suzune.
(Kushida must have been thrilled on the inside.)
Then she looked toward the direction the three had left. She opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
As for Kiyotaka... he didn't even turn to watch the three leave.
He simply began gathering the textbooks and stationery they'd left scattered across the table.
His face remained as indifferent as ever, as if none of it had anything to do with him.
What had been meant as a study group to "save" them had ended in near farce, brought to an abrupt close in full view of everyone in the library.
Lin Mu had watched it all unfold. His expression remained unchanged, and he felt no particular reaction—he almost wanted to laugh. Just as expected.
It was as though he'd known all along that this was how it would end.
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