Study Session in the Library

Days continued to pass at their own unhurried pace, much like the tree-lined path that cut across the Advanced Nurturing High School campus—seemingly unchanging, yet shifting in light and shadow as time flowed by.

Linmu Fujimiya maintained his own rhythm of life, one that could be described as detached from the world, or perhaps simply lazy.

Academics? To him, they were merely a backdrop he was required to attend.

Socializing? Kept to the absolute minimum.

His free time was allocated with clear purpose: when the weather was fine and his mood was decent, he would grab his "entrepreneurial tools" and head to the plaza or other high-traffic areas to set up shop "as fate willed."

There, he would act as the "Divination Immortal," earning personal points that had long since reached astronomical heights.

But more often than not, he preferred to lose himself in the library.

He would flip through thick, mysterious tomes filled with ancient legends and occult lore—not to learn, but purely to refine his "fortune teller" persona.

Occasionally, he would jot down a few professional-sounding terms to keep in his back pocket for "business" needs.

He would stroll over to the mystery novel section, pick out works by Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, or Soji Shimada, and lean against the bookshelves to read at his leisure.

In his view, deduction and divination actually shared a certain commonality; both involved searching for hidden patterns and "truth" within limited, seemingly chaotic information.

The only difference was that one relied on a chain of logical evidence, while the other claimed to rely on symbols and intuition to predict the future.

(One leans toward reality, while the other leans toward fantasy.)

This gave his reading a unique sense of amusement.

Since that first encounter in the library, he and Hiyori Shiina had exchanged contact information and added each other as friends.

Neither of them was the type to be keen on online socializing, so their chat logs were sparse.

But occasionally, they would exchange brief thoughts on the criminal tricks and methods used in a mystery novel they had just finished.

Offline, they often "ran into" each other in the library—or rather, they both tacitly agreed that it was a place suitable for quietude, where meeting the other wasn't exactly a surprise.

When they did encounter one another, they would nod and offer a soft greeting, sometimes chatting for a few moments about the books they were currently reading.

More often, they would each occupy a quiet corner, not disturbing one another, yet sharing a comfortable silence.

Their relationship couldn't be called intimate, but aside from Kikyo Kushida, Hiyori was the only other "friend" Linmu had at this school with whom he could chat without having to put in any effort, and their interests seemed to align even better.

This afternoon, sunlight filtered through the massive stained-glass windows on the second floor of the library, casting colorful patterns upon the floor.

Linmu and Hiyori had "run into" each other again by the mystery novel shelves.

He leaned casually against the cold bookshelf, a newly unwrapped peppermint lollipop in his mouth, refreshing and invigorating.

(Peppermint candy can sometimes have a bite to it.)

Hiyori Shiina, meanwhile, was cradling a copy of Beast in the Shadows by Edogawa Ranpo.

She leaned against the opposite shelf, reading quietly, her short silver hair falling against her cheeks as her violet eyes scanned the lines of text with focus.

A few steps separated them; there was no conversation, only the soft rustle of turning pages, the atmosphere as leisurely as a slow-motion scene from an old film.

Linmu's gaze drifted lazily away from the book on Norse runes in his hands, and he inadvertently looked through a gap in the ornate carved railing of the second floor, down toward the open reading area on the first floor.

His line of sight landed right on that area, where several long tables had been pushed together, surrounded by a few familiar figures.

It was the study session organized by Suzune Horikita to "save the academic failures of Class D."

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, the assistant for the study session, sat on the far edge, his back turned to Linmu's direction.

One could only see his straight but unremarkable silhouette, like a quiet piece of background furniture.

Kikyo Kushida sat near the middle, her face turned to the side, wearing a patiently maintained smile.

She was pointing at something in an open textbook, explaining it in a low, gentle voice to the person across from her.

The three "protagonists" of the study session across from her—Ken Sudo, Haruki Yamauchi, and Kanji Ike—presented an entirely different scene.

Ken Sudo had his arms crossed, his brows knitted into a knot, his face practically screaming "impatience" and "I don't understand a word of this."

Haruki Yamauchi's eyes were wandering, his fingers moving slightly under the table; he was likely sneaking a look at his phone.

Kanji Ike was simply slumped halfway across the table, letting out an exaggerated yawn every now and then.

Suzune Horikita, standing at the head of the table, maintained her eternal, cold expression, her eyes sharp as blades.

She held a pen, occasionally tapping it firmly against the open notebook.

Even through the distance and the library's silence, one could faintly hear the oppressive atmosphere and the unquestionable, forceful tone of her teaching.

Whenever the three across from her clearly lost focus or showed confusion—or more often, impatience—she would stop immediately.

She would offer reminders in an icy tone, sometimes even laced with undisguised disdain, as if to say, "You can't even do something this simple?"

(Looking at you as if you were trash.)

This high-pressure teaching environment, filled with negative emotions, clearly couldn't last.

Sure enough, before ten minutes had passed, the already agitated Ken Sudo slammed his hand onto the table!

"Bang!"

The dull thud sounded exceptionally jarring in the quiet first floor of the library, causing several students nearby who were buried in their books to look up in annoyance.

"Enough! I'm done studying!" Ken Sudo stood up, his face flushed red, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor with a harsh, grating noise.

"What kind of bullsh*t study session is this! I can't understand a word! And who are you putting on that sour face for!"

Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike seemed to have found their backbone, immediately standing up to join in, chiming in one after another:

"Exactly! With an attitude like that, who would want to listen!"

"What a waste of time! I'd rather go play ball than spend time on this!"

"Let's go, let's go!"

The three of them were filled with rage, cursing as they spoke, completely ignoring the books spread across the table and Suzune Horikita, whose expression had instantly turned as dark as water.

They turned and strode toward the library exit, leaving behind a chaotic scene and a frozen atmosphere.

Suzune Horikita stood where she was, her hands gripping her pen so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Her cold, beautiful face was icy, and in her eyes, besides anger, there seemed to be a trace of imperceptible frustration.

The smile on Kikyo Kushida's face had long since vanished, replaced by a look of utter helplessness and worry as she glanced at Suzune Horikita beside her.

(Kikyo is probably dying of joy inside right now.)

She looked again toward the direction the three had left, opening her mouth, but not knowing what to say.

As for Kiyotaka Ayanokoji... he didn't even turn his head to look at the three who had left.

He simply began to quietly pack up the scattered textbooks and stationery that belonged to the three of them.

His face remained as indifferent as ever, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

What was supposed to be a "rescue" study session had ended in a farce, right under the watchful eyes of everyone in the library.

Lin Mu took all of this in, his face devoid of expression, his heart completely calm—he even felt like laughing. It was just as expected.

It was as if he had foreseen this outcome all along.