Study Session in the Library

Days continued to pass at a leisurely pace, much like the tree-lined path that cut through the Advanced Nurturing High School campus from east to west—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 that required his attendance.

Socializing? Kept to the absolute minimum.

His free time was clearly allocated: 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 decreed."

There, he would act as his "Divination Immortal," earning those Private Points that had long since soared through the roof.

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

He would flip through thick, mysterious books filled with ancient legends, not for the sake of learning, but purely to refine his "fortune teller" persona.

Occasionally, he would jot down a few professional-sounding terms that seemed impressive, just in case he needed them for "business."

He would pace over to the mystery novel section, find works by Agatha Christie, Ellery Queen, or Soji Shimada, and lean against the bookshelves to read them slowly.

In his view, deduction and divination actually shared a few similarities; 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 predict the future through symbols and intuition.

(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 quiet time, and meeting each other there wasn't exactly a surprise.

When they met, they would nod and offer a soft greeting, sometimes chatting for a few moments about the books they were currently holding.

Most of the time, they each occupied a quiet corner, not disturbing one another, yet sharing a comfortable silence.

Their relationship couldn't be called inseparable, but Hiyori was indeed the only other "friend" Linmu had in this academy besides Kikyo Kushida—someone he could talk to without having to put in the effort to manage, and whose interests seemed to align more closely with his own.

On this afternoon, sunlight filtered through the massive stained-glass windows on the second floor of the library, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

Linmu and Hiyori Shiina "ran into" each other again by the bookshelves in the mystery section.

He leaned casually against the cold bookshelf nearby, a newly unwrapped mint-flavored lollipop in his mouth, refreshing and invigorating.

(Mint-flavored candy can sometimes bite back.)

Hiyori Shiina was holding a copy of Beast in the Shadows by Edogawa Ranpo.

She leaned against the opposite bookshelf, reading quietly, her short silver hair hanging by her cheeks, her purple eyes focused as they scanned line after line of text.

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

Linmu's gaze drifted away from the book on Nordic runes in his hands, and he inadvertently looked through the gaps in the exquisite carved railing of the second floor, down to 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, with a few familiar figures gathered around.

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

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

One could only see his straight yet unremarkable back, like a quiet piece of background scenery.

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 opposite her.

As for the three "protagonists" of the study session—Ken Sudo, Haruki Yamauchi, and Kanji Ike—the scene was entirely different.

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 secretly playing on his phone.

Kanji Ike was simply half-slumped on the table, letting out an exaggerated yawn every now and then.

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

She held a pen in her hand, 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 in 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 a cold tone, sometimes even with undisguised disdain, as if to say, "You can't even do something this simple?"

(Looking at you with the eyes of someone looking at trash.)

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

Sure enough, not even ten minutes in, 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 screeching harshly against the floor.

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

Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike seemed to have found their backbone, immediately standing up to chime in with a cacophony of agreement:

"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 fuming, cursing under their breath, completely ignoring the open textbooks on the table and Suzune Horikita, whose expression had darkened like a storm cloud.

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

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

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

The smile had long since vanished from Kikyo Kushida's face, 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 toward the direction the three had left, opening her mouth, but she didn't know 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 silently 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 ended in a farce, right under the watchful eyes of everyone in the library.

Lin Mu took it all in, his face expressionless, his heart completely unmoved, and he even felt a slight urge to laugh; it was just as expected.

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

(Activity Period: May 1st to May 5th)