The Library's "Chance Encounter" / Silence, Conflict, the Devil's Whisper

"Shut up!! Don't say anything!!!"

0- Hoshino En: "..."

My wife's relatives came too?

After waiting for a while, Kamuro Masumi finally recovered and slowly stood up.

"I'm not following you anymore, I'm off work!!"

"Oh, I see..."

Z So what Sakayanagi said before was true; she really does give Kamuro a day off.

But Hoshino En wanted to know much more than that.

"So, why did Sakayanagi suddenly start having you follow them again?"

How dare you ask that question?

Kamuro Masumi N didn't want to spend another second with this guy. Although her heartbeat had calmed down, her legs were still a little weak.

And isn't her increased workload entirely due to Hoshino's misdeeds?

"Why? You know perfectly well what you did!!"

After she finished speaking casually, she rushed down the stairs in a flash, looking quite angry.

Hoshino En: "..."

Why did she suddenly become so irritable?

Did Sakayanagi give her too many tasks? What an inconsiderate boss!

If that child becomes a manager in the future, her employees will probably be treated as tools, used until they're completely worn out, right?

First Semester of First Year:

Chapters 120 and 112: An [Chance Encounter] at the Library

Let's rewind a little bit.

Just as Kamuro Masumi Hoshino En, on the other side, in the library...

Hmm, I never expected to have such a dispute with Class 1-D.

Shiina Hiyori looked at the two books laid out on the table, her soft eyes filled with bitterness.

I was enjoying a wonderful time reading with Hoshino-kun just yesterday, and then this happened today.

What should she do if Hoshino-kun develops a rift or rejects her because of this?

Can they still be friends?

A look of distress crept onto her face, and a hint of panic appeared in her eyes.

Even those mystery novels that she used to love reading and never tired of, she can't even read a single page or word now.

That was the only friend she could share books with, someone she had painstakingly cultivated over half her youth! She didn't know what she would do if she lost that friend.

"I could have endured the darkness if I had never seen the light." -- She felt this statement best described her current situation.

She feels she can no longer tolerate reading alone.

"You're Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C, right? I'm Ichinose Honami from Class 1-B."

Just then, a gentle and kind voice came from the side, interrupting Shiina Hiyori's solitary worries.

2 She turned her head and saw Ichinose Honami, who was holding a book that she must have taken from the bookshelf, standing gracefully beside her, pointing with one hand to the spot next to Shiina Hiyori.

4. "Excuse me, may I sit here?"

Upon hearing the question, Shiina Hiyori felt a surge of annoyance, and her first reaction was to refuse.

This is Hoshino-kun's spot!

If I were to ask you to sit down, where would Hoshino-kun sit next? Opposite me?

But in the end, her naturally innocent kindness suppressed this malice.

"It's alright, Ichinose, please feel free to go ahead."

She moved the seat further in, making sure the voluptuous Ichinose Honami didn't feel cramped when she sat down.

Of course, this was also partly due to the fact that she and Hoshino En usually sat quite close together.

"But Ichinose, you didn't come here to read, did you? Is there something you want to tell me?"

Although both are frequent visitors to the library, Shiina Hiyori always encounters Ichinose Honami when the latter is preparing for a study session, and they never appear to be simply reading.

She's unusually leaning towards me with a book in her hand; there must be some other purpose behind it.

"Haha, you've been exposed so quickly?"

Having her intentions seen through immediately, Ichinose Honami gave Shiina Hiyori an awkward smile, but she still sat down right next to Shiina Hiyori.

"Um, Shiina, where's Hoshino-kun? Why isn't he here today?"

Hoshino-kun?

Hearing Ichinose Honami him, Shiina Hiyori's earlier melancholy resurfaced.

"Hoshino-kun... he should be practicing at the Swimming Club right now, he won't be here for a while."

But now that this has happened, will Hoshino-kun still come?

"What do you need Hoshino-kun for?"

She looked at the class representative from Class 1-B and tilted her head as if she were confused.

"Well... haha, it's really nothing..."

Ichinose Honami chuckled and brushed the topic off, not intending to discuss it in detail.

The topic then fell silent.

After that, neither of them said anything more. They just pretended to look at the books in their hands, even though their minds were elsewhere. They still put on a very focused appearance in front of each other.

Not far behind where they were, a petite girl with short silver hair and a white beret was watching their interaction with great interest.

She rested one hand on her Cane, which was leaning against the desk, and the other hand was casually placed on the table, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the corner of the book's pages.

I never expected that Ichinose would actually take the initiative to approach Shiina... Is she finally going to make her move?

Are they planning to team up with those insignificant underlings to deal with me, the most threatening one? Luckily, I came here today to take a look.

Seeing the two people standing very close together, as if they were secretly plotting something, Sakayanagi Arisu let out a sneer in her heart.

Even if they joined forces, so what? Her methods far exceed their imagination.

She took out her phone, scrolled through her contacts, and made a call to one of her friends.

"Kamuro, how's things going on your end?"

After a while--

Looking at the messages on her phone, Shiina Hiyori's beautiful eyebrows drooped.

Hoshino-kun... he's not coming...

He said he had something to do, but that's just an excuse. The reason he didn't come is because the class dispute we discussed this morning created a distance between us, which is why he doesn't want to see me, right?

What should I do then? Will I go back to being all alone?

Ichinose Honami noticed the change in her expression and asked considerately, "What's wrong with you?"

"Shiina, what's wrong? Did something happen to Hoshino-kun?"

"... Hoshino-kun can't come. He said he has other things to do this afternoon."

Shiina Hiyori truthfully relayed the message from En Hoshino En, which also caused Ichinose Honami to lower her eyes.

Is that so? Hoshino-kun isn't coming.

It seemed pointless for her to wait any longer.

"Shiina, thank you for your help this afternoon."

She stood up, bowed to Shiina Hiyori in apology, and then prepared to leave.

"Excuse me, I'll be going now."

But just then, a delicate yet sharp voice rang out from behind her.

"Ichinose, I suggest you don't leave now."

The sound abruptly stopped Ichinose Honami in her tracks. She turned to look in the direction of the sound, Shiina Hiyori followed suit—there they saw Sakayanagi Arisu hobbling towards them with a cane.

8. "Classmate Sakayanagi? What are you doing here?"

"Of course I'm here to wait for Hoshino- Hoshino-kun! But it seems like Hoshino-kun can't make it today."

She slowly moved to the seat that Ichinose Honami had previously occupied and sat down steadily.

"So, I want to go directly to Hoshino-kun."

She glanced at the two of them, taking in their expressions, and her smile widened.

"Shiina, Ichinose, are you coming?"

She was met with silence from both of them.

But they all showed signs of interest, so Sakayanagi Arisu pressed her advantage.

"Ichinose, waiting won't get you anywhere."

"And Shiina, you must be feeling conflicted and anxious right now because of the Dragon Boy' attack on Class D —why don't you go find Hoshino-kun yourself and ask him about it?"

"Asking questions sooner rather than later will put your mind at ease, won't it?"

Ichinose Honami & Shiina Hiyori: "..."

First Semester of First Year:

Chapters 121 and 113: Silence, entanglement, and the devil's whispers

Good afternoon, Hoshino -kun.

When Hoshino En arrived at the coffee shop in the Shopping Mall, he saw Hirata Yosuke sitting in a corner, smiling and waving at him.

"Good afternoon, Hirata."

Hoshino En sat down opposite him, but her inner thoughts never stopped.

Choosing such a place to discuss business is one thing, but to deliberately make such expressions and gestures... what on Hirata thinking?

Does he intend to use the power of the masses to pressure him?

Watching Hirata Yosuke food while responding to the girls greeting him, Hoshino En gradually confirmed her guess.

Hirata is quite capable, but unfortunately, he's not falling for this tactic.

If a girl uses this tactic on him, he might compromise—not out of sexism, but because in the public eye, women are generally seen as a vulnerable group and tend to receive more favor when placed alongside men, making them more difficult for him to deal with.

As for Hirata? Please, they're all grown men, what does he need to worry about?

At this moment, Hirata Yosuke finished ordering what he wanted and handed the menu to Hoshino En.

"Hoshino -kun, would you like something to order?"

Nine. His face still wore a kind smile, but unlike before, there was a hint of gloom in his smile now.

"A glass of ice water, that's all. And Hirata, stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point."

Yui pushed the menu that Hoshino En Hirata Yosuke handed her aside.

"You won't even give me a chance to refuse. What exactly do you want to talk to me about?"

Hoshino En's slightly aggressive reply made Hirata Yosuke's smile even more forced, but he still tried his best to maintain the most basic courtesy.

5. "It was my mistake to ask you beforehand; I just wanted to know your thoughts on what happened this morning."

He placed both hands on the table, elbows resting on the surface, and interlaced his fingers in front of his chin, making it impossible to see his facial expression.

But after saying that, he fell silent, his slightly furrowed brows seemingly telling of his inner turmoil.

Q- Hoshino En wasn't in a hurry. He picked up the iced water the waiter brought and took a small sip.

Ugh~ This icy stimulation is just right.