Daily Life

Qiuyue walked out of the dormitory building. The weather was sunny and the temperature comfortable. It should have been a day worth enjoying, but no matter what, Qiuyue just couldn't feel happy.

Qiuyue walked step by step toward Class 1-D in the teaching building, entering the classroom with a nervous heart.

Qiuyue: (They're not here yet, those three idiots... What should I do? Those three are bound to spread the word everywhere. Maybe not the other classes, but I bet everyone in Class D will know... Sigh... I need to figure out what to do.)

Ike, Yamauchi, and Sudo entered the classroom with just one minute to spare before class.

Ike and Yamauchi were both panting, but there was no time to complain. They hurried to their seats.

The teacher came into the classroom.

"Class, let's begin."

As soon as the bell rang, the teacher at the front of the room stopped lecturing and dismissed the class right on time.

Ike and Yamauchi seemed to have been waiting impatiently. The moment class ended, they rushed over to Qiuyue's seat.

"Hey, hey, hey, Qiuyue, what did those two girls want with you yesterday? They were super cute."

"Right, right? They had totally different styles. The one in front was petite and cute, and the one behind her was gorgeous."

"Leave it to you, Yamauchi. You were thinking the same thing I was. The first one was as cute as a doll, and the other looked like a model."

"...Heh heh."

"...Heh heh."

Qiuyue: (Leave it to you two to completely exclude Hashimoto, huh? He was standing right there, but all you saw were girls. Hashimoto's probably crying in the bathroom.)

Qiuyue spread his hands and said:

"I don't know them either. They just said they wanted to read the book I borrowed from the Library and asked if I'd let them read it first."

Qiuyue: (Ugh... Even I think that excuse sounds flimsy, but it should be fine. Those two aren't exactly smart, so they probably won't get suspicious.)

"Seriously? You lucky bastard. Even if all they did was borrow a book, getting approached and talked to by two super-beautiful girls is already something everyone would envy!!!"

"Exactly, Qiuyue! Did you give them the book? If not, let me deliver it to them! Please, this is the greatest favor I'll ever ask of you! Qiuyue!"

Qiuyue: (Leave it to you two... You really have no shame... Once again, you've managed to surprise me.)

Ike and Yamauchi let their anguish, grief, and regret spill out without restraint. They even begged Qiuyue to let them deliver the book, so they could get a close-up look at the two beautiful girls and talk to them.

They were probably hoping to use this opportunity to get to know them and start all kinds of things. Of course, that was all just fantasy in their heads.

Ike and Yamauchi didn't hold back at all when they spoke, so the whole class could hear them.

The girls in class even shifted a little farther away from Qiuyue's seat, gathering in small groups and openly looking at Ike and Yamauchi with disgust, as if they were garbage.

Qiuyue seemed to have anticipated this. He propped his face on one hand and turned toward the wall, reflecting on his actions.

"No, I gave it to them yesterday."

Qiuyue: (Phew... Out of sight, out of mind. I'll just look at the wall. Nothing good ever happens when I get mixed up with these two.)

(Why can't you be more like Sudo? He's focused on liking Horikita. You two should hurry up and fall for someone already.)

"How could you?"

"Yeah... Qiuyue... Please, at least tell us their names."

When Ike and Yamauchi heard what Qiuyue said, they slumped to the floor in disappointment. But when Yamauchi asked Qiuyue for their names again, the two of them perked up a little.

"I don't know."

Qiuyue's immediate "I don't know" crushed Ike and Yamauchi's hopes. They had thought they might get to know the two super-beautiful girls from the day before.

Qiuyue: (This is ridiculous ╮(╯＿╰)╭. Pretty funny, huh? Now the girls in class hate me too.)

At three thirty in the afternoon, it was time to go home. Since Qiuyue hadn't joined any clubs, he tidied up the books on his desk as usual.

After finishing a day of classes, he was about to head to the Library to find his book-loving friend when someone he'd never spoken to before approached him.

"Qiuyue, we're going to karaoke together. Want to come with us?"

Qiuyue was completely taken aback by the person standing before him. Hirata, the class's undisputed leader and a hugely popular guy, had actually invited someone as unnoticeable as him.

After a brief mental scramble, Qiuyue still couldn't figure out what Hirata's motive was. Since he already had plans with Shiina, he turned him down.

The day before, Qiuyue and Shiina had shared their thoughts on what they'd read over their phones and agreed to meet in the Library.

"N-no, thanks. I have something to do."

After saying that, Qiuyue slung his shoulder bag over his back and headed straight for the door.

"Wait, Qiuyue. How about we go together another day? Would that be okay?"

Hirata quickly called after him, as if afraid Qiuyue would walk right out of the classroom.

Qiuyue glanced at the group of girls behind Hirata. There were a few boys there too. It would have been strange if it were just Hirata, Qiuyue, and a group of girls.

The girls behind him were whispering about something. They'd started as soon as Qiuyue rejected Hirata. Though they spoke too quietly for him to hear, it wasn't hard to guess what they were saying.

Qiuyue: (...How did I even have the nerve to reject someone like Hirata...?)

(Whatever. I can't handle things like this—group gatherings and all that.)

(If I don't leave now, everyone in class will start paying attention to me. If I just hurry out, they'll treat this as a minor incident.)

"Hirata, maybe another day. A group outing clearly isn't the sort of thing someone like me can handle."

After saying that, Qiuyue didn't give Hirata a chance to reply. He walked out of the classroom without looking back.

When Qiuyue arrived at the Library, Shiina was bursting with things she wanted to share. He had a few things to share too, but since she was so cute, he dutifully played the listener.

Shiina talked for a long time. Qiuyue occasionally chimed in with his thoughts, then shared what he thought of The Offering to the Void.

After that, it was time to read.

"...You really do have a knack for finding the Four Great Strange Books... You picked another one."

"Huh? Really? No way. There are so many books here, and there are only four of the Four Great Strange Books. I've already picked three of them this quickly?"

"Really. This book is divided into five chapters. The odd-numbered chapters are the author's 'realistic novel,' while the even-numbered chapters are a 'fictional novel' written by Katashiro Jo, the protagonist of the realistic novel.

"The characters in the fictional novel appear under their 'real names.' In other words, every character has the same name in both novels.

"The truth and fiction are all tangled together, leaving the reader thoroughly confused and unable to tell what's real. That's the book's greatest feature."

Shiina was at it again. She clearly loved introducing the works she liked to other people.

Qiuyue sighed and smiled helplessly as he looked over the cover of the book in his hands.

Lost Paradise in the Box