Hirata Yousuke and Kushida Kikyo took on more of the class's day-to-day coordination and study-session planning.
That left Hoshida No with more time to himself.
He spent most of that extra time in the library.
He usually chose a window-side corner on the second floor, where the natural sciences section met the humanities and social sciences section.
The light was good there, and the bookshelves formed a natural, partial enclosure. He could keep an eye on the main aisle without being easily disturbed.
He was reading a book on the evolution of Japan's postwar economic structure. One of its arguments reminded him of a possible metaphor for the school's point-based economy.
As he sank into thought, the faintest footsteps interrupted him.
They stopped in front of the philosophy shelves diagonally across from him. Through a gap between the shelves, Hoshida No spotted a figure.
It was a petite, slender girl in a well-fitted school uniform. The most striking thing about her was her short, pure-white hair, as white as fresh snow.
She tilted her head slightly as she browsed the books on the higher shelves. Her profile was gentle, and her long white eyelashes fluttered now and then.
Rising onto her toes, she took down a thick book from the top shelf—Being and Time.
Hoshida No recognized her: Shiina Hiyori from Class C.
She was a curious anomaly in Class C, a class ruled by Ryuen Kakeru's violence and intimidation.
Shiina Hiyori didn't seem to notice Hoshida No watching her. Cradling the heavy book, she walked over to a sunny window seat nearby.
She didn't start reading right away. First, she quietly watched the shadows of the swaying trees outside and gazed into space for a moment. Then she slowly opened the book.
Hoshida No turned his attention back to his own book, but he had already filed Shiina Hiyori away as an interesting subject to observe.
In an environment like Ryuen's, where brute force and domination were prized, what did someone like her—a delicate girl who loved reading and lost herself in her own world—look like to him?
A few days later, Hoshida No returned to the same area of the library to look up material on cognitive psychology experiment design. He found that the reference book he needed was on a high shelf in the philosophy section.
He reached for it just as another slender, pale hand reached for the same book from the other side of the shelf.
Their fingertips almost touched the spine at the same time.
Hoshida No paused, withdrew his hand, and moved around to the other side of the shelf.
Shiina Hiyori stood there, gazing up at him. She was still holding Being and Time, apparently there to return it and find something new to read.
"Sorry, go ahead," Hoshida No said briefly, his tone even.
Shiina Hiyori glanced at him, then at Cognitive Psychology: Experiments and Theory.
"Are you interested in this book too?" Her voice was soft.
"I need it for reference," Hoshida No replied.
Shiina Hiyori nodded, but didn't immediately take the book. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and studied his face for a moment. "I remember you," she said quietly. "Hoshida No from Class D. The one who led Class D to a miracle on the midterms."
"You're giving me too much credit," Hoshida No replied just as calmly. He wasn't surprised she recognized him. His "notoriety" had indeed grown after the midterms.
Shiina Hiyori seemed to think for a moment, then did something that surprised Hoshida No.
She reached for Cognitive Psychology and took it off the shelf. Rather than keeping it for herself, she held it out to Hoshida No.
"It seems like you need it more. I can borrow it next time." Her gesture was natural.
Hoshida No looked at the book she was offering but didn't take it right away. He wondered: Was this simple courtesy? A Class C student testing someone from Class D? Or did this girl called Shiina Hiyori simply have her own unusual way of doing things?
"Thanks." In the end, he took the book without saying anything more.
Shiina Hiyori's lips curved slightly. "You're welcome. Knowledge is meant to be shared." After saying that, she turned back to the shelves, as if nothing had happened.
Hoshida No returned to his seat with the book, but part of his attention remained on the white-haired girl.
He saw Shiina Hiyori quickly choose another book, return to her usual window seat, and lose herself in it once more.
Hoshida No thought highly of the girl: someone who had managed to maintain an independent inner world and an unusual way of thinking in an environment like Class C.
That afternoon,
Ichinose Honami contacted Hoshida No by phone and arranged to meet him beside the school building.
By the time Hoshida No arrived, Ichinose Honami was already there. Unlike usual, she hadn't tied her pink hair back neatly; it fell casually over her shoulders.
She leaned against the red brick wall, head bowed, her gaze fixed on a pink envelope in her hands. Her fingertips absently rubbed its sealed edge.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up. The moment she saw Hoshida No, a smile appeared on her face, but it couldn't hide the worry underneath.
"Brother No, you're here." Her greeting was softer than usual.
Hoshida No stopped in front of her and nodded.
His gaze passed over the envelope in her hands. He didn't ask about it, simply waiting quietly for her to speak.
The fact that she had chosen such a secluded place to meet him made it clear that this was private.
Ichinose took a deep breath, as if steeling herself.
She raised the envelope slightly, then lowered it. After doing this twice, she finally spoke in a low voice. "I... found this in my shoe locker today."
"A letter?" Hoshida No asked.
"Yeah." Ichinose nodded, her fingers tightening around it. "It's a love letter... from a girl in my class."
The air fell still for a moment.
Hoshida No watched her in silence. He didn't immediately ask who had written it, nor did he show any surprise. He waited for her to gather her thoughts and explain what was really bothering her.
"She... put the letter in my shoe locker." Ichinose's voice carried a faint tremor. "She wrote a lot. She said she'd noticed me since the start of the school year, that she liked my smile, how hard I worked, the way I led everyone forward..."
She looked up at Hoshida No, her eyes full of uncertainty. "Brother No, I... I don't know what to do. If it were a boy, I might be able to reject him more clearly and handle it in a more socially conventional way. But she's a girl... and a classmate. We see each other every day and work together for the class. I'm worried that any reaction I have—even if I just handle it poorly—could hurt her or even affect the class atmosphere."
She stepped forward, drawing a little closer to Hoshida No.
"I haven't told Kei. It's not that I don't trust her. It's just... Kei might worry about me and get too caught up in this, or start thinking badly of that classmate for no reason. I don't want to make things more complicated."
She paused, her voice dropping lower. "Brother No, I thought... you might understand the situation and give me some more level-headed advice."
Hoshida No looked away from her and toward the shadows of the trees swaying at the end of the alley.
"Does the letter ask you to respond?" Hoshida No asked.
Ichinose considered it, then shook her head. "She didn't explicitly ask for an answer... She said she just wanted me to know, and that was enough."
"From the way she phrased it, this sounds more like a one-sided confession than a request," Hoshida No analyzed. "Now you know how she feels. Any trouble that follows will probably depend on how you interact with her from here on."
"As for the letter," Hoshida No continued, his gaze returning to the pink envelope, "since she hasn't asked for an answer, you can simply accept it without saying anything. That doesn't mean you're being cold; it means respecting her choice to share her feelings. You don't need to react outwardly right away."
"Then... how should I act around her in class from now on?" Ichinose asked, getting to the most practical question.
"Just as you always have," Hoshida No replied firmly. "You're Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class B. She's your classmate and teammate."
He added, "Honami, you're used to taking everything on yourself, but some burdens don't have to be yours alone. Trust her to handle her own feelings. You just need to be yourself. That's the most responsible answer you can give."
Ichinose Honami listened quietly. Her fingers, which had been gripping the envelope tightly, slowly relaxed.
"I think... I know what to do now," she said softly, letting out a long breath. "Thank you, Brother No."
She carefully slipped the pink envelope into an inner pocket of her schoolbag.
"I'll keep this letter safe. Then... tomorrow, I'll still be me, and Class B will still be Class B." She straightened her back, her gaze firm once more. "Like you said, being myself is the best response."
Hoshida No gave a slight nod and said nothing more.
"Brother No? What would you do if someone close to you confessed their feelings to you?" Ichinose asked absentmindedly as she walked alongside Hoshida No.
"I don't know," he said.