Trivia

Hirata Yousuke and Kushida Kikyo took over more of the daily class coordination and study group organization.

Hoshida No gained more time for himself.

He spent most of this extra time in the library.

He habitually chose a corner by the window at the intersection of the second-floor natural sciences and humanities/social sciences sections.

The lighting was ample, and the bookshelves formed a natural semi-enclosed structure, allowing him to observe the main aisle while not being easily disturbed.

He was perusing a monograph on the evolution of Japan's post-war economic structure, and a certain viewpoint in the book made him think of a potential metaphor within the school's point-based economic system.

Just as he was immersed in thought, a very faint sound of footsteps interrupted his train of thought.

The footsteps stopped in front of the philosophy section shelves diagonally opposite him. Through the gaps between the shelves, Hoshida No saw a figure.

It was a slender, petite girl, wearing a well-fitting school uniform. Most striking was her short, pure white hair, like fresh snow.

She tilted her head slightly, browsing the books on the higher shelves. The lines of her profile were soft, and her long white eyelashes occasionally fluttered.

She stood on tiptoe and took down a thick book from a high shelf—Being and Time.

Hoshida No recognized her, Shiina Hiyori from Class C.

An anomaly in Class C, seemingly out of place under Ryuen Kakeru's rule of violence and intimidation.

Shiina Hiyori seemed unaware of Hoshida No's gaze. She hugged the thick book and walked to a nearby window seat with better sunlight to sit down.

She didn't start reading immediately. Instead, she quietly watched the swaying tree shadows outside the window, lost in thought for a moment, before slowly opening the book.

Hoshida No withdrew his gaze and returned to his own book, but in his mind, he had already categorized Shiina Hiyori as an interesting subject for observation.

In an environment like Ryuen's, which valued raw power and dominance, what would such a delicate girl, who loved reading and was immersed in her own world, be seen as in his eyes?

A few days later, when Hoshida No returned to the same area of the library, intending to look up some materials on cognitive psychology experiment design, he found that the reference book he needed was placed on a higher shelf in the philosophy section.

As he reached for it, another fair, slender hand reached for the same book from the other side of the bookshelf almost simultaneously.

Their fingertips touched the spine of the book at nearly the same moment.

Hoshida No paused, withdrew his hand, and turned to the other side of the bookshelf.

Shiina Hiyori stood there, looking up at him slightly. She was still holding Being and Time, seemingly here to return it and look for a new target.

"Sorry, you first," Hoshida No said briefly, his tone flat.

Shiina Hiyori looked at him, then at the book Cognitive Psychology: Experiments and Theory.

"Are you also interested in this book?" her voice was soft.

"For reference," Hoshida No replied.

Shiina Hiyori nodded, but didn't take the book immediately. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her gaze lingering on Hoshida No's face for a moment. "I remember you," she said softly, "Hoshida No-kun from Class D. The one who led Class D to a miracle during the midterms."

"You flatter me," Hoshida No responded just as calmly, not surprised by her recognition. His "fame" had indeed grown after the midterm exams.

Shiina Hiyori seemed to ponder for a moment, then made a move that surprised Hoshida No somewhat.

She reached out and took Cognitive Psychology from the bookshelf. She didn't keep it for herself but handed it to Hoshida No.

"You seem to need it more. I can borrow it next time," she said naturally.

Hoshida No looked at the book she was offering, not taking it immediately. He thought to himself: Was this simple politeness? A probe from a Class C member towards Class D? Or was it the unique logic of this girl named Shiina Hiyori?

"Thank you," he finally took the book, saying no more.

Shiina Hiyori curved her lips slightly. "You're welcome. Knowledge should flow." With that, she turned and resumed browsing the shelves, as if the brief interlude had never happened.

Hoshida No returned to his seat with the book, but part of his attention remained on the white figure.

He saw Shiina Hiyori quickly select another book and return to her usual window seat, immersing herself once more.

Hoshida No held a high opinion of the girl, one who maintained an independent inner world and peculiar behavioral logic in an environment like Class C.

That afternoon, Ichinose Honami contacted Hoshida No via mobile phone, arranging to meet on the side of the school building.

When Hoshida No arrived, Ichinose Honami was already there. Today, she hadn't neatly tied up her long pink hair as usual; instead, it was casually draped over her shoulders.

She leaned against the red brick wall, her head bowed, her gaze fixed on a pink envelope in her hand, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the seal.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up. The moment she saw Hoshida No, a smile bloomed on her face, but it couldn't hide her distress.

"Brother No, you're here," her greeting was softer than usual.

Hoshida No stopped in front of her and nodded.

His gaze swept over the envelope in her hand, and he asked no questions, simply waiting quietly for her to speak.

The choice of this secluded location to meet already indicated the privacy of the matter.

Ichinose took a deep breath, as if steeling herself.

She raised the envelope slightly, then lowered it, repeating this twice before speaking in a low voice, "I... I found this in my shoe locker today."

"A letter?" Hoshida No confirmed.

"Yes," Ichinose nodded, her fingertips tightening. "It's a love letter... written by a girl in the class."

The air stagnated for a moment.

Hoshida No watched her in silence, neither pressing for a name immediately nor showing any sign of surprise. He was waiting for her to collect her thoughts and voice the core issue that truly troubled her.

"She... put a letter in my shoe locker." Ichinose's voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling. "She wrote a lot. She said she'd been watching me since the start of the school year, that she liked my smile, liked how hard I worked, and liked the way I led everyone forward..."

She raised her eyes to look at Hoshida No, her gaze brimming with bewilderment. "Brother No, I... I don't know what to do. If it were a boy, I might be able to reject them more clearly and handle it in a more socially conventional way. But a girl... and she's a classmate in Class B, someone I have to see every day and work with for the sake of the class... I'm worried that any reaction I have, even if it's just handled slightly improperly, will hurt her or even affect the atmosphere of the class."

She took a small step forward, closing the distance between her and Hoshida No.

"I didn't tell Kei. It's not that I don't trust her, it's just... Kei might become overly concerned about this out of worry for me, or develop unnecessary opinions about that classmate. I don't want to make things more complicated."

She paused, her voice dropping lower. "Brother No, I feel... perhaps you can understand this situation and give me... a calmer piece of advice."

Hoshida No's gaze shifted from her face to the swaying shadows of the trees at the end of the alley.

"Does the letter ask for a reply?" Hoshida No asked.

Ichinose thought for a moment and shook her head. "She didn't explicitly ask for a reply... She said that just wanting me to know was enough."

"Then, judging by her phrasing, this is more of a one-sided notification than a request," Hoshida No analyzed. "You are now aware of her feelings. Any subsequent trouble should depend on your future interactions with her."

"As for this letter," Hoshida No's gaze fell back to the pink envelope, "since the other party didn't ask for a response, you can choose to accept it in silence. This doesn't mean indifference; it means respecting the wish she expressed. You don't need to make any outward reaction immediately."

"Then... how should I face her in class from now on?" Ichinose asked the most practical question.

"The same as always." Hoshida No's answer was concise and powerful. "You are Ichinose Honami, the leader of Class B, and she is your classmate and teammate."

He added at the end, "Honami, you are used to bearing everything, but some weights do not need to be carried alone. Trust that the other person has the ability to handle their own emotions. You only need to be yourself; that is the most responsible answer you can give."

Ichinose Honami listened quietly, her fingers, which had been tightly gripping the envelope, slowly loosening.

"I think... I know what to do now." She said softly, letting out a long sigh of relief. "Thank you, Brother No."

She carefully tucked the pink envelope into the inner pocket of her bag with gentle movements.

"I will keep this letter safe. And then... starting tomorrow, I will still be me, and Class B will still be Class B." She straightened her back, her eyes becoming firm once more. "Just as you said, being myself is the best response."

Hoshida No nodded slightly, saying nothing more.

"Brother No? If someone close to you confessed to you, what would you do?" Ichinose walked side-by-side with Hoshida No, speaking unintentionally.

"I don't know," he said.