Library Anecdotes

Just as Kamuro Masumi and the others were still drowning in the sea of knowledge, a roar from a red-haired ape suddenly erupted nearby.

"Who are you calling ignorant and incompetent!?"

In truth, Uesugi Hara had noticed the commotion over there for a while, but since the plot hadn't officially unfolded yet, there was nothing worth his attention. He turned to the few still buried in their studies and said, "If you're tired of studying, take a break."

"Phew—" The moment he finished, Morishita Ran let out a long sigh, her tense shoulders finally relaxing. Kamuro Masumi looked as if all her strength had been drained, collapsing onto the table with a thud and muttering into the wood, "Finally, a break..."

Beside them, Yamamura Miki's fingers, gripping her pen, paused slightly, leaving a faint ink dot on her notebook. She didn't relax as openly as Kamuro or show the obvious relief of Morishita Ran; she simply looked up at Uesugi Hara and gave a slight nod.

Sakayanagi Arisu set down her coffee. She looked up at Uesugi Hara, her pale eyes shimmering with inquiry: "Is Uesugi-kun planning to watch the show from here? I noticed you glancing over there quite frequently."

Uesugi Hara met her gaze, his tone flat: "Isn't Arisu-san doing the same? There must be someone over there you care about. Let me guess—is it that brown-haired, expressionless boy?"

"Oh? Does Uesugi-kun have any basis for that?" Sakayanagi traced the rim of her cup with her fingertip, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on her lips.

"No basis," Uesugi Hara said, looking away, his tone casual. "Just a guess."

"Is that so? It seems Uesugi-kun's guesses are quite precise." Sakayanagi Arisu's fingertip stopped on the rim; her smile remained, but a faint, cold light flickered in the depths of her eyes.

"Could it be Arisu-san's sweetheart, then? If so, I'll be heartbroken." Uesugi Hara's tone carried a deliberate, playful edge, though he quietly observed her reaction.

"Heh—" Sakayanagi let out a soft, light laugh that was strangely tinged with excitement. "Unfortunately, that is not the case." She leaned in slightly, her pale eyes appearing exceptionally sharp in the light. "He is someone I intend to bury with my own hands sooner or later."

"I see." Uesugi Hara replied, his tone devoid of much emotion.

As soon as their conversation ended, the two fell silent in tacit agreement—despite no prior arrangement, they seemed to have timed it perfectly.

The others nearby, who had been listening intently, had their interest piqued just as Sakayanagi picked up her coffee to take a sip and Uesugi Hara turned his gaze back to the confrontation, as if the sharp, pointed dialogue had never occurred.

"...What a waste of time!" Sudo Ken clicked his tongue impatiently, shoved his books into his bag with a loud zip, and strode away.

Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki exchanged a look, gathered their things with a mumbled "We're leaving too," and hurried after Sudo Ken.

"It seems this farce is coming to an end." Sakayanagi Arisu tapped her desk with her fingertip, her tone tinged with disdain.

"That's not necessarily true." Uesugi Hara's voice was low, yet it felt like a stone dropped into a calm pond.

No sooner had he spoken than Horikita Suzune's gaze shifted to the other side; the sharpness she had directed at others vanished, only to be aimed fiercely at Kushida Kikyo: "What are you doing here? Are you here specifically to get in my way?"

After a heated argument.

After Kushida Kikyo ran off with a sob, Horikita Suzune also turned and left with a cold face, finally dissipating the tense atmosphere.

"It seems the person Arisu-san is concerned about has no intention of taking any action either." Uesugi Hara rested his fingers on the edge of the table, his gaze sweeping casually over the direction the two had left, his tone indifferent, as if discussing something trivial.

Sakayanagi Arisu looked out the window, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the patterns on her coffee cup. "It certainly appears so." She paused, a flicker of imperceptible interest crossing her pale eyes. "However, the more composed the prey, the more interesting it is when their disguise is finally torn away, isn't it?"

Uesugi Hara raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. Sunlight filtered through the glass, casting long shadows of the two across the table. The air returned to its previous, unruffled calm, yet it left one with the feeling that this temporarily suppressed storm would inevitably rise again.

"Alright, let's wrap up today's study session here." Uesugi Hara closed his notebook and tapped the table lightly. "Review the key points we covered when you get back; don't forget everything the moment you leave."

Kamuro Masumi, just recovering from the relief of "taking a break," sat up straight and scrambled to gather her scattered materials—the impression of her face still visible on the page like a faint mark. Morishita Ran nodded, her knuckles turning white from the long hours of gripping her pen as she capped it.

Yamamura Miki had already organized her notes and was circling key formulas in red; hearing this, she looked up and replied "Okay" in a clear, soft voice.

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't move immediately, watching the others pack up with a faint, elusive smile.

Only when Uesugi Hara stood up to leave did she slowly pick up her coffee cup and say to his back, "Would you like some company, Uesugi-kun? Perhaps we might 'happen' upon something interesting."

Uesugi Hara paused, turned to look at Sakayanagi, his tone losing some of its earlier nonchalance and gaining a touch of genuine warmth: "Rather than 'happening' upon things, there is someone waiting for me over there, and with Kamuro there to see you off, you won't need to trouble me."

He turned and walked toward the window. Shiina Hiyori was sitting there reading a novel; hearing the movement, she looked up. Her eyelashes, which had been resting quietly, fluttered, and as she saw Uesugi Hara approach, a faint smile bloomed in her eyes like ripples hiding starlight.

She didn't stand up, simply sliding the empty chair beside her closer to make room.

Kamuro Masumi, having just slung her bag over her shoulder, caught a glimpse of Sakayanagi's expression and leaned in, teasing with a drawn-out tone: "Sakayanagi~ look, look, the moment that guy Uesugi finds someone he wants to see, he leaves you behind—does this count as forgetting an 'old acquaintance' for a new flame?"

She watched Sakayanagi's reaction out of the corner of her eye, filled with the curiosity of someone looking for a show.

After all, she was used to seeing the two of them speak with subtle probes; seeing Uesugi Hara show such gentleness toward someone else felt fresh.

Sakayanagi Arisu didn't seem displeased; instead, she curled her lips slightly and brushed a strand of hair from her shoulder: "Kamuro-san's description is quite interesting. However, Uesugi-kun's choice is not entirely unexpected." Her tone remained composed, as if the words were nothing more than a passing breeze.

Kamuro Masumi, who had expected to see a different expression, couldn't help but pout: "Eh? You're not angry? If it were me, I'd definitely be stomping my feet if I were 'snubbed' like that."

Sakayanagi Arisu turned to her, her pale eyes holding a faint smile: "Angry? Why should I be? Isn't it normal for Uesugi-kun to have someone he cares about?" She paused, her gaze sweeping over Uesugi Hara, who was discussing the novel with Shiina Hiyori, her fingers sliding gently over her cane. "Besides, anyone who can make Uesugi-kun take the initiative to approach them is worth noting. Perhaps, in the future, they will become an unexpected 'variable'."

"Variable?" Kamuro Masumi frowned, pondering for a long time without really understanding, so she simply waved her hand. "Forget it, you smart people think way too much! Are you coming or not? If not, I'm going to find Morishita and the others."

Sakayanagi chuckled at her and turned her gaze back to Uesugi Hara. Sunlight shone through the window, casting overlapping spots of light on the two. Uesugi Hara's profile was much softer than usual as he spoke, and when Shiina Hiyori occasionally looked up, the tips of her ears would turn a faint red. Sakayanagi adjusted her cuff, her smile unchanged, but she had already quietly added this new "combination" to her list of things to watch.

"Let's go."

"Have you been waiting long?" Uesugi Hara's voice softened as he sat down beside her.

Shiina Hiyori shook her head, pushed the book in her hands toward him, and pointed to a page: "Not at all. I saw you were talking, so I read a bit on my own... There's a part here I'm not sure about, and I wanted to ask you."

"Oh, this part..."

When they had finished chatting, Uesugi Hara glanced at the clock on the wall; the hands had already slipped past evening. He noticed Shiina Hiyori still clutching her pen, a hint of lingering reluctance in her eyes, and asked casually, "Doesn't Class C usually organize study sessions?"

Shiina Hiyori curled her fingers around her pen and replied softly, "Ryuen-kun has his own arrangements." Her tone was devoid of emotion, yet it seemed to acknowledge something.

"I see." Uesugi Hara replied, though he recalled scenes he had caught glimpses of lately—people from Class C always loitering nearby when Class B held study sessions, either making noise on purpose or interjecting with disruptive comments, clearly with ill intent.

He pulled his thoughts back and stood up to pack his things: "It's getting late, I'm heading back." Before leaving, he turned to look at Shiina Hiyori, who was still in her seat, his tone carrying a gentle reminder: "Don't just read novels when you get back; remember to get some rest."

At the mention of "novels," the tips of Shiina Hiyori's ears grew warm, and she nodded quickly: "Yes, I understand. Be careful on your way back, Uesugi-kun."