Shiina Hiyori

Watanabe Hayabara left the faculty office, only to run into a familiar face right at the door.

Watanabe Hayabara closed the door securely behind him.

"Hayabara-boy, long time no see. Though, you don't look quite as beautiful as you did before."

"A summer break isn't that long, Koenji, but I personally think my current image is quite alright."

"Even as you are now, you are still far more beautiful than that crowd of others."

"Koenji, why don't you get straight to the point."

"Hayabara-boy is truly clever! Why don't we share some information?"

"That's very unlike you, Koenji."

"I simply wish to make things easier for myself, so I have more time to admire my own beauty."

"I accept that reason, but I've signed a non-disclosure agreement, so I cannot leak anything." With that, Watanabe Hayabara pulled out his student ID and displayed the points interface to Koenji.

Points: 3,100,000

"Only 3 million points as a reward, Hayabara-boy? That is pitifully low."

"If I were to trade yen and promises for points like you do, that would be one thing, but I'm not as wealthy as you."

"Hayabara-boy is truly humble."

"Let's split the points you harvest, eighty-twenty. I take twenty, you take eighty."

"Hayabara-boy, you are truly greedy, especially since you have no information to share with me."

"Do you think the school would allow such behavior from you? I don't think you'd exert yourself for the class, so earning points might be a bit difficult, no?"

"It seems I have no choice."

Koenji pulled out his student ID and added Watanabe Hayabara's contact information.

Seeing that the contact had been added, Watanabe Hayabara tucked his student ID into his pocket and turned to leave.

Koenji smoothed his hair, watching Watanabe Hayabara's retreating back. Why participate in such a boring game, Hayabara-boy?

Watanabe Hayabara walked out of the school building, his destination clear—the dormitory building.

The dormitory building of this Advanced Nurturing High School had a unique design, cleverly integrating the boys' and girls' dorms into a single structure. The girls' dorms were on the ground floor, while the boys' dorms were situated high above on the upper levels. While this design facilitated management, it also strictly prohibited boys from entering the girls' dormitory area.

Soon, he arrived in front of the dormitory building. He took the elevator up to the fifth floor, room 501; this was his room.

Entering his room, he was met with simple furnishings: a desk, a bed, and a bookshelf—that was more than enough.

He couldn't muster the slightest interest in activities like the opening ceremony. Thus, he decided to wander around this Advanced Nurturing High School alone to properly explore his new environment.

Watanabe Hayabara strolled leisurely along the campus paths, feeling the surrounding tranquility and the fresh air. From time to time, he stopped to observe the flowers and trees by the roadside or looked up to admire the distant architecture.

The campus scenery was quite pleasant, with lush trees, verdant lawns, and some meticulously designed gardens and sculptures scattered throughout. Watanabe Hayabara wandered along the path and, before he knew it, arrived at the school library. Attracted by the magnificent building, he decided to go inside and take a look.

Watanabe Hayabara walked into the library with a light step, his gaze sweeping across rows of bookshelves until it rested on a book titled Rashomon. He gently took the book from the shelf as if it were a precious treasure.

Watanabe Hayabara found a quiet corner and sat down at a desk by the window. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting dappled light and shadows across the pages. He opened the book and immersed himself in the literary world of Ryunosuke Akutagawa; time seemed to stand still in that moment.

Watanabe Hayabara was completely captivated by the story, forgetting everything around him, even the passage of time. It wasn't until he finished the last page, an unknown amount of time later, that he snapped back to reality as if waking from a dream.

He slowly closed the book and shut his eyes, letting his thoughts drift through his mind. A moment later, he opened his eyes, tilted his head at a 45-degree angle, and cracked his neck, the "pop" sound echoing as if every bone in his body had been stretched out.

"That's enough for now," Watanabe Hayabara muttered to himself, preparing to get up and leave. However, the moment he picked up the book, he suddenly felt a gaze resting upon him. He looked up in confusion, his eyes meeting those of a girl sitting across the desk.

She was a cute girl with silver-blue hair, her eyes as clear as a lake, currently staring at Watanabe Hayabara with curiosity.

"Is something the matter, fellow student?" Watanabe Hayabara's lips curled slightly, revealing a polite yet approachable smile as he looked at the girl.

Seeing this, the girl returned the same smile and said softly, "You didn't attend the opening ceremony, did you?"

Watanabe Hayabara didn't seem to care about the question; he waved his hand dismissively and replied, "It's meaningless, the opening ceremony."

The girl nodded in understanding and introduced herself: "I am Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C. It's a pleasure to meet you. I don't mean anything by it, I was just surprised that someone arrived at the library before me. After all, I rushed over here the moment the opening ceremony ended."

Watanabe Hayabara responded politely, "I am Watanabe Hayabara from Class 1-D. It's a pleasure to meet you. If there is nothing else, I shall be going now." With that, he turned to leave.

However, Shiina Hiyori suddenly called out to him: "Watanabe-kun, don't you know that helping others keep secrets is a very troublesome thing?"

Watanabe Hayabara stopped, turned back to look at Shiina Hiyori, and after a moment of silence, said, "So it couldn't be avoided after all? Name your price."

Shiina Hiyori smiled slightly and said, "I only have one question."

Watanabe Hayabara nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"What kind of books does Watanabe-kun like?" Shiina Hiyori's gaze fell on the book in Watanabe Hayabara's hand as she asked curiously.

Watanabe Hayabara thought for a moment and replied, "I read a bit of everything, but by comparison, I'm more interested in satire and mystery novels."

"In my sky, there is no sun, always night, but it is not dark because something replaces the sun. Although it is not as bright as the sun, it is enough for me. With this light, I can treat the night as day. I never had a sun, so I don't fear losing it. This classic line from the book could be the answer, couldn't it?"

Having said that, Watanabe Hayabara stood up.

"Until we meet again, Shiina-san."

"Goodbye, Watanabe-kun."

Shiina Hiyori lowered her head to continue reading the book in her hands; the title, which Watanabe Hayabara caught a glimpse of, was Journey Under the Midnight Sun.

[A very intelligent girl. I hope she doesn't become a blade that threatens me, otherwise, I'll have to snap it myself.]

Watanabe Hayabara left the library. The sky had not yet darkened, and the colorful clouds of the evening were a sight to behold. After wandering around the campus, Watanabe Hayabara didn't rush to go shopping like everyone else; instead, he headed toward an interesting place—the School History Museum.