Satsu jogged all the way to the library.
The moment he stepped inside, Satsu felt an intense sense of tranquility. It seemed to be an atmosphere unique to every library.
He could not help slowing down, changing from a jog to a brisk walk and minimizing the noise he made so as not to disturb anyone else.
His gaze constantly swept across every corner, searching for Suzune and the other person.
"It's so quiet... Could it already be over?" Satsu muttered.
He knew Suzune's study session could not possibly have gone smoothly. The quiet surroundings made him consider the possibility that it had already ended.
Since the start of the school year, this was Satsu's first time entering the library. It was even larger than he had imagined, making it especially difficult to find someone here.
In the vast hall, bookshelves stood against the walls, layer upon layer reaching all the way to the ceiling. Books were packed tightly into every shelf, and Satsu could not help feeling as though he might be able to find any book in the world here.
Hard work paid off. After searching through more than half the library, Satsu finally found Suzune and the other person in a corner.
The setting sun slanted in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, dyeing Suzune's outline a pale gold. She sat at the desk facing the window, her hair falling over the faintly yellowed page edges like a still-life painting.
Ayanokoji sat quietly beside her, his eyes fixed motionlessly on the window.
Although neither of them said anything, there was an air of peaceful serenity between them.
Satsu was about to greet them, but at the sight of this, he swallowed his words.
"Something's wrong! Not just wrong—twelve out of ten wrong!" (Kato Satsu)
"Where are Yamauchi and the