Wu Qiao looked down at the frozen image on his digital camera's screen and smiled. He had found the perfect way to define his photography hobby: chronicling life. Capturing all kinds of interesting scenes was one of the few ways he could entertain himself at this school, where everything was a calculation.
Of course, so-called "interesting scenes" were few and far between at Advanced Nurturing High School. If he was lucky, he might stumble across something important. If he wasn't, he could spend several days taking pictures of nothing but dull everyday life.
After school that afternoon, Wu Qiao wandered around campus taking pictures, but came away with little to show for it. As he headed for the library with his camera on his back, he passed the well-equipped gym—and suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, he spotted someone who absolutely shouldn't have been there: Sakayanagi Arisu.
Watching Sakayanagi Arisu sitting quietly in the gym's lounge area, a cane in hand, Wu Qiao couldn't stop the corner of his mouth from twitching.
This girl... working out?
What was a frail girl with a congenital heart condition, whom doctors had strictly forbidden from strenuous exercise, doing at the gym? Had she come to get some fresh air and admire other people sweating it out?
Just as Wu Qiao was about to pretend he hadn't seen her and walk around the building, the glass door opened.
Kamuro Masumi walked out with a blank expression and stood directly in Wu Qiao's path, delivering Sakayanagi's "invitation."
With no other choice, Wu Qiao put away his camera and followed Kamuro Masumi into the gym.
The air conditioning was blasting inside. Sakayanagi Arisu sat on a bench, her short silver hair falling softly to her shoulders. She looked like a delicate porcelain doll, ready to shatter at a touch.
When Wu Qiao entered, she raised her head slightly. A warm, friendly smile appeared on her fair, pretty face, as though she were welcoming an old friend.
"What does the young lady of the Sakayanagi family want?" Wu Qiao stood before her, unconcealed exasperation in his voice. "I have personal matters to take care of. I don't have time to play house with you."
Sakayanagi Arisu didn't take offense at his rudeness. She merely tapped the floor lightly with her cane and said in a languid tone, "Your so-called personal matters amount to wandering aimlessly around this school or going to the library to read those utterly pointless books. Besides, your Class D study group hasn't started yet. What's the rush?"
Wu Qiao narrowed his eyes slightly. This woman knew even the ins and outs of his class. He didn't argue. Instead, he raised the digital camera in his hand and snapped a picture of Sakayanagi Arisu.
Sakayanagi Arisu didn't even blink. She simply kept smiling with the same composure.
Wu Qiao casually hung the camera around his neck and sat down in the chair opposite her. He crossed his hands over his knees and looked straight into her eyes, which seemed capable of seeing right through people. "If you want to ask about Ayanokoji Kiyoha, I'm sorry, but I'll be blunt: she won't fight you. You're wasting your time."
"Oh?" Sakayanagi Arisu chuckled. Her laugh was crisp and pleasant, but carried a bone-chilling edge. "If you lose the exam, she'll have no choice but to step into the spotlight, won't she? That's what I'm waiting for: the moment she's forced to bare her fangs."
Looking at Sakayanagi Arisu's confident expression, Wu Qiao felt as if he were watching a petulant child insisting on getting a particular toy. He leaned forward slightly, his tone carrying a hint of condescension. "Try beating me first. If you can't even beat me, how do you expect to force her out?"
Sakayanagi Arisu tilted her head slightly, a trace of puzzlement in her eyes. "You're that confident? Don't tell me you think that rabble in Class D can hold off Class A's attacks."
"Confidence has nothing to do with it. I'm just stating a fact." Wu Qiao's gaze was sharp as a blade. "Unfortunately, young lady Sakayanagi, you've had such a comfortable life that I doubt you're familiar with many of the tricks people use outside the rules."
Sakayanagi Arisu's smile stiffened for the briefest moment, but Wu Qiao still caught it.
"What do you mean?" Her voice turned cold.
"I mean you're used to looking down on everyone. You're used to crushing your opponents with sheer ability and intelligence, but you don't understand the rules of survival in the mud." Wu Qiao spoke without the slightest courtesy. "Class D isn't Class A. We can think in ways and from angles that a young lady like you wouldn't even dream of. You see me as a stepping stone to Ayanokoji, but have you ever considered that before you drive me into a corner, I might bite your throat out from the shadows?"
Sakayanagi Arisu fell silent. She watched Wu Qiao quietly, and for the first time, the eyes that usually held a smile showed a serious scrutiny. She realized that the boy in front of her was unlike any opponent she had faced before.
He wasn't as unfathomable as Ayanokoji Kiyoha. He was more like a lone wolf raised in the wilderness, his whole being radiating the viciousness of someone willing to tear into anything just to survive.
"Interesting..." Sakayanagi Arisu murmured softly. She smiled, but this time it wasn't the warm, friendly mask she usually wore. It was the excitement of a brilliant girl meeting a worthy opponent.
"Wu Qiao, you've succeeded in piquing my interest." She slowly rose to her feet, leaning on her cane. "Since you're so confident, let me see just how long this lone wolf in the mud can keep struggling."
Wu Qiao stood up, brushed the dust off his pants, and turned toward the exit. At the door, he stopped without looking back and said flatly, "Anytime. But if you want to see me again, pick somewhere else next time. The gym isn't suitable for you."
The glass door slowly closed behind him. Sakayanagi Arisu stood where she was, watching Wu Qiao walk away, the light in her eyes growing brighter and brighter.
"Tricks outside the rules, huh..." she murmured. "Then let's see if you have the means to back up all that arrogance."
Wu Qiao pushed open the library door and took a deep breath. The distinctive scent of old paper and ink filled the air, and his tense nerves immediately began to relax.
His gaze swept across the quiet reading area and soon settled on a familiar figure.
Shiina Hiyori sat in a corner by the window, her long silver hair draped softly over her shoulders. She had a light, gentle air about her, as if an invisible barrier separated her from the rest of the world.
At that moment, she had her head bowed, fully absorbed in the thick hardcover book in her hands. Her long lashes cast faint shadows on her fair cheeks, and even the sound of Wu Qiao approaching failed to draw her attention.
Wu Qiao didn't interrupt her. He pulled out the chair opposite her and sat down quietly.
Perhaps sensing the change in the light across from her, Shiina Hiyori finally looked up as if waking from a dream. When she saw Wu Qiao, a barely perceptible gleam appeared in her purple eyes, and a tranquil smile came over her otherwise expressionless face.
"Good afternoon, Wu-kun." Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid of disturbing the library's quiet.
"Good afternoon." Wu Qiao set his camera on the table, rested his chin on his interlaced fingers, and looked at her. "I finished Whose Corpse?, the book you recommended last time. The reasoning was very tight. It didn't disappoint me."
Hearing that he'd enjoyed her recommendation, Shiina Hiyori's eyes narrowed slightly, like a cat being stroked the right way. She could hardly hide how happy she was. She gently closed the book in her hands and leaned forward a little, her tone unusually enthusiastic. "That's great! I was worried you might find the pacing of classical whodunits too slow. Since you like that style..."
She paused and turned her gaze to the towering shelves behind her, apparently searching her mind for a suitable book.
"Hmm... let me think." Shiina Hiyori murmured softly, then stood and walked over to the nearby shelf. Her gaze skimmed quickly over the spines, and soon her slender, fair hand came to rest on a book with a deep blue cover.
She pulled it off the shelf, returned to her seat, and gently handed it to Wu Qiao.
"This collection, The Human Chair, is a collection of short stories by Edogawa Ranpo. It includes several classic tales of the macabre. It doesn't focus on logical deductions the way the Lord Peter series does, but Master Ranpo has a unique talent for creating atmosphere and exploring the dark side of human psychology. I think someone with your taste in books would enjoy its eerie, suspenseful style."
Wu Qiao accepted the book, his fingertips brushing its cool cover. Looking at the anticipation in Shiina Hiyori's eyes, he couldn't help feeling a little moved.
"Sounds good. I'll borrow it, then." Wu Qiao put the book away and looked at her. "Please keep recommending good books to me when you find them."
"Of course." Shiina Hiyori nodded gently, her smile growing a little wider.
Watching her contented expression, Wu Qiao suddenly remembered his conversation with Sakayanagi Arisu in the gym.
On one side was a brilliant girl full of schemes and hostility; on the other was a quiet girl who cared only about books and reading. Advanced Nurturing High School really had brought together people from every extreme.
"Shiina," Wu Qiao said suddenly, his tone turning serious. "If you run into trouble in the future, or someone gives you a hard time because of a dispute between classes, you can come to me."
Shiina Hiyori was taken aback. She hadn't expected him to say that out of the blue. Though she didn't understand why he had suddenly become so serious, she still nodded obediently. "Um... I understand. Thank you, Wu-kun."
Wu Qiao nodded slightly and said nothing more. He stood up, hung his camera around his neck again, and waved to Shiina Hiyori. "I'll head back now. I don't want to disturb your reading."
"Okay, goodbye, Wu-kun," Shiina Hiyori replied softly. She watched Wu Qiao disappear among the shelves before lowering her head and opening her book again.