The library at the start of the lunch break is surprisingly empty. Since food is prohibited inside the library, we can't use it as a place to have our als.
Right now, it appears only a few people are present so it looks like I'll be able to go through the process of returning the book smoothly.
"I'm already here so I might as well borrow another book..."
Whether I borrow one book or two books, the trouble of returning them will be the sa either way after all. Before I return the book, I suppose I'll look for a book I'm interested in reading.
While holding 'Farewell, My Lovely' in one hand, I went over to the Mystery corner. Since it's going to be this way, I might as well borrow one or two detective thed books. It would best if I could borrow another one of Raymond Chandler's.
Upon arriving at the Mystery corner, I spotted a lone female student. Struggling to reach out with her arms to retrieve a book that's placed higher on the bookshelf than her height. The book is located at this strange height where one mont it seems like she'd be able to reach it yet being unable to reach it the next mont.
Since it appeared as though she'd be able to reach it, she seems reluctant to use the step stool provided. I suppose it's like this whether you're a boy or a girl.
The book she's trying to grab hold of is 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. It's a novel written by the Bronte sisters and is well-known in the literary world. No, while the synopsis alone may make it seem like a mystery, the actual genre of it would have to be romance, wouldn't it?
I then reached out to grab the book "Wuthering Heights", which the girl was also trying to reach.
"I may have done sothing unnecessary but..."
At that mont, I realized that I recognized the female student beside .
"You're Class C's..."
Shiina Hiyori.
She was a student who appeared together with Ryuuen before us a while ago.
After quietly looking at my face, it seems she also similarly recognized .
"If I recall you're...Ayanokouji-kun, was it?" she asked.
It seems she's rembered my na. Considering the strange manner of contact we've made with each other I suppose it was inevitable.
"Yeah. For now here..."
I handed her the book.
"Thank you very much."
"Do you like it? Bronte"
"Personally, I neither like nor dislike anything. But the book was in the wrong place, genre wise, so I just thought to return it to its proper position." she replied.
"I see."
It seems she was trying to do the sa thing I was.
"By the way, the book you have with you...is 'Farewell, My Lovely' right? That's a masterpiece." she told .
And with that, it seed sothing lit up in Shiina's eyes.
"I managed to borrow it from a friend today."
"You're certainly in luck then, it seems Raymond Chandler is very popular amongst the 2nd-year students and there's been a battle over this book for a while. I've been wanting to read it for a while now, but I wasn't able to find it here today either." she continued.
"I seem to have done sothing bad. Monopolizing it." I replied to her.
"I don't mind. I've read it before after all. And besides, while looking for that book, I was blessed to run into another one. It seems the library in this school has a large collection of books. I might graduate before I could read them all."
She said while holding the Bronte book in her hands and slightly smiling.
"I see, that might be so."
There is indeed a large amount of books stored here. Even if you don't read one particular book, you can easily kill ti in here.
"Sorry for disturbing you."
This is a valuable lunch break. She ca here instead of eating lunch, she's surely unwilling to let a student from another class bother her during this ti. And so I decide to leave.
"Umm...are you looking for another book to borrow by any chance? If it's only about looking for a book to borrow, I would be glad to lend a hand. Since you're already here, wouldn't you rather borrow another book?"
Shiina asks as she stops from leaving.
"I thought I'd leave it for another ti---what are you doing?" I asked her.
Shiina had already taken her eyes off and was looking around in the mystery corner of the library.
"Have you already read the Dorothy L. Sayers series?" she asks .
"No. I've read Christie, but not Dorothy yet."
"If so---how about "Whose Body?" I recomnd it. Also the Lord Peter series, if you read one of it you'll surely want to complete the series too."
Saying that, she pulled the books off the shelves and presented them to .
"Umm."
The sudden developnt left bewildered. I was left uncertain of how to respond to her.
"I'm sorry for speaking out like this, did I annoy you?" she asks .
I was not particularly interested, but I also was not going to refuse her here. And besides, borrowing a book is free anyways so I suppose I'll go along.
"Sorry. I was a bit surprised right now. But since I'm already here I'll borrow them I guess." I told her.
"If you'd like--"
I don't know what she ant by this, but Shiina faced with a happy expression and asked.
"I don't think it's lunchti just yet. If you're ok with ...would you like to eat together with ?" she asks .
"Eh?"
From recomnding books, to a developnt I did not expect. Rather than a chance encounter, I should assu she received instructions to do this from Ryuuen.
Whether I refuse or accept her invitation, the impression Shiina would gain of is the sa. Whatever path I choose, I would inevitably be marked as gray by her.
"There's no one in Class C who likes reading novels, so I have no one I could talk to."
Perhaps she just could not stand by silence, but Shiina said that to .
"This won't be a problem? Right now Class C is in an uproar looking for soone from Class D right? I think I'm being counted as one of the suspects here."
Shiina probably heard I'm the one behind Karuizawa and Horikita and is likely trying to confirm it. If not, the chances of running into here are infinitely low. It's extrely likely she was sent to make contact with here.
In a sense, she's an even creepier existence than Ryuuen.
Because to , Shiina Hiyori is a completely unknown quantity. I haven't even noticed her in the previous exams.
I'm sure I could dig up so information on her by using Karuizawa, but now that she's being targeted by Ryuuen that option is off the table. Since I only have a small community of people I can use, I don't possess the ans to investigate Shiina at the mont.
Keisei and Haruka, of course, are not useful for gathering information on other classes. I could use Hirata, but he's more or less neutral. And since I still don't know how Hirata feels about , or how he views , I don't want to rely on him for this. At least not with this timing.
"Please don't worry. I was only making a move formally for Ryuuen-kun. From the start, I was never interested in things like conflict anyways. Or is it a problem for you to talk to ?"
"No. If there's no problem on your end, I have none either."
"That's a relief, I would hate for classes to fight each other over such trivial things like that. I believe making friends is the most important thing."
It can't be helped. The school system was set up like this from the beginning. And besides, most of the students still interact with each other as usual.
Since Hirata and Kushida seem to be especially popular, they will simply break through your personal walls to make 'friends'.
"Shall we leave then? It seems ti is passing us by."
I then glanced at the clock in the library.
"Please let finish borrowing this book first."
Who would have expected that I would have this kind of developnt in the library?
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