The afternoon library was filled with a tranquil atmosphere.
In the secluded corner of the "Foreign Literature" section, Shiina Hiyori seemed to be a part of this space.
She sat upright, her silver hair cascading like a waterfall, almost completely obscuring her profile and the book in her hand.
Only when she occasionally turned a page would her slender, fair fingers move slightly, her violet eyes calmly following the text.
A steady and clear sound of footsteps came from behind her, neither hurried nor slow.
They weren't deliberately quiet, yet they mysteriously blended into the silence, not breaking it, but rather injecting a chord into the tranquility.
Shiina Hiyori's fingertips paused for half a second as she turned a page, but she didn't immediately look up.
It wasn't until the figure naturally sat in the empty seat opposite her, gently placing his satchel beside him, that she slowly lifted her eyelids.
Sakamoto-kun adjusted his sitting posture, his gaze met hers, and he nodded slightly.
No words were exchanged, yet a silent greeting was completed.
Shiina Hiyori also nodded gently in response, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment before returning to her book, only softly uttering a sentence: "Good afternoon, Sakamoto-kun."
Their paths crossed due to a shared preference for this particular bookshelf, and through repeated afternoon encounters or tacitly sitting together, a unique understanding based on silence and literature gradually accumulated between them.
They would occasionally engage in brief discussions about their insights on a certain passage or the style of a particular author, speaking few words but always hitting the nail on the head.
Shiina Hiyori was one of the few who could treat Sakamoto-kun's extraordinary presence with composure; she believed Sakamoto-kun was like a profound, enigmatic, yet captivating book.
And her quietness and focus seemed to have earned Sakamoto-kun a certain degree of recognition, making him willing to share a quiet reading time with her here.
Shiina-san herself vaguely realized that those who could peacefully interact with Sakamoto-kun, and even exchange a few words, were rare in this school.
Time flowed by in silent reading.
Shiina Hiyori gently closed the anthology in her hand and looked up at Sakamoto-kun, who was immersed in a science fiction novel opposite her.
"Sakamoto-kun."
Her voice was soft, yet enough to break the quiet.
Sakamoto-kun looked up from his vast interstellar imaginings, his gaze behind his black-rimmed glasses calmly turning to her.
"Something slightly unusual has happened recently."
Shiina Hiyori's tone was as steady as ever, "Yesterday, a student in our class purchased a test paper, claiming to be 'last year's midterm actual exam,' from a Second-Year Senior Student."
She paused slightly, observing him.
Sakamoto-kun's expression showed no fluctuation, only focused listening.
She continued: "That senior student claimed that this action was at your request, Sakamoto-kun of Class 1-A, intended to 'help us maintain our advantage.'"
She tilted her head slightly, her silver hair sliding over her shoulder.
"But I believe this is not your way of doing things. The motive and method both seem... out of place."
"It's more like someone is operating in the dark, using your name."
Upon hearing this, Sakamoto-kun showed no surprise or indignation at being caught in a conspiracy.
He merely fell silent for a moment, as if quickly filing and connecting this information in his mind.
Then, a faint curve touched his lips.
He gently pushed up his glasses, his gaze sweeping over the cover of the science fiction novel in his hand, which depicted an boundless universe and a solitary spaceship.
He looked up, his gaze meeting Shiina Hiyori's again, "No need to worry, Shiina-san. The trajectory of all things will eventually return to their proper order."
Shiina Hiyori gazed at him.
She no longer needed further explanation. Sakamoto-kun's reaction already explained everything—he knew about this, and he already had a plan.
She picked up the anthology again: "It seems I worried too much."
"Not overthinking it," Sakamoto gently corrected, "A 'gift' worth scrutinizing. Thank you for the information, Shiina-san."
The conversation quietly ended there.
The two once again immersed themselves in their respective reading worlds, the brief exchange about framing and conspiracy merely an insignificant interlude in their reading.
However, this tranquility did not envelop the entire library.
In the public study area, a few book sections away, the atmosphere was completely different.
Horikita Suzune sat upright, textbooks and notes spread before her.
Across from her were Yamauchi Haruki, Ike Kanji, and Sudo Ken—the famous "idiot trio"—all with unwilling expressions.
Kushida Kikyo sat to the side, her impeccably sweet smile gracing her face as she tried to mediate the almost solidified air.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, meanwhile, sat in a slightly more distant corner, seemingly spacing out, but occasionally his gaze swept over the undoubtedly difficult study session before him.
Most of his attention, however, was focused on his internal thoughts about another matter.
This study session was organized by Horikita, and she had even uncharacteristically requested Kushida-san's assistance.
The cold confrontation with her brother that night and her brother's undisguised praise for Sakamoto had deeply impacted her.
She began to reflect that perhaps blindly imitating her brother's harsh and solitary path was not the only answer.
If someone like her brother could look at the unconventional yet exceptionally strong Sakamoto with new eyes, it meant there wasn't just one form of strength.
She might need to find her own perspective and method.
But reality soon dealt her a heavy blow.
No matter how patiently she tried to explain, how she tried to develop her own ways of solving problems, Ike Kanji's casualness, Sudo Ken's impatience, and Yamauchi Haruki's clearly wandering gaze were like a wall, mercilessly bouncing back her efforts.
"Horikita! This stuff makes me want to sleep!" Ike Kanji couldn't help but complain.
"Exactly, I'd rather go practice basketball with this time!" Sudo Ken said, arms crossed, not even glancing at his textbook.
Yamauchi Haruki's eyes darted around, occasionally stealing glances at Kushida-san, who was gently trying to persuade them.
Horikita Suzune gripped her pen tightly.
She suppressed the rising frustration and helplessness, telling herself to stay calm, to find different methods.
And actively seeking Kushida-san's help, utilizing her interpersonal influence to gather and ease relations with the idiot trio, was her new step forward—even though deep down she still felt a bit uncomfortable with Kushida-san's excessive friendliness.
In the corner, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's thoughts had already drifted far away.
He had no interest in the inefficient study session before him.
What truly concerned him was the test paper supposedly from Sakamoto.
After investigating, Horikita had confidently told him: "I saw it with my own eyes, Sakamoto was holding the same test paper."
She firmly believed this was evidence of Sakamoto's "aid" to them, perhaps mixed with a sense of humiliation at being underestimated.
But Ayanokoji did not fully believe her.
Seeing it with one's own eyes did not necessarily reveal the whole truth.
He thought calmly.
The way that test paper appeared was too suspicious.
He needed to confirm it more directly, to touch upon the core suspicious point of this matter.