Only the most determined, or the most desperate, of the students were admitted into the Library Annex.
It was hidden in the quietest corner of the university, and was rather a room than a collection of sound proof glass study cubicles, looking upon the dark campus quad. It was such a profound silence that at six in the frozen evening it could have seemed to be a barrier.
Koyuki Himekawa was in the small lobby area, holding her event binder in her hands and staring at the clock.
There was an excited nervousness that was vibrating in her, an intense contrast to the oppressive silence. She was also stubborn, yet a small corner of her mind understood the ridiculousness of the case: a Christmas lover was waiting to attack an academic loner on the issue of when to organize a research seminar.
The clock struck 6:05 PM. Koyuki began to tap her foot, and the tap tap that followed was too much to be heard.
Then the door of the Annex flew open with a hydraulic sigh hardly to be audible and Yuu Shirogane stepped in. He didn't make a sound. His dark navy peacoat appeared to absorb the tawny light, his white hair, in the soft light reflected in the corridor, caused him to appear rather less like a student and more like an apparition skimming the stock polished floor. Koyuki, with whom he had no acquaintance, was instantly discovered by his silver eyes, without any signs of surprise, but with a cool, assessing interest. He still had the thin manila folder he had had earlier in his hand, but now he had by his side a smooth, metallic cased tablet.
I wish you good morning, Himekawasan, he said: and his voice was just modulated, neither too low, nor too loud. "You requested a meeting. I chose the Annex because it was certain to avoid noise pollution.
The deep, steadying breath Koyuki took was in an effort to draw on her inner CEO. Thank you, Shirogane senpai. I am thankful that you have made the time to break away, whatever intricate statistics you were selecting.
Yuu made a pure and fluent correction with his hand on the study table, A proprietary algorithm to optimize the research presentation flow. It demands great computational power and most importantly, no distraction whatsoever.
"Right. Distraction," said Koyuki, snapping the binder with a vicious motion. That gives me the Great Hall booking, the 8th to the 14th of December. You have booked your whole week on your symposium.
Yuu blushed and one side of his eyebrow was raised. My assistant was operating according to general university procedures. The booking had been made out sure.The reservation was confirmed.
It does not involve the confirmation, senpai. It is the issue of the clean up time, Koyuki said, bending a little across the table. Her pink hair was somehow challenging his white. The Campus Christmas Gala will take place on the 15 th. The Great Hall must be returned to us ready to be decorated, full cleared, by the morning of the 13th, i.e. you must complete your symposium before the evening of the 12th.
The eyes of Yuu were completely shut. "Impossible. My conference is a seven day, multi tracked, academic conference with thirty five international, peer reviewed speakers flying to the conference. It is planned to close with the evening of the 14th by the presentation of the first Shirogane Research Excellence Award.
You have even called an award by your own name? Koyuki uttered, and some bit of sanity was lost.
It makes the rule of naming future endowments easier, Yuu answered, in his most solemn tone. Moreover, I have checked the event calendar, Himekawa san. The Gala is defined as a low priority social event. My symposium would be a Tier A event of the university that is critical to its image. In case the university has to make a decision, they will select the symposium.
His arrogance on facts was inciting. The copy of the Great Hall rental agreement that Koyuki had was thrown on the table. "You have no Christmas spirit! The Gala gives students morale and helps the university to have a good image! Last year was a failure. This year is different!"
Academic success is what maximizes student morale, not sugar highs and tinsel, Yuu added in a level tone. Taking the tablet, he hit the screen, and a little, holographic image appeared on the table: a complicated Gantt chart of his symposium, minute by minute. "Look here. By reducing the number of days, by a quarter, I am losing a quarter of the time allocated to speakers. The whole logistics system fails off.
Koyuki gazed upon the threatening chart, unable to say anything a moment. It was a beautiful wall, but a cold, calculated wall.
"I need two days back, senpai. Just two days, I said, and I brought down the sound of my voice to a vexing whisper. Lack of ability to decorate means that the Christmas Fantasy Festival will end before it starts.
Yuu had been studying her face the fierce jade eyes, the determination of her mouth, the near aggression of her hair. It was an examination of naked, pure passion, something that was quite alien to his own life.
He looked at the chart, and then at her. He gave a sigh, almost inaudible puffing of breath, and touched the tablet again.
Under no circumstances can I surrender the Great Hall, he finally replied with his silver eyes staring at her. But can it be there, perhaps, a middle ground that will be beneficial to both sides?