The library was mostly empty when Hikigaya arrived. It was summer vacation, after all. Most people were likely out there enjoying their youth. But not him. He made his way to the second floor, moving with the familiarity of someone who had been here several times.
The school library was impressively large, with a collection rivaling that of the Chiba City Library. However, Hikigaya never stayed here for long; he just borrowed books and left. Those who claimed they could study better in a library were just liars with no self-control. The headphones they wore to block out noise were proof enough. If someone truly wanted to study, wouldn't the quiet of a dorm room be better?
In reality, most of them were just pretending to study, hoping to run into acquaintances. From his perspective, maybe they were just afraid of loneliness. Pathetic.
He was someone who could study peacefully in his dormitory.
While these cynical thoughts rolled around his mind, Hikigaya's eyes scanned the labels on the bookshelves. That's when something caught his attention.
A girl with waist-length white hair stood on her tiptoes, stretching to reach a book on the top shelf. Her adorable purple eyes showed a hint of frustration, as if confused why the book was just beyond her reach.
What a lovely artistic girl.
But seriously, hadn't she learned her lesson? Hikigaya had seen her before. Last time, she'd fallen against the bookshelf with the same helpless look on her face. Yet, she still hadn't asked anyone for help. It was as if she believed she could always reach the book if she just tried a little harder.
Hikigaya glanced at her and started walking away to another shelf. Through the gap between books, he could see her tiptoeing movements, her hair swaying slightly with each effort. His face grew slightly warm, and he averted his gaze.
Well, it's not like he was trying to help her or anything. He just needed to pick out a few books. That's all.
With that thought, he pulled a book from the shelf and, in doing so, accidentally nudged another book off the edge. The unsteady pile came crashing down.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Oh~"
Several books tumbled to the floor, and the girl let out a small, startled sound.
"Ah... Sorry." Hikigaya apologized and was about to turn around and leave. Based on his last experience, the girl wouldn't react much. A simple apology should be enough. After all, not asking for help indicated that she was introverted and wouldn't make a big deal out of it.
The scattered books? Leave those for the librarian.
"Wait."
The single word stopped him in his tracks.
"Uh..." Hikigaya's shoulders tightened. Why was this time different from before? Was she going to try to extort money from him? But she was so cute... No, no, it had to be a trap. Maybe the apology hadn't been sincere enough.
He turned around, ready to apologize again, even contemplating a dogeza if necessary. When he looked at her, he couldn't help but notice her delicate and doll-like features.
"Uh, I'm really sorry." Hikigaya scratched his head awkwardly. "I accidentally knocked over the books. Are you okay?"
"Hmm." The girl tilted her head slightly, eyeing him with curiosity before declaring, "You did that on purpose."
It wasn't a question, but a statement. Her tone was confident.
"No, I didn't," Hikigaya replied defensively. "What evidence do you have?"
Crap. That was exactly the kind of line a guilty person would say.
The girl's lips curled into a small smile. "That line alone is evidence. The guilty always say, 'Where's the proof?' You've clearly read detective novels. You should consider becoming a novelist."
"What a death flag line..." Hikigaya mumbled. "Anyway, my name is Hikigaya Hachiman from Class B, first year."
"Oh! I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class C, first year." Her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "You like reading detective novels, right?"
"Well, sort of." Hikigaya took half a step back, feeling overwhelmed by her sudden enthusiasm. He read almost anything involving words. But this kid... What was her deal? Why was she suddenly so cheerful?
"Ah, I knew it!" Hiyori clasped her hands together excitedly. "When you asked me for proof, it made me think of all those crime novels where the culprit tries to deflect suspicion. It's like you're speaking straight from a mystery novel!"
Hikigaya wasn't sure how to respond to her enthusiasm. Wasn't she supposed to be an introverted, quiet girl? This energetic behavior was the complete opposite of what he'd expected.
"So," Hiyori continued, "you pushed the book to me like that last time, and this time, too. It's too much of a coincidence. You were trying to help me, right?"
"What a wonderful deduction. You should become a novelist," Hikigaya said with a twitch of his lips. "I was just trying to find some books I like."
"That so?" Hiyori glanced at the book in his hand, her purple eyes widening slightly. "Hikigaya-kun, do you like that kind of book?"
Hikigaya looked down and realized he was holding something titled The Story of Minamotoshi, a book with rather... mature themes. His face turned bright red.
"N-No! This is a mistake. I picked up the wrong book!" Hikigaya panicked.
"Then you really were trying to help me." Hiyori's smile returned, even more radiant than before. "But why do you go through all the trouble? Wouldn't it be easier to just help me directly?"
"Uh... I just picked up the wrong book," Hikigaya said, desperately trying to cover his tracks.
Hiyori giggled. "By the way, Hikigaya-kun, do you like light novels? The school library has some, but they're not well-organized. I can help you find them if you want."
"Light novels?" Hikigaya's interest was piqued. "They have those here?"
"Yep! Follow me, but first, we should put these books back." Hiyori said with a smile.
Hikigaya helped her put the fallen books back onto the shelves. Then, the two walked to the light novel section. Hikigaya found himself glancing at Hiyori from time to time, still not fully understanding her intentions.
The light novel section was indeed somewhat messy. The volumes were scattered across several shelves with no clear organization.
"So, what kind of novels are you looking for?" Hiyori asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
Hikigaya looked at the disorganized shelves and shrugged. "Just something interesting. I'll know it when I see it."
"Well, if you need help, just let me know," Hiyori replied cheerfully.
For some reason, her enthusiasm was starting to feel... refreshing.
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