Classes for the day are nearing its end.

Since midterm exams and special exams are still quite far away, most students of Advanced Nurturing High School would normally go to Keyaki Mall or spend time in cafes with their friends after classes. With that said, my own circle of friends which are the members of the Ayanokoji Group are also planning on hanging out. Naturally, we made contact during the class in our phone's chat application and they've decided to grab ice cream and hang out at our usual place. Admittedly, it would be nice to be with them too but there's something else that I'd like to do for today.

I apologized in our group chat and while Haruka was sending glares across the classroom, I slipped out before they could say anything. After all, I'm meeting a certain person today.

I headed towards the library which I have been spending a lot of time with a friend of mine, Shiina Hiyori from Class C.

Hiyori is a bookworm who coincidentally share the same interests as mine when it comes to book genres. While she is a member of the opposing class, I have never felt in our interactions that there was any tension, since we both try not to associate ourselves with class matters too much.

Moving towards the mystery section of the library, I scanned the area for her lone figure, but contrary to my expectations, I found my friend talking to a boy who I vaguely recognize to be someone from Class B. I stood a few feet from them and waited before Hiyori turned around and finally noticed my presence.

"Sorry, was I intruding on your conversation?" I asked her.

"Ah no, you're fine Ayanokoji-kun. That boy is in Class B. Well…he said some weird things, you see," she admitted.

"Weird things? Did he harass you?"

"It isn't something like that…it's just that, he told me he found me uhm…attractive and wanted to ask me out," she looked away in embarrassment.

"I see." Not that I wasn't aware of it until now, but that student indeed has a point. After all, Hiyori has a relaxing aura around her which some guys may find attractive. She's not like Horikita who has an intimidating aura despite having a similar silent trait. Not to mention, her soft facial features are also note-worthy. Having the opportunity to see her up close like this, I have reaffirmed those thoughts of mine.

"So you found someone else you can be with after class then," I teased her a bit.

"You can be surprisingly funny sometimes, Ayanokoji-kun. But I turned that student down earlier."

I feel it would be rude for me to ask the reason so I stayed quiet and grabbed a book from the shelf.

"You're not going to ask me why?" she asked me instead.

"Is it alright for me to ask such a question?"

"I don't mind at all. We're the only ones here anyway," she told me. "The reason I turned him down was because I don't know him that much yet. On the other hand, if Ayanokoji-kun does the same thing I think I would've accepted." She turned to me with a serious expression. Moments later, it broke into a slight smile.

"I just thought I'd return the joke earlier. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable."

While she did clarify that as a joke, I imagined the situation if I were to do that. Certainly, I wouldn't mind if it is someone like her, but then again I feel like I'm being rude thinking about that in the first place. While continuing to check out the contents of the book that I just grabbed, Hiyori had grabbed another book herself.

Sitting next to each other in this quiet, solitary area of the library, we each dove into the world that we chose, until the afternoon sun had eventually set.

Realizing that it is nearing evening, we both set our books down and readied ourselves to leave. Walking in the same direction that we came in, we approached the library exit, the early moonlight reflected in its glass walls.

"Ayanokoji-kun, how do you feel about cliché scenarios in books?" Hiyori suddenly asked.

"I don't particularly mind them, as long as it's interesting," I answered.

"Well, we're about to experience one," she continued. "The door is locked."