Shikime Natsu hardly stopped for a moment, arriving quickly at the school library.
Just as he reached the entrance, he noticed Shiina Hiyori standing at the foot of the library steps at a glance.
She was acting a bit out of character today.
Usually, when the two met, this young girl with long silver hair and an aura like a lily in a secluded valley would be sitting quietly in the most conspicuous spot in the library, holding a book and immersing herself in the world of text while waiting for his arrival.
But today, she was actually standing outside.
The evening breeze gently lifted her soft silver hair. Standing there, she looked just like a beautiful painting, only the protagonist of this painting seemed somewhat absent-minded.
The girl lowered her head from time to time to look at the phone in her hand. Those eyes, clear as amethysts, held a few hints of anxiety and anticipation, as if waiting for someone's message.
Shikime Natsu slowed his pace, then walked over slowly.
Sensing someone approaching, Shiina Hiyori raised her head subconsciously.
When she saw that familiar figure appear in her line of sight, her originally somewhat dim eyes lit up instantly, flashing with a joy that couldn't be concealed.
"Sorry, Shiina-san."
Shikime Natsu walked up to her, speaking with a few degrees of apology.
"I'm late."
"Because some unexpected situations occurred, I was accidentally locked in the gymnasium's equipment room... and I didn't have my phone on me at the time, so I couldn't contact you immediately to explain. I made you wait a long time."
Although he was only twenty minutes late, and the agreed time was simply 'after school'—practically speaking, no specific time had been set—Shikime Natsu and Shiina Hiyori had met every Wednesday after school previously.
Look, the girl who should have been sitting inside the library reading and waiting for him had now walked to the entrance; this was no small matter.
Hearing this reason, Shiina Hiyori's small mouth opened slightly, revealing a surprised expression on her face.
Clearly, she hadn't expected such a thing to happen at all. The probability of this kind of event occurring should be said to be extremely, extremely small, right?
Being locked in the equipment room... it sounded quite arduous. If luck were bad, one might even have to spend the night there.
The girl didn't delve into the details, nor did she show any dissatisfaction.
She just quickly reined in her surprise, revealing a gentle and tolerant smile, and shook her head lightly.
"It doesn't matter, Shikime-san."
"As long as you are alright, that is good."
Looking at the girl's empathetic appearance, a warm current couldn't help but surge in Shikime Natsu's heart.
"By the way, why was Shiina-san waiting outside today?" he asked with some curiosity. "Standing here all the time must be tiring, right?"
Shiina Hiyori tilted her head slightly, her silver strands sliding down her shoulder.
"Mn... I didn't feel tired at all," she said softly, the corners of her mouth still hanging with that faint smile. "It's just... occasionally I also want to change the way I wait."
"If I stand outside, the moment Shikime-san comes, I can see you immediately."
Hearing these words, Shikime Natsu couldn't help but feel his 'sin' was great, actually making a beautiful girl stand and wait for him for more than twenty minutes.
However... Shiina Hiyori was looking at her phone just now; was she waiting for his message?
Mn... Shikime Natsu had assumed Shiina Hiyori would stay quietly in the library reading and wouldn't pay much attention to her phone, so he hadn't sent a message. After all, he would definitely arrive very quickly.
"Then let's go inside."
"Mn."
The two walked into the library side by side, passing through rows of tall bookshelves, and arrived at the quiet discussion room they used frequently.
After sitting down, Shikime Natsu noticed that besides the phone in Shiina Hiyori's hand, her other hand was carrying a paper bag.
The bag seemed to contain a book; only a blurry outline of the spine could be seen.
Was it a book she wanted to read herself? Or... did she intend to recommend it to him?
Shikime Natsu didn't ask immediately. He just swept a simple glance over it, then withdrew his gaze.
"So, what book does Shiina-san intend to recommend to me today?" he asked with a smile, starting their reading club mode as usual.
"Ah, yes."
Shiina Hiyori seemed to snap back to reality, hurriedly pulling out a book she had prepared long ago from the bookshelf behind her and handing it to Shikime Natsu.
"Today I want to recommend this one—Raymond Chandler's 'Farewell, My Lovely'."
"Although it is a relatively early work, the hardboiled detective Marlowe under Chandler's pen is truly very charismatic."
"I think Shikime-san might like it."
Shikime Natsu nodded, taking the slightly thick novel.
"Mn."
It had to be said, Shiina Hiyori's reading taste really seemed to lean toward the West, especially these hardboiled style works.
This formed a quite interesting contrast with her quiet and delicate appearance.
Of course, Shikime Natsu himself didn't have any special preferences.
As long as it was a book recommended by Shiina Hiyori, no matter what genre, he would read it seriously.
After all, this wasn't just reading; it was a unique method of communication between the two.
The discussion room quickly quieted down, leaving only the sound of the two gently turning pages.
The sky outside the window gradually darkened, and the lights inside the library appeared exceptionally soft.
Shikime Natsu was quickly immersed in Chandler's unique writing style, following Detective Marlowe's footsteps, shuttling through that Los Angeles filled with conspiracy and violence.
Meanwhile, Shiina Hiyori, sitting opposite him, although also holding a book in her hands, didn't seem to have her mind completely on the book.
She raised her small face from time to time, stealing glances at the young man opposite.
Watching his focused side profile, watching his slender fingers gently turn the pages, thinking about seeing what interesting expressions might appear on Shikime Natsu's face. Unfortunately, Shikime Natsu kept a poker face, always wearing a faint smile.
However... she could see that Shikime Natsu was reading the book she recommended very seriously. The corners of her mouth then involuntarily hooked up into a shallow smile, her eyes full of gentle mirth, before she lowered her head again and placed her gaze back on the pages in front of her.
This quiet and beautiful time seemed capable of shutting out all troubles.
Shikime Natsu didn't notice Shiina Hiyori's small movements; he was completely immersed in the world of the book.
Although he possessed the ability of 'photographic memory' and could remember all the content with just a glance, he still chose to read slowly.
Because only in this way could he truly savor the charm behind the text, and maintain the same pace as the girl beside him.
This slow rhythm didn't make him feel impatient; instead, it made him feel a long-lost sense of peace and calm.
As if in this small corner, time itself had become gentle.
Unknowingly, Shikime Natsu had finished reading more than half the book.
He raised his head and glanced at the clock on the wall.
The time had already reached evening; it was just about time for dinner.
He closed the book and looked at the girl opposite.
"Shiina-san."
Hearing the voice, Shiina Hiyori also put down the book in her hands and raised her head.
"Ah... is it already this time?"
She looked at the time, a small expression of regret appearing on her face.
"Today's reading time is over..."
The once-a-week time to meet with Shikime Natsu had actually ended so quickly.
She felt her heart was slightly empty.
In the past, she clearly felt that just being able to read books in the library was very satisfying, but now...
She seemed to have become a bit greedy.
Merely reading books seemed unable to satisfy her anymore.
Shiina Hiyori simply tidied up her things, then stood up and lifted the paper bag that had been placed on the side all along.
Inside was a book, though Shikime Natsu wasn't clear on exactly what book it was, because a book jacket wrapped the entire book. It didn't look like a library book; it was a book the girl had bought herself.
And... it should be a considerably treasured book.
"Um... Shikime-san, have you heard of a writer named 'Shiina Katsumi'?"
Just when Shikime Natsu thought Shiina Hiyori wouldn't take out that book, Shiina Hiyori suddenly spoke to Shikime Natsu, those purple eyes carrying a trace of nervousness.
This name—Shikime Natsu confirmed he had never heard of it. If he had heard of it, even if he had seen just a few words online, he would basically have remembered it.
Of course, people who could appear on Shikime Natsu's web pages were basically very famous people. For someone like this, if he didn't deliberately search, it was estimated there was no way they would actively appear on Shikime Natsu's pages.
However...
"Shiina Katsumi" ... "Shiina"...
The structure of this name, as well as Shiina Hiyori's solemn attitude, made him instantly associate it with something.
"I haven't heard of him," Shikime Natsu answered truthfully.
"However, this writer... should have some relationship with Shiina-san, right? For example, is he Shiina-san's father?"
Hearing Shikime Natsu's guess, Shiina Hiyori was obviously stunned for a moment.
She hadn't expected Shikime-san to be so sharp, guessing this layer of relationship just by hearing a name.
"Yes."
She nodded, a faint blush surfacing on her face, and said somewhat shyly:
"It's no wonder Shikime-san hasn't heard of him... because he is an obscure writer who hasn't been a bestseller, neither in the past nor now."
"Is your father also a mystery novelist?" Shikime Natsu continued to ask quite naturally.
"No, he isn't," Shiina Hiyori shook her head, explaining with a smile. "Although what he writes aren't mystery novels, I was indeed influenced by my father to start liking reading, and later slowly became obsessed with mystery novels."
"And... although Father's books aren't bestsellers, I really like the novels Father writes."
She gently stroked the book in her hand, her eyes filled with tenderness and pride.
"This book... I bought a total of three copies."
"The first copy was bought in middle school; it's still displayed on the bookshelf in my dorm room."
"The second copy was bought at the bookstore immediately after entering this school; it has stayed by my side all along."
Speaking to this point, she raised her head. Those clear eyes looked straight at Shikime Natsu as she handed over the third book in her hand.
"And then... this is the third copy."
Although she didn't say it explicitly, the meaning was already obvious enough.
This book, which was of extraordinary significance to her—she wanted to give it to Shikime Natsu.
"If you don't mind... please also read the book written by my father, Shikime-san. Although it isn't some mystery novel, but... I feel Shikime-san should also like it."
"Mn... actually, I didn't intend to tell Shikime-san about my relationship with this writer. I always felt that if I said it, it would affect Shikime-san's judgment. But... if I didn't say it, I was worried Shikime-san had already read it, so..."
"I hope Shikime-san can take a good look at it, and not view this book with a special gaze because of me."
Her voice was very light, yet carried a touch of expectation. The girl had also understood Shikime Natsu's reading style and knew that Shikime Natsu didn't dislike this type of work.
Shikime Natsu looked at the girl's sincere eyes, his heart moving slightly.
This was something the girl cherished.
Now that she was willing to share this precious thing with him, Shikime Natsu naturally couldn't fail the girl's expectations.
"Thank you for being willing to share it with me."
"I will appreciate it properly, Shiina-san."
"Mn, and I won't exaggerate this book just because the writer is Shiina-san's father."
Shikime Natsu took the book from Shiina Hiyori's hands very solemnly. Since Shiina Hiyori had said so much, Shikime Natsu naturally couldn't be a person who would only evaluate with words like '666' or 'awesome'.
After finishing it, he would summarize the pros and cons, and then try to pick the merits to talk about.
After all... this was Shiina Hiyori's father's book. He couldn't possibly criticize it as 'what the hell is written here, it really sucks' after reading it, right?
If he really did that, he estimated he would go directly to a 'Bad Ending' on Shiina Hiyori's route.
Essentially, being able to receive something Shiina Hiyori cherished already proved that Shiina Hiyori valued him as a friend quite a lot. If he said the wrong thing and caused a bad ending, then Shikime Natsu might as well commit suicide.
Moreover... this was his future father-in-law's book. He couldn't speak ill of it, otherwise, it would be troublesome if he was given a hard time later.
"Mn!"
Shiina Hiyori gave a shallow response, appearing as if she had finally breathed a sigh of relief, and the smile on her face bloomed instantly.
[Ding~]
[CG45: The Girl's Cherished Object (Shiina Hiyori)]
[It would be great if he could like it too]
[Congratulations Host for obtaining Skill Card: Become a Cherished Object (Can turn any item into a treasure in the eyes of another; each item can only be designated for one person)]
Shikime-san accepted it.
Just when Shiina Hiyori thought today's meeting ended here and prepared to bid farewell to Shikime Natsu to eat dinner at the cafeteria,
Shikime Natsu suddenly voiced an invitation.
"By the way, Shiina-san."
"It's also dinner time now. If you don't mind... do you want to go to my dorm?"
"I want to let Shiina-san try my new cuisine again."
Shiina Hiyori was slightly dazed.
Go to Shikime-san's dorm...
The last time she went was back in April.
The girl's heartbeat couldn't help but accelerate a few notches.
However, she didn't have the slightest hesitation, nor did she show any coyness.
She raised her head, looking at Shikime Natsu's gentle smile, and nodded forcefully.
"Mn, okay. I'm also very much looking forward to Shikime-san's cooking."
____
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