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54.18% Classroom Of The Elite Year 1 / Chapter 272: Chapter 2 Part II

Chapter 272: Chapter 2 Part II

The library at the start of the lunch break is surprisingly empty. Since food is prohibited inside the library, we can't use it as a place to have our meals.

Right now, it appears only a few people are present so it looks like I'll be able to go through the process of returning the book smoothly.

"I'm already here so I might as well borrow another book..."

Whether I borrow one book or two books, the trouble of returning them will be the same either way after all. Before I return the book, I suppose I'll look for a book I'm interested in reading.

While holding 'Farewell, My Lovely' in one hand, I went over to the Mystery corner. Since it's going to be this way, I might as well borrow one or two detective themed books. It would best if I could borrow another one of Raymond Chandler's.

Upon arriving at the Mystery corner, I spotted a lone female student. Struggling to reach out with her arms to retrieve a book that's placed higher on the bookshelf than her height. The book is located at this strange height where one moment it seems like she'd be able to reach it yet being unable to reach it the next moment.

Since it appeared as though she'd be able to reach it, she seems reluctant to use the step stool provided. I suppose it's like this whether you're a boy or a girl.

The book she's trying to grab hold of is 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Bronte. It's a novel written by the Bronte sisters and is well-known in the literary world. No, while the synopsis alone may make it seem like a mystery, the actual genre of it would have to be romance, wouldn't it?

I then reached out to grab the book "Wuthering Heights", which the girl was also trying to reach.

"I may have done something unnecessary but..."

At that moment, I realized that I recognized the female student beside me.

"You're Class C's..."

Shiina Hiyori.

She was a student who appeared together with Ryuuen before us a while ago.

After quietly looking at my face, it seems she also similarly recognized me.

"If I recall you're...Ayanokouji-kun, was it?" she asked.

It seems she's remembered my name. Considering the strange manner of contact we've made with each other I suppose it was inevitable.

"Yeah. For now here..."

I handed her the book.

"Thank you very much."

"Do you like it? Bronte"

"Personally, I neither like nor dislike anything. But the book was in the wrong place, genre wise, so I just thought to return it to its proper position." she replied.

"I see."

It seems she was trying to do the same thing I was.

"By the way, the book you have with you...is 'Farewell, My Lovely' right? That's a masterpiece." she told me.

And with that, it seemed something lit up in Shiina's eyes.

"I managed to borrow it from a friend today."

"You're certainly in luck then, it seems Raymond Chandler is very popular amongst the 2nd-year students and there's been a battle over this book for a while. I've been wanting to read it for a while now, but I wasn't able to find it here today either." she continued.

"I seem to have done something bad. Monopolizing it." I replied to her.

"I don't mind. I've read it before after all. And besides, while looking for that book, I was blessed to run into another one. It seems the library in this school has a large collection of books. I might graduate before I could read them all."

She said while holding the Bronte book in her hands and slightly smiling.

"I see, that might be so."

There is indeed a large amount of books stored here. Even if you don't read one particular book, you can easily kill time in here.

"Sorry for disturbing you."

This is a valuable lunch break. She came here instead of eating lunch, she's surely unwilling to let a student from another class bother her during this time. And so I decide to leave.

"Umm...are you looking for another book to borrow by any chance? If it's only about looking for a book to borrow, I would be glad to lend a hand. Since you're already here, wouldn't you rather borrow another book?"

Shiina asks me as she stops me from leaving.

"I thought I'd leave it for another time---what are you doing?" I asked her.

Shiina had already taken her eyes off me and was looking around in the mystery corner of the library.

"Have you already read the Dorothy L. Sayers series?" she asks me.

"No. I've read Christie, but not Dorothy yet."

"If so---how about "Whose Body?" I recommend it. Also the Lord Peter series, if you read one of it you'll surely want to complete the series too."

Saying that, she pulled the books off the shelves and presented them to me.

"Umm."

The sudden development left me bewildered. I was left uncertain of how to respond to her.

"I'm sorry for speaking out like this, did I annoy you?" she asks me.

I was not particularly interested, but I also was not going to refuse her here. And besides, borrowing a book is free anyways so I suppose I'll go along.

"Sorry. I was a bit surprised right now. But since I'm already here I'll borrow them I guess." I told her.

"If you'd like--"

I don't know what she meant by this, but Shiina faced me with a happy expression and asked.

"I don't think it's lunchtime just yet. If you're ok with me...would you like to eat together with me?" she asks me.

"Eh?"

From recommending books, to a development I did not expect. Rather than a chance encounter, I should assume she received instructions to do this from Ryuuen.

Whether I refuse or accept her invitation, the impression Shiina would gain of me is the same. Whatever path I choose, I would inevitably be marked as gray by her.

"There's no one in Class C who likes reading novels, so I have no one I could talk to."

Perhaps she just could not stand by silence, but Shiina said that to me.

"This won't be a problem? Right now Class C is in an uproar looking for someone from Class D right? I think I'm being counted as one of the suspects here."

Shiina probably heard I'm the one behind Karuizawa and Horikita and is likely trying to confirm it. If not, the chances of running into me here are infinitely low. It's extremely likely she was sent to make contact with me here.

In a sense, she's an even creepier existence than Ryuuen.

Because to me, Shiina Hiyori is a completely unknown quantity. I haven't even noticed her in the previous exams.

I'm sure I could dig up some information on her by using Karuizawa, but now that she's being targeted by Ryuuen that option is off the table. Since I only have a small community of people I can use, I don't possess the means to investigate Shiina at the moment.

Keisei and Haruka, of course, are not useful for gathering information on other classes. I could use Hirata, but he's more or less neutral. And since I still don't know how Hirata feels about me, or how he views me, I don't want to rely on him for this. At least not with this timing.

"Please don't worry. I was only making a move formally for Ryuuen-kun. From the start, I was never interested in things like conflict anyways. Or is it a problem for you to talk to me?"

"No. If there's no problem on your end, I have none either."

"That's a relief, I would hate for classes to fight each other over such trivial things like that. I believe making friends is the most important thing."

It can't be helped. The school system was set up like this from the beginning. And besides, most of the students still interact with each other as usual.

Since Hirata and Kushida seem to be especially popular, they will simply break through your personal walls to make 'friends'.

"Shall we leave then? It seems time is passing us by."

I then glanced at the clock in the library.

"Please let me finish borrowing this book first."

Who would have expected that I would have this kind of development in the library?


next chapter

Chapter 273: Chapter 2 Part III

The two of us headed over to the cafeteria.

As 20 minutes have already passed since the start of the lunch break, it's already crowded with a lot of students. But a lot of the students there appear to have finished their meals as there weren't many of them lining up at the ticket machine.

I chose the daily special but here's the problem. Shiina appears to be unable to choose, her fingers waving about in front of the buttons.

"Please wait..."

I waited patiently for about two minutes after being told that. Looks like she finally made up her mind and chose the same meal I did.

"I got a bit indecisive there."

"It's fine, it's not like there's anyone lining up behind us."

Right afterwards, two set meals were placed on the counter. Shiina seems to be having trouble holding the tray with the meal on it since she brought her schoolbag along with her to the cafeteria.

"Isn't the bag getting in the way? I'll carry it."

"No, I can't possibly ask you to do something that troublesome..."

"It's ok, tripping while holding that tray would be far more troublesome."

"Sorry..."

As she apologetically handed the bag over to me, I took it in hand and actually found it rather heavy. I wonder if it's got textbooks in it.

"It's heavy, isn't it? Thank you."

Avoiding the crowds as much as possible, we found empty seats and sat down facing one another. And we then belatedly began eating our lunch slowly.

"Do you usually eat here at the cafeteria?"

"No. I normally buy my lunch at the convenience store in the morning and I usually eat in the classroom. Do you come here often, Ayanokouji-kun?"

"Convenience store food isn't very delicious. I suppose nothing beats food fresh out of the oven."

It saves you the trouble plus it's worth the effort too.

Shiina then picked up the food with her chopsticks and brought it to her mouth in a very dignified manner. I observed her movements in admiration. The way she handles her chopsticks is exceedingly elegant.

"Hmm, I see...the school cafeteria's food is certainly delicious. I'll make sure to keep it in mind."

"Could it be that this is your first time eating here?"

"I suppose the cat's out of the bag?"

"I've been thinking that since we were at the ticket machine, that perhaps you haven't....."

We're already at the end of our second semester and students who haven't made use of the cafeteria are a rare breed.

"I've been curious about it for a while now but once you lose that initial trigger to go then you just end up procrastinating, don't you? I thought this is as good a chance as any so I mustered up my courage to come."

Somehow, I do understand her feelings. You do need a fair bit of courage to show up at a place you normally don't go to. You don't know how you're supposed to act there so you end up hesitating.

Your own feelings of not wanting to show the people who go there regularly how out of your depth you are would end up stopping you. I also had my reservations about buying drip coffee from the convenience store at first.

Because I wasn't sure I would be able to smoothly make coffee from a coffee cup with nothing but ice in it. But in the majority of cases, you'll find that it's nothing that difficult once you try it out.

"Then that means this could be the trigger for you to come here from now on."

"Yes."

Afterwards, we talked a bit while finishing our lunch.

Since we are the latecomers here, most of the students eating lunch here have already finished up and left. Of course, there are students here and there who have stayed behind to have a chat or to take their time eating.

"I'd like to continue where we left off at the library. If it's not a bother, would you please read this?"

Saying that, Shiina places something on the table.

Don. A heavy sound you wouldn't have expected from it at first glance resounded.

"Have you read any of these books before, Ayanokouji-kun?"

She just took four books out of her bag. No wonder it's so heavy.

William Irish and Ellery Queen as well as Lawrence Block and Isaac Asimov.

"You've got good taste....."

These are all mystery novels, masterpieces of old.

"You can tell?"

"I'm also a fan of the mystery genre."

"I see."

Shiina happily laughs while bringing her hands together. And that's when I realized something was off about the books.

"These aren't from the library, are they?"

"They're all mine. I'm carrying them around in case I meet someone who shares my interest in them one day so I can lend it to them. It was only a book at first but before I found someone like that, they just kept piling up."

"Is that so?"

This girl's got a few screws loose.

"Please don't hold back, take whichever one you like."

"Then...I suppose I'll go with Ellery Queen since I haven't read that one yet."

"Please do."

If this is her putting up an act, then it's one hell of an act but I don't really feel that from her. I can only imagine these actions of hers to be because she genuinely loves books.

But I've made a strange connection in a strange place. Of course, I should be on my guard if this is a trap that Class C is setting up but I think it's safe to say this matter is a complete coincidence.

I promised to return it to her at a later date just as the bell signalling the end of our lunch break rang.


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