The student council president's speech caused a small stir, but it was ultimately harmless.
Other than Hiyori and Symon, who noticed a girl with long, straight black hair leaving the venue, the rest of the freshmen quickly forgot about it.
The briefing that followed continued in an orderly fashion, hosted by the student council secretary, Tachibana-senpai.
Although Hiyori Shiina had noticed, her dislike for conflict meant she didn't dwell on it. As planned, she picked up a small booklet at the gymnasium entrance, flipped through the club manual, and listened to the upperclassmen on stage explain their respective clubs.
The Judo Club, Kendo Club, Chess Club, Book Club...
As the club representatives made their appearances one by one, Hiyori, amidst the welcoming voices of several upperclassmen girls, signed up for the Tea Ceremony Club at their small table and was told the location of their clubroom.
With that, the girl's purpose for attending the briefing was perfectly fulfilled. Clutching the booklet she had received, she soon found herself at the school library.
The library was vast, clearly exceeding the standards of a typical high school. Its overall layout resembled a colosseum, with bookshelves dividing it into sections, each furnished with long tables and chairs.
Spreading open A Single Bellflower, a book she had just found, Hiyori Shiina turned to the first page and tentatively asked, "Mr. Ghost, did you like to read books before?"
"How should I put it?" Symon considered it seriously before answering, "Compared to reading, I prefer writing."
"Eh?" Hiyori Shiina was surprised by such a response.
"Reading floods one's mind with countless chaotic thoughts, some good, some bad."
Symon said calmly, "When you record them, you'll find that words themselves are the gentlest readers in this world. They don't get lost in the story and will always empathize with the writer. That's why I prefer writing over reading."
"I see..." Hiyori Shiina's eyes flickered, and she spoke softly with a hint of apology, "I'm sorry for constantly prying into your past."
The girl understood well that, as someone who loved reading mystery novels, she was the type most likely to get lost in a story.
Symon: "I don't mind something so trivial."
"As an apology, would you be willing to listen to me read, Mr. Ghost? This book, A Single Bellflower, is my favorite work."
"Can I refuse?"
"Nope~"
...
————————————————————————
In the days that followed, the peaceful life Hiyori Shiina longed for arrived as expected.
Since Ryūen had unearthed the "Behavioral Standards Exam," Class C was, at least on the surface, peaceful. Aside from Ryūen showing up to class every day with a bruised and swollen face, nothing much happened.
The girl, on the other hand, spent her days rotating between the dormitory, the classroom, the clubroom, and the library, becoming familiar with her classmates and the upperclassmen in her club.
And so, time gradually moved on to Sunday.
That afternoon, Hiyori Shiina was at the library as usual, holding a book and reading it softly to Symon in her mind.
While she was immersed in the story, someone suddenly sat down beside her. Hiyori looked up to see a girl with long pink hair and delicate features. Her purple eyes were even clearer than Hiyori's, and her smile was endearing. Even her figure was much better.
"Hello, Shiina-san. I'm sorry to bother you. I'm Honami Ichinose from Class 1-B."
The pink-haired girl began with a sincere smile.
Symon immediately piped up: "Hiyori, I'll give you one minute. I want all of this woman's contact information!"
"H-stuff is forbidden~!"
Silently rolling her eyes and rejecting someone's antics, Hiyori Shiina closed her book and said softly, "Is there something you need, Ichinose-san?"
"I'm sorry to bother you, but I heard that you're the only one who can persuade Ryūen-kun."
Ichinose clasped her hands together, explaining the situation in a pleading tone: "To sum it up, since yesterday, Ryūen-kun has been running rampant through the boys' dormitory with two other people."
"A lot of students from Class A and Class B have been complaining to me. I tried talking to Ryūen-kun myself, but he wouldn't listen to a word I said. I asked some friends in Class C, and someone mentioned you."
Symon commented with a snark: "I take back what I said. This girl's social skills are terrifying. I can't handle her."
It had only been a week since school started, yet this girl named Honami Ichinose had already expanded her social circle to the entire grade and even dared to confront Ryūen directly. Her social skills were simply off the charts.
"..."
Hearing him say that, Hiyori Shiina fell silent for a moment. Looking at Ichinose's pleading expression, she thought for a bit before saying gently, "Ryūen-kun is very opinionated. Without knowing his objective, I don't have a good reason to persuade him to stop."
The above was a lie.
The girl knew perfectly well that Ryūen was targeting Class A and Class B, intending to use the rules of the "Behavioral Standards Exam" to provoke them into making the first move. Even if it was a pyrrhic victory—hurting the enemy by a thousand while losing eight hundred—lowering the Class Points of those two classes would be a net gain.
"As for the reason, I know it."
Ichinose's gaze was gentle: "I have friends in the second and third years, too. They all warned me about the Behavioral Standards Exam. If you don't know about it, Shiina-san, I can tell you."
"N-No... that's okay..."
Hiyori Shiina used her book to hide her little face, which was blushing with shame from having her lie exposed. "I'm sorry. Although I don't like what's happening either, what Ryūen-kun is doing does align with Class C's interests, so I can't stop him."
"I'm sorry for putting you in a difficult position." Ichinose stood up and bowed, her voice tinged with regret. "Can't everyone in this school just get along peacefully?"
Hiyori Shiina shook her head, not in denial, but because she, too, felt lost.
After Ichinose left, the girl repeated the question to herself in her mind.
Symon thought for a moment before finally refuting it: "Unfortunately, unless there's someone in this school who can free everyone from its control and is willing to act toward that goal, it's absolutely impossible."
"What about you, Mr. Ghost?"
"Hiyori, thank you for thinking so highly of me, but unfortunately, I don't have any cheats. What's impossible is impossible."
"..."
____
🔥 The latest chapters are being posted! 🔥
🪦 Join the community on P... with a 25% discount!
✅ Read up to 40 chapters in advance (all stories)!
✅ Access exclusive posts and updates first!
Let's achieve our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 extra chapter for everybody
🚀 55 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters on ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan