The library during summer vacation is more comfortable than I expected.
Not only was the air conditioning on, but the unique cool atmosphere was very relaxing.
It's not exactly quiet. There aren't many people using the library, but I could see a parent and child reading picture books aloud a little distance away. There was quite a bit of noise, but I think it was a surprisingly easy environment to concentrate in.
"Hime, are you a fast reader?"
I asked him about something that had been bothering me.
Her hands were clearly fast at turning the pages, several times faster than mine.
"He was reading so fast, I couldn't help but look at it."
"Is that so... I was a little nervous when you suddenly started staring at me."
He seemed to be concentrating on his book, but maybe he was watching me out of the corner of his eye.
That's why he must have noticed my gaze.
"I think my speed is fast. I'm good at reading."
As expected, he is a print lover, which is rare in this day and age.
It's also cute how she seems a little happy about being praised.
"Is that what they call speed reading?"
"...I wonder. I don't consciously read it that way, but I might be reading it in a similar way."
I've heard rumors about it, but this is the first time I've seen someone actually do it.
I guess he naturally acquired this skill while reading a lot of text.
"It feels more like following a sentence than reading letters."
"Wow. It's amazing that you can still understand the content."
"I think it's just a matter of getting used to it. Thanks to that, I can read a lot of books, so it's a good deal."
I once came across an article online about a method for speed reading.
I remembered that a simple way to speed read is to just "follow the kanji."
(...Maybe I should give it a try.)
Try it out on the next page.
If you just follow the kanji with your eyes, your speed will certainly increase...
(Oh, that's impossible)
First of all, my eyes got tired quickly. I felt like I was overworking them, and I found myself holding the corners of my eyes.
Next, I realized that I wasn't really understanding the content. I was just following the text with my eyes, not processing it with my mind. I realized this was impossible, so I quickly gave up on speed reading.
It may have been a difficult technique for an ordinary person.
...Hime is amazing after all. It's moments like this that really make me realize how great her abilities are.
While I was admiring this, Hime suddenly closed the book.
Maybe...
"Have you read it yet?"
"Yes. I've finished reading it."
It took about 20 minutes, and in that short time he had read through the entire book.
It's true that the book contains many illustrations, but I haven't even read a quarter of it, so Hime is progressing quite quickly.
Well, it may be that I tend to be drawn to Hime, but that's beside the point.
"At this rate, I think I can read it all in a little over an hour."
"Huh? I thought I was going to borrow this."
"You need to get a library card to borrow it. To do that, you need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and I was planning to read it here today."
Now that you mention it, that's true.
Hime said it was her first time using the library, so naturally she didn't have a library card.
"Plus, I can remember everything once I see it, so I don't have to borrow it."
...This kid is really amazing.
When it comes to speed reading and instantaneous memory, there may be no one better at learning knowledge.
After all, Hoshimiya Hime is not normal.
This child is an undeniable "genius" -.