"Sorry that such a thing happened in our class."
Hiyori Shiina expressed her apology to Subaru.
"It isn't your problem. It's just normal friction between classes. Since Horikita chose this path, she must have already been prepared to be targeted in return."
Subaru responded in a calm tone.
"Subaru seems... not displeased about having wasted time?" Hiyori asked softly, with a hint of cautious probing.
She could feel that Subaru's current state was not so much disappointment, but rather an indifference born of confirmation. He had confirmed the dullness of certain things, and thus completely tossed them to the back of his mind.
"Displeased?"
Subaru withdrew his gaze and looked at her.
"Why should I be displeased? The process and the result both met expectations. It merely verified the conclusion of being 'boring,' just like watching a play where you already know the ending."
His tone was flat.
Usually, Subaru did not speak much; he would only talk a little more when he encountered someone he was interested in.
Hiyori tilted her head slightly, seeming to understand his meaning.
To Subaru, perhaps "boring" itself was an acceptable answer, as long as it was "real" enough.
She stopped discussing the previous matter and instead pushed the book she had been reading halfway a little closer.
"This book... this part is very interesting."
The topic naturally shifted to the world of books shared by the two. Subaru listened to her soft narration, his gaze falling on the text indicated by her fingertips, occasionally responding with a brief sentence or two.
The tranquility of The Library was like a soft film, temporarily separating them from the world outside.
Here, the gentle colors belonging to "reality" that surrounded Hiyori Shiina were the only things Subaru was willing to stop and gaze at.
Her focus, her curiosity, the faintly glowing light in her eyes when she spoke of things she loved—all were like the few small pebbles capable of stirring ripples when cast into the dead, silent deep pool of his heart.
"Subaru-kun."
She suddenly stopped explaining and looked up at him.
"If... I mean if, the matters between the classes become even more chaotic, and even spread to this place... would you feel troubled?"
Her question was euphemistic, but Subaru understood. She was asking what he would do if Ryuen, or Nagumo, or anyone else escalated the struggle to the point of affecting the peace of The Library.
Subaru's fingers, turning the page, paused. He did not answer immediately, his gaze seeming to penetrate the pages.
"Troubled?"
He repeated the word, no emotion discernible in his tone.
"For example, if one day the classes we belong to officially go to war... although I don't wish to see such a scene, and I don't want to participate in these struggles, I'm afraid the school will become even more chaotic in the future."
Hiyori was very smart. Although she never directly participated in various disputes, she could deduce potential future events from the various actions of her classmates.
"It doesn't matter. As long as you, Hiyori, remain as you should be, that is enough."
Subaru looked into Hiyori's eyes and spoke slowly. However, his tone was more serious than before.
As long as you maintain your color.
Subaru said this in his heart.
"Mn."
"Let's read first. This part is indeed very interesting."
*
About half an hour later, inside a school conference room, Kakeru Ryuen arrived.
His face wore an expression of impatience as he leaned back in his chair, his legs resting on the table.
Daichi Ishizaki, Mio Ibuki, and others stood behind Ryuen, waiting anxiously. After receiving the call from Miyabi Nagumo, they had rushed here at top speed.
Ryuen watched the door, waiting for Nagumo's arrival.
On the phone, Nagumo had told Ryuen some interesting things, which had piqued the latter's interest slightly.
Ibuki looked at Ryuen with some confusion. She wasn't clear on the specific content of the conversation; she only knew that upon receiving the call, a smile had appeared on Ryuen's face, and then he had rushed here without stopping.
What exactly had they said to make Ryuen come here?
However... Ibuki was also clear on one thing. If the other party was actually a boring person, Ryuen would definitely not give him face, even if Nagumo was the Student Council Vice President.
Ibuki could only pray that her class would not be targeted by the Student Council in the future.
Soon, the sound of footsteps rang out from the doorway.
Miyabi Nagumo walked into the classroom with unhurried steps.
"Oi, Nagumo. You kept us waiting for a long time."
Facing the second-year senior, who was also the Student Council Vice President, Ryuen showed not a shred of reverence.
However, Nagumo's expression did not change much; he simply looked at the other party with a smile.
"Sorry. I was delayed because I encountered some matters on the way."
As Nagumo spoke, he walked straight to the center seat of the conference room and sat down. He did not feel displeased by Ryuen's behavior; on the contrary, deep down, Nagumo actually appreciated Ryuen a little.
Ryuen had ability and methods. And... he wasn't that hard to control.
He looked somewhat similar to Subaru, but their logic of action was completely different. No matter what action Ryuen took, his goal was to defeat enemies and raise his own status.
In other words, he was the student who best practiced the philosophy of supremacy of ability.
But Subaru was somewhat different.
"What needs to be done is not as simple as making him drop out."
"Oh?"
"I want him to kneel before me. I want to destroy everything of his—interpersonal relationships, spirit, dignity. I want to trample everything he has!"
A smile appeared on Ryuen's face. Like a wild beast.
Nagumo narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at Ryuen before him.
This guy seemed a little more interesting than he had imagined.
"Letting him drop out just like that would be too boring," Ryuen said as he stood up from his seat, preparing to leave the conference room.
But Nagumo's voice sounded again at this moment.
"I see. It was my misunderstanding."
Nagumo continued to speak with a smile.
"Then, let me change the condition."
At that moment, Nagumo tapped his terminal lightly. Several images were projected.
Hiyori Shiina.
Suzune Horikita.
Airi Sakura.
"These are the people Subaru is relatively close with. Of course, Shiina is in your class, so she is temporarily excluded. The other two are in his class. If you can make any one of them drop out... for one person, I will give you eight million points."
"Oh?"
"Because for that guy Subaru, Suzune Horikita has no value."
____
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