The Thursday library was steeped in its usual silence, but the atmosphere was different. With Kaito absent, the space felt unbalanced, as if a keystone had been removed from an arch.
Riko took her seat at the large table, her posture as impeccably poised as ever. Across from her, Hikari slouched, but her eyes held a wary alertness that was missing when Kaito was present.
"Good afternoon, Tanaka-san," Riko began, her voice a calibrated blend of politeness and authority. "Sato-senpai sends his regards. He is occupied with a prior Student Council commitment and will not be joining us today."
Hikari gave a single, shallow nod. No surprise, no disappointment. Just acknowledgment. It was as if she had already expected the world to operate with Kaito-shaped absences.
"Very well," Riko said, opening her history textbook to a chapter on the economic policies of the early Showa era. She prepared herself for the familiar struggle, for the pushback against dates and cause-and-effect. She began explaining a complex tariff law, her explanation clear and structured.
To her astonishment, Hikari listened. More than listened—she nodded at key points.
Riko paused, eying her. "Do you… understand this?"
Hikari shrugged, a nonchalant gesture. "Yeah. The main points, anyway. About the trade isolation and how it impacted rural communities."
Riko couldn't hide her surprise. "That is… quite perceptive."
"It was part of the history project last year," Hikari said simply, tapping a finger on the textbook's margin. "Sato explained it. He made charts. Said it was like a badly managed budget for a family business that got too big. Made sense."
The statement landed with quiet force. He made charts. He explained it. Last year.
Another piece of the unseen past, another project, another instance of Kaito's patient translation. The library sessions weren't an anomaly; they were a continuation.
Riko finished the lesson, and Hikari, while not enthusiastic, engaged with a passive comprehension that was miles ahead of their literature struggle.
With the formal teaching concluded and a few minutes remaining, a heavy, curious silence descended. Riko saw an opportunity—a direct source, not a rumor.
"Tanaka-san," Riko began, closing her textbook with deliberate softness. "If I may ask… how do you find studying with Sato-senpai?"
Hikari looked out the window, her expression unreadable for a moment. When she spoke, her voice was quieter, less edged than usual. "He's a talented and gifted star. A really good person." She paused, a faint, almost invisible smirk touching her lips. "Polar opposite from me, I guess. I think everyone admires him, even if they're scared of him. He's got… really high walls. Serious trust issues."
She turned her gaze back to Riko, her dark eyes direct and unsettlingly clear. "But for me, he's a good friend." She tilted her head slightly. "What do you think about him, Riko-san?"
The sudden reversal of the question caught Riko off guard. For a second, her perfectly maintained composure wavered, her eyes widening just a fraction before she regained control.
"I…" Riko started, then steadied herself. "Yeah, I think he is more talented and gifted than anyone I have ever seen. I admire him for being talented, gifted, and perfect in everything." She leaned forward slightly, her polished curiosity breaking through. "But there is one thing I never understand. Why is he so cold? Such a loner? Why doesn't he trust people, even after he is so popular?"
The scheduled hour had ended, the reserved time slot over. But their conversation, unexpectedly, had not.
Hikari held Riko's gaze, the air in the silent library seeming to grow still around them.
(End of Chapter 41)