The sensation of Hina cornering me against the rooftop wall the day before still lingered on my back. Yuki's footsteps were heavy as he walked down the hallway. (*Today, I just want to get through the day peacefully. Please, don't let anyone mess with me.*) But that prayer was in vain. The moment the chime rang to signal the end of fourth period, the classroom air grew restless. Lunch break. As Yuki quietly tried to stand up from his seat, a soft, fluffy brown ponytail swayed at the edge of his vision. "[excited]Yuki, hold up a sec!" Hina pushed through the crowd and planted herself in front of his desk. In her hand, she clutched a single sheet of paper. The sports festival pair registration form. "[surprised]What's that?" "[excited]You can see what it is, can't you?! The sports festival pair registration! The deadline's tomorrow, you know!" Hina thrust the form at him aggressively. The girls in the classroom were casting glances their way, but Hina didn't care at all. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying herself. "[scared]We don't have to decide today." When Yuki stepped back, Hina closed the distance even further. The sweet scent of shampoo drifted softly around her. "[sarcastic]Ehh, so maybe you don't wanna pair up with me? That's pretty harsh, especially after yesterday." Grinning, Hina poked Yuki's upper arm with her finger repeatedly. The ticklish sensation and her closeness made Yuki's young body threaten to react on its own again. (*This is bad. At this rate, I'll get swept along.*) Yuki desperately searched for an escape route in his mind. He never thought 37 years of life experience would come in handy at a time like this. "[serious]Sorry, gotta hit the bathroom." "[surprised]Huh? The bathroom, now?!" Yuki slipped past Hina's side and bolted into the hallway. Hina's voice chased after him from behind. "[angry]Hey, Yuki! Don't you run away from me!" When he looked back, he saw Hina coming after him. (*She actually chased me!*) Yuki sprinted down the main building hallway at full speed. Female students he passed turned around with surprised faces. "Wait, is that transfer student running?" "And Hina's chasing him, too." He reached the stairs and bounded up two steps at a time. He crossed the connecting corridor to the special wing and climbed even more stairs. He was running out of breath, but he kept going until he could no longer hear Hina's footsteps behind him. "[angry]Yukiii! You'll pay for thiiis!" He could hear Hina's shout from far away, but it gradually faded into the distance. It seemed he had managed to shake her off. Yuki stopped in the third-floor hallway of the special wing, put his hands on his knees, and caught his breath. His heart was pounding. (*This young body's got stamina, I'll give it that. But inside, I'm 37. Mentally, this is rough.*) When he looked up, he saw a plaque in front of him that read "Library." Kouyou Academy's library. With over 50 years of history since the school's founding, it boasted a collection of 18,000 books. (*It'll be quiet here, and Hina won't come.*) Yuki quietly opened the door and stepped inside. The library was more spacious than he had expected. Rows of bookshelves reached up to the high ceiling, and afternoon light streamed in through the windows. The air had a unique, calming quality—a blend of old paper and wood. At the counter sat the librarian, Saejima Kanae. A 28-year-old female teacher, she was known to be taciturn but precise in her work. Noticing Yuki enter, she gave a slight nod. Yuki nodded back and made his way between the bookshelves. Through the window, he could see the townscape of Minakaze City and, far off, the Pacific Ocean. The sea surface glittered under the afternoon sun. (*This is calming.*) Yuki took a deep breath and began walking slowly between the bookshelves. As he walked, scanning the spines, his eyes suddenly stopped on one book. *Guardian of Twilight.* Yuki's hand reached for it naturally. It was almost exactly like a novel that had become a bestseller in his original world. The cover's atmosphere, the synopsis—they were remarkably similar. "[gentle]Ah, I know this story... So there's something like it in this world too, huh." The words slipped out before he knew it. In that instant— "...You've read that?" A small but clear voice came from behind him. When he turned around, he saw a petite girl sitting in the corner of the L-shaped reading area at the back of the library. Her black hair was tied in braids, and she wore black-rimmed glasses. Her narrow, dark eyes were wide open behind the lenses. She clutched a paperback with a bookmark tucked inside it against her chest. Tachibana Shizuka—a first-year and library committee member, she was normally a quiet student who practically erased her presence. But now, that very Shizuka was half-standing, staring intently at Yuki. "[surprised]Huh? Ah, yeah, this? Oh, no, I just meant I know about it." When Yuki answered awkwardly, Shizuka stood up smoothly and gazed fixedly at the book in his hands. "[excited]That book—the protagonist returns to his hometown in the final chapter, right? Most people say he 'returned for love,' but I think differently." Shizuka's tone quickened, as if a dam had burst. Her usual silent impression seemed like a lie. "[excited]You're the first person I've met who's read it... Oh, I'm sorry, bringing this up so suddenly." Shizuka caught herself, her face flushing red, and closed her mouth. Seeing her like that, Yuki couldn't help but smile. "[gentle]No, I think it's an interesting opinion. I think that in that final chapter, the protagonist came back not out of love, but out of a sense of responsibility." Who would have thought his reading experience from his middle-aged days would come in handy here? Shizuka's eyes sparkled. "[excited]You're wrong!" Her voice rose a notch. "[excited]It only looks that way because you're separating love and responsibility! The protagonist didn't return because he wanted to protect someone. He returned because he wanted to be with her. Love and responsibility aren't separate motives—the fact that the two are originally fused together as a single emotion is the most important part of this story...!" Shizuka began speaking with animated gestures. Passionate gestures she would absolutely never make under normal circumstances. Her braids swayed. Her eyes behind her glasses were sparkling. Yuki was inwardly impressed by her enthusiasm. "[gentle]I see. So that's why, in that final scene, the protagonist just stood there without saying anything—because there was no need to put it into words." "[excited]Exactly! They already understood everything, so words weren't necessary! That silence says it all!" Shizuka nodded happily. That smile was so utterly pure. Yuki felt a small warmth flicker deep in his chest. —*Thump.* His heart beat just a little faster. (*...What is this? This is bad.*) Yuki pretended not to notice. "[gentle]You really do love books, don't you?" When Yuki said that, Shizuka closed her mouth as if suddenly coming back to her senses, and her face turned bright red all the way to her ears. "[scared]I-I'm sorry... I just got carried away..." Shizuka shrank back and hung her head. That reaction was so endearing that Yuki laughed again. "[gentle]That's not something to apologize for. If anything, having someone you can talk to so passionately about the same book—that's a happy thing." When Yuki said that, Shizuka timidly raised her face. Their eyes met. Shizuka's lips curved into a small, happy smile. "[gentle]...Yes. I'm happy too." The afternoon light streaming through the window softly illuminated Shizuka's profile. Her black hair swayed gently, and her long eyelashes cast shadows. Yuki felt his heart thump again. (*Bad, bad, bad. This is because of the young body. It has to be.*) "[serious]Um, if you'd like, why don't you sit across from me? It's a bit awkward just standing and talking." He said it feigning calm, and Shizuka gave a small nod. The two sat facing each other at the L-shaped reading area. Outside the window, the sea glittered brightly. In the quiet of the library, time began to pass slowly, just for the two of them. Yuki traced his memories of the novels he'd read in his middle-aged days and threw a question at Shizuka. "[gentle]Come to think of it, have you read the author's other works?" "[excited]Yes! I've read *To the Ends of the Azure Sky* and *Poem of the Labyrinth*. Especially *To the Ends of the Azure Sky*—there's a theory that it's connected to the world of *Guardian of Twilight*, and—" Shizuka's eyes lit up again as she began to talk. The topics spread wider and wider. The author's other works, similar works in this world, and even into literary theory. "[gentle]Speaking of which, there's a book with a similar theme called *Memories of the Seashore*. Do you know it?" "[surprised]No, I don't know that one. Is it interesting?" "[excited]It's really good! Especially the development near the end... Ah, but I can't say because it would be a spoiler." Shizuka covered her mouth and smiled mischievously. Yuki found it refreshing—so she could make an expression like that too. Every time the conversation paused, the scenery outside the window caught his eye. The ginkgo trees in the schoolyard swayed in the wind. A single small boat floated on the distant sea. (*Times like this aren't so bad.*) Yuki thought that from the bottom of his heart. Not being tossed around by aggressive approaches like Mio's or Hina's, but just purely talking about a shared hobby. For a 37-year-old mind, it was a strangely calming time. On the other hand— Every time Shizuka laughed, his heart skipped a beat. Every time Shizuka explained something with gestures, he found himself looking at her small hands. Every time Shizuka looked down and fiddled with her bookmark, her fingertips strangely caught his attention. (*Ahh... Is this, after all, what they call love?*) Yuki scratched his head. (*No, it's not. This is because of the young body. There's no way I, with the mind of a 37-year-old, would seriously fall for a first-year high school girl.*) He told himself that, but his heart refused to listen. Just then— *Ding-dong-dang-dong.* The chime signaling the end of the school day echoed through the quiet library. Almost simultaneously, both of them looked up with a start. "[surprised]Huh, it's that time already?" "[scared]Ah, I-I'm sorry! I made you talk for so long...!" Shizuka hurriedly reinserted her bookmark into her paperback and began putting it away in her bag. Her face was bright red to her ears. Her braids swayed. "[gentle]Not at all. It's been a while since I could talk about books, and it was really fun." When Yuki said that honestly, Shizuka's hands stopped. Silence continued for a moment. With her book still in her bag, Shizuka hung her head and didn't move. "...Yuki-kun." In a small, hoarse voice, Shizuka spoke. "[whispers]I'm always here, so..." Shizuka raised her face. With a bright red face and glistening eyes, she gazed intently at Yuki. "[whispers]...I'll be waiting." The moment she finished speaking, Shizuka hung her head again. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Yuki's brain froze. (*Wait, what does she mean by 'waiting'? Waiting to talk about books? No, given the flow of this conversation, that can't be it, right? So, is it that? A confession? Was that just now a confession? No, hold on, I may have a high schooler's body, but inside I'm 37, and Shizuka's a first-year, still 15 or so—*) His mind spun in circles. He tried to feign composure, but he could tell his own face was growing hot. "[scared]U-Um..." Just as Yuki was about to say something— *Clatter!* The library door swung open forcefully. "[excited]Found you! I knew it, Yuki, so this is where you were?!" Standing at the entrance, Hina stood triumphantly with her hands on her hips. Her soft, flu