The Prodigy - Classroom Of The Elite

1 Weeks went by , after the discussion for planning to increase class points, and we planning Group Study.

From the next day of the discussion , the plan was implemented. Excluding a few special cases like Sudou, Ike Yamauchi and Kouenji and 1-2 more , the other students immediately agreed upon the plan of group studying.

And those, two groups were formed.

One group would be led by Hirata and I was given the responsibility of the 2nd group. Which is a drag, but I have already informed them that I might not be able to continue this for too long, saying that I might join the Students council, so I won't have time.

I thought at the time that I was lying, but , after careful consideration, I think joining the Students council would be a great idea, at least theoretically.

But not now, after the mid term exam's results are out, I will apply for the students council.

Currently, at the Classroom, almost everyone was paying attention to their study, except, again, Sudou , Ike and Yamauchi. They were definitely a problem. They didn't even join the study group , and were not paying attention to class, in this way, their failure was almost confirmed.

Hirata and I aren't really on good terms with them. Hirata's relationship isn't bad, but mine is worse than just neutral.

I haven't figured out how to get them to join in our class plans yet.

When I talked to Horikita about it, she surprisingly seemed eager to help those three on her own. She even asked if I could lend a hand, which was unexpected coming from her. But, if I could help, I would have done it already, so I had to turn her down.

She took it well without much fuss. I wonder what she's planning next.

After class, instead of heading straight to the dorm, I decided to visit the library. Before that, I sent a message to delay our group study by about half an hour because I wanted to grab some books.

It might seem selfish to delay the group study just for myself, but I doubt they would have studied much without me there anyway.

They were fine with the delay, so it wasn't a problem at all.

At the library...

When I walked into the library, I noticed it seemed empty except for the librarian lady who's always there, though I never caught her name.

At first glance, I thought it was just the two of us, but I quickly realized I was wrong. The same girl I mentioned before, who practically seems to live in the library, was there too. Does she ever leave this place?

Anyway, I've never talked to her, so I just headed straight to the fantasy section where I started searching for the books I wanted. I had already picked out some titles online that I planned to read.

I always prefer holding a physical book in my hands instead of reading on a phone or laptop; it just feels more like real reading to me.

After a while of searching, I still couldn't find the book I was after.

"Maybe it's not here..." I thought about just grabbing another book, but then...

"Are you looking for this book?"

I turned around, and there she was, the girl with a smile, holding out exactly the book I had been searching for.

I figured she wanted to read the book too. It's a new release from a really famous author, so it makes sense we'd both be interested. But shouldn't the library have more than one copy of a popular book? Maybe I just don't get how things work here since I had my own library at home, and I was the only one reading those books.

She waited for me to say something, but I was so focused on the book that I zoned out, leaving her looking a bit confused.

"Sorry, I thought you were looking for this book, so I asked," she said, probably thinking my silence meant I was annoyed by her sudden approach.

"Oh, no... I'm sorry. I totally zoned out. And yeah, I was looking for this book," I replied, giving her a slightly awkward smile.

"Yeah, I figured. It's a really popular book right now. I just saw a couple of other people grab it, so I was curious about what it's all about."

Ah, so that's where the other copies went.

She handed me the book with a warm smile. "You can read it first if you'd like. I've got a few other books to keep me busy in the meantime."

I hesitated, unsure if I should take her up on her offer. "Are you sure? I don't want to take it if you were planning on reading it."

She nodded, her expression calm and reassuring. "It's fine. I actually like to take my time with books. Plus, I can always check back later to see if it's available."

"Thank you," I said as I took the book from her. "I really appreciate it. I'm Minato, by the way. Hayashi Minato."

"Hiyori Shiina," she introduced herself with a slight bow. "From Class C."

"Nice to meet you, Shiina-san. You seem to spend a lot of time here in the library," I commented, trying to keep the conversation going.

She chuckled softly. "Yes, I do. The library is a peaceful place where I can focus and explore different worlds through books. It's almost like an escape."

"Same here," I replied. "Have you read this book? It doesn't seem to match the type of books I usually see you reading," I asked, curious because I often noticed her reading different kinds of books when I visited.

She seemed a bit surprised that I knew her taste in books. "How do you know it's not my taste?" she asked.

"Well... I come here often, and you're always here. I've seen you reading and picking out books, so I noticed the types you usually go for. But it was just an observation, not like I was trying to—" I realized I was probably making it more complicated than it needed to be and trailed off when I saw her eyes widen slightly in surprise. But then, her surprise turned into amusement, and she let out a soft, friendly laugh.

"It's alright, I don't mind," she said. "I even know what kind of books you like, which is why I figured you were looking for this one."

"I see, that's a relief," I replied.

"Plus, you're right. I don't usually read this type of book, but since it's been talked about so much lately, I thought I'd check it out."

"So, you won't read it, right? If you want, you can go ahead, and I can wait."

"No, no, it's alright. I'm not planning to read it. That's why I gave it to you already."

"Thanks."

"And if you ever need book recommendations, feel free to ask me. I'm always here," she said with a friendly smile.

"I'll remember that," I said. "I should get going now. Thanks again for the help, I mean, finding and giving this book to me."

After I left the library, I realized I might have spent more time chatting with her than planned, which cut into the time I had set aside to find two more books. But I think the conversation was worth it.