The school library was one of the quietest places in the entire building.
Tall bookshelves stretched across the room, filled with rows of textbooks and novels.
Sunlight slipped through the large windows, casting warm light across the wooden tables.
For most students, the library was a place they only visited when they absolutely had to.
But for Kaito Sakamura, it had always been a comfortable place.
Quiet.
Peaceful.
Predictable.
At least… it used to be.
Now, sitting across from him at the same table, was someone who made the quiet place feel completely different.
Hikari Aoyama.
She sat with her notebook open, tapping her pencil against the page while staring at the project materials.
"Hmmm…"
Kaito looked up from his book.
"Is something wrong?"
Hikari sighed dramatically and leaned back in her chair.
"I don't understand this part."
She turned the paper toward him and pointed at a section filled with complicated formulas.
Kaito adjusted his glasses slightly and examined the page.
"Oh."
"What do you mean 'oh'?"
"It's actually simple."
Hikari crossed her arms.
"Simple for you, maybe."
Kaito picked up a pencil and began writing on a spare sheet of paper.
"It works like this."
He carefully explained the process step by step.
Hikari watched closely, her eyes following every line he wrote.
After a few moments, her expression suddenly brightened.
"Ohhhh!"
She pointed at the paper.
"So the energy converts here first before going to the next system?"
Kaito nodded.
"Yes."
Hikari grinned widely.
"That actually makes sense now!"
Her voice was slightly louder than expected.
Several students in the library turned to look at them.
Hikari immediately lowered her voice.
"Oops… sorry."
Kaito couldn't help but notice how expressive she was.
Every emotion showed clearly on her face.
It was… interesting.
Hikari stretched her arms and leaned forward across the table.
"You're really good at explaining things."
Kaito looked down at his notebook.
"…I just like studying."
"Still."
She smiled.
"You're a good teacher."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The quiet library returned.
Then suddenly—
Hikari placed something on the table.
A small plastic bag.
"What's that?" Kaito asked.
"Snacks."
She pushed the bag toward him.
Inside were small cookies.
"I brought extra."
Kaito blinked.
"For… me?"
"Of course."
She laughed softly.
"You're helping me with the project, so it's only fair."
Kaito hesitated.
He wasn't used to people giving him things.
But eventually he took one cookie.
"…Thank you."
Hikari smiled proudly.
"See? Studying is better with snacks."
They continued working for another hour.
Page after page of notes filled their notebooks.
But something about the atmosphere felt different now.
It wasn't just quiet.
It felt… comfortable.
After finishing a section of the project, Hikari suddenly asked a question.
"Kaito."
"Yes?"
"Why do you always sit alone at lunch?"
Kaito paused.
He had expected that question eventually.
"I guess…"
He searched for the right words.
"I just never learned how to talk to people."
Hikari frowned slightly.
"But you're talking to me."
"That's different."
"How?"
Kaito thought for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
"You started the conversation."
Hikari blinked.
Then she laughed softly.
"So if someone talks to you first, you're actually pretty normal."
Kaito looked confused.
"…Normal?"
"Yeah."
She smiled warmly.
"You're not weird at all."
Kaito didn't know how to respond to that.
No one had ever said something like that to him before.
A comfortable silence followed.
The sun outside had begun to set, painting the sky orange through the windows.
Hikari packed her notebook into her bag.
"Looks like it's getting late."
Kaito checked the time.
They had been studying much longer than expected.
Hikari stood up and stretched.
"That was productive."
Then she looked down at him with a cheerful smile.
"Same time tomorrow?"
Kaito paused for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"…Yes."
As they walked out of the library together, the hallway was already quiet.
Most students had gone home.
Hikari walked beside him, swinging her bag lightly.
"You know," she said, "I thought studying would be boring."
"But this is actually kind of fun."
Kaito glanced at her.
"…Really?"
"Yeah."
She smiled again.
"Because I'm not doing it alone."
Those words stayed in Kaito's mind long after they left the school building.
For the first time in a long time…
Being around someone didn't feel exhausting.
It felt peaceful.
And although he didn't realize it yet…
These quiet afternoons in the library would become some of the most important memories of his life.