The afternoon sunlight streamed through the hallway windows, casting long golden patterns on the polished floor. Sakura petals brushed softly against the glass, carried by the breeze. The sound of footsteps echoed gently through the quiet corridor.

  “Where are we going, by the way?” Rei asked, yawning as he walked ahead with heavy steps.

  Shiori turned her head and smiled brightly. “To wherever our feet lead us,” she replied.

  The others exchanged glances, a little surprised—but none of them argued. Instead, they followed her in quiet agreement, their steps falling into rhythm.

  As they continued down the hallway, Natsumi’s gaze drifted to a nearby signboard.

  “Library,” she read aloud, her voice curious. “I’m quite intrigued about the content of the books in the library.” she looked at them as her eyes shined brightly.

  They stopped from walking and looked at Natsumi.

  Aya tilted her head. “The library? Isn’t that too quiet for our first hangout?” she said.

  “It’s peaceful,” Natsumi said, already veering toward the door. “And maybe there’s a cozy spot to sit and talk. You know, like in those slice-of-life anime scenes?” she continued and went inside.

  Shiori sighed, and started to walk again. “I guess we have no choice since Natsumi is already making that expression. There’s no stopping her from going in.” she said and followed her.

  Rei shrugged and followed. “Better than walking around aimlessly.”

  As soon as they stepped inside, the warm, familiar scent of old books wrapped around them. The library wasn’t crowded—just a few upperclassmen scattered among the shelves and tables. Some were quietly flipping through novels or articles, while others simply lounged in the cool comfort of the air conditioning. It was a little funny, really—some people came for knowledge, others just for the breeze. But either way, it gave the place a peaceful, lived-in feel.

  They noticed Natsumi had already claimed a seat at an empty table, her attention buried in a book. Rei had flopped onto a nearby sofa, his head resting against the wall—already fast asleep. Hajime glanced at him, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh.

  Without saying a word, Aya drifted toward the fairy tale section, her fingers grazing the spines like she was searching for something familiar. Shiori, with a quiet kind of certainty, made her way to a shelf lined with law books and pulled one free, flipping through the pages as if the weight of the words grounded her.

  One by one, they returned to the table Natsumi had chosen. The soft rustle of pages blended with the hum of the air conditioner, and in that small, shared silence.

  For a long few minutes, the only sounds were the turning of pages and the soft hum of the air conditioner. Each of them was lost in their own little world of words.

  Hajime finally stood up, stretched his arms above his head, and let out a quiet sigh. His eyes drifted to Shiori.

  “Are we really just staying here the whole time? Shouldn’t we explore the school or something?”

  He paused when his gaze fell on Rei—still fast asleep on the sofa—while a group of upperclassman girls crouched nearby, giggling as they gently brushed makeup onto his face.

  Hajime sat back down, trying—and failing—not to laugh.

  “Either way’s fine with me,” he said, a grin tugging at his lips.

  Shiori glanced up, a hint of confusion flickering across her face. “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you. What did you say?” Her glasses caught the sunlight, the gleam momentarily blinding her.

  Hajime didn’t look up from his book as he flipped a page. “Are we staying here for a while, or are we going to explore the school some more?” he asked, his voice casual as his fingers paused on the page, waiting for her answer.

  This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

  “Ah.” Shiori’s eyes widened for a brief moment, as if the thought finally clicked. She shifted in her seat, her attention now fully on their plan.

  Hajime glanced over at her, catching the shift in her expression—a sudden realization of what they had set out to do. He let out a soft chuckle, then quickly raised his book, hoping to cover the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

  Shiori’s gaze sharpened, her eyebrows drawing together slightly as she looked at him.

  “Even if you try to hide it, I know you’re laughing,” she said, standing up with a small sigh.

  They wandered from club to club, not really searching for anything in particular—just the thrill of trying something new. Every time they stepped into a room, whether it was the Music Club, the Art Room, or even the Science Lab, they gave it their all, even if they were clueless at first. In the Music Club, none of them really knew how to play an instrument, but that didn’t stop them. Aya fumbled with the piano keys, Shiori tried to strum a guitar, and Hajime tapped on the drums like a kid figuring out rhythm for the first time. Laughter followed them from room to room, and somewhere between the trial and error, the noise and silence, the awkwardness and curiosity—something quietly clicked. It wasn’t just fun. It was the kind of day that would settle in the corners of their memory and stay there.

  As they reached the field, the sound of cheering and the sharp crack of a bat filled the air. Players in uniforms moved across the dirt, locked in a match—starters facing off against the new recruits.

  Hajime’s gaze shifted to Rei, who stood still, eyes following the ball in silence.

  “You’re not playing?” Hajime asked, glancing sideways at him.

  The others turned toward Rei too. He didn’t respond right away—his usual drowsy expression replaced by something quieter and more focused.

  “The coach told me to rest today,” he said, eyes still fixed on the game. “So I’ll just watch.” he continued.

  The silence erupts in the air, the only sound that could be heard around them was the ball being hit by a baseball bat and the people shouting for cheering.

  “There’s nothing wrong with observing.” Natsumi said, cutting off the silence. And caught their attention to her. “Observation is a part of learning after all.” she smiled.

  After hearing what she said, Rei automatically smiled. “You’re right about that,” he replied.

  With that, the sun dipped below the horizon, leaving a soft trail of gold in its wake. The sky darkened slowly, as if pulling a blanket over the world. Night settled in, quiet and still.

  They stood outside the school gate, the sky now deep with twinkling stars. Shiori stretched her arms high above her head, a quiet yawn slipping out as she tried to shake off the stiffness from walking all day. Around her, the others were gathering their things, getting ready to head home—when suddenly, a ringtone cut through the evening air.

  “Whose phone was that?” Rei asked, blinking in surprise.

  Hajime pulled out his phone from his pocket. “Sorry, it’s mine,” he said, then stepped away a little to answer the call.

  The others didn’t move. Instead of leaving, they lingered near the gate, chatting quietly among themselves as they waited. When Hajime finally turned around, still tucking his phone away, he paused for a moment—watching them laugh about something small. A smile tugged at his lips. He hadn’t expected them to stay.

  He stepped back toward the group, and Aya looked up at him, her expression unusually serious.

  “Are you okay, Hajime-kun?” she asked, a trace of worry in her eyes.

  “Yeah,” he said, slipping his phone back into his pocket. “Sachiko-san called me and told me that my older brother’s coming home for dinner.”

  “Sachiko-san? You’re aunt?” Shiori asked, curiosity piqued in her face.

  He shook his head twice. “She’s… my foster mom,” he said quietly, almost as if reminding himself.

  Shiori gave a small nod, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Let’s call it a day, then.”

  Everyone nodded and began to walk, only to pause as the realization hit them—they were all headed the same way. A brief silence passed before one of them chuckled, and soon, laughter bubbled up among them, light and carefree, like kids discovering they’d all picked the same hiding spot.