Kamiki slowed his pace even further, venturing deeper into the labyrinth of bookshelves.
Finally, he spotted that familiar face.
Her long, ash-blue hair cascaded down her shoulders.
Looking closer, he noticed her uniquely beautiful violet eyes.
She looked absolutely adorable.
This girl was Shiina Hiyori.
The character he had loved the most in his past life was standing right in front of him.
Hiyori was reaching for a book on one of the top shelves, standing on her tiptoes.
The book she wanted was way too high up; she just couldn’t reach it.
With a faint smile playing on his lips, Kamiki walked over swiftly.
His footsteps were almost entirely silent as he came to a halt right behind her.
He gently reached up and, with a single fluid motion, pulled the thick, hardcover book from the shelf—the exact one Hiyori had been struggling to grab.
Feeling the sudden movement behind her, Hiyori flinched slightly.
Her eyes widened in shock, and she spun around quickly.
Kamiki offered her the book with a gentle gesture, looking straight into her eyes.
“I believe this was the book you were looking for,” Kamiki said, his voice remarkably soft.
Hiyori stared at the boy in front of her for a moment, her surprise written all over her face.
But it didn’t last long.
A warm, angelic smile spread across her face, and her violet eyes sparkled.
She took the book with both hands, pressing it against her chest.
“Ah,” Hiyori murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Thank you so much.” “You’re very welcome,” Kamiki replied.
“I saw you were having a bit of trouble reaching it.” Hiyori bowed her head slightly.
“Yes…
I’m a bit on the shorter side.” Kamiki looked closely at the cover of the book she was holding tightly against her chest, instantly recognizing the title and the author.
*And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie.* “An excellent choice,” Kamiki said, shifting his gaze back to Hiyori’s violet eyes.
“So, you enjoy psychological thrillers.” Hiyori’s smile grew even wider.
She lifted the book slightly, looking at the title on the cover.
“Yes!” Hiyori said, her voice tinged with excitement.
“I absolutely adore psychological thrillers and mystery stories.” “Agatha Christie is a wonderful choice,” Kamiki said.
“Especially this particular book.” “Did you know?” Hiyori added.
“This book is widely considered to be the author’s best-selling and most famous work.” Kamiki nodded gently.
“Ten Little Soldiers.” Hiyori blinked in surprise.
“You even know its old title and the plot?” “Of course,” Kamiki said, taking a step closer.
“Ten people stranded on an island, dying one by one according to a nursery rhyme…
The execution is pure genius.” “Exactly!” Hiyori’s eyes practically danced with joy.
“The characters’ internal struggles and their overwhelming guilt are so compelling.” “If you have some time,” Hiyori asked gently, “would you like to talk a bit more about books?” Kamiki closed the system screen in his mind and looked at Hiyori.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Kamiki said.
“I have time.” “I’m so glad,” Hiyori smiled.
“By the way, I’m Shiina Hiyori.
I’m from Class C.” “And I’m Kamiki,” the young man replied.
But then, he paused.
The expression on his face changed instantly.
He acted as if he had completely frozen upon hearing her name.
His eyes widened slightly, locking his gaze onto Hiyori, as if trying to recall a distant, long-lost memory.
Hiyori noticed his sudden silence.
She knitted her brows slightly and took a step toward him with a worried look.
“Are you alright, Kamiki-kun?” Hiyori asked, her tone deeply gentle.
“Is something wrong?” Kamiki took a deep breath, blinking slowly as he put on an act of pulling himself together.
“Ah, forgive me,” Kamiki said, his voice deep and resonant.
“It’s just…
I was deeply surprised when I heard your name.” Hiyori tilted her head inquisitively.
“My name?
Is the name Shiina strange to you?” “No, quite the opposite,” Kamiki said, looking directly into her violet eyes.
“In my past life, there was an angel I loved very much.” Hiyori’s eyes widened even further with curiosity.
“An angel?” “Yes,” Kamiki said, dropping his voice to a lower, softer register.
“Her name was also Shiina—Shiina Mahiru.” For a moment, Hiyori didn’t know what to say.
“Shiina…
Mahiru?” she mumbled.
Within seconds, a soft pink blush crept across Hiyori’s pale cheeks.
First came the embarrassment, and then her face flushed completely red.
She could feel even her ears burning.
Was this boy subtly calling her an “angel”?
Wasn’t this a blatant, sweet flirtation directed at her?
She suddenly felt incredibly flustered and excited, squeezing the book a little tighter against her chest.
Taking a deep breath, Hiyori tried to shake off her confusion.
Composing herself, that warm, angelic smile returned to her face.
“You really have a vivid imagination, Kamiki-kun,” Hiyori said, a soft giggle escaping her lips.
“Past lives and angels…” “Who knows,” Kamiki replied with a mysterious tone.
“Perhaps it’s not just an imagination.” To keep herself from blushing any further, Hiyori turned around.
“Follow me,” she said cheerfully.
Hiyori picked up her pace, seemingly gliding through the bookshelves.
Kamiki followed closely behind.
As she walked gracefully down the wide aisle ahead of them, her hair swayed gently with every step.
She turned her head slightly to look back, her eyes shining with curiosity.
“Kamiki-kun,” Hiyori asked, “what kind of books do you prefer to read?” Kamiki matched her pace.
He remained silent for a moment, thoughtfully rubbing his chin.
“Let me think,” Kamiki said calmly.
“Actually, I don’t really stick to a specific genre.” Hiyori didn’t stop walking, but she kept her eyes on him.
“Still, what do you find yourself reading the most?” “I suppose I prefer books with profound character depth,” Kamiki said.
“The character’s mind needs to draw me in.” Hiyori nodded in agreement.
“That is very important.
I feel the exact same way.” “But if I absolutely had to choose,” Kamiki continued, “I’d say military biographies.” Hearing this, Hiyori abruptly stopped in her tracks.
Her footsteps completely halted on the library’s soft carpet.
She turned around to face Kamiki.
“Military biographies?” Hiyori repeated, raising her eyebrows slightly.
“Yes,” Kamiki said.
“The lives of commanders and strategists.” A slightly puzzled look appeared on Hiyori’s face.
Those kinds of books weren’t her cup of tea at all.
War tactics and military history were entirely outside her usual realm.
“Isn’t that…
a bit of a harsh genre?” Hiyori asked, her voice sounding a little hesitant.
“Perhaps,” Kamiki said.
“But the decision-making processes of those people fascinate me.” “How so?” Hiyori inquired.
“Under immense pressure,” Kamiki explained, “they make decisions that dictate the fates of thousands of human lives.
Reading the psychology behind those choices is brilliant.” Hiyori pondered his perspective, hugging her book a bit tighter.
“I’ve never really thought about it that way,” she admitted.
Kamiki offered a faint smile.
“And that’s not all, of course.” “What else?” Hiyori asked, her curiosity piqued once more.
“I’d also say detective fiction,” Kamiki said.
“I love that genre as well.” The moment Hiyori heard this, she let out a breath.
Her previous bewilderment vanished instantly, and her cheerful, angelic smile bloomed once more.
“Detective fiction?” Hiyori’s voice rose with genuine delight.
“Now that is wonderful!” “I knew you’d like that,” Kamiki smiled.
“It’s one of my absolute favorite genres,” Hiyori said.
“In fact, it might just be my favorite.” “The process of finding the culprit,” Kamiki noted, “piecing the clues together…” “Exactly!” Hiyori said, starting to walk again.
“It’s just like completing a jigsaw puzzle.” “And placing that final piece,” Kamiki added, “gives a massive sense of satisfaction.” Hiyori happily chimed in, “Precisely!
Trying to deduce who the killer is is the most entertaining part.” As Kamiki watched her excited demeanor, the panel in his mind silently opened once again.
The blue screen of the Love System materialized before his eyes.
> **[ Shiina Hiyori: 67 ]** > When Kamiki saw this, he nearly fainted from pure shock.
His heart suddenly hammered violently against his ribs, and his breath caught in his throat.
He blinked hard, checking to see if he was misreading the numbers.
No, the counter was exactly at sixty-seven.
It had taken him *years* to get Yuki—the warmest, most approachable social butterfly of the White Room—to this level.
It had required so much effort, so much intricate strategy.
Yet, he had only been talking to this girl for barely five minutes.
They had merely connected over a shared taste in books, and her score had already skyrocketed to sixty-seven.
*’This girl…
is truly on a completely different level,’* he thought to himself, trying his absolute best to hide the shock on his face.
Hiyori noticed him drifting off into deep thought again.
With an adorable curiosity, she stepped closer, tilting her head slightly to the right.
“Kamiki-kun?” Hiyori called out, her voice possessing that same silky softness.
“Are you okay?” Kamiki quickly dismissed the screen in his mind and cleared his throat softly.
“Ah, yes,” he said.
“I just got a bit too excited talking about detective fiction.” Hiyori smiled, seemingly pleased with his answer, and they continued strolling through the aisles.
“Who is your favorite author, Kamiki-kun?” Hiyori asked, her eyes wide with genuine interest.
“I’m really curious to know.” Kamiki didn’t hesitate for a second.
A mysterious smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he cast his gaze up toward the library ceiling.
“Metin, of course,” Kamiki said, his voice brimming with absolute certainty.
Hiyori slowed her steps once more.
She seemed to be scanning the library of her own mind, knitting her brows in confusion.
She had never heard that name before.
“Metin?” Hiyori murmured.
“I’ve never heard of him.” “It’s perfectly normal that you haven’t,” Kamiki replied.
Hiyori turned to face him.
“Why is that?
Is he a very obscure author?
Are his books rare to find?” Kamiki took a step toward her, narrowing the distance between them.
He deliberately dropped his voice to a mysterious whisper.
“Because he is the author of *our* world,” Kamiki said, looking deep into her eyes.
“Not this one.” Hiyori weighed the words she had just heard in her mind for a moment.
“The author of…
our world?” Recalling Kamiki’s earlier remarks about “past lives” and “angels,” Hiyori concluded that he was simply teasing her again.
A warm smile formed on her lips, her shoulders shaking slightly as she couldn’t help but let out a quiet giggle.
“You really are a lot of fun, Kamiki-kun,” Hiyori said.
“Your imagination is boundless.” “Maybe it’s actually real,” Kamiki said with a wink.
“Of course,” Hiyori played along, amused.
“Maybe one day you’ll take me to that mysterious world, and we can read Metin’s books together.” “Why not?” Kamiki smiled.
Hiyori gripped her Agatha Christie book tightly.
“Until then, I’ll just have to make do with the authors here.” She pressed the book back against her chest and added cheerfully, “Come on, let’s find your book now.” Kamiki nodded.
“Sounds perfect,” he said.
They kept walking, venturing into the deeper, less-frequented sections of the library.
This was the history department.
The scent of old paper was much more potent here, and the shelves were crafted from a dark, rich wood.
Hiyori scanned the shelves.
“Military history should be right around here,” she noted.
“Looks like the right place,” Kamiki agreed, his eyes scanning the upper shelves.
Hiyori stood on her tiptoes, trying to read the titles on the spines.
“What exactly was the book you were looking for?” Hiyori asked, turning her head toward Kamiki.
“Erich von Manstein,” Kamiki replied.
“His autobiography.” Hiyori knit her brows slightly.
“Manstein?
The World War II commander?” “Yes,” Kamiki said.
“Are you familiar with him?” “I know him by name,” Hiyori said.
“But I’ve never read his work.
I’ve heard he was a harsh strategist.” Kamiki took a step forward and reached out toward one of the shelves.
His fingers wrapped around a thick, black-covered volume.
He gently pulled the book from its slot, lightly blowing a thin layer of dust off the top.
“Here it is,” Kamiki said, turning the cover toward Hiyori.
Printed in bold letters across the front was the title: *Lost Victories.* Hiyori read the title aloud.
“Lost Victories?” she murmured.
“That’s quite an ambitious title.” “It is,” Kamiki said, holding the book with both hands.
“An analysis of defeat, told from the mouth of a military genius himself.” “An analysis of defeat?” Hiyori stepped closer, intrigued.
“Don’t commanders usually only write about the battles they won?” “Usually, yes—mostly to evade responsibility,” Kamiki said, turning his gaze to Hiyori.
“But that doesn’t change the fact that he was one of the finest generals of the twentieth century.” Hiyori’s violet eyes blinked in surprise.
“Evading responsibility?
What do you mean by that?” “In the book, he blames most of the major blunders on Hitler,” Kamiki explained.
“He glosses over his own mistakes quite a bit.” “I see,” Hiyori said.
“So he tries to paint himself as completely flawless.” “Exactly,” Kamiki said.
“Even so, his military genius is undeniable.” Hiyori had listened to Kamiki’s profound military analysis with great interest.
She nodded gently in agreement.
“You’re right,” Hiyori said.
“Those who write history always tell it from their own perspective.” “Absolutely,” Kamiki said.
Holding the book in his right hand, he gestured with his left toward an empty desk right next to them.
This was one of the quietest corners of the library.
The wooden table held nothing but a small desk lamp.
The soft daylight filtering through the window made the atmosphere incredibly peaceful.
“If it’s alright with you,” Kamiki said, lowering his voice a bit more, “shall we sit here and start reading?” Hiyori looked at the table, then looked back into Kamiki’s eyes.
That same angelic, warm smile graced her face.
“I’d love to,” Hiyori said.
“It looks very peaceful here.” They walked over to the desk.
In a gentlemanly gesture, Kamiki pulled out the chair for Hiyori to sit down.
Hiyori was a bit taken aback by the gesture, but her eyes immediately lit up as she thanked him.
“Thank you, Kamiki-kun,” she said, gently taking her seat.
Kamiki pulled out the opposite chair and sat across from her, placing the black-covered *Lost Victories* on the table.
Hiyori also placed her Agatha Christie book down.
For a brief second, they simply looked at each other.
“Well then,” Kamiki said with a slight smile.
“Let’s make good use of our time.” “Yes,” Hiyori agreed enthusiastically.
“Happy reading!” Kamiki opened the first page of his book, but his mind was still entirely focused on the game.
He began observing Hiyori out of the corner of his eye.
Hiyori had already immersed herself in her own world.
She had opened her book and was turning the pages with immense concentration.
A few strands of her long, ash-colored hair fell across her face as her violet eyes darted rapidly across the lines.
She was completely locked in.
Kamiki wanted to check his system panel one last time.
The screen silently manifested before his eyes.
> **[ Shiina Hiyori: 71 ]** > Kamiki took a deep breath, closed the mental screen, and began focusing on Manstein’s words.
Soon, the only sound left in the library was the comforting rustle of pages turning at regular intervals.
Time flowed like water in the silence of the library.
The daylight streaming through the window gradually gave way to the early shadows of evening.
The air carried only the scent of old paper and the rhythmic hush of turning pages.
Kamiki lifted his head from the thick volume and glanced quickly at the watch on his wrist.
It had been a little over two hours since they had sat down.
Closing his eyes for a brief moment to rest his mind, he gently pushed the black-covered book forward.
*Lost Victories* closed shut without making much noise.
This subtle movement halted the activity on the other side of the table as well.
Hiyori lifted her finger from the page and slowly raised her head.
She fixed her violet eyes on Kamiki’s face, her gaze calm yet curious.
“Are you finished reading for today, Kamiki-kun?” Hiyori asked, her voice a soft whisper as if she didn’t want to startle the silence of the library.
“Yes,” Kamiki said, a faint smile gracing his face.
“That’s enough for today.” Hiyori looked down at her own book, then back at him.
“You didn’t finish the whole thing, did you?” “No, not quite,” Kamiki said, stretching slightly in his chair.
“It’s quite a thick and dense book.” “It looks like it,” Hiyori said.
“I’m nearly halfway through mine.” “You read fast,” Kamiki noted.
“When a book is gripping, I completely lose track of time,” Hiyori replied, her smile as warm as ever.
However, as she realized Kamiki was preparing to leave, that smile faded just a fraction.
The vibrant spark in her eyes dimmed momentarily.
Inwardly, Hiyori felt a pang of sadness.
The feeling reflected very subtly in her facial features.
It was the first time she had found someone with so many common interests in this school, and their conversation had been truly delightful.
Still, she quickly suppressed the disappointment, maintaining her angelic expression.
After all, she wasn’t alone anymore.
She had finally met someone in this school she could read books and talk about detective fiction with.
That alone was a massive win.
“I have a few things to take care of,” Kamiki explained, clarifying his situation.
“I need to head out.” “I understand,” Hiyori said, nodding insightfully.
“School matters?” “Something like that,” Kamiki said.
“Just a few details I need to sort out.” Hiyori slowly closed her own book as well.
“I wouldn’t want to interrupt your important business.” “You didn’t,” Kamiki said.
“It was a wonderful two hours anyway.” Hearing this, Hiyori brightened up again.
“It was for me too, Kamiki-kun.” Kamiki pulled out his phone and said in a natural manner, “Let’s exchange contact info, Hiyori.
That way, if we find any good new books in the future, we can talk whenever we want.” Shiina Hiyori’s eyes sparkled once more.
“Okay!
Kamiki-kun!” Fumbling slightly in her excitement, she pulled out her own phone and exchanged contact details with Kamiki.
She looked up, her eyes shining brilliantly.
“I really learned a lot today.
Thank you, Kamiki-kun.” “Don’t mention it,” Kamiki said, maintaining that velvety tone in his voice.
“Take care of yourself, Hiyori.
See you again soon.” Hiyori nodded with a sweet, bashful expression.
“See you, Kamiki-kun.
I’ll text you!” Kamiki quickly exited the library and began walking toward his dorm room.
He could already guess that three girls were probably searching the entire school for him.
He needed to move fast and go speak with the three of them.