Shuchiin Academy, Library.
In the secluded foreign-language books section, a young girl with raven-feather-like, compliant black hair stood quietly in front of the bookshelf, rapidly scanning the spines with blood-red eyes that lacked any highlights.
As the legitimate daughter of the Shinomiya family, in order to live up to the family name and remain forever undefeated in competition, Kaguya had long since begun consciously absorbing knowledge related to business and political science, beyond simply maintaining the top academic rank in her grade.
What she had come looking for today was an obscure original French work on economic game theory.
After locking her gaze onto the target, Kaguya extended her pale, fair hand, preparing to quickly process the borrowing and leave without wasting time.
However, at the very moment her fingertips were about to touch the spine, another hand suddenly reached out from directly opposite, pulling the heavy book off the bookshelf ahead of her.
This caused Kaguya to frown slightly.
The moment the book was pulled away, a pair of completely calm, amber eyes met her gaze.
Deep and hollow.
The instant she was stared at by those eyes, even the naturally oppressive Shinomiya Kaguya felt a momentary, inexplicable ripple deep within her heart.
“Ah…”
Perhaps feeling awkward due to this sudden unexpected incident, a short syllable escaped the throat of the boy opposite her.
He looked at the foreign-language book in his hand, and then looked at Kaguya opposite him, who hadn’t left and was still fixing a cold stare on the book in his hands.
Thus, the boy walked around to her side of the bookshelf without a word and directly handed over the heavy French book.
The message conveyed was very clear: he was just somewhat interested in this book, but since she wanted it, he would simply let her have it.
Yet toward this sense of charity born from being “conceded to,” Shinomiya Kaguya instinctively felt a trace of displeasure.
But practicing the principle of self-interest and the Shinomiya family precepts, she had no reason to refuse at this moment.
After all, she had come here precisely for this book; if she refused, making a wasted trip would be even more foolish than accepting the concession before her.
Kaguya nodded slightly, reached out to take the book, and turned to leave.
After taking two steps, Shinomiya Kaguya’s footsteps suddenly paused, and her brows furrowed slightly.
“Wait a minute.”
A clear, cold voice rang out among the quiet bookshelves, halting the footsteps ahead.
“Is there anything else?”
“You are a face I haven’t seen before. That newly arrived transfer student, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka—that’s you, right?”
Having his identity bluntly exposed in a single sentence, Ayanokoji’s expression still didn’t change in the slightest.
“To be recognized by Shinomiya-san, the genius ranked first in the entire grade, is truly an honor.”
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka replied indifferently.
“May I ask how you managed to do that?”
Facing his inquiry, Shinomiya Kaguya merely let out a soft huff and averted her gaze.
It looked like she had no intention of answering at all.
Born from the elite education of the Shinomiya family, Kaguya had long discarded unnecessary sentimentality.
In her philosophy, everyone around her was a tool whose value could be quantified and utilized to the maximum.
Being in Shuchiin Academy, a gathering place for the powerful and elite, she naturally wouldn’t let go of these high-quality future networking resources.
Although she usually bore the moniker of “Ice Princess Kaguya” and did not proactively socialize with others, in order to pave the way for her future, her brain had long since, shortly after the start of the school year, understood the family backgrounds and personality weaknesses of all the students in Shuchiin Academy.
For those useful or powerful descendants, she would pay special attention.
For example, some time ago, the daughter of a major newspaper publisher’s president accidentally fell into the water while participating in an activity to clean up the campus river.
Even though the river water was exceptionally dirty and might carry germs, Kaguya, who happened to pass by, jumped in without hesitation to fish her out.
The purpose was to plant a debt of gratitude in the heart of that future media ruler.
As for the children of minor politicians, or ordinary wealthy people who painstakingly clung to connections to squeeze into the academy, in Kaguya’s memory, they only deserved a vague label, with no need to waste energy on them.
Yet the dead-eyed man in front of her had no record whatsoever in her database.
Shuchiin Academy’s student enrollment control was extremely strict, and the mid-transfer process was sufficiently cumbersome and rigorous.
For a stranger’s face to appear out of thin air at this point in time, the answer was easy to deduce.
Naturally, she had neither any reason nor any interest to explain these calculations to the transfer student opposite her.
Rapidly assessing the other’s state during a few seconds of direct eye contact, roughly profiling him as just an ordinary male student with a somewhat competent mind and mediocre temperament, she lost interest.
Seeing that the other party had no intention of continuing the conversation, holding the book as she walked straight toward the circulation desk, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka also withdrew his gaze from that petite yet powerful aura-emitting back.
Walking over to the literature section nearby, leaning against the wall, he casually pulled out a book of interest to browse.
Natsume Soseki’s Kokoro.
The late masterpiece of the national master writer Natsume Soseki, and also the pinnacle work in Japanese literary history exploring human nature and egoism.
While reading, Ayanokoji recalled the brief confrontation just now. This story is hosted at g.com.
Not only was the other party probing him, but through the brief initial meeting just now, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka had also completed a rough personality profile of this legitimate daughter of the Shinomiya family.
In a sense, the other party was of the same kind as himself—visibly rational and egoistic, regarding everything as evaluable and utilizable chips.
Since they were of the same kind, if he wanted to control the other party, he only needed to think about what the most efficient approach would be if the object being tamed were himself.
Twenty minutes later, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka closed the book.
Calculating the time, it was almost time for his appointment with Togawa Sakiko and the others.
Thus, Ayanokoji returned the book to its place and turned to walk out of the library.
Then, let’s try an even greater “brute-force” crushing first.
…
Around four in the afternoon, Ayanokoji, carrying a single-shoulder crossbody bag, arrived at the train station behind Tsukinomori Girls Academy.
This place was very close to Takamatsu Tomori’s home, and it was also the rendezvous spot he and Togawa Sakiko had agreed upon yesterday.
Just as he walked onto the station platform, he saw four young girls wearing different school uniforms gathered in front of the platform.
Two of them were precisely Togawa Sakiko and Takamatsu Tomori, with whom he had already established initial contact.
To the left of Togawa Sakiko stood a chestnut-long-haired girl with a gentle temperament and a warm smile on her face.
Right next to her was a girl with light-green long hair, her appearance as exquisite as a doll.
Unlike the enthusiastic communication among the others, she looked taciturn, with almost no emotional fluctuation on her face.
Only when Togawa Sakiko proactively spoke to her would she briefly respond with a word or two.
Nagasaki Soyo and Wakaba Mutsumi.
Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was not unfamiliar with their identities.
“Good afternoon, Ayanokoji-kun!”
The moment she caught sight of Ayanokoji’s figure, Togawa Sakiko’s eyes instantly lit up, and she waved enthusiastically at him with a brilliant smile.
Ayanokoji nodded slightly and walked toward them.
“Good afternoon, Togawa-san, and Takamatsu-san.”
Ayanokoji first greeted the two he was slightly more familiar with, and only then did his gaze turn toward the two girls who were casting curious gazes right at him.