After our conversation, we arrived at the dormitory. Fujiharu came to a stop, but I continued on towards my dorm room. I inserted the key into the lock, and with a satisfying click, I opened the door. Inside, I noticed that Kimura wasn't there. I set down my bags in the kitchen and attempted to fit them into the small freezer.
The bags were crammed haphazardly, but I managed to push some of the smaller items inside. I then left the room and returned to where Fujiharu was still standing. Her eyes wandered around the hall.
"I apologize for keeping you waiting."
Fujiharu gave a small smile, "You seem to be much more considerate now, Ayato."
"Is that a compliment?"
"Yes, it is. Now, let us head out."
She smiled as she said that and began walking towards the schoolyard. I followed her, unsure of our destination. As we walked, she slowed her pace and began a conversation with me.
"So Ayato, where would you like to go today?" Fujiharu asked, her gaze fixed on me.
"I'm not sure. Where do you have in mind?"
"Well, I've been wanting to study for the upcoming midterms. How about we go to the library, and you could help me study?"
I considered her proposal, "Sure."
"Great!" Fujiharu said, her smile growing wider. "I think we'll make good use of our time."
And with that, we set off towards the library. As we stepped into the grand hall of the library, the hum of activity surrounded us. The hushed whispers of students, the rustling of pages, and the tap tap tap of fingers on keyboards created a symphony of knowledge-seeking. Fujiharu scanned the bookshelves, carefully selecting books from the stacks.
"Why did you take that one?" I asked, noticing a light novel amongst the study-related texts in her arms.
"No way we are gonna keep studying without taking a break, right?"
I nodded in agreement. As we searched for a suitable study spot, a familiar voice called out to us.
"Mizuhar-"
"Oi, Mizuhara!"
The first voice stopped abruptly as they let out a cough. I stopped Fujiharu and turned around to see Kimura and Kinoshita and began to make my way towards them.
"Wait, Ayato, where are you going?" Fujiharu grabbed my shirt from the back.
"Someone is calling me," I replied, turning back to her.
"That doesn't mean you should go anyway!" she protested, but I simply gestured for her to follow me.
We made our way to Kinoshita and Kimura, who had books spread out on the table. They were studying too, and I couldn't help but notice the many other students doing the same. We arrived, and I quickly took a seat, with Fujiharu following suit.
"Oops, sorry if I interrupted your date, Mizuhara," Kimura said, with a hint of a grin on his face.
"Is that true, Mizuhara...?" Kinoshita chimed in.
"We're just here to study."
"Well, yeah.." Fujiharu added, looking a bit flustered.
"Alright, It's time to hit the books!" Kimura exclaimed as he grabbed his pen.
"If anyone needs help, just ask," Fujiharu added.
I picked up one of the books on the table and pretended to read, flipping through the pages every few minutes. For the next twenty minutes, no one asked any questions.
"Mizuhara, is that how you usually study?" Kinoshita asked, peering over at me.
I lowered the book to reply, thinking of a decent excuse. "Yeah, I like to read through the material first and jot down what I remember. Then I go back and fill in any gaps."
"He-eh.. that's an efficient way to study," Kinoshita said in amazement, covering her mouth with her hand.
As the clock ticked on, another twenty minutes passed by in a blink of an eye. Kinoshita, her hands now stilled from their previous frenzied scribbling, broke the silence with her voice.
"I'm struggling with this math problem. Mizuhara, do you have a minute to help me out?" Kinoshita asked, her eyes scanning the page in front of her.
"What is it?" I replied, glancing a bit over at her work.
"I'm having trouble understanding this concept," she said, pointing to a section of the math problem.
I studied the problem for a moment before responding. "It's not that difficult. Try to do it by yourself."
"I've tried, but I'm still not getting it.." Kinoshita said, looking a bit discouraged.
"Try asking the teacher. I'm not great at tutoring others."
"..okay," Kinoshita replied, and she went back to her work.
Kimura let out a chuckle, seemingly amused by Fujiharu's response. As the hour passed, we all decided to call it a day and put our studies to rest.
"Well then, shall we all go out and hang?" Kimura suggested as he neatly stacked the books, preparing to return them to their proper place.
"I have plans," I responded.
"Ah, what a shame," Kimura replied a hint of disappointment in his tone.
"I-I also have something I need to attend to." Kinoshita stuttered, her shyness evident in her voice.
"Oh, okay, I understand. I'll see you later then.." Fujiharu chimed in, turning to Mizuhara.
"Oh, I see." Kimura sighed, holding the stack of books in his arms. "Looks like it's just the two of us then, Fujiharu."
"..I-I guess so," Fujiharu responded, sounding a bit disappointed.
I turned my back to leave. "I'll be on my way then."
"See you later, Mizuhara….." Fujiharu's voice trailed off as I made my way towards the exit, her words carrying a hint of longing as I departed from her presence.
"...well then, I'm gonna take my leave."
As I walked away, I could hear their voices fading into the background. I approached the library's doors, and I grasped the brass handle of the heavy oak door and gave it a gentle tug.
The door let out a soft creak as it slowly swung open, the sound of chatter and footsteps from the students outside filling my ears. It wasn't too unpleasant, although I did want some more peace.
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