───● The Literary High Schooler Observes ●○●

​The university campus in the afternoon is usually a storm of student activity. But once the lunch break ends, things quiet down. By the time the third period starts, the campus is wrapped in a peaceful hush, save for the occasional distant voice.

​My destination was the main gate. A single girl was waiting there.

​”Shiori-chan.”

​”Ah, Masato-san! Good morning.”

​When I called out to her, the girl turned around with a gentle, graceful smile. She was wearing a pure white coat that practically screamed “proper young lady,” with a crimson beret that sat perfectly on her black hair.

​Man, she really does look like a girl from a high-class family.

​”Wow, those clothes really suit you. They look great on you, Shiori-chan.”

​”I-I-I-I… even if you praise me like that, nothing’s going to come of it, you know?!”

​Her vibe was that of a refined lady, but the way she turned red and started talking at a hundred miles an hour was pure Shiori-chan. It was kind of a relief.

​”Anyway, thank you so much for agreeing to this on such short notice.”

​”No problem! It’s really not a big deal.”

​The reason Shiori-chan was here today was at her own request. It wasn’t ‘open campus’ season, but she’d wanted to see the atmosphere of the university, so I’d offered to give her a quick tour. She was interested in this school… actually, it was pretty much her top choice.

​Showing her around would probably help her study motivation, so I wanted to make sure I showed her the best parts. We couldn’t go inside the academic buildings or classrooms, but the cafeteria and library are open to the public, so I figured we’d start there.

​”Let’s head toward the library first.”

​”I’m in your hands!”

​The library was across the street from the main classroom buildings. It apparently has one of the largest collections in the country, so it’s pretty common to see non-students using it.

​”Whoa…”

​As soon as we stepped inside, Shiori-chan’s eyes lit up. This was where her ‘literary girl’ side really shone through. We reached the section for classical literature, and she pulled a book from the shelf.

​”Oh wow, they even have this… I love this work.”

​”That’s a pretty niche one, isn’t it? I’m surprised you know it.”

​”Well, the anime that used this work as a motif was incredible…”

​I was glad she was starting to be open about her hobbies like that.

​”Haha, that’s great. It doesn’t matter what gets you interested in the first place.”

​”I’m glad you feel that way!”

​”So, what do you like about this one?”

​I pulled a book in the same genre from the shelf and asked her.

​”Eh? Well, for starters, the male lead is just impossibly cool, and he takes multiple girls as his concubines, but then within the inner palace, there’s all this drama and jealousy and dark emotions swirling around, and you realize that people back then were doing the exact same stuff we do now, which makes it feel so relatable, like even with all the difficult language, at the end of the day, it’s just a story about petty jealousy, and that’s what makes it so fascinating—”

​…Ah, crap. I’ve unleashed the beast.

​Lately, after our tutoring sessions, she’s been giving me book recommendations, and she always gets like this. It was kind of cute to see her so passionate, so I usually had a hard time stopping her.

​”Please keep your voices down in the library.”

​”Ah, yes. Sorry.”

​A passing librarian gave us a stern warning, and I mentally apologized to Shiori-chan for not stopping her sooner.

​”Man, that was incredible! I can’t believe they have so many books.”

​”Apparently, it’s one of the biggest in the country.”

​”My desire to get in here has only gotten stronger!”

​”I’m glad to hear it.”

​After the library, we went to a cafe on campus. It’s a bit pricier than the cafeteria, but it’s popular with students for its atmosphere. Shiori-chan had ordered a flavored tea and was taking a satisfied sip from her cup.

​”Wait… Masato?”

​We were chatting when a familiar voice called out my name.

​”Oh, Koumi.”

​I turned around to see that familiar flaxen-colored short bob. Koumi was walking with a few other girls, likely members of her circle. She said something to her friends and then walked over to our table.

​”Hey! It’s been a while, Shiori-chan!”

​”Hello, Igarashi-senpai.”

​Koumi and Shiori-chan had met once before at Shiori’s high school festival. Apparently, they’d been in touch ever since.

​”Are your friends okay?”

​”Yeah! It’s fine, we were just about to head our separate ways anyway.”

​Koumi ordered a cafe au lait and sat down, smiling at Shiori-chan. Man, her communication skills are on another level. Shiori-chan’s nervousness vanished in a matter of minutes. Koumi really is the type who’s liked by everyone.

​Vrrrrt.

​My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a call from Aika-san.

​”Sorry, I’ve got a call. Mind if I step out for a second?”

​”Sure, we’ll be here.”

​”No problem at all.”

​With their permission, I stepped out of the cafe. It wasn’t a work day, so I wondered what Aika-san wanted…

​■

​Once Masato-san left the table, it was just me and Igarashi-senpai.

​U-um… what should I talk about…

​”Sorry for crashing your tour! I really was planning on leaving right away…”

​”Ah, no, please don’t worry about it. It’s fine, really.”

Igarashi-senpai was the one who spoke up, saving my socially awkward self. Thank god.

​Ever since we met at my school festival, I’ve stayed in touch with Igarashi-senpai. Even girls from our school’s softball club say she was an amazing upperclassman, and talking to her now, I can practically see a saintly aura radiating off her.

​Is this what a true ‘normie’ looks like…?

​”Where have you been so far?”

​”Ah, the library, and we saw the cafeteria too.”

​”Nice! Our library is pretty great, right? I use the study space there all the time.”

​…But to think that Masato-san is around someone as cute as her every single day… does someone like me even have a chance? I felt a wave of self-doubt wash over me.

​”…I should be the one apologizing. For dragging Masato-san all over campus with me…”

​”Why are you being so humble?! It’s totally fine, I promise!”

​Her answer was so devoid of malice that I felt a bit relieved. Was this just the confidence of someone who already has what they want?

​”Igarashi-senpai… you love Masato-san, don’t you?”

​”Yep. I love him more than anything.”

​”And yet… you don’t find my presence annoying?”

​I asked the question tentatively. Igarashi-senpai thought for a moment, then spoke.

​”Well… how should I put it? There’s another girl besides me who loves Masato, you know? She’s my best friend, and Masato was the first person she ever truly fell for. And I get it. A guy like him? You don’t find someone like that every day. So it’s not that I find it annoying, it’s more like… ‘Yeah, of course you’d fall for him,’ you know?”

​There was a certain weight to her words. I’m sure she’s had countless heart-to-hearts with that best friend of hers. I took a sip of my tea, which was starting to cool.

​”…Shiori-chan, have you ever liked anyone besides Masato?”

​”Eh? …No. In the real world, Masato-san is my first love.”

​”Oh, that’s an interesting way of putting it.”

​I have plenty of ‘husbands’ in the 2D world, but I’m sure that’s not what she meant.

​”My best friend is the same way. She thinks, ‘Am I ever going to feel like this about anyone else?’ That’s how charming Masato is.”

​”I… I understand that completely.”

​I really did. I couldn’t imagine ever meeting anyone better than Masato-san. But something about her story piqued my curiosity. I decided to take the plunge and ask.

​”Igarashi-senpai… was Masato-san not your first love?”

​”…Well, you see.”

​Igarashi-senpai set her cup down quietly.

​”I don’t even know if I can call it a ‘first love’ because I was so little, but there was a boy I liked a long, long time ago. It feels like a lifetime ago, and we only played together for about a year. But that was definitely my first love.”

​There was a nostalgic silence as she looked back on those memories.

​”Maybe that’s why I can understand how someone feels when they fall for their first love. And since I’ve already had that kind of lucky encounter once, I feel like… well, not that I’m holding back, but I feel like I can be a bit more understanding.”

​”Well, I’m still not planning on losing, though!” she added with a playful laugh. Even to another woman, she was incredibly charming.

​”I think… I’ve come to really like you, Igarashi-senpai.”

​”Wait, really? Thanks!”

​Do we really have to fight over him? I thought back to the classical story I’d seen in the library… and drained the rest of my tea.