'Hey, hey, hey, how many books have you even read...?'
At this moment, Saiki Kusuo was genuinely surprised. Almost every book he'd ever come across, this person had read too...
And because of his telepathy, Saiki Kusuo was spoiled yet again.
A mystery novel whose plot you already know loses all meaning.
Saiki Kusuo felt helpless. He never imagined that after finally escaping Kushida Kikyō and Ichinose Honami to visit the library he'd been longing for, he'd end up in this situation.
'Looks like this girl, Shiina Hiyori, is the true mystery novel fanatic...'
Saiki Kusuo sighed inwardly. But then his gaze fell on the novel in Shiina Hiyori's hands, and a new idea struck him.
'If she's here to borrow books, it means she hasn't read this one yet... And there's another identical copy. Perfect.'
As he thought this, Saiki Kusuo reached out and tentatively touched the book. This time, Shiina Hiyori's mind didn't spoil anything.
'Finally found it!'
The corners of Saiki Kusuo's mouth twitched upward.
"Uh, classmate... do you also like Raymond Chandler's novels?"
In that instant, Shiina Hiyori hurried over to Saiki Kusuo, her curiosity evident.
"I..."
Caught off guard, Saiki Kusuo hesitated. Just a minute ago, this girl had been debating whether to talk to a stranger. But the moment she saw him pick up the book, she approached without hesitation.
"I was just looking for something to pass the time."
Saiki Kusuo replied quickly. He didn't want to interact with others more than necessary.
"I see... But I noticed you seemed curious about other books. Why did you choose this one?"
Shiina Hiyori asked, genuinely curious. She'd been observing Saiki Kusuo's actions; it didn't seem like he'd chosen randomly.
"Because I've already read the others."
Saiki Kusuo answered casually. In a way, it wasn't a lie—Shiina Hiyori's thoughts had already spoiled every plot.
But as soon as he said it, he regretted it.
[Has he... read all these books?!]
[Some of these are pretty niche in the mystery world. He's read those too?!]
[Did I just meet someone with the same interests as me?!]
Shiina Hiyori's lavender eyes seemed to light up, and her lips curved into a smile. She was clearly fascinated by Saiki Kusuo.
For Shiina Hiyori, finding someone who shared her passion was rare.
Even if mystery novel enthusiasts were common, in this school, someone visiting the library on the first day of school was rare. With different interests, Shiina Hiyori struggled to connect with others.
Now, she'd finally met someone who shared her passion.
Though she appeared calm, Shiina Hiyori's thoughts were lively. But in daily life, she'd never found someone with the same interests.
"I didn't expect you to be so into mystery novels too!"
Shiina Hiyori leaned forward slightly, her clear eyes fixed on Saiki Kusuo.
In a way, she was right. Saiki Kusuo did enjoy mystery novels, but he disliked social interaction. Kushida Kikyō alone was enough for him.
[Finally, someone I can talk to... I've never met anyone like this before.]
[I've always wanted friends... but I could never talk to others...]
[Wait, am I being too forward? I haven't even introduced myself!]
Shiina Hiyori suddenly realized, smiling warmly:
"Sorry for bothering you... I'm Shiina Hiyori, from Class 1-B. You must be a first-year too, right?"
She introduced herself enthusiastically, her thoughts racing.
[He was looking for books too, so he's clearly a first-year like me... We're both new, so we should have things to talk about! I've finally found a book buddy!]
'Ugh, now I can't just leave.'
Saiki Kusuo could hear every thought Shiina Hiyori had. While his principle was to avoid unnecessary interaction, leaving now would be awkward. He'd have to keep the conversation going.
"I'm Saiki Kusuo, Class D."
Saiki Kusuo replied. Compared to others, Shiina Hiyori was relatively normal, but her passion for mysteries exceeded his expectations. He'd read a lot, but he couldn't compare to her.
For Saiki Kusuo, this wasn't good news. He'd already been spoiled on a dozen novels.
'Next time, I'll avoid her at the library.'
He thought to himself.
"Nice to meet you, Saiki-kun! Let's get along!"
Shiina Hiyori smiled, then pulled out a few more novels from the shelf.
"If you like Raymond Chandler, I recommend this one... and this one too!"
She tiptoed again, trying to reach more books, but her small stature made it impossible.
'Can't just ignore her now...'
Saiki Kusuo sighed inwardly and stepped forward to help her grab the books.
Listening to Shiina Hiyori, he was actually interested in the books she mentioned.
But that interest vanished in a second.
[Saiki-kun probably didn't expect the truth to be...]
'...'