CH. 20 -A Quiet Exchange of Words

As midterms got closer, things started changing in our class. You could really see the difference day by day.

A bunch of stuff was different, but the biggest change was how Sudou, Ike, and Yamauchi started taking their studies more seriously by joining Horikita's study group. Sure, Sudou still got mad sometimes when Horikita was too direct with him, but Kushida was always there to calm things down.

Overall, everything was working out better than before.

The day before our midterm tests, right after class ended, something interesting happened.

Kushida walked up to the front of the room and said, "Hey everyone! Before you head back to your dorms, could you stay for just a minute?"

I was already packing up my stuff, but when I heard her voice, I stopped. Everyone else did too, even Sudou. We all sat back down to hear what she had to say.

"I know you've all been working super hard studying for tomorrow's test. I've got something that might help you guys out. I'm gonna pass out some papers."

She started handing out these question and answer sheets to the people sitting in the front row.

"Wait, are these test questions? Did you make these yourself, Kushida-san?" Horikita looked pretty shocked, but I wasn't surprised at all. I glanced over at Ayanokoji, who was just sitting there looking totally chill, like always.

When Kushida got to Kouenji's desk, he wouldn't take the papers. He just said he didn't need any shortcuts to pass and walked out.

"That guy's so weird," someone muttered after he left, while Kushida kept passing out papers.

I got up from my seat - I was running late. I'd promised Hiyori I'd meet her at the library after class, so I needed to get going.

"Here you go, Hayashi-kun!" Kushida came over with her usual bright smile, holding out the papers.

"Thanks, but I'll pass, Kushida-san. Got somewhere to be," I said nicely while getting my stuff together.

"Are you sure? These could really help with the test tomorrow."

"I'd rather stick with what I've learned on my own," I told her as I headed for the door.

Horikita watched me and asked, "Don't you trust these papers?"

"It's not that I don't trust them, Horikita. Sometimes taking the easy way out isn't the best choice."

I walked out after that. I could hear people whispering about me, but I didn't really care. I just kept walking, I will eventually get myself away from the class anyway, so, maybe it will just be the start of it.

Plus, the fact that, I already was able to get myself out of today's group study , by telling them I was busy and also managed to give the responsibility of it to Horikita, with Kushida Obviously by merging her group with mine.

At the library,

"I am not late am I ?!" I asked as I walked over to Hiyori, who as usual arrived directly to the library after her class had finished.

Hiyori looked up from her book with that gentle smile of hers. "No, you're not late," she said softly, moving some books aside to make space at the table.

"Thanks," I said, settling into the chair across from her. "What are you reading today?"

She held up a novel with a dark blue cover. "It's the one you recommended last time. The way the author builds tension through everyday moments is really interesting."

"Ah, that one. How far are you?"

"About halfway through," she replied, her voice quiet but enthusiastic. "I like how the main character notices all the small details others miss."

I nodded, understanding what she meant. "Yeah, it's subtle but effective. Kind of reminds me of classic mystery writers."

Suddenly I remembered about something, "Oh, Right, you texted me last night about meeting after class, what was it about ?" I asked. She texted me at 8:30 or something like that , and asked me to meet her at the library after class. We talked many times in text earlier as well, but, the surprising thing was that we met almost everyday at the library, but she decided to Personally tell me to meet here after class.

She shook her head, "It's nothing, I thought, because tomorrow is the test, you wouldn't visit here because of it and will be busy with your study , that's why..."

"Oh," I said, feeling a warmth spread through my chest at her thoughtfulness. "You didn't want me to skip our library time?"

A slight blush colored her cheeks as she nodded. "It's become part of my daily routine," she admitted quietly. "The library feels different when we discuss books together."

"I know what you mean," I replied, pulling out my own book. "Actually, I wouldn't have skipped today even without your message. These quiet moments help me think better than cramming ever could."

Hiyori's expression softened with understanding. "Sometimes peace of mind is more valuable than last-minute studying."

"Exactly," I agreed, then remembered something,"By the way," I said, reaching into my bag. "I've been working on something these past few days." I pulled out a small stack of papers, neatly bound together.

Her eyes showed curiosity as I handed them to her. "What is this?"

"Just something I wrote," I said, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "It's not much, just a short story. I've been writing it bit by bit, usually late at night when I can't sleep. It's not complete yet ..."

Hiyori's eyes widened slightly as she carefully took the papers. "You write stories?"

"Well, this is my first try," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck. "All these books we've been reading... I guess they inspired me to give it a shot. I wanted you to be the first to read it."

She held the papers like they were something precious, her fingers gently touching the edges. "Really? You want me to read it?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "I trust your opinion. And well, you're probably the only person I'd feel comfortable sharing this with."

A soft smile spread across her face - different from her usual one, somehow warmer. "Thank you for trusting me with this, Minato. I'll read it carefully."

"Take your time," I said, trying to sound casual despite my nerves. "It's probably not very good, but..."

"I'm sure it's wonderful," she interrupted gently, tucking the papers safely into her bag. "Just the fact that you wrote something... that you created a story of your own... that's already amazing."

Her sincerity made me feel both embarrassed and pleased. We fell into comfortable silence after that, each returning to our books.

After a while, Hiyori looked up from her book. "Are you ready for tomorrow?" she asked softly, her question carrying genuine care rather than the usual pre-test anxiety most students showed.

"Yeah, I think so," I replied, stretching a bit in my chair. "Been keeping up with everything steadily, so no need for last-minute cramming. What about you?"

She nodded, absently playing with the corner of a page. "Same here. Though..." she paused, a slight smile forming, "I might be a bit distracted tonight reading something else."

It took me a moment to realize she meant my story, and I felt my face warm slightly. "The test's more important than that. You should focus on studying first."

"I can do both," she said with that quiet confidence she sometimes showed. "Besides, I'm curious to see what kind of story you'd write."

The way she looked at me then, with genuine interest and something else I couldn't quite name, made my heart skip a beat. I quickly looked down at my book, pretending to find my place again.

"Just... don't expect too much," I managed to say, still not meeting her eyes. "It's probably pretty amateur."

"You always notice the small details in the books we discuss," she said thoughtfully. "I'm sure that carries over to your writing too."

When I glanced up, I caught her watching me with that gentle expression that somehow seemed to see right through me. The afternoon light coming through the windows caught in her hair, creating a soft glow around her.

"Well," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "if anyone can find something worth reading in it, it would be you."

Her cheeks turned pink at that, and she quickly looked back at her book. We sat in comfortable silence for a moment, both pretending to read while being acutely aware of each other's presence.

"Minato?" she said after a while, her voice even softer than usual.

"Hmm?"

"Good luck tomorrow. Though..." she smiled that small, warm smile of hers, "I don't think you'll need it."

"Thanks, Hiyori. Same to you." I found myself returning her smile, appreciating how she could make even test preparation feel less stressful.

The library was getting darker as evening approached, reminding us it was time to head back. As we packed up our things, our movements were unhurried, like always, neither of us eager to end our time together.

"Same time tomorrow?" I asked, standing up.

"After the test," she nodded, hugging her bag close - the bag now containing my story. "I'll have something to share with you too."

"Your thoughts on the story?" I asked, feeling both nervous and excited.

"That," she smiled, "and maybe something else."

There was something in her voice, a hint of mystery that made me curious, but I didn't press for details. That was one thing I'd learned about Hiyori - some things were worth waiting for.