The relentless energy of Hana's campus tour had left Haruki's head spinning. While he appreciated her enthusiasm, Haruki craved silence—a place where he could process the whirlwind of the morning. Aimi's gentle smile still lingered in his mind, but Hana's possessive "childhood friend" energy was starting to make things complicated.
"Hana, I'm feeling a bit drained. I think I'll head to the library to look up some reference materials," Haruki lied, hoping for a moment of peace.
"The library? On the first day?" Hana pouted, then laughed, giving him a firm playful shove on the shoulder. "Fine, go be a nerd! I'm heading to the cafeteria. See you later, Haru!"
Haruki exhaled a long breath of relief as he walked toward the university's oldest building, 'The Wisdom Wing.' Stepping through the heavy oak doors was like entering another dimension. The bright sunlight and the distant chatter of students vanished, replaced by a profound, heavy silence broken only by the rhythmic turning of pages.
He wandered through the labyrinthine aisles, where shelves groaned under the weight of leather-bound books reaching toward the high, arched ceiling. He eventually reached the 'History of Art' section, tucked away in a dimly lit corner. Only one desk was occupied, illuminated by a single vintage lamp.
Seated there was a girl who looked less like a student and more like a masterpiece. She wore a dark blue blazer, and her jet-black hair was so straight and long it spilled over the back of her chair like a silken waterfall. The light from the lamp glinted off her silver-rimmed glasses. This was Rin Takahashi. Rumor had it she had read half the library's inventory, and that her heart was carved from the same ice that chilled her gaze.
Haruki decided to keep his distance. He just needed one book. Unfortunately, fate was a cruel author. The book he needed—'The Renaissance Era'—was on the very top shelf, directly behind Rin's chair.
He crept forward, trying to be as light-footed as a cat. Reaching the shelf, he stood on his tiptoes and stretched his arm. He managed to hook his finger around the spine of the heavy volume, but as he pulled, the three books beside it lost their balance.
THUD! CRASH! SLIDE!
The heavy books hit the floor one by one, the sound echoing through the silent hall like gunshots. One of them clipped the edge of Rin's table, causing her lamp to rattle.
Rin's hand, which had been gracefully inscribing notes into a leather journal, froze. She didn't turn around immediately. First, she meticulously placed her pen down. Then, she closed her journal with a deliberate click. Haruki stood there like a statue, his heart hammering so loudly he feared she might actually hear it.
When Rin finally turned her head, Haruki saw her eyes for the first time. They were a piercing, crystalline grey—completely devoid of warmth and terrifyingly sharp.
"There are fifteen thousand students on this campus," Rin's voice was low, yet it carried an undeniable weight of authority. "And yet, you chose this specific spot and this specific second to shatter my concentration. Is this a scene from a poorly written romantic comedy, or are you truly this clumsy?"
Haruki's throat felt like it was filled with sand. "I-I'm sorry. The book was way up there, and I just..."
"Save your excuses for someone who cares to hear them," Rin said, standing up. She was shorter than Haruki, but her cold aura made him feel like he was looking up at a giant. She stepped closer, so close that Haruki could smell her scent—a crisp, sharp fragrance of winter mint.
She knelt down and picked up the fallen books. Haruki reached out to help, but she shot him a look that made his hand recoil as if burned. "Do not touch them. You couldn't handle them the first time; I have no desire to see you drop them again."
She replaced the books on the shelf with surgical precision before turning back to him. "University is for exercising the mind, not just moving a body through space. If you find yourself near my desk again, ensure your limbs are under your control."
Haruki was speechless. Rin sat back down and immediately returned to her work, acting as if he had ceased to exist. The way she moved—with such icy grace and total indifference—was both beautiful and terrifying.
Haruki practically fled the library. Once outside, he took a deep gulp of the fresh afternoon air. "That girl... she's more like a robot than a human," he whispered to himself.
Yet, despite the sting of her words, a strange new spark of curiosity flickered in his chest. Aimi's kindness, Hana's fiery loyalty, and now Rin's frozen wall of intellect. Haruki realized that his freshman year wasn't just going to be about passing exams—it was going to be an education in the most unpredictable chemistry of all: the human heart.
Coming Next: Chapter 4 - The Rooftop Encounter & The First Rivalry