13

After school, the library at Seisen Cross had a way of feeling both lived-in and abandoned at the same time. The furniture was well-used but never quite occupied, the bookshelves were stocked but barely touched, and the vending machine in the corner hummed like it had been left running for centuries. This evening, however, the room was anything but quiet.

“I still don’t get why we’re doing this,” Tsubasa muttered, leaning back on the couch, hands mindlessly tapping on his tablet. His glasses slid slightly down his nose, but he made no effort to push them back up. “We’re not even in the same classes.”

“We don’t need to be,” Hikaru said, flipping through the pages of a textbook he had no intention of actually reading. “It’s called moral support.”

“Right. Moral support,” Ren echoed dryly. She was sitting with perfect posture at the table, her own book open but barely touched.

The so-called study session had been Kaede’s idea- or at least, that’s what she claimed. In reality, it was just an excuse to hang out in a way that felt semi-productive. Yuna, the only one who actually cared about the studying part, was currently typing something on her laptop with alarming speed.

Kaede, as expected, was already sprawled across the couch in an impossible position, her head hanging off the armrest. “It’s not that deep, guys. We’re just chilling.”

Tsubasa sighed. “Then why do we have textbooks?”

“To maintain the illusion.”

“Right,” he grumbled, rubbing his temples. “Look, if none of us are actually going to study, can I leave?”

Before anyone could respond, a shadow loomed over the room. Kuroya had just walked past, carrying a water bottle and looking like he had either just finished a workout or was about to start one. His gaze scanned the group, settling on the books. He made no effort to join them.

Until Kaede sprang up and chased after him, forcefully making him forget all his plans and join them instead.

“…Are you guys actually studying?” He questioned.

A beat of silence. Then Kaede snorted. “No.”

Kuroya let out a short breath, almost a laugh, but didn’t push the issue. Instead, he grabbed a chair and sat down at the table, resting his arms on the surface. His presence, as usual, was both grounding and slightly intimidating.

Tsubasa gave him a look. “You’re not even in our classes either.”

“Didn’t say I was.”

Hikaru grinned. “See? Even Kuroya gets it. It’s about the vibes, Tsubasa.”

Tsubasa groaned. “You people are impossible.”

Yuna finally looked up from her laptop, adjusting her glasses. “We should at least pretend to be productive,” she said, voice laced with quiet exasperation.

Kaede waved a hand. “We are productive. We’re bonding.”

“You’re bonding,” Ren corrected. “The rest of us are tolerating you.”

Kaede grinned, completely unfazed. “Tomato, tomahto.”

Kuroya reached for one of the books on the table and flipped through it absently. “If you’re not going to study, what are you actually doing?”

Another silence.

Then Hikaru clapped his hands together. “Alright, new plan: Group storytelling.”

Ren blinked. “That’s even less productive.”

“Exactly,” Tsubasa muttered.

But Kaede was already sitting up, eyes shining. “Ooooh, I like this. What kind of story?”

Hikaru leaned forward, smirking. “Something ridiculous, obviously.”

Kuroya raised an eyebrow but didn’t object. Yuna sighed but didn’t leave. Tsubasa looked resigned to his fate. Ren, as usual, remained unreadable.

And just like that, the “study” session took a turn into complete nonsense.

As expected.