'Hey, hey, how many books have you actually read...?'
At this moment, Saiki Kusuo was genuinely surprised. Every book he had touched, the girl next to him had already read...
And because of his telepathy, Saiki Kusuo was once again spoiled.
A mystery novel with a spoiled plot is essentially meaningless.
This left Saiki Kusuo feeling somewhat helpless. He hadn't expected that after finally escaping from Kushida Kikyo and Ichinose Honami to come to the library he had been looking forward to, he would encounter such a situation.
'It seems this girl, Shiina Hiyori, is a true mystery novel enthusiast...'
Saiki Kusuo sighed internally. However, his gaze fell on the book in Shiina Hiyori's hands, and a new idea came to him.
'Since she's also here to borrow books, it means she hasn't read this one yet... There's another copy of the same book. Perfect.'
As Saiki Kusuo thought this, he reached out and tentatively touched the book. This time, Shiina Hiyori's thoughts didn't spoil the plot for him.
'Finally found one!'
A slight smile appeared on Saiki Kusuo's lips.
"Um... Do you also like Raymond Chandler's novels?"
At that moment, Shiina Hiyori quickly walked up to Saiki Kusuo and asked with great curiosity.
"I..."
This sudden approach left Saiki Kusuo momentarily at a loss. Just a minute ago, this girl had been hesitating about whether to talk to a stranger, but after seeing him pick up the book, she suddenly became very proactive.
"I was just looking for a book to pass the time."
Saiki Kusuo replied immediately. He didn't want to interact too much with others.
"I see... But I noticed you seemed curious about other books earlier. Why did you end up choosing this one?"
Shiina Hiyori asked curiously. She had been observing Saiki Kusuo's actions. He didn't seem to be picking randomly but rather making a careful selection.
"Because I've already read the others."
Saiki Kusuo casually gave an explanation, which, in a sense, wasn't wrong. Shiina Hiyori's thoughts had already revealed the plots of all those books.
However, after saying this, he immediately regretted it.
[This person... Has he read all these books?!]
[Some of these books are quite obscure even in the mystery genre. Has he read those too?!]
[Have I finally met someone with the same interests as me?!]
Shiina Hiyori's light purple eyes seemed to sparkle, and a slight smile appeared on her lips. She seemed very interested in Saiki Kusuo.
For Shiina Hiyori, finding someone with the same interests was rare.
Even though there might be many mystery novel enthusiasts, coming to the library so soon after school started was something very few students did. Because of her different interests, Shiina Hiyori also found it difficult to connect with others.
Now, she had finally met someone who shared her passion.
Although she appeared quiet and reserved, Shiina Hiyori's thoughts were actually very active. However, in her daily life, she hadn't been able to find anyone who shared her interests.
"I didn't expect you to be so interested in mystery novels too!"
Shiina Hiyori leaned forward slightly, her clear eyes fixed on Saiki Kusuo's.
In a way, Shiina Hiyori wasn't wrong. Saiki Kusuo did enjoy reading mystery novels, but he didn't like too much social interaction. Dealing with Kushida Kikyo alone was already enough for him.
[Finally, I've found someone I can talk to about this... I've never met anyone like this before.]
[I've always wanted to make friends... But I've never been able to talk to others...]
[Wait, am I being too rude? I haven't even introduced myself yet!]
Shiina Hiyori suddenly realized this and smiled:
"Sorry for bothering you... My name is Shiina Hiyori, from Class 1-C. You're also a first-year, right?"
Shiina Hiyori enthusiastically introduced herself to Saiki Kusuo, her thoughts continuing to pour out.
[He's also here to borrow books, so he must be a first-year who just started school... Since we're both new students, maybe we can find some common topics! I've finally found a fellow book lover!]
'Yare yare, now it's hard to leave.'
Saiki Kusuo could clearly hear every thought in Shiina Hiyori's mind. Although his principle was to avoid too much interaction with others, it would be rude to leave now. He had no choice but to continue the conversation.
"I'm Saiki Kusuo, from Class D."
Saiki Kusuo said. Compared to others, Shiina Hiyori seemed like a relatively normal girl. However, her passion for mystery novels exceeded Saiki Kusuo's expectations. Although he had read many himself, he couldn't compare to Shiina Hiyori.
But this wasn't a good thing for Saiki Kusuo. Just moments ago, he had been spoiled on over a dozen novels.
'Next time I come to the library, I'll have to avoid her if possible.'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself.
"It's really nice to meet you, Saiki-kun! Please take care of me!"
Shiina Hiyori smiled and then pulled out a few more books from the shelf.
"If you're interested in Raymond Chandler's novels, I recommend this one... And this one is also good!"
Shiina Hiyori stood on her tiptoes again, trying to reach a few books on the higher shelves, but her height made it difficult.
'Well, in this situation, I can't just ignore her.'
Saiki Kusuo sighed internally and stepped forward to help Shiina Hiyori retrieve the books.
Listening to Shiina Hiyori's recommendations, Saiki Kusuo was actually somewhat interested in the books she mentioned.
However, that interest vanished in an instant.
[Saiki-kun would never guess that the truth is actually...]
'...'