Our Ordinary Lives

Chapter 16 - Group Study

Kiyotaka POV

The day at ANHS was coming to a close as the bell rang, signaling the end of classes for the students. Typically, I would be just another face in the crowd, heading towards the dorms or the bustling Keiyaki Mall like any other student. These were the popular spots for post-class activities, places where I could easily blend in and go unnoticed, my usual modus operandi. However, today was different.

Today marked the beginning of Class D's study groups, and I had taken on the role of hosting a study session with Ai and Sakura. Hirata was also hosting a session in the same time period, however him and his group were a bit larger and were located within Class D itself. Ordinarily, Kushida would have been by my side, co-hosting the session. However, she had fallen ill the day before. Despite her condition, she insisted that I proceed with the study group without her. Naturally, she provided all the necessary materials for the session. I had little choice but to accept, although I doubted anyone would believe that an "average" student like me could have organized this. So, I informed both Ai and Sakura about the change in plans and they both didn't seemed to mind.

Sudou was also supposed to be part of our study group, but he had adamantly rejected the idea of joining any such group. As it stood, I was now waiting for Ai and Sakura to join me at the library, where we would begin our study session without Kushida. The study groups were an essential part of Class D's strategy to improve our standings, and despite the initial setbacks, we were determined to make them work.

I suddenly felt a small impact on my back and turned around to see Ai had snuck up behind me and playfully pushed me. Beside her stood Sakura, who appeared visibly shy and was trying to hide her face in embarrassment as she witnessed Ai's antics. Passersby gave us curious looks as they walked past.

Ai: "Ayanokoji!"

Kiyotaka: "Good evening, Ai." I then turned to Sakura, acknowledging her as well. "Good evening to you too, Sakura."

Sakura: "G-good evening, Ayanokoji-kun."

Kiyotaka: "I assume both of you are ready to begin the study session?"

Ai: "Of course!" Ai's enthusiasm for studying was quite strange. No one would be regularly excited to participate in a study group. In fact, most people in Class D were treating it as a chore that they needed to complete.

Kiyotaka: "Well, let's find a suitable area before we begin." Both Sakura and Ai nodded in agreement, and we began to explore the library as a group. The library was relatively crowded, which was expected. While other classes might not have study groups like ours, the midterm exam was rapidly approaching, so students from all classes were making an effort to study. Most tables were occupied either by small groups or individuals.

Sakura: "Wow, there are so many people here."

Ai: "I know." Ai seemed to scan the area attentively as Sakura commented. Her gaze wasn't casual; she was taking note of every person around us.

Sakura: "There are hardly any empty tables."

Kiyotaka: "I'm sure we'll find one eventually. And if not, we can wait for someone or a group to leave."

After some searching, we finally found a small table with four seats in a corner of the library. It was relatively secluded, possibly because it was in the "philosophy" section. High school students typically weren't interested in that field.

We settled down and began to unpack our belongings. I started organizing the papers I had with me. They were neatly arranged and color-coded based on their subject matter. There were at least a couple of dozen sheets, each filled with problems. I suspected that Kushida had either created them herself or sourced them from the internet. Regardless, it was a considerable commitment of her time and effort.