I nervously sipped my tea, but the awkward atmosphere still remained.
I couldnāt bear this atmosphere anymore and called out to her somewhat abruptly
[H-Hey, whereās the book? I canāt wait to read it]
[Oh, sorry. The books are on the bookshelves over there]
[Okay]
I rushed to the bookshelves. I didnāt want to be conscious of the fact that we were alone any longer.
I looked at the bookshelves, and sure enough, all the books Iāve borrowed so far were lined up neatly.
I felt the extent of her meticulousness by the way she lined up the books in order.
I picked up the volume I hadnāt read yet and went back to my seat.
Saito had already opened a book that was on her desk and started to read. She glanced at me and looked down again.
I followed her lead, taking a seat and opening the book I had.
When I first started reading, I couldnāt concentrate because my attention was distracted by Saito in front of me, but I quickly forgot about her and lost myself in the book.
Interesting as always. How can someone come up with such a brilliant trick? (TN: Heās talking about the book)
In the beginning of the volume, the subtle foreshadowing was brilliant and recently, the descriptions of the characters became more detailed on top of that.
The characters are so fascinating that you canāt help but get immersed in the story, and the main characterās deductions are exciting.
Itās great to be able to read all these books every day.
This yearās winter vacation was looking to be very fulfilling, and I looked forward to it.
As I finished my book, feeling satisfied, I noticed Saito was looking at me.
[Whatās wrong?]
[ā¦Iāve been thinking for a while, but you really enjoy reading donāt you?]
[Really? I wasnāt aware of my expression, but this book is interesting]
The fact that she pointed this out meant my expression was very lax.
Even if I try to not show it in my face, thereās no helping it when somethingās fun. Itās beyond my capabilities.
However, Iām still curious what kind of face I had on my face. Itād be too embarrassing if I had an unpleasant one.
[ā¦Hey, what do I look like when Iām reading?]
[What youāre askingā¦ Itās hard to express it into wordsā¦]
I groaned and crossed my arms in thought.
After all, things like this have an atmosphere that canāt be put into words, so it might be difficult to explain.
[Butā¦ it looks like youāre having a great time, and I think you look charming when youāre reading, donāt you? So I donāt think you should worry about it]
She guessed why I asked, and smiled slightly.
A gentle smile that softly enveloped me. Her warm and soft smile was innocent and charming enough to make me lose my words for a moment.
[ā¦Oh yeah, Iāll get the next book]
It was so cute, I couldnāt help but fall a little.
I know she was complimenting me to let me know I didnāt look weird, but I canāt help but feel a bit ashamed.
I left my seat to cover my red face. Shaking my head to wipe off her kind smile that was burned into my mind, I headed for the bookshelf.
I was happy to see her smile, but I couldnāt help but feel restless within my heart.
I let out a small sigh at the thought that the same thing might happen in the future since we would be together often.