After the Literature Club activities ended, Imaizumi Keita and Yanami Anna left the school together as expected.
Imaizumi Keita carried his school bag in one hand, walking unhurriedly, his mind still calculating the subsequent plot of his novel.
"Imaizumi-kun. Can you go to the bookstore with me for a bit?"
"Hmm? What are we going to the bookstore for? Do you want to buy a book?"
Imaizumi Keita's thoughts were interrupted, and he turned his head with some confusion.
"Not buying books, it's research!"
Yanami Anna's eyes were sparkling, her face serious.
"Since Senior Tsukinoki said this club activity is to create our own original works, then of course I have to prepare properly!"
"Huh?"
Imaizumi Keita looked at her full-of-energy appearance, feeling it was somewhat unbelievable.
"Yanami, you're actually being this serious?"
"Of course!"
Yanami Anna straightened her chest righteously, hands on her hips, striking a pose of "you're underestimating me."
"I've decided to take this club activity seriously! Besides,"
She paused, a bright smile full of inexplicable confidence appearing on her face, and pointed at herself with her thumb.
"Saying that, maybe I'm actually an undiscovered, once-in-a-century light novel genius!"
Looking at her triumphant appearance, Imaizumi Keita finally couldn't help but let out a light chuckle.
"Pfft... You? A light novel genius?"
He shook his head and complained mercilessly, "I think instead of spending time at the bookstore, you'd be better off going home and sleeping a bit more. Maybe you'll have everything in your dreams."
"You guy! Can't you have a little faith in me!"
"I do have faith in you," Imaizumi Keita's tone was dead serious. "I'm very confident that if the Literature Club held an eating contest, you, Yanami, would definitely win the Big Eater Award."
"Imaizumi! Don't mention I'm a foodie again!"
Yanami Anna tapped Imaizumi's arm a bit gloomily, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Imaizumi Keita looked at her cute, angry appearance; even venting her temper felt like she was pleading for mercy.
Honestly, this woman...
...
Sometimes, it really is impossible to get angry at her.
Yanami Anna, of course, didn't really think she was some once-in-a-century genius.
She just... needed an excuse.
An excuse that would allow her to understand more deeply what "romance novels" were all about.
Since that kiss, she realized her feelings for Imaizumi had completely exceeded the scope of "pretending to be a couple."
She wanted to know more about him, and she wanted him to know more about her.
But how to do it?
As a complete novice in terms of feelings, whose even unrequited love ended in a crushing defeat as a loser, she had no idea how to advance a heart-pounding romantic relationship.
So, she could only learn from books.
While finding reasons in her heart for her little unspeakable intentions, she grabbed Imaizumi Keita's wrist and led him towards the Commercial Street in front of the station without allowing any argument.
"Alright, stop talking nonsense and come with me quickly! Even geniuses need to find inspiration through learning!"
"Hey, slow down..."
Imaizumi Keita was pulled by her, his steps a bit stumbling, but his face carried an indulgent smile.
He looked at the girl's energetic back and that hair that jumped up and down with her steps, and finally couldn't help but reach out and mess up her smooth hair with a moderate rub.
"Ya! What are you doing! Imaizumi!"
Yanami Anna immediately stopped, turned around, and glared at him puffily, while raising her hand to punch his arm.
"The hair I combed so nicely has been messed up by you!"
"Sorry, sorry,"
Imaizumi Keita apologized without any sincerity, and looking at her bristling appearance, his mood inexplicably became even better. "Who told you to pull me so hard just now?"
"Hmph!"
Yanami Anna wrinkled her nose. Although she was still complaining, she subconsciously slowed her pace and walked side by side with him.
The two of them bickered all the way to the largest chain bookstore in front of the station.
As soon as Yanami Anna stepped into the bookstore, she let go of Imaizumi Keita's wrist and dashed straight for the light novel area that occupied three whole rows of shelves, leaving Imaizumi to follow behind her helplessly.
He leaned against a row of shelves, arms crossed, watching with amusement as Yanami shuttled back and forth between the rows of colorful book covers.
She stood on her tiptoes at times and crouched down at others, rummaging through different types of books.
"Hey, Imaizumi-kun, look at this!"
Yanami Anna ran up to him excitedly holding two books, showing him the covers.
"This book's synopsis says 'The Trashy Me and the Perfect Young Lady's Cohabitation Life,' and this one says 'The Cold-blooded Assassin and the Airheaded Girl's Contract Love'... They both seem so interesting!"
Imaizumi Keita glanced at the two works whose titles and synopses were full of déjà vu, and commented disinterestedly, "Aren't those just the most common formulaic tropes? What's so good about them?"
"Tropes mean they're popular! Idiot!"
Yanami Anna retorted dissatisfiedly, then, as if discovering a new continent, pointed at the wrap-around band of one of the books.
"Look, look, this book even says 'The Ultimate heart-wrenching Development'! It looks so amazing!"
"Yes, yes, amazing."
Imaizumi Keita agreed perfunctorily, his gaze surreptitiously scanning the surroundings.
Just then, a familiar figure flashed past from the other end of the bookshelf.
It was a head of smooth reddish-brown short hair and that oversized school uniform that looked a bit ill-fitting.
Koma Chihana seemed to have noticed the movement here as well, her body quickly shrinking back behind the tall bookshelf and disappearing.
The whole process was so fast it was like an illusion.
And Yanami Anna, who was fully devoted to the great cause of "research," didn't notice this little interlude at all.
She continued to shuttle between the bookshelves with great interest, and before long, she was holding a stack of light novels with various covers in her arms.
Imaizumi Keita looked at her, finding it a bit funny in his heart.
This woman, she surely doesn't plan to take all these books...
Just as he was thinking this, he saw that Yanami Anna didn't head towards the checkout counter, but instead struggled to find something in the bookstore while holding the stack of books.
Finally, her gaze locked onto the reading area in the corner of the bookstore provided for readers to rest.
"Alright! Today's research site is decided—it's here!"
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