╰┈➤ 𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 you encounter a certain crimson-eyed poet in the library and decide to solve a mystery hidden in a book filled with poems.
── #𝟎𝟎𝟏. amongst a sea of stars;
in the night sky, i'd always choose you.
the brightest one.
ᯓ★ kaedeha...
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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"May I sit here?" he questioned, awaiting your response.
You were curious about his intentions and agreed to his request. The ivory-haired boy settled down in a seat opposite you. Realizing that he should introduce himself, he said, "I'm Kaedehara Kazuha. Nice to meet you!"
"I'm [first name] [last name]. Pleased to meet you too," you smiled, exuding an aura of friendliness. You wanted to get to know the young man in front of you and were intrigued by him. Despite your curiosity, you remained silent, not wanting to disturb him or the silence of the library.
"This book is fascinating," Kazuha commented, breaking the spell that the novel you were perusing had cast upon you. Your eyes glanced up from its pages and met Kazuha's crimson eyes.
"Hm?" you asked, wondering what he was describing and to whom the comment was addressed.
"This book," he showed you the book you both had reached for a few minutes ago. "You possess good literature taste."
"Thanks," your cheeks turned a hue of red at the compliment, elated that he seemed to think that way about you. "It's a book filled with poems, right?
"Yeah, and rather splendid poems if I might add. They're all based on the love story of a young couple. It's about the blossoming love and camaraderie between both of them," he explained, his eyes twinkling at the mention of poems.
"That's nice," you sighed, wanting to desperately grab the book from his hands and read the alluring piece of literature yourself. You could tell it was greedy of you, but that didn't matter. To gaze upon such pieces of work and art was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Yet, you tried to remind yourself that it was a library book and that you could obviously borrow it once Kazuha was done reading it.
"You okay?" he tilted his head, snapping you out of your wandering thoughts. You must have looked distracted and unfocused if he had had to ask such a question.
"Oh, yeah... I'm fine," you reassured him with a wave of your hand. He must have noticed your lingering gaze on his borrowed library book and he turned it towards you.
"Here have a look," he offered as he pointed towards one of the pages of the poetry book. You noticed how the words on the page he was pointing at were handwritten and scribbled hastily. "The poet of this book has scribbled a haiku on this page - the last page - as if he was in a rush. Plus, if you look at all the pages after this," he flipped through the book, "All of them are empty."
"A willow tree stands," you read the haiku out loud, "Beneath is branches and gaze. A clue hidden from sight."
"It sounds like a riddle, don't you think?" Kazuha asked, pondering over the interesting message conveyed through the poem. Do you think... the next pages of this book could be hidden there?"
"Maybe..." you trailed off into thought, trying to deduce the answer to the poem's riddle. "Are there any willow trees around the academy?"
"I'm not certain, but we could ask around," he suggested with a shrug of his shoulders. You couldn't help but notice how he had messily tied his ponytail. The bold, red streak in his hair complimented his crimson eyes. You quickly regained your composure, chiding yourself for getting distracted by such minute details of a person you had just met.
"Sounds like a good idea," you nodded and quickly went back to work. You pulled out your homework from your bag and closed the novel you were previously engrossed in. As you got to work solving complex mathematical equations, Kazuha couldn't help but gaze at your focused features.
The warm light from the library cast an orange glow on your face. It accentuated your soft features and Kazuha couldn't help but admire your dedication to your studies. He quickly stopped himself from staring any longer and decided to take inspiration from you and start studying as well.
As time passed, the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky turned a mixture of magenta, orange, and crimson, with wispy clouds traveling across it. The silence in the library grew as pupils exited and now it was only you both. You were exhausted by that time and were close to dozing off.
"I think the library's about to close, should we go now?" Kazuha asked softly, as he started to pack his things and place them in his bag.
"What? Oh, yeah..." you mumbled, embarrassed at the fact that he had seen you like this - drooling and sleepy. "I should go now, bye Kazuha."
"Could I have your number?" the crimson-eyed boy asked, as he stood up to leave. You couldn't help but notice the eye bags under his eyes. Hm.... He must have been tired too...
"I don't want to seem rude but, um- why?" you asked, scratching the back of your neck.
"To solve the riddle of course!" Kazuha beamed as he pushed his phone into your hand. "Please? I feel like you can help me. But, only if you want to, of course."
Pondering over the decision on whether to give Kazuha your number, you couldn't help but recollect that he was one of the smartest people in the academy. Being his friend could come to use. And besides, what's the harm in making a new friend?
You entered your number and waved goodbye, excited to see where the poem's riddle would take you. As you left the library and parted ways with Kazuha, a sense of joy and excitement filled you and you headed back to your dorm with a smile on your face.
