Classroom of the Elite: Legacy

V.2 Hiyori Shiina SS-Who Is It I See In Those Eyes?

In the library of the high school, where it was quiet and peaceful, I was doing my usual work as a librarian. I was placing books on the shelves, each separated into sections based on their genres. Old books were placed where they belonged, and with the books that were present, I checked through them, reorganizing them and making sure they were in the right place. It was quite enjoyable for me.

On top of a ladder, as I worked through putting the books together on a bookshelf, I happened to notice a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. I turned and look to see a female student with black hair. I met her before. She visited the library once when I was working and she was going to check out a few books. At first glance, I saw her as any ordinary student who was passing by through the library. However, when I saw her name on the computer and when I took a glance at her, I saw someone else in her.

Horikita Suzune. The girl looked awfully similar to her, from her hair to her looks to her attitude. No, she was exactly similar to her. That alone surprised me. Ever since that encounter with her, I've been wondering whether or not she was related to her in any way. Today was my day to have my questions answered.

"Wait right there for a moment!" My heart was racing. I felt somewhat excited to talk to her. Although I was feeling this way, I made sure to safely get down the ladder without any problems. "Good morning. If I remember right...you're Horikita Misaki-san, right? It's nice to see you here again."

"Yes, good morning. Is there something you need?"

I shook my hands. "Oh no no, it's nothing like that. I saw you here, so I thought it'd be a perfect chance to talk to you."

"Talk to me?"

Advanced Nurturing High School; Hallways

Moving outside of the library, the two of us decided to get ourselves a drink from a vending machine. We found a bench and we both sat down next to each other. Starting our conversation, I talked about how I don't see her come to the library as often anymore. She tells me how busy she's been the past days and that she didn't have the free time to come and get some books. As a former student myself, I knew how challenging and time-consuming everything was. In her case, I knew what she was dealing with. I told her my story of when I was a student here. After that, I decided to bring the question I've always wanted to ask her.

"If you don't mind me asking, are you...perhaps related to Horikita Suzune by any chance?"

Her face lit up and I stared at her, waiting for her answer. "...Yes, she's my mother."

Mother? I thought to myself. I expected her to confirm that she was related to Horikita Suzune, but not like this. Of course, this isn't the first time I've heard something like this.

Many years ago, around the end of our third year, Ryuen and Ibuki had a..."situation". Curious as to what it was, I went to check on Ibuki one time and she told me the story of what happened to her. What I heard was something I didn't expect. However, I didn't have any problems with it. They were young and reckless, but the two of them needed support, and of course, as their friend, I was glad to help.

As the two of us talked to each other, I stared into her brown eyes. For some reason, there was something familiar in them. I could feel an old feeling from staring at them. It was calm, gentle, and warm. It reminded me of when I was with my old friend.

"You look so similar to Horikita-san. But your eyes..."

"What is it about my eyes?" she asked.

"O-Oh, it's nothing really."

"...If there's something you want to say, I just want you to know you can say it. If you like to that is."

"Say it"? I thought to myself. I suppose talking to someone about it can bring some relief to me. So, I told her how her eyes reminded me of an old friend, someone who I read books with when I was a former student.

"About this friend of yours. Who-" Just as she was about to say something, her phone vibrated. She had gotten a message from her classmate, telling her it was time for them to meet with each other. Realizing how important it was, I wished her good luck and goodbye, and she left.

I turned to look outside the window and took a glance at the beautiful blue sky. I let out a smile and gave off a gentle smile, along with a chuckle. "You'll probably be someone interesting at this school one day, Horikita Misaki-san."