Chapter 9: The Hidden Library

That dream is still eating away at my entire being. I pushed it to the dark, dusty corners of my mind, since there's so much more I need to be focusing on. Though now that I finally have a moment to relax, the angelic singing of my girlfriend is becoming more and more distant as I space out without fully realising. Her melody is just background noise at this point; a quiet, yet dramatic soundtrack to accompany my recollection of that fateful dream.

"Kaito-kun… Kaito-kun?"

Snap, snap.

Blinking rapidly at the sight of fingers being clicked right in my face, I'm brought back from the daydream realm. Oh… I wonder how long ago Miku stopped rehearsing. "S-Sorry, I..."

"Totally zoned out," Dell shakes his head, tutting. He straightens his posture after leaning down and getting all up close to me. "What happened to piano?"

Ah. That's right, I'm sitting in front of a brilliant piano right now. One that I'm supposed to be using, or at least attempting to use. "I..." Still can't get out the right words. My head's all over the place. "Sorry…?" I repeat the same line as before, offering a small shrug.

"It's been a long day already," Miku softly says, sliding the mic back into its stand. She twirls round on the spot, pigtails swiftly following. "I don't blame him. Poor Kaito-kun, you look so tired."

I've already had lunch, so I can't use hunger as an excuse for slacking off in practice. Should I tell them about the dream, though? It'd only indulge Miku's girly fantasies, and Dell would surely mock me for the rest of the week about something he considers 'lame'. This isn't the right time to keep dropping weird surprises on them, anyway.

"I'm fine. I got it. Look," I say, stretching my fingers across the keys to one of the more complicated chords in the piece. My pinkie can only just touch the higher note I need. I press my fingers into the keys, and to my surprise we're all met with the horrible clashing of dissonance – it's loud, too. "Oops-!"

"Ow, geez…!" Dell whacks my hands off the keys before I can pull them away myself.

Flashing a nervous smile, I swing my legs over the side of the stool. "I guess my finger slipped..."

"D-Don't worry, we'll get it soon," Miku forces a sweet grin, though it's obvious I just killed her ears. "I get it, anyway… It's hard to focus on rehearsals with everything…"

Dell lets out a sort of huff, slipping the bass guitar strap off from around his shoulder, setting the instrument at an angle against a nearby amp. "Tell me about it," he mutters bitterly in agreement. We started band practice just a short while ago. Looks like this is all we'll be doing until a second session later in the day.

"I… I need to go cool off." I promptly pull myself up from the piano stool, avoiding eye contact with both of them. I'm starting to sweat inside this cramped studio. Besides, there are some things I need to do, and I don't want them coming with me. There's no way I'll drag them into this mess and risk getting them disqualified.

"H-Huh?" Miku sounds confused and hurt. "B-But, we still need to..."

"You and Dell-kun can keep going," I respond, digging my hands into my pockets. "I just… really need to do something. You understand, right?"

"Not really," the silver-haired boy half-laughs. "But if you need to cool off, then go ahead. Don't take too long, though. We need you, if you're still serious about winning." Of course. I wouldn't be doing this otherwise.

Miku finally sighs quietly, before giving in. "Mmh. Okay."

Without saying anything else, I take my leave from the studio. Heading out into the mostly empty halls, I'm hit with a wave of cool air, which takes some of the throbbing tension away from my head. My intended approach to all of this is to stay calm and speak in a collected manner. Sinking to their level is exactly what they want, so I have to be the mature one in order to be taken seriously at all.

I spend a while dragging myself through the halls and across a good stretch of the campus. Perhaps this is a wild goose chase, and wasting precious rehearsal time, but that fact doesn't matter right now. Damn it, why is that each hall and every last blade of grass I pass in this school, I'm surrounded by every single Mahogany student possible except for the ones I'm so desperately looking for? The urge to get some answers has been gnawing away at me ever since last night, and I can't ignore it for much longer now.

When I step out into the open, somewhere near the fields, I'm greeted by the enthusiastic shouts of the younger students cheering on their classmates for what I can only assume to be their Talent Trial. Well, that school spirit thing is working out, at least. There are a few benches overlooking the sports track, and finally, I catch sight of the four girls I've been looking for. My glance is drawn over to the girl with the hair almost as blue as mine – Una. Taking in a breath, I stop for a moment and consider how I'm going to approach them. What exactly should I start with? Knowing these girls, they'll cry 'harassment' or something at the slightest bit of confrontation and try to get us disqualified.

Stuffing my hands into my pockets, hoping to create a more nonchalant air about me, I decide not to overthink it so much and head over to them. I step in front of the bench, blocking their view of the sports field up ahead, and as expected I'm met with cold eyes.

"Oh, dear. Looks like that cheater has come to bully us girls now." Xingchen is the first to speak in her friends' defense, and ironically, she comes out with that… Out of everything she could've said, she wastes no time jumping straight into more accusations. She wraps an arm around Una; the blue haired girl has her eyes fixed to the ground.

"Of course. Fighting with Gakupo-san wasn't enough for you, huh?" I'm met with more hostile remarks. This time, the girl with the dark purple-ish hair continues in Xingchen's place.

I groan under my breath. Why did I think this would be a good idea? No matter… I'm here now. "I didn't come here to bully anyone, actually. And I'm not here to make accusations. But it seems you don't really care about playing nice, because you aren't wasting any time biting my head off." I speak in a calm tone, not letting my irritation seep through, unlike them.

"So, what is it? You came here to brag?" Merli's sister, Aoki, scowls at me. "You already got lucky enough to snatch that win out of our hands in the math event. I don't know how you did it, but I'm sure your methods weren't legit, just like the rest of the events."

I narrow my eyes, slowly shaking my head. Ya know what, fuck being nice. "You're one to talk about legitimacy, aren't you?" I remark, peering down at the necklaces hanging around their necks. They're still wearing them, and they're still as creepy as ever. I'm able to get a better look at the rubies that Merli and Aoki wear – a leaf shaped gem and the other a plain old normal-looking gem, respectively. "You can stop playing dumb now. We already figured out what you're doing."

"H-How dare you…!" Una pulls her eyes up from her feet and I'm admittedly a little caught off guard by the fire behind that pained, sour expression that's taken over her. She stares directly at me, and though she appears to be hesitant to speak her mind, she does so anyway. "Why on earth do you think we'd cheat or steal your ideas? You're not worth our time at all, you horrible bully!"

I take a small step back, falling silent. Something about the way she's lashing out at me… No, the words she's saying in particular… Why do they feel so genuine? Mahogany Creek students are all the same, aren't they? Hey now, I can't falter just yet. This is all part of the act, isn't it?

"It's alright, Una-san..." Xingchen rests her hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing gently to calm her down.

Una appears to be trembling in… Anger? Or is it fear mixed with the adrenaline rush of standing up to me – someone she perceives to be a bully? Whatever it is, it seems all too genuine, and all my comebacks just get tied up at the back of my throat.

"You need to leave," Aoki hisses at me. She doesn't sound directly angry any more, but it's still an obvious threat.

If I leave now, I've just wasted the time I should've spent rehearsing with Miku and Dell. I can't give up now. Just… Ignore those burning eyes of hers, Kaito… "You can pretend all you want," I shrug. "It's those weird necklaces that you're all wearing. You Mahogany Creek kids are all rich and stuck-up, but even I never expected you to stoop so god damn low. I mean, really."

"Wh-What are you…?" Merli's confidence takes a slight dive at that. So, it really must be those necklaces. They're some kind of cheating devices? That has to be it. Otherwise she wouldn't have reacted this way.

"I knew it…! You're using these to cheat with, aren't you?" I regain my courage. They aren't trying to be nice, so I won't either. I take a couple of steps forward and reach my hand out toward Xingchen. I swiftly make a grab for the girl's pendant in hopes to rip it off and finally crush it, or perhaps expose the truth by uncovering their methods of recording conversations… She doesn't even see me coming since I'm just quick enough, but when I'm a mere inch away or so from touching it… I'm not sure how, but something or someone shoves me backward and I land right on my miserable backside. "Ow…!"

I blink rapidly, darting my glance from side to side, wondering what the hell just happened. I'm a good distance away from the girls, and they appear to be just as shocked and dazed as I am. I think my the grass I landed on broke my fall, but… "Hey, what the fuck do you girls think you're doing?" I immediately direct my irritation toward them, losing just about every last bit of patience I had. I press my palms against the grass to make an attempt to pick myself back up, but the moment I do so, a sharp pain shoots up through my left arm, causing me to fall down all over again. "Gah, shit-!" I turn my palm over and stare at it. I must've hurt my wrist while breaking my fall, right? But when I set my glance upon it, there's some sort of weird red mark in the centre of it, and ever since I tried to stand up it's started to burn.

"W-We didn't do anything!" Aoki springs up from the bench, as if she's the most affected by what happened.

Hold on, my left hand… That's the one I snatched at Xingchen's pendant with. But if she shoved me away, how the hell did I end up with this strange red mark? "Nngh..." I screw my eyes shut at the intense pain. It's getting worse the longer I stay here. Not only is the burning sensation spreading, it's also getting itchy. "Bullshit," I hiss, clamping my right palm harder against the grass, supporting myself only with that to finally stand up. I knew there was something up with these girls.

"We need to get out of here," Merli says, joining her sister and addressing the two that are still sitting there in shock.

"Oh, no no no." I shake my head and make my way back over to them, although rather slowly since my entire body is aching from that powerful shove. I'll admit, they're stronger than I anticipated. But now I'm finally getting somewhere. If their principal finds out about this, she has to do something. At least I hope so. She's sly and has some dirty tricks up her sleeve, but there's no way she can condone assault. "This just about proves it. I came here for answers, and since you've already went ahead and got me on my ass, you can start talking."

"We didn't do anything… We're not cheaters…!" Una begins to frantically shake her head, cowering and cuddling up against her friend Xingchen. There's that sad little voice of hers again, like she's about to break out in tears at any moment.

I clench my fist, hoping that squeezing it tightly will ease some of the pain… But also, I want to remind myself that they did this to me, and that I need to stay level-headed rather than falling for their tricks. "I won't ask again. Give it up, will you? What kind of strange device is tucked away in those gems of yours?"

"Come on, Una-san..." Xingchen speaks soothingly to the blue-haired girl, who's acting way more like a child than her actual age. She helps Una up to her feet, and urges her to ignore me along with the rest of them.

Now I'm getting annoyed all over again. "Oi!" I snap, surprising even myself at how rough and deep my voice comes out… Like an angry dog growling or something. I don't like all this pent up anger within me, but they've given me no choice. Even so, I lower my voice a bit, not wanting to attract any attention. Getting in trouble is the worst thing that could happen right now. "Enough with the running away. Do you even understand what you're doing? You have no idea how many friendships and relationships you're ruining, do you? And that's what pisses me off the most about you self-absorbed, stuck-up, cocky Mahogany Creek students. You claim to be so smart, so high and mighty, but you have zero awareness of consequences… And I'm just about done with this bullshit…!" My clenched fist is trembling; knuckles whitening.

"Have you ever considered that the root of the problem is closer to home than you thought?" Xingchen glares at me, that intense expression of doubt piercing right into me. "Or is this just your fragile insecurity making you lash out at people that are better than you in every way possible?"

Closer to home…? Ignoring that disgusting high praise she has of herself and her buddies, that first thing she says is something I honestly haven't considered. Who else will have access to our study notes and plans? Neru has been acting weird ever since the trials began, but she only lashed out ever since the cheating began… Wait. It can't possibly be… "Are you saying someone I know is doing this? That can't be. Besides all that, what's with those stupid necklaces you're all wearing?"

Xingchen clutches at the ruby hanging down from around her neck, backing away a bit after I tried to grab it earlier. "That's none of your business."

"Uh, it most certainly is my business," I scoff, unclenching my fist and slowly wiggling my fingers to release that tension. It's still stinging… But nowhere near as bad as before. I hold my hand forward, showing off the mark I received. "So, what is it? Some kind of anti-theft measure along with a microphone to record private conversations?"

Merli narrows her eyes, a glint of suspicion reflecting in there. She folds her arms over her chest, covering up the ruby in the process. "What, you're saying our necklaces somehow did that?"

"Well, the necklace didn't push me away itself, did it?" I roll my eyes, my words dripped in heavy sarcasm. I'm met with silence, which isn't exactly the type of response I expect. They exchange glances amongst themselves. The awkward atmosphere is starting to crush me over here.

"Like we keep saying. We didn't touch you," Aoki finally responds, before letting out a huff and turning her back to me. She looks like she's ready to leave.

"I don't know what the deal with you Mahogany weirdos is, but I'll find out." I realise I'm not going to get anything else out of them at this point. They're lying about not touching me, anyway. They were so damn fast about it, that I got caught way off guard. They're sneaky as ever, I'll give them that. But they'll have no choice soon, once I expose them. "Fine, don't answer me. I don't care. I've got all the proof I need."

"Stay away from us. I don't take too kindly to bullies. This is your only warning," Xingchen gives me a not so subtle threat. I'm not worried about that at all. If they beat me up, that's just more evidence.

"You can do whatever you want to me," I shrug, stuffing my hands into my pockets, just like I did before I came over here. "Just stay the hell away from Mi-chan and Dell-kun. It's best you don't return to her bedroom tonight. Got it?" I'm met with more silence, so I simply tut and turn on my heels.

…

I really should be returning back to Miku and Dell. Yet here I am, wandering these empty halls, head spinning from that crazy encounter with those four girls. "Tch..." I scoff under my breath, my heel squeaking as I idly kick away at the floor beneath me while walking. I don't feel satisfied, even after learning something so important. Those rubies that had been shining in the sun out on the field were now shining in my mind. Urging me to find out the whole truth.

I pass by the stairs that lead up toward the library. I can either waste some more time and come up with nothing, or just give up and accept that I probably won't be able to expose their cheating ways. Miku and Dell are counting on me to make a comeback… But isn't researching this madness a part of striking back? I look back and forth between the stairs and the hall stretching down back toward the rehearsal rooms.

"...screw it," I huff, gripping hold of the handrail and spinning round at the last minute to hop up the steps. I'm not even sure if the library is still open. It's about an hour or so after lunch time, and students should either be in lessons or participating in their talent trial. But still, I've seen a few just wandering around like I am. No harm in trying.

My plan may not even make any sense. Those thoughts run through my mind as I head closer to the library. I figure if there's a device that can pick up on conversations small enough to fit into a gem… It's going to be documented. Ugh, I think I'm losing my mind with all this stress. Is this seriously what my life has become? Part of me knows such a thing doesn't exist. But if it's not that, then perhaps the gems give certain people a rare allergic reaction upon touching it. That faint itching sensation is still eating away at the centre of my palm, after all. I just need something to prove their guilt, god damn it…!

Gritting my teeth together ever so slightly as I come toward the library, I shake my head to shoo away those thoughts for now. Irrational as this may be, I need to focus. No one else is going to do anything about this ridiculous situation, so it just has to be me. I grind to a halt outside the library; peering through the glass walls, I notice the entire place is empty. Not one single student. Now that I think about it… Looking around, there's no one to be seen in the halls out here. I'm sure I passed a few people on my way outside, but coming back in, they've all disappeared.

A strange, unexplainable cold shiver crawls down my spine. The air I'm breathing feels thicker than normal… or is it some sort of crushing sensation on my chest, since I know I shouldn't be doing this? Part of me is betraying Miku and Dell right now by chasing after things I won't be able to prove, but… Something weird is going on, for sure.

Swallowing lightly to push down that apprehension, I make a grab for the thin, metal door handle. It's icy to touch. No one has been along here for… well, a while, I assume. Pushing the door open, I step into the library, and it's as though I'm crossing a forbidden boundary between the normal world and this new dimension of mystery. The library is still open, yet it's deadly silent. I can almost hear my heart pounding in my chest. "Wh-What the hell is going on…?" I can't help but mutter out those words, slowly scanning my eyes over the area. There's really nobody here. Not even a member of staff. Are they really that busy with the events today? Maybe someone forgot to lock up, and I'm here intruding when I shouldn't be.

Taking in a breath, I take a few steps forward. The silence is killing me already. If I listen any closer, I'll be able to hear the books telling their many stories in a minute, geez… Where exactly should someone start to look for something so absurd, anyway? The library is split into two sections. One lower section, and some small steps that lead up to another part with more books. I guess I'll start from the section up the steps and work down.

Preparing myself for a long search, I shake my hoodie to straighten it out and head up those steps. Tilting my head up, I take in the sights of the many piles of books and rather tall bookcases. There ought to be hundreds of books, all stretched out across the lengthy library space… I stomp my way over to the back of the section, deciding to start off on the left side.

"Alright. Here we go," I mutter to myself, flickering my glance over the rows of books on the shelves in front of me. "Hmm..." I hum lightly, grabbing a single book at random.

Click.

"Eh?" As I slot that one book out from its place on the shelf, a soft, barely audible click hits my ears. Blinking in confusion, I stop right in my tracks, quickly taking a look over my shoulder. Perhaps a teacher has come back? I narrow my eyes over at the entrance behind me, but nobody is there. If it isn't the door, then… "Wait, wh-?" I turn back to face the bookshelf and yank at the book, only to find it's apparently stuck in place. Sort of like someone glued part of it down onto the shelf as some sort of prank. No matter how hard I tug at it, it won't budge. It only sort of slides out at a weird angle.

Tick, tick, tick, tick, tick…

A string of those ticking noises follow, and I'm left wondering where on earth it's coming from. With my attention focused on trying to pinpoint the location of those kind of creepy sounds, I don't even see the bookshelf swinging around, directed right at my face. "Wuh…!" Only when it's inches away from whacking me square in the cheek, do I realise what's going on. And by then, it's too late.

Somehow, the thing isn't coming only for my face, but my entire body, and in a matter of about one or two seconds, it whisks me off my feet and leaves me so disoriented that I can't register it until I'm lying flat on my stomach and seeing stars. "Wh-Wh-What…"

The full force of a heavy bookshelf completely knocks my sense of awareness off for a good while. A deep groan bubbles up from my throat, and I rest there helplessly on the floor until I manage to regain my senses. First, I prop my chin up against the cold floor, and then my hands… Supporting my body, I remain in that position, head drooped as I catch my breath. I slowly open my eyes, and much to my surprise, it's still just as dark as it had been with them closed. Squinting, I wonder if the fall and shock has left me blinded or something. "F-Fuck, man… What's with that whole… bookshelf thing…?" I can barely get my words out.

A wave of dizziness rushes over me; I dig my fingernails into the floor beneath me to support myself as best I can, despite my whole body trembling. I squeeze my eyes shut once more, taking in deep breaths. The darkness is starting to wrap itself around me… The unknown cloaking me and threatening to swallow me up… "It's okay. Stay calm, Kaito. Stay… calm..." I hiss through laboured breathing, reassuring myself that while this is insane, it should be okay.

The panic begins to subside a short while after. With my eyes still shut, I'm brought back to reality from my thoughts with a blinding light now welcoming me. "Shit, that's… fucking bright…!" I gasp, eyelids twitching at the pain it brings me. Bringing an arm up to shield my face, I hesitantly open my eyes, and the instant I do so, a ray of bright red spills its way toward me. Even covering my face isn't enough. It's coming from the centre of the… room…? Wherever I am. And it's not letting up.

With this source of light, though, my eyes are able to adjust to the darkness, and soon I find that it's a little more bearable to fully take a look at. A faint red glow bounces off the nearby surroundings, and from what I can see, this looks like a replica of the library outside. The floor I'm kneeling on is the same, there are outlines of the same tall bookcases… "How is this possible?" I mumble, and at that moment, I muster up enough strength to push myself up from the pathetic position I'm in. That's two falls I've taken today. I really should man up sooner or later. My back is killing me here.

With a better view now that I'm standing, I'm able to make out a bit more of the room. It's definitely another library. But this should really be impossible. Spinning around, there's that damn bookshelf behind me. Is this some sort of prank? Groaning quietly to myself, I press my hand against the books. Trying to push it proves to be worthless, as it won't move an inch. Like it's stuck in place. "If this is a prank, it isn't funny..." It's probably someone from that stupid rival school that's behind this. If this bookshelf really has the library on the other side of it, then just what on earth is this? There's a wall behind that bookshelf last I checked. So just how the hell is there a whole new room in its place?

I slowly turn back around. That light is still shining brightly as ever, as though enticing me and urging me to come forward… Shrugging, I carefully head down the small steps, ones identical to the others outside. If I'm going to be stuck here for a while, I might as well indulge their dumb game until they get bored and let me out. Approaching the source of that light, I can see much clearer that it's pouring out from an already open book resting gently on top of a clunky wooden pedestal. My stomach is turning and twisting itself inside out here. This can't be a prank… But that red light is familiar. Just like those rubies the girls are wearing. They're involved in some weird shit, that's the only conclusion I can draw from this.

Leaning down a bit to get a closer look at the book, I'm met with that nostalgia-inducing old book scent wafting up toward me. Reluctantly reaching a hand forward, I lightly press my fingertips against one of the pages. It feels rather delicate, like it's been sitting out for years… Swiping my fingers down the page, I set free a thick clump of dust without realising. "Ah-!" I gasp, pulling my fingers back and shaking them frantically to get rid of that disgusting mess. "Gross… When was the last time someone came in here and cleaned up?" A grimace pulls at my face at the thought of just how dirty the rest of this place may very well be.

"Oh, fuck- Shit-!"

"Huh-?!" A loud thud causes me to jump out of my skin. Just as my nerves had started to settle, that ridiculously over-the-top, dramatic, loud ass shouting nearly sends me into an early grave. I spin around on my heels immediately, on full alert at the presence of someone else. That red light from the book stretches out far enough for me to be able to see a dark figure sprawled out pathetically on the floor just as I had been at first. For some unclear reason, fear washes over me, at the idea that it could be some ethereal being coming to punish me for daring to enter this sacred place…

"Kaito-san? I knew it, I knew you were up to no good…!"

Or, of course, it's just Gakupo Kamui. Wait…

"Kamui? Kamui fucking Gakupo? Again!?" Being foolish enough to raise my voice despite knowing it could get me into trouble, my first instinct is to scream his name in utter disbelief and burning rage.

"Y-You sly bastard," he stutters, struggling to pick himself up from the floor.

"Don't act like you didn't already know I was in here…!" Clenching my fists by my side, I take a couple of steps forward, just about ready to go over and give him a boot to the stomach for good measure while he's down. Resisting that urge for now, I go ahead and confront him verbally instead. "Real good, ten out of ten acting. You can get up now. And let me out of here while you're at it. Your prank fucking sucks."

"Wh-? The hell you on about now?" He chokes out in confusion, losing that cool composure he had every other time I crossed paths with him. He eventually picks himself up, wobbling a little on the spot and clutching lightly at his chest. "I just got here myself, you idiot. Prank…? How old do you think I am? How incredibly insulting!"

Steam rises from the top of my head. Reaching boiling point. "Grrrr..." My knuckles are whitening again, aren't they? "I've had enough of you, you stupid fucking-!"

"Yeah? Don't even get me started on how I feel about you, asshole!" Gakupo swiftly interrupts me, cutting my insults short, and his own anger erupts just like a volcano, spilling out his own toxic inner thoughts. "I'm in your school when I don't want to be, I follow you over to this library because of how ridiculously suspicious you looked, hoping to catch you once and for all as the cheater you are, and then I fall into this stupid trap of yours-!"

My eyes widen as he completely loses it at me. But that's not the most surprising part. He's pinning the blame on me all over again, which riles me up further. He steps closer and closer to me as he rants. "Trap? What do you mean, you fell into this trap? Did you hit your head so hard that you forgot all about the fact that you set this bullshit up for me to fall into? Swinging bookshelf, ha ha, so incredibly hilarious!" A strained laugh seeps out through gritted teeth as I glare at him. "Okay, you've had your fun, you overgrown child, now quit playing innocent and let me out of here."

Gakupo seems to have fallen silent, and when I think I've finally won and he's about to give up… "Wh-What the hell is that-?!" His voice comes out as a frightened whimper for a change, dramatically pointing over at something behind me.

"Yeah, nice try," I scoff, rolling my eyes. There's no way he missed the bright red, blinding light when he supposedly fell into here. Folding my arms over my chest, I slowly turn back on my heels to show that it's just a light. "It's the bright red light you set up. Great joke, you totally got me, so fu-… Oh."

All I can come out with is a quiet mutter near the end of that. Sure, a book is floating right in front of my eyes right now, no big deal, right…? Honestly, I feel like I've witnessed crazier things before this. Or maybe I'm just growing numb to all the bullshit. Apathy is my go-to response.

"Oh? Is that all you have to say for yourself? Fucking 'oh'?" Gakupo sounds as though he's about to faint.

I think the reason I'm so apathetic about this whole thing is because I know it's just a lame prank, and frankly, it's being dragged out way too long. "You really need to work on your acting if you want me to be all freaked out," I tut. So he put a book on a string. So what?

"I'm not kidding around any more. Besides, what's up with you putting the blame onto me straight away? This is your school, isn't it? How the fuck would I even know about this… uh… god damn it, what even is this place?"

A cold shudder tickles at my spine. He's… He's being deadly serious right now… No, he has to be acting still. Lowering my arms to my sides, I hesitantly tilt my head up to stare deadpan at the supposed floating book. "I… I, uh..." My knees are shaking. Of all the things I expected to uncover, this isn't one of them.

Gakupo's footsteps tap softly behind me, coming closer until he stops a short distance next to me. "Look. If I'm not playing a prank on you, and you're really not sure what this place is, then..." He speaks quietly, deciding to go ahead and state the obvious. "Something strange is happening here."

I can't even come back with a witty remark. I desperately want to, but the atmosphere is a lot more different than when it was just me alone in this place. "That book wasn't floating when I first fell in here," I mutter, pulling my eyes off it and instead glancing over at the purple-haired male, looking to him for guidance. Something I thought I'd never do. "Well, I hate to admit it, but you're the smarter one of us, so…"

Rather than smirking proudly like I expect, he lets out a dry laugh and rubs at the back of his neck. "I'm really not as great as you seem to think..." His eyes catch mine for a split second, and the faintly glowing light makes it easy for me to see a sort of bashful glint reflecting in there. He breaks eye contact almost straight away, pausing for a moment. "But it's obvious that whatever this is, it… waited for the both of us to be here."

I raise a brow, wondering just how much truth there is to that. After all, this is the same jerk who keeps joking about 'soulmate' crap during talent trials. But right now, it's like he's being oddly sincere… And I feel like I can trust what he's telling me, away from the judgemental stares of his friends… And that barrier between us is shattered. No stress, no pressure, no competitive aspects… Nothing. "Maybe," I mutter, sort of in agreement. I'm on the fence right now, though. "Let's just figure it out together, alright?"

I can't believe I'm working with Gakupo Kamui for once, rather than fighting against him. Together, we have to uncover the secrets of this hidden library, otherwise we may be stuck here for a long time if we just sit here arguing.

…