NOVEL NEXT Chapter 220
So… the only place that’s somewhat normal is the Library Committee, huh?
Is it like a book club or something? No, with them managing the library, it doesn’t seem like it’s just a place for reading books. They must be doing some librarian stuff too.
But still, it gave off an impression of being quite insignificant. Honestly, I’ve never used the library throughout my high school life. I often read novels, but I never rented them from the library. Usually, I read on my own.
Actually, it wasn’t just the library; the student council itself didn’t exactly leave a strong impression. I’ve only heard of this ‘Lead Committee Member’ by name, and I had never seen a real one scolding students until I came here.
Aren’t teachers typically the ones who personally discipline students? Well, the teachers here seemed like they wore their lack of desire to work on their sleeves, no enthusiasm to be found at all.
As expected of a wealthy school, the library building was separate. It was even quite large. While it might not be as big as a city library, it definitely looked bigger than a library run at a district level.
Well, even though it’s so big, it seems like not many people are using it.
There were hardly any students going in and out of the library. It wasn’t completely empty, but saying it had ‘a lot’ would be a stretch.
Once the after-school bell rings, all the students return home. The only ones left are those club members who get credit for their activities or those in music-related clubs. Even then, the numbers aren’t that high.
“But, do you know what the Library Committee Chairperson is like?”
“Umm…”
In response to my question, Son Ah-reum tilted her head slightly while deep in thought.
“Well… I didn’t think they had a strong image. They usually just sat quietly during meetings. Ah, I did go in place of the Lead Committee Member once because they weren’t there.”
If that was the only time she remembered the chairperson, it might say something about her sense of duty and how diligently she’s been doing her job.
If there wasn’t even a problem when the chairperson didn’t show up, it’s likely Son Ah-reum wouldn’t have had much of an issue skipping out either. This person seems sincere in all aspects…
Wait, does that mean the Library Committee Chairperson is a dedicated person too?
My image of the library or reading committee was mostly shaped by cartoons and light novels I saw in my childhood, so I couldn’t really imagine what the real library chairperson would be like.
Considering it’s based on an original work, I wondered if the library chairperson would have a somewhat similar image.
“Alright.”
Since I felt like I wouldn’t get any meaningful information by wasting time here, I decided to just head into the library.
“Hold on.”
And then, I was immediately stopped by the Lead Committee Member.
“There’s a rule that you must be quiet in the library.”
“I wasn’t planning to be loud.”
“…And there’s also a rule against excessive displays of affection.”
As Son Ah-reum said that, she glanced at the three people hanging off me from all sides.
“…”
The three seemed to have unconsciously latched onto me without realizing it.
They each showed slightly awkward expressions before finally letting go.
A breeze blew through my arms and back, immediately cooling me down.
…Ah, my back might be wet with sweat.
It’s scorching hot. Considering my hair is sticking to my neck, I’m sure my armpits are drenched in sweat too.
Even in this situation, I can’t help but feel a bit lonely, so I must’ve really crossed a line here.
What the heck is this, a huddle?
Pervert.
Sara bluntly scolded me with an irritated voice.
I couldn’t find any grounds to deny that statement.
No, please deny that.
*
With no one in the spacious library, the sound of my footsteps echoed: tap tap.
In this vast space, half was for reading and the other half was the bookshelf area…
Most of the desks were empty, and there weren’t many people between the rows of bookshelves. Even the cart meant for returning books was only half full. So yeah, my footsteps could echo all they wanted.
But still, there was, indeed, a library member present.
Well, I’m not entirely sure if they were really a library member, but at least they were sitting in the librarian’s spot, so I could guess that much.
There was a super timid-looking girl seated there.
Or should I say she looked gloomy? Her overall impression was extremely quiet, and her skin was pale, almost as if she hadn’t seen sunlight in ages.
She was so engrossed in the thick book of an unknown title that she didn’t even seem to notice us walking in. I found myself thinking, how does she read like that with her bangs hanging over her eyebrows?
Other hair strands were also drooping down.
It seemed like at the party, the ends of her hair had slight curls, but now, there was no sign of that anywhere. Probably, she had tied her hair back and let it loose afterward.
…Right. I’ve seen her before. She was at the party.
If she’d only attended the party, I wouldn’t have remembered her face. But after the party, when she told me, “I want to take some food home to feed my siblings,” I’d remember her in a heartbeat.
She might not be the library chairperson, but it was still nice to see a familiar face. Thinking of her as someone from my side eased my mind a bit.
So, with a bit more confidence, I approached the girl’s table, but suddenly realized something.
This girl has a brown name tag.
This school uses name tag colors to distinguish grades. A yellow that seems to represent gold, a white that seems to represent silver, and a bright brown that likely represents copper. Students who get the yellow name tag are supposed to keep it until they graduate, so we can easily recognize different grades at any time.
And that name tag typically follows the order of gold, silver, bronze, so my grade represented by that bright brown name tag.
…Good thing I spoke formally that day. Otherwise, I would’ve been super embarrassed here.
Taking a slight breath, I said to her,
“Um….”
“….”
The other party didn’t respond.
She was too focused on the book she was reading. Is it really that interesting? From what I can see, it looks like an incredibly boring science textbook.
“Um, senpai…?”
Even when I gently tried to call her again, there was still no response.
It didn’t seem like she was ignoring me on purpose—her eyes were darting around under her bangs as if she was genuinely engrossed in reading.
“Um…”
BANG!
“Eep!”
As I was about to talk again, a loud noise suddenly echoed from the side, causing me to jump. I literally jumped from my spot.
“Uh…”
I guess Sohee didn’t expect me to be that startled, as she looked a bit awkward after banging down on the checkout desk.
“Sorry.”
Sohee apologized quietly. Maybe she had intended to say something to the library member before I interrupted but lost her words after I shot her a glare.
“….”
The library member was looking up at us with a slightly dazed expression.
I mean, it’s not so much dazed as she just looked completely out of it. She had a startled expression as if she had just woken up from a nap.
Scratching my head, I said, “Uh, um, I’m sorry.”
“Ha.”
As if coming back to her senses after hearing me, the library member jerked her shoulders and shouted, “I-I’m so sorry…!”
With that, she sprang upright from her chair.
THUD.
And naturally, the book she had on her knees fell straight to the floor.
Luckily, the book didn’t crush her toes and instead landed precariously right in front of her feet, toppling over as it covered her foot.
“Ah.”
“….”
Umm… how should I even address this situation?
I really don’t know what to say.
…Isn’t this character original and not from the source material? Why is everything about her so cartoonish?
*
“You’re the chairperson?!”
No matter how much I thought about it, it was undeniably a rude question to ask someone so close to me, but I simply couldn’t hold it back.
I mean, it’s not because I think this girl is clumsy. More like, she accepted my invitation, and she was even willing to step up for her siblings at the party, making her seem ‘down-to-earth’ shocked me.
…Though I know calling her ‘down-to-earth’ is also massively rude.
That’s like something a complete villainess would say.
…I’d have to think about that later.
It was surprising to see someone like her in a position where people from wealthy families usually held.
But I guess I should’ve had an inkling that she was one of the few chairpersons who didn’t run away.
“Y-yeah. That’s me, I’m the chairperson.”
She averted her eyes from mine as she spoke. Her face turned beet red.
…She really gives off heroine vibes.