After the trio of idiots left, Saiki Kusuo headed straight for the school library.
'Yare yare, yesterday was the first day of school, so I had to buy some daily necessities and figure out how to use the jelly maker. I didn't have time to check out the library.'
'I heard the library has a rich collection of novels. Maybe I can find some hidden gems.'
'Although most of the people at this school seem a bit off, the resources here are quite impressive. Coming here was definitely a good choice.'
At this thought, a slight smile appeared on Saiki Kusuo's lips. After all, for someone with psychic abilities, reading mystery novels was one of the few things that could bring him joy.
The most important thing was the suspense.
Because of his telepathy, everyday life held no surprises for Saiki Kusuo. If he watched a movie, unless it was a premiere, he would be spoiled by the thoughts of those around him. And in a confined space, the mental chatter of others would be unbearably loud, making it impossible for him to focus on the movie.
So, Saiki Kusuo preferred solitary activities, and reading novels was one of them.
He quickly entered the library. Although he had briefly scanned the place before school started, his invisibility only lasted for ten minutes, so he had only gotten a general idea of the library's layout. He hadn't seen what books were inside. However, the library was massive, easily able to accommodate the entire school. It was clear that the collection of books here was extensive.
This made Saiki Kusuo even more excited.
He looked around. There weren't many people in the library—just a few scattered upperclassmen. After all, for most young people, there were more exciting ways to spend their time than reading in a library.
'Not many people. Perfect.'
For Saiki Kusuo, this was undoubtedly a good thing. He eagerly quickened his pace and, using his X-ray vision, easily found the mystery novel section.
However, Saiki Kusuo faintly heard an unfamiliar voice in his mind.
[I... I can't reach it...]
'Is she also in the mystery novel section?'
Saiki Kusuo walked over to the mystery novel shelves. In front of him was a girl with long silver hair.
She wasn't very tall, and her delicate face was adorned with light purple eyes. Her slender legs, visible beneath her short skirt, were clad in black knee-high socks.
The girl was standing on her tiptoes, trying to reach a book on the top shelf. However, due to her height, she couldn't quite get it. Her skirt swayed as she stretched, her fingertips barely brushing the side of the book but unable to pull it down.
'She can't reach it because of her height, but sorry, this isn't my problem. I'm not the type to go out of my way to help others.'
Saiki Kusuo thought to himself.
[The guy next to me might be able to reach it... But I'm too embarrassed to ask...]
[I don't know how to talk to people... Even though it's been two days since school started, I still don't know many people in my class...]
[What should I do... Should I talk to him? He came to this section... Is he also interested in mystery novels?]
The girl's thoughts raced as she tilted her head slightly, glancing at Saiki Kusuo out of the corner of her eye. Her face was full of hesitation, but she also seemed afraid of being noticed by him.
Just as the girl was struggling, the book she was trying to reach seemed to wobble slightly before losing its balance and falling.
"Huh?"
The girl was pleasantly surprised and quickly caught the book, as if her efforts had finally paid off.
Of course, this wasn't "luck." Saiki Kusuo had used his psychokinesis to nudge the book a few centimeters outward, allowing her to reach it.
Earlier, Saiki Kusuo had heard the girl's thoughts and learned the name of the book she wanted. He also learned her name.
Shiina Hiyori, a student from Class C.
'Yare yare, I'll just help you out a little. It'll save us both some trouble.'
Saiki Kusuo muttered to himself internally before turning his attention to the shelves, looking for a novel that might suit him.
If he simply borrowed a book, as long as he returned it on time, the points spent would be negligible.
Saiki Kusuo's eyes scanned the rows of books. He had read many mystery novels before, but he preferred to choose lesser-known ones—popular ones meant more readers, and his telepathy would inevitably spoil the plot. So, he was more inclined to pick obscure novels.
Although many obscure novels weren't of high quality, and some even had ridiculous plots, for Saiki Kusuo, they were the better choice. If he could find a high-quality one, it would be a treasure.
His gaze landed on one book. He hadn't heard of it before, so he reached out to take it.
[It's Simmons' Kill Yourself. He picked that one? Although it starts with the gimmick of killing oneself, later on...]
Just as Saiki Kusuo's fingers touched the book, Shiina Hiyori couldn't help but recall the entire plot of the novel in her mind.
'.....'
At that moment, Saiki Kusuo's face was covered in black lines.
He had deliberately chosen a seemingly obscure novel, but he hadn't expected the quiet girl next to him to have already read it.
'Maybe this book isn't as obscure as I thought. Let's try another one.'
Saiki Kusuo moved his fingers to another book.
[He picked this one? The plot is really interesting. He'll never guess that the protagonist is actually the killer...]
[He switched to another book? The doctor actually faked his alibi...]
[This book is average overall, but the suspense is well done...]