Ishigami was startled when Kobachi was about to fall, and it was fortunate that he was just about to search for another book.
'If I didn't catch her...'
Still, he had to say, was she quite heavy, or was he too weak?
However, he also realized that he wasn't a harem protagonist since if he was one, then when Kobachi fell on his face, squeezing him with her slender thighs and showing him her panties.
Regardless, he wanted her to stand up as soon as possible.
"...can you stand up?"
"Ah, um, thank you, Ishigami."
When he saw Kobachi wanted to stand up immediately, he quickly reminded her to be careful. "Slow down. Don't be in a hurry. Calm down."
"O-Okay..."
Naturally, Kobachi was still in shock after she fell, so she needed to lean on him for a while, but somehow, she took her time. Still, fortunately, Ishigami didn't hurry her or embarrass her by teasing her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I am fine. Thanks, Ishigami."
"Be careful, girl. Rest there first. I will help you."
When Kobachi let him go and sat on the stool nearby, Ishigami sighed in relief since he had been on his limit before.
"Sit there. I will help you to put the books back."
"Um, thank you."
Kobachi didn't refuse him and just watched him, helping her, as she rested quietly, watching his figure from the side. She had been watching him, so she knew him well, yet at the same time, she also didn't know him much.
She might have watched him, but the distance between them was too far, and it was her first time observing him from a close distance.
His figure was straight, his features were sharp, and when she thought about how he had held her before, she could feel how strong and firm his strength was.
Was it all due to him joining the gym?
Kobachi recalled that Onodera had asked him a question about what he did after school, and he told Onodera that he had joined a gym. Even though it was only for a short time since he had joined, she could tell that his features were no longer as weak and listless as before, which made him become more attractive, yet she hoped that his body wouldn't be all muscles.
"...I have heard that you joined a gym, Ishigami."
"Well, yeah."
"Do you want to become a bodybuilder like a Terminator?"
"...no, why did you think that I wanted to have such a body?" Ishigami was speechless. "I just want to have a healthy body."
"That's good then." Kobachi sighed in relief inwardly, but then she asked, "But why were you here? Are you done flirting with Tsubame-senpai?"
"Flirting?" Ishigami glanced at Kobachi and said calmly, "We were studying. We weren't flirting." He never really flirted, but Tsubame was all touchy and gentle, so it might appear like they did so from the outside. However, he had to fix this misunderstanding.
"...I am sorry if I made a mistake..." Kobachi apologized since she knew that she might have said too much. "But what do you think of Tsubame-senpai? Aren't you happy to have such a beautiful senior to teach you?"
"Being taught by a beautiful senior aside, I am grateful to her since my grade isn't that good, and she is good at teaching."
"...was that the point?" Kobachi was speechless. "Don't you feel anything when she taught you?"
"What do you mean? How about you be clear to me instead of asking me in such a roundway bout?" Ishigami looked at Kobachi, staring at her and waiting for her to say what she wanted to ask from her mind.
"...."
Kobachi fell in silence, thinking that Ishigami really had changed, but then, was it all due to her being too pushy?
She knew that they hardly talked to each other and that they had just started talking to each other recently. While she had known him for so long, she knew that with how their relationship had been previously, she knew that her questions might be excessive.
"I am sorry."
"No, it's fine. I guess it is normal for you to think that I might have fallen for her or something."
"Do you like her?" Kobachi quickly asked without much thought.
"...you sure ask such a straightforward question."
"But I guess it is normal of you to fall for her, and if you do, I will support you."
Instead of being with Iino or Onodera, Kobachi wished Ishigami would fall for Tsubame because that would make him happy.
As for her feelings?
There was no need to worry about those since she wished for him to be happy, and she was sure that Tsubame would make him happy.
'Not Iino or Onodera...'
It had to be Tsubame, so that way...
"I can't deny that she is likable, but I think it is too early for me to say that I love her or I want to make her my girlfriend, right?"
"Now, right? Then, as you get close to each other, there is a chance for you to fall for her and wish to make her a girlfriend in the future, right?"
"That's the question of the future. We have only met each other, and there is no need to be in a hurry."
Regardless, Onodera could tell that Ishigami was attracted to Tsubame, which she didn't feel surprised or even happy to see, but then, she also asked, "Do you want a girlfriend?"
"I do." Ishigami nodded. "I am a normal high school student, after all. I think it will be abnormal if I don't have such an interest."
"Well, that's true."
"Then, how about you?"
"Eh?"
"You have been asking me so many questions." Ishigami looked at Kobachi and asked, "Have you thought about getting a boyfriend?"
"Well..." Kobachi stared at Ishigami, who asked such a question. If there was a reason why she looked like this, it was because she didn't expect him to ask such a question.
"Osaragi-san?"
"Ah..."
Kobachi took a deep breath, trying to calm her heart, then said calmly, "I haven't fallen in love with someone now."
Lie.
"Then, if you fall for someone, you will date him?"
"No, I haven't thought of getting a boyfriend in high school."
Lie.
Kobachi thought so, but she knew that she didn't have a right to be with him, especially when she knew she just watched from the side when Ishigami was in torment.
This was her punishment, and it was also something that she had decided since she had chosen a friendship over her feelings, but as they continued to talk, it was hard to contain her feelings.
"Many guys will be disappointed then."
Ishigami knew that Kobachi was popular, and even many students from different schools came to visit her, which made him speechless, thinking that high school really had nothing to do.
It was just—
"Are you too?"
Somehow, those words blurted out from her lips.
Kobachi wanted to take those words back, but it was too late, and her heart beat rapidly as she saw him staring at her. Within the aisle, between the bookshelves, there were only the two; no one was around. The library was quiet, and no one was around besides them.
His expression was calm, staring at her softly, yet firmly, like a man, which made her anticipate the answer that she had been waiting for, but—
"Yuu-kun, are you here?"
Tsubame looked around and found Ishigami. "Ah, here you are. Have you found the book?" She also found Kobachi, which confused her. "Koba-chan?"
"Sorry, Senpai. Osaragi-san almost fell before, so I helped her to return the books to the shelves."
"Ah, are you, okay, Koba-chan?"
"...yes, I am fine, thank you, Tsubame-senpai."
'Yuu-kun...'
Yet, inwardly, Kobachi felt gloomy, wondering how long it had been since Tsubame started to call Ishigami by his first name.
However, wasn't this good?
'This way...'
As Kobachi saw how gentle and attentive Tsubame was, she knew that it was best for Ishigami to be with Tsubame.
"You should call me Yuu-kun. I will come to help."
"It was so sudden after all."
With Tsubame's help, soon, they finished returning all the books to the shelves and returned together before Ishigami and Tsubame started to learn once again, and Kobachi returned to her usual place as she sat down quietly, reading without bothering them.
Still, a petite figure suddenly entered the library and looked around quietly, seemingly anxious yet also filled with anticipation.
Kobachi noticed this figure and called her softly, "Iino."
"Koba-chan." Iino Miko nodded at her friend, then found the person that she had been looking for. She pursed her lips and sighed in relief, thinking that Ishigami really wanted to improve, which made her happy, but then she wasn't so happy when she saw that he wasn't alone.
"That's... Tsubame-senpai? Why is she here with Ishigami?"
Kobachi pushed the frame of her glasses and said, "She taught him to study."
"Oh?"
Watching the confusion on Iino's face, Kobachi said softly, "They might start to date each other in the future."
"...."
Those words made Iino fall into silence, lowering her head, taking a deep breath, and then snorting. "Hmph! He is dreaming! Tsubame-senpai is out of his league!" Even so, she also felt that Tsubame was a good girlfriend for Ishigami, especially when she could see how close they were.
"I will go back on patrol first."
"Okay, do your best."
Watching Iino walk out of the library to continue patrolling as a member of the Public Morals Committee, Kobachi let out a sigh quietly. It was just that Iino wasn't the only person who came to the library to visit Ishigami, and unlike Iino, she couldn't stop her. So, at this moment, she could only watch this girl come toward Ishigami and Tsubame, destroying the good atmosphere between them.
"Yuu? Tsubame-senpai?"