"This is our second encounter, isn't it?" Satoru said, breaking the silence.
"Indeed," she replied, a hint of surprise in her voice. "I didn't expect to run into you here, especially not in this manner."
The girl looked at him with a peculiar expression, her eyes betraying a hint of hesitation as if she was torn between speaking her mind and holding back.
"You... never mind," she finally said, her voice trailing off as she seemed to reconsider.
The girl then took a seat next to Satoru, her presence momentarily overlapping with where Janne had just sat. Surprised by the coincidence, Janne quickly stood up.
"Is she the girl you met in the library?" She inquired, her gaze shifting to the newcomer beside Satoru.
She seemed genuinely curious, her expression a blend of recognition and contemplation.
Satoru could only nod lightly. He understood that no one could see Janne, so if he responded aloud, the girl beside him would likely think him foolish.
"Uh..." Satoru was about to say something when the girl's voice interrupted him.
"You've taken the seat I've always sat in. Although it's not against the rules, and it's not a big deal," she said, seemingly having read his mind and cutting him off before he could speak.
How did she know what I was going to ask? Satoru thought, bewildered. Is my curiosity that easy to guess?
"I can move to another seat if necessary," Satoru offered, his voice carrying a note of genuine concern.
The girl's eyes softened slightly, though her demeanor remained composed. "No need, this will do just fine," she replied with a measured tone.
Then, her gaze somehow lingered on the space beside Satoru, where Janne's presence is, and Janne seemed to waver slightly.
Satoru noticed the subtle shift in the girl's posture as she spoke, a faint hint of relief evident in her expression.
Despite her earlier aloofness, there was something almost reassuring about her acceptance of the situation.
It was as if she had come to terms with an unspoken arrangement that neither of them had fully understood.
Janne, observing the interaction, maintained her quiet composure, though a flicker of curiosity danced in her eyes.
The classroom's lively chatter seemed to resume around them, a backdrop to the unfolding conversation.
Soon, a professor entered the classroom, and the lively atmosphere quickly hushed.
The once rowdy room fell into a respectful silence as students settled into their seats, turning their attention toward the front.
The professor, a figure of authority and grace, carried an air of scholarly poise, commanding the room's focus with a mere presence.
Satoru and the girl ceased their conversation, redirecting their attention to the front of the classroom as the professor began the lecture.
The atmosphere shifted to one of focused attentiveness, with students settling into their seats and preparing their materials.
The once lively room now hummed with the soft rustle of pages and the quiet murmur of shuffling papers, as the professor's voice began to fill the space with knowledge and instruction.
...
Soon, the class concluded, and most of the students had departed, leaving only Satoru, the young lady, and a few others who were tidying up their seats.
The young lady finished reviewing her notes and glanced at Satoru, who appeared somewhat disoriented.
With a hint of curiosity and mild amusement in her eyes, she asked, "So, you're not planning to leave?"
Satoru's mind snap back to reality by her words.
"Oh, I'll be leaving soon," he replied, regaining his composure.
In truth, Satoru had listened to the lecture for an entire hour, but had learned nothing of substance.
The topics discussed by the professor were still somewhat beyond his grasp, despite his awareness of the existence of magic in this world.
Seemingly perceptive of Satoru's bewilderment, the girl scrutinized him with a thoughtful gaze. Her eyes, sharp and assessing, took in his disoriented demeanor.
"You appear utterly perplexed, don't you?" she remarked, her tone both analytical and gentle.
"I've never noticed you around here before, and our brief encounter in the library was all too fleeting. It's evident that you're still grappling with the very fundamentals, am I right?"
Her eyes, framed by the elegant sweep of her dark hair, held a hint of curiosity as she assessed his reaction.
The way she spoke was not meant to belittle but rather to offer an unvarnished truth, her tone softening with a trace of empathy.
It was as if she could see through the veneer of confusion and understood that he was struggling to catch up with the complexities of the subject matter.
"You're not alone in this struggle," she continued, her voice carrying a reassuring undertone. "Many who first encounter the intricacies of magic find themselves overwhelmed. It's a realm of knowledge that demands patience and persistence."
Hearing the girl's seemingly encouraging words, Satoru felt a warmth settle in his chest.
"May I ask for your name?" he inquired, his voice laced with genuine curiosity.
"Yuki, Yuki Suzuki," the girl responded, her tone clear and steady.
Despite Yuki's outward appearance of indifference, her mind was swirling with questions. How could someone in this empire not recognize her?
However, the sincerity and earnestness in Satoru's eyes dispelled any notion that he was merely messing around.
His genuine curiosity and respectful demeanor stood in stark contrast to those who usually approached her with ulterior motives.
"Yuki Suzuki... that's a beautiful name," Satoru remarked, his voice sincere and appreciative.
Yuki's stoic facade remained, but there was a faint glimmer of surprise in her eyes. Compliments were not uncommon, yet there was something disarmingly genuine about Satoru's words.
For reasons she couldn't quite explain, Yuki chose not to reveal her true identity to Satoru.
Perhaps it was his genuine demeanor; she feared that knowledge of her status might alter his behavior, making him overly respectful or, like others, filled with ulterior motives.
She wanted to maintain this brief moment of unguarded friendship, free from countless suspicion or meaningless flattery, just like ordinary friends.
"Let's add each other as friends," Yuki suddenly suggested, her voice calm and composed.
"It will be convenient for future study discussions, especially since we might be sitting next to each other from now on."
"Sure, just a moment," Satoru replied, sending a friend request to Yuki through his system.
"Kamikawa Satoru?" Yuki murmured to herself as she received a notification from the system.
She opened her friend list and accepted Satoru's friend request, noting for the first time the name of the person she had been speaking with.
"Alright, we can discuss this more at another time," Satoru said, a genuine smile spreading across his face.
The promise of future conversations, filled with the potential for shared learning and discovery, seemed to brighten the atmosphere between them.
Yuki gave a small nod, her expression softening slightly. She tucked her notebook away, preparing to leave.
Despite the briefness of their interaction, there was a newfound sense of camaraderie in the air, the kind that hinted at the start of a meaningful connection.
Satoru stepped out of the classroom, his mind still buzzing with the complexities of the lesson.
He had hoped to grasp more, but the depth of the subject had left him feeling overwhelmed.
As he made his way down the corridor, he was aware of a presence trailing behind him.
It was Janne, her footsteps light and deliberate as she followed at a respectful distance. Despite her usual ethereal quality, there was a certain resolve in her demeanor today.
Her presence, although subtle, was unmistakable, like a comforting shadow guiding him through the unfamiliarity of this new world.
Satoru turned his head slightly, catching sight of Janne maintaining a noticeable distance behind him.
He couldn't help but ask with a hint of curiosity in his voice, "Why are you keeping your distance?"
Janne quickly closed the gap, her playful demeanor evident as she teased, "I hope I'm not interrupting someone who's making friends with an imperial princess?"
"Imperial princess? Are you referring to Yuki?" Satoru asked, his voice tinged with confusion, curiosity and a hint of surprise.
The idea seemed almost surreal to him, adding an unexpected layer to the encounter he had just experienced.
Janne's eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at Satoru, her gaze both teasing and insightful.
"Yes, that's right. Yuki Suzuki is indeed a princess of the Seraphius Empire. It's not widely known to outsiders, and she generally prefers to keep a low profile. Yet, there she was, engaging with you so casually,"
Satoru's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "So, Yuki is really an imperial princess? I had no idea. She seemed so... down-to-earth."
Janne chuckled softly, her tone carrying a hint of admiration.
"Indeed, she is. Yuki has always been quite different from the typical image one might have of royalty. Despite her noble status, she's remarkably approachable and genuine, at least when she chooses to be. It's part of her charm, I suppose."
Satoru's mind raced as he processed this new information.
The realization that he had been talking to someone of such high status without even knowing it made him reflect on their conversation with a new perspective.
"Well, I suppose that makes my accidental acquaintance with her all the more interesting. It's not every day you get to meet a princess, let alone have a friendly chat with one."
Janne's smile widened. "You handled it well. Yuki appreciates sincerity and genuine interactions, so I'm sure she enjoyed your company. And you never know, this could be the start of a meaningful friendship. Fun fact, she had a great reputation among the people. Just remember, though, that there's more to her than meets the eye."
As they continued walking, the bustling corridors of Astralsya stretched out before them. Satoru glanced back at the classroom door, a mix of intrigue and excitement in his eyes.
"I'm certainly looking forward to getting to know her better. And thank you for the heads-up, Janne. It seems like there's a lot more to this place than I initially thought."
Janne nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Indeed. Astralsya is a world unto itself, filled with surprises and hidden depths. I'm sure you'll uncover many more as you delve deeper into your studies and interactions here."