Chapter 207 - Study Partner
One week after meeting each other, Kuro visits the university library fifteen minutes before the set time, taking along with him a few psychology books and a notebook with some research questions.
He is ready to wait.
Instead, Aoi is already sitting at their table near the window, reading and drinking coffee quietly.
Aoi catches Kuro’s gaze and smiles.
"Good morning."
"Good morning."
Without even talking about it, they start working on their assignments together.
They are surprised how natural it is.
They find out that working together helps them to be more productive.
Kuro is really good at analyzing the complicated theories and explanations of hard-to-understand things.
Aoi is really good at arranging information, summarizing things and linking them with real examples.
Whenever Kuro gets stuck in the details, Aoi reminds him of the big picture.
Whenever Aoi is unsure if she understood something correctly, Kuro explains without embarrassing her.
They figure out that they complement each other perfectly.
Several hours later, Aoi closes her notebook quietly.
"I think we deserve a rest for our brains."
They go to the café of the library.
Instead of talking about psychology all the time, their conversation is about regular life.
Favorite books.
Music.
Future jobs.
Childhood memories.
For the first time since high school, they understand that they have grown a lot, but are still the same.
Kuro notices that Aoi smiles more often than before.
Aoi notices that Kuro expresses himself much better than before.
Neither of them mentions this.
Back at the library, Kuro can not find a very important research paper.
Without even mentioning it, Aoi remembers that she saw it in another row and brings it to Kuro.
Later, Aoi is annoyed because of difficult statistics Chapter.
Kuro sits beside her quietly and explains every formula to her step-by-step.
Now she understands.
Instead of shouting about it happily, they exchange smiles.
This small moment is unexpectedly rewarding.
Announcement from the library shows that it’s time to close the doors.
Both of them do not even notice how quickly the day passed.
While packing their things, Aoi says quietly,
"I have achieved more today than in an entire weekend."
Kuro nods.
"So have I."
They leave the library together, under the evening sky.
At the entrance to the station, Aoi stops for a second and says,
"...Would it be okay if we studied together every Saturday?"
Kuro does not even hesitate with the answer.
"I would like that."
Aoi smiles.
"Then it’s decided."
They leave, each of them feeling lighter than before.
In the next few weeks, Saturday quietly becomes their favorite day of the week.
They do not arrange meetings any more.
They simply come to the same table.
Same window.
Same two coffees.
Without even realizing it, studying together is not just about graduate school for them anymore.
It becomes the quiet routine which both of them start expecting the most.
While opening his notebook that evening, Kuro sees something unusual.
For the first time in months, graduate school does not seem to be lonely.
In the other end of the city, Aoi carefully puts her handmade cherry blossom bookmark into her textbook and smiles.
She whispers quietly,
"I will see you on the next Saturday."
Neither of them knows it yet.
But quiet Saturdays become the basis of their relationship, which is built not on dramatic moments...
But on trust, understanding and the comfort of spending time together.
By the fourth Saturday, neither of them needs to exchange messages any more.
Kuro simply comes to the library in the morning at nine o’clock.
Aoi is already there.
The seat opposite her is empty until he comes, and her books are neatly arranged next to the warm cup of black coffee, which she orders specially for him.
"You remembered again," Kuro says as he sits down.
Aoi smiles slightly.
"I don’t think I’ll forget."
"And yours has one packet of sugar."
She laughs quietly.
"It seems we’re even."
Without any more words, they open their notebooks.
In the next two hours, they keep complete silence.
From the outside, they look like ordinary graduate students who concentrate on their studies.
But there is something special in the silence, which they keep between them.
It is not uncomfortable.
None of them feels like filling it with meaningless conversations.
From time to time, Kuro slides one of his notes towards Aoi.
She reads it, makes a minor correction to the margin of it and quietly slides it back to him.
Sometimes Aoi frowns at a difficult paragraph.
Without interrupting her, Kuro notices it and writes an explanation on a sticky note.
She reads it, smiles and gives Kuro a small nod of gratitude.
No words are needed.
In the noon, they put away their books and go to the café downstairs.
The waitress greets them with a knowing smile.
"The usual?"
Kuro and Aoi look at each other surprised.
"The usual?" repeats Aoi.
The waitress laughs.
"You’ve been coming here every Saturday for a month."
"Black coffee for him."
"Coffee with one sugar for you."
"And one slice of cheesecake to share."
Aoi blinks.
"...We really have become regulars."
Kuro smiles.
"I suppose we have."
While the waitress goes away, Aoi looks out of the window at the students, passing the campus.
"Do you know what I like most about Saturdays?"
Kuro thinks for a second.
"The coffee?"
She shakes her head.
"The library?"
Another shake.
"Studying?"
She smiles softly.
"I like that I don’t have to pretend."
Kuro looks at her puzzled.
"Pretend?"
"Graduate school can be...competitive."
"All people want to prove their skills."
She stirs her coffee quietly.
"But when I am studying with you..."
"I don’t feel like I have to impress anybody."
"I can ask questions."
"I can make mistakes."
"And I know you won’t judge me."
Kuro listens quietly.
Then he answers with complete sincerity.
"I feel the same."
Aoi looks at him.
"You do?"
He nods.
"I have always found it easier to think when you’re near."
Her cheeks turn slightly pink.
"...That’s quite a nice thing to say."
"It’s the truth."
For a second, none of them speaks.
Outside, the campus goes on its regular rhythm.
Inside the café, the time seems to slow down.
When they finish their coffee, they return to the library together.
When they come to their familiar table near the window, Aoi stops for a second.
"It’s strange."
"What is?"
"A month ago, this was just another table in the library."
She rests her hand slightly on the back of the chair.
"Now..."
"It feels like our place."
Kuro looks around the quiet reading room and pulls out his chair.
"I think you’re right."
Aoi smiles.
The library hasn’t changed at all.
The books are the same.
The shelves stand exactly in the same places.
The light shines through the tall windows every Saturday morning.
Somehow, because of their regular meetings, the ordinary library has become one of the places, which she likes visiting the most.
Neither of them knew it then.
But the friendship often develops just like that.
Not through dramatic moments or grand statements.
The next Saturday dawned with bright, blue skies.
Kuro appeared at the university library at exactly nine in the morning like every other Saturday.
Without even thinking about it, his eyes moved towards the table by the window.
This time...
There was nobody sitting opposite to him.
He put his books on the table and looked at the clock.
Nine-oh-five.
"Aoi is never late," he thought.
He opened his notebook, trying to focus on his work, but after a few minutes, his eyes were attracted to the entrance of the library.
Nine-fifteen.
No trace of her yet.
As he reached for his phone, a gentle voice came from behind him.
"...I’m sorry."
He turned to look at her. She stood right behind him, panting a little.
A couple of strands of her hair fell out of her usual hairstyle.
"Did you oversleep?" he wondered.
She shook her head.
"My train was delayed."
She looked down.
"And I didn’t want you to think I forgot about our meeting."
Kuro smiled at her.
"I never thought you forgot."
She looked visibly relieved.
She sat down opposite him, putting two coffee cups on the table.
"I was able to stop by the café before."
"You remember."
"I will always."
Neither of them touched their books for a minute.
They just enjoyed the taste of warm coffee and the serene atmosphere.
Aoi gazed at the window.
"Tell me, do you know something?"
"What?"
"I measure my weeks differently now."
He raised his head curiously.
"I don’t think about Mondays and Fridays."
"I think..."
"...that there is only one week left until Saturday."
Kuro let out a soft chuckle.
"I’m the same."
Aoi was surprised at him.
"I am?"
He nodded.
"I didn’t notice that until today."
"You know, when you were not here..."
"The library seemed strange."
Her cheeks got red.
She covered her smiling mouth with her hands and held her cup with both hands.
"I’m glad."
"So am I."
The silence that settled between them wasn’t uncomfortable.
It was a comfortable silence of those two who didn’t need words to comfort each other anymore.
Students hurried along the campus, lost in their own business.
While in the library, Kuro and Aoi finally opened their books.
The pages were filled with theories about how humans perceive the world.
Yet, neither textbook contained the secret of the silent happiness of the presence of someone who could turn an ordinary Saturday into a special day.
None of them said it aloud.
But while working together, they secretly hoped that this simple Saturday routine would continue for many days to come.