C78 Is This… a Hobby?

Reading a novel is generally perceived as a means of relaxation.

There’s a particular satisfaction, a profound sense of relief, in secretly pulling out a story to read when one is utterly exhausted from studying.

Imagine, then, if someone were to suddenly appear and demand, “Tell me, what is the structural arrangement of this novel? What emotions did the author convey within its pages?”

You would undoubtedly be seized by an overwhelming urge to strike them.

Hoshimori Shion currently found herself in precisely this predicament.

Yet, knowing it was Kujou Sakuya who was lecturing on these points, Shion’s urge for self-annihilation felt even more potent.

“Once we’ve covered emotional expression, we must delve into textual structure,” Kujou Sakuya declared, tapping her pen against the page as she highlighted key sections of the novel for Hoshimori Shion.

“Therefore, Hoshimori-san, you absolutely must memorize and understand common terms like ‘introduction,’ ‘foreshadowing,’ ‘main plot,’ and ‘conclusion’ for article structure.

They’ll be crucial for the exam!

Now, let’s begin with this novel; Hoshimori-san, you are to attempt to divide the paragraphs and clearly outline their structural components.”

Hoshimori Shion kept her head bowed, appearing to be engrossed in the text.

Igarashi Rie tilted her head, took a deep, fortifying breath, and then gently prodded Hoshimori Shion’s head with her pen.

There was not the slightest reaction.

“Hoshimori-san!!!! It’s time to eat!!!!” Kujou Sakuya suddenly boomed.

“Ah!” Hoshimori Shion jolted awake from her slumber, her gaze darting around the room, a tell-tale string of drool still clinging to the corner of her lips.

“Huh? Is it time to eat already? What are we having? Didn’t I just say I hadn’t cooked yet?”

Having rattled off her questions, she finally lifted her head, her eyes locking with Kujou Sakuya’s slightly irritated expression.

Kujou Sakuya set down her pen, reaching out to playfully pinch Hoshimori Shion’s cheek.

“Hoshimori-san! Honestly! We’re in the middle of a tutoring session; how could you possibly fall asleep now?”

“Waaah! Kujou-san, please let me go! I promise I’ll never do it again!” Hoshimori Shion, her cheeks still firmly pinched, quickly pleaded for mercy.

“I-I’ll definitely study hard, I won’t dare to sleep!”

Only then did Kujou Sakuya release her grip, her cheeks still puffed out in a pout.

She then handed the pen back to Hoshimori Shion.

“Alright, Hoshimori-san, as I just instructed, analyze the novel’s structure and delineate its sections accordingly.”

Hoshimori Shion accepted the pen, then stared blankly at the text laid out before her.

“Uh…” Hoshimori Shion’s mind had, it seemed, completely shut down.

Kujou Sakuya sighed, a soft exhalation.

“Alright, Hoshimori-san, I’ll show you how to do it first, and then you’ll need to be able to do it on your own, okay?”

After Kujou Sakuya painstakingly guided Hoshimori Shion through the division of the paragraphs, Hoshimori Shion nodded with a newfound understanding.

While Kujou Sakuya fully expected Hoshimori Shion to be the type who grasped concepts instantly but fumbled during application, she understood that subjects like Japanese literature required a significant period of accumulation.

Kujou Sakuya could only impart study techniques to Hoshimori Shion at this point; genuine literary knowledge and general cultural literacy were not things that could be rushed or tutored into existence overnight.

Kujou Sakuya stretched, flipping the workbook to the next article and instructing Hoshimori Shion to begin writing.

She then rose, retrieved several books she had prepared earlier from a small backpack, and placed them before Hoshimori Shion.

These were not exercise books, but rather several classic novels and a few works of philosophical discourse, such as *Bacon’s Essays*.

“Honestly,” Kujou Sakuya began, settling casually beside Hoshimori Shion and leaning against her back with a languid stretch, “I don’t really expect Hoshimori-san’s Japanese literature scores to skyrocket overnight.

After all, even my own math grades, despite diligent study for so long, have consistently remained merely average.”

She paused, a nostalgic smile playing on her lips, reminiscent of that day at the shrine when they had delved into its history, leaning against each other in that tiny room, turning the dusty pages of ancient texts, as the afternoon sun streamed through a high window, illuminating the very spots Kujou Sakuya’s fingertips touched.

“I never place excessively high expectations on Hoshimori-san,” Kujou Sakuya continued, reaching out to gently clasp Hoshimori Shion’s left hand, leaving Hoshimori Shion’s right free to write.

“After all, I myself am quite the dummy, burdened by my parents’ many expectations, yet seemingly incapable of fulfilling them.

So, Hoshimori-san, there’s no need to be anxious about the exam; simply do your best.”

Hoshimori Shion leaned back slightly, allowing their bodies to press a little closer together.

“You don’t need to worry either, Kujou-san,” she murmured.

“I will work hard.

Though, I probably… won’t become incredibly brilliant or anything.”

Kujou Sakuya smiled.

“Mm, it’s alright.

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, or you might end up like me.”

Suddenly, the afternoon alarm chimed.

Kujou Sakuya exhaled a long breath, almost a sigh.

“I can’t believe the entire morning has flown by so quickly,” she mused.

“Hoshimori-san, you still have math tutoring this afternoon, don’t you?”

Hoshimori Shion, sprawled across the table, simply nodded.

Kujou Sakuya had lectured incessantly all morning; whether Kujou Sakuya was tired of speaking, Hoshimori Shion was certainly exhausted from listening.

The thought of enduring several more days like this…

‘My life is probably over!’ Hoshimori Shion thought, burying her face in her hands.

“Well then, I’ll go make us some food,” Kujou Sakuya offered.

“Hoshimori-san, you can head over after you’ve eaten.

I can whip something up quite quickly.”

She stretched, then used a hand to push herself up, rising to her feet and turning towards the kitchen.

Yet, precisely as Kujou Sakuya rose, Hoshimori Shion’s prone gaze and Kujou Sakuya’s skirt seemed to converge at a… rather opportune angle.

It was almost perfectly aligned, offering Hoshimori Shion an unhindered, indeed, a completely unobstructed view beneath Kujou Sakuya’s skirt.

“K-K-K-Kujou-san! Are you perhaps…?” Hoshimori Shion, utterly dumbfounded, began to stammer.

“Hmm? Hoshimori-san, what’s wrong… Ah!” Kujou Sakuya, her eyes widening as she suddenly grasped the situation, swiftly covered her skirt and immediately sank back down onto the tatami mat.

“Hoshimori-san! Honestly! Why do you always peek under people’s skirts?”

“Kujou-san! You’re not wearing any panties, are you?” Despite Kujou Sakuya’s scolding, Hoshimori Shion couldn’t help but blurt out the question.

Kujou Sakuya’s face flushed a deep crimson as she stammered, “Ever since the cultural festival last time, I’ve actually found it quite comfortable not wearing them… So sometimes I don’t even wear them at school, and at home, if I’m the only one there, I can definitely go without them…”

“Eh?! I never would have imagined Kujou-san had such a… uh, would you call it a… hobby, or something of the sort…” Hoshimori Shion’s sentence was abruptly cut off as Kujou Sakuya suddenly pounced, pinning her onto the tatami mat.

It was much like that day during the cultural festival, on the rooftop, when a bashful Kujou Sakuya had similarly tackled the younger girl.

“Don’t say it out loud, Hoshimori-san!!! It’s genuinely, truly embarrassing!!!” Kujou Sakuya cried out, sounding as if she were on the verge of tears.

“Whoa there!! I-I get it, Kujou-san! I won’t say another word! You’re so heavy; please let me up quickly! I can barely breathe!”