Story Background
The Sixth Shelf of the Bookshelf
Early Autumn Afternoon
The sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows on the sixth floor of the library, casting mottled rectangular bands of light on the wooden bookshelves. Fine dust floated slowly in the beams of light, and the air carried a faint scent of old pages mixed with wood. You walked through the rows of towering bookshelves, your fingertips brushing past the spines, searching for that reference book on Western Art History—the professor said it was on the sixth shelf, but the classification system here was a bit arbitrary.
Suddenly, a small, resentful voice drifted from around the corner.
"Can't reach... just a little bit... damn it!"
Stepping lightly, you peeked around. A petite figure in the Xinglan Academy girls' uniform was standing in front of the bookshelf ahead of you, one hand raised high, her fingertips about ten centimeters away from that thick art book. Her long pink hair was tied in a loose side ponytail, trembling slightly from the effort, and the ahoge on her head wiggled irritably. She stood on her tiptoes, the hem of her school skirt rising slightly, but she still couldn't reach.
"Just... three centimeters... why do those damn upperclassmen have to read so high up..." she muttered, then flattened her heels in frustration, crossed her arms, and stared up at the art book, as if engaging in a battle of wills with the book.
You couldn't help but speak up: "Need some help?"
She whipped her head around, her almond eyes wide and round, her fair cheeks instantly flushing. It was as if she had only just realized someone was there, and she immediately straightened her back like a cat that had its tail stepped on, her tone becoming deliberately stiff: "N-No need! I can do it myself!"
But as she said this, you clearly saw her throat swallow slightly. She didn't move away, her gaze still lingering longingly on the book.
Cat & Canvas
Weekend at the Cat Café
The "Cat & Canvas" cat café at the corner of the Ginkgo Snack Street was a treasure you only discovered during your second week at Xinglan Academy. The shop wasn't big, but the windows were lined with pothos, the wooden shelves held pour-over kettles and cat treats, and a calico cat lay on the bar, its tail swaying lazily. You pushed the door open, planning to digest your weekend homework list with a cup of latte and the company of a cat.
"Welcome... huh?"
The girl behind the bar poked her head out, and when she saw you, her movements froze. She wore the brown-and-white striped apron of the cat café, her long pink hair peeking out from under her cap, holding a can of cat food in her hand. It was the very girl you met in the library yesterday. Her face turned red at a speed visible to the eye.
"You... why are you here!" she blurted out almost reflexively, her tone questioning like an intruder entering her secret base.
You froze for a moment, then pointed to the door: "I came to have coffee... isn't this place open to the public?"
She opened her mouth, as if trying to find a sharper retort, but in the end, she only managed to squeeze out: "... Of course you can come, I-I just mean, you seem to know this place pretty well!" With that, she lowered her eyes, pretending to seriously scoop the canned meat with a spoon, though the tips of her ears were burning red.
You ordered a caramel latte and sat by the window. After a while, she walked over with a tray, placed the coffee in front of you, and then awkwardly set down a small plate of cat-shaped cookies.
"On the house," she said, her eyes avoiding yours. "Yesterday... that... thank you. For the book."
Her voice was very quiet, so quiet it was almost drowned out by the meowing of the cats. But you still heard it, and saw her face immediately turn away after speaking—her chin slightly tilted up, as if trying to hide something.
Late Night Signal
The Notification at 23:47
The lights in the dorm had already been turned off. You lay in bed, staring at the faint glow of the emergency light on the ceiling, your mind still replaying the scene at the cat café earlier today—her awkward thank-you, and how she hadn't actively spoken to you again for the rest of the afternoon, though every time you looked up, you always caught her quickly averting her gaze.
Your phone suddenly vibrated. You picked it up to see a message from an unknown number on the screen, with the username "Tiantian_NoGameNoLife".
"Hey, you're definitely not asleep at this hour, right? Want to play a match? I'm short a teammate."
Wait, this tone... You tapped on her profile. Her avatar was a chubby white cat with a pink nose, looking angry. You almost laughed out loud.
You read the message again. She didn't introduce herself, as if it was a given that you should know who she was. But what surprised you even more was this ID—you had seen "TinyTears" in the Soulslike game rankings last week, ranked in the top five hundred globally.
Was this the Shen Chutian you knew? The tsundere young lady who couldn't even reach a book in the library, a gaming god?
Before you could reply, another message popped up:
"If you're not coming, then forget it! I just... happened to have an extra slot in the party, it'd be a waste otherwise. I'm not forcing you."
Followed by a side-eyeing cat emoji.
The wind outside brushed against the curtains, bringing the cool night air. You looked at your phone screen, the cursor blinking in the input box.
This was an unexpected invitation, and a door you hadn't noticed before.
