The smartphone screen shows just past four in the afternoon.

After leaving the café, we were walking around the campus. Since the fifth-period classes had already started, the campus was quiet.

"Since we're here, would you like me to give you a tour of the university?"

Rui-san said it would also serve as a social studies field trip.

Led by Rui-san, I toured the university. The student store, library, smoking area, and café. The various facilities were well-equipped. Once again, it felt like a completely different world compared to high school.

"This is a place for club and circle activities, right?"

The building is at the edge of the property. When we got in front of it, Rui-san explained it to me.

"By the way, is Rui-san involved in any clubs or circles?"

"Are you curious?"

"That, it would be a lie to say I wasn't curious."

"At first, I used to drop by the film club a bit."

"Does using the past tense mean you're not participating now?"

"Isn't that how it is? It's not like anything specific happened, but... I just realized that there was no longer a reason for me to show up."

"You realized? Realized what?"

"I guess there really isn't anyone here who truly loves movies."

Rui-san's eyes were wide awake as she spoke those words.

Since it's called the Film Studies Club, everyone must have seen a fair number of movies. If I ask ten people, all ten will surely say they like movies.

But that wasn't how Rui-san saw it.

Could it be the number of books she's read? Or perhaps her knowledge? I don't know. In any case, Rui-san's visits have become less frequent.

After finishing the tour of the facilities, I stepped into the Faculty of Arts building. I opened the door to an empty classroom where no lectures were being held.

The empty classroom is dimly lit and slightly chilly.

Rui-san pressed the switch by the door and turned on the light.

"This is the place where the Faculty of Arts and Letters lectures are held. It's spacious, isn't it?"

In the open classroom, the seats were arranged in a bowl shape.

It really feels like a university lecture hall.

"Rui-san usually takes classes in this classroom, right?"

"It's not limited to just here, but mostly. Although, unlike high school, the seats are free."

"That's nice."

"Now, here's a question."

Rui-san places her index finger on her lips.

"Where do you think I usually sit?"

"Seats are free, right?"

"Most students sit in roughly the same spot every time. I'm one of them. Do you think it's the front, the middle, or the back?"

"...Is it the seat around the second from the back?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Someone who skips lectures wouldn't sit in the front row, right? But they would also hesitate to sit at the very back."

"So, it's the second-to-last seat from the back."

"It's also easy to leave the classroom."

"Hmm, hmm."

"What's the correct answer?"

"Too bad. Wrong answer. The correct one was the front seat."

"...That was unexpected."

I thought there was no way she would get a seat in the front. But then I realized, this is a university. She can take lectures that interest her.

"Are the classes really that interesting?"

"That's not really the case."

Rui-san says.

"When I'm in the back seat, I often hear the conversations of the people around me."

"Talking voice, is it?"

"It's not that noisy. I can't hear it from the seats far away. The professor doesn't bother to point it out every time, either. But, you know, when I'm sitting in the back seat, I can hear them mumbling. Whether I like it or not, I can figure out what they're talking about. A boring lecture and boring small talk. I weighed which one was more boring and decided to sit in the front row for the lecture."

"There are people like that here in this department, too."

I said.

"Even if they study hard and get into a good university. They still exist, don't they?"

"I think they are everywhere. Even if you get into it. Even if you graduate and get a job at a great company. Intelligence and that kind of thing are not related."

I remember that when I hear it.

Wine bag. The same kind of people I've met so far.

After staying for a while, I turned off the lights and left the empty classroom.

I check the time on my smartphone. The lecture is about to end soon. I was walking to leave before the campus got crowded.

"Oh, isn't that Rui-san?"

There was a man who spoke to her without any consideration.

I didn't recognize the outfit, but I recognized the face.

It was Wine bag.

Chapter 19: To Have Someone Show Me Around the Premises