The Academy library felt different in the late afternoon, when most students had gone home and the usual noise had settled into peaceful quiet. Sunlight came through the tall windows, creating patterns on the floor as Hikaru sat at a corner table with his textbooks spread out in front of him.
A week had passed since his conversation with Yuki and Kenta about forming a study group, and what had started as tentative help was already showing good results. Their first meeting had been really helpful—he'd been able to explain things that Yuki and Kenta were struggling with, and it felt good to have friends to study with instead of always working alone.
Today marked their second time meeting up, and Hikaru found himself looking forward to their weekly library sessions.
The friendship that had formed through studying together felt natural and supportive in ways that his previous social interactions had rarely been. Working together had created trust that allowed for honest conversations about both their studies and their daily lives at the Academy.
"Hikaru-kun," Yuki's voice sounded worried as she approached their usual table. "I've been thinking about something that's been bothering me, and I think we should talk about it."
Her tone was more serious than usual. Kenta looked up from his chakra control exercises with immediate attention, his confidence having grown through their sessions together.
"What's wrong?" Kenta asked, setting down his practice leaf. "You look upset."
Yuki sat down heavily, like she'd been carrying something weighty all day. "Remember last week when those Class A students got in trouble for supposedly damaging those library scrolls? The ones that were already torn?"
The incident had bothered all three of them. Three students from Class C had almost been forced to pay for damage they didn't cause, until one of the Class A students spoke up for them.
"That was so unfair," Kenta said, his face scrunching up with frustration. "They didn't even do anything wrong, but everyone just believed they had."
"That's exactly what's been bothering me," Yuki continued. "I've been watching what happens here, and it's like... like sensei treat some kids differently than others."
"What do you mean?" Hikaru asked, though he was starting to understand what she was getting at.
"Like, watch what happens when Class A kids ask for help versus when we do," Yuki explained. "They get better spots during lessons, sensei answer their questions longer, and nobody ever seems to think they're lying about stuff."
"Oh!" Kenta's eyes widened with recognition. "Is that why kids from the advanced classes can get away with more? Because everyone thinks they're smarter?"
"Maybe," Yuki said thoughtfully. "It's like they get treated special just because they're in the top class, even when they're being mean or unfair to us."
Hikaru nodded slowly. He'd noticed similar things too. The advanced classes got priority treatment because everyone assumed they were the "smart" students, while Class C was seen as the group that needed less attention and resources. From what he remembered about the ninja world, this kind of treatment wasn't really surprising—clan kids and advanced students always got preferential treatment. It was just how the system worked.
"Well," he said carefully, "we can't change which class we're in, and honestly, we probably can't change how the whole system works either. But maybe that's not all bad. I mean, the Class A kids get more attention, but they also have way more pressure to always be perfect."
"That's true," Yuki said thoughtfully. "I heard some of them talking about how stressed they are about maintaining their grades and not disappointing their sensei."
"And we can learn at our own pace," Kenta added, starting to see the bright side. "Nobody expects us to be perfect all the time."
He paused for a moment, then his expression grew more serious. "Though... sometimes I wish I had someone to ask for help when I don't understand something at home. The village takes care of us orphans pretty well—we get housing and food and Academy fees paid for—but there's no one to explain my homework to me or help me practice."
Hikaru felt a pang of sympathy. He'd known Kenta was an orphan, but hearing him talk about it so matter-of-factly made it real. "That must be really hard."
"It's okay," Kenta said with a small shrug. "I mean, I'm grateful for what the village does for us. Some of the older orphans help the younger ones when they can, but everyone's busy with their own studies. That's why having you two as friends means so much to me."
"We're glad we're friends too," Yuki said warmly. "And you help us understand things sometimes too. Like when you explained that trick for remembering the hand seal sequences."
"Really?" Kenta looked surprised and pleased.
"Really," Hikaru confirmed. "Just because we help each other with different things doesn't mean one person is doing all the helping."
Their conversation was interrupted by some Class A students entering the library. They walked up to the front desk with confidence, expecting immediate attention from the librarian.
"See?" Yuki whispered, pointing discretely. "Watch how different this is from when we ask for help."
Sure enough, the librarian immediately stopped what she was doing and hurried over to help them. She smiled and nodded at everything they said, even offered to find extra books for them without being asked.
"That's so weird," Kenta muttered. "When I asked for help finding that chakra theory book last week, she made me fill out a form and wait forever."
"And she kept asking me if I was sure I needed the advanced materials," Yuki added with a frown. "Like maybe I was too dumb to understand them."
"It's not fair," Hikaru said simply, though he kept his voice calm and steady, internally he wasn't surprised. This was just how the ninja world worked—there had always been clear divisions between clan kids and civilians, between the gifted and the average. Complaining about it wouldn't change anything.
"So what should we do?" Kenta asked. "Should we tell someone? Like Koji-sensei?"
Yuki shook her head. "I don't think the teachers are doing it on purpose. They probably don't even notice. It's just... how things are."
"But we noticed," Hikaru pointed out. "And maybe we can work around it in small ways, without making a big deal about it."
"How?" Kenta asked.
Hikaru thought carefully before responding. "Well, we can't change the whole system, and honestly, my training schedule is already pretty packed. But maybe we can help a few people here and there, just when we have time."
"Like what?" Yuki asked.
"Just small things," Hikaru said. "Maybe if someone's struggling with the leaf exercise during lunch, we could show them what works for us. Nothing major, just... being helpful when we can."
"We have to be really, really good," Yuki said with determination. "Like, so good at our studies that we don't have to worry about the unfair treatment as much."
"And we have to stick together," Kenta added, warming up to the idea. "Like how we help each other with studying. It makes everything easier when we're not trying to figure things out alone."
"That's a good idea," Hikaru agreed, though he was thinking more realistically about their limitations. "When we work together, we all get better. But we should probably keep it simple—just help when we can, without trying to change everything."
"Exactly," Yuki nodded. "We make ourselves better students first, and if we can help a few other people along the way, that's good too."
"And we have to be careful not to make it obvious," Hikaru added, glancing around the library to make sure no one was listening. "Drawing too much attention to ourselves might not be a good idea."
The Class A students finished at the desk and left, still talking loudly about their important research projects. The three friends watched them go, then looked back at each other.
"So we're really going to do this?" Kenta asked. "Try to help a few other kids when we can?"
"I think we should," Hikaru said. "But let's start small. Maybe just during lunch break, if we see someone struggling with something we can help with."
"And helping each other is what friends do," Yuki added with a smile. "Plus, Kenta-kun, maybe some of the other orphans would like to study with us sometimes, if they're interested."
Kenta's face lit up, and he sat up straighter in his chair. "That's a good idea! There's this girl Ami who's always having trouble with her reading assignments, and Kei who can never remember the history dates. Maybe they'd want to join us for lunch study sessions."
"See? That's perfect," Hikaru said. "Nothing fancy, just offering to study together during lunch. If they want help, we can help. If not, no big deal."
They spent the rest of their library time talking about which classmates seemed to need help the most and how to offer assistance without making anyone feel embarrassed. But Hikaru was careful to keep their plans realistic and small-scale.
"We should probably start with people in our own class," Hikaru suggested. "And only when we have time. I mean, we all have our own training and studies to focus on too."
"Good point," Yuki agreed, nodding as she tapped her finger thoughtfully on the table. "We don't want to take on too much and then not be able to help anyone properly."
"Yeah," Kenta said, nodding. "And we don't have to make it seem like we're trying to teach them. We can just say we're studying together during lunch and they're welcome to join if they want."
As they continued planning, Hikaru found himself thinking about the broader implications of what they were discussing. From what he knew about the ninja world, this kind of class discrimination was deeply ingrained in the system. But having friends to talk with about these issues felt good, even if they couldn't solve everything.
"You know," he said carefully, "we probably can't change how the whole Academy works. But if we can help a few people in our class do better, that's still worthwhile."
"That's a really good point," Yuki said. "Even small changes can make a difference for the people we help."
"And it's better than doing nothing," Kenta added.
As evening approached and it was time to head home, the three friends packed up their books with a new sense of purpose. They'd started the afternoon as study partners, but now they felt like they could actually help other kids who might be lonely or struggling.
"This feels important," Kenta said as they gathered their things. "Like we're actually going to make things better for people."
"We are," Yuki said confidently. "If we stick together and help each other, things will get better."
"And if other kids see that we're doing well by working together, maybe they'll want to join too," Hikaru added.
Walking home through the village streets, they continued planning their approach. Which classmates seemed loneliest? Who was struggling the most with their studies? How could they offer help without making anyone feel embarrassed?
"I'm glad we're friends," Kenta said quietly as they reached the point where they usually separated. "Before we started studying together, I felt like I was the only one having trouble with everything. And it was kind of lonely not having family to talk to about Academy stuff."
"You're not alone anymore," Yuki said warmly. "None of us are."
"And we're going to make sure other kids don't feel alone either," Hikaru promised.
They agreed to think more about their plans and discuss them at their next meeting. As Hikaru walked the rest of the way home, he felt good about what they were trying to do. It might not change everything, but it would help the kids who needed it most.
Tomorrow we can start asking if anyone wants to study with us during lunch, he thought. And maybe we can make Academy life a little better for everyone in Class C.
When he reached his house, Ayako was already preparing dinner.
"You're home late again," she observed. "Library study session?"
"Yeah," Hikaru replied. "With Yuki and Kenta. We're trying to help each other with our studies."
"That's nice," Ayako said with a smile. "Having friends to study with is much better than trying to do everything alone."
"That's what we thought too," Hikaru agreed. "And maybe we can help some other kids who are having trouble with their studies."
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Ayako said. "Just remember not to take on too much at once. Start small and see how it goes."
As they sat down for dinner, Hikaru reflected on how much his social life had changed since starting at the Academy. He'd gone from being completely isolated to having real friends who cared about helping each other succeed.
And tomorrow we'll start helping even more people, he thought with satisfaction. This is going to be good.