[29] Diving into Research

Later that day, Izumi and Rin found themselves in the school library, surrounded by shelves filled with books. They both had a pile of books in front of them- their goal was~ to find anything that will help them with their project.

Izumi, glancing at the titles of the books around them, decided to break the ice. "Hey, Toshaka, have you had any luck finding books specifically about the local living beings?"

Rin looked up from her stack of books, her expression more relaxed than before but still a bit guarded. "Not yet, Miyamura-Kun."

Izumi offered a friendly smile. "You can call me Miyamura, you know."

Rin hesitated for a moment, then nodded, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. "Alright then, Miyamura~. I doubt we'll find any specific books related to the local beings here. Most of these seem to focus on the entire country or the entire Earth."

Izumi agreed, feeling a sense of progress in their conversation. "That's what I thought too. We might need to think outside the box for this project."

Izumi and Rin continued their quest for books on local animal habitats while talking with eachother!

Izumi, with a touch of embarrassment, chuckled and said, "You're covering these books pretty fast; are you a bookworm or something?"

Rin, a hint of frustration in her voice, replied, "Well, kind of. I wouldn't say I'm a massive fan, but I do read quite a bit. What about you?"

Izumi's expression shifted, showing a bit of self-consciousness. "If we're talking about reading, aside from the boring school stuff, I love to dive into manga and light novels."

Rin, her playful side coming through, raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Figured!"

Izumi, a bit flustered, asked, "What do you mean?"

Rin leaned in, her tone teasing and confident. "Well, with your non-existent class presence, I was pretty sure you'd be a hardcore otaku!"

Izumi defended himself, "What? I'm not a hardcore otaku. I just enjoy Jump every now and then. And what's all this talk about 'non-existent class presence'?"

Rin's grin grew mischievous as she continued to poke fun. "I mean, I never knew you existed in this school before today. Doesn't that make you kinda non-existent?"

Izumi paused, then fired back, "Well, if we're playing that game, I didn't know you existed either until today."

Rin, ever the challenger, raised an eyebrow and taunted him. "Oh, really? So, do you even know the names of other students in our class?"

Izumi, feeling a bit cornered, could only stay silent, realizing he couldn't name a single classmate.

Rin smirked triumphantly, in full Toshaka Rin mode. "None! Just as I thought!"

Their spirited banter continued, as they embarked on their project and slowly but surely warmed up to each other.

Rin's eyes lit up as she laid her hands on a book with an intriguing title, 'Sendai: Climate and Ecology.' She quickly picked it up and eagerly showed it to Izumi. "Look, we might find some useful information in this one!"

Izumi's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he read the title of the book. "Oh! Hopefully it does!"

Together, they started scouring the book's pages, hoping to find valuable insights about Sendai, its climate, and the surrounding area. They discovered a wealth of information, providing a general overview of Sendai, its climate, and the local ecology.

Sendai, a vibrant city nestled in the northeastern part of Japan, was known for its moderate climate. It experienced all four seasons distinctly, from warm summers to snowy winters. The city's location near the coast influenced its weather patterns, resulting in a comfortable and relatively mild climate throughout the year.

The surrounding region was rich in diverse ecosystems, ranging from lush forests to pristine rivers. Sendai's natural beauty was complemented by its commitment to environmental conservation, with various initiatives in place to protect local wildlife and promote sustainable living.

Their excitement grew as they began to piece together the puzzle of Sendai's ecology.

But despite their enthusiasm and thorough search through the book, Izumi and Rin couldn't find the specific information they were looking for about local animal habitats. The book provided a fascinating overview of Sendai and its climate but didn't delve into the specific details they needed for their project.

Their initial excitement gave way to a sense of disappointment as they realized they would have to continue their search elsewhere. Still, they remained determined to gather the necessary information to make their project a success. With newfound determination, they closed the book and began planning their next steps, ready to explore other resources and conduct field research to uncover the secrets of Sendai's local habitats.

As Izumi and Rin closed the book with a sense of frustration, they exchanged their thoughts on the situation:

Izumi sighed, expressing their shared disappointment. "And we found nothing."

Rin nodded, her expression reflecting his frustration. "Yeah, it's not even funny anymore. We've checked an enormous number of books, after all this effort we found nothing, and now I seriously doubt we'll find anything relevant to our research here."

Izumi suggested an alternative approach. "Maybe we can ask around in the neighborhoods about these things."

Rin considered the idea but had reservations. "Well, I suppose, but I don't think random people will have detailed knowledge about it, at least not to the extent we need."

Their conversation was interrupted by the bell signaling the end of class or the start of their break/project time.

Rin noted the time. "Oh, looks like our research time is over."

Izumi agreed, a hint of disappointment in his voice. "Yeah, I would've loved it if we at least got some information."

Rin nodded in agreement. "Yeah, but we can always look for it tomorrow."

Exiting the geography prep room and heading back toward their classroom, Izumi proposed a brainstorming session. "Hey, how about we think of other ways to gather information for the project?"

Rin contemplated his suggestion but still had reservations. "We could do that, I guess. I'm not entirely sure."

Izumi pressed for more clarity. "What's there to be unsure about?"

Rin hesitated before agreeing. "I don't know. I feel like going with the book route is the most effective one."

Izumi emphasized the need for exploring alternatives. "That might be true, but you need to explore variations. Let's just try it once, alright?"

Rin reluctantly consented. "Sure"

Izumi proposed a plan for after school. "Well then, Toshaka, after going home, we'll take a moment to think about this project and how to approach it differently. Tomorrow, we can share our ideas. How does that sound?"

Rin responded with a hint of indifference. "Huh"

Their journey to find the perfect approach for their project continued, marked by a blend of frustration, determination, and the budding camaraderie of two classmates turned research partners.

——————

Izumi pedaled his bicycle back home after school, and as he entered the house, he spotted his mom, Iori, lounging on the sofa, engrossed in the TV show. Her eyes landed on Izumi as he walked in.

"Back from school, Izumi-Kun?" Iori chimed.

"Yeah, I'm home," Izumi replied, trying to sound casual but failing to hide his sheepishness.

Iori playfully scolded him, "You were supposed to say that when you entered the main door, silly."

Izumi scratched his head. "Oops, my bad. I'll work on my grand entrance next time."

Getting down to the real business, Iori turned off the TV and fixed her gaze on her son. "So, how was the first day back to school after summer break?"

Izumi couldn't help but get lost in thought as he remembered his encounter with Toshaka and the sudden project partnership. His mom noticed his daydreaming and decided to snap him back to reality with a theatrical wave of her hand.

"Earth to Izumi-Kun! What's got you contemplating the mysteries of the universe?" she quipped.

Izumi, caught off guard, stammered, "N-nothing, really."

Iori, with an exaggerated gasp, put on a mock serious face. "Oh, come on! That reaction tells me you've stumbled into a teenage soap opera plot!"

Izumi's cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and he was at a loss for words. Iori seized the moment and burst into playful laughter.

"My little baby is growing up and getting caught in teenage drama!" she teased, wiping away imaginary tears. Then, with a sly grin, she added, "Is it about a girl, Izumi-Kun?"

Izumi's embarrassment reached a whole new level as he mumbled, "Well, maybe..."

Iori's laughter filled the room as she enjoyed every moment of her son's playful torment.

Izumi found himself caught in the playful crossfire of his mother's teasing, and there was no escape. Iori's eyes sparkled with mischief as she continued to toy with her son.

"Oh, we've got a 'maybe' here!" she exclaimed, pretending to be a detective on the case!

Izumi's embarrassment knew no bounds as he tried to defend himself. "Mom, it's not like that! We're just partners for a school project."

Iori, with a mischievous glint in her eye, continued to playfully tease her son, enjoying every moment of his flustered reactions.

"So, it is about a girl! And you both are partners in the project?" she prodded.

Izumi couldn't help but let out a reluctant admission, "Ummmmm, yeah."

Iori grinned triumphantly, feeling like she had just uncovered a top-secret piece of information. "Aha! I knew it! Young love blooms in the most unexpected places."

Izumi couldn't help but roll his eyes, but a small grin crept onto his face. "Come on, Mom, you're making it sound like a cheesy romance anime and Didn't you say the same thing about the girl who came to the cake shop?"

As soon as he uttered those words, a sudden shiver ran down Izumi's spine. He realized he might have just walked right into his mother's playful trap, and her eyes sparkled with mischief.

Iori put on an innocent expression, pretending to ponder. "Ah, Kiyoko-chan, I forgot about her. So, two girls, huh, Izumi-Kun?"

Izumi's eyes widened, and he felt like he was sinking deeper into a comedic sitcom plot.

Iori couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her son further. "Oh, Izumi-Kun, you're becoming quite the popular young man, aren't you?"

Izumi sighed in resignation, realizing he was hopelessly outnumbered by his mother "Mom, you're impossible."

Their playful conversation came to an abrupt halt when the phone in the house rang, breaking the teasing atmosphere. Iori, being the responsible one, got up from the sofa to answer the call.

"Hello, Miyamura Residence here. Who is it?" Iori inquired politely.

A voice on the other end identified themselves, "Oh! Hello, I'm Toshaka Rin. Is Miyamura-Kun there? I'm his project partner!"

Iori couldn't help but smile knowingly as she replied, "Oh, yes, yes! Izumi is here. Let me give him the phone. Just a moment."

With that, Iori turned toward Izumi, mischief still dancing in her eyes. "Izumi-Kun, it's Toshaka-Chan on the call! She's looking for you."

Izumi's cheeks flushed with embarrassment once more, and he couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh. His mother had a talent for keeping him on his toes, and he was beginning to accept that he was in for quite an interesting evening.

Izumi reluctantly took the phone from his mother's hand, his cheeks still tinged with embarrassment. He cleared his throat and spoke into the phone, "Hello, Toshaka It's Miyamura"

Rin's voice sounded warm and friendly as she spoke into the phone, "Hi, Miyamura! Sorry to bother you at home. I just wanted to discuss something about our project."

Izumi, still recovering from the playful teasing session with his mom, replied, "No problem at all. What's up?"

Rin went on, excitement bubbling in her tone. "Oh, Miyamura, I've got some exciting news. I've already booked tickets for us to visit the zoo this Saturday as part of our project!"

There was a moment of stunned silence on Izumi's end as he tried to process this unexpected turn of events. Finally, all he could manage was a bewildered, "What?"

Rin laughed on the other end, finding his reaction quite amusing. "I hope that's a good 'what'! I thought it would be a fun way to kickstart our research on animal habitats. What do you say?"

Izumi, still trying to wrap his head around the surprise, finally found his voice. "Uh, yeah, that sounds... unexpected. But sure, let's go to the zoo."

Rin's laughter echoed through the phone as she replied, "Great! I'll send you the details. See you at school tomorrow, partner!"

Izumi hung up the phone, his mind spinning with thoughts of their upcoming zoo adventure. It seemed that working with Toshaka in this project was going to be a delightful mix of unexpected surprises.

[A/N— watching A galaxy next door and the zoo epsiode gave me the idea of this zoo trip— also thinking of adding a camping trip or trekking trip in this arc]