Chapter 19 - A Helping Mind (1/2)
”Hello again, do you not like going to Quidditch games? You should join my club.”
”No.”
”Come on, it'll be fun! You seem like the type of person who enjoys mysteries.”
”I don't want to join you club.”
”Don't be shy, I don't bite. Plus, we have three members!”
”It was four last time. Why did it go down?”
”Kek!”
Arth was once again in the library, and just like last time, a certain third year student was also spending her time there.
”W-well, you see-”
”On second thought, don't tell me. I don't really want to know. Since I'm not going to join anyways.”
”. . . .”
Arth ignored Sophia, who was giving him a disbelieving look and started to work on the puzzle from the book. He had yet to complete it as every time he got close, he felt as though something was eluding him. Sophia looked over his shoulder and on to the paper he was writing on.
”Watcha doing?”
”None of your business.”
”Ooh! It looks like a puzzle! Do you want my help? I'm very good at puzzles if I do say so myself.”
”I don't need your help.”
Silence ensued the library once more. Nothing could be heard except for the occasional crisp sound of pages being flipped and scribbling of a pen.
After about twenty minutes, Sophia spoke up again. ”Are you still working on that puzzle? Do you need help?”
Arth promptly ignored her.
”Oh come on, do you not trust me?”
”I really don't.”
”How about this, you give me the puzzle and if I fail to solve it, I'll leave you alone for the rest of the year.”
Arth frowned, it was too good of a deal. He had enough bothersome people around him already.
”But, if I manage to solve it, You'll have to join my club,” Sophia said with a smirk, ”fair?”
Arth narrowed his eyes at her in response. ”I have to let you solve my problem and if you succeed, I have to be punished? What kinda nonsense is that?”
”. . . . My club isn't that bad you know?”
Arth scoffed. ”Dueling club has thirty members. The Sword Association has fifteen. Heck even book club has at least ten people. Your club only has three.”
”KEK!”
Seeing the dejected look on Sophia's face, Arth has a mental debate while his outer appearance remained stoic.
To give or not?
It was his in the first place.
But it didn't hurt to try. He was stuck in an endless cycle of failure anyways.
Arth let out a sigh before ripping out a piece of paper from his bag.
”Who dares to rip one of my book- oh hello Arth, it was you. I expect that to be a piece of parchment? Ah yes, I see that it is. Well, I'll be going now. Have fun. And you Sophia don't bother his too much.”
”. . . . Why does madam Pince like you so much? It's honestly quite puzzling. I've been in the library longer than you.”
Arth wrote down the puzzle and handed it to Sophia. ”Here, solve it. I'll give you a two minutes.”
”Wait, there is a timer? That's not fair.”
”One minute fifty five seconds.”
”You better join my club if I get this right!”
”One minute and forty five.”
”Fu-” Sophia immediately started to analyze the paper intently as if her club depended on it, which Arth was seriously suspecting was indeed the case.
Why else was she so desperate to have him join? One thing that caught Arth's mind was that there never was a requirement for the making of a club or student organization. So why was she so desperate for him to join?
”Wow, this is an interesting puzzle.”
”Thirty seconds.”
”Eek! Er- I almost have it! Just give me an extra ten seconds won't you?”
”Twenty.”
”Shi-”
”Fifteen.”
”Counting doesn't really help me with my nerves you know-”
”Ten.”