Manual

Inside the café, Kazuha pulled out a magazine. Hattori Heiji's photo was printed on it, showing him holding something like a button with a smug grin on his face.

"This is a very famous information magazine in Kansai. They recently interviewed Heiji as a high school detective, and then—"

As she spoke, Kazuha pushed the magazine toward Ran and the others.

"In the interview, Heiji said that when he was in third grade, he met a girl a little older than him, and that he's kept a treasure related to that girl ever since."

While speaking, Kazuha pointed at the little object pinched between Hattori's fingertips in the photo. "Then he even specifically had them take a picture of him holding up that treasure!"

The others leaned closer. In the picture, Hattori held a shiny cylindrical object, wearing an incredibly "gentle" smile.

Ran leaned in and examined it carefully. "What is that?"

"Could it be... someone's button? At such a young age..." Shiraishi shook his head. Kids these days... better not even mention it.

"Not that perverted... I saw it before. It's something like a Crystal Bead. I think that girl probably took it off some accessory and gave it to him." Kazuha shook her head.

"You don't know that girl either?" Ayako caught onto something.

Kazuha shook her head, looking somewhat dejected. "Of course not. Heiji only said they met that one time. I came to Kyoto then too, but Heiji had run off somewhere, so how could I have been with him... After that, whenever he came to Kyoto, he seemed to look for her."

Sonoko slapped her thigh, suddenly enlightened. "So that's why he deliberately had that picture taken! He must think that if the girl sees the article, she'll definitely come find him."

Kazuha nodded. "Right?