The Prey

Shiina Hiyori had waited far too long, but she mustn't rush. Time was not her enemy; it was a furnace that tempered logic.

She had already looked into some basic information about Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kina. It was fair to say Ayanokoji Kina only came to the library for Hoshino Kanade.

So Hoshino Kanade was her only target.

At first, Shiina Hiyori had planned to create a "chance encounter."

She would "accidentally" bump into Hoshino at a corner, then discover amid the deliberately staged "accident" that they were both fans of mystery novels. They could strike up a conversation and become reading buddies:

Shiina Hiyori gently closed the copy of The Murders in the Rue Morgue in her hands, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the gold-embossed book spine.

The morning light at the corridor's corner cast the windowpanes across the floor, like a stage set waiting for its performers.

She stood in the shadow of a pillar, listening as footsteps approached from the other end.

It was her.

The instant her breath caught, she shifted half a step forward, her slender shoulder meeting the figure rounding the corner at just the right angle.

The light bump she had anticipated never happened. The other girl nimbly stepped aside, leaving only the book in Shiina's arms to slip gracefully to the floor.

"Sorry." A cool voice came from above.

Shiina lowered her eyes to pick up the book. As her fingertips brushed the cover, the girl's gaze suddenly lingered on it. "Edgar Allan Poe?"

"Do you like mystery novels too?" She looked up, her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings, revealing just the right glimmer of starlight she had carefully hidden in her eyes.

The soft rustle of pages turning in the breeze became the gentlest footnote to this "accident."

All of the above was pure imagination.

To carry out this plan, she needed to know her target's usual route in advance.

Shiina Hiyori had noticed that her target read a different book every day.

This astonishing reading speed left her both surprised and excited.

Her target was clearly well-read and knowledgeable—the ideal reading companion, someone she had hoped to have deep conversations with.

However, it also meant that her target had no fixed route.

Plan One had fallen apart before it even began.

The same went for several similar plans.

For instance, she could slip a custom bookmark into one of the books her target often read. Once the puzzle on it was solved, the clues would lead back to her, naturally prompting an interaction while cleverly drawing on their shared interest.

Many other plans would take too long to work.

Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kina always went to the library together and read side by side in neighboring seats.

Hoshino Kanade was alone very rarely, and the opportunities vanished in the blink of an eye.

When the two of them were together, Shiina didn't dare approach. When Hoshino was alone, she had to summon her courage.

It was decided.

Shiina Hiyori's final plan was this: when her target came near, she would pretend to try and fail repeatedly to take down a book from a high shelf. Then, upon hearing footsteps behind her, she would turn and ask for help, using the book as a natural opening for conversation.

Now, Shiina Hiyori only needed one opportunity—one chance for her prey to be alone.

She lay in wait like a detective at the scene of an unsolved case. She had pieced together the clues; only the final link remained to confirm them.

If she had the chance to help verify it, the truth would surely come to light.

Now, that opportunity had arrived.

The opportunity had slipped away again.

By the time Shiina Hiyori reached the library after school, Hoshino Kanade was already sitting in her seat, reading.

Kiyona was nowhere to be seen. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But the conditions for carrying out her final plan weren't there either. Shiina couldn't interrupt someone's reading just to ask her to fetch a book.

Plans never kept up with reality. Perhaps that was what "final plan" meant.

Why had things turned out like this? Oh, no...

She still had one last chance. If she sat beside Hoshino Kanade now and started a conversation about books, she could turn things around.

She might also be taken for a weirdo, but...

"Would you like to read together?"

"Huh?" Shiina Hiyori's eyes widened.

"You've been standing still since you came into the library without borrowing a book, but you keep looking over here. I thought it might be because I'd borrowed the book you wanted."

Hoshino Kanade had even come up with a reason for Shiina Hiyori.

"Unfortunately, I want to read this one too. If you don't mind, we can read it together."

Shiina Hiyori felt as if Hoshino Kanade were glowing. No wonder she had gone to such lengths to get close to her. She was so warm.

"Yeah! I'm really happy to read this book with you."

Her voice was light, yet an unnamed ripple spread across the depths of her eyes.

Shiina Hiyori could hardly wait. Her steps quickened almost imperceptibly, but she still smoothed her skirt as she sat down with poise.

The scent that drifted over was as fresh as morning dew—part the woody fiber of book pages, part the faint fragrance of gardenias caught in her hair.

As their sleeves brushed, they stirred a slight current of air. The scent spread in ripples, then suddenly drew back just before they touched, leaving only the soft rustle of silk as her skirt fell into place, like the instant a butterfly settled and beat its wings.

"I'm Hoshino Kanade from Class 1-D. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C. I adore mystery novels... If you'd like to talk about books, I'd be happy to chat with you anytime."

Hoshino Kanade slid a book with a dark red cover across the table. The edges of its pages were slightly curled. "Ryusei no Kizuna, by Higashino Keigo." She looked at Shiina Hiyori across from her.

Shiina Hiyori's gaze fell on the crossed thorns and shooting star on the cover. Her voice was steady. "One of Higashino-sensei's works."

She paused. "But the part with the key to the refrigerated truck feels a little rushed to wrap up, don't you think?"

The corners of Hoshino Kanade's lips curved ever so slightly.

She opened the book, and a pressed maple-leaf bookmark fell between them. "The key is right here."

Her finger traced an inconspicuous line on the page. "It wasn't rushed; it was buried too deep. It's the fulcrum of the entire 'Time Forgery.'"

She looked up at Shiina. "The date on the coffee can was a red herring. What really let the culprit exploit the loophole in the supermarket's promotional batches was the blackout in Chapter Seven. It was the only time he could quietly tamper with the key and the refrigerated truck's temperature records."

Shiina Hiyori listened quietly, her expression composed. Only the slight furrow between her brows revealed the thoughts turning over in her mind.

"The blackout in Chapter Seven..." she murmured, as if leafing through the pages in her mind. "The warehouse manager casually complained that the key was missing... The refrigerated truck's temperature logger briefly went offline without recording anything shortly before and after the incident..."

She raised her eyes and looked at Hoshino, her gaze bright. "So that complaint wasn't just a throwaway line. It was the click of a key turning in a lock."

A flicker of admiration crossed Hoshino Kanade's eyes. She tapped the edge of the page with her finger. "Exactly. The foreshadowing is stitched together as finely as needlework. No wonder you found the loose thread at once, Shiina."

She took another, slightly thicker book from her canvas bag. "The appendix has the culprit's full planning notes, and the perspective is quite unusual. Would you be interested in swapping books to take a look?"

Shiina Hiyori reached out. Her fingertips brushed Hoshino Kanade's hand for the briefest instant as she accepted the book. "Sure." Then she lowered her head and undid the clasp of her school bag.

Several books carefully wrapped in off-white kraft paper were placed neatly on the table, their spines straight.

"First editions of Ellery Queen." Her voice remained calm, though her movements were careful and respectful. "As a return gift, please choose one, Hoshino."

The afternoon sunlight slanted through the bookshelves, casting fine shadows on her lowered lashes.

Only after arranging the books did she look up at Hoshino. The light gave her ears the faintest warm tint. "Next time... if it's convenient, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the disappearing murder weapon in The Tragedy of Y, and the timing discrepancy with the stage lights."

Hoshino Kanade looked at the old books and Shiina's composed yet intent expression, then nodded. "Sure. I'd like to hear your thoughts too, Shiina."