Prey

Shiina Hiyori had waited for too long, but there was no need to rush. Time was not an enemy, but a crucible for refining logic.

She had already gathered basic information on Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kina. It could be said that Ayanokoji Kina only came to the library for Hoshino Kanade.

Therefore, her target was only Hoshino Kanade.

Initially, Shiina Hiyori planned to create a "coincidental collision."

This involved "accidentally" bumping into someone at a corner, and during the deliberately staged "accident," discovering they were both mystery novel enthusiasts, thus striking up a conversation and becoming book friends.

Shiina Hiyori gently closed The Murders in the Rue Morgue in her hands, her fingertips unconsciously caressing the gilded spine.

Morning light from the corridor corner projected the window panes onto the floor, like a pre-set stage.

She paused in the shadow of a pillar, hearing footsteps approaching from the other end.

It was her.

Her breath hitched for a moment as she took half a step forward, her slender shoulder just meeting the figure rounding the corner.

The expected light collision didn't happen. The other person agilely sidestepped, leaving only the book in her arms to flutter down.

"Sorry." A clear, cool voice came from above.

Shiina lowered her eyes to pick up the book. The moment her fingertips brushed the cover, the boy's gaze suddenly stopped. "Poe?"

"Do you like mystery novels too?" As she looked up, her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, perfectly revealing the starlight she had deliberately hidden in her eyes.

The rustling of pages turning in the wind became the gentlest footnote to this "accident."

The above was pure imagination.

To implement this plan, she needed to know the target's fixed routine in advance.

Shiina Hiyori noticed that the target person's reading material changed daily.

This astonishing reading speed surprised and excited her.

The target was clearly well-read and knowledgeable, precisely the ideal book friend she hoped to connect with deeply.

However, this also meant that the target person did not have a fixed routine.

Plan One was ruined before it even began.

Similarly, several other similar plans were also ruined.

For example, slipping a custom bookmark into a book the target often read, with a puzzle on the bookmark leading to clues about herself. This would naturally initiate interaction and cleverly connect their shared interest.

Many other plans were too slow to take effect.

Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kina always went to the library together, reading side-by-side in adjacent seats.

When Hoshino Kanade was alone, it was extremely rare. Opportunities were fleeting.

She didn't dare approach when they were together, but she had to summon her courage when the target was alone.

She made up her mind.

Shiina Hiyori's final plan was: as the target approached, she would pretend to try to reach a book on a high shelf and fail repeatedly. Hearing footsteps behind her, she would turn and ask for help, using the book as a topic to start a conversation.

Now, Shiina Hiyori just needed an opportunity, a chance for the prey to be alone.

She was like a detective lurking at a cold case scene—the clues were all gathered, only the final piece of evidence was missing.

If she had the chance to participate in the verification, the truth would surely come to light.

Now, the opportunity had arrived.

The opportunity had slipped away again.

When Shiina Hiyori arrived at the library after school, Hoshino Kanade was already sitting at a table reading.

There was no sign of Kina around Hoshino Kanade. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But the conditions for her final plan were also absent. Interrupting someone's reading to ask for help getting a book? Shiina Hiyori couldn't do that.

Plans ultimately couldn't keep up with changes. Perhaps this was the meaning of a "final plan."

Why was it like this? Oh, no~

She still had a glimmer of hope. If she sat next to Hoshino Kanade now and proactively brought up the topic of books, she could still turn things around.

There was also a chance she'd be seen as strange, but...

"Want to read together?"

"Huh?" Shiina Hiyori's eyes widened.

"You stood still after entering the library without borrowing a book, yet your gaze was on me—it must be because the book you wanted to borrow has already been taken by me, right?"

Hoshino Kanade had already thought of a reason for Shiina Hiyori.

"It's a shame I want to read this book too. If you don't mind, we can read it together."

Shiina Hiyori felt like Hoshino Kanade was glowing. As expected of the person she was trying so hard to get close to, she felt so warm.

"Yes! I'm really happy to be able to read this book with you."

Her voice was clear and light, but a nameless ripple spread across the depths of her eyes.

Shiina Hiyori was somewhat impatient, her steps quickening subtly, yet she still gracefully gathered her skirt and took her seat with poise.

The aura that quietly approached was as crisp as dew drops freshly blooming—half the scent of the plant fibers in book pages, half the faint fragrance of gardenia clinging to her hair.

As her sleeves brushed past, they stirred a faint airflow, and the scent spread like ripples, only to abruptly retract at the verge of contact, leaving only the rustling sound of the silk fabric of her skirt as it fell, like the flutter of butterfly wings at the moment of landing.

"First-year Class D, Hoshino Kanade. Please guide me."

"First-year Class C, Shiina Hiyori. A lover of mystery novels... If we're discussing books, I'd be happy to converse with you anytime."

Hoshino Kanade pushed a book with a dark red cover across the table, its pages slightly curled at the edges. Ryusei no Kizuna, by Higashino Keigo. He looked at Shiina Hiyori opposite him.

Shiina Hiyori's gaze fell upon the intertwined thorns and meteors on the cover, her voice steady, "A work by Teacher Higashino."

She paused slightly, "However, don't you think the plotline about the refrigerated truck key in the book felt a bit rushed in its conclusion?"

Hoshino Kanade's lips curved into a subtle arc.

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

His finger slid over an inconspicuous line on the page. "That key wasn't rushed; it was buried too deeply. The entire core of Time Forgery—that's the pivot."

He looked up at Shiina. "The date on the coffee can was a misdirection. What truly allowed the killer to exploit the supermarket's promotional batch loophole was the power outage in chapter seven—that was his only chance to handle the key and the refrigerated truck's temperature records without raising suspicion."

Shiina Hiyori listened quietly, her eyes calm, only the slight furrow of her brow revealing the workings of her mind.

"The power outage in chapter seven..." she repeated softly, as if flipping through pages in her mind. "The warehouse manager casually complained about the key being missing... The refrigerated truck's temperature recorder had a brief, unrecorded offline period before and after the incident..."

She raised her eyes, looking at Hoshino with clear vision. "So that complaint wasn't idle chatter; it was the click of a lock."

A flicker of admiration flashed in Hoshino Kanade's eyes. He tapped the edge of the page with his fingertip. "Exactly. The foreshadowing was as meticulous as needlework. As expected of Shiina-san, to immediately find the thread."

He took out another, slightly thicker book from his canvas bag. "This one has the killer's complete plan notes in the appendix. The perspective is quite unique. Interested in exchanging?"

Shiina Hiyori reached out, her fingertips brushing Hoshino Kanade's hand for a fleeting moment as she took the book. "Okay." She replied, then lowered her head and unbuckled her school bag.

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

"First editions by Ellery Queen." Her voice was still calm, but her movements conveyed reverence. "As a return gift, please choose one, Hoshino-san."

The afternoon sun slanted across the bookshelf, casting fine shadows on her lowered eyelashes.

After tidying the books, she looked up at Hoshino, her earlobes glowing a faint warm color in the light. "Next time... if it's convenient, I'd like to hear Hoshino-san's thoughts on the disappearing murder weapon and the time difference with the stage lights in The Tragedy of Y."

Hoshino Kanade looked at the old books and her calm yet focused expression, nodding. "Alright. I also wanted to hear Shiina-san's insights."