The Showdown

When Hoshino Kanade cheerfully mentioned introducing a new friend after school, Kina's fingertips tightened around the rim of her cup.

She lowered her eyelids, her lips moving silently a few times before finally forming a vague response.

The light outside the window fell on her lowered eyelashes, casting a small, trembling shadow.

It was me, I was here first, it was all me first...

Holding hands, spending time alone, or becoming his friend.

It was supposed to be a story for two, why are there three names? Why do I feel so sad?

She had only excused herself briefly last night to brush her teeth, and in that interval, Hoshino Kanade's world had gained a fresh new mark.

Kina had thought that for the three years of high school, they would be each other's only friends.

She hadn't expected that in just 10 short days, she would no longer be the "only" one.

Was it me who expected too much and broke down on my own?

Her complicated feelings didn't affect Kina's thoughts.

So it's her... Kina understood who Hoshino Kanade's new friend was after a moment's thought.

This so-called new friend was merely a hunter—the moment she left the trenches, the fortress was already flying an unfamiliar flag.

The sunset's afterglow, filtered by the blinds, lay across the oak table for four by the window in lazy golden stripes.

Kina stretched her long legs diagonally across the table, her left hand pressing down on an open copy of Paul Halter's The Seventh Answer, her right hand holding a pen suspended above a notebook splattered with a few star-shaped ink blots.

Shiina Hiyori was curled up in a corner seat against the wall, her knees pressed together against Ellery Queen's The Tragedy of Y. The edges of the yellowed pages were frayed by her thumb, as if the classic mysteries had been dissected too many times.

The more wonderful the afternoon yesterday had been, the more flustered Shiina Hiyori felt now.

Her canvas bag was wedged tightly between the seat and the wall, like a self-made fortress, warding off Kina's oppressive aura.

Kina's presence was too intimidating, and Shiina Hiyori wasn't good at interacting with people.

She was just making friends normally, but Shiina Hiyori felt an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Hoshino Kanade's hand passed through the diamond-shaped shadows cast by the bookshelf, her fingertips lightly tapping the edge of Kina's notebook.

"Kina, this is Shiina Hiyori, a fellow book lover I met yesterday afternoon."

Then, turning to the figure huddled at the boundary of light and shadow, "Shiina-san, this is Ayanokoji Kina."

Shiina Hiyori suddenly raised her book to shield her face, the gilded title flickering in the light:

"...Hello." (A promotional flyer fluttered from between the pages, the words "Ellery Queen Centennial" sliding towards Kina's feet.)

Kina pulled out John Dickson Carr's The Three Coffins, which had been under her elbow, and pushed it precisely across the table to the seam between their seats.

"Mm." The book's cover had an ice crystal pattern. "Carr's explanation of locked rooms is more systematic than Queen's."

Shiina Hiyori had initially thought Ayanokoji-san was unapproachable, but she discovered that was merely an outward aloofness.

What delighted her even more was that she could share time in the study with Hoshino-san—it turned out that those who shared a passion for mystery novels would indeed feel a kindred spark deep within their souls.

Kina stated that since Kanade approved, having one more friend wasn't a bad thing.

As for her previous reaction—it was merely a need for character setting.

Logically, after becoming book friends with Shiina Hiyori, she wouldn't need to read in class every day.

It would be enough to just exchange thoughts and recommend books to each other with Shiina-san and Kina every afternoon.

But stopping suddenly would feel strange, and Kina would likely suspect she was reading for other girls, so she had to continue her efforts.

Class D had already vaguely formed two large groups and countless smaller ones.

The first large group was the general friend circle centered around Kushida Kikyo, radiating to all students in the class who desired social interaction, including the introverted Sakura Airi and some neutral students.

The second large group was the "Harmony Faction" led by Hirata Yosuke, including Hirata Yosuke, the Karuizawa Group, and some moderate students like Yukimura Teruhiko.

The girls' group led by Karuizawa Kei included gal-type girls like Matsushita Chiaki, Shinohara Gatsumi, and Sato Maya.

The problematic trio included Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki, and Sudo Ken. They were smitten with Kushida Kikyo and likely belonged to the Kushida Kikyo group.

The lone wolves were Kouenji Rokosuke and Horikita Suzune. Kouenji maintained basic social interactions, while Horikita chose to isolate the entire class single-handedly.

Overall, thanks to the social butterflies Kushida Kikyo and Hirata Yosuke, Class D's atmosphere was actually quite good.

Of course, this atmosphere didn't refer to the academic atmosphere.

The first month of school was already halfway over, and it was time to make a transaction with Class C.

"Shiina-san, could you do me a favor?"

Hoshino Kanade's voice startled Shiina Hiyori, and the fingertips holding her book unconsciously tightened.

Shiina Hiyori... was actually asking her for help?

The thought crossed her mind, and a flicker of unexpected joy made her heart skip a beat—she held her breath almost subconsciously.

These days, in Shiina's heart, Hoshino Kanade had become something special.

Whether discussing Ellery Queen's logical structure or analyzing the human mysteries in Agatha Christie's works, any name mentioned by Hoshino seemed to come alive on the pages.

They often found the same clues between the lines and reached similar conclusions on the path of deduction.

This feeling of intellectual compatibility made her look forward to their next discussion whenever she flipped through a mystery novel.

Her fingertips gently caressed the edge of the page, Shiina Hiyori raised her eyes, her voice soft, "It is my honor to serve as Hoshino-san's 'Watson'."

Kiyona, who was reading nearby, also looked up. This was the first time she had seen Kanade ask someone for help.

"Class C should have already chosen a leader, right?"

"Yes, Ryuen-san has indeed gained the recognition of most of the class."

It seemed to be about the class, which brought Shiina Hiyori a sense of inexplicable disappointment.

"You must have also noticed many abnormalities in this school. I'll tell you about my findings..."

"So, the points issued next month might be very few, or even none."

"To ensure our book club isn't hindered by points next month, this information about Class A needs to be taken by Shiina-san to Ryuen-san for a trade."

Hoshino Kanade spoke, taking out a piece of intelligence and handing it to Shiina Hiyori.

It recorded the general content of the first assessment.

Hoshino Kanade had initially wanted to simply write "Maintain classroom discipline," but the information was too vague. What if Ryuen Sho refused to pay points?

Shiina Hiyori took the intelligence. After Hoshino Kanade nodded, she carefully read through the entire content.

"So the assessment had already begun," some of Shiina Hiyori's doubts vanished at this moment.

Hoshino Kanade's unreserved trust also stirred a ripple within Shiina.

She clenched the intelligence in her hand, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of the paper.

This weighty entrustment warmed her chest.

"Leave it to me, Hoshino-san. I will definitely complete what you've asked."

Shiina Hiyori looked very serious.

This was originally a win-win transaction, and it was most appropriate for her to act as the intermediary.

"You don't need to be so serious~ It would be best if the trade goes through, but it's okay even if Ryuen-san doesn't agree. I've already given the intelligence to Hiyori-san, so it's good if it can help your class."

Shiina Hiyori was touched once again.

They then discussed some details of the transaction, such as the transaction points being 1 million; it could be paid next month; Hoshino Kanade's existence should not be revealed; any problems should be blamed on the upperclassmen...

Whether Ryuen would give points depended on Shiina's performance, but in the end, Hoshino Kanade would definitely not lose out.

Kiyona observed the entire process. She could understand many things on her own, but some doubts still needed Hoshino Kanade to explain.

Hoshino Kanade hadn't excluded her, which meant she completely trusted her and would definitely answer her questions.