Discussion of Preferences

"I like them all."

Kazehara Tetsu didn't answer directly, instead opening with a vague reply. "But if I had to say, I probably prefer works that break down 'barriers' and engage in an intellectual duel with the reader."

"An intellectual duel with the reader?" Shiina Hiyori's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "For example... a shocking narrative trick at the end?"

"That's just one method."

Kazehara Tetsu shook his head. "I mean a deeper level of interaction. For instance, a novel that tells you, 'All the clues in this book are provided to the reader; what the detective can do, you can do too,' but then deceives you through perspective shifts and misinformation. When you finally uncover the truth, you realize you were tricked—not because the author hid clues, but because of your own mental habits."

He paused, giving an example: "Like in some works, the culprit appears at the very start, even living alongside you day in and day out, but the author sets up clever blind spots so you never suspect them from beginning to end."

Shiina Hiyori was captivated, hugging her book and nodding eagerly like a chick pecking at rice.

"I get it! Like in some books, the author deliberately adds a chapter that seems completely unrelated to the main plot, like an 'author's monologue,' but that very passage hides clues pointing to the culprit! Readers often skip it instinctively, thinking it's just the author rambling!"

"Exactly." Kazehara Tetsu shot her an approving glance.

"Then... who's your favorite author?" Shiina Hiyori looked up at him, her eyes full of admiration. This boy before her understood mystery novels more deeply than anyone she'd ever met.

"Hard to pick just one."

Kazehara Tetsu pondered for a moment. "John Dickson Carr's imagination with 'locked rooms'; Seicho Matsumoto's grand scope of using cases to mirror an era's ailments; Soji Shimada's wildly imaginative plot devices."

Every name he mentioned made Shiina Hiyori's eyes light up.

She knew all these authors and liked them too, but Kazehara Tetsu could sum up each one's core creative traits—that kind of skill took serious long-term accumulation.

"Amazing..." Shiina Hiyori sighed sincerely. "I like Edogawa Ranpo. His dark, sensually beautiful 'irregular school' style."

"Ranpo-sensei's works are truly unique."

Kazehara Tetsu nodded in agreement. "But if we're talking about 'dueling with the reader,' there's an author whose work you might find more interesting."

"Who?"

"You should check out Aya Yuutaka's works, like Summer and Winter Sonata."

"His works are known for their malice and unfriendliness toward the reader. You can never trust a single character he writes. Just when you think you've grasped the truth, he'll overturn all your reasoning with a single sentence on the last page, plunging you into self-doubt."

"...That sounds so appealing!" Shiina Hiyori quickly pulled out her phone and jotted down the name and title.

The two stood by the bookshelf, chatting as if no one else existed.

Drawing on his past life's reading volume, Kazehara Tetsu kept tossing out fresh perspectives and works that opened Shiina Hiyori's eyes.

And Shiina Hiyori, with her equally solid reading foundation, gave back plenty of interesting responses.

"Ah, sorry—I didn't realize we'd talked so much. I must be keeping you from finding your books?"

After a long while, Shiina Hiyori belatedly realized.

They'd been blocking the aisle for nearly half an hour, and a hint of apology crept onto her fair cheeks.

"No, chatting with a true kindred spirit like you is more fun than reading a hundred books." Kazehara Tetsu's words carried a genuine smile.

"By the way, I don't even know your name yet?" Shiina Hiyori hugged the copy of Offering to the Void and only then remembered this most basic question.

"Kazehara Tetsu, Class A."

"I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class C. Nice to meet you, Kagihara." Shiina Hiyori said with a smile.

"Just call me Tetsu. 'Kagihara' is too formal."

Kazehara Tetsu pulled out his phone and said naturally, "Let's exchange contact info, Hiyori. If we find any good new books, we can chat anytime."

Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up again. "Okay! Tetsu-kagihara! ...Ah, no, Tetsu-kun!"

She corrected herself flusteredly, then took out her phone and exchanged contact info with Kazehara Tetsu.

After getting her contact, Kazehara Tetsu watched the girl before him, who was beaming like a child at finding a fellow enthusiast.

Shiina Hiyori—someone with no value for conflict, not at the center of class power.

She was as pure as a blank sheet of paper, her only color being her love for books.

Conquering her required no schemes, no calculations, not even the system's skills.

Just... chatting with her about books was enough.

Shiina Hiyori lowered her head, carefully saving the name "Kazehara Tetsu" into her phone, a joyful curve still on her lips.

She looked up, her eyes bright. "I really learned a lot today. Thank you, Tetsu-kun."

"I'm the one who should be thanking you."

Kazehara Tetsu smiled and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "It's been a while since I've had a conversation this free-flowing."

"So, next time we find some interesting new book, let's talk again?"

Kazehara Tetsu proposed with a smile. "The library or the cafe near school would be fine."

"Sure!" Shiina Hiyori's eyes instantly sparkled, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around her book. "Then I'll go find a seat and read, Tetsu-kun."

"Go ahead." Kazehara Tetsu stepped aside to clear the aisle. "Next time we talk, it's a deal."

"Mm! See you, Tetsu-kun!"

"See you, Hiyori. Looking forward to our next book chat."

As he turned to leave, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Kazehara Tetsu's mouth.

Shiina Hiyori stood rooted to the spot, watching his silhouette disappear between the bookshelves. Then she lowered her gaze to the Offering to the Void in her arms, and reached into her pocket to touch the phone where she'd saved his name. This unexpected encounter today was, without a doubt, one of the happiest moments of her semester.

Stepping out of the library, the afternoon sunlight spilled across the earth, carrying a warmth that was just right.

Kazehara Tetsu glanced back at the glass doors of the library, his mind already sketching out the next step of contact. The conversation just now had gone very smoothly—Shiina Hiyori had been completely immersed in their shared passion for mystery novels.

Tch... wait... wasn't he supposed to be here to read today? How had he ended up chatting?

Forget it, whatever.