"I like all kinds."
Kazehara Tetsu didn't answer directly, opening with a vague response instead. "But if I had to say, I might prefer works that break down the 'barrier' and engage the reader in an intellectual duel."
"An intellectual duel with the reader?" Curiosity filled Shiina Hiyori's eyes. "Like... a mind-blowing narrative trick revealed at the end?"
"That's just one kind of technique."
Kazehara Tetsu shook his head. "I mean a deeper kind of interaction. For example, a novel might tell you, 'Every clue in this book is available to the reader. You can do just as well as the detective.' But then it deceives you through shifting perspectives and misleading information. When you finally discover the truth, you realize that the author didn't hide any clues from you. It was your own assumptions that fooled you."
He paused, then gave an example. "Like in some stories, the killer appears right from the beginning and even spends every day alongside you, but the author sets up clever blind spots so you never suspect them."
Shiina Hiyori listened, captivated, hugging her book as she nodded like a pecking chick.
"I get it! Like when an author deliberately adds a section in a chapter that has nothing to do with the main plot and seems like an 'author's monologue,' but that passage itself contains a clue pointing to the killer! Readers often skip over it without thinking, assuming it's just the author chatting!"
"Exactly." Kazehara Tetsu gave her an approving look.
"Th-then who's your favorite author?" Shiina Hiyori looked up at him, her face full of admiration. This boy understood mystery novels more deeply than anyone she'd ever met.
"It's hard to choose just one."
Kazehara Tetsu pondered for a moment. "John Dickson Carr's imagination when it comes to locked-room mysteries; Seicho Matsumoto's sweeping vision of using crimes to reflect the ills of an entire era; Soji Shimada's wild, unrestrained trick plots."
Each name he mentioned made Shiina Hiyori's eyes light up.
She knew all those authors and liked them too. The fact that Kazehara Tetsu could sum up the defining trait of each one so succinctly spoke to a depth of knowledge that could only come from years of reading.
"That's amazing..." Shiina Hiyori exclaimed sincerely. "My favorite is Edogawa Ranpo. I love the dark, sensual beauty of his 'deviant' style."
"Ranpo's work is certainly one of a kind."
Kazehara Tetsu nodded in agreement. "But if you're interested in 'dueling with the reader,' there's one author whose work might appeal to you even more."
"Who?"
"You could try Aya Yuutaka's books, like Summer and Winter Sonata."
"His work is known for its malice and its hostility toward the reader. You can never trust anyone in his books. Just when you think you've grasped the truth, he'll overturn all your deductions with a single sentence on the last page, leaving you doubting yourself."
"...That sounds so fascinating!" Shiina Hiyori quickly pulled out her phone and jotted down the name and title.
The two stood by the bookshelves, chatting as if no one else were around.
Drawing on everything he'd read in his previous life, Kazehara Tetsu was always able to offer fresh perspectives and recommendations that Shiina Hiyori hadn't heard before.
And Shiina Hiyori, with her own solid reading background, had plenty of interesting responses of her own.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't realize I'd been talking so long. I must've gotten in the way of you looking for a book, right?"
After chatting for quite a while, Shiina Hiyori finally realized what was going on.
They'd been blocking the aisle for nearly half an hour. A hint of embarrassment crossed her fair cheeks.
"No, talking with a fellow enthusiast like you is more fun than reading a hundred books." Kazehara Tetsu's voice carried a warm, genuine smile.
"By the way, I don't even know your name yet." Shiina Hiyori was hugging Offering to the Void when she finally remembered that most basic question.
"Kazehara Tetsu, Class A."
"I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class C. Nice to meet you, Kagihara." Shiina Hiyori smiled.
"Just call me Tetsu. 'Classmate' sounds too formal."
Kazehara Tetsu took out his phone and said naturally, "Let's exchange contact information, Hiyori. We can share any good new books we find."
Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up again. "Sure! Tetsu-kun!... Ah, no, Tetsu!"
Flustered, she corrected herself, then took out her phone and exchanged contact information with Kazehara Tetsu.
After getting her contact information, Kazehara Tetsu looked at the girl before him, who was as happy as a child at having found a kindred spirit.
Shiina Hiyori had no value in any struggle and wasn't at the center of her class's power structure.
She was as pure as a blank sheet of paper, with only one splash of color: her love of books.
There was no need to scheme or plot to win her over, and he didn't even need any skills from the system.
All he had to do... was talk books with her.
Shiina Hiyori lowered her head and carefully saved the name "Kazehara Tetsu" in her phone, a delighted smile still on her lips.
She looked up, her eyes bright. "I learned so much today. Thank you, Tetsu-kun."
"I should be the one thanking you."
Kazehara Tetsu smiled and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "It's been a long time since I've met someone I could talk with like this."
"Then next time we find an interesting new book, shall we discuss it together?"
Kazehara Tetsu smiled as he suggested, "The library or a café near school would both be nice."
"Sounds good!" Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the book. "I'll go find a seat and read now, Tetsu-kun."
"Go ahead." Kazehara Tetsu stepped aside to let her pass. "We'll talk next time. It's a date."
"Mm! Goodbye, Tetsu-kun!"
"Goodbye, Hiyori. I'm looking forward to our next book chat."
As he turned to leave, the corner of Kazehara Tetsu's mouth lifted in the faintest of smiles.
Shiina Hiyori stood where she was, watching his back disappear among the bookshelves. Then she looked down at Offering to the Void in her arms and touched the phone in her pocket, where she'd saved his name.
This unexpected encounter was undoubtedly one of the happiest moments she'd had this semester.
Stepping out of the library, Kazehara Tetsu felt the afternoon sunlight warm the ground.
He glanced back at the library's glass doors, already thinking about how to approach her next time.
Their conversation had gone very smoothly. Shiina Hiyori had been completely absorbed in their shared love of mystery novels.
Wait... that wasn't right. Hadn't he come here to read today? How had he ended up chatting instead?
Whatever.Forget it...
Before you continue