The Literary Girl's Way of Winning Someone Over (5k)

"This isn't even a crisis for me anymore... Even if we survive this Special Exam, Class D is clearly going to rise. Maybe our luck was already bad from the moment we saw that there was a student named Ayanokoji in the class."

"Why are you bringing up Ayanokoji again?"

Completely unable to keep up with Morishita Ai's rapid shifts in thinking, Sanada Kō scratched the back of his head in confusion, but still clapped his hands as the group leader to encourage her:

"The exams aren't over yet, everyone. Let's all work a little harder. The next question is an academic-type topic. I believe in us, as Class A students..."

"I really want to remind the group leader that the three Class A groups, including the group Matoba by Tomoya, are still reeling from the disastrous defeat of Sakayanagi from Class D who single-handedly crushed them on this type of project less than three days ago."

"Perhaps Morishita should just go back to being the old Morishita --"

"Or you could learn from the students in the Yamamura and just stay silent..."

After once again sweeping aside the stubborn Sanada Kō group in the science quiz competition, leaving them with only second place in the group, the tenth day of the Uninhabited Island Special Exam officially came to an end. Since the next round of questions wouldn't be updated until 2 PM, Kitagawa Ryo's group leisurely conserved their energy (for reasons given by Sakayanagi Arisu). They chatted and laughed as they strolled around for a while before heading to the area G9 that Shiina Hiyori had agreed upon beforehand.

The G9 area near the sea was quite crowded at this time. After all, Shiina Hiyori and Ibuki Mio's two teams were escorted by three groups from Class D. Although a few of them were eliminated in the past two days due to score padding, there were still nearly twenty people, including the remaining students from Class C who came here.

When Kitagawa Ryo walked over, he also counted them. Apart from Ryuen Kakeru and Ishizaki Daichi, who were being investigated by the school and had left on his orders, all eight remaining students in Class C, including Hiyori Ibuki, had come over. The number of boys and girls was about equal. Although they all looked a bit listless, they all mustered up their spirits and came over to greet him when they saw him.

He actually got along quite well with the girls in Class C. Although everyone knew that Kitagawa Ryo always came to see Shiina Hiyori, it didn't stop the girls in Class C from getting a close look at the handsome guy who ranked first in the grade's poll. Besides, they could occasionally get a polite smile and some handmade snacks for free.

The boys' approach was even more straightforward. After all, the class leader Ryuen Kakeru, and his second-in-command, Ishizaki Daichi, who now seemed to be almost acknowledging Kitagawa Ryo as their leader, both showed great admiration and respect for him. Moreover, even disregarding the items that boosted initial favorability, Kitagawa Ryo hadn't charged a single penny for rescuing the students of Class C on the seventh day of the Uninhabited Island Exam Kitagawa Ryo. This undoubtedly earned him the favor of many students in Class C.

And to be honest, they are the ones who need something from them now.

Of course, Kitagawa Ryo didn't look down on these Class C students who looked somewhat down on their luck and clearly hadn't had a good time on the Uninhabited Island these past two days. He responded to them in the same simple and direct way:

Let's eat first.

With the 20% Discount Card, Kitagawa Ryo could still afford the ingredients for a meal for seven or eight people. Seeing the Class D students taking bag after bag of 'precious' ingredients from the teacher in charge of exchanging supplies as if it were commonplace, the Class C students, who hadn't dared to spend a single point recklessly these past few days and had to find ways to cut costs instead of increasing their income, stared wide-eyed. After a satisfying meal as if to avenge their grievances, they finally remembered their business and sent a representative to Kitagawa Ryo.

"Nishino -kun, are you full yet?"

Looking at the girl's face, Kitagawa Ryo easily remembered her name Nishino Takeshi. Her slightly downturned eyes gave her a somewhat fierce look. In Kitagawa Ryo's memory, she was indeed a straightforward girl who didn't even pay much attention to Ryuen Kakeru.

"Yes, thank you for your hospitality, Kitagawa-kun. In short, I'm very grateful."

After giving Kitagawa Ryo a somewhat formal bow, Nishino Takeshi sat down opposite Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori, and began to speak very sincerely:

"Kitagawa-kun should have already heard about our current situation from Shiina. Just like what you see here, the remaining Class C students are basically all down to one person each, and we're a group hovering near the bottom of the rankings. It's very difficult for us to participate in the project and get a score, but we just feel unwilling to give up like this."

Seeing Nishino Takeshi's obvious expression of frustration before him, Kitagawa Ryo hesitated for a moment before giving his answer:

"If you're willing to believe me, maybe things will turn around in the last two days of the exam. Of course, I know every point you have now is precious, and you can't possibly continue exchanging supplies to survive on this Uninhabited Island for my empty promise."

In fact, Kitagawa Ryo himself was already a bit strapped for cash. After all, he was also aiming for a top-three position in his group. He could manage one meal, but it was unrealistic to expect him to help these six students from Class C while already taking on the logistics of the entire Class D.

"However, I can introduce you to another client who should be happy to provide supplies for you all, if you're willing to lend a hand."

"What kind of customer? What kind of help do they need?"

Upon hearing this, Nishino Takeshi looked blank and subconsciously asked in return.

"The customer is Karuizawa from Class B."

Kitagawa Ryo answered her question with a smile, then added:

"As for what kind of help, we'll have to ask Ishizaki, the most experienced student in Class C, to explain in a bit."

Since the school's headquarters, D9 area, had been designated as a restricted zone in the first two rounds, Amasawa Ichika, who came from the White Room, was able to remove her watch and sneak in late at night, bypassing surveillance and staff. However, for Ishizaki Daichi, this was clearly an experience that could not be replicated.

However, following the method taught to him by Kitagawa Ryo, he spent some points at the teacher exchanging supplies to obtain a high-powered electronic megaphone, and after finding a high slope that was closest to the school tents but not inside the restricted area, Ishizaki Daichi began to shout at the top of his lungs:

"Hiyori and the others made it into the top three! Hiyori and the others made it into the top three!"

Since it was lunchtime, most of the school's teachers and staff were eating their lunch and chatting outside the tent. Ishizaki Daichi's disturbance easily attracted everyone's attention, and soon a staff member with a frown and a serious expression walked over.

"Hey student! What are you doing? This is seriously disrupting the rest of our school staff! Stop this immediately! If you continue, you'll be disciplined!"

"Sorry, sorry, I was just too excited because the students in my class got good grades. I'll be going right away."

Realizing that his dozen or so shouts must have reached Ryuen Kakeru, who was only about 200 meters away in the school's tent, Ishizaki Daichi quickly grabbed his luggage and ran back to the safe zone without looking back. This left the teacher who had come to warn him somewhat bewildered. However, he couldn't find a reason to stop him, so he could only stare blankly at the other's figure disappearing into the jungle, shake his head, and go back to eat lunch.

In fact, the school administration is still arguing about another troublesome matter: the note found this morning in the tent of Hashimoto Masayoshi, who is recovering from his injuries, and the serious incident that it has led to, which is suspected to be a deliberate leak of exam questions to students in Class A by their Chabashira Sae.

"I don't know anything. I just woke up this morning and found that note next to my pillow."

No matter how many times he was questioned from any angle, Hashimoto Masayoshi always gave the school the same answer, just like the role he played in the suspected assault incident with Ryuen Kakeru. He always tried his best to clear himself of all suspicion. After all, for someone whose name is Justice but who has never thought of becoming a partner of justice, he will always only act for himself.

But this also put homeroom teacher Chabashira Sae in a rather awkward situation. She was almost restless, looking around in that narrow chair, but she couldn't hear a single lie from Hashimoto Masayoshi, such as, "I saw the general outline of the other person, but I'm sure it's not Chabashira teacher Chabashira," which could clear her name even slightly.

Thus, this round of questioning remained deadlocked. Hashimoto Masayoshi feigned weakness and closed his eyes, making no attempt to respond to his homeroom teacher's gaze. He had always had a strong aversion to trusting others, so even if he dragged others down with him, it didn't matter if he was hated by Katsuragi Kohei, Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, Chabashira Sae, or anyone else. Self-preservation is the only way out.

Ryuen Kakeru, who was also being investigated by the school, had also received a note explaining the plan left by Amasawa Ichika, who had sneaked into the headquarters last night. However, he leisurely waited all morning, and at this point, when it would be more appropriate to ask questions, he called in the staff at the door and casually asked:

"Where's Hashimoto? He succumbed to his injuries last night? Well, he deserved it, serves him right for framing me."

"... Hashimoto- san is currently recovering from his injuries. Until the matter is thoroughly investigated, please continue to wait, Ryuen."

"What the hell are you waiting for? I've been wasting so much time here, and the school still hasn't found out a single thing. In this situation, they should just let me out to retake the exam. Otherwise, what will they do if Class C fails this time? Will they blame it on the school?"

"Damn it, I haven't slept well for two nights just thinking about what those idiots in Class C are like now."

Showing no fear that the other party was a school official, Ryuen Kakeru took two steps forward, spitting as he spoke, trying to give as many hints as possible.

At first, the teacher in charge was somewhat helpless in dealing with Ryuen Kakeru's foul language and complaints, but after being talked to for a while, she also became a little impatient and casually replied:

"You said you haven't slept well for two nights, okay, then let me ask you, did you see or hear anything unusual last night?"

Ryuen Kakeru grinned and lied without hesitation:

"Of course I heard it. What, are there thieves in the camp? The sneaky noises are keeping me awake."

After deliberately giving a rather vague embellishment, Ryuen Kakeru kept a close eye on the other person's expression and eyes, ready to change his story at any moment.

"Is that so... then come here for a moment."

After listening to Ryuen Kakeru's statement and thinking about the incident that had reached a stalemate, the teacher gritted her teeth and, with a "nothing to lose" mentality, grabbed Ryuen Kakeru's arm and led him out of the tent. After whispering a few words to the other staff members, she took him to the tent where they were already in a state of panic, where they were questioning Hashimoto Masayoshi, Chabashira Sae, and other possible eyewitnesses.

In that instant, Ryuen Kakeru keenly heard a familiar voice not far away screaming something in a heart-wrenching way. He silently memorized the words and walked into the tent with his expression still unchanged.

This was the secret code between him and Kitagawa Ryo.

It was that promise they made on that the Tempest night: if he helped her, he would help her in return.

Ryuen Kakeru looked up at Hashimoto Masayoshi, who was squinting and pretending to be a weak patient, and gave a disdainful sneer.

The reason why Class A's attempt to frame him failed was essentially due to Hashimoto Masayoshi's excessive self-preservation. How could they possibly succeed by choosing someone like him?

He wasn't a coward like the other guy.

"Ah, I remember now, I think I couldn't sleep last night, so I secretly opened a crack in the door..."

Ryuen Kakeru leaned back in his chair, ran his right hand through his disheveled hair, and gave the current stalemate another push in another direction without any hesitation.

"I did see this teacher named Chabashira acting suspiciously."

Seeing that Chabashira Sae's expression suddenly changed and she was about to stand up and refute him, Ryuen Kakeru leisurely closed his eyes.

Actually, even without this coded message like "I've already reached an agreement, please fulfill yours," he might still cooperate in this way.

Compared to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who had also signed a contract with him, he was indeed strangely trusting this guy named Kitagawa Ryo.

Chapter 224: The Literary Girl Has Her Own Guide to Winning Over a Literary Girl (5k)

After dealing with and resolving the numerous issues left over from Class C, Kitagawa Ryo was finally able to relax Shiina Hiyori for a while about other topics, even though it seemed like a long time had actually been less than forty-eight hours.

Sakayanagi Arisu then Matsushita Chiaki from her class into the grove for a private talk, Ichinose Honami chatted with the girls in Class C. Horikita Suzune initially sat next to Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori, but as Shiina Hiyori, a hardcore mystery novel enthusiast, Shiina Hiyori Kitagawa Ryo, whose golden talent of 'Erudite and Retentive' was amplified, became increasingly animated with them, throwing out all sorts of incredibly obscure names and book titles, as well as many completely incomprehensible references, she, who had only read a few classic extracurricular works such as 'And Then There Were None' and 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes,' felt somewhat out of place and had no choice but to give up on joining in early on. She simply rested her chin on her hand and watched the two of them chat and laugh about related topics.

"Oh right, I remember Hiyori's father was also a professional novelist, wasn't he?"

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo suddenly remembered some family-related information that Shiina Hiyori had told him before he enrolled, and asked a question with great interest.

"Well, although Dad tried writing mystery novels in his early years, he has now completely switched to other genres, but it seems they're not selling well."

Shiina Hiyori nodded in acknowledgment. Her father, Shiina Katsumi, a professional novelist, simply reversed his real name and used the strange-sounding pen name 'Jikeming Zhui', which led to her being instantly recognized by Kitagawa Ryo when she casually recommended him to him in her early years.

"Actually, I think Hiyori's father's books are quite well written. Aren't there many fans online giving them positive reviews? Hiyori probably thinks so too, otherwise she wouldn't have recommended them to me in the first place."

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo also briefly recalled the works about Shiina Katsumi that he had read before. Although the author seems to still be releasing new books every three years, the two short mystery novels he wrote in his early years left the deepest impression on him.

When Kitagawa Ryo first heard that Hiyori's father was a professional novelist, he thought it was quite natural. After all, if it weren't for such a family tradition, it would be difficult to raise a daughter like Hiyori, who is a serious mystery novel enthusiast and a literary girl.

Just as the two seemed to be getting a little more 'human' in their conversation, Horikita Suzune, who was about to ask Hiyori's father what books he had written so she could buy them when she got back to school, heard Kitagawa Ryo utter two rather unfamiliar names and book titles:

"If I had to describe it, the reading experience I had with Hiyori's father's books was probably similar to that of Fergus Hume's 'The Mystery of a Hansom Cab'."

What Hume... what secret?

Horikita Suzune, who thought she was already among the most well-read students of her age, once again fell into a state of self-doubt, feeling as if she were actually a cultural desert.

"The Mystery of a Hansom Cab?"

Shiina Hiyori paused for a moment, but seemed to immediately understand Kitagawa Ryo's meaning. A gentle smile bloomed on her pure and pretty face, as if she was recalling their initial evaluation of the novel at a book club meeting a few years ago:

"Although this bestselling detective novel of the late 19th century completely lost out to the Sherlock Holmes series in terms of physical book sales, and Agatha Christie herself mentioned that it was her inspiration for detective fiction, it is rather mediocre from today's perspective. Neither the plot, the motives, nor, most importantly, the twists and the solution, are particularly impressive."

"As for the writing style... if you're on a high emotional intelligence level, you could describe it as having a British flavor, after all, the author was born in the United Kingdom and later lived and wrote in Australia, United Kingdom colony. If you're on a low emotional intelligence level, it's just too long-winded, a bit like forcing a short story into a novel."

"Most importantly, the core tricks and dramatic conflicts involved in the cases in the book completely violate the third rule of the twenty rules of detective fiction."

Kitagawa Ryo still remembers how, not long after she started reading mystery novels, she was just an elementary school student, and how she, a girl who was quite enthusiastic about these twenty rules, recited one of them as if it were gospel:

"The third rule of detectives: No romance should be added to the story. This will only allow irrational emotions to interfere with purely rational reasoning. What we need to do is bring the murderer to the court of justice, not send a couple in love to the altar of marriage."

But the Mystery of a Hansom Cab is precisely based on the love story of a man and a woman, and the core trick is designed on this basis. And the most fun part is at the end of the story, when they really "send a couple in love to the altar of marriage", which is incredibly sweet.

The reason Kitagawa Ryo used this old-fashioned mystery novel to describe Shiina Katsumi's work is because Hiyori's father, who was essentially an unknown writer, depicted various beautiful emotions between people, especially love, in both his early detective novels and other types of novels in recent years.

Incidentally, this father started writing about fifteen or sixteen years ago, roughly around the time Hiyori was born.

... Wait a minute, if we think about it from this perspective, perhaps this is the real reason why the couple was willing to send their daughter to Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, a school with a completely boarding system?

Just as Kitagawa Ryo felt he had inadvertently discovered some strange truth, he looked up and saw Horikita Suzune looking completely bewildered. After shaking his head with a forced smile, he took the initiative to give Suzune a brief summary of the content of the book he had just mentioned, "The Secret of the Two-Wheeled Carriage," and concluded with a single sentence:

"Simply put, it's the story of a man who, because he loves the other person, would rather bear the suspicion of murder than give his alibi, and a woman who, in order to prove the innocence of the man she loves, relentlessly investigates and eventually uncovers her own hidden past. Of course, in the end, it's a happy ending with the lovers getting together."

Seeing that Horikita Suzune still seemed a little dazed, Kitagawa Ryo was originally planning to cosplay as the past Shiina Hiyori and then give her a detailed introduction to this famous mystery novel. However, Hiyori and pointed to a secluded beach not far away:

"Liang, come with me for a moment, I have something very important to tell you."

"Hmm, if Suzune is interested, I'll take you to the library to borrow this book when we get back to school."

Watching Kitagawa Ryo being pulled further and further away, her voice becoming increasingly faint, Horikita Suzune shook her head with amusement. Thanks to the simulation process of achieving a perfect ending in one playthrough, she was always the one among them who was least likely to overthink or feel inexplicably threatened.

However, reading more books is indeed a good idea... after all, it would give you another common topic to discuss with your partner besides cooking.

Horikita Suzune sat there with her knees drawn up to her chest, casually smoothing the strands of hair that had been blown by the sea breeze, carefully tucking them behind her ears, and thinking about it in a relaxed and leisurely manner.

Meanwhile, Kitagawa Ryo was being dragged by Shiina Hiyori, whose strength, even among girls, was below average, to a rocky cliff near the beach. Soon, he saw the girl, who had been walking straight ahead with her back to him, stop and turn around, solemnly announcing to him:

"I don't really care about those twenty rules anymore, especially the third one!"

"After all, we don't live in some detective novel world, and there's no way a murder case would happen that would make me and Ryo conduct A Study in Scarlet, right?"

Kitagawa Ryo looked at the shining golden talent 'Super Detective' in his talent bar and felt that Shiina Hiyori's statement was quite correct.

"So—I take back my previous assessment of <The Secret of the Two-Wheeled Chariot>. Maybe it's actually quite well-written?"

At this point, a blush crept onto Shiina Hiyori's face, and she stammered as she continued:

"Love might just be that kind of thing, capable of making people do all sorts of completely illogical things, things they themselves don't even understand..."

"Indeed."

Seeing the literature-loving girl suddenly become shy in front of him, Kitagawa Ryo simply continued along with her train of thought:

"Moreover, the love story in <The Secret of the Two-Wheeled Chariot> is actually quite well written. I remember the last chapter was titled 'Love Endures in Memory'."

With his two shining golden talents of "Erudite and Retentive" and "Eidetic Memory", Kitagawa Ryo easily recalled the last paragraph of the original work, and suddenly realized, somewhat dazed, that the ending scene also took place at the seaside.

"Ryo, you still remember it so clearly?"

Unlike Kitagawa Ryo, who had essentially gained an unfair advantage Shiina Hiyori only remembered the general plot of the mystery novel she had read a few years ago; the specific details had become hazy in her mind.

"Um."

For some reason, I recalled my first encounter with Shiina Hiyori on the first day of this Uninhabited Island Special Exam. It was during a task called "Impromptu Poetry Recitation," where Kitagawa Ryo recited the last paragraph of the novel in a low voice with great emotion.

She looked up at him with loving eyes. "With you by my side, I have no fear. Our hearts have been tested in the crucible of suffering, and our love has been purified."

"We have no control over anything in this world," he sighed. "But after all the sadness and grief, let us hope that the future will be peaceful."

The next sentence should be, "A seagull with white wings suddenly took flight from the deep red water and circled above their heads." But just as Kitagawa Ryo opened his mouth, a flock of white seagulls actually fluttered past in front of him and Shiina Hiyori, almost making him wonder if he had developed some kind of talent like "animal companion."