What Was Missed and What Came Again

She stole his time.

To put it simply, it's a trick involving time.

"It's Ayatsuji Yukito's 'The Clock Mansion Murders'."

Kitagawa Ryo revealed the answer to the mystery.

As the pinnacle of Ayatsuji Yukito's "Mansion Series" mystery novels, this classic work, which won the 45th Japan Mystery Writers Association Award in the 1990s, employs a trick involving time, or rather, clocks.

If I had to summarize the book in one sentence, it would be a story about someone who tries to manipulate and control time to demonstrate their mad love, but ends up causing an even greater tragedy.

The core trick of this work is the discrepancy between the time displayed on the clock and the actual time.

"The time on my phone must have been tampered with by you yesterday."

"The time it's displaying now is faster than the actual time."

Like the final chapter of every mystery novel, Kitagawa Ryo begins to explain his answer to Karuizawa Kei and Shiina Hiyori, the one who set the question.

"While I don't know if Hiyori had considered this from the beginning, or if it was just a coincidence, I have to admit that the time you chose was perfect."

In fact, on a normal day, Kitagawa Ryo was certain that he would discover the time display on his phone had been tampered with the moment he woke up.

Because he has a morning training agreement with Sakayanagi Arisu and an almost fixed biological clock.

But on Valentine's Day, both of these aspects are disrupted.

First, he canceled his morning workout with Sakayanagi Arisu in order to make up for his date with Ichinose Honami today.

Then, because he canceled his morning exercise with Arisu, Sakayanagi Arisu invaded his room this morning, which resulted in him not waking up naturally as usual, but being awakened by Sakayanagi Arisu riding on his back.

"However, I believe this was an event that Hiyori anticipated."

"Because you had a deep conversation with Arisu during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam, or you heard some things from her, based on that alone, Hiyori should be able to recognize and even grasp parts of Arisu's personality."

Shiina Hiyori nodded secretly behind the tree.

After all, Sakayanagi Arisu's somber expression that day was almost like gravity collapsing into a black hole. Therefore, if Kitagawa Ryo cancels his morning training with Ichinose Honami for the sake of her, Sakayanagi Arisu will definitely come knocking on his door first and make herself Kitagawa Ryo's first love on Valentine's Day.

"And then, it's time for my appointment with Honami."

"Actually, thinking about it now, I should have felt something was off when I met Honami this morning. Honami always arrives twenty or thirty minutes early when we meet. Even though I was delayed a bit this morning because other girls were giving me chocolates in the lobby on the first floor of the dormitory, Honami wouldn't have acted like he was waiting for me for a long time. It's because I was late from the start."

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo let out another long sigh:

"However, the most ingenious part of this time-manipulation scheme is that Hiyori had anticipated my predictions, namely my arrangements for this Valentine's Day celebration."

"Hiyori knows I made sure to arrange every detail for Honami today, but she also deduced that I was also worried about being delayed by a lot of chocolates from the girls in the morning, so all the arrangements for the morning and the forenoon were not done on time."

To give a simple example, take the first flower surprise he gave Ichinose Honami. If Kitagawa Ryo had planned to trigger the mechanism at a fixed time, then he simply couldn't bring Ichinose Honami to the corresponding location on the exact moment. The same applies to the subsequent lottery and photo taking.

In the morning session, the plan was initiated based on people; that is, the staff who had been notified in advance would only begin the plan once Kitagawa Ryo or Ichinose Honami arrived at their respective locations.

"But my lunchtime is different."

"Because Hiyori guessed that, given my personality, I would prepare everything for Honami meticulously, lunch would naturally be no exception. However, the word 'lunch' itself carries a time element, so this would definitely make me notice something was wrong. Since the time was sped up, my first thought was that there was a problem with the staff and they weren't prepared. And since I couldn't tell Honami about this directly, I chose to come and check it myself."

"Moreover, this scheme not only targeted me, but also completely took into account Honami's psychological state."

After all, Honami was still completely in the dark, hadn't even followed along and was still standing there thinking that this was another pleasant surprise for him.

Of course, Honami's calculations didn't stop there, because Shiina Hiyori also guessed that Ichinose Honami would definitely not bring up the time today.

Putting aside the fact that people naturally forget about time when they're engrossed in having fun, bringing up questions like "What time is it?" during a romantic date sounds like complaining.

After revealing all of Shiina Hiyori's schemes, Kitagawa Ryo clapped his hands with a smile:

"And then, just like now, having had my time stolen, I'll naturally fall into Hiyori's trap, right?"

At this moment, Shiina Hiyori finally emerged from behind the tree, holding up her phone to show Kitagawa Ryo the real time:

It's exactly 11:00 AM.

"Yeah, I stole half an hour of Liang's time."

Shiina Hiyori readily admitted it, then playfully extended her hand to Kitagawa Ryo, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'll give you back half an hour of the Fireworks Festival tonight, remember to come and pick it up!"

"Because, this is a unique moment that I received during this Valentine's Day, a moment that belongs only to me and is cherished by Honami."

Please take one day off.

I've been reading mystery novels for inspiration these past couple of days and I'm getting a bit numb, so I'm taking a day off.

I actually considered three ways to write the trick in the previous chapter alone, such as in "The Last Teleportation Magic", a story in "Rainbow Toothbrush", and finally, in "The Clock Mansion Murders".

However, mystery novels are indeed very good. Today I read <1367>, and you can check it out if you're interested.

The new cover has been decided; it's the newly released Hiyori.


Chapter 474: What Was Missed and What Comes Again

"That's incredible! They actually cook right here on site?"

"It feels like we're filming some kind of reality TV show."

"The male and female guests are indeed a good match in terms of looks."

"When they first moved here, I thought it was some kind of new event at a booth, but when I went over to ask, I found out that it was First Year named Kitagawa who booked the Matoba. I bet it cost them a lot of Private Points."

"Even if Private Points, it probably wouldn't work. After all, theoretically, this whole area around the Gymnasium is contracted out for this event. But who can blame them when they're the acting Student Council President? They probably just found some vendor to impersonate them and set up a stall. They'll make sure you can't find any fault with the procedures."

That's why I said it's a real exaggeration.

With Kitagawa Ryo's quiet return from Shiina Hiyori and the pre-arranged staff, an outdoor kitchen, though open-air, was far from simple, was quickly set up amidst the somewhat shocked gazes of other students and faculty. All the necessary equipment and ingredients were neatly arranged there.

Completely opposite to the boys' discussion, the girls' topic was entirely different. Many seemed to recall similar scenes from shoujo manga they had read before. However, unlike those stories where every meal was prepared on the spot by a star chef, this scene featured the male protagonist himself.

In fact, although he had already made a name for himself as a culinary master at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School a long time ago, and had even shown off his skills in front of a large audience during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam last month, the breakfast portion of the last Special Exam was only after the food was basically cooked, attracting other students with the aroma of the food. Therefore, for a considerable number of Tokyo ANHS students, this was truly the first time they had seen Kitagawa Ryo's cooking up close and in its entirety.

Unlike the bento boxes that were usually fed to Shiina Hiyori, Kitagawa Ryo's cooking methods and dishes were naturally modified accordingly because the occasion, dining environment, and most importantly, the heroine had changed.

Although Ichinose Honami Kitagawa Ryo's unusual stubbornness. Her blue eyes were fixed on Kitagawa Ryo, who was working methodically not far away, completely unaware that she and the other person had become another unforgettable scene on Valentine's Day in the eyes of the people around them.

Sakayanagi Arisu was munching on the whole-wheat toast that Matsushita Chiaki had bought for her in the crowd, radiating a lemony sourness that seemed to say, "What's the big deal? It's fine without it." She was still brooding over the fact that Kitagawa Ryo had not only skipped her morning exercise but also their breakfast that morning.

Meanwhile, in the crowd, observing with mixed feelings, was Kushida Kikyo from Class 1-C. Knowing full well that half of her attraction to boys came from the fact that she didn't have a boyfriend, Kushida Kikyo naturally wouldn't accept any boy's invitation on Valentine's Day, even though she received a lot of chocolates. In the end, she still chose to go out with the other girls.

To be honest, Kushida Kikyo had always been somewhat puzzled and even disdainful of Ichinose Honami's 'unwise' behavior, which was her biggest rival (although this was just Kushida Kikyo's own opinion). After all, everyone knows that single girls are more popular in social situations than girls in relationships, especially among boys. But she still resolutely chose the most explosive Confessions method during last year's Sports Festival, thus handing over the throne of the queen of First Year freshmen to her.

However, seeing this scene before her, Kushida Kikyo couldn't help but feel a strange ripple in her heart. She inexplicably felt that if she could find a high-quality guy who was willing to go to such lengths for her, perhaps giving up those messy and useless social relationships would be a good thing.

However, Kushida Kikyo quickly suppressed this sudden thought, as it contradicted her already established life philosophy. Moreover, there would never be another Kitagawa Ryo in the entire Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School.

Thinking about this, Kushida Kikyo felt inexplicably irritated again.

After all, she had known Kitagawa Ryo for several years back in junior high school, even earlier than Horikita Suzune, who is now strongly supporting her in the Student Council election. As a result, she was suspected of being a spy by Katsuragi Kohei and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka in her class.

But the truth is that nothing happened between her and Kitagawa Ryo, and that was even though she wanted something to happen between them at the time.

Every time she thinks back on the past, Kushida Kikyo can't figure out where things went wrong. After they both enrolled in Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, this complex emotion, along with the passage of time and the activities of Kitagawa Ryo, turned into a subtle resentment that was hard to explain.

Just like in middle school, even though she later became a spy for the other side during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, she still didn't feel any connection with Kitagawa Ryo. Even when the other side met with another spy Hirata Yosuke, it was always one-on-one. But with her, it was only through Amasawa Ichika, that absolute violent maniac and paranoid madman.

Then, her little secret was discovered by Ayanokoji Kiyotaka during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam. He simply analyzed the pros and cons for her in a clear and logical manner, using both coaxing and intimidation, just like a trainer who follows a strategy to capture a Pokémon, and then switched her allegiance back to him.

No one cared or even asked her why she did it, nor about her past, her psychological changes from childhood to adulthood, or how her increasingly paranoid life philosophy gradually formed.

Although Kushida Kikyo didn't really think she wanted to tell others these things, the repeated indifference she received still made her feel a bit frustrated.

Perhaps this is why she felt that strange resentment towards Kitagawa Ryo.

It's just like when you're bullied at school, instead of resenting the bullies, you're more concerned about and unable to accept that the person you once secretly admired ignores your situation.

Why don't you try to... Salvation me too?

Even today, though she is unwilling to admit it, Kushida Kikyo still lingers around this question.

Since it was lunchtime, the exclusive matchmaking event for faculty and staff temporarily came to a close. With the host's words, the first half of the event was declared over. The men and women who had been chatting for half the morning and were starting to hit it off were eager to find a nice restaurant to continue their conversation while they ate. However, most of the teachers still came up empty-handed. After all, matchmaking is a matter of more failures than successes.

It has to be said that at times like this, the fake sisterhood between Chabashira Sae and Hoshinomiya Chie comes in handy again.

Faced with a large number of lunch invitations from male teachers, both Chabashira Sae and Hoshinomiya Chie tacitly chose the excuse that they would have lunch with Sae / Chie, thus naturally getting rid of the persistent pests.

"This is such a hassle."

Having just escaped the crowded throng, Hoshinomiya Chie's expression immediately changed, revealing a gloomy look once more. In a sense, she and Kushida Kikyo were quite similar, both forced to attend large events they didn't actually want to attend because of their usual personas.

"Let's just find somewhere to eat. The host said there's a second half in the afternoon, and apparently there will be some icebreaker games."

Perhaps having regained the element of trust from Kitagawa Ryo, Chabashira Sae now seems to have shed her past image as an ice queen, and is much more talkative than Hoshinomiya Chie beside her.

"Whispering sound--"

Hoshinomiya Chie simply clicked her tongue in mockery.

"That cat wasn't yours at all."

If you were to find the person in Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School who understands Chabashira Sae the most, it would undoubtedly Hoshinomiya Chie. Therefore, the moment she heard the other woman pretending to mention the lost cat notice that morning, she saw through the lie.

"Regardless of whose it is, it's mine now, at least nominally."

Chabashira Sae was quite satisfied that Kitagawa Ryo had chosen her over Hoshinomiya Chie. After all, if they really had to find a teacher who could cover up the cat-keeping, Kitagawa's former homeroom teacher, Mashima Tomoya, and her current homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie, would both seem like better candidates.

But Kitagawa Ryo still didn't hesitate to tell her this secret.

What's this?

This is absolute trust.

This shows that the other party is still willing to maintain a cooperative relationship. As for why the promised class transfer hasn't been fulfilled yet, there must be someone causing trouble. Of course, there's no problem with being rejected.

"So whose cat is this? And why is it registered under your name?"

When Hoshinomiya Chie pressed for more information, Chabashira Sae fell silent again. In any case, ever since that physical hair-pulling incident during winter break, she and Hoshinomiya Chie had essentially broken off their friendship, and now they were just superficial best friends.

"Shall we go to the Keyaki Mall area, or do you just want to grab something near the Gymnasium?"

When Chabashira Sae changed the subject, Hoshinomiya Chie just pouted.

"I don't mind, I'll just walk around and take a look."

As they walked and talked, Chabashira Sae and Hoshinomiya Chie quickly noticed the unusual scene ahead: a group of students and faculty members were gathered around a certain spot, as if they were watching something.

Compared to the petite Hoshinomiya Chie, the tall Chabashira Sae was already wearing high heels today, so she only needed to tiptoe slightly to see what was inside:

"It looks like Kitagawa is on a date with Ichinose. I heard from someone nearby that she just cooked their lunch."

"Oh, I see. Then it's no wonder we're surrounded by so many people. After all, the smell alone makes me want to shamelessly go in and take a bite. Teenage romances do tend to focus on these kinds of rituals..."

For Hoshinomiya Chie, who is already past that age and is practically just one step away from turning thirty, the saccharine scent of high school romance is indeed making her want to pinch her nose. After all, compared to the process of falling in love, she has already expanded her understanding to the level of sex and just wants to skip all the rituals that seem rather tedious to her and go straight to the essence of love.

However, Chabashira Sae did not answer her.

Just like Kitagawa Ryo's assessment of her, Chabashira Sae's psychological state was indeed stagnant during her senior year of high school, or rather, during that Special Exam, and she made no progress for the next ten years.

However, precisely because of this, compared to Hoshinomiya Chie, who no longer wants to or can experience these delicate emotions, Chabashira Sae, who only had a first love that lasted for 24 hours and ended without a trace, and who had nothing to do except Confessions, is more moved by the scene before her.

However, this may also be related to the fact that the male protagonist in the story is someone she cares about very much.

Chabashira Sae stood there watching the two of them clink glasses with smiles. It wasn't some fancy crystal goblet, just a simple, ordinary glass, filled with nothing special, but the kind of hot cocoa that felt especially warm in the winter.

Ichinose Honami savored the rich warmth and sweetness emanating from her lips and tongue, just like when they first met in reality, or rather, when they reunited, and the other person smiled and handed her a cup while she was inside a mascot costume.

That was also winter, but it was several years ago.

But no matter how much time passed, Kitagawa Ryo in front of her remained the same as she had seen countless times before, with clear and bright dark eyes, always looking at her with a gentle smile, as if she could see all the beauty in the world through them.

For a moment, Ichinose Honami even had the thought that time would freeze right there, but she quickly dismissed it.

After all, their story will only get more exciting from here on out. Just like what Kitagawa Ryo wrote in the birthday card he gave her, they won't end up like this. The rest of their lives are still long, and the future is still worth looking forward to.

For example, the Fireworks Festival that starts after it gets dark.

A woman dresses up for the man she loves.

Ichinose Honami had already prepared different outfits for Valentine's Day.

The Yukata I couldn't wear that time was the second one.

As for the following--

That happened after the sky had darkened further.