Let's Try to Keep This About Work

"That's right, it's the Atlantic Beach Pie!"

"How's it going?"

Kitagawa Ryo invited the person, along with the pie, to sit down at the dining table in the living room. After closing the door, he raised his chin and began to examine the pie placed in the middle of the table.

To be fair, this is a classic baking style for beginners. Unless someone deliberately tries to make a bad attempt or has absolutely no talent, the result is usually quite presentable. This one baked by Shiina Hiyori is no exception.

"As for the appearance and smell, there are no problems; they are very standard."

"Then let's try it. I'll go get the knife, fork, and plate."

After bringing over the knife, fork, and plate, Shiina Hiyori volunteered to cut the pie, first serving a piece to Kitagawa Ryo, and then serving herself a piece.

After exchanging a glance, the two of them put their own portions into their mouths together.

"Hmm... not bad."

After chewing and swallowing the pie in his mouth, Kitagawa Ryo gave his fair assessment:

"It's just a simple sweetness, simply delicious."

"That's good, after all, it's my first time making a finished product."

Shiina Hiyori seemed fairly satisfied with the taste, and after taking another bite, she mumbled something indistinctly:

"Actually, I really wanted to make the blueberry pie that Liang used to make for me, but then I found it was too difficult for a beginner like me."

"Just take it one step at a time. If Hiyori wants some, I can make one in the next couple of days when I have some free time. Hiyori can come over and watch my baking process and maybe help out?"

For Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori, blueberry pie is indeed a dessert with a lot of nostalgic connotations, especially after the latter regained her memories from that simulation and belatedly realized that the two of them had eaten blueberry pie together many times on the campus of ANHS University back then.

While chatting about some details of baking, Kitagawa Ryo and Shiina Hiyori also quickly devoured an entire Atlantic Beach Pie.

"Although desserts are said to be a girl's second stomach, I'm definitely not going to eat dinner tonight. I feel like I'm going to exceed my sugar and calorie intake limit."

"Does Hiyori still care about this aspect now?"

"I guess I've been exercising this semester, at least."

As she spoke, Shiina Hiyori unconsciously touched and rubbed her thigh.

"Because I saw Arisu's excellent performance in the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam at the beginning of this year, I suddenly made up my mind."

Despite being considered one of the two physically weakest members of Sakayanagi Arisu during last year's Uninhabited Island Special Exam —one dragging down the team's stamina in Kitagawa Ryo's group, and the other completely relying on Ibuki Mio —half a year later, the other has become a training expert. Not only did she win first place in the Sports Festival, but her performance in the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam was also outstanding. This really touched Shiina Hiyori a lot.

"And then, Xue also helped me a lot."

Snow?

Suddenly hearing an unexpected yet perfectly logical name from Shiina Hiyori's mouth, Kitagawa Ryo curiously repeated it.

"Yes, after she heard about my exercise plan, she sent me her rehabilitation exercise plan from when she was discharged from the mental hospital for reference. She helped me a lot. She was very kind and helpful to me."

Shiina Hiyori nodded, seemingly quite pleased with the snow.

If Hotaru were here, she'd probably immediately complain that you had no idea the first half of that dream was completely based on your hairstyle and hair color.

While Kitagawa Ryo was still unaware of the specific details of the insane dream Hotaru had designed for Yuki, a little thought would allow him to understand Yuki's true intentions in getting close to Shiina Hiyori.

"There are definitely qualities in Hiyori that Yuki admires, or rather, it seems like Yuki isn't the only one?"

"Ah, something like that, I think Hui said something to me too."

Perhaps because the topic had been brought up suddenly, Shiina Hiyori's gaze shifted uncomfortably for a moment before she continued, looking somewhat troubled:

Actually, I'm not really aware of it myself.

"If Hiyori were self-aware, it would completely change the whole thing, and I also really like the part about Hiyori not being self-aware."

At this point, Kitagawa Ryo's gaze also wandered, clearly recalling Hiyori from Karuizawa Kei's first simulation. It was fortunate that the memories sealed in that ring were from the second simulation; if it had been the first, both Shiina Hiyori and Horikita Suzune would have been in dire straits.

After all, if anyone were to follow suit and do the same thing again, Kitagawa Ryo would truly be in tears. He didn't want to solve one psychological problem after another only to have to immediately start dealing with two new ones.

"Speaking of which, what are Ryo's thoughts on this Summer Special Exam that's confirmed to be in Tokyo? Many students in the Special Exam are quite looking forward to it; to be precise, they want to replicate the legendary performance of Class D last year."

"Although I've only been here for a day, I can clearly feel that the situation in Class D is different from before. This Summer Special Exam doesn't seem to be academically based, so if we work hard, we might actually get good results."

Shiina Hiyori helped Shiina Hiyori wash and put away the plates, cutlery, and forks, and also cleaned up the crime scene (the kitchen). Kitagawa Ryo then naturally started chatting with Shiina Hiyori about their class.

If Shiina Hiyori didn't pay much attention to or have much affection for the class when she first started school a year and a half ago, then from a certain point onwards, she gradually began to care about the class and her friends.

If we trace it back to its source, it seems to be a chain reaction caused by his actions during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam last year.

"Actually, when our class was taking Unanimous Special Exam agreeing on the location and format of the Summer Special Exam, Ryuen also wanted us to choose Tokyo, because he felt that the Tokyo Summer Special Exam was just another form of Uninhabited Island survival test, only the location was in a metropolis of steel and concrete."

"A description very much in the style of Ryuen."

"Right? He guessed the exam would be like a variety show, a challenge where you have to survive in the city for a certain number of days with a certain amount of yen. Does Ryo think that's plausible?"

"I can't be certain about what he's saying now, since there's been absolutely no word from him. But in some ways, his speculation is pretty much the same as mine, otherwise the school wouldn't have chosen Tokyo as the exam location."

As he spoke, Kitagawa Ryo was also somewhat speechless and choked with emotion:

"However, if that's really the case in the end, I have a feeling that given Ryuen's art style, it will turn into a live demonstration of street scam techniques."

"Let's get Liang to go and move bricks and carry bags, so he doesn't drag the class down like he did in last year's Uninhabited Island Special Exam."

"Wow, all it takes is one command from Hiyori, and I'll contact the classmates to nominate you as the next leader of Class D."

"... Then forget it."

The two lay on the sofa. Shiina Hiyori slowly slid her upper body onto Kitagawa Ryo's lap, took his hands and placed them on her lower abdomen, and murmured in a relaxed manner with her eyes closed:

"I'm not suited to be a class Leader."

"Actually, if Liang were willing, Ryuen would definitely have put you in this position immediately. He told me about it a long time ago..."

"That's not a big deal, because I always felt that this Special Exam would completely disrupt the class and even grade-level plans. It wouldn't be conducted in groups like last year's Uninhabited Island, but would be entirely individual, and you might not even be able to see your classmates during the entire exam period."

"... Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Because Tokyo is very big, completely different from Uninhabited Island or school grounds."

Noticing that Shiina Hiyori was a little down, Kitagawa Ryo offered another word of comfort:

"Actually, this is just my guess. Maybe the school will just put everyone in one company for an internship in the end."

"Companies... internships... it all feels so distant yet so close... Liang, what can I actually do after graduation?"

"It's up to Hiyori to decide. Of course, if Hiyori hasn't made up her mind, I can do what I did before... um, take care of you?"

"Has Liang said this to many people?"

"Just you."

"Wouldn't that be even worse? What if in the end I'm the only social outcast among everyone? No way!"

Shiina Hiyori shook her head from side to side, then rolled to the left, resting her head against Kitagawa Ryo's waist and burying her face in his clothes.

"If all else fails, I'll just write novels like my dad, but I won't follow any detective rules."

"I want to write a story about me and Ryo, where both the male and female leads are detectives and assistants, both criminals and accomplices."

"... That's decided then."

P. S.: Thank you for reading and subscribing.

PS2: The show "Crime Scene Kitchen" mentioned in this chapter is indeed a variety show; those interested can check it out.

PS3: In fact, the theme that Hiyori wanted to write in the end could be referenced from Chinen Mikito's "The Glass Tower Murder". The relationship between the male and female protagonists in that story is indeed like that, which is quite novel as a couple. However, the mystery design in this book can only be described as subtle.

Chapter 65: Let's try to talk about work.

"So, you two really did spend the entire night talking about how to create a mystery novel from scratch?"

Seeing the messages from Shiina Hiyori, Karuizawa Kei was originally half-lying on the edge of her bed in her dormitory room looking at her phone, suddenly became respectful, stood up straight, crossed her long legs in her pink and white pajamas, and began to frantically call Shiina Hiyori.

"How come I remember someone making such confident promises before today, but in the end they still fell short at the last minute?"

"And didn't he say he'd read at least eight or ten different mystery novels over the years? Hayasaka Yab- sensei and his 'Sad Mystery' series are crying their eyes out!"

"The last person to stay overnight without anything happening was Honami, but that was a special case. I really can't figure out why this time."

After receiving several mocking messages from Karuizawa Kei, Shiina Hiyori struggled to defend herself, but in the end, all she could manage was a weak, stammering reply:

"But we're making good progress on the novel. We've pretty much finished discussing the character designs for the male and female leads and the general plot framework for the first part. By the way, I'm planning to write a long series."

"Ha, it's been ten years since I last played the role of the senior student who only talked about work on a night when we were alone together."

"... But I don't know what to do? And it seems like the guy should be the one to take the initiative in these kinds of situations?"

"Then I can only say that Hiyori past persona is too deeply ingrained in people's minds. Perhaps in Liang's heart, you are still the kind of literary girl whose love only stops at holding hands, hugging, and kissing."

"But I clearly had some very intimate conversations with him at noon..."

"I don't think the things you said to Liang at the dinner table were more explicit than the 'Serene Mystery' series that you two enjoyed together years ago. Speaking of which, I recently watched it again out of boredom and realized how bizarre it is that you guys finished it before you even reached middle school—it seems like your threshold has been raised."

To verify her theory, Karuizawa Kei typed out a question again:

"If I asked Hiyori to recite ten lines of sexual description from traditional literature, could you write them?"

"One hundred sentences shouldn't be a problem?"

"So we're stuck at this step, huh? I'm once again amazed by the amazing way you and Ryo interact."

Karuizawa Kei stretched her legs out again, braced herself against the headboard at the foot of the bed, and used the reaction force to comfortably prop her head onto the pillow. She tilted her head back, held up her phone, and continued to complain about her best friend.

"Too much theoretical knowledge, but completely lacking in practical experience, Belike."

To be honest, Karuizawa Kei had once wanted to open her memory palace Shiina Hiyori the significance of her being the first to board the cruise ship last year. After all, since then, both Sakayanagi Arisu and Ichinose Honami had subtly inquired about it with her. However, she didn't have Shiina Hiyori's ability to easily find relevant sentences in various classic literature and express them in a literary style, so she had never discussed this aspect directly with Shiina Hiyori before.

Actually, what she said wasn't wrong. Before that ring that suddenly appeared in reality, Shiina Hiyori and Kitagawa Ryo's relationship was indeed quite innocent. On that Uninhabited Island, in that the Tempest night that seemed like a gift from heaven, they only exchanged their first kiss. After that, it became even more mundane, and there were no romantic encounters on the cruise ship.

Theoretically, in this situation, Kitagawa Ryo, with his more experience, should be the one to take the initiative and guide the conversation. However, after experiencing the trio of Amasawa Ichika, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Yuki, he began to cherish the kind of interaction with Shiina Hiyori instead. Who wouldn't want precious rest time?

So the two of them are stuck at this last hurdle.

"If it weren't for the constraints, I'd love to use an online headset like in those light novels to give you real-time commands—dates are war!"

"Wearing a headset is too easy to be noticed..."

"Why is Hiyori actually starting to consider the feasibility of this kind of thing?"

"Um, because I think it's actually a good idea?"

Shiina Hiyori, who had just finished showering and was sprawled on her bed chatting with Karuizawa Kei in her room, naturally sent the message:

"I don't feel embarrassed or anything because Hui is watching. On the contrary, I would feel more at ease if Hui were there."

"No, no, no, I don't have a penchant for watching people do this kind of thing, and one of them is my lover, and the other is my best friend... Is this really not some kind of erotic story plot?"

[Haha, so this is what "cool" is like here? It's completely different where I am. If you can accept it, then watch the video I sent you.--]

Karuizawa Kei had even come up with the corresponding lines in her mind, but she quickly shook her head to throw these inexplicable fantasies away. Then, when she looked up, she saw Shiina Hiyori replying quite matter-of-factly:

"Even Hui can't just watch, can she?"

"?"

After slowly typing out a question mark, Karuizawa Kei also paused for a moment, then immediately resumed typing in frenzy mode to reply:

"Hey, hey, although we did discuss and confirm this during the Uninhabited Island and Cultural Festival last year, it hasn't come to this yet. It's just that we both accept that the other likes someone but won't ruin our relationship because of them."

"But I don't think this contradicts what Hui said."

"Stop—let me catch my breath."

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Karuizawa Kei typed again to confirm:

"Excuse me Shiina Hiyori, are you serious?"

"I've always been seriously thinking about how to solve the problem."

Shiina Hiyori replied without the slightest hesitation:

"Hui, do you remember what you said to Liang on the phone after you met me during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam last year?"

"You said, 'You got off easy.'"

"So, let's give him a break one more time."

Student Council Activities Department, Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School.

Because it's close to the end of the semester, the Student Council is much busier than usual, especially with this Summer Large-Scale Special Exam. Many peripheral tasks have also been assigned to the Student Council.