Prey

Shiina Hiyori had waited for far too long, but there was no need to be impatient; time was not an enemy, but a furnace for tempering logic.

She had already gathered some basic information on Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kiyona; it could be said that Ayanokoji Kiyona only came to the library for the sake of Hoshino Kanade.

Therefore, her only target was Hoshino Kanade.

Initially, Shiina Hiyori planned to manufacture a "coincidental collision"—that is, to "accidentally" bump into him at a corner, and through this deliberately created "accident," discover that they were both fans of mystery novels, then naturally strike up a conversation and become book friends:

Shiina Hiyori gently closed The Murders in the Rue Morgue in her hands, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the gold-stamped spine. The morning light at the corner of the corridor projected the window frames onto the floor like a prepared stage. She paused in the shadow of a pillar, hearing footsteps approaching from the other end—it was him.

In the moment her breath hitched, she took a light step forward, her slender shoulder perfectly meeting the figure turning the corner. The light collision she had anticipated did not occur; the other party agilely sidestepped, leaving only the book in her arms to flutter to the floor.

"Sorry." A cold, clear voice came from above.

Shiina lowered her eyes to pick up the book, and the moment her fingertips brushed the cover, the boy's gaze suddenly paused: "Edgar Allan Poe?"

"Do you like mystery novels too?" As she looked up, her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, revealing just the right amount of starlight she had deliberately hidden in her eyes. The rustle of pages turning in the wind became the gentlest footnote to this "accident."

The above was purely imagination.

To implement this plan, she needed to know the target's fixed route in advance.

Shiina Hiyori noticed that the books the target read every day were different.

This astonishing reading speed left her both surprised and excited—the target was clearly well-read and knowledgeable, exactly the ideal book friend she hoped to engage in deep conversation with.

However, this also meant that the target had no fixed route.

Plan A had fallen apart before it even began.

By the same token, several similar plans had also fallen apart.

For example, tucking a custom bookmark into a book the target often read, where the puzzle on the bookmark would point to her once solved, naturally sparking interaction while cleverly linking their shared interests.

Many other plans were simply too slow to take effect.

Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka always went to the library together, reading side-by-side in adjacent seats.

There were very few times when Hoshino Kanade was alone; opportunities were fleeting.

She didn't dare approach when there were two of them, and she had to summon the courage when he was alone.

Decided.

Shiina Hiyori's final plan was: when the target approached, she would pretend to try and reach for a book on a high shelf but fail repeatedly; upon hearing footsteps behind her, she would turn and ask for help, using the book as a topic to start a conversation.

Now, Shiina Hiyori only needed one opportunity—an opportunity for the prey to be alone.

She was like a detective lurking at a crime scene—the clues had been integrated, and only the final link remained to be verified. If she had the chance to participate in the verification, the truth would surely come to light.

Now, that opportunity had arrived.

The opportunity had passed again.

When Shiina Hiyori arrived at the library after school, Hoshino Kanade was already sitting in his seat reading.

There was no sign of Kiyona around Hoshino Kanade; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But the conditions for her final plan were absent. Interrupting someone's reading to help her get a book? Shiina Hiyori couldn't bring herself to do it.

Plans, after all, could never keep up with changes; perhaps this was the true meaning of a "final plan."

Why did it have to be like this? Oh no~

She still had a glimmer of hope; as long as she sat next to Hoshino Kanade now and took the initiative to talk about books, she could turn the situation around.

She might be seen as a strange person, but...

"Would you like to read together?"

"Eh?" Shiina Hiyori opened her eyes wide.

"You stood still after entering the library without borrowing a book, yet your gaze fell on my side—it must be because the book you wanted to borrow has already been checked out by me."

Hoshino Kanade had even thought of the reason for Shiina Hiyori.

"It's a pity that I want to read this book now, but if you don't mind, we can read it together."

Shiina Hiyori felt that Hoshino Kanade was glowing; he was truly the person she had tried every possible way to get close to, and he made her feel warm.

"Just as you said... to be able to appreciate this volume with a kindred spirit is truly a fortunate event."

Her voice was as light as falling snow, yet a nameless ripple stirred in the depths of her eyes.

Shiina Hiyori couldn't wait; her pace quickened quietly, yet she still gathered her skirt and sat down gracefully.

The scent that drifted over was as clear as the first bloom of morning dew—half the woody fiber of book pages, half the faint scent of gardenias clinging to her hair.

When her sleeves brushed by, they stirred a subtle current of air, and the fragrance spread like ripples, only to suddenly retract just as it was about to touch, leaving only the rustle of the silk fabric of her skirt, like the fluttering of a butterfly as it lands.

"Class D, first year, Hoshino Kanade. Pleased to meet you."

"Class C, first year, Shiina Hiyori, a lover of mystery novels... If you wish to discuss books, I am willing to talk with you at any time."

Hoshino Kanade's fingertips lightly brushed the dark red cover, pushing the hardcover book toward Shiina Hiyori: "The Devotion of Suspect X, by Keigo Higashino—has Shiina-san read it?"

Shiina Hiyori leaned forward slightly, her focused gaze visible beneath her bangs: "I have naturally read Higashino's works, but this one..." She stared at the thorns and meteor patterns entwined on the cover, "The title does not seem to be in any catalog I am familiar with."

She seemed to have completely forgotten that the reason she used earlier was that she wanted to borrow this book, even though that reason had been suggested to her by Hoshino Kanade.

"This is one of his obscure masterpieces," Hoshino Kanade opened the yellowed pages, and a maple leaf bookmark slid out, "The core trick is 'time forgery'—three siblings spend fourteen years plotting revenge to uncover the truth behind their parents' murder." He paused suddenly, "The key prop is a coffee can."

Shiina's eyes widened instantly: "Could it be through the production date on the bottom of the can..."

"Exactly," Hoshino tapped the illustrated page with his fingertip, "The killer exploited a loophole in a supermarket promotion to tamper with the date, creating an alibi." He lowered his voice, "But the most shocking part is the ending—when the younger sister discovers the true culprit is..."

Shiina stood up, bracing herself against the table without realizing it: "Please wait!" She pulled out her notebook and began writing furiously, "The cold chain transport cycle for the supermarket is three days... the promotional batch..." Suddenly, her pen tip stopped, "Ah! So the power outage in chapter seven wasn't an accident!"

Hoshino tapped the edge of the page with his fingertip: "Impressive! The foreshadowing regarding the refrigerated truck key was buried extremely deep; to think Shiina-san could lock onto the logical key point so instantly." He pushed another book toward her from his bag, "Would you like to trade? This one has a side story from the killer's perspective."

Shiina accepted the book solemnly, her fingertips brushing the back of Hoshino's hand: "It would be my honor." She unfastened her bag, and a dozen books wrapped in kraft paper spilled out, "As a return gift—these first editions of The Tragedy of Y, Hoshino-kun may choose whichever he likes."

Sunlight filtered through the bookshelves, illuminating the faint red flush on her earlobes, "Next time... could I hear your interpretation of The Tragedy of Y again?"

"It would be my honor."

Shiina Hiyori had waited for too long, but there was no need to be impatient; time was not an enemy, but a furnace for tempering logic.

She had already gathered some basic information about Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kiyona; it could be said that Ayanokoji Kiyona only came to the library for the sake of Hoshino Kanade.

Therefore, her only target was Hoshino Kanade himself.

Initially, Shiina Hiyori planned to create a "coincidental collision"—that is, to "accidentally" bump into him at a corner, and through this deliberately manufactured "accident," discover that they were both fans of mystery novels, then naturally strike up a conversation and become book friends:

Shiina Hiyori gently closed the copy of The Murders in the Rue Morgue in her hands, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the gold-stamped spine. The morning light at the corner of the hallway projected the window frames onto the floor like a prepared stage. She paused in the shadow of a pillar, hearing footsteps approaching from the other end—it was him.

In the moment her breathing hitched, she moved half a step forward, her slender shoulder perfectly positioned to meet the figure at the corner. The light collision she had envisioned did not occur; the other person agilely side-stepped, leaving only the books in her arms to flutter to the ground.

"Sorry." A cool, calm voice came from above.

Shiina lowered her eyes to pick up the books, and the moment her fingertips brushed the cover, the boy's gaze suddenly paused: "Edgar Allan Poe?"

"Do you like mystery novels too?" As she looked up, her eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, revealing just the right amount of starlight she had deliberately hidden in her eyes. The rustling sound of pages turning in the wind became the gentlest footnote to this "accident."

The above is purely imagination.

To implement this plan, one would need to know the target's fixed route in advance.

Shiina Hiyori noticed that the books the target read every day were different.

This astonishing reading speed made her both surprised and excited—the target was clearly well-read and knowledgeable, exactly the ideal book friend she hoped to engage with deeply.

However, this also meant that the target had no fixed route.

Plan A had fallen apart before it even began.

By the same token, several similar plans had also failed.

For example, tucking a custom bookmark into a book the target frequently read, where the riddle on the bookmark would point to her once solved, naturally sparking interaction while cleverly linking their shared interests.

Many other plans were simply too slow to take effect.

Hoshino Kanade and Ayanokoji Kiyotaka always went to the library together, reading side-by-side in adjacent seats.

There were very few times when Hoshino Kanade was alone; opportunities were fleeting.

She didn't dare approach when there were two of them, but she had to summon the courage when he was alone.

She decided.

Shiina Hiyori's final plan was: when the target approached, she would pretend to try to reach a book on a high shelf and fail repeatedly, then upon hearing footsteps behind her, turn around to ask for help, using the book as a topic to start a conversation.

Now, Shiina Hiyori only needed one opportunity, an opportunity for the prey to be alone.

She lay in wait like a detective at a crime scene—the clues were all integrated, lacking only the final link for verification. If she had the chance to participate in the verification, the truth would surely come to light.

Now, that opportunity had arrived.

The opportunity had passed again.

When Shiina Hiyori arrived at the library after school, Hoshino Kanade was already sitting in his seat reading.

There was no sign of Kiyona around Hoshino Kanade; a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But the conditions for her final plan were also missing; interrupting someone's reading to help her get a book? Shiina Hiyori couldn't bring herself to do it.

Plans, in the end, could never keep up with changes; perhaps that was the meaning of a "final plan."

Why did it have to be like this, oh no~

She still had a glimmer of hope; if she sat next to Hoshino Kanade now and proactively brought up the topic of books, she could turn the situation around.

She might be seen as a strange person, but...

"Would you like to read together?"

"Eh?" Shiina Hiyori's eyes widened.

"You stood still after entering the library without borrowing any books, yet your gaze fell on my side—it must be because the book you wanted to borrow has already been checked out by me, right?"

Hoshino Kanade had even thought of the reason for Shiina Hiyori.

"It's a pity that I also want to read this book right now. If you don't mind, we could read it together."

Shiina Hiyori felt as though Hoshino Kanade were glowing; he was truly someone she had tried every means to get close to, and he felt so warm.

"Just as you say... to be able to savor this volume with a kindred spirit is truly a stroke of good fortune."

Her voice was as light and shallow as falling snow, yet a ripple of unknown origin stirred in the depths of her eyes.

Shiina Hiyori felt a sense of impatience and her pace quickened quietly, yet she still gathered her skirt with grace as she sat down.

The scent that drifted over was as crisp as morning dew—half the woody fiber of book pages, half the faint fragrance of gardenias clinging to her hair.

As her sleeves brushed by, they stirred a subtle breeze, and the fragrance spread like ripples, only to pull back just as it was about to touch, leaving behind only the rustle of the silk fabric of her skirt, like the moment a butterfly pauses before taking flight.

"Class D, first year, Hoshino Kanade. Pleased to meet you."

"Class C, first year, Shiina Hiyori. A lover of mystery novels... if you wish to discuss books, I am always ready to converse with you."

Hoshino Kanade's fingertips lightly traced the dark red cover as he pushed the hardcover book toward Shiina Hiyori: "The Devotion of Suspect X, by the author Keigo Higashino—have you read this, Shiina-san?"

Shiina Hiyori leaned forward slightly, her focused gaze visible beneath her bangs: "I have naturally read Keigo Higashino's works, but this one..." She stared at the thorns and meteor patterns entwined on the cover, "The title does not seem to be in the catalog I am familiar with."

She seemed to have completely forgotten that the reason she had used earlier was that she wanted to borrow this book, even though that reason had been suggested to her by Hoshino Kanade.

"This is his obscure masterpiece," Hoshino Kanade opened the yellowed pages, and a maple leaf bookmark slid out, "The core trick is 'time forgery'—three siblings spend fourteen years laying out a revenge plot to track down the truth behind their parents' murder." He paused suddenly, "The key item is a coffee can."

Shiina's eyes widened instantly: "Could it be through the production date on the bottom of the can..."

"Exactly," Hoshino tapped the illustration page with his fingertip, "The killer exploited a supermarket promotion loophole to alter the date and create an alibi." He lowered his voice, "But the most shocking part is the ending—when the younger sister discovers the true culprit is actually..."

Shiina had stood up, leaning against the table without realizing it: "Please wait!" She pulled out her notebook and wrote rapidly, "The supermarket cold chain transport cycle is three days... the promotional batch..." Suddenly, the tip of her pen stopped, "Ah! So the power outage in chapter seven wasn't an accident!"

Hoshino tapped the edge of the page with his fingertip: "Amazing! The foreshadowing of the refrigerated truck key was buried extremely deeply, yet Shiina-san was able to lock onto the logical key point in an instant." He pushed another book from his bag toward her: "Would you like to trade? This one has an extra chapter from the killer's perspective."

Shiina took the book solemnly, her fingertips brushing against the back of Hoshino's hand: "It would be my honor." She unfastened her bag, and a dozen books wrapped in kraft paper spilled out, "As a return gift—these first editions of Ellery Queen, Hoshino-kun, you may choose any you like."

Sunlight filtered through the bookshelf, illuminating the faint red flush on the tips of her ears: "Next time... could I hear your interpretation of The Tragedy of Y again?"

"It would be my honor."