Even the Greatest Detective Can't Solve a Case on an Empty Stomach

The differences between people are sometimes greater than those between species, yet they force tigers and rabbits to "study" together.

(Someone once said that even the dullest person can learn math, but until now, I still haven't reached that standard. Crying.)

Other than scaring the rabbits half to death and making the tigers even more irritable, nothing good will come of it.

"Are those your friends from class?"

A soft voice sounded beside him.

Hiyori Shiina had closed her book at some point and was following Lin Mu's gaze.

She glanced down at the area below, which had just experienced a small storm.

There was a hint of inquiry in her purple eyes, and her voice was kept very low.

Lin Mu withdrew his gaze and turned to look at her, the mint-flavored lollipop in his mouth rolling against the tip of his tongue, bringing a crisp coolness.

He shook his head faintly, his tone casual:

"Irrelevant people from class."

He didn't consider those people downstairs, aside from Kikyo Kushida, to be his "friends"—at least not in the way Hiyori Shiina understood the term.

Kikyo Kushida barely counted as a dining companion, while Horikita, Sudo, and the others were merely "classmates" with whom he had little interaction.

Having said that, he stopped mentioning the farce downstairs, as if it were nothing more than an insignificant trifle.

He refocused his attention on the booklet of Runic Runes in his hand, pointed to a symbol that looked like a slanted "F," and asked casually:

"In Norse mythology, this symbol seems to represent 'wealth' or 'cattle'?"

"But in some modern occult interpretations, it's extended to mean 'liquid capital' or 'opportunity'..."

"Which interpretation do you think is closer to the meaning of a 'clue' in a mystery novel?"

Hiyori Shiina followed his lead, pulling her thoughts away from the commotion downstairs, tilted her head slightly to think, and replied softly:

"If we are talking about a 'clue,' the extended meanings of 'flow' and 'opportunity' are perhaps more appropriate."

"Wealth is a static result, whereas a clue often requires one to seize an accidentally appearing 'opportunity' during a dynamic investigation in order to transform it into the 'wealth' of uncovering the truth."

"That makes sense." Lin Mu nodded, finding the analogy quite interesting.

The two then began to chat in low voices about the commonalities between occult symbols and mystery clues.

They talked from Runic Runes to the "Wheel of Fortune" in Tarot Cards, and then to those plot clues in detective novels that seem accidental but are actually inevitable.

The brief conflict that had just occurred downstairs seemed as if it had never existed, merely an insignificant noise in the background of their idle conversation.

Unknowingly, the sunlight outside the window had shifted from the fierce intensity of noon to the slanted, warm gold of the afternoon, casting longer, colorful light and shadows on the floor through the stained glass.

The number of people in the library gradually increased, then gradually decreased.

(Listening to you is like listening to you.)

Lin Mu glanced at the time displayed on the terminal on his wrist, raised his hand, and tapped his knuckles lightly on the cover of Beast in the Shadows that Hiyori Shiina was still holding.

"It's lunchtime; time to head to the cafeteria," he said.

Seeing that Hiyori Shiina seemed still immersed in the bizarre and strange ending of the book, her eyes a bit unfocused.

He added another sentence, his tone carrying a rare, almost urging quality.

"If you don't eat on time often, your stomach will protest. Let's go together."

"After all, just like in the novels, even the greatest detective wouldn't solve a case on an empty stomach, would they?"

Upon hearing this, Hiyori Shiina seemed to be dragged back from that strange and fantastic world of deduction.

She looked up, her purple eyes blinking as she looked at the slanted sunlight outside the window, a look of realization appearing on her face.

Immediately after, a faint, almost invisible blush spread across her cheeks, carrying a bit of embarrassment at being called out.

She closed the book and nodded gently:

"Okay."

The two walked downstairs side by side, the wooden stairs making slight, rhythmic sounds.

As he walked, Lin Mu casually took out his terminal and sent a short message to Kikyo Kushida:

"Where are you? The cafeteria?"

It was almost an instant reply.

Kikyo Kushida: "Waiting for you at the cafeteria entrance! That study session just now... sigh, it's a long story, let's talk when we meet. (╥﹏╥)"

Lin Mu took a look, didn't reply, put away his terminal, and said to Hiyori Shiina beside him: "A classmate is waiting for me at the cafeteria entrance, let's go together, Shiina-san."

Hiyori Shiina had no objections and gave a soft "Mm."

When they arrived at the cafeteria entrance, they indeed saw Kikyo Kushida already waiting there.

She was looking down slightly at her terminal screen, her face seemingly still retaining a bit of the frustration and exhaustion from the failed study session earlier.

But when her peripheral vision caught sight of Lin Mu, she immediately looked up, a habitual smile blooming on her face.

However, when her gaze landed on the unfamiliar girl beside Lin Mu—with silver hair, purple eyes, and a cold, refined temperament—

That smile faltered for an imperceptible moment, a flicker of curiosity and scrutiny flashing through her eyes, but it was quickly masked by an even brighter grin.

"Lin Mu!"

She trotted over to meet us, her gaze darting between Lin Mu and Hiyori Shiina, her smile remaining as enthusiastic as ever. "And this is...?"

"Hiyori Shiina, from Class C. We met while reading at the library."

Lin Mu introduced her concisely, his tone indifferent.

Hiyori Shiina gave a slight nod toward Kikyo Kushida, her purple eyes calm as she said softly, "Hello."

Upon hearing this, Kikyo Kushida immediately shifted her curious gaze entirely toward Hiyori Shiina, the smile on her face becoming even more radiant.

It even carried that signature initiative of hers, the kind meant to bridge the distance between people rapidly:

"Nice to meet you, Shiina-san! I'm Kikyo Kushida from Class D. I'm so happy to meet you!"

She stepped forward half a pace, her tone lively. "Can we be friends? I really want to become good friends with every student in the school!"

Her enthusiasm was too direct, too overwhelming, like a sudden gust of warm wind.

For Hiyori Shiina, who was introverted, unskilled at socializing, and accustomed to keeping her distance, this was clearly a bit difficult to handle.

Her eyes darted away slightly, her arms tightening unconsciously around the books she held, and a look of obvious hesitation and slight bewilderment appeared on her face.

Her lips parted, as if she didn't know how to respond to this sudden "friendship invitation," and the scene instantly fell into a subtle, awkward silence.

Seeing this, Lin Mu spoke up naturally, his voice not loud, yet it clearly cut between the two of them:

"Don't mind her, Shiina-san." He glanced at Kikyo, his tone carrying a hint of explanation, as if stating an objective fact.

"One of her... life goals is to become friends with every student in the school. You'll get used to it."

These words both explained the reason for Kikyo's excessive enthusiasm, relieving the pressure on Hiyori Shiina, and indirectly reminded Kikyo that her "standard friendship procedure" might not be suitable for everyone.

The smile on Kikyo Kushida's face stalled for a second, then she stuck out her tongue in embarrassment, reining in her overly outward enthusiasm:

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I was a bit too eager. Please don't mind me, Shiina-san."

Hiyori Shiina seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, shaking her head gently as she whispered, "It's alright."

Afterward, the three of them walked into the cafeteria together and found a seat by the window.

When ordering food, Kikyo naturally followed the "met while reading at the library" thread that Lin Mu had introduced, attempting to strike up a conversation with Hiyori Shiina.