The Fourth Chapter: Even the Greatest Detective Can't Solve a Case on an Empty Stomach, Right?

The differences between people were sometimes greater than those between species. Forcing a tiger and a rabbit to "study" together—

(Someone once said that even an idiot could learn math. To this day, I still haven't met the standard. I'm crying.)

—would do nothing but scare the rabbit half to death and make the tiger even more irritable.

"Are they friends from your class?"

A gentle voice sounded beside him.

At some point, Hiyori Shiina had closed her book too and followed Lin Mu's earlier gaze.

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

A hint of curiosity showed in her violet eyes, and she kept her voice low.

Lin Mu looked away and turned to her. The mint-flavored lollipop in his mouth rolled over his tongue, bringing a crisp coolness.

He gave a slight shake of his head, his tone casual.

"People from my class I don't know well."

He didn't consider anyone downstairs except Kushida to be his "friend"—at least, not the kind of friend Hiyori Shiina meant.

Kushida was barely a lunch companion. Horikita, Sudo, and the others were just "classmates" he rarely interacted with.

After saying that, he stopped talking about the farce downstairs, as if it were nothing more than an insignificant incident.

He returned his attention to the little booklet of Runic Runes in his hands, pointed at a symbol that looked like a tilted "F," and asked offhandedly:

"This symbol seems to mean 'wealth' or 'livestock' in Norse mythology.

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

Which interpretation do you think better suits the meaning of 'clue' in a detective novel?"

Following his lead, Hiyori Shiina also pulled her thoughts away from the commotion downstairs. She tilted her head slightly, considered the question, then replied softly:

"If it's being used as a 'clue,' then the extended meanings of 'flow' and 'opportunity' might fit better.

Wealth is a static result, while clues often require you to seize an 'opportunity' that appears by chance during an active investigation, then turn it into the 'wealth' of uncovering the truth."

"That makes sense." Lin Mu nodded, finding the comparison rather interesting.

The two resumed their quiet conversation, discussing the similarities between occult symbols and clues in detective fiction.

From Runic Runes to the "Wheel of Fortune" in the Tarot Cards, then to the clues in detective novels that seemed accidental but were, in fact, inevitable.

The brief clash downstairs seemed never to have happened at all, no more than an insignificant background noise in their conversation.

Before they knew it, the blazing midday sunlight outside had shifted into the warm gold of the slanting afternoon sun. It passed through the stained glass and cast longer, more colorful shadows across the floor.

The library gradually grew busier, then gradually emptied out again.

(Listening to you talk is like listening to you talk.)

Lin Mu checked the time on his wrist terminal, then raised his hand and lightly tapped the cover of Beast in the Shadows, which Hiyori Shiina was still holding.

"It's lunchtime. We should go eat in the cafeteria," he said.

Seeing that Hiyori Shiina still seemed lost in the book's bizarre, surreal ending, her gaze unfocused,

he added, his tone carrying a rare hint of insistence:

"If you keep skipping meals, your stomach will start protesting. Come with me.

After all, just like in a novel, even the greatest detective can't solve a case on an empty stomach, right?"

At his words, Hiyori Shiina seemed to be pulled back from that strange and fantastical world of deduction.

She looked up, blinked her violet eyes, and glanced at the slanting sunlight outside. A trace of realization appeared on her face.

Then a faint blush, almost too subtle to see, rose on her cheeks, along with a hint of embarrassment at being called out.

She closed the book and nodded gently.

"Okay."

They went downstairs side by side, their footsteps making a soft, rhythmic sound on the wooden staircase.

As they walked, Lin Mu casually took out his terminal and sent Kikyo Kushida a brief message:

"Where are you? Cafeteria?"

She replied almost instantly.

Kikyo Kushida: "Waiting for you at the cafeteria entrance! That study session earlier... sigh, it's a long story. I'll tell you when we meet. (╥﹏╥)"

Lin Mu took a look, didn't reply, and put away his terminal. Then he said to Hiyori Shiina, "A classmate's waiting for me at the cafeteria entrance. Come along, Shiina."

Hiyori Shiina didn't mind and gave a soft "Mm."

At the cafeteria entrance, just as expected, Kikyo Kushida was already waiting there.

Her head was slightly lowered as she looked at her terminal screen. A trace of disappointment and exhaustion from the failed study session still seemed to linger on her face.

But when she caught sight of Lin Mu out of the corner of her eye, she immediately looked up, her usual smile blooming across her face.

However, when her gaze fell on the unfamiliar girl beside Lin Mu, with her silver hair, violet eyes, and cool demeanor,

her smile faltered for the briefest moment. A flash of curiosity and scrutiny quickly crossed her eyes, but it was soon concealed beneath an even brighter smile.

"Lin Mu!"

She jogged over, her gaze moving between Lin Mu and Hiyori Shiina. Her smile remained as warm as ever. "And you are...?"

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

Lin Mu introduced her in a few words, his tone flat.

Hiyori Shiina gave Kikyo Kushida a slight nod, her violet eyes calm, and said softly, "Hello."

At that, Kikyo Kushida turned her curious gaze fully toward Hiyori Shiina, her smile growing even brighter.

She even took on that signature eagerness of hers to quickly close the distance:

"Hi, Shiina! I'm Kikyo Kushida from Class D. It's nice to meet you!"

She stepped half a pace closer, her voice lively. "Can we be friends? I really want to be friends with everyone at the academy!"

Her enthusiasm was too direct and too intense, like a warm gust of wind blowing straight at her.

For Hiyori Shiina, who was introverted, uncomfortable around people, and used to keeping her distance, it was clearly a little overwhelming.

Her eyes shifted uneasily. The arm holding her book tightened without her realizing it, and her face showed clear hesitation and a hint of helplessness.

Her lips moved, but she seemed unsure how to answer this sudden "invitation to be friends." An awkward tension instantly settled over the group.

Seeing this, Lin Mu naturally spoke up. His voice wasn't loud, but it cut clearly between them:

"Don't mind her, Shiina." He glanced at Kushida, his tone half explanatory, half matter-of-fact.

"One of her... life goals is to be friends with everyone at the academy. You'll get used to it."

His words explained why Kushida was so enthusiastic, sparing Hiyori Shiina any pressure, while also indirectly reminding Kushida that her "standard approach to making friends" might not work for everyone.

Kikyo Kushida's smile faltered slightly. Then, looking a little embarrassed, she stuck out her tongue and reined in some of her exuberance.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. I got a little carried away. Don't mind me, Shiina."

Hiyori Shiina seemed relieved. She gave a slight shake of her head and said quietly, "It's okay."

Afterward, the three of them went into the cafeteria and found a table by the window.

As they ordered their food, Kushida naturally used Lin Mu's introduction—"We met in the library while reading"—as a starting point to try to make conversation with Hiyori Shiina.