She turned to look at Lin Mu.
Before long, Kushida made her way through the narrow aisles between the desks and came to Lin Mu's seat.
She tilted her head slightly, her smile perfectly gentle—not so much that it seemed deliberate, nor so little that it felt distant.
Her bright eyes brimmed with anticipation.
"Lin Mu."
Her voice was soft, like a feather brushing the surface of the water.
"You'll help too, right?"
Lin Mu leaned back in his chair. The lollipop in his mouth had already gone from strawberry to grape. He licked the candy and gave a faint nod.
"I will."
He paused. His tone was still lazy, but there was a hint of seriousness beneath it.
"Though I can't say I particularly like Sudo."
The candy rolled around in his mouth.
"But since he was framed..."
He looked up at Kushida.
"I don't much like tricks that frame people."
At Lin Mu's words, Kushida's eyes lit up.
It was a genuine, unguarded brightness—far more real than the somewhat formulaic smile she'd worn before.
She stepped closer, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.
"Then... can we work together?"
She blinked.
"Two people searching for clues would be faster, wouldn't it?"
Lin Mu looked at her.
He had to admit, Kushida really was one of the most sociable people in Class D, and one of the best connected.
If he worked with her, they really would be able to find clues much more efficiently.
But...
He glanced at Airi Sakura, who still had her face buried in her arms beside them.
Her breathing had steadied, but her shoulders remained slightly tense.
The person who truly held the key was still hiding in her shell.
Lin Mu looked away and gave a soft "Mm."
No unnecessary words,