Hiyori Shiina looked at the book in his hands—the very one she had been searching for in vain—and unmistakable surprise flashed through her violet eyes.
She spoke without thinking, her voice a little louder than before. "You... How did you...?"
She trailed off, clearly confused as to how he had found the book she wanted so precisely, almost without a second thought, among the shelves packed with books.
She had just searched that section carefully herself.
Seeing her reaction, Lin Mu found her rather amusing.
He waved his hand casually, his tone tinged with playful teasing. Then he brought out his all-purpose excuse:
"Actually," he said, lowering his voice and putting on a mysterious air, "I'm a pretty amazing fortune-teller.
I just... um, 'divined' where it was. Do you believe me?"
He blinked and watched the confusion in Hiyori Shiina's eyes. It hadn't faded; if anything, it had grown.
Lin Mu clearly knew the excuse was far-fetched, so he smiled and added a more "reasonable" explanation:
"I'm kidding. I'm also a little interested in mystery novels. I happened to read this book before, so I vaguely remembered it was around here."
Then he changed tack, bringing the conversation back to "fortune-telling." "But I really have been studying the occult lately, and I'm pretty good at divination. Would you be interested in learning about it?"
Noticing the conversation had begun to stall, he naturally tossed out a question, trying to keep things from getting too dry.
"By the way, why do you like mystery novels? It seems like a lot of the girls aren't very interested in this kind of book."
He remembered that Kikyo Kushida seemed to prefer romance novels or light essays.
Hiyori Shiina accepted The Murders in the Rue Morgue. The cool touch of its cover made her fingertips pause for a moment.
She lowered her head and gently traced the raised pattern on the cover. Her expression seemed to soften now that she had found what she was looking for.
At Lin Mu's question, she looked up at him, her violet eyes meeting his, and answered softly:
"I'm drawn to the strict logic in mystery novels and the truth revealed at the end, which is often unexpected."
Her voice was still soft, but she spoke a little faster when talking about something that interested her.
"Following the scattered clues the author gives, thinking things through for myself, ruling out the wrong answers one by one, and finally solving the puzzle...
It feels exhilarating, like I've just given my mind a workout."
After she finished, she seemed to think she had said a little too much and paused briefly.
Then she looked up at Lin Mu, a hint of genuine curiosity in her eyes, and asked in return, "What about you, then? What is it about the occult that interests you?"
She seemed unsure whether to believe Lin Mu's claim of being a "fortune-teller," but she had grown a little interested in talking with him.
"The occult, huh..." Lin Mu leaned back against the cool bookshelf and moved the lime-flavored lollipop, nearly melted in his mouth, to the other cheek to make room to speak.
His tone was relaxed, but he offered some genuine thoughts of his own instead of making things up entirely.
"I find it interesting, the search for unknown forces and the interpretation of fate and symbolism. Though..."
He shrugged. "A lot of people think it's nonsense, a trick to swindle people.
But I think it has something in common with deduction, in a way."
"Oh?" Hiyori Shiina tilted her head slightly, inviting him to elaborate.
"Both are looking for a kind of 'truth.'"
Lin Mu explained, "Deduction looks for the factual truth of a case. The occult looks for...
perhaps a reflection of the human heart, an expression of the subconscious, or simply a coherent system of symbols.
Both require observation, association, and even a little intuition."
He paused, then added with a touch of self-mockery, "It's just that most people in this world use the occult as a cover for scams, muddying the waters."
Hiyori Shiina nodded lightly. A look of agreement entered her violet eyes, and the faint distance in her expression seemed to recede a little.
Hugging the book to her chest, she spoke softly. "You make a good point.
They both require careful observation and rigorous thought. It's just that... they have different goals and different ways of verifying their conclusions."
One searched for an objective chain of evidence; the other interpreted subjective symbolism. And yet, at their core, they had something strangely in common.
The two of them stood among the bookshelves, where the only movement was dust drifting through beams of light, and chatted casually.
Their conversation ranged from Edgar Allan Poe's groundbreaking approach to detective fiction and his dark, ornate style to the logic behind interpreting different Tarot Cards spreads and the mythological archetypes behind the cards.
From Edogawa Ranpo's Japanese-style orthodox mysteries to the historical origins and psychological explanations of crystal-ball divination...
Neither of them made any effort to force the conversation. They simply followed the threads of interest that happened to overlap, letting the discussion unfold naturally.
Now and then, they fell into a brief silence. It didn't feel awkward; instead, there was a comfortable calm to it.
As they talked, they naturally learned each other's names and classes.
"Linmu Fujimiya, Class 1-D," Lin Mu introduced himself, his tone even.
"Hiyori Shiina, Class 1-C," Hiyori Shiina replied softly, giving a slight nod.
They were in different classes, but shared a similarly introverted, solitary nature. And now, they had unexpectedly discovered an unusual connection through a niche branch of their reading interests.
They weren't exactly close friends already, but they had become people who found each other likable, who could chat together—in other words, somewhat special friends.
"I enjoyed talking with you."
After about twenty minutes, Lin Mu checked the time on his phone and decided it was about time to go.
He planned to head back and resume his "slacking-off campaign."
As he spoke, he casually pulled a still-wrapped strawberry lollipop from his uniform pocket and held it out to Hiyori Shiina.
"Here. A little gift for someone I... 'hit it off with'?"
He smiled and added, "I'm used to carrying candy around for an energy boost. Strawberry should be pretty good."
Hiyori Shiina looked at the pink lollipop in his hand, and clear surprise flashed through her violet eyes.
She stared blankly at the candy, then looked up at Lin Mu. She didn't seem used to accepting gifts from strangers, even if they had just enjoyed a pleasant conversation—especially when the gift was a somewhat childish snack like this.
She hesitated. Her cheeks seemed to flush a very faint pink, though it might have been a trick of the light. In the end, she reached out.
Her fingertips lightly touched Lin Mu's as she took the candy, then quickly pulled back as though burned. She clasped the lollipop in her palm and spoke so softly he could barely hear her:
"Thank you... I, I don't eat these very often. But... I'll accept it today."
She lowered her eyes to the candy in her palm, her long silver lashes falling to hide her expression.
"I hope you enjoy the book."
Seeing that she seemed a little awkward but not put off, Lin Mu's smile grew a little more genuine.
He waved casually in farewell. "Well, I'll get going. Maybe we'll run into each other at the library again."
With that, he turned and walked at an unhurried pace between the rows of towering shelves, heading for the library entrance.
His short white hair caught a soft gleam of sunlight slanting in through the windows, then gradually disappeared into the library's dim, sunlit depths.
Hiyori Shiina remained where she was, the Murders in the Rue Morgue held against her chest.
She clutched the strawberry lollipop, still faintly warm from Lin Mu's fingertips.
Watching the way Lin Mu had gone, she gently bit her lower lip. A complicated feeling flickered in her violet eyes, one she might not even have been able to fully understand herself.
What an... interesting person, she thought to herself.
He was completely different from the rumors about Class D—that it was chaotic and full of slackers.
He was calm, a little mysterious, and knew quite a bit about obscure subjects. And... unexpectedly easy to get along with.
Perhaps... he would be the first person she made at Advanced Nurturing Academy whom she could call a "friend"?
Meanwhile, Lin Mu stepped out of the library and was once again embraced by the bright afternoon sunshine.
He raised a hand and rubbed the corner of his mouth, which had grown a little stiff from holding a smile, then crunched the last bit of candy in his mouth.
Fresh air filled his lungs, carrying the scent of plants.
Thinking about the brief encounter and conversation, he found the faintest smile curling his lips.
Well... a little interlude in everyday life like that.
It felt... pretty nice.
He'd met a classmate who shared his interests and seemed to get along with him, too.
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