The Lazy Occultist Boy and the Quiet Girl Who Loves Mystery Novels

Hiyori Shiina looked at the book in his hand—the very one she had been searching for in vain—and a flash of clear surprise crossed her purple eyes.

She spoke instinctively, her voice rising slightly higher than before: "You... how did you..."

The words died on her lips, her confusion evident as she wondered how he could have pinpointed the exact book from the crowded shelves so precisely, almost without a second thought.

She was certain she had looked through that section carefully just moments ago.

Seeing this, Linmu Fujimiya found this classmate of his rather amusing!

He waved his hand dismissively, his tone carrying a playful, teasing edge as he leaned into his all-purpose shield of an identity:

"Actually," he lowered his voice, feigning mystery, "I'm a very talented fortune-teller.

That's how I 'divined' the location just now. Do you believe me, classmate?"

He blinked, watching the doubt in Hiyori Shiina's eyes deepen rather than fade.

Clearly realizing that his excuse was too absurd, Linmu chuckled and added a more "reasonable" explanation:

"I'm just kidding. The truth is, I have an interest in mystery novels too. I happened to have read this book before, so I vaguely remembered it was in this area."

However, he shifted the tone of the conversation, steering it back to "divination." "I have been studying the occult lately, and my fortune-telling is actually quite decent. Would you be interested in learning a bit about it?"

Sensing the atmosphere had grown a bit stiff, he naturally threw out a question to keep the conversation from feeling too dry:

"By the way, why do you like mystery novels? I've noticed many of our female classmates... don't seem to be into this genre."

He recalled that Kikyo Kushida seemed to prefer romance novels or light essays.

Hiyori Shiina took the copy of The Murders in the Rue Morgue, her fingertips pausing slightly at the cold touch of the cover.

She looked down, her fingers gently tracing the raised texture on the book, her expression softening now that she had found her target.

Hearing Linmu's question, she looked up, her purple eyes meeting his, and answered softly:

"The rigorous logic in mystery novels, and the final, often unexpected truth revealed, are what attract me."

Her voice remained quiet, but her speaking pace quickened just a fraction when discussing something she enjoyed.

"The process of taking the scattered clues provided by the author, thinking through them myself, eliminating the wrong options step by step, and finally solving the puzzle...

It makes me feel satisfied, as if I've just completed a workout for my brain."

After she finished, she seemed to feel she had said too much and paused for a moment.

Then, she looked up at Linmu, a hint of genuine curiosity in her eyes, and countered: "And... what about you, classmate? What is it about the occult... that attracts you?"

She seemed skeptical of Linmu's "fortune-teller" persona, yet she had developed a bit of interest in talking to him as a person.

"The occult, huh..." Linmu leaned back against the cold bookshelf behind him, lifting his hand to shift the nearly dissolved lime-flavored lollipop to his other cheek, clearing space to speak.

His tone was casual, yet it carried a touch of his own insight, no longer just pure nonsense.

"That exploration of unknown forces, the interpretation of fate and symbolic meaning—I find it quite interesting. Although..."

He shrugged, "Many people think it's nonsense, just a trick for swindlers.

But I think it shares some common ground with mystery."

"Oh?" Hiyori Shiina tilted her head slightly, signaling for him to elaborate.

"They are both searching for a kind of 'truth'."

Linmu explained, "Mystery searches for the factual truth of a case, while the occult searches for...

Perhaps a projection of the human heart, a mapping of the subconscious, or simply a self-consistent system of symbols.

Both require observation, association, and even a bit of intuition."

He paused, his tone turning slightly self-deprecating, "It's just that most people in this world use the occult as a front for scams, muddying the waters."

Hiyori Shiina nodded gently upon hearing this, a light of agreement appearing in her purple eyes, and the faint layer of aloofness on her face seemed to dissipate slightly.

Clutching the book to her chest, she said softly: "You have a point.

In reality, both require meticulous observation and rigorous thinking; it's just that... the targets of the search and the methods of verification are different."

One seeks a chain of objective evidence, the other interprets subjective symbolic meaning, yet they share a strange, underlying connection.

The two stood there between the bookshelves, where only dust danced in the shafts of light, and chatted away casually.

The topic drifted from Edgar Allan Poe's pioneering mystery techniques and his gloomy, ornate style to the logic of interpreting different Tarot Cards spreads and the mythological archetypes behind the cards.

From Edogawa Ranpo's Japanese-style honkaku mysteries to the historical origins and psychological interpretations of Crystal Ball divination...

Neither side forced the conversation; they simply followed the overlapping points of their interests, letting the dialogue extend naturally.

Occasionally, they would fall into a brief silence, but it didn't feel awkward; instead, there was a sense of comfortable tranquility.

As they talked, they naturally came to know each other's names and classes.

"Linmu Fujimiya, Class D, first year," Linmu introduced himself, his tone flat.

"Hiyori Shiina, Class C, first year," Hiyori Shiina responded softly, giving a slight nod.

Different classes, similar introverted and solitary personalities, and the wonderful resonance discovered in this moment over a niche branch of reading interests.

It didn't make them deep friends immediately, but they had become special acquaintances in each other's eyes—people who were "easy to get along with" and "could hold a conversation."

"It was a pleasure talking with you."

After chatting for about twenty minutes, Lin Mu glanced at the time on his phone and decided it was about time.

He prepared to leave and return to continue his "great cause of slacking off."

As he spoke, he naturally pulled a perfectly wrapped strawberry-flavored lollipop from his uniform pocket and held it out to Hiyori Shiina.

"Here, consider it... a small gift because we 'clicked'?"

He smiled and added, "I have a habit of carrying candy to replenish my energy. Strawberry flavor should be pretty good."

Hiyori Shiina looked at the pink lollipop in his hand, a flicker of obvious surprise crossing her purple eyes.

She stared blankly at the candy, then looked up at Lin Mu, seemingly unaccustomed to accepting gifts from strangers, even if the two had just had a pleasant conversation, especially one that was... a bit childish.

She hesitated for a moment, her cheeks flushing with a faint, delicate red—or perhaps it was just an illusion of the light—before she finally reached out her hand.

Her fingertips lightly brushed against the fingers Lin Mu used to offer the candy, and she quickly pulled back as if burned, clutching the lollipop in her palm, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible:

"Thank you... I, I rarely eat these. But... I'll accept it for today."

She lowered her head to look at the candy in her palm, her long silver eyelashes drooping to hide the emotions in her eyes.

"I hope you enjoy that book."

Lin Mu watched her slightly flustered but seemingly not averse demeanor, and the smile on his face became a little more genuine.

He waved at her casually as a farewell, "I'll be going then. See you in the library again sometime."

With that, he turned around and walked with a steady, unhurried pace through the rows of tall bookshelves toward the library exit.

His short white hair caught a soft glint of light from the sunlight slanting through the window, gradually blending into the backdrop where the dimness and brightness of the library intertwined.

Hiyori Shiina remained standing where she was, clutching The Murders in the Rue Morgue to her chest.

In her palm, she held the strawberry-flavored lollipop, which still retained a trace of warmth from Lin Mu's fingertips.

She looked in the direction where Lin Mu's figure had disappeared, bit her lower lip gently, and a complex emotion that she herself might not fully understand flashed through her purple eyes.

What an... interesting person. She thought to herself silently.

He was completely different from the chaos and laziness usually rumored about Class D.

Calm, a bit mysterious, knowledgeable about many obscure topics, and... unexpectedly easy to get along with.

Perhaps... he would be the first person she met at Advanced Nurturing Academy who could be called a "friend"?

Meanwhile, Lin Mu stepped out of the library doors and was embraced once again by the bright afternoon sun.

He raised a hand to rub his mouth, which had grown stiff from maintaining a smile, and crunched the last bit of candy residue in his mouth.

Fresh air filled his lungs, carrying the scent of grass and trees.

Thinking about the brief encounter and conversation just now, the corners of his mouth curled up into a subtle arc involuntarily.

Hmm... these little interludes in life.

They feel... pretty good.

It's nice to have met a classmate with similar interests and a compatible personality.

(Event duration: May 1st to May 5th)