Chapter Forty-One: Even the Greatest Detective Can't Solve a Case on an Empty Stomach

Sometimes the differences between people are greater than those between species. Forcing a tiger and a rabbit to "study" together...

(Someone once said that even stupid people could learn math. 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 gaze.

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

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

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

He shook his head faintly, his tone casual.

"Just people from my class I'm not close to."

Aside from Kushida, he didn't consider the people downstairs to be his "friends"—at least, not the kind Hiyori Shiina understood as friends.

Kushida barely counted as a lunch companion. Horikita, Sudo, and the others were merely "classmates" he hardly interacted with.

After that, he said no more about the commotion downstairs, as if it had been nothing more than an insignificant incident.

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

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

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

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

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

"If we're talking about a 'clue,' then the extended meanings of 'movement' and 'opportunity' might fit better.

Wealth is a static result, whereas 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 quite interesting.

The two continued chatting quietly about the common ground between occult symbols and clues in detective stories.

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

The brief confrontation downstairs seemed never to have happened at all, just an insignificant bit of background noise during their conversation.

Before they knew it, the blazing midday sunlight outside had shifted to the warm, slanting gold of afternoon. It streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting longer, more colorful shadows across the floor.

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

(After hearing you speak, it was like hearing you speak.)

Lin Mu checked the time on the terminal on his wrist, 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 to the cafeteria," he said.

Seeing that Hiyori Shiina still seemed lost in the book's bizarre ending, her gaze a little unfocused, he added, his tone carrying a rare hint of insistence.

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

After all, just like in the novels, 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 mysteries.

She raised her head, blinked her purple eyes, and looked at the slanting sunlight outside. A look of sudden realization crossed her face.

Then a faint blush appeared, almost too subtle to see, along with a touch of embarrassment at being called out.

She closed the book and nodded lightly.

"Okay."

The two walked downstairs side by side, their footsteps making a soft, rhythmic sound on the wooden stairs.

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

"Where are you? Cafeteria?"

She replied almost instantly.

Kikyo Kushida: "I'm waiting for you at the cafeteria entrance! About the study session earlier... Sigh, it's a long story. I'll tell you when I see you. (╥﹏╥)"

Lin Mu glanced at the message but didn't reply. He put away his terminal and said to Hiyori Shiina, "A classmate is waiting for me at the cafeteria entrance. Come along, Shiina."

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

When they reached the cafeteria entrance, they found Kikyo Kushida waiting there.

She was looking down at the screen of her terminal, her face still showing a trace of dejection and exhaustion from the failed study session.

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

However, when her gaze fell on the unfamiliar silver-haired, purple-eyed girl beside Lin Mu, whose air was cool and reserved...

Her smile faltered almost imperceptibly. A flash of curiosity and scrutiny quickly passed through her eyes, but it was soon hidden beneath an even brighter smile.

"Lin Mu!"

She hurried over, her gaze moving between Lin Mu and Hiyori Shiina. Her smile remained warm. "And this is...?"

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

Lin Mu introduced her briefly, his tone even.

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

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

She even added her trademark eagerness to quickly close the distance:

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

She stepped forward, her tone lively. "Can we be friends? I'd love to be friends with everyone at the academy!"

Her enthusiasm came on so directly and intensely, like a warm breeze blowing straight at them.

For Hiyori Shiina, who was introverted, not good at socializing, and used to keeping her distance, it was clearly a little overwhelming.

Her eyes shifted away slightly, and she unconsciously tightened her hold on the book. Uncertainty and a hint of helplessness showed on her face.

Her lips moved, but she seemed unsure how to respond to this sudden "invitation to be friends." The atmosphere instantly grew a little awkward.

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

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

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

The explanation both clarified the reason for Kushida's excessive enthusiasm, so Hiyori Shiina wouldn't feel pressured, and indirectly reminded Kushida that her "standard approach to making friends" might not work for everyone.

Kikyo Kushida's smile stiffened slightly. Then she stuck out her tongue sheepishly 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 shook her head gently and said quietly, "It's okay."

After that, the three of them entered the cafeteria and found a seat by the window.

As they ordered, Kushida naturally used Lin Mu's introduction—that she and Hiyori Shiina had met while reading in the library—as an opening to strike up a conversation.

(Activity period: May 1 to May 5)