Shiina Hiyori's gaze shifted from the book to Kitagawa Kai's eyes, and a flicker of subtle excitement passed through it.
"'The Inugami Curse.' The story uses haiku-inspired murders as its theme." She spoke unhurriedly, enunciating each word clearly.
"'Three days, one night, one younger sister each night steps onto the road to the underworld in a scene depicted by a haiku.' 'An oriole hangs upside down, crying its first song'; 'a helmet presses down as a bug chirrs'; 'with a woman, a family, Hagi, and the moon.'"
Watching the undisguised delight on Shiina Hiyori's face, Kitagawa Kai felt as though his soul had been purified. He shared what he knew, too:
"It's not just a murder warning. It's also a poetic foretelling and reenactment of the scenes of death. Teacher Yokomizo combines the haiku's 'season words' and 'original meanings' with cruel death rituals..."
"Exactly, exactly." Shiina Hiyori responded almost at once, her eyes shining with the joy of finding a kindred spirit.
For a mystery novel enthusiast, unexpectedly encountering a kindred spirit in the library-
the joy was secret yet immense, like fireworks blooming silently in the heart.
That was how Shiina Hiyori felt.
By the time their discussion came to a temporary end, it was nearly noon.
Shiina Hiyori stopped talking, still reluctant to leave the conversation. "Oh, it's... already this late."
For her, losing track of time like this was both unfamiliar and incredibly enjoyable.
[Ping!]
[Shiina Hiyori's Affection Level +10. Current Affection Level: 40 (Kindred Spirit)]
"Yeah." Kitagawa Kai closed the copy of The Inugami Curse in his hands, his tone relaxed. "By the way, I'm Kitagawa Kai from Class B. I still don't know your name."
"Shiina Hiyori from Class C. I look forward to getting along with you."
"I didn't realize we'd been talking so long, Shiina. Do you have any plans for a little while?"
"How about we have lunch together? Actually, I'm still thinking about that point we mentioned earlier, the murders modeled after something..."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Shiina Hiyori's eyes.
He wasn't the only one still thinking about it.
She wasn't used to walking around with a boy, but the warmth of being understood and the pleasure of speaking freely were still with her, and she didn't want to end their connection just yet.
"...All right."
"About the central conflict in those modeled murders, I think I... remembered a similar structure in The Black Death Hall Murder Case. Maybe we could compare them."
As she spoke, she began gathering her books and notebooks, moving a little more briskly than before.
"Shall we go, then?"
Shiina Hiyori gave a soft "Mm" and quietly walked beside Kitagawa Kai, half a step behind him.
On the way to the cafeteria, Shiina Hiyori was quiet at first, but as soon as Kitagawa Kai brought up mystery novels, she eagerly joined the conversation.
The cafeteria.
They had just set their trays on the table when Shiina Hiyori carefully arranged her mystery novel.
"Kitagawa-kun? What a coincidence."
A clear, gentle female voice came from behind them and to the side.
Kitagawa Kai and Shiina Hiyori turned around at the same time.
Ichinose Honami stood there holding a tray. She gave off an entirely unthreatening air.
Her gaze first fell on Kitagawa Kai, then shifted to Shiina Hiyori. Her smile didn't change, and she looked appropriately curious and polite.
"Good afternoon, Ichinose." Kitagawa Kai greeted her calmly.
Kitagawa Kai glanced at Ichinose's shimmering Affection Level of 52 and, in truth, felt a little like he was sweating buckets.
This should be fine, right?
"Kitagawa-kun, who is...?"
"This is Shiina Hiyori from Class C." Kitagawa Kai naturally turned to introduce her, gesturing to direct Ichinose's attention toward Shiina Hiyori. "Shiina, this is Ichinose Honami from Class B."
"I know Ichinose. She's quite famous at school."
"Hello, Shiina." Ichinose's smile remained warm. "I didn't expect to run into you and Kitagawa-kun here together with a friend. Were you discussing your studies?"
"Mm, we ran into each other in the mystery novel section. We chatted a little and found out we share the same interests."
"I see." Ichinose Honami nodded, her gaze moving between the two of them.
She keenly sensed a certain special atmosphere between them, and her blue eyes widened slightly.
Then she made an unexpected decision.
"Kitagawa-kun, Shiina, would you mind if I joined you? I'm looking for a seat, too."
Huh?
Someone, save me~
Kitagawa Kai's control over his expression was impeccable.
"Of course not. Please, sit down."
Shiina Hiyori looked at them both and smiled gently. "Please, sit down, Ichinose."
"Thanks for having me." Ichinose Honami took a seat without hesitation, directly across from Kitagawa Kai and diagonally beside Shiina Hiyori.
Her pink hair slid over her shoulder as she lowered her head. She casually tucked it behind her ear, her smile still warm.
Lunch passed in a harmonious (laughs) atmosphere.
Ichinose was good at chatting. She didn't press them about their topic and instead naturally shared some interesting things from school, her manner sincere and friendly.
Shiina Hiyori mostly listened quietly as she took small bites of her food. Her gaze occasionally fell on the book beside her, then drifted over to Kitagawa Kai and Ichinose as they chatted.
Kitagawa Kai, meanwhile, wore the warmest springlike smile and did his best to maintain the perfect balance between "friendly classmate" and "ordinary book friend."
Ichinose finished her meal quickly. She carefully wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, then picked up her empty tray and stood.
"I'm done. Enjoy your meal."
"Mm. See you, Ichinose."
"See you, Ichinose." The two replied almost simultaneously.
Ichinose Honami carried her empty tray away, her warm, bright figure gradually blending into the crowd in the cafeteria.
Only the two of them remained in the corner.
Shiina Hiyori put down her chopsticks and spoke softly:
"Ichinose really does seem like a dependable and cheerful person."
"Mm, she really is nice. Do you go to the library often, Shiina?"
"Mm, I go almost every day. It's very quiet there, and I like reading." Shiina Hiyori nodded.
"If I hadn't happened to feel like going to the library today, if I hadn't happened to pick up this book, I might have missed out on meeting such an interesting friend as you, Shiina."
At this straightforward praise, Shiina Hiyori lowered her eyes slightly, and a faint blush rose to the tips of her ears.
"...You're too kind, Kitagawa-kun." She spoke softly, her fingers unconsciously smoothing a corner of the placemat. "I'm very happy to have met someone who likes the same things."
"Shiina, let's add each other as friends. It'll make it easier to keep in touch." As he spoke, he naturally took out his phone.
Shiina Hiyori's eyes lit up again. "All right, Kitagawa-kun."
She didn't hesitate or act coy in the slightest. She immediately reached into the side pocket and took out her phone, and she and Kitagawa Kai added each other as friends.
"So, Kitagawa-kun, what are you planning to do this afternoon?" Shiina Hiyori asked softly at the cafeteria entrance, looking down at the book in her arms before raising her eyes to him.
"If... you don't have any other plans, the library is quiet in the afternoon, too."