"Shiina, are you inviting me to become your reading buddy?"
Chihaya Rei looked down at Shiina Hiyori, an interested expression on his face.
"Mm-hm."
Under his gaze, Shiina Hiyori felt a little embarrassed. Her heart thumped wildly, and she nodded earnestly.
"If you're willing, Chihaya..."
"Hmm..."
Chihaya Rei deliberately paused for a moment. The next second, his cheerful voice rang out: "Sure!"
He naturally wouldn't turn down Shiina Hiyori's invitation to become reading buddies. If anything, that was exactly what he'd come here hoping for.
Shiina Hiyori's eyelashes fluttered rapidly.
She slowly lowered the book she'd been holding in front of her face. The corners of her mouth lifted, and she spoke with a mixture of relief and delight.
"Thank you, Chihaya. When you hesitated just now...
I was really worried you'd use some mean excuse to turn me down!"
Shiina Hiyori pouted her pink lips and raised her voice a little, giving Chihaya Rei a small reproach for teasing her.
But her soft, gentle voice sounded like she was being coy to Chihaya Rei. It didn't feel threatening in the slightest.
"Actually, I'm not a mean person. I just don't know the art of conversation."
Chihaya Rei wore a slightly helpless expression as he spoke.
Shiina Hiyori's eyes shifted as if she'd thought of something. A moment later, she smiled and said:
"Then should I find you a book called XXX's Art of Conversation?"
"Huh?" Chihaya Rei's eyes widened in surprise. "The library actually has a book like that?"
"Advanced Nurturing has a very extensive collection!"
After that, the two newly made reading buddies sat together and lost themselves in their books.
Time flew by as they read. By the time they noticed it had grown dark outside and checked the clock, it was almost nine.
They still hadn't even eaten dinner.
Chihaya Rei and Shiina Hiyori realized it was time to leave. There were hardly any people left in the library.
Shiina Hiyori felt reluctant, but she realized how late it was and had no choice but to get up and pack her things.
The two left the library together and walked back toward the dorms, chatting about what Chihaya Rei had just read.
He'd already read a third of Farewell, My Lovely.
Chihaya Rei shared his theories about the killer's motive with Shiina Hiyori, who happily played the role of listener.
But when they were nearing the dorms, Chihaya Rei decided to stop by the supermarket to buy a Coke, so he told Shiina Hiyori to go on ahead.
Before he'd even reached the supermarket that Miss Kamuro Masumi had once visited, Chihaya Rei spotted two familiar figures up ahead.
He had a vague feeling he'd stumbled upon an important scene.
Without hesitation, Chihaya Rei activated [Stealthy Aura], transformed into an assassin, and soundlessly crept closer.
He soon reached the corner where a vending machine stood.
He saw Horikita Manabu and Horikita Suzune. Horikita Manabu had his back to Horikita Suzune.
The siblings seemed to be arguing.
Or rather, it would be more accurate to say Horikita Manabu was lecturing Horikita Suzune by himself.
The next second, Chihaya Rei swiftly pulled his digital camera from his jacket pocket, slung it around his neck, and switched it to video mode.
The whole process took less than three seconds.
He'd practiced these movements to perfection in his dorm every night, just in case something like this happened.
Chihaya Rei poked the digital camera around the corner, so it could record the Horikita siblings.
He himself leaned out a little, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the two.
The footage from the digital camera was clear, sure.
But it still wasn't as thrilling as watching in person.
Besides, with [Stealthy Aura] protecting him, the chances of being discovered were next to zero.
Just look at Horikita Suzune's little expression: frowning, biting her lip, stubborn, resentful, and aggrieved. It was even more delicious than when Chabashira Sae had called her a defective product at the morning meeting a few days ago.
Hold it in. I can't laugh yet...
I have to wait at least 400 seconds before I can laugh.
"Suzune, you actually followed me to this school."
Horikita Manabu's voice was calm, making it impossible to tell what he was feeling.
By contrast, Horikita Suzune sounded somewhat agitated, as if she were eager to prove to Horikita Manabu that she had changed.
"Brother, I'm not the person I used to be!"
Were you going to say your weak self was dead, too?
Chihaya Rei almost raised a hand to his forehead, but he still had to hold up the camera.
"I won't be useless like before. I came here to catch up to you."
"Catch up to me?"
Horikita Manabu pushed up his glasses. His voice turned a few degrees colder.
"Then I can only tell you that you still haven't recognized your own shortcomings. This school was the wrong choice for you."
Horikita Suzune grew anxious at those words.
"I'll get promoted to Class A soon and prove it to you. Then..."
"You can't do it."
Horikita Manabu interrupted her without mercy.
"I'll definitely do it."
Horikita Suzune tried to argue, but there wasn't much conviction in her voice.
"Hmph."
With a cold snort, Horikita Manabu finally turned to face Horikita Suzune. He spoke with displeasure.
"You really are a disobedient little sister."
"Having a little sister in Class D is an embarrassment to me, too."
"So, Suzune, disappear from this school at once. You don't have what it takes to reach Class A right now. Stop dreaming about things you can't achieve."
As Horikita Manabu spoke, he suddenly raised his left hand, grabbed Horikita Suzune's right wrist, and pinned it against the wall.
Horikita Suzune instinctively stepped backward until her back hit the wall.
"Violence is permitted at this school."
As he said this in a cold voice, Horikita Manabu curled his fingers and drove them straight into Horikita Suzune's lower abdomen.
"Ugh..."
Pain showed on Horikita Suzune's lovely face.
She clenched her lips and didn't dare cry out. That would make her look weak in front of her brother.
So Horikita Suzune weakly raised a hand to clutch her stomach, while beads of sweat appeared on her fair forehead.
Finally, finally, he was seeing a normal sibling relationship!
This was exactly what he wanted to see!
Chihaya Rei stretched his neck out like a giraffe, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the scene. He didn't miss a single frame.
When he realized Horikita Manabu was about to strike, he didn't rush out.
He thought that Horikita Suzune, who only had eyes for herself right now, might come to her senses a little if her brother Horikita Manabu punched her.
Never underestimate the power of the Personality Correction Punch!
He also wanted to collect "evidence" against Horikita Manabu, to give himself more bargaining power in a moment.
It wasn't because he was mean and wanted to watch this.
"Oh-ho!"
Chihaya Rei made a sound and stepped out from behind the wall.
At the same time, he turned off [Stealthy Aura]. Otherwise, the Horikita siblings, so absorbed in their conversation, might not have noticed him for who knew how long.
"Didn't expect to see such an interesting scene this late at night."
As Chihaya Rei spoke,
Horikita Manabu turned to look at him, clearly surprised.
His gaze immediately fell on the digital camera hanging around Chihaya Rei's neck.
Horikita Manabu quickly understood that his every move was being recorded.
Considering the worst-case scenario, the other boy had captured everything he'd just done.
Horikita Manabu had deliberately chosen this blind spot without surveillance cameras to speak with Suzune tonight. He'd also checked that there were no other students around.
But now...
What kind of first-year brought such professional recording equipment to school in their very first month?
Horikita Manabu studied Chihaya Rei, unable to help wondering.
Still, as long as he snatched the digital camera, anything the other boy said afterward would be nothing but hearsay.
Chihaya Rei raised an eyebrow. He could tell that the student council president didn't plan to surrender without a fight. He seemed to be plotting something instead.
But rather than retreat, Chihaya Rei moved forward, completely relaxed.
He took a few steps and stopped half a meter in front of Horikita Manabu.
Horikita Manabu regarded Chihaya Rei with interest but didn't act right away.
Chihaya Rei's gaze passed over Horikita Manabu to Horikita Suzune, who was leaning against the wall with a stunned expression.
"You look a little worse for wear, Horikita."
Before you continue