Mystery

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, Class 1-A.

School days passed by in a flash. My first month at the Advanced Nurturing High School had been spent engaging in passionate debates with Morishita Ran during class, playing the occasional game of chess with Sakayanagi Arisu, dropping by Class D to visit Ayanokoji Kiyoko while teasing Horikita Suzune, or getting dragged off to eat small cakes by Teacher Hoshinomiya—

Wait, isn't this a pretty fulfilling high school life?

It couldn't be helped; the content of the first month's exams was just a surprise attack. As long as one paid attention, it was clear the material was far too shallow. It really wasn't interesting at all.

Class D: You're so high and mighty! You're so amazing!

Mashima Tomoya walked into the classroom and wrote the class points for each class on the blackboard.

Class A: 991 points

Class B: 900 points

Class C: 591 points

Class D: 0 points

Amasawa Reigetsu: 666 salted beans, not even pretending anymore. Anyone here understand the Class D dynasty?

Mashima Tomoya began to explain the summary and review of the first exam, also mentioning the function of class points and how to obtain them.

"The school will hold mid-term exams in May. Students who fail will be expelled, so please take note."

"Also, the school will be launching swimming lessons. Please keep that in mind."

Swimming lessons? Is there an exam that requires swimming? It's unlikely to be a simple race—that should be saved for the Sports Festival. That implies the swimming skill itself is what's important—

Survival on a deserted island...?

Although it sounded absurd, it was the only possibility Amasawa Reigetsu could think of.

Mashima Tomoya: I'm used to it. Do whatever you want, just don't transfer out of the class.

Amasawa Reigetsu: I... shouldn't, right?

As the homeroom session ended, everyone could hear the wails echoing from Class D at the other end of the hallway. Even Ayanokoji, who almost never sent messages to Amasawa's terminal, couldn't help but send one.

"Old man, spare some change."

For the academic ability of Class A students, it was basically impossible for anyone to be expelled due to the mid-term exams—but study sessions still had to be held. After all, not everyone had reached a B-grade in academic ability—take Kamuro Masumi, for example.

"What? I feel like you're thinking about something very rude!"

Kamuro Masumi shot a resentful glare. Ever since Sakayanagi Arisu had "collected" this Pokémon, Kamuro was frequently sent by Sakayanagi to run errands and deliver things to Amasawa. Over time, Kamuro Masumi discovered a bug—

Why not just stay in Amasawa's room directly?

After staying a few more times, Kamuro Masumi realized that Amasawa was even more wicked than Sakayanagi! Whenever she stayed in his room, she couldn't help but do some strange things. Although Amasawa always explained it away by saying the feng shui was bad or the room was haunted, he definitely did something to her!

I, Kamuro Masumi, will definitely keep staying here until I find out the truth! Because the truth is always hidden!

Sakayanagi Arisu: Fine, just don't mess with your husband.

Amasawa Reigetsu: ?

"What did you get on your math quiz?"

"63 points. So what?"

"Pfft."

"You just laughed, you bastard! You definitely laughed out loud just now!? I'm going to kill you!!!"

"I just remembered something funny."

"Funny your head!! Go eat sh*t!!!"

"Ara, Kamuro-san~"

"Eek!"

Kamuro Masumi was dragged away by her ear by Sakayanagi Arisu.

Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School, library.

In the end, Kamuro Masumi couldn't escape her Genshin family. She was hauled by the back of her collar by Hashimoto Masayoshi and placed onto a chair in front of a library table, which was piled high with things that were about to be crammed into her head.

Sakayanagi Arisu: I'm going to stuff it all in, okay~

Kamuro Masumi: What is that sound?

Morishita Ran: Knowledge overload.

Kamuro Masumi: Pfft!

*Thud (sound of a hand chop)

Sakayanagi Arisu gave Morishita Ran a hand chop, telling her to go find somewhere cool to stay, and then began to stuff knowledge into Kamuro Masumi's brain.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

Amasawa Reigetsu naturally didn't need to attend the study session, though he wouldn't have refused if anyone wanted to be trained by him. His role today was that of a companion, though as it happened, Amasawa Reigetsu was the hands-off type of companion.

Morishita Ran appeared beside Amasawa Reigetsu.

"Aren't you supposed to be teaching Kamuro? Why did you come over here?"

Amasawa Reigetsu asked, feeling a bit puzzled, though he knew Morishita Ran certainly wouldn't be teaching Kamuro anyway.

"Amasawa Reigetsu, I can feel an ability called 'Prophecy' awakening in my bloodline..."

Morishita Ran pulled a crystal ball out of her pocket, and a white-haired girl chased after her from the depths of the library.

"Isn't this a decoration from the library?"

Amasawa Reigetsu had a bad premonition.

"Amasawa Reigetsu! As the last descendant of the great prophets of the Age of Gods remaining in this world, I now issue a prophecy to you! In one second, you will be hunted down by something terrifying!!"

Amasawa Reigetsu's intuition told him that there might indeed be big trouble in one second!

Could it be that Ran-jie is actually a divine being?

Morishita Ran solemnly placed the crystal ball into Amasawa Reigetsu's hands and patted his shoulder with gravity.

Morishita Ran: "YOLO!!!!! Watch my dual-form transformation!!! Amazon jungle warrior form!!!"

Amasawa Reigetsu: "? God is behind the original!?"

"Morishita-san... please wait a moment..."

Shiina Hiyori chanted in her heart, her footsteps so light they were almost inaudible, but unfortunately, Morishita Ran did not possess telepathy.

Just a moment ago, Morishita Ran had inexplicably climbed a ladder to take the crystal ball decoration off the library chandelier, and the people around her hadn't even paid attention because the scene was too bizarre.

Shiina Hiyori took a deep breath, trying hard to control her breathing. Her fingers trembled slightly, but her steps remained exceptionally light. She knew there were other students studying in the library, and she couldn't make any loud noises to disturb them.

"I'm sorry... excuse me..."

She whispered to every bookshelf she passed, as if that could alleviate her sense of guilt.

Then she saw Morishita Ran hand the crystal ball to a strange male student, who was clearly just as bewildered.

"That's a relief... at least the crystal ball won't run away anymore..."

Shiina Hiyori let out a long sigh, finally setting her mind at ease.

"Um... excuse me, student, could you please give me that crystal ball? It's a decoration from the library chandelier. If it isn't put back, Morishita-san might be punished by the school..."

Ran-jie is truly a divine being!

Amasawa Reigetsu speechlessly handed the crystal ball to the white-haired girl he didn't recognize. Based on his impression, she should be from Class C. It was surprising that Class C would have someone with this kind of atmosphere.

A literary girl under the rule of a tyrant—how rare.

Taking the crystal ball, Shiina Hiyori felt a gaze assessing her.

It was an indescribable feeling. The person in front of her was about 178 centimeters tall, with a lean and upright build. His pupils were a murky gray, like a deep pool shrouded in mist, and one might sink into them if they took another step forward.

"Ah! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Seeming to realize her gaze was somewhat rude, Shiina Hiyori regained her composure and introduced herself.

My face feels so hot. Is it because I'm introducing myself to a stranger?

Amasawa Reigetsu felt the other party's probing gaze. Based on the trajectory of her focus, this was a typical detective-style observation.

"The Tokyo Zodiac Murders?"

Amasawa Reigetsu looked at the book Shiina Hiyori was holding.

"Thump!"

Shiina Hiyori felt her heart skip a beat.

The library of the Advanced Nurturing High School could be called luxurious, but most students only came here to improve their academic performance. She had almost never encountered a fellow enthusiast who read mystery novels, even if it was other books...

Ryuen Kakeru often came to the library, but he cared more about power struggles and practical books on economics than literary novels, and he usually chose to borrow them to take back or read on the way...

"You've read this book too!"

Shiina Hiyori's eyes sparkled.

"It's quite fitting, isn't it?"

Amasawa Reigetsu looked at the crystal ball in his hand and shook his head helplessly.

"The setting that combines occultism with the aesthetics of bizarre crimes is really interesting!"

Shiina Hiyori cast her bait toward Amasawa Reigetsu.

"Yes, using the missing yen coin as a catalyst when revealing the core trick at the end is a very good analogy."

Once Shiina Hiyori opened the floodgates, she couldn't stop, as if she were venting all the loneliness she had felt over the past decade of her life from not finding a like-minded bookworm. By the time the two left the library, the sun had completely set, bringing a quiet darkness to the world.

"It was truly a pleasure chatting about books with you! Will you be coming to the library again tomorrow?"

Shiina Hiyori's eyes held an unrealistic fantasy. She knew that if the other person were a bookworm like herself, she should have seen him at least once in the month since school started, but she didn't want to easily give up on that possibility—

Shiina Hiyori wanted to hold onto hope!

"Oh, right... we were so caught up in our conversation that I haven't asked for your name yet..."

Shiina Hiyori weakly gave up. She didn't want to lose this rare friend, even if it meant just chatting with him whenever he happened to think of her!

"My name, huh? I'll give you a hint."

Amasawa Reigetsu posed a very simple riddle, the answer to which was 'Zero'.

"Eh?"

Shiina Hiyori didn't react for a moment—

Amasawa Reigetsu had already left, as he had noticed his terminal vibrating incessantly, like a detonator.

Solving the little riddle Amasawa Reigetsu had left behind, Shiina Hiyori watched his retreating figure, the ethereal aura surrounding the silhouette reflected in her pupils slowly beginning to solidify.

"How mean of you, leaving me all alone here, Mr. Mystery~"

"Arisu, where is Kamuro?"

Amasawa Reigetsu could no longer stand the bombardment of text messages from Kamuro Masumi, so he arrived, blade in hand, in a fit of rage.

It's just a parent forgetting to pick up their child from school! Can't you just go to the school gate, buy a sausage, and walk home yourself?

Sakayanagi Arisu pointed toward the space beneath Amasawa's seat, and Amasawa looked down, bewildered—

There was a pile of burnt ash beneath the seat.