"By the way, Houtarou."
"Yes?"
"Arisu didn't tell you where I was, did she?"
"No."
"I see... Looks like I lost."
"Huh?"
"Ah, it's nothing."
Sakayanagi's Father laughed heartily.
He looked quite pleased.
"Did Sakayanagi... make a bet with you?"
"Just as Arisu said, Houtarou. You really are clever."
"You give me too much credit."
"Still, I'm a little disappointed."
"About what?"
"You found me so quickly, Houtarou."
"That... was just a coincidence..."
"Luck is part of one's strength."
"Is that so..."
"Of course. So, how did you know I was here?"
Sakayanagi's Father was curious.
He hadn't wanted Sakayanagi bringing a boy home so soon.
But he couldn't win an argument with his daughter.
So he had made a bet with Sakayanagi.
If Oreki found him before ten, he would agree to his daughter's request.
But he hadn't expected...
He'd arrived at the store at nine thirty.
Oreki had found him by nine forty-five.
Under normal circumstances, there were dozens of stores nearby.
Unless Oreki had a tracking device installed on him,
he shouldn't have been able to find him so quickly.
"Today is the Doll Festival."
"Mm."
"If you're still at a store at this hour, you must be getting ready to buy a doll."
Oreki began explaining his reasoning.
"There are many kinds of dolls, and each store sells different ones. Some only sell the emperor and empress, while others only sell court ladies."
"You don't need to spend much time choosing those."
"Because all you need is for them to be ornate or look nice."
"So what was the reason..."
"that you were still choosing dolls at that hour?"
"I thought you probably couldn't find a suitable doll to give Sakayanagi as a protective charm."
Oreki paused mid-sentence.
He was probably waiting for Sakayanagi's Father to respond.
"Mm, you're right."
"I'd love to take Arisu back to our hometown."
"But even I can't make an exception for her. So she's been staying on campus these past few years..."
He nodded.
There were many dolls at his hometown.
Most of them had been passed down from their ancestors.
Every year, the dolls came in handy for the festival.
The more prestigious the family, the more dolls they used.
Some families even used stands with more than ten tiers to display them.
"But could you really figure it out from that alone?"
"Of course not."
Oreki took his phone out of his pocket.
After opening his photo album,
he showed one of the pictures to Sakayanagi's Father.
It was a map of the campus.
Above one of the stores was a line of red text.
"...'Crowded'?"
"I see."
"There are three stores still selling dolls at this hour. The one with the most people is the store in the west."
Oreki put his phone away.
He added:
"Yes, I imagine there are many people on campus in the same situation as you."
"So the place with the most people must be where they're selling dolls of young girls."
"In other words, where you were."
Sakayanagi's Father clapped.
He said with admiration:
"Impressive. Well, I suppose I don't need to worry so much after all."
A polite, clever young man.
If he was spending time with his daughter...
Surely any reasonable father would have no objections.
Not long after,
the two of them rode their bicycles to the faculty dormitory.
It was much more luxurious than the student dormitories.
"Houtarou."
"Yes?"
"Go on up first. I'll be right behind you."
"...Okay."
Oreki was a little puzzled.
But he did as Sakayanagi's Father said.
He pressed the elevator button, then went to Sakayanagi's floor.
Sakayanagi's Father parked his bicycle.
"How long are you planning to hide?"
"..."
"Do I have to drag you out?"
"N-no, Chairman."
A middle-aged man emerged from around the corner.
He looked familiar...
He was... the man they'd seen at the art museum earlier!
But why was he here?
"What do you want at this hour?"
"Well..."
"If you don't tell me, I'll assume you were just passing by."
"I have something to discuss! I do..."
The middle-aged man hurried over.
He spoke in a low voice:
"I think you already know about... that painting..."
"A forgery."
"...You're right."
"So?"
"We can't let this go on for too long. If the police investigating this discover it..."
"Mm, and then?"
"We'll be—"
"Not 'we.' You."
"But you'll be affected, too... At least in terms of your reputation..."
"Will I?"
"Please! Chairman!"
The middle-aged man was almost on his knees.
He pleaded:
"Please, I'll do anything!"
"Anything?"
"Yes, yes, anything!"
"Heh..."
Sakayanagi's Father smiled and shook his right hand.
As if nothing had happened just moments ago.
Meanwhile,
Why did he deliberately come to a place without surveillance cameras?
Oreki stepped away from the window.
Out of curiosity, he hadn't immediately knocked on the Sakayanagi family's door.
Instead, he'd decided to watch from the hallway window.
Unfortunately,
he couldn't see much from up there.
"..."
Oreki went to the Sakayanagi family's door.
He knocked lightly a few times.
"The door's unlocked."
Sakayanagi's voice came from inside.
"Excuse me..."
Oreki turned the doorknob.
But the moment he stepped inside, he froze, unable to speak.
Right before Oreki's eyes,
Sakayanagi was sitting on the sofa, wrapped in nothing but a bath towel.
Though she was wearing underwear...
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're... em?"
"I'm not..."
"Then why is your face so red?"
"The cold wind outside made it red."
"Heh..."
"What are you laughing at?"
"Nothing. Anyway, aren't you going to come sit down?"
"..."
Oreki hesitated for a moment.
In the end, he chose to sit beside Sakayanagi.
The scent of flowers... No, is that her natural scent?
Oreki didn't know what kind of body wash Sakayanagi used.
It could have been perfume, too...
At any rate, it was a very pleasant scent.
"How did your investigation go?"
"Which one?"
"Hmm? The art gallery matter."
"Oh..."
"How's the investigation going?"
"So-so. We'll probably have the results tomorrow... or the day after."
"I see..."
"Yes."
Sakayanagi crossed her right leg.
The towel around her shifted with it.
Her lower leg, which had been completely covered, was now exposed.
Fair and soft...
It was practically a work of art.
"Want to see?"
"!"
Oreki immediately turned his gaze away.
That was dangerous.
He'd almost fallen for her illusion.
What terrifying power.
"Oreki... is there someone you like?"
"Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"Just curious."
"...No."
"I see."
"What about you?"
"Want to know?"
"No."
"If you do, then let's play a little game."
"I don't."
"Mm, then it's settled. Let's play together..."
--To be continued
Before you continue